Observed Lesson Artifact Manual
Teacher Education Department
Marian University
Traditional Undergraduate Program
During each field experience in the teacher education programs at Marian University, candidates
prepare and teach a lesson that is observed by a University supervisor. To strengthen the
connection between portfolio artifacts and the documentation of PK-12 student learning,
candidates in EDU 020, 030, and 040 prepare an Observed Lesson Artifact. The artifact is a
sample of developing competence in designing effective instruction that promotes student
learning. Throughout the process of developing an Observed Lesson Artifact, candidates are
expected to seek e support and feedback from the Marian University supervisor and cooperating
teacher to assist the candidate’s development as a professional. The artifact and scored rubric
is to be placed in the Admission to Clinical Practice and/or Clinical Practice Portfolio.
Therefore, candidates are to save the copy given to them by the Marian University
instructor/supervisor for this purpose
An Observed Lesson Portfolio Artifact contains:
 A detailed lesson plan with a clear and measurable objective,
 Copies of student work produced (or record of observations) as a result of the lesson,
 Evaluation and feedback from the Marian University supervisor,
 Reflection on the lesson in relation to student learning
 Reflection on the lesson in relation to teaching
 A rationale that clearly connects the artifact to relevant Wisconsin Teacher Standards,
Preparing an Observed Lesson Portfolio Artifact
Consider the Teaching and Learning Context (see Form 1, Paragraph 1)

In the first few weeks of your placement, plan a time to talk with your cooperating
teacher about the diversity of students in your classroom. You will need to consider this
information as you plan your formal lesson later in the semester.

Use the information you gathered to complete the Field Experience Class Profile (see the
020, 030, or 040 class Resource Manual.)

Use the information you gathered about the students to aid you in writing the teaching
and learning context of your Portfolio Artifact Rationale (see Form 1).
Updated spring 10
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Plan and Teach the Lesson (See Form 2)

Objective: With the help of your cooperating teacher, select an objective for student
learning that is appropriate to the grade level and subject area. Talk with your
cooperating teacher about why the selected objective is appropriate for the students at
that particular time. Ask for suggestions about ways to make the lesson most meaningful
to students.

Academic Standard(s): Identify the appropriate Wisconsin Model Academic
Standard(s) that is most relevant to your objective. The standard(s) should be identified
by both a number (ex. A.4.2) and a brief description/definition from the standard that is
appropriate to your objective. The standards are available on the Department of Public
Instruction website (http://dpi.wi.gov/standards).

Assessment: Identify and describe how you will assess what students learn. Think about
what types of student work might be produced or observed during your lesson? What
will you look for in that student work to determine whether students learned your
intended objective?

Teacher Background Knowledge: Outline or describe the specific content or
information that you must know to help students learn your intended objective. This
section should demonstrate that you have sufficient knowledge of the concept to teach it
to students.

Student Prior Knowledge & Misconceptions: Identify what students will need to know
to learn your intended objective. It is important to consider students’ prior knowledge
because it enables them to make essential links to new ideas and understandings. In
addition, consider if there are possible misconceptions that students might have related to
the objective. Misconceptions can become barriers to new learning.

Pre-Assessment: (optional in EDU 020 and 030; required in EDU 040) With the help
of your cooperating teacher and at least a week before you intend to teach your lesson,
identify what students may already know about your intended objective. Ask your
cooperating teacher for suggestions about the best way to gather this information. Being
aware of students’ prior knowledge that could help you prepare a lesson that is both
meaningful and relevant to the range of students in the classroom.

Type of Lesson: Identify whether your lesson will 1) introduce a new
concept/skill/strategy, 2) continue to development of a concept/skill/strategy, or 3)
complete instruction of a concept/skill/strategy.

Teaching Strategies/Approaches: Identify the specific strategies you will use in your
lesson to motivate, guide and support student learning. Strategies may include ways that
you will engage students (such as read aloud, demonstration, hands-on activity, shared
writing) and/or ways that you will organize for students for learning (such as whole class,
small groups, partners, cooperative think-pair-share).
Updated spring 10
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
Management Considerations: Anticipate possible management issues that may arise as
you teach the lesson. Consider factors such as how the classroom will need to be
arranged, where students will be during your lesson, how you will keep them engaged,
what materials students will need and how you will distribute those materials. These
management considerations will be impacted by the teaching strategies that you select.

Procedures: Describe in detail each part of your lesson. Explain what you will do and
what you will expect students to do. Be sure to include the actual directions you will give,
questions you will ask, etc. The description should provide enough detail for another
educator to understand how you will provide opportunities for students to learn.


Engagement: How will you introduce the lesson in order to capture their
attention to help them focus on the intended objective?

Development of lesson: What steps will you use to present the lesson? What do
you expect students to do at different points in the presentation?

Accommodations to support student learning: Do plans need to be modified or
enhanced in some way to accommodate students who would not be able to
complete the lesson as you have designed it?

Closure of the lesson: How will you bring the lesson to closure and help students
verbalize what they learned?

Extension Activity/Homework Assignment (if appropriate): Is there a follow-up
activity that will occur to keep students engaged in learning the objective? (It
may not be a part of all lessons.)
Evidence of Seeking Feedback: Throughout this process, seek feedback from your
Cooperating Teacher and Marian University supervisor. Describe those interactions on
the bottom of the lesson plan (see form 2). Documentation of collaboration with the
cooperating teacher is required.

Attach a copy of your University supervisor’s evaluation of your lesson.

Optional - Invite your Cooperating Teacher to observe your lesson and provide
feedback to you. Include this in the portfolio along with the University supervisor’s
evaluation.
Updated spring 10
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Reflect on Student Learning

EDU 020
Review the student work and/or your observation notes and reflect, in writing, on
what you observed while you were teaching the lesson.
o In what ways did the students’ work show that they learned the intended
objective?
o What did you observations suggest about what students learned?

EDU 030 and EDU 040 (see Form 3)
o Collect all student work that is generated during the lesson. If students did not
produce work that can be collected, as soon as you are able make careful notes
about your observations that provide evidence of student learning. If you are not
able to collect student work, you may want to consider taking digital photos as
evidence of student learning. If you collected student work, make copies of 3
students to include in the artifact as an example of what students did as a result of
your teaching. The students should represent the variety of students in the class
(ex. high, middle, low).
o For the Class as a Whole

Review student work and reflect on what you observed while you were
teaching the lesson. In what ways does the students’ work show that they
learned the intended objective? What did you notice about the different
children in the class (ex. boys/girls, English language learners, children
who struggle, or children who excel)?

EDU 040 – Compare what students knew before your lesson (preassessment) and what they knew as a result of your lesson.
o For 3 Focus Students
Updated spring 10

Identify and copy the work of 3 students who represent the range of
students in the class (ex. high, middle, low).

Reflect on the learning of these 3 Focus Students. For each Focus
Student, describe what you see in that student’s work that makes you think
the student learned the objective of your lesson.

EDU 040 – Using the pre-assessment information for the 3 Focus
Students, describe any differences in students’ understanding of the
intended objective before and after the lesson.
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Reflect on Teaching (see Form 4)

Reflect on how you used the teaching and learning context to develop and teach your
lessons.

Reflect on what went well related to your teaching and classroom management. Describe
examples of your teaching and management to support your reflections.

Reflect on what you might do differently if you taught the lesson again. What knowledge
and skills might you need to develop to improve your development as a professional?

Reflect on what you learned about yourself as a teacher?
Develop an Artifact Rationale (See Form 1)
A rationale provides documentation for the ways that you believe an artifact demonstrates your
developing competence in the Wisconsin Teacher Standards. The rationale should be developed
after you have completed planning and teaching the lesson, as well as analyzing student work
produced during the lesson. The artifact rationale should be developed in three sections:
Section 1: The Teaching and Learning Context and Artifact

Describe the teaching and learning context in which the artifact was developed. With
the assistance of your cooperating teacher, collect information about the teaching and
learning context of the community, school district, school and classroom. The types
of information that you should include are:
o Community Data such as:
 Description of community
 Type of community – urban, suburban, rural
 Population
 Descriptive information
o School District and School information such as:
 Total number of students in the district
 Number of teachers, staff, administrators in the district
 Number of students in the school
 Number of teachers, staff, administrators in the school
 % of students on free and reduced lunch at the school (indication of
poverty level of the school)
 Other pertinent information
o Class information such as:
 Number in students class
 Number of boys and girls
 Number of English Language Learners (ELL),
 Number of students identified with special learning needs
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


Number of students identified with behavioral issues
Range of academic abilities in the subject area of the lesson.
Briefly explain what is contained in the artifact.
Section 2: Alignment with Wisconsin Teacher Standards
 Thoroughly read the definition for each Wisconsin Teacher Standard and look for
Knowledge (K), Skill (S), and Disposition (D) statements that you believe are
demonstrated by the artifact. Choose only those KSDs that are most relevant to your
artifact.

Develop a T-chart (see sample below) that shows how particular K, S, or D
statements in each relevant standard align with the artifact:
o On the left side of the T-chart, cut and paste specific KSDs that can be
documented in the artifact. Highlight the area(s) of the K,S or D that you feel
is relevant that are relating to the right side of the T-chart.
o On the right side of the T-chart, describe the specific place in the artifact that
each relevant K, S, or D can be seen.
As you develop the T-Chart, consider all parts of the artifact (lesson plan, student
work, feedback from the cooperating teacher and/or supervisor and reflection on
teaching and student learning)
Example of a T-Chart:
Wisconsin Teacher Standards
1.S.3 The teacher can evaluate teaching
resources and curriculum materials for their
comprehensiveness, accuracy, and usefulness in
representing particular ideas and concepts.
4.K.3 The teacher knows how to enhance
learning though the use of a wide variety of
materials and technological resources (e.g.
computers, audio-visual technologies, videotapes
and discs, local experts, primary documents and
artifacts, texts, reference books, literature, and
other print resources).
2.K.2 The teacher understands that students’
development influences learning and knows
how to address these factors when making
instructional decisions.
4.S.1 The teacher carefully evaluates how to
achieve learning goals, choosing alternative
teaching strategies and materials to achieve
different instructional purposes and to meet
student needs.
Updated spring 10
How Standards are Demonstrated in the Artifact
To develop this math lesson, I talked with my cooperating teacher
about the types of materials that would enhance the lessons and
help the students learn the intended concept. I selected
manipulatives that would allow students to clearly see the impact
of having remainders in division. This is evident in the materials
section of the lesson plan and also on the bottom of the lesson
plan where evidence of seeking feedback from the cooperating
teacher is noted.
Because division with remainders was a new concept for the
students, I engaged them in hands-on activities that would
visually demonstrate the concept of remainders. . The procedure
section of the lesson plan shows how I used several types of
problems to develop the concept, which takes into consideration
the different types of learners in the class and the different ways
in which they learn. I also used a cooperative learning strategy to
encourage interactions among students so they could help each
other learn. This can be seen in the teaching strategies section.
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7.S.2 The teacher plans for learning
opportunities that recognize and address
variation in learning styles, learning differences
and performance modes.
Continue with other K, S, or D statements
that are relevant to the lesson.

EDU 020 students should identify relevant KSDs in Standards 1, 2, 4, 6, 7, & 9.

EDU 030 students should identify relevant KSDs in Standards 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 9, &10.

EDU 040 should identify relevant KSDs in Standards 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, & 10.
Section 3: Relevance of the Artifact
 Tell why the artifact is important to your development as a teacher
or
 What you learned and the competence you gained by completing the artifact.
Following are some phrases that might help you start paragraph three:
 What I learned from this experiences (or lesson planning or working with
different students, etc.)is…
 As a result of this……, I now (know, understand, etc.)…
 The most significant learning for me was….
 This (experience, lesson, paper, etc) has helped me understand….
 I have gained significant growth in the areas of… due to…
 I have gained considerable insight about…
 A new learning for me was…
 I now understand the importance of
Updated spring 10
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Form 1
Artifact Rationale
The Teaching and Learning Context and Artifact:
Alignment with Wisconsin Teacher Standards:
Wisconsin Teacher Standards
* Add additional boxes as needed
Relevance of the Artifact:
Updated spring 10
How Standards are Demonstrated in the Artifact
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Form 2
LESSON PLAN
Grade Level:
Subject:
Concept:
Alignment of objectives, standards, and assessment(s) for student learning:
Learner Outcomes/
Model Academic
Assessment(s)of
Objective(s)
Standard(s)
Student Learning
* Add additional boxes as needed
 Teacher background knowledge needed for the lesson:
 Student prior knowledge needed for this lesson and student’s possible
misconceptions about what is going to be taught:
 Type of lesson (introduces a concept/skill/strategy, continues development of a
concept/skill/strategy, completes instruction of a concept/skill/strategy). Rationale
for the lesson:
 Teaching Strategies/approaches:
 Classroom management considerations:
 Materials (including technology):
 Procedures: (Detailed list of steps)
 Engagement
 Development of lesson
 Accommodations to support student learning
 Closure of the lesson
 Extension Activity/Homework Assignment (if appropriate):
Evidence of seeking feedback from the cooperating teacher:
Updated spring 10
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Form 3
Reflection on Student Learning
(EDU 030 & 040)
Class as a Whole
Focus Student 1
Focus Student 2
Focus Student 3
Updated spring 10
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Form 4
Reflection on Teaching
1. How did you use the knowledge of the teaching and learning context (refer to the class
profile survey) to develop and teach your lessons (give examples)?
2. What went well related to your teaching and classroom management? Describe examples
of your teaching and management to support your reflections.
3. What would you do anything differently if you taught the lesson again? What knowledge
and skills might you need to develop to improve your development as a professional?
4. What did you learn about yourself as a teacher?
Updated spring 10