Methods of Teaching

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UNIT 1
UNIT 4
UNIT 5
UNIT 3
UNIT 6
UNIT 2
UNIT 7
Week 10, session 3 lesson
Today in class (5 minutes)
This unit has more information, ideas, and recommendations for Student Teachers 
than can be covered in two weeks. Organize Student Teachers in their observation 
triads. One Student Teacher from each of the triads will answer the survey questions 
about what they observed in the classrooms (discussed below).
Survey of observational data on teacher’s distribution of attention during
a lesson (25 minutes) 
Present the class with information about the survey they will take. It will cover teach-
er interactions with children during the observed whole-class lesson, which should 
have lasted 30 minutes. 
Ask the class series of questions about their observation. The representative from 
each triad should raise his or her hand, as appropriate, in response to each question. 
(Record the numbers of hands in the air for each question.) The questions should 
focus on how the teachers distributed attention among students during the lessons. 
Questions might include:
• Which of you have data indicating that at least one of the teachers you
observed interacted with at least half the class during the lesson?
• Which of you have data that at least one teacher interacted with fewer the one- 
fourth of the class during the lesson?
• Which of you have data indicating that at least one teacher interacted with one
child five or more times during a lesson?
• Which of you feel that at least one teacher was trying to distribute attention
equally among children?
• Which of you feel that both teachers you observed were trying to distribute
attention equally among children?
Note the number of hands raised in response to each question. Ask Student Teachers 
what conclusions can be drawn from the data presented.