Authentic Supervisory Conference

Pamela R. Hudson Bailey

George Mason University

The authentic supervisory observation and subsequent conference involved a new teacher in a geometry classroom of mixed grade levels. Teacher X stated that one student in the class has an IEP which includes a few strategies for student assessment. She feels that she has a good rapport with her students, is able to joke with them and still get back on task. Objective of the lesson was to review previous circle concepts and have students complete an activity involving various types of pies for Pi Day.

Focus for Observation

Teacher X requested that I observe her types and clarity of questions. She is concerned that she is too vague with her questions and has to take time to restate and clarify. Levels of questioning to be observed were determined along with the additional topic of clarity. Subject matter knowledge and managing a learning environment are supplemental observational topics.

In order to gather data a table was used (attached). A running count of the number of times a type of question was asked was recorded along with some of the questions being asked. During the 20 minute lesson data revealed 29 knowledge questions being asked of students followed by only 8 explain/understanding level questions. Teacher X would begin to ask a higher order question but then answer it herself. Clarity only seemed to be a problem on two questions which was due to existing diagrams that students possessed being unclear or incomplete. Teacher X answered one student’s “why” question by stating that it visually appeared to look smaller, a content concern. She managed the classroom wonderfully and moved students from working in pairs, working individually, to working in small groups. The students showed respect and did as requested throughout the lesson.

Post Conference Questions and Responses

· What level of questioning was employed most often?

She recognized that knowledge and understanding level questions were dominant.

· How clear were the questions?

Teacher X felt very conscientious about being clear and precise. She acknowledged and was embarrassed that the handout was a major reason for any unclear statements.

· Discuss classroom management and your transitioning.

Teacher X explained that it took a while to get the students “trained” to transition smoothly but she still gives them a time limit to do something or to get ready. An act that was frustrating at the beginning of the year is now routinely accomplished. The students have learned that if they do as asked that there is more time to do the fun activities. Teacher X enjoys the class and it is evident.

· Any content knowledge concerns with teaching circles to the class?

She is confident in her knowledge with the subject. I brought up that she referred to the inscribed angle always being less than the arc because it looked like it visually. Students need to understand why. Discussion followed with how to present the concept.

· Sharing data and wrapping up the meeting.

Data, which correlated to responses above, was shared with Teacher X. We discussed some of the knowledge questions she asked and how to transform them to one of the other levels. Suggestion was made to record higher level questions on her lesson plans for reference. Creating better handouts and visuals would clarify problems with question clarity and allow students to better understand what was being requested. It was quite an eye opener that clarity of asked questions was not what she was asking but what the students were viewing. Content concerns focused around providing students with the “why” that includes mathematical reasoning but it was alright to share your informal reasons for determining an answer. As a new teacher, Teacher X’s classroom management was well thought out and effective. She ended the conference by stating that the observation was very informative and liked knowing what was being assessed.

TYPES AND CLARITY OF QUESTIONS

	COUNT	SAMPLE QUESTIONS
Knowledge Level
Comprehension Level
Application - Analysis Level
Clarity