National University

School of Education

National University General Education Student

Teaching SSP Observation
Student Teacher: Pate,Gordon
Observation #2
Observation Date: 2016-03-23
Site Support Provider: Johnston,Terry L.

Domain A: Making Subject Matter Comprehensible to Students

Site support provider feedback:

Rubric level: Applying
Evidence / Feedback / Next Steps:
During the math word problem lesson Gordon went around the room to ask questions about how
the student was thinking about solving the word problems. If a student appeared to be stuck with
his/her thinking he asked them if they could use another strategy or manipulative. He was able to
restart a number of struggling students by guiding them to rethink their thinking. His
understanding of multiple strategies and tools used was beneficial to many students who chose the
incorrect tool.

Domain B: Assessing Student Learning

Site support provider feedback:

Rubric level: Applying
Evidence / Feedback / Next Steps:

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While Gordon checked on the students as they worked on the math he was able to assess students
who were able to expand on their work and he encouraged them to show an extra strategy. As he
assessed each group he was able to pair students who could benefit from each other and they could
self-assess during the lesson. When the students came up to share their work he was able to use an
incorrect answer as a teaching point for a few other students who made the same type of error. The
share-out sessions was also an assessment for academic language within the math setting. Students
were able to hear math language and vocabulary as it was incorporated into the share-out.

Domain C: Engaging and Supporting Students in Learning

Site support provider feedback:

Rubric level: Applying
Evidence / Feedback / Next Steps:
By allowing the students to choose their numbers they were able to use friendly numbers, or sets
that the student already knew. Having students work with partners allowed the students who
needed extra help a safe environment to have a peer tutor. Also allowing the students to choose the
strategy or manipulative that they were comfortable with, or had used successfully in past
problems, led to student engagement and collaboration with their peers.

Domain D: Planning Instruction and Designing Learning Experiences for Students

Site support provider feedback:

Rubric level: Applying
Evidence / Feedback / Next Steps:
Prior to the lesson, Gordon and I talked about the problem type he wanted to use along with smart
number choices for the students. After collaborating, attending CGI workshops, and going back
into the math TE Gordon came up with a word problem that would be appropriate for all levels of
learners in the classroom. He allowed partnering within a given grouping. The grouping was
previously thought out by making sure students were partnered with a peer who was one group
higher, or one group lower than the one they were in. This allowed collaboration and sharing ideas
rather than one student doing the work. He set the groups up prior to the lesson. Knowing that
some students would finish earlier than other students he included extension math problems at the
bottom of the word problem. Students were excited to see if they could get through both, the word
problem, and the extension.

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Domain E: Creating and Maintaining an Effective Environment for Students' Learning

Site support provider feedback:

Rubric level: Applying
Evidence / Feedback / Next Steps:
As the students were working on the math they were allowed to work in any corner, on the floor,
or at their desks. As they collaborated, the noise level would rise. Gordon was good at reminding
the class that they needed to talk quieter so all students could concentrate. If a group needed less
noise than was normal, they were allowed to go into the adjacent core to work. Students were
monitored and when all were at a point where they could share something from the problem they
were asked to come together for the share-out. Students did not feel rushed, but they were asked to
stay on task. When time ran out during the share-out students who still wanted to share their work
were permitted a chance after lunch. This made all students feel like their work was honored and
the extension of time allowed more strategies to be shared.

Domain F: Developing as a Professional Educator

Site support provider feedback:

Rubric level: Applying
Evidence / Feedback / Next Steps:
The way that Gordon taught his word problem lesson was learned from the professional
development trainings the district has offered to our teachers. He has taken it upon himself to
attend as many as he could. Many of the trainings were in the evenings which went above and
beyond the normal work week schedule. By attending the workshops and conferences he has been
able to collaborate with teachers in different grade levels as well as communicate with the
educators who were teaching the workshops. He has also shared his contact information so he can
stay up to date on all of the information he will need to be successfully engaged in all of the new
ideas and programs that our district is implementing.

Overall observation feedback:

The lesson was introducing a word problem with three different number choices for the students to use. It
was a subtraction problem but they were not given the information on what the operation was, they had to
unpack the problem and begin to solve it using their number choice. Students were told they could use any
manipulative or strategy they wanted. At first they had to work on the problem independently and once

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they felt confident they were allowed to partner with another student who made the same number choices.
When students finished their problems and had two strategies, some were asked to share with the rest of the
class their answers and strategies with their work under the Elmo so the class can observe different
strategies and ways of thinking and problem solving.

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Integrating - The candidate provides clear, consistent, and convincing evidence demonstrating the
competency or competencies. Candidate's practices demonstrate a preponderance of appropriate,
relevant, accurate, and clear or detailed evidence. The evidence is purposefully connected and
reinforced across this TPE Domain.
Applying - The candidate provides clear evidence demonstrating the competency or competencies.
Candidate's practices demonstrate a preponderance of appropriate, relevant, or accurate evidence.
Evidence is connected across this TPE Domain.
Emerging - The candidate provides partial evidence demonstrating the competency or competencies.
Candidate's practices demonstrate a preponderance of minimal, limited, cursory, inconsistent, and/or
ambiguous evidence. Evidence is weakly connected across this TPE Domain and may be inconsistent.
Beginning - The candidate provides little or no evidence demonstrating the competency or
competencies. Candidate's practices demonstrate a preponderance of inappropriate, irrelevant,
inaccurate or missing evidence. Evidence is unconnected across the TPE Domain.

Report generated on: 2016-05-11-11.10.08.000000