Essay on Observation Cycle for Science Teacher: Preconferencing, Observation, and Analysis

Introduction

Observation cycles are meant to analyze the teaching practices of teachers. They measure variables such as the quality of teaching and learning. The following is the observation cycle for a science teacher teaching in middle school (Lester, 2020). The sequence follows the Viking Academy Trust format (Viking Academy Trust).

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Preconference

The preconference was held five days prior to the beginning of the observation period. The preconference is useful in creating rapport between the teacher and the consulting teacher (Lee Manning, 1985). The teacher indicates that he has made considerable progress in syllabus coverage. He uses a conversational teaching style. This style, he argues, allows students to explore the concepts and increases their curiosity and understanding. The following lesson covers the expansion and contraction of gases. Students will observe air expansion through a palm glass. The consulting teacher rehearses several classroom scenarios with the teacher. Role-playing is necessary to prepare the teacher for students' questions and changes in behavior because of being under observation.

After reviewing the lesson plans, the consulting teacher recommends that the teacher keeps to the program. Consistency will minimize classroom disruptions. Besides, the consultant indicates that they will attend the class on an observation role. They will not take part in in-class activities. The tutor will interact with the students, as he would in a regular class session. However, the consultant will interact with students during the lesson to gauge their understanding of concepts and their opinion on teaching styles. Furthermore, the consultant informed the teacher that the class session would be recorded. The teacher will be observed in one lesson only.

The teacher informs the consultant that the class is multi-ethnic; however, some of the students are new. Therefore, they are quieter in comparison to the other students. For efficient observation, the consultant offers to sit at the back of the class. This position will give them a vantage view of the whole class.

Classroom Observation

The teacher projects the course work on the whiteboard for all the students to follow. The teacher takes the students through the coursework before allowing students to engage in groups. Students are divided into groups. The groups are multi-ethnic with both genders. Within the groups, students engage with the palm glass and make observations regarding the movement of the liquid. Students give their hypotheses regarding the said observations. The following table summarises the class observations.

Summary of Class Observations

Evaluation items Frequency distribution. strongly agree=5, Agree=4, Disagree=3, strongly disagree= 2, unable to judge=less than 1 Score

Organization level Agree 4

Clarity when communicating Agree 4

Approachable Strongly agree 5

Provides useful feedback Agree 4

Knowledge of the topic Strongly agree 5

Enthusiasm when teaching the unit Agree 4

The teacher's effectiveness Agree 4

The teacher is aware of the students' heritage Agree 4

Prepares instruction material and activities Agree 4

The teacher creates a stimulating learning environment Disagree 3

The teacher has established procedures that direct verbal participation of students in the class Agree 4

The teacher frequently monitors the progress of students in their groups. Agree 4

Materials and equipment are available before the class beginning. Strongly agree 5

The teacher ensures a high level of student time-on-task Disagree 3

Speaks fluently and precisely Agree 4

Provides opportunities for application of concepts Agree 4

Assigns tasks relevant to the student level Agree 4

Asks appropriate questions Agree 4

Students respect the teacher Agree 4

The teacher is respectful to students Strongly agree 5

Follow up Questions

Consulting teacher (CT): How do you set the tone of the classroom?

Teacher (T): I establish protocols through which students interact. Additionally, I use the first few minutes to introduce the topic and inform students of the unit's objectives.

CT: how do you deal with interruptions in the classroom?

T: the most common interruptions we experience come from the school nurse and principal. However, if I have to leave the class I give students enough classwork to cover the remaining period. If a student has to leave, I follow up to ensure they catch up with the class.

CT: Do you give assignments?

T: we give at least one science assignment weekly. The assignment often requires them to combine knowledge from several units.

Feedback

The following is the feedback report for the Science lesson held on 2020-04-29. Information collected analysis of the teacher's ability to organize and run the classroom.

The teacher organizes and runs his class efficiently. Despite the majority of the lesson being group work, he ensures students keep their voices allow. The process is vital in enabling every student to listen and follow the arguments. The tutor was also comprehensive when introducing the students to the unit. Therefore, students have enough information before proceeding to explore the palm glass. To help students understand concepts, the teacher uses diagrams. In addition, the teacher was easily accessible during discussions to answer the students' questions. However, when answering the questions, he would guide the students so that they would arrive at the answer by themselves. He identifies students by their names; this is a useful tool in creating rapport with the students. When explaining concepts and keywords, he used simple vocabulary. Furthermore, during discussions, he interacts with the students hence monitoring the progress and understanding of each student. The tutor's enthusiasm makes the classes lively and encourages students to participate in in-class activities.

Also, the class has established guidelines that guide students' interactions in class. The students raise their hands before answering questions. During discussions, students take turns to air their opinions.

Areas to Improve

The lesson was lively, however, it often felt crowded. The computers in the classroom are likely to distract some of the students. The tutor has to pay attention to all the students equally. The silent students went through most of the class without participating in in-class activities. Students should be encouraged to form multi-ethnic groups to aid their interactions.

References

Lee Manning, M. (1985). Book review : Successful teacher evaluation Thomas L. McGreal Alexandria, VA ASCD, 1983 161 pp., $8.95. Journal of Teacher Education, 36(1), 69-69. https://doi.org/10.1177/002248718503600116

Viking Academy Trust. (n.d.). Viking Academy Trust - Home. https://www.vikingacademytrust.com/attachments/download.asp?file=47&type=pdf

Lester, H. (2020). Science Lesson Study: Investigation-Colloquium Method. Youtube. Retrieved 30 April 2020, from https://youtu.be/JkA0Xb3_nyE.