Which of the following is the best example of evidence collected during a lesson observation

A classroom observer’s first step is to observe and record an accurate, unbiased depiction of what is happening in a classroom.

Evidence from a classroom observation can be collected in just about any format, but whatever the format, it should be comprehensive and objective. The evidence should be comprehensive enough to paint an accurate picture of what is happening in the classroom, and it should also be factual and judgement-free. It should be made up of objective statements that tell the story of the lesson without reflecting what the observer thought of the lesson.  

LOW-INFERENCE NOTE-TAKING

Low-inference note-taking can be a good way to remove subjectivity from the observation. When taking low-inference notes on classroom instruction, think about the following Essential Questions from the TNTP Core Rubric:

• Are all students engaged in the work of the lesson from start to finish?
• Are students working with content aligned to the appropriate standards for their grade and subject area?
• Are all students responsible for doing the thinking in this classroom?
• Do all students demonstrate that they are learning?

RUNNING RECORDS

One strategy for taking low-inference notes is to create a running record of what you are seeing in the classroom. The goal of a running record is to take objective notes that describe exactly what actions teachers and students are taking. Running records can be formatted like the example below:

The notes above paint a clear and objective picture of what occurred in this classroom. Because the observer tracked the time and used specific details, such as quotes from the teacher, a reader can get a clear sense of what is happening. It’s also important to note that observers should also be examining student work and listening to students talk, so there are sometimes gaps in their running records. This example is very detailed; a running record could also be as simple as a a pseudo-transcript of what the observer sees and hears without the delineation of student/teacher actions or the time stamps. However, particularly when reviewing lesson videos, timestamps can be very helpful when discussing Core ratings with other observers.

AVOIDING THE PITFALLS OF RUNNING RECORDS

We recommend the following solutions to avoid some of the common pitfalls that can occur when collecting running records:

What are examples of evidence of student learning?

What is evidence based observation?

What should be included in a lesson observation?

What is the best example of a general impression question to ask at the beginning of a post conference?