Classroom Observations

Each of you  will be observing at a middle school and at a high school at different times during the semester.  It is important that you have a list of many factors you should be looking for in the classroom so that you can keep a record them and discuss them at a later time in this seminar and in Methods I.  Not all classroom settings will display all the qualities you will be asked to observe.  It is not necessarily the case that all teachers you observe will serve as good role models for each standard.  You will be able to learn from your observations and by sharing them allow your classmates to benefit also.

The following list indicates the week we will be discussing the topics not the week you should try to observe them. These questions will need to be answered, typed up and included in your portfolio as part of your core assignments. All common core assignments are due April 28, 2008.

Week 1 - Middle School observations

1. Do middle school science teachers belong to an inter-disciplinary team?

2. How does the middle school science teacher see his/her role on the team and in the school?

3. What frustrations do team members have because they are on a team?

4. What advantages do team members have because they are on a team?

5. How far in advance does planning for instruction take place for inter-disciplinary teams?

6.  Describe and evaluate the inter-disciplinary unit.

7. How is language arts worked into science and science into language arts?

8. How is social studies worked into science and science into social studies?

9. Are there any special "strategies" that team members use to develop and teach inter-disciplinary units?

10. Does the middle school have an interdisciplinary or discipline-based science program?

11. How much time is "spent on science" during the average middle school day?

12. How much of the "science time" is spent on science?

13. How much of the "science time" is spent on other subjects?

14.  Is there a specific period or time specified for science?  If so, how long is it?

15. What topics (disciplines) are included in the science classes you observed?

16. What texts are used for science instruction?

17. Do students use technology for science classes?  If so, how?  If not, why not?

18. Do teachers use technology for science classes?  If so, how?  If not, why not?

Week 2 - High School observations - Curriculum Integration

1. Does the school offer an integrated science course?  Describe and evaluate how the class is taught.

2. Do all students have a chance to take an integrated science course or is it only for some students?

3. Does one teacher teach the integrated course or is it taught by a team?

4. Does one teacher design the integrated course or is it taught by a team?

5. What text or material is used in the integrated science course?

6. Do students use technology for integrated science classes?  If so, how?  If not, why not?

7. Do teachers use technology for integrated science classes?  If so, how?  If not, why not?

Week 3 -  All levels - Meeting the Needs of all Students

1. Are there any students in the classes who have obvious physical handicaps?  mental handicaps?  If there are, how are their needs addressed?

2. Do starting activities take place to gain the attention of all students?

3. Are students free to choose their own seats in the room or does the teacher assign seats based on some criteria?

4. Is any special technology used in the classroom? Do students with exceptional needs have access to assistive technology?

5. Does the teacher make use of, or refer to, any topics from the community or from student interests?

6. Does the teacher both write out assignments and speak them?

7. Do all students read the same science materials? 

8. Do all students have the same reading ability?

9. At what grade level is the primary textbook written?

10. Does the textbook include explanatory diagrams and pictures as well as written discussion?

Week 4 - All levels - Assessment

1. How many different assessment activities did you observe? Describe each type.

2. How much time on average was spent on assessment activities?

3. Do all students perform the same assessment for each topic or do students have different assessments based on their needs?

4. At what level on Bloom's cognitive taxonomy were most assessments?

5. Did the teachers design the assessment before or after teaching the topic?  Why?

6. Were assessments designed by the teacher teaching the material or someone else? Why?

7. Were assessment activities designed for different learning styles? or were they always the same?

8. How do the teachers go from assessments to grades?

9. What method is used to keep track of student performance?  (e.g., electronic vs standard gradebook, formal record  of observations in class, charts).  Does the school provide electronic gradebook support?

10. Does the teacher use a variety of teaching styles and methodologies?

11. Do the students react in different ways to the instruction or activities taking place in the classroom?

12. What types of teacher actions seem to produce the best student response?

Week 5 - All levels - Learning Environment

1. How are science materials stored?  Are there separate storage areas for each of the science disciplines or a central area for all?

2. Who is in charge of the storage area(s)?

3. Are there live specimens present in the school?  Describe what they are and the care they receive.

4. Who is responsible for the live specimens?  Who takes care of them over vacation?

5. Does the school have someone in charge of safety?

6. Is a teacher free to decorate the science room however he/she desires?  Can teachers put up signs, posters, etc.?

7. When you first walked into the science classroom, what was your impression? What told you it was a science class?

8. What do you like about the science rooms you visited? What did you dislike?

9. How many students were in each middle school science classroom?

10. How many students were in each high school science classroom?

11. In your opinion, was the science program well equipped?  Middle school?  High school?