Post-Conference
Analysis
I
observed Ms. Sabrina Rose on December 3, 2012, and our post-conference was held
on December 10, 2012. After the
observation, I asked the teacher to complete a brief survey/reflection about
the lesson I observed. My data
collection tool, our school district’s adaptation of Charlotte Danielson’s
Framework for Teaching, was filled with my notes and comments from the
observation. Before the post-conference,
I labeled the data and rated the teacher based on the evidence I gathered. I also completed a post-observation
survey. All three of these documents
were ready to share during the post-conference.
Our post-conference was held via a private webinar/meeting using
Blackboard Collaborate. I was able to
use the whiteboard space to upload the documents and a sample of student work
so we could review them together. We
both used our webcams to see each other during the conference, as if we were in
the same room. The post conference was recorded.
What
strengths and/or improvement areas did you notice about the environment and
tone of the post observation?
Because
this conference occurred online, the variables are different than in a
face-to-face meeting, yet I felt it was just as effective. We could see each other’s facial expressions
and hear the tone in our voices. I saw
her actions indicating whether she agreed and/or understood what I said. We had tested and practiced using the online
meeting space before the conference to ensure the technology worked
smoothly. From a technical perspective,
the conference proceeded without any glitches.
During
the post conference, I asked a series of questions to get a sense of Ms. Rose’s
level of satisfaction with the lesson and if she thought it was an effective
lesson in general. I felt that my
questions were kind and caring and that they did not threaten her nor cause her
to feel defensive. We were conversing
about the lesson in a constructive manner, and the online format did not impede
the progress of the conference. Because
we had the documents shared on the whiteboard, we had the added benefit of
being able to view the same document, and could use the tools to point to text
or underline certain comments.
What
strengths and or improvement areas did you notice in the conference about
strategies to improve instruction?
During
our pre-conference, Ms. Rose shared her concerns and her goals for the year
regarding improving instruction. We
referenced that conversation in the post-observation conference. I began by sharing the positives that I saw
during the lesson and commended her on how at ease she looked instructing the
students, that she clearly loves what she is teaching, and cares for the
students in her classroom. I told her that while I agree that her lesson was
mostly an effective lesson and that students were learning, I felt that the
lesson lacked real depth and did not challenge the students to use their
higher-order thinking skills. I then proceeded to share the areas where I felt
she needed improvement and provided suggestions on how to improve specific
aspects of the lesson.
In
the conference, which behavior did you seem to predominantly use? Do you think this was an appropriate approach
given the developmental level of the teacher?
I
wanted to clearly encourage and model a collaborative approach during the
conference. Ms. Rose, a novice teacher needs to see the observation process as
a combined effort to improve instruction for students, and not as a “gotcha” or
more “directive” in nature. I believe
this was an appropriate approach. Ms.
Rose is open to improvement, is aware of her strengths and weaknesses, and is
committed to doing the best she can for her students. A collaborative approach will nurture this
teacher’s improvement as she progresses and gains more experience.
