1.) Describe effective management strategies you observed for opening a lesson, applied during a lesson, and for lesson closure.
I visited a high school art class. I have observed two different periods: a very small class and a very large class. At the beginning of class, the teacher had students speak quietly to themselves while she took attendance and prepared for the lesson. To get students engaged, she demonstrated and explained the art activity to the class. As she showed the activity to the class, she tied it into methods used in past projects, which activated prior knowledge. One project in particular, using one-point perspective, was shown to students in a way that they could understand because it ties into their everyday lives. Students were given instructions and allowed to work on their own.
2.) Name 3 common transitions you observed and how did the teacher handle those.
The were a few subtle transitions in class. The first would be the students entering the class. They seemed to have already known the seating assignments and what is expected of them, because they went to their seats and knew what to do. This shows that rules and procedures had been established and were known. Another transition was after students were shown the project, they were released to start their assignment. The teacher had given instructions on the steps of the project, which helped students know what to do during this transition. It is also likely that rules and procedures for the end of class had been established. The students knew that they were supposed to clean and put the chairs on the tables. To help with this transition, the teacher reminded students of how much time they had left to work on their projects. She also had to remind students to clean better.
3.) Describe a strategy that you observed and may apply to your classroom.
I liked how the teacher constantly monitored the classroom and gave advice about projects. Compliments were made, as well as well-worded criticisms. This is a quality that I have always appreciated in art teachers, and I would definitely do this.
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