To: XXXX XXXX

From: Henry Gray

Re: Comments and Observations – Written and given after conversation

Time: 11.00 am until 12:00 noon

Lesson: Maths (Measurement)

XXXX

Your preparation for this lesson (paperwork and the readying of aids) was impeccable (spot on). Lessons that are carefully thought through and planned generally succeed because they are built on a very sound planning base. Your documentation confirms that you are developing a sequence of lessons looking at various aspects of measurement. This lesson was one of a series and that was patently clear from your documentation.

It was a pleasure for a person like me, to be able to come in and see ‘at a glance’ what your lesson was about from the documentary evidence. You have a very good way of developing paperwork, including its layout. There was no clutter about your documentation and one did not have to ‘look’ in order to understand the highlights of your planning and approach. The salient (important) points ‘leapt out’ of the planning pages. Your paperwork is of the highest order.

Some thoughts:

1. Good learning continuity including sequencing was apparent from your notes and was/is being practised by you with the children.

2. Measurement was related to real life contexts, meaning the children were having the opportunity to ‘apply’ maths in life’s world contexts. That gave credence and clarity to the learning experience.

3. You were careful to explain (by word and demonstration) what types of situations require measurement by volume, what should relate to measurement by length and so on. This meant that vague and mystical understanding was overcome.

4. You asked good, exploratory questions of the children.

5. You elicited (encouraged) child driven responses to questions rather than coming out and answering questions before children had time to think about them and respond to what you had asked. That is good practice.

6. You kept children on task by gently reminding them about appropriate behaviour – when this was necessary.

7. When working with the group of children on the floor (during written exercise time), you kept a veery good eye across children who were working at their desks. This confirmed to me that you have good group management and class management skills. (It can happen that when teachers focus on groups within a class, they overlook the need to ‘keep across and be aware’ of the class as a whole. That for you was not an issue.)

8. You were careful to ensure that the explanatory and collective aspect of the lesson (prior to worksheet distribution) did not exceed a reasonable time limit. Perhaps if that section could have been a few minutes shorter, children would have had a little more time with written work but that is a minor point.

9. You were ‘posture conscious’ making sure that you worked at a height that was suitable and reassuring for children. You get down to their level when working and this builds confidence by the children in you as their teacher. You are close (without being uncomfortable close and hemming them into a small space) rather than distant – to me that is an important mannerism to have developed. It confirms you feel comfortable with the children and that they feel confident with and in you.

10. The atmosphere (tone and harmony) you generate as a teacher is very affirming (good).

11. It was very apparent that you were the teacher in charge during the lesson and the children for the most part, referred to you in the first instance. That means they understand your role in the classroom and accept you as a co-teacher.

12. Occasionally and unobtrusively (without it being obvious) you touched base with Belinda. You have in my opinion an excellent professional relationship with your Mentor, one based on mutual respect and trust.

13. Your manner as a teacher with children is excellent. You are pleasant, warm and positively affirming of and with the group. Your vocal skills in my opinion are top drawer in terms of voice tone, pitch, rhythm, intonation, speech base, word emphasis, recognition of punctuation as a part of speech delivery and so on. Your voice reminds me of the rhythmic pealing of gentle bells. Vocal tones you use, mean children warm to you as their teacher.

Some suggestions:

1. Make sure children don’t play the obfuscation (time wasting) game by having you explain over and over and over what is being done. Don’t overdo it when asking children if they understand. You did this four or five times at the front end of your lesson and some children responded in a way that caused you to go through it all again. Assume that children have knowledge of process and understanding after you have gone through initially and possibly backed up for the second time over key learning elements.

Then, if there are children who don’t quite understand, pick them up as a small group while the rest with clear understanding proceed to the next part of their exercise.

2. Rejoice in the quality of your diction and keep working on the few areas needing your continuing attention.

a. Your pronunciation and use of ‘sh’ – you tend to go to ‘s’ with words.

b. The need to be aware of the fact that some words (ie ‘sugar’ are said as ‘shugar’ although they are spelled without that sound (sh) being emphasised.

c. Similarly with ‘cl’ ie ‘in the next class’, not ‘in the next cass’.

d. Similarly with ‘th’ ie ‘thirty centimetres’ not ‘tirty centimetres’.

d. Sometimes you miss plurals, ie ‘use your coloured pencils’ not ‘use your coloured pencil’.

These are minor areas, but nevertheless needing your attention.

Conclusion

XXXX, you are on the right track and making very good progress. The litmus for people like me when relating to preservice teachers (and others) is to ask two questions:

i As a Principal, would I welcome this person as a member of my staff?

ii As a parent, would I rejoice in this person teaching my children?

In your case, the answer to both questions is “yes”.

Regards

Henry Gray

7 September 2012

NB Please forgive any spelling mistakes I have made in writing this text