1. ACTION PLAN
SUBJECT MENTOR OBSERVATION
Please outline a minimum of 3 action points under each heading using your own
observation of the lesson and the feedback from your subject mentor.
Planning and Preparing
[Was the lesson plan usable and did you clearly specify learning outcomes? Where resources suitably
prepared and all occurrences accounted for, including risk?]
Learning outcomes were displayed on the wall and covered in the main power point
presentation. The Learning outcomes were revisited during the lesson before and after
break and again before the end of class. After each activity I referred to learning
outcomes showing students the learning which had taken place. I followed my lesson
plan keeping me on target through out the lesson. The layout of the room encouraged
group activities.
During the Lesson
[Did you open and close the lesson satisfactorily? Did you outline learning outcomes in a manner that
was meaningful to the students? Did you manage learning at the subject level? Did you show teacher
movement and progression? Did you review learning using student feedback?]
I opened and closed the lesson reminding students off the topic covered in class last
week by drawing a spider diagram and relating it to this week’s lesson. This embraces
metacognition in my classroom. Next time I will ask my student to draw this spider
diagram on the board themselves in order to vary the lesson for them. The more
confident students will love this and it will encourage the less confident students. I put a
brief summary of the topics to be covered in the lesson up on a flip chart. At the end of
the lesson, I asked the students to complete an evaluation form. I will in the future
encourage them to give more detail on it by giving them more time to complete it in the
future.
Essential Skills
[How successful was the trial? Did the resource need tested further? What changes would you make to
advance essential skills? How will you promote deeper learning in this area? What strategy will you take
to engage further with colleagues in the promotion of essential skills within your vocational area? If an
essential skills tutor, how will you work to embed essential skills into a vocational area?]
Students sorted themselves into pairs and organized between themselves the sections
of the shop, which each pair would work on. They developed team building and
communication skills during merchandising the display activity. This activity helped
them gel together as a team. In the future I could get the students to design plan-o-
grams on the computer which will develop their information technology skills. Students
had the use of dictionaries and thesaurus to help with spelling and grammar.
Communication Skills of the Teacher
• Explaining topics
I spoke about the topic on merchandising with confidence, as I knew the topic well. I
projected my voice well and changed the tempo of my voice to highlight a point. I used
positive body language throughout the lesson.

2. • Demonstration through example or activity
I explained the tasks I needed the students to complete fully and clearly. I offered
clarification when it was needed. Students enjoyed the hands on experience of
displaying goods in the shop and I hope to use the simulated shop to teach other units
in the future.
• Questioning openly
I used a lot of questions to encourage discussion. According to Professor McGuiness
teachers must consider when asking students to give examples, if students have been
given enough time to think of thoughtful answers. Tobin (1987) allows for a 3-5 second
pause between the question and the response. I am now more aware of this and will
ensure I give students enough time to think of great answers. Some of the questions I
asked were thought of on the spot. I feel that I would ask more relevant and
challenging questions if I prepared a set of questions in advance.
• Use of language
My voice was clear and carried to the back of the room. My language was descriptive
and simple to understand. Action verbs were used to describe learning outcomes so
students could easily see what they had achieved. I did not feel I used any thinking
vocabulary in this lesson and I intend to be more aware of the language I use in future
lessons in order to make students think more.
• Use of gestures
I used positive body language with plenty of eye contact. When I felt students were
struggling or going off task I stood beside them and offered help.
• Valuing individuals
I treated all students fairly and in a respectful manner. The classroom had a very
informal atmosphere, which allowed for open discussion. I encouraged students to
talk informally about their own experience in the workplace and share retail stories.
This mutual respect lead to no discipline problems during the lesson.
• Presentation of resources
Work sheets were all prepared in advance. They were well presented and easy to
read. Students over period of three weeks had brought in merchandise to display in
the simulated shop. The merchandise was ready for them to sort for the lesson.
Shelving and display posters were all available for use.
• Use of visual aids
The Power Point was colourful, clear and easy to read. I used interactive handouts
with images.

3. • Feeding back
Students received feedback after each activity. They completed a traffic light
evaluation form. They completed this very quickly at the end of the class. I feel I could
get more written detail on the form if I allowed them more time to complete this.
• Probing for learning
I planned for different activities, which appealed to different types of learners. Deeper
learning occurred with the introduction of the practical activity. Students took
ownership of this learning activity as they were part of the research project from the
start i.e. bringing in merchandise and posters for the simulated shop. I asked both
lower and higher level questions so that I could challenge all students. I need to be
more patient and wait as Tobin (1987) 3-5 seconds for a thoughtful answer. I did not
have questions prepared but thought of them on the spot. Next time I plan to be more
organized and prepare a set of oral questions in advance.
Classroom Management
[ Did you manage the learning stages? Did you monitor and lead students? Did you address all learner
needs?]
All stages of the lesson had a beginning, middle and end. I informed the students of
the topic to be covered by setting out a brief timetable for them to follow. I have found
this is an excellent classroom management activity, if students know what they will be
doing they are more at ease. The students enjoyed the practical activity of displaying
merchandise. They enjoyed sharing this activity with their peers in a safe and friendly
environment.
Subject Teaching Strategy
[
Did you show an understanding of how to teach your subject? What methods might you further explore
to develop the subject matter with your students?]
I used a variety of teaching strategies; I instructed, guided and assisted learners
throughout the class. Students had the opportunity to work in pairs and in groups.
Both these learning styles help build confidence and helped to build relationships.
Students were given the opportunity to express their learning preferences by
completing a questionnaire. They informed me that they would like to see more
practical work in class and less written questions. I have achieved this in the
merchandising unit by setting up a simulated shop. I plan to use this shop in the future
to help teach other units which will lead to a better understanding of retailing. I also
would like to implement Problem Base Learning and use more Case Studies to make
learning even more real to the student. This will also help improve employability skills.
Enthusiasm

4. [Did you show a passion for your subject? How did you inspire and how will you further project this
confidence and passion for your subject in the future?]
I showed passion for the subject by sharing funny humorous about the retail industry
with my students. I encouraged them to do the same. This brought humor to the class.
I plan to stretch myself further when teaching the next unit by being more creative and
use Problem Based Learning activities. I think my students will love this method of
learning and their employability skills will improve.
Teaching Style
[How did you lead and how might you delegate and challenge learners to become more cooperative or
independent in the future?]
I lead by example and believe strongly in peer tutoring and learning, as some students
can be good role models to encourage others. I hope to develop this further by
introducing more pair and share and group activities in class. I also want to investigate
Problem Based Learning, to make students more responsible for their learning so they
become more independent learners in the future.
Signature:____________________ Candidate_____________________ Mentor_________________
Date of Agreement:____________ Candidate_____________________ Mentor_________________