Lesson Observation Tool

Teachers name: Rebecca Corcoran

Wednesday Wk5 Term 3

Observers name: Tanya Ernesti

9 English FX02

Before you go!

Professional Knowledge
Standard 1: Know students and how they learn
Briefly describe the characteristics of the class year level (s), number, gender balance,
special needs etc
Are there particular strategies or methodologies planned to differentiate the lesson for any
individuals or groups with special needs during the lesson? Many students with learning
disabilities
Standard 2: Know the content and how to teach it
To which part (s) of the curriculum does this lesson relate?
Professional Practice
Standard 3: Plan for and implement effective teaching and learning
What is your learning intention or learning goal for students in this lesson?
How does the lesson fit with other current or previous learning in the class? Have
previously taught similes and other literary techniques
Standard 4: Create and maintain supportive and safe learning environments
How will the use of ICT/managing behaviour/classroom routines support the learning in the
lesson?
Standard 5: Assess, provide feedback and report on student learning
How and when will you know whether the students have learned what you intended?
Is there anything that you would like me to specifically observe during the lesson?

Lesson Observation Tool

While you are there
NPST Domain: Professional Practice

Standard 3

Plan for and implement effective teaching and learning

Also refer to
Teaching for
Effective
Learning
Framework
Domain 3:
Develop
Expert learners

3.1 Establish challenging learning goals How did the teacher engage the class at
the beginning of the lesson?
What techniques were used to ensure that
3.2 Plan, structure and sequence
all students were engaged throughout
learning programs
the lesson?
Observe non-verbal communication that
the teacher uses.
3.3 Use teaching strategies
How did the teacher model goal-setting
with and for the students?
3.4 Select and use resources
Look for examples of ways the teacher
models questioning and looking at
things from a number of angles.
3.5 Use effective classroom
What evidence is there of the teacher
communication
using a range of teaching strategies and
3.6 Evaluate and improve teaching
resources?
How does the teacher encourage students
programs
to make sense of their learning by
3.7 Engage parents/carers in the
talking it through with others?
educative process

Standard 4

Create and maintain supportive and safe learning

environments
How does the teacher respond to
inappropriate student behaviour?
How does the teacher negotiate the
learning with the students?
Look for ways that the teacher
differentiates the task so that all
students can access the learning, are
challenged and successful?
How does the teacher model and ensure
respect among the students?

Also refer to
Teaching for
Effective
Learning
Framework
Domain 2: Create
safe
Conditions for
rigorous learning

4.1 Support student participation

Standard 5

Assess, provide feedback and report on student learning

Also refer to
Teaching for
Effective
Learning
Framework
Domain 4:
Personalise and
connect learning

5.1 Assess student learning

4.2 Manage classroom activities

4.3 Manage challenging behaviour
4.4 Maintain student safety
4.5 Use ICT safely, responsibly and
ethically

5.2 Provide feedback to students on

their learning

5.3 Make consistent and

comparable judgements
5.4 Interpret student data

Look for ways in which the teacher seeks

out what students already know and can
do.
Consider ways in which the lesson is
connected and relevant to the learners
personal experience.
How are opportunities created for a range
of ways of assessing or evaluating
student learning.

5.5 Report on student achievement

Look for ways in which the teacher
intervenes at various stages in the
learning process.
How does the teacher provide feedback to

Lesson Observation Tool

While you are there What I saw and heard (I noticed that I saw that I heard
that)
NPST Domain: Professional Practice
Standard 3

Plan for and implement effective teaching and learning

Beginning of the lesson was unsettled. Try to be more vocal
early on to settle the class more quickly (can start when they
are lining up outside).
Once you started the lesson, things settled down.
Its great that you are calling the role at the beginning of each
lesson
The activity you have chosen (identifying literary techniques
used in songs) is highly appropriate for this age group. They
clearly like this task and are working well on it.
When addressing the class make them put IPads face down on
the table and get them to look at you. Many of them were not
listening.
When a student gives out an answer in class always repeat it
back. Many students did not hear the answer Paris gave about
what a metaphor is. Repeating an answer back allows you to
elaborate and rephrase too.

Standard 4

Create and maintain supportive and safe learning environments

There is a boy in the class who is calling out too often he
needs a reminder to put his hand up. There are also some
loud conversations across the room that are off topic which
need to be shut down.
Make sure you continually walk around the room when
students are using IPads/Computers as there is always a
tendency for them to misuse them. Tayla and her partner are
filming each other and taking photos. Some of the boys are
using their screens to shine light on each other from across
the room and one of the boys are the back of the room is just
flicking through photos. When you walk around the room (you
are sticking to the front a bit) you will cut down on some of
this.
You have taken time to go through some concepts with Kian.
He was then able to tell you what a simile was. When you left
he got on with his work and was quite productive.
Shirley is working with Conner at the front of the room but I

Standard 5

wonder how James and Rosie are going with this you need to
check in with them.
You have a nice way with the students and it is obvious they
like you as their teacher but there were times where you were
too gentle.
You have a good mix of activities to keep students engaged
Ipads to research songs, some teacher instruction and some
class discussion

Assess, provide feedback and report on student learning

Checked student progress through their ability to answer
questions during the class discussion, one to one as you
moved around the room (and more formally later when
students hand in the activity)

Lesson Observation Tool

After the lesson
NPST Domain: Professional Engagement
Standard 6 : Engage in professional learning
Standard 7 : Engage professionally with colleagues, parents/carers and the community
Collaborative reflection questions for consideration
Did the students learn what was intended? How do we know?
Were the strategies and approaches designed effective for their purpose?
What might be improved or changed?
How were the needs of individual or particular cohorts of students met?
What was the best thing about this lesson?
How could this lesson be built on in the future?
If there was a chance to teach this lesson again to the same group of students, what might
be done differently?

This was a very successful class and there was a positive vibe in the classroom for
most of the lesson. The activity you planned was interesting to the students and
consequently they were engaged and enjoying the task. You have a positive way
with the students, which was evident in your interactions with them. Your
students seemed to understand the concepts you discussed. You were clearly wellprepared for this lesson and utilised IPads to help deliver the content. Some
things to work on could include:

Checking in with learning support students to make sure they are on track
Moving around the room, particularly when using IPads or computers, to
reduce students ability to misuse the equipment
Develop strategies for being more firm/assertive with students when the
need arises in class. Observing other female teachers who do this might be
one way to begin with this.

Lesson Observation Tool

Observation as Professional Learning Considerations
This lesson observation tool has been designed to support educators to look for and observe
the National Professional Standards for Teachers in practice.
Whos Practice?
1. Observe your own practice using video recording for viewing either individually or with a
colleague.
2. Observe a colleagues practice for the purpose of reflection after the event.
REMEMBER: If you are observing someone elses practice they have a role in helping you
make sense of what you observe. That means preparing for the observation and a
professional conversation following it.

What are you observing?

There are three domains in the National Professional Standards for Teachers:
1. Professional Knowledge
2. Professional Practice; and
3. Professional Engagement
This tool has been designed to support you observe how Professional Practice is evident in
teaching practice.
In preparing for the observation you will consider the Professional Knowledge that has
underpinned the planning for this teaching and learning.
When you reflect on what you have seen and what it means for your own development of
teaching and learning practice you will be using the standard of Professional Engagement.
Observing is just that What do you see? What do you hear? Reflection on what this
means for your understandings about practice and interpretation of this will come later.
Focus on what you are observing so that you are not trying to see everything in the
professional practice domain. Your preparation with the teacher you are observing will help
focus your thinking.
How will you use the information from your observation?
At your preparation meeting take time to reach an agreement on how you will use the
information. Even though the purpose of observation is to watch practice in order to think
about your own and how it demonstrates the standards of professional practice, in the first
instance you are likely to be collecting observations about someone elses practice. Who will
you discuss it with? Will anyone else have copies of your observation notes? How will the
person who has been observed have an opportunity to clarify or comment on anything you
have made note of?
One possible approach
Decide when preparing for your observation, who will you share the observation with and who
you will have the professional discussion with?

After your observation provide a copy of your notes to the teacher you observed and ask them
if you have missed anything they think you might have seen in relation to the Standard/s you
have been observing?
Conduct a professional conversation with the teacher who was observed/a colleague and/or
line manager. Ideally this might be a collaborative conversation, with questions and thinking
focusing on how the indicators of the professional practice standards were observed and
discussion about how this can inform the development of the observers practice?