Assignment Paper

Rationale: Observing, analyzing, and evaluating methods and strategies of veteran teachers can provide great insights that will positively impact on learning how to teach.

\Description: Observe, analyze and evaluate two math lessons being taught in K-3 settings.
Directions: As part of the field experience, make arrangements to observe a minimum of two math lessons in K-3 settings. use the following videos in place of the observations:
• Math Lesson 1 (Kindergarten): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D2o6MDpL1v0&t=244s
• Math Lesson 2 (Second Grade): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zgW9hJE_n_s

1. Make notes on the observations to include the following:
a. Date/Time of observation
b. How does the teacher set the stage for the learning to occur?
c. How does the classroom environment facilitate student/cooperative learning and promote safety?
d. What concepts are being taught?
e. Is the purpose of the lesson clear to the students? Is it clear to you? How does the teacher accomplish this? If the purpose of the lesson is NOT clear, why?
f. What equipment, manipulatives, and/or technology were being used in the lesson?
g. What types of questions were used during the lesson? What research-based strategies are being used to promote critical and higher order thinking? Content area vocabulary? Do the techniques and strategies used promote diversity, openness, inquiry, and support?
h. What types of student interactions were there? What types of adult-student interactions were there? How much teacher talk v. student talk was there during the lesson?
i. Which students were actively engaged in the lesson? Were there any differences in engagement between the genders? If so what were they? How did students from underrepresented groups in science participate?
j. How did the teacher attend to classroom management during the lesson?
k. How did students convey mastery of the concepts? What feedback was offered to students?
l. How was the lesson differentiated to meet the needs of all students?

2. Using the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics overview of Standards for PreK through Grade 2 (https://www.nctm.org/uploadedFiles/Standards_and_Positions/PSSM_ExecutiveSummary.pdf ). Analyze what you saw in the observations by
a. Identifying at least two ideas from the position statement that are similar to your observations in a K-3 classroom. How do you think learning mathematics this way helps children understand mathematics?
b. Identifying at least two ideas from the position statement that are different from your observations in a K-3 classroom. Why do you think these ideas are important in the teaching of mathematics? What impact do you think they would have on children’s learning of mathematic ideas and their excitement about learning mathematics?
3. Write a reflection that includes:
a. How you would have taught each lesson, including what you would keep and what you would change. What do you want to remember and/or learn from the lessons observed?
b. How would you collaborate with others to support student learning in mathematics? (FEAP 5.d)
c. Design purposeful professional development goals to strengthen the effectiveness of mathematics instruction and that enables you to implement the knowledge and skills learned to become a more proficient math teacher (FEAP 5.a,b,e)