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The main thing I realized when I observed a veteran teacher is that I might not be explaining our exercises & practices in class enough. Not only did the teacher put the the objectives for the day's lesson on the projector for everyone to see, but she also made specific references back the previous homework and class assignments, as well as drawing out what students already knew about summary & synthesis from their previous writing assignments. I think I tend to rush into the heuristics instead of explaining what we are doing and why we are doing it beforehand.

I didn't necessarily see a specific writing prompt for this discussion, so I'm going to add to this thread with a collections of productive observations. I'll also try to discuss some areas where I'm going to 'adopt' teaching strategies from the instructor I observed.

First, I really liked that the instructor I visited took a good deal of time at the beginning of class clearly laying out the plan for the day. I find myself trying to do this; however, I think a committment to previewing, briefly, our activities for the day EVERY CLASS sets clear expectations for what the students will be doing and WHY they are doing it.

Next, I enjoyed the activity of using one (admittedly brave) students work in the class to perform a group critique using concepts from WA. In the class I observed, the instructor used the projector to display a volunteered student paper. Before reading the work, the class as a whole brainstormed on a couple of different paper content areas (introduction, conclusion, claims, transitions, coherence, source work, style/tone). They discussed the qualities of good and bad examples of these terms in papers. Next, they applied that discussion to constructively critique the student's paper as a class. Overall, the comments were focused and on target without being to backbiting. I thought that the cordiality of the instructor in her rapport with the class was reflected in how the students treated one another in this revision process. While I usually do peer critique in smaller groups (and this instructor did after the large class activity), it was nice to see a productive modeling at the beginning of class to set up productive peer work. I'll be stealing that!

My apologies, Justin and Carroll. I think I might've failed to save the prompt when I initially created this page. I could see a draft of the prompt, but no one else could? It should be up there now, but let me know if the rest of you aren't seeing it.

The teacher I observed had a great exercise about a very difficult topic: composing a strong claim. The teacher passed out a list of claims, some weak and other strong, and asked the students to take a minute to try to make them stronger. I thought it would be a great exercise to share with my class because they were having difficulty understanding what made for a strong claim. The veteran teachers focus on "strategies" for writing the essay was very smart and cut straight to the chase, and I think my student (and myself) tend to luxuriate and self-congratulate after a class spent having a lively discussion of ideas and abstracts concepts. The fact is they still have to put words on a page, and that's not as easy for them as it might be for us. The veteran teacher acknowledged the difficulty of this process whereas I think I had been taking it for granted that my students, because they were articulate and responsive in class, would be just as articulate and responsive in their essays. Looking over their drafts I'm realizing, this is not the case.

The class I observed was working with the Garland-Thomson text -- the teacher started by working with them to create a class lexicon for the text which was actually something I'd started with my own class (for a different text) that morning (but I'd run out of time and needed to finish it in my next class). The teacher gave the class a few minutes to pick out 5 words or phrases that seemed important / tricky / hard to understand / not easily defined. She then went around the room and asked each student to articulate one of their words / phrases and identify why it seemed important to them. The class took to the activity easily -- everyone was able to talk about their phrase cogently and identify its importance. I was shocked! When I'd begun my class lexicon earlier that day, the students had really struggled with it, and I realized that I'd asked them to try to identify how the term was used in the text (which was very difficult for them), whereas the teacher I observed had simply asked them to identify why it seemed important -- which was a much easier, and ultimately more fruitful, task for them. When I had my class complete their lexicon in the next class period, I switched tactics and asked them why the terms seemed important, and the change was really striking -- they actually had something to say! Next time, I'll definitely do that from the start.

The teacher also led a quick but important discussion on the definition of rhetoric (one of the students picked it as her word). I was glad I got to observe that because it came up for me in a later class, and I was able to steal her explanation -- that it's not only the art of persuasion, as we commonly use the term, but also is used to discuss the terminology specific to a particular subject, such as the "rhetoric of sports" and the "rhetoric of fashion."

The teacher engaged with the class by walking around while they were working in small groups or individually and fielding questions, which is something I'd been doing a little bit of, but I've been doing more since then. I've noticed that students often have questions they want to ask about in class work, but they won't stick up their hands and ask when I ask them if they have any questions after I've explained the assignment -- but then if I walk around, they'll feel comfortable asking me individually.

One last thing that I'll post about -- the teacher had an 80 min class (like I do) and had three objectives for the class time. She was able to get through two and start on the third. I'd been sometimes trying to cram in 4-5 things per class and always felt rushed, so now I'm trying to focus on a more limited number of objectives and really do justice to each.

The teacher I observed consistently asked students for the answers to general questions (“What does ____ mean?,” etc.), something which I found myself doing more the night after observing her. One really great strategy she used was to, if a student asked for a definition, read the word from the piece in context before asking for an answer. She also made it very clear how all of the assignments were relevant, not only to the upcoming paper, but to life in general. After assigning group work, she asked the students to report their findings back to the entire class, which I had been doing. However, she asked them to write their findings on the board, which I hadn’t been doing, and I think it made the students think a little bit harder about what they were coming up with.
This may seem like a small thing, but one of the most important things I observed, for me, because I tend to minimize a lot – “this assignment is supposed to sort of help you learn claims,” “this is kind of a nice trick to practice synthesis” – was that when the teacher minimized, she immediately corrected herself, i.e. “This isn’t kind of, it is a nice trick to practice synthesis.” I think it’s hard to achieve the necessary authority in the classroom if you seem to be doubting your own assignments, even if it’s just a verbal tick, and this observation reminded me that I could always change that perception.

I really feel I got a lot out of the observation session, and I'm thrilled I had to opportunity to do it. Without even trying I picked someone doing the same unit as me, which was incredibly helpful. Since the students in the class were doing small group work we had a lot of time to chat and I was able to ask a lot of "troubleshooting" type questions. I noticed that even though the class I observed was much more vocal than my silent "deer in headlights" students, there were things that worked in their classroom that I could still make work for my students. I tend to still aim for the big group discussion, but I noticed through observation that the "small groups reporting back model" worked really well and allowed for more productive discussions. I am trying to build more small group work into my unit two calendar to see if this works for my class. In the case of the class I observed, it let them all be vocal, which was their inclination, but I think with my class it could gently prod some of my quiter students to speak.

I also appreciated the authority the instructor I observed had with her class. It's not that I don't have authority, and despite their silence my students are respectful, but I tend to be hesitant to answer with "What does it say on your unit calendar?" or "What did I say last time?" when questions they "should know" the answer too come up, for some reason I always tend to just answer them rather than make them go look for the answer. I'm sick of repeating myself, I'm going to now start making them look for the answer if I've already given it to them. Watching a veteran helped me realize this wasn't bad.

Like the others who have already posted, I discovered the value of observing the veteran teachers within minutes of sitting in class. My adviser was able to point me in the direction of teachers that would be particularly helpful given my demeanor, personality and personal attributes. While observing, I made personal connections with my own experiences. I discovered my weaknesses as a new teacher and saw the successful execution of many "teacherly" abilities that I must strive to acquire.

Like Carroll mentioned, it is essential to make reference to past assignments and "common knowledge" gained from activities and homework in previous weeks. The reiteration of such concepts will solidify the students' understanding of essential concepts that must not be forgotten and that carry over to new portions of the unit.

Allowing more time for students to respond is another area on which I must focus, as I tend to fill in the "awkward silence" with my own take on the question I just asked. This is not helpful to the students in every situation, as they need to learn to think for themselves and to respond in a way that will continue the classroom dialogue. I have found in my own experience that waiting an extra few seconds will put more pressure on the student body to respond in some fashion, though I tend to forget this in the "silent seconds" that seem to last forever. I also find myself uttering responses to my own questions that sound less-than-helpful, as the anxiety of waiting for a student response throws me into unnecessary confusion and self-doubt.

And like Caitlin, I appreciated the "authority" of the teachers I observed. Though I try to establish myself as the guider and facilitator of class, I often find myself not believing in my own competence to do so. Ultimately, I know I am in front of the class for a reason and my students must understand why I am in the front. I am there to help them and to teach them, which I find more exciting as each day passes.

The main thing I've been paying attention to when I observe is the way teachers moderate discussion - the kinds of questions they ask, how they phrase their questions. My own class discussions tend to be stilted, and I often let a student's insightful comment become a dead end because I don't come up with a good follow-up question. One technique I saw a teacher use, which was really effective, is to prompt the students to find a specific passage in the text to back up what they're saying, to force them to use the text during discussion, rather than relying on memory. The passages they find can help them make further connections between the texts, or reveal some relevant and interesting path for the discussion to take.

In the class I observed I was fortunate to sit in on a day when the teacher was going over “summary” and “synthesis.” It was quite timely because it mirrored very closely what I was teaching in my class. It was clear that the instructor had the overall class objectives in mind when developing the activity prompt for the students. Each question on the prompt helped students apply their close reading of the several texts to their upcoming writing projects. In addition the teacher was quite explicit about how the reading and writing strategies the students were engaged in would help them when preparing to write papers for classes other than this particular writing course. In other words, the instructor made relevant the content of the class. In addition, the instructor’s affect was open and friendly. The instructor consistently opened up to the class for questions or comments (and although a great deal of time was spent going over the activity sheet) enough time was left at the end of class for hands-on work. This allowed students to address any further questions about the assignment after starting to perform it. The instructor was sure to walk around and be readily available for assistance. Overall, I think this class was structured with the course objectives in mind as well as the students’ needs.

Well, the first thing I noticed was how the instructor asked was there anything about the homework that "grabbed" anybody. When a student raised his hand, he asked what page, said let's go there together, then they read a few passages out loud. After discussing some he asked if anyone though it might act as a "meeting place" with any of the other readings. I thought his technique for getting the students involved, early and specifically, set a really good tone for the class.

I was also interested in the small group work the class did. They had discrete objectives, and the instructor came around and was able to build upon the work they'd done with the assignment by asking questions. The small groups, from just watching them, instead of working with them, seem like a really good tool for engaging students.

I noticed several very effective teaching moments that really struck me. First, I noticed that the instructor didn't rush to fill in silence by the students. Instead, she waited patiently, giving the students time to formulate their thoughts before rushing to fill the silence with her own thoughts. One of things I consistently struggle with is a tendency to want to offer my own interpretations, rather than letting the students formulate their thoughts. I'm hoping to just learn to shut up once in a while, and let them do the talking.

One thing I really appreciated about the instructor was her ability to tie the day's activities in with the first full-length assignment. That day's assignment involved students' close reading of bumper stickers, so she asked all of her students probing questions about the particular ones that the students had chosen. Again, I often find that I forget to make explicitly clear how the daily homework applies/is useful preparation for the "big assignment." I hope to start making this clearer as the Semester goes on, so my students don't think I'm just assigning them busy-work.

Perhaps the best aspect of the class was the instructor's ability to get into the text and force students to think in new ways. I felt that her decision to allow students to choose which readings they wanted to talk about most was a useful and productive means of getting students involved. Too often, I think, we (or at least I,) tend to set the agenda, asking students what they thought about a particular reading. I wonder if it might not be more effective to allow the students to direct discussion, then ask questions that lead their thoughts/discussions into the other readings. Sometimes giving the students more control can actually be a good thing.

An overview of the class: I observed an 80 minute class where the day’s objective was to (a) practice summarizing and synthesizing unit texts and (b) leave the class with a concrete claim or question as inspired by the conversations existing amongst those texts. The class engaged in the following activities: students independently wrote a summary of a text they read for HW; as a class they placed this text’s claims in conversation with other texts (while the instructor mapped out responses on the board); in groups students brainstormed claims and questions in response to their synthesis; and, last, as a class they discussed and critiqued two or three ideas that some students may pursue when writing the drafts for their next meeting.

My comments: The classroom environment created by the instructor and the students was, honestly, quite magical. Students were excited to be there and they worked well together. They all seemed acquainted and comfortable, and they conversed on a personal level before, during, and after class. The instructor seemed to know them personally, and it was obvious that her genuine interest in them as individuals fostered genuine respect in students for her as well as for classmates. The productivity in the classroom was not constructed by authority or rules, but by consideration and mutual respect. I was also astonished to observe the instructor’s approach for facilitating class discussion (the success no doubt being influenced by the atmosphere creating by the instructor). In a most mature and sophisticated manner, the students volunteered earnestly, they spoke (respectively) out of turn without raised hands, they collaborated on ideas, they finished each other’s sentences, they responded directly to one another, and they even built upon and complicated each other’s responses. The instructor assessed student responses during discussion not by approving or rejecting ideas, but by posing questions and challenging each of their ideas, assumptions, and generalities. The instructor even used herself as an example when she caught herself generalizing. I loved it!

The teacher of the class I observed tied the lesson to a synthesis exercise they had done for homework and the evaluation criteria for the jumpstart essay. She began by giving an overview of some of the issues with the homework so students could be mindful of those when they moved into doing their groupwork. Then they were asked to apply the evaluation criteria to their essays as a group. The teacher moved from group to group, sitting with them for extended periods of time to ensure that they were understanding the assignment. It was clear from observing this class that the teacher had established good practices for how to work in groups and how to respond to their peer's writing since the course began. I'd like to take her habit of clearly identifying her expectations for her students and their work to use in my own classroom.

Hello. I'm sorry that it has taken me a while to make my post, but I will actually be observing again tomorrow, so I will have more to include then. I observed a WRT 105 class on a day when the teacher class did peer reviews, so I got a lot of good ideas for how to conduct my own peer review sessions. One thing that I really liked about the class is that the writing teacher pulled up a Google document with bulleted points of what the class would be doing. T.J. had mentioned to me that he does something similar to this in order to make sure that his class is in sync with what they will be doing in class, so I think that I will try to incorporate something similar into my class planning as well. Also, the teacher did a really good job getting her students to critically engage with other students' papers. I used her list of questions in my own peer review, and the students responded very well to it. As opposed to asking broad questions, her peer reviews questions asked the students to think about what interested and engaged them--questions that got her students to think about and address the positive aspects of the paper as well as the weaker parts. I thought this was a great idea for students who were anxious about having others read their work.