TRAINING NOTES:
NASSAU COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT
NEW TEACHER / MENTOR CLASSROOM OBSERVATION NOTES
(Based on Florida’s FPMS Research)
Teacher: __________________________________
School: ______________
Grade/Subject: _____________________________
Date:
Mentor:
Position: ______________
_________________________________
______________
Does the teacher:
1.
Begin instruction promptly?
___yes
___no
Comment: ___________________________________________________________________________

2.
Research shows that teachers who begin the day or period promptly with an
assignment, task or activity create a more orderly, business-like atmosphere in the
classroom and are able to maximize instructional time with students.
Have materials, handouts, and equipment ready and accessible to avoid time off task?
___yes ___no
Comment: __________________________________________________________________________

3:
Teachers who have their handouts, AV equipment, and other materials organized and
ready are more likely to have effective classroom management because they are able to
maintain the momentum of lessons and activities, and to avoid time off-task for
students.
Begin the lesson with an overview, statement of objectives, advance organizer, or activate prior knowledge
or use a similar other strategy? ___yes
___no
Comment: _________________________________________________________________________

4.
Student achievement tends to be higher when lessons begin with a method of linking
the new information to be learned to previously learned information or by creating a
context for the new material.
Does the teacher use more than one strategy or activity to present the content of the lesson?
___yes ___no ___suggest an increase
Comment: _________________________________________________________________________

5.
Effective teachers actively teach to a variety of learning styles and intelligences, and
utilize a variety of methods to ensure all students learn and understand.
Does the teacher ask a variety of questions, including questions that require high level thinking during the
lesson? ___yes ___no
___suggest increase
Comment: _________________________________________________________________________

Student participation, achievement, and thinking tend to be higher when the teacher
asks questions from all levels of Bloom’s taxonomy.
6.
Are the questions posed in a clear manner and one at a time? ___yes ___no
___suggest improvement
Comment: _________________________________________________________________________

Students are more likely to understand the question and to follow the sequence of the
lesson if questions are posed in a single and clear manner.
Does the teacher use appropriate “wait time” before calling on students to answer questions?
7.
___yes
___no
___suggest increasing wait time
Comment: _________________________________________________________________________

8.
“Wait time” is a pause of 3-8 seconds (5-8 for a question requiring a high level of
thinking) after the teacher has asked a question and before a student is called on to
answer. This increases the likelihood that more students will be thinking of an answer,
and increases the quality of the students’ thinking due to a little more time to mentally
process the question. “Wait time” after the student’s answer can also contribute to
more in depth answers and thinking by students.
Does the teacher consistently have a strategy for calling on one student at a time instead of accepting
random call-outs? ___yes ___no ___sometimes
Comment: _________________________________________________________________________

Permitting random call-outs to questions is less effective than utilizing a strategy to
manage classroom interaction by calling on one student at a time during a lesson.
This increases the likelihood of mental participation, creates an element of “suspense”
and communicates the importance of participation by all students.
Does the teacher give appropriate feedback to students’ answers by using praise that reinforces what is
correct in the answer, encourages students, expands on their answers, or provides corrective feedback?
9.
___yes
___no
___suggest increase
Comment: _________________________________________________________________________

10.
Feedback to a student’s answer is necessary to reinforce participation and the content
being taught. It may take several forms: acknowledging and accepting; amplifying or
expanding/paraphrasing, redirecting to another student for input, simple praise;
specific praise; corrective feedback. It does not mean harsh or sarcastic comments
about student responses.
When appropriate to the content of the lesson, does the teacher provide practice, either verbal or written?
___yes ___no
Comment: _________________________________________________________________________

Student achievement is higher when the teacher provides guided and then independent
practice in applying the material being taught, in order to determine students’ level of
understanding. “Teaching without learning is an incomplete act.”
11.
Describe the content of the lesson: ______________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________

12.
What is being taught? Concepts/terms and definitions, examples, non-examples?
Generalizations that relate 2 or more concepts, such as principles or scientific laws,
cause and effect relationships? Math algorithms, formulas; grammar or punctuation,
parts of speech in Language Arts?
Is the content of the lesson presented in a clear, logical manner? ___yes ___no ___suggest improvement
Comment: _________________________________________________________________________

Verbal presentation of lesson content should be “thematically connected” with one
point leading logically to the next. There is no “scrambled discourse, ” rambling, or
talk off the subject.
How does the teacher conclude the lesson and determine students’ understanding of the lesson content?
13.
Describe: ___________________________________________________________________________

14.
Research indicates that an ending review, summary or comprehension check for
understanding of the content is the most effective time to review and most highly
related to retention. Remember the old rule of journalism: “Tell them what you are
going to tell them; tell them; tell them what you told them.”
While teaching, does the teacher display enthusiasm and interest in students and the subject, use a variety
of techniques to emphasize important points, speak clearly and distinctly, and use voice inflection to keep
students attention during the lesson?
1(low)

15.
2
3
4 (high)
Comment: __________________
Effective teachers reinforce important points in the lesson by using emphatic verbal
techniques, repeating important points, using gestures and non-verbal cues; they build
in “mini-summaries” and a lesson-ending review, the communicate to students that
they like the subject they are teaching; they challenge students with high expectations;
they are not monotone in their speech.
Does the teacher use appropriate strategies to deal with student misconduct when it happens?
Specific comment: ___________________________________________________________________
AND...
Is the teacher consistently aware (“withitness”) of what is going on in the classroom and what students are
doing? (“eyes in the back of the head”, “managing by walking around”) ___yes ___no
16.
Comment: _________________________________________________________________________

Effective teachers have established rules and procedures that are posted and
referenced as needed; they use reprimands that aren’t harsh or punitive, but that are
specific and redirect the student to an alternative behavior; they use eye contact and
physical proximity while MBWA, they are “withit” and do not ignore inappropriate
behavior.
17.
Does the teacher give clear and concise directions for change of activities to maintain the flow of
instruction?
___yes
___no
___improve or increase
Comment: __________________________________________________________________________

18.
Effective teachers plan for and use clear, specific transition statements that keep
students focused on what they should be doing, and what they are to do next. The idea
is to keep things “flowing.”
Is the classroom inviting and attractive? Comment: _________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
19.
Other comments: ____________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________