Secondary Observation Sheet

Graduate Standards AITSL

Professional Knowledge:
1. Know students and how they learn

Professional Practice:
2. Plan and implement effective teaching and learning

Question Type

Do you feel your questions It was hard to adapt my line of questioning to suit a more mature range
were clearly structured and of students, particularly because the age gaps are far more expansive. In
readily understood by the
other words between 15 and 16 a students maturity level can vastly
students?
change. In saying this, I feel that my questions were precise and
structured well enough to foster the learning process. A few times I
asked a question only to be stared at blankly, so I merely readjusted
how I asked the question, generally evoking an answer.



Did you use a variety of
Because I was placed in physical education, divergent and evaluative
question types?
questions were harder to adapt to the lesson. Questions were more
factual, with specific answers such as what techniques should be used in
discus. So no, I did not use a variety of questions. I feel that in physical
education it is easier to show rather than question to foster learning.



What balances was there
There was quite an imbalance in my line of questioning, particularly in
between the various
favour of factual and convergent questions that reinforced the key
questions types?
technique processes of the tasks being completed.



Consider both why and
I made use of closed questions when I wanted students to tell me the
when you made use of the specific skills and techniques that are needed to complete a task such as
different question types?
the discus leaves the pinkie finger last when throwing. I attempted to

use open questioning when I wanted students to expand their learning,

and understand why these techniques were important for the sports
carnival later that week. By this I mean I asked questions like Why might
you want to use your legs when throwing the discus?.

Distributing and Directing Questions

I noticed, for one, that less students tend to raise their hands to answer
questions in high school. The students who did answer questions tended
to remain the same throughout the class. In this sense it is very easy to
pick out those more shy students and the ones who generally do not
care to be there.


How have you directed
Being on a sports field answering questions threw me a bit out, but I
questions to the group?
soon realised that I needed to be much louder and specific in order to

get my point across. It is important to stand back from the class so that
Did you make eye contact
you can direct your questions at the whole group.
with the group as you

directed your questions?
I tried to make eye contact with the whole class, which was hard
because I had very large classes and absolutely no familiarity with the
faces staring back at me.

Have you used wait time? I found I was on quite a tight schedule with a lot of skills to get through
in the lesson so wait time was very short, with only a second or two
given to students before receiving their answers.
Did you recognise any
pattern in the distribution
of your questions amongst
the students? Consider
reasons for this pattern?

Reactions to Students Responses

How do you deal with
correct responses? Do you
qualify any praise given?

The concept of praise is not nearly as prevalent in a secondary context
and whilst I did back up a correct answer with a good or nice job,
the questions I was asking were quite straightforward. I found praise
was incorporated more when students performed the skills correctly.

How do you deal with
incorrect responses? How
do you deal with students
who stumble and grope for
an answer?

Are you the only evaluator
of the students answers?

Students definitely evaluate each other when answering questions,
which is why you find that some are hesitant to respond in the first
place in fear of criticism.

Incorrect answers were rare due to the simplicity of the questions being
asked, but when an incorrect answer was given I simply said nice try,
your close and went on to the next student. I fostered stumbling
students with key words to assist them and when I could tell they were
on the right track I reaffirmed them to try and boost their confidence.



What use do you make of the I generally built off students responses with more knowledge and
students responses to develop insight into the skills and techniques and why they were important. I
tried to build off students responses and link each reply to the
the teaching point?
upcoming sports carnival.

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Murdoch University

Observation Sheet Management

Graduate Standards AITSL

Professional Practice:
1. Create and maintain supportive and safe learning environments
2. Planning for Effective Management

Was your lesson plan
effective for managing the
class?

My lesson plan made sure to keep all students occupied at all times and
thus effectively managed the class. I definitely could have thought it out
a bit more, specifically the students sitting on the grass whilst waiting for
others to throw. Luckily, the class was well behaved throughout the
-
How did the students react lesson and no moves to change the lesson plan had to be made.
to your lesson overall and
to your planned activities? Students reacted well to the lesson and were eager to have a go and
perfect their techniques.
-
Did anything unexpected

happen?
The lesson provided numerous activities and broke down the discus
-
Did you provide a variety
technique very well to make sure each student had an opportunity to
of activities?
grasp it.
-
Were you satisfied with

your timing, particularly
for the end of the lesson? The lessons timing worked well and no adjustments had to be made,
-
Did you feel you were able students had time to go back to the change rooms.

to change things if
I was equipped to adjust the lesson if need be, giving students less
needed?
chances throwing the discus.


Were you aware of
I was well informed of the behavioural management strategies in place
classroom procedures and prior to the lesson and was prepared for my mentor teacher to step in at
school disciplinary policy? any time. I had observed the class I was to teach earlier in the week, so
How much did you know
was vaguely familiar with them. The teacher prepared me for two of the
about your students?
problem children in the class who happened to be absent of the day of

my lesson.
How did your mentor

teacher maintain a safe
My mentor teacher was well equipped to implement numerous safety
learning environment?
strategies, she knew all of the safety measures that needed to be carried

out and scanned her classes for potential hazards at all times. She
What strategies did your
maintained safety through careful observation at all times and
observe your mentor
reiterating safety measures prior to the lesson and throughout the
teacher using to maintain
lesson.
this?

Murdoch University

Maintaining a Positive Attitude in the Classroom

How did you demonstrate
to the students that you
valued them, and enjoyed
learning?

I demonstrated value and enjoyment by maintaining enthusiasm
throughout my lessons, showing I had a keen interest in the task at hand
and willingness to help. My tone of voice was friendly, whilst
authoritative, and I made sure to smile at the students. I try to have a bit
of a sense of humour when I can, to foster enjoyment and allow the

students to be more comfortable around me.



Which aspects of your
Maintaining authority by standing in front of the class and projecting my
teaching style do you feel
voice helped to engage students. I think careful planning was key to my
helped you maintain class
lessons success, like how I was going to divide the students in to groups
attention?
and which tasks to do when. The fact that I was organised and knew
what I was doing made it easier to maintain class attention.



Did the students know what I gave direct and precise instructions before each task so that students
was expected of them?
knew exactly what was expected of them. Before the class I talked about
discus, why it was important and proceeded to show them the
technique before providing explicit directions as to what to do next.



Were you able to redirect
Chatty students were easily dealt with by asking to be quiet. I
energies of attention
maintained attention by constantly assigning students new tasks and
seeking students? Did the
asking questions about certain aspects of the sport. Students were busy
students have enough to
at all times with a new skill set to practice and carry out.
do?

Dealing with Minor Misbehaviour


Were you aware of what
was happening in all parts
of the classroom? Did you
know what each student
was doing?

I organised the students in such a way on the field that I had a good
view of each one at all times. By standing back I was able to scan the
class throughout the lesson making it easy to control the students. I
never turned my back to the class and made sure to always be looking at
them when explaining a task and showing them a technique.

Did you take any action
when you observed poor
behaviour?

When students began to talk I would stop talking and wait a few
moments. If this did not work I would tell them to be quiet. There was a
group of boys being very chatty whilst another group were carrying out
activities, instead of stopping the class I just walked towards them and
warned them to be quiet.

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Murdoch University


Did you use non-verbal
cues? e.g. Contact, pause,
gesture, movement toward
student/s concerned.

I used Non-verbal cues throughout my lessons through demonstration
of the techniques, using my hands to emphasise, making eye contact,
walking towards students and pausing when waiting for silence.

Schools as text looking at the whole school

Describe the school in
terms of its demographics,
appearance and resources
(be general here and do not
name the school).

What were the roles and
responsibilities of the
teaching staff you
observed?

After discussion with your
mentor teacher describe
how policies and processes
of government,
administration and schools
have an affect on the work
of the teacher?

What did you observe non-
teaching staff doing to
support teaching and
learning in the school?

The school was quite large and situated in a low to middle
socioeconomic area. It was an independent public school with a
large staff and great facilities. Each class had a projector and smart
board and laptops were readily available for use. The library was
large and contained numerous computers. There was a Breakfast
Club for those students who could not have breakfast at home, thus
suggesting a low economic demographic for some students. But
many students seemed to be from middle class families.


The physical education had numerous responsibilities, aside from
teaching health classes year 7-12; my mentor teacher had several
duties throughout the week, such as lunch duty and a staff meeting
to attend on Wednesday afternoon. She was assigned numerous
roles at the Sports Carnival. Other physical education staff had
sports programs such as Cricket, which were run after school.


Government processes and policies were inherent throughout the
school through the behaviour management protocols and subsidies
such as the Breakfast Club mentioned above. The assigned
curriculum is upheld throughout all classes and determines what
and how the teacher teaches. Furthermore, my teacher was filling
out administration papers frequently. I was told that I would not be
trying to go on any school excursions because the paper work is so
much!


There were cleaners, guardians, education support staff and
librarians busy all the time. The administration staff were constantly
busy on the phone every time I came in to the office and I saw the
Principal frequently talking to staff and students.

Murdoch University

Students


You will have observed the
diverse nature of your
classes. How was this
diversity supported?

Various scaffolds were in place to support all types of learning. In
particular, the school had a large Special Education program that
was carefully upheld by particular staff members within the
classroom at all times and systems in place to assist these students.

Function of Schools


Did you observe the
connection of your schools
with the broader
community? How did this
happen?




What do you think the
function of school is?

I observed the schools connection with the community frequently.
Parents participated at the sports carnival, a special yoga instructor
came in to teach a few lessons, there was a fundraiser going on for a
specific foundation.

Its clear that the school receives a lot of extra funding through
fundraisers etc. as it is an independent public school and has
excellent resources and facilities.


High school is essential to developing the future of students, this
can be in terms of their goals to attend University and any other
career opportunity, i.e. attending TAFE, getting a job, starting a
business. Essentially, high school is a fundamental for students to
decide what to do with their future. It is through high school that
students develop the necessary critical thinking and learning skills
required to function effectively as members of society. They learn
how to take care of themselves, physically and financially, to ensure
a secure and healthy future.
The systems and processes prevalent within High schools is a key
way for students to learn the respect and ambition needed in the
real world, as well as presenting students with a diverse range of
social roles equipping them for adulthood.

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Murdoch University