ALVERNO COLLEGE

SUPERVISORS OBSERVATION
OF ED 215-R Field Student
Candidate: Andrea Bowhall-Diaz
Assessor: Robin Gleason

Check One:
1stObservation __X

2nd Observation __

Date: 11/13/13

Cooperating Teacher: Colette Biltz

School: Highland View, Greendale
Planning and Preparation (AEA: Conceptualization, Diagnosis

Number of Students: 21
Grade: 2

WTS: 1,2,3,4,5,7 DISP: Respect)

Plans instruction appropriate to students stages of development and
learning styles.
Plan includes a motivating opening.
Activities and materials are well chosen.
Plan reflects use of an effective theoretical model, such as Holdaway,
Cambourne, Vygotsky, etc.
Plan encourages student progress and engagement.
Plan includes adaptations for students with specific needs and learning
styles.
Questions are planned in advance.
A meaningful closure concludes planning process.
____Inadequate ____Emerging ____Proficient __X__Distinctive

Subject(s): Writing Workshop

Evidence (Candidate)

You consulted with your CT to select the learning objective for this
lesson. Your plan was detailed and followed a theoretical model to
teach to your lesson objective for this writing lesson. You carefully
articulated all aspects of the lesson, including the language you
planned to use in your think aloud. In your plan, you also considered
how this lesson fit in with previous and future learning and how to
support the various developmental levels of writing of the children.
You listed and readied the necessary materials for this lesson,
including your own piece of writing that you used to demonstrate the
lesson objective. Because you were so well prepared, you taught this
lesson with confidence.

Classroom Environment

(AEA: Coordination, Integrative Interaction WTS: 1,2,3,4,5,6

DISP: Respect, Responsibility, Collaboration, Communication)

Offers explicit praise to students.

Teachers and students connect to one another by smiling, sharing and
helping.
Respects each child as an individual.
Supports students as they work independently and collaboratively.
Manages transitions efficiently.
Effectively uses resources and curriculum materials to develop the ideas
being taught.
Manages student attention by engaging them productively in learning
experiences.
Clearly communicates expectations and procedures for behavior and
assignments.

Evidence (Candidate and Student)

You set a positive and supportive tone for your lesson right from the
start, and this continued throughout your lesson.
Your CT transitioned the children to the meeting area to get ready for
your lesson. You were ready waiting for the children to settle on the
carpet with the white board visible to all.
You clearly set expectations for learning behaviors at the beginning of
your lesson, before you transitioned them to do their independent writing
and again when you called them back to the sharing circle. You also
kept them focused throughout, calling them back to attention when
necessary. You easily connected with the children by using great eye
contact and by talking in a conversational and positive tone with them.
You positioned the easel so that you could keep an eye on the children
even as you wrote, and you wrote quickly as you shared your thinking.

Copyright 2010. Alverno College, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. All rights reserved under U.S., International
and Universal Copyright Conventions. Reproduction in part or whole by any method is prohibited by law.

ED FORM 708
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School: Highland View, Greendale

Grade: 2

Subject(s): Writing Workshop

As you conferred with the children, you kept this positive and animated
tone and provided additional support, as needed. Just scan the room
often to make sure that all children are focused on their learning.
One additional suggestion is to consider the size of the text you are
using to demonstrate your thinking in front of the large group. Think
about how you might have planned ahead to use larger paper to write
your own piece for your demonstration purposes. This perhaps would
have allowed the children to see your thinking more easily as you revised
your piece of writing in front of them.

____Inadequate

____Emerging

____Proficient

__X__Distinctive

Copyright 2010. Alverno College, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. All rights reserved under U.S., International
and Universal Copyright Conventions. Reproduction in part or whole by any method is prohibited by law.

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Instruction (AEA: Communication, Coordination, Diagnosis,

Integrative Interaction WTS: 1,2,4,5,6,7,10
DISP: Respect, Communication)
Demonstrates knowledge of content throughout delivery.
Presents content in developmentally appropriate ways.
Consistently demonstrates enthusiasm.
Models and supports active listening, discussion and thoughtful
responses in reading, writing & speaking.
Challenges and supports student thinking by using:
o different types of explanations
o various levels of questioning and discussion techniques-Blooms
Taxonomy
o techniques that repeat and/or extend student responses
o a variety of modalities (visual, auditory, kinesthetic)
Focuses student attention on lesson objectives.
Actively engages students in meaningful learning and keeps them on
task.
Adapts plans as needed.
Varies role in instructional process (instructor, facilitator, coach,
audience) in relation to content, purposes of instruction and needs of
learners. (Holdaway Model, etc.)
Is respectful of cultural and gender differences.
Relates learning to students previous learning and/or to students
personal experiences.

____Inadequate

____Emerging

____Proficient

Evidence (Candidate and Student)

You clearly knew the content of this lesson, Andrea. You were confident and
enthusiastic in your teaching.
Throughout the lesson, you clearly kept the focus on your lesson objective. You
started the lesson by connecting this lesson with prior learning and transitioned
easily into your lesson objective for the day. You not only stated the objective,
you also explained why it is important to learn about connecting words and
sentences. You briefly reviewed what the children had already learned about
informational text and restated the lesson objective. You did a great job of
modeling your own process in adding connecting words to expand your own
writing. You had ready a draft of your own writing and used it as you thought
aloud how to add connecting words and further details to make your writing more
interesting. You did a great job of emphasizing the fact that you are writing
informational text to teach your reader something. You wrote right in front of the
children as you thought out loud. You closed this part by restating the lesson
objective and recapped the process. Then, you did a great job of checking in
with the children to see if they understood what you were teaching them through
a turn and talk with their partners. Nice job of responding to the childrens
observations by either restating what they said or extending what they said to
clarify their thinking.
You then transitioned the children back to their tables to practice on their own
writing by passing out their pieces to them individually. You then began to confer
with the children one-on-one.
Mid-way through the workshop time, you stopped the children and remodeled
your thinking because you noticed that the children still needed this type of
support to move them more toward independence. Great job!
For the performance part of the lesson, you gathered the children into their
sharing circle. You selected a few children to share their thinking as models for
the rest of the class. You prompted the children to share their writing and the
process they used to add the connecting words and details. After the sharing,
you closed the lesson by restating the lesson objective and by connecting this
learning to future learning.
A couple of suggestions for your further development as a teacher:
1. Again, consider the size of the text you are using with the children to
really capture their attention.
2. During the participation part of your lesson, it may have helped to have
the children not only tell you what they noticed you doing, but for them
to use the strategy you were teaching them to make suggestions for
revisions to your writing. This would have helped them rehearse the
strategy a bit before moving into their own writing.
3. Think about how an anchor chart that clearly and simply laid out the
strategy in kid language may have helped support the children as they
practiced using the process in their own writing.

__X__Distinctive

Copyright 2010. Alverno College, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. All rights reserved under U.S., International
and Universal Copyright Conventions. Reproduction in part or whole by any method is prohibited by law.

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Assessment (AEA: Diagnosis, Integrative Interaction WTS: 1,2,3,7,8,9

DISP: Reflection)
Provides feedback to learners (oral and/or written).
Focuses the students attention on the process of learning rather than
just getting the correct answer or finishing an activity.
Assessment relates directly to objectives.
Students self assess (oral and/or written).
Assessment was well chosen for lesson content.
Uses information from lesson and assessment in planning of future
lessons.
Reflects on own performance in relation to student learning and WI
teacher standards.

____Inadequate

____Emerging

__X__Proficient

Evidence (Candidate and Student)

You began your lesson by complimenting the children on the informational
writing they had been doing. You supported their learning throughout the
demonstration and participation parts of the lesson by responding
appropriately to their thinking through praise, extension, or clarification.
This really helped the children to focus on the strategy you used to add
connecting words and sentences to expand your writing. As you conferred
with the children and as you moved around the room, you observed that at
least some of the children needed more modeling. You stopped the group
at this point and remodeled great job of monitoring the learning and
adjusting your lesson to meet the childrens needs. During the performance
part of the lesson, you also provided children with specific feedback in
relation to the lesson objective, focusing not only on the product, but also
on the thinking the children did to expand their writing. You planned to take
anecdotal records on three students during the conferring part of your
lesson, an assessment appropriate for this lesson. Could you also use the
writing samples themselves? Throughout the semester, you have grown in
analyzing your performance in relation to the WTS and the AEA.

____Distinctive

Copyright 2010. Alverno College, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. All rights reserved under U.S., International
and Universal Copyright Conventions. Reproduction in part or whole by any method is prohibited by law.

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Professional Responsibilities (AEA: Communication, Integrative Interaction WTS:

1,2,6,7,9,10 DISP: Respect, Responsibility, Reflection, Collaboration, Communication)
Demonstrates professionalism through timely completion of work for Classroom ____
Seminar ____
Demonstrates professionalism through regular attendance, arriving on time. School
____ Seminar ____
Relates professionally and effectively with students, cooperating teacher____,
staff____, and supervisor ____ (including initiating conversation, and problem solving).
(Social Interaction at Level 4)
Completes self -assessments, reflecting on planning and implementing of lessons.
Is willing to give and receive help.
Demonstrates Effective Citizenship by attending a school/parent event and completing
an accompanying log.
Actively participates in seminar by offering ideas, sharing materials and supporting
peers. (Social Interaction at Level 4)
____Inadequate

____Emerging

__X__Proficient

Evidence (Candidate)
You clearly have established a strong collegial relationship with
your CT and positive working relationships with the children in your
classroom. It is evident that you feel comfortable and part of this
classroom environment.
You consistently conduct yourself in a professional manner with
your colleagues and supervisor. You actively share your ideas and
offer your support to your colleagues. The thinking that you
demonstrate in your written assignments is thorough and
insightful.

____Distinctive

Additional Comments: Andrea, this was a fine literacy lesson! You tackled teaching children to revise their informational
writing pieces using a specific strategy quite a complex process. There were many fine moments in this lesson. One in
particular, was your recognition that the children needed more support as they were working independently on their own
pieces of writing. You took the initiative to stop the children right then to remodel the strategy. This was great responsive
teaching! You have a positive and supportive approach to teaching, Andrea. You also are a highly reflective practitioner.
Both of these strengths have lead to your growth as a teacher. Nice work! I encourage you as you move forward in your
journey of becoming a truly effective teacher, to continue to grow in analyzing your practice in relation to the theory and
student learning.

Overall Performance: ____Inadequate ____Emerging ____Proficient __X__Distinctive

Copyright 2010. Alverno College, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. All rights reserved under U.S., International
and Universal Copyright Conventions. Reproduction in part or whole by any method is prohibited by law.

ED FORM 708
0210 ED