Observation Sheet Questioning

(Please complete this form for both primary and secondary professional experiences and place in
your ePortfolio)

Graduate Standards - AITSL

Professional Knowledge: 1. Know students and how they learn
Professional Practice: 2. Plan and implement effective teaching and
learning

Question Type

Do you feel your questions were Nope it was a total disaster. I was waffling on, I wasnt concise and I
clearly structured and readily ended up confusing the students even more.
understood by the students?

Did you use a variety of question Tried to use open questions but I was waffling on and even the close
types? ended questions with simple yes or no answers were going over their
heads.

What balances was there I felt it the balance was weighted towards the closed questions since
between the various questions although a lot of it was confusing, they still knew the answers, they had
types? to realise it for themselves.
Consider both why and when you I used open questions to try to get a response initially but had to fall back
made use of the different to closed questions with obvious answers because students were already
question types? confused.
Distributing and Directing Questions

Did you recognise any pattern in I started at the front and worked my way to the back, I tried to evenly
the distribution of your questions spread the questions throughout.
amongst the students? Consider
reasons for this pattern?

How have you directed questions I would turn to the students and deliver the question and calling a
to the group? student by name to answer.

Have you used wait time? I would give them about 3 seconds of wait time before either restating
the question or prosing an example.

Did you make eye contact with I directed my gaze towards the group but never directly in the eye.
the group as you directed your
questions?

Reactions to Students Responses

Said things like absolutely and fantastic with happy expression and
How do you deal with correct exaggerated hand gestures.
responses? Do you qualify any
 praise given?

How do you deal with incorrect There wasnt any incorrect answers, the answers we got were inaccurate
responses? How do you deal and I would pick out the correct stuff and point them towards them to
with students who stumble and elaborate on.
grope for an answer?

What use do you make of the It was hard enough getting the answers from them let alone taking their
students responses to develop answers and redirecting them to add on another point.
the teaching point? Have you
redirected any questions in order
to add to an initial response?

Are you the only evaluator of the Nope, in actuality our mentor teacher would review the answers before
students answers? the end of the year before he has to submit to the vetis evaluators.

Overall Comments

Personally, I screwed the pooch so to speak, I already knew that English wasnt a strong suit
for the students but even still I put knowing the content after class management, which class
management was not existent since the students werent attention seekers and were already
eager to learn the content. If perhaps I had spent the hours I used to rehearse class
management on the content so I could I deliver it in a simple and concise manner that didnt
confuse the students. I think if I done that then maybe this lesson wouldnt have been a
disaster.
Observation Sheet Management
(Please complete this form for both primary and secondary professional experiences and place in
your e portfolio)

Graduate Standards AITSL

Professional Practice:
1. Create and maintain supportive and safe learning environments
2. Planning for Effective Management

Was your lesson plan effective
for managing the class?
e.g. How did the students react
to your lesson overall and to
your planned activities?
In terms of management it could of worked if I could of conveyed the
content in a simpler and concise manner without waffling on. I knew
who the shy ones would be and would need extra encouragement and
the one that struggled with English and would need a little extra help
understanding the questions.
In my anxious state, I wasnt myself and I left out the introduction in
favour for pushing the student to ensure the first was properly filled out
and signed which could have been done later.

Did anything unexpected Yea I messed up gloriously and I suspect that lesson will have to be re
happen? taught by my mentor teacher later in the term.

Did you provide a variety of Wasnt room for much variation since only 4 students and 4-5 questions.
activities?

Were you satisfied with your

Nope completely missed the timing. Didnt have enough time to
timing, particularly for the end of
complete the last question.
the lesson?

Nope as I felt that without the personal introduction and to the topic
Did you feel you were able to
followed by the in concise and waffling of the explanations already made
change things if needed?
the situation unchangeable.

I studied at the school of my placement for 4-5 years, nothing had

Were you aware of classroom
procedures and school
disciplinary policy? How much
did you know about your
changed in policy and in the school demographics. I already took
measures that accounted for the possible language barrier, although I
failed in the micro lesson I rectified that in my full lesson.
Honestly with the students in the class, I had no idea the backgrounds
they came from because some could have been fleeing dictatorships,
students? warzones or in extreme cases even slavery. I understood that this could
be a possibility so I endeavoured to have a happy demeanour about
myself.
How did your mentor teacher Our mentor teacher told us he favoured using the methods of proximity,
maintain a safe learning
eye contact and calling it to attention when something was happening
environment?
that shouldnt have been.

What strategies did your observe

Never saw him have to maintain anything in this class it was only on
your mentor teacher using to
Friday in the workshop that he had to but not in the classroom.
maintain this?

Maintaining a Positive Attitude in the Classroom

How did you demonstrate to the I went with an upbeat personality, I moved around and I tried to use a
students that you valued them, gentle tone and at times throw a joke in or 2. I tried involve them by
and enjoyed learning? having them read the question and help take the steps to working
through them.

e.g. Tone of voice, facial

expression, sense of humour,
introduction to students and
topic.

Which aspects of your teaching My confidence with my upbeat personality allowed to connect with the
style do you feel helped you students better and by extension kept their attention despite the
maintain class attention? confusion.

e.g. Variety of activities, class or

group discussion, pace of lesson,
interest at class level.

Did the students know what was Behaviour wise I would say so absolutely but in terms of the work they
expected of them? had to do, I highly doubt it since I was terrible at explaining what they
needed to do.
Were you able to redirect There wasnt any attention seekers amongst the group.
energies of attention seeking
students? Did the students have
enough to do?
Dealing with Minor Misbehaviour

Were you aware of what was There were only a few students and they were seated close together so I
happening in all parts of the could see almost everything except when I focused on 1 person.
classroom? Did you know what
each student was doing?

Did you take any action when you No poor behaviour from the students
observed poor behaviour? Why?
Why not?

Did you use non-verbal cues? Never any need.

e.g. Contact, pause, gesture,
movement toward student/s
concerned.
Overall Comments
With no behaviour issues and students already attentive and eager to learn, they didnt need much
encouragement. I just confused them with my waffling and irrelevant examples, my questions on
point and the content that to be explained wasnt simplified it was more complicated which was
where problems were.
Schools as text looking at the whole school
Describe the school in terms of its
demographics, appearance and
resources (be general here and do not
name the school).
What were the roles and responsibilities
of the teaching staff you observed?
Extremely multicultural in terms of students due to the
Intensive English Centre bringing in the kids from
overseas to learn the English language. Many of these
students then move into the schools year 11 and 12
mainstream.
The school is unique in terms of it doesnt have years 7-
10, it only has the 11s and 12s but has abundance of
certificate courses as well a very rewarding Adult ethos.
The adult ethos is pretty much makes it a lot like
University where teachers and students are on the same
level in terms of students calling teachers by first names.
Providing a safe environment for the students
Buying supplies for the building and construction
class
playground duty down at the gym, just making sure
no one smokes on school grounds.
Helping students with the software on the computers
that students use.
Arriving on time for said classes
While I didnt observe him doing this I do know he
also made sure the machinery and tools were safe
for the students to use.
What did you observe non-teaching I saw the staff that worked in student services helping students
staff doing to support teaching and with options, such as financial, medical and directing to more
learning in the school? relevant services the school offered.

The deputy responsible for our Professional placement liaison,

advising graduating year 12s on their future, their tisc
application and projected atar scores.

The school cafeteria workers providing a healthy meal at an

affordable price so students can easily afford.
Students
You will have observed the diverse
nature of your classes. How was
this diversity supported?
Our mentor teacher maintained a friendly and vibrant learning
environment that allowed the students to have a bit of fun and
laugh as well as a productive learning environment. He did this
by being in a happy mood, he would greet each student as
they arrived, joke around with the students while they were
working. Asked how they were doing, etc. He kept them
involved and engaged with the tasks but in a friendly manner.
Function of Schools
Did you observe the connection
of your schools with the broader
community? How did this
happen?
What do you think the function of
school is?
Reflection think about your
experiences during the week and
describe how your previous
experiences have informed your
view of teachers and schools.
Has anything changed?
The building and construction group were building benches for
the community garden and we got to observe them building
them. Well the concrete stands, which included seeing the metal
frame construction, the concrete mould, the pouring of the
concrete and the painting.
The art department had just had exhibition in Perth containing
the art from the students encompassing photography, visual art,
graphics and art (pictures and stuff). In the past they always had
an art auction at the end of the exhibition they held at the end of
the year which was open to the public.
To me school is a place where teach the skills needed to survive
in an academic world. A place where kids of the same age
group come together to learn academics and develop social
skills they will use in the later years of their lives.
During my high school years, I was what you would call a
troublesome student. Not in the terms that I didnt do the work, it
was more for the fact that I took pleasure in annoying the
teacher to excessive levels. Since I started on the road to
becoming a teacher, I have slowly begun to realise the true
menace I was to my teachers Not only do I respect my
teachers for putting up with me, but also for continually putting in
the effort to help me succeed despite my actions