Today I had my second formal lesson observation.
This was with a much more difficult class than my last formal observation, this class has five disruptive students and it is very difficult to balance managing all of their behaviours at once.
In previous lessons they have ran out of the lesson when I turn my back for even just a moment, become violent with one another and thrown paint around the classroom.
My subject mentor agrees that she also struggles to control this class, and advice that I have been given is to teach from standing in the doorway, to physically block students from leaving. however this makes it difficult to enact the responsibilities of a teacher and makes students feel blocked in and trapped even more-so.
This lesson was the set up and first lesson of a project that will extend over three lessons. I decided to make it more engaging by deconstructing an artist (Bisa Butler) 's work into layers and build a narrative with the class through this process.
This first lesson was about 'setting the scene' with harmonious colours. This was installed as 'Level one' where students describe a fantasy land where is somewhere that they would feel most comfortable.
I completed the task ahead of the lesson, even though it was very simple, so that I had an example and so that I could make the process more innovating.
I am pleased with how the lesson went and I am very grateful for the encouragement and feedback I received afterwards. This was more of a responsive and adaptive lesson than my previous lesson which went more according to plan, so while it felt less successful, it went as well as it could, and it is encouraging to hear feedback that reflects this. The lesson was my year seven class who are beginning our final piece for our colour project. I will write-up and discuss the feedback I received from these lessons here in this post. Formal Lesson Observation: Welcome to Harmonia (First page of notes from my Subject Mentor. Full notes will be typed up in this post, and the presentation, lesson plan & photos of feedback will be added to my ADP.)
Feedback:
[My own comments will be added in italics in square brackets. Further refelction will be added underneath also.]
Year seven, period four, Colour project. 30th November 2023
Students standing quietly at the front - Great to follow school policy and set the tone for the lesson.
Imaginative.
[I encouraged two responses to images i provided. The first response was to analyse, deconstructing the image in regards to its formal elements, the colour theory and relationships, butI also encouraged students to have an imaginative response to the pictures, opening up potential for affective responses. The subject matter was fun and playful and the students enjoyed using their creativity, while also being surprised and delighted with the artwork.]
(Collage by Eugenia Lolli)
Expectations are clear - you spend longer on these with groups that need it.
Encouraging students to sit down that begin low level disruption.
Engaging way to present new ideas.
Zooming in at first - then zooming out to see the whole picture.
Bisa Butler image for expectations.
You use your voice to encourage students to excitedly put their hands up to answer.
"Super" everybody say "Super colour"
"Super Colour"
"Super Colour Collage"
"Super Colour -fragillisticexpialodocious"
- Brilliantly fun - the sort of thing they will remember
Fantastic energy
They need these opportunities to shout out.
They then listen quickly - it's impressive how you manage to bring them back down when needed.
TARGET - Change seating plan between two disruptive students.
"Land of Harmonia"
Demo
"I can't have you standing on your chair, ok, come closer so you can see."
You are calm and assertive.
We have chosen as a group -
Giving warning s for interruptions.
"Only answer when I ask you to speak"
"I will start when you are all quiet."
They are all struggling to settle - the small group of students who have no impulse control. You are patient and firm.
TARGET - Could use a visualiser or pre-recorded video of you oding the task. This could be a good way to do demos with this group in particular.
You adapt to the concentration level and cut your demo short.
"And 5, 4, 3, Sitting down, 2, and 1....."
Assertively encourage students to engage with the activity. Using sixth form student helpers to hand out equipment.
Thank you front row - very focussed.
"Don't talk when I am talking."
"Class, I'm going to say my expectations again." Raise hand, not standing up.
Last lesson -> Images of student work on the board. Reminders of prior learning, and encouraging for those students that completed the task successfully.
[As a lot of my focus in the lesson goes towards students who are disruptive, it is nice to spend time outside of the lesson such as photographing successful work, to demonstrate successful work from students who receive less teaching from me in the lesson.]
You hold up the work of a disruptive child's work as a good example of using detail. - great focussing and boost for that student.
Level one
"Welcome to Harmonia"
Level Two
??? Colour Wheel
Level three:
??? Complimentary People/ browns and greys
"I've asked you to take off your coat three times now." He does it! Great to persevere and maintain importance.
You re-itterate the process by praising those who have followed it well.
Tidying away - seems a little muddled.
TARGET - Could baby wipes be a good answer to hands? A bit wasteful but keeps them in their seats? I don't know if that is the answer.
Dismissal activity - interesting but too many students to get through, some go three minutes late.
- It is important to set this up as the starter activity for next lesson, so that each student finds out the answer.
"I should have asked them to write their names on the back".
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Overall I am very grateful for the encouraging feedback.
I am doing my best to apply the feedback I recieve, and I am very grateful to see its effect on the productivity of difficult lessons and classes. I feel like I have grown a lot as an effective educator and I will continue to develop my teaching style to adapt to more and more challenges.
Target Review:
TARGET - Could use a visualiser or pre-recorded video of you oding the task. This could be a good way to do demos with this group in particular.
I will attempt this next lesson, using a video demonstration that I can pause, rewind and replay seems like it would be the most effective solution to keep students engaged without doing physical demonstrations which cause disruptive students to conglomerate. If this is not successful in the next lesson, I will reflect on the reasons this may be and the following lesson I will acquaint myself with the visualiser technology.
I am more inclined to look to take this advice with the pre-recorded demo, more than the visualiser as it saves me having to repeat myself, I can rewind as necessary and not every school that I work at will have access to the visualiser technology.
TARGET - Could baby wipes be a good answer to hands? A bit wasteful but keeps them in their seats? I don't know if that is the answer.
I'm unsure about this. In this lesson, I allowed three students at a time at the sink.
I felt this was organised and I made sure that no more than three students at a time were at the sink. Students raised their hand quietly and when I saw there was space at the sink, I allowed students to go there. However, I take on board that it felt disorganised to my SM, so I will try this strategy again, but with only two at the sink at a time.
I will work hard on all of these targets that I have been given to achieve more success and develop myself further.
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