Observation Year 7 - Cooking

Observation - Year 7 Cooking class - Groups of four making cheese

Period 1+2 Thursday morning

- class enter quietly and know where to sit, there is evidence of a pre-learnt schedule and routine

- students are calm and gather their books independently

- The teacher addresses the class and has a quick revise of last lessons content

- teacher guides the students towards the answers by asking questions and pausing for answers. There is no pressure from the teacher on students to answer - no targeting or opportunity for embarrassment. Students are slow t respond but eventually give answers. The teacher guides them open their books and find the answers.

- teacher describes the process of the lesson and writes the steps up on the board. ALSO, the steps are in each of the students individual workbooks. The first three steps are described by the teacher to each group (groups of 4 are formed now).

- Students are given the resources, and start the process. Full trust is evident as the students are boiling large quantities of water and working with high temperatures and large equipment.

- Teacher walks around the groups and monitors the progress and checks in with them “Are you doing well, is everything okay here?” Students are working happily and staying on task in the classroom. The process is ticking along and students are working well.

- As a few steps are completed, the teacher stops the class and demonstrates while explaining the following steps. Students are all listening, and the teacher waits for everyone to be waiting patiently before she starts.

- Instead of asking students to stop and listen who are off task, she asks them if they are okay when they are not responding. This works well and gives students a chance to focus without being confronted.

- Students are working well and getting everything done. I am impressed with the flow of the class.

What I have taken away from this:

- Do not embarrass students

- do not give too many instructions at once. By demonstrating, explaining and providing written instructions students are able to select which intelligence they use the best and utilise the resource that is applicable.

#observation