Observation

1. Class Observation: James Appleby 15.6.2015
Period 5
Year 11 History
Introduction:
Work for the class set up on white board.
LI and SC written up
Directed students to a Kahoot activity.
Rule set up for using Kahoot – use proper name. Good
I would ask for total quiet before I gave the information. Just wait. Let everyone work out you want silence.
Students are enjoying the quiz and it is an effective way to reinforce factual knowledge.
Main section of the lesson:
- You did wait for the noise and excitement to die down before you were explaining the use of the quiz, so
you have silence thing sorted. Good explanation about the usefulness of the quiz.
- Reviewing last period’s work. PP and video etc. Watching some of the students’ work. Nice pace to show
a few but not all.
- Correcting some students to keep quiet.
- Bringing in Manaaki values when watching the students’ work.
- Four student videos shown and then you explained that you would put them up on the class ultranet
page. Just state the rest will be up on the ultranet in the next 2-3 days. Don’t need to explain what you
will be doing about formatting.
- Revision on topic of WW1, students suggesting answers. Answers being written up on the board. This is
good visual reinforcement.
- Good strong revision discussion although one table dominated the discussion, the tables by the windows
did little in the way contributing discussion. Perhaps you should try to include them to contribute.
- Explaining links of this revision to future paragraph writing. This is spot on and this is where the
explanation is really important.
- PP is shown “arms race and WW1”
- While asking about the term “arms race” the two tables by the window are missing out. Perhaps it is the
nature of these students that makes them less likely to contribute.
- Asking students to give suggestions about the key search terms in the web for Arms race.
- James is moving around the groups to see what they are doing, so you are touching base with them,
especially those that did not contribute to the general discussion so you are checking for understanding
in a meaningful way for these types of less vocal students, which is obviously the best way to approach
this group.
Summary/Plenary
- Getting students to volunteer what they have found out about the “arms race” in WW1. Good to see that
you explained how Ryan’s answer is good but need to apply it to WW1. Also checking for type of website
for this group.
- Good to see that you tell them when you want them to pack up. Don’t let them make the choice.

2. General overview of period:
1. This is a very bright and lively class who like to contribute answers readily. One table is dominating the
discussion, but this is because of the nature of the girls at that table. Sometimes don’t let them answer
the questions make it so that at least once some of the other tables need to contribute at least once
during the lesson.
2. You could do an “ up on the white board” exercise where every group has to write down a suggestion.
This means that at least 2 or 3 people will be up at the board at the same time but the shy ones are
masked by the others so they feel less threatened.
3. You have a very good rapport with this group and they are really interested in this topic and you do make
it engaging, so well done. For a period 5 you have achieved a lot in this lesson.
Beryl Blucher (HOD Humanities)
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