Observation Cycle

The observation cycle in Adam Maitland’s classroom is a clear explanation of the significance of the observation period in the teaching career. The pre-observation conference under discussion is for an elementary school for a Kindergarten class. The students were being taken to a general education on Math and science by their teacher, Adam Maitland. Maitland is observed to employ a Dino-Bingo technique during the lesson. The primary function of the approach used by the teacher was to enable the students understand the concept of math and science. Though pre-observation, the school as well as the teacher will be in a position define the goals, aims and approaches for the lesson (Calandra, Gurvitch, & Lund, 2008).

To meet the significance of the pre-observation, a set of questions will be used to guide an interview with Maitland. Some of the issues may include; (1) Is the lesson in line with the designed curriculum standards for elementary schools? (2) What are the structure of the class and the students? What do you want the students to achieve from the lesson? (3) What mechanisms to you employ to ensure all students of different capacities and categories get to understand the instructions? And (4) how would you measure the learning outcome during and after the lesson?  Dino-Bingo was in line with the curriculum standards as it enables students improve their numbering skills through practical narration. The structure of Adam’s class was of 20 students with 5 having special needs, ten gifted and the rest average. The teacher used both practical and real life scenarios to ensure all students understand the concept. The outcome is measured through completion of the assignment and the grading rubrics used by the school in the assessment of pupils’ performance. Hence, a complete pre-observation reference that gives a clear understanding of a teacher’s performance (Calandra, Gurvitch, & Lund, 2008).
Post-Observation Conference
Congratulations to Mr. Maitland for working in line with the state curriculum. His connection with the concept of real life situation is an example to other teachers. The link of the dinosaur structure and mathematical concepts pulled the interest of the students enabling them to concentrate in class. Adam employed a unique and objective achieving technique to help the learners internalize the lesson concepts. Additionally, Adam provided and the opportunity to the students to ask questions and participate in the lesson. The interactive aspect was critical as the students embraced the teaching. Furthermore, provision of the opportunity for participation made the students feel appreciated and see their significance in learning. Amazingly, Maitland’s control over the whole lesson shaped the students’ behavior as expected in and outside class. Therefore, Adam is highly qualified with the capacity to handle students of different categories (Calandra, Gurvitch, & Lund, 2008).
The various elements employed by Adam make learning an exciting process for both the teacher and the students. The process gets to an extra mile of molding the behavior of the students while in and out of school. Therefore, teachers and the society as a whole need to adopt the mechanism as it allow strict behavioral practices as defined by societal structures. However, they need to be improved to suit different cultures as well as all categories of learners. While carrying out the observation cycle, the observer needs to be a professional and an alien person to the teacher being observed. Additionally, the teacher needs to be told in advance to avoid shock and pretense. The process needs to be friendly to enable the teacher to be relaxed and teach without modifying the approach.


References
Calandra, B., Gurvitch, R., & Lund, J. (2008). An Exploratory Study of Digital Video Editing as a Tool for Teacher Preparation. Journal of Technology and Teacher Education, 16(2), 137- 153.