Faculty: Laurie Mason Class: Interactive Systems Date: Friday, January 24, 2014 Lauries class was an excellent

experience that engaged all of her students from start to finish. The class was thoughtfully constructed around improving her students skills and sense of inquiry. Of high merit, was the balance of comfort and rigor that existed in room 26. Listed below are direct observations about the class that address some of the areas of excellence. 1. Demonstrates mastery of content knowledge appropriate to ones teaching assignment as evidenced by: Laurie knows the material in Interactive Systems well. The class was a lab where students conducted experiments on a penny boat. They worked in groups to design boats out of tin foil and then add pennies to the boat until it capsized or sunk. Students used a timer and there was a contest amongst the group members to see who could design the sturdiest boat. It was great to see the level of debate among the group members as they built their boats. In addition, as the students filled out their packets, they asked each other questions about the variables in the lab when they asked Laurie, she responded with guiding questions that allowed them to work through the issues for example: She would ask them, What is your ultimate goal and then how would you frame your hypothesis? Finally, she referred to real world examples to help the student make the connections to their lab in room 26. 2. Demonstrates a high level of instructional effectiveness as evidenced by: The class had an excellent design in that it was student-centered and inquiry based. When students did move off task, Laurie asked questions to help refocus them. For example when a young man was playing with the timer, she asked, What is the only reason we should be using the timer? When the results were in from the groups she asked, what can we conclude about the design of all of the winning boats? What does that tell us about the subjective components of the lab? These questions allowed students to higher-level thinking and understanding of the objectives. Further, the class engaged students via physical, auditory, visual and kinesthetic learning modalities. 3. Demonstrates an interest in and ability to structure a positive and supportive learning environment for students that builds confidence and competence as evidenced by: Lauries class and classroom contain an ethos of focus and engagement. Students know the objectives of the class and the behaviors they need to display to be successful. Laurie is an enthusiastic teacher who uses humor to motivate and direct her students. When a few students were still talking about science when she had ask for quiet, she used the phrase, I am the star, and pointed at her head. This technique worked well with early adolescents and they appreciate her diligence and effort to improve her skills. In addition to her role in the classroom, Laurie has become a leader on the 8th grade teaching team, and she is an excellent guide on the 8th grade capstone trip to Washington. Laurie is an excellent Science teacher and she is an asset to the Newark Academy Faculty. I am grateful for her service. Tom Ashburn Middle School Principal