UALR First-Year Composition Classroom Observation Feedback

Please provide instructional feedback based on your classroom observation to the graduate teaching assistant using the areas listed below. Please spend time reviewing your overall thoughts with the teacher who is observed, and submit a photocopy of the completed form digital to Sherry Robertson, Director of Composition at sjrobertson@ualr.edu A follow up meeting between Sherry Robertson and each graduate student teacher will be held. Thank you for supporting the professionalization of our graduate teachers and our composition program.

Name of teacher being observed: Gail Richard Observer: Sally Crisp Date of observation: Monday, November 11, 2013, 10 am Overview of content covered with comments on teachers ability to effectively communicate concepts: --Preparation for final portfolios, using Google Sites and Scribd. --Peer review of rhetorical knowledge for portfolio cover letter Gail gently took them through the preparation for the digital portfolio, asking for a volunteer to come up to the console. She assured them that the class would go to the library for handson time and encouraged them to visit the UWC in the meantime. She was very effective and the students were attentive. There were a few questions such as Why should we use Scribd? -- which she handled well. At about mid-hour, the preview was done and she asked them to turn to the peer review, which they did in pairs, using her Peer Review form. They seemed to me to work seriously on the peer review. Comments on student engagement: The students were engaged. They asked some questions. They readily responded to her. (In fact, a couple of students chatted with her on the way into the classroom.) They turned to the peer review work readily and were quickly involved in reading and in writing comments. There was one extra person whose work needed to be reviewed and a volunteer came forward immediately. In our conversation after class, Gail seemed to feel that they werent as engaged as she would have liked, but I reminded her that it was Monday morning. Identify how course content relates to the WPA OS: In just the first few minutes of class, the conversation was centered on the section of your cover letter on rhetorical knowledge. Later the WPA Outcomes were written on the board, as a reminder of the whole of their cover letter. Process was demonstrated in the Google sites preview and demonstrated in the peer review work. The students were clearly not at all strangers to the WPA Outcomes. Notes on instructional organization: The class content was well organized, in the two parts described above. The right amount of time was allotted for each of the main parts. Overall, the class was organized with a sign-in sheet for attendance, the Google Sites/Scribd preview, the peer review time, reminders of the WPA outcomes (which they are addressing in their cover letters). Finally folders with graded work were spread on a large table to be picked up. Some students stayed after to talk with Gail.

Strengths of teacher: Here are adjectives that come to mind: prepared, organized, calm, gentle and respectful, poised, positive, reassuring, encouraging, flexible. Here are some things Gail said, which show clearly her strengths: Do you see it? Does this seem easy? (Google Sites) You know what? Thats okay. Okay. Very good. Youll be ahead of the game in Comp II. She knew their names. Her attire and demeanor were thoroughly professional. I would say that Gail seems more like an experienced teacher than a beginner. Areas for improvement: I gave her a couple of small suggestions about peer review. I have no suggestions for improvement from this observation-visit. Comments about teacher authority/presence: Gail had a calm, but authoritative presence. Her students were attentive and behaved well. I used the word gentle above to describe her, but perhaps graceful is better. Gail gracefully managed the time and gracefully related to her students. She was thoroughly professional. It was a pleasure to observe Gails class and to visit with her after. --scc