Formal Observations (based on INTASC standards)
"Highly creative lesson plans. I love the connection to pop culture - bringing in The Simpsons to intro The Odyssey is motivating and relevant. The Reader's Theater you wrote is hysterical and clever - and an excellent, interactive way to give students the background they'll need to put The Odyssey into context... Students love participating in the Reader's Theater and even asked for more. They're also impressed that you wrote it, and I'm glad you told them you did - it's a great model for them for how their teacher is an active writer! Not only did you actively engage students in a variety of different activities, but by doing so many things and making so many connections, you've also communicated the why of reading/learning The Odyssey."
"Lesson plans are aligned with both VA SOLs and NCTE standards. Plans are geared to helping students activate prior knowledge and build interest in and motivation for reading Gilgamesh. It's clear that you have planned enough in advance to afford you the ability to move ahead and make small adjustments as you go. Plans also include a variety of modalities and ways to help students into the text."
"Classroom management is very good! Excellent use of proximity. You adhere to time exceptionally well, you have very little wasted time even when they come in from lunch. I especially like the gentle pressure you apply on a couple of reluctant students who don't want to study - and that you don't relent while also not allowing the situation to escalate. Nice clear teacher voice. You are highly, highly effective at clear transitions between lesson components - it's a huge strength. Creative, thoughtful, relevant and engaging lessons continue to be a huge strength for you as well. Activities are not just relevant to what students are supposed to be learning, but are fun, engaging and motivating as well."
"Excellent job of running a class discussion that is more student-centered and less teacher-driven. You do a terrific job pushing back on kids, pushing their thinking by stacking questions, listening to their responses and asking more questions... You have a good rapport with kids - they know that you care about and respect them (even the ones giving you trouble). I think it says a lot about the kind of person and teacher you are that you refuse to give up on kids like Carlos - even if he never comes around you communicate that you are not giving up on him - that's huge. Highly creative, relevant and engaging lessons - very student-centered and fun, but you don't lose sight of the content at any point."
"...Also love that you've created a couple of helpful handouts (lists of characters, vocab words) in response to student feedback! We often seek feedback and advice from colleagues, but don't always think to ask the students themselves what they need - so proud of you for doing that and for responding to their feedback! Love that your assignment is based on student request for more narrative writing."
Student-Teacher Evaluations
I administered these evaluations as a way of gaining feedback of where my teaching could be improved. After reading through all of the responses, I revised my strategies and made changes accordingly. For example, several students in the two Honors courses expressed a desire to be updated on their grades more often. After receiving this feedback, I made progress reports a bi-weekly event and encouraged students to come see me if they ever wanted more information about their progress.
