Name: 

M.S. Title: Social Studies Teacher

Building: POB John F. Kennedy High School Department: SOC STUD
Grade: None Evaluation Type: Tenured Teacher
Assigned Administrator: Thomas DeMartinis Evaluation Cycle: 
Submitted By: Thomas DeMartinis Date Submitted: 
Acknowledged By: M.S. Date Acknowledged: 
Finalized By: Thomas DeMartinis Date Finalized : 

Date of Post Observation Conference:

11/13/20
School:
POBJFKHS
Grade Level:
9-12
Subject:
AP Human Geography
Date of Observation:
11/12/20
Time of Observation:
12:29 - 1:09
Evaluator:
Lead Evaluator
Observation:
Announced
NEW YORK STATE TEACHING STANDARDS I - V &
          MARSHALL RUBRIC CRITERIA FOR TEACHER EVALUATION (Domains A-D)

I. Knowledge of Students & Student Learning

 A. Planning & Preparation for Learning (knowledge, engagement, differentiation)

II. Knowledge of Content & Instructional Planning

 A. Planning and Preparation for Learning (knowledge, standards, units, assessments,  lessons)

III. Instructional Practice

 C. Delivery of Instruction (expectations, goals, connections, clarity, repertoire, engagement, differentiation, nimbleness,
application)

IV. Learning Environment

 B. Classroom Management (expectations, relationships, respect, social-emotional, routines, responsibility, repertoire, efficiency,
prevention)

V. Assessment for Student Learning

 D. Monitoring, Assessment, and Follow-Up (criteria, diagnosis, on-the-spot, recognition, interims, support, reflection)

**Note:  It is understood that each performance indicator may not be observable in every lesson.

Brief Overview of Lesson

M.S. is inviting and cordial before the bell rings. He engages his students with small talk as they find their seats. As the lesson started, he
asked students whether or not they are born with culture. He elicits responses from the class, moving each new idea from student to student.
They began by reading a ‘do now’ which consisted of a reading about human beings and the formation of culture. He then provided them with
a definition of culture that they copied down. He then discussed the two ways that culture spreads, through distribution and diffusion. He
provided students with three examples of one type of cultural diffusion. Students were told to work alone to determine their own definition of
diffusion based on the examples. He then had students conduct a turn and talk with a partner to compare and contrast the definitions. He then
provided a definition for that type of diffusion. For the other three types he provided definitions with examples, and students had to come up
with the ‘underlying principle’ of each type of cultural diffusion. Turn and talks were again used to compare responses to the underlying
principle. The last activity involved getting students in groups and having them work through a series of artifacts applying their newfound
definitions to real world examples. The closure consisted of asking students to evaluate which type of cultural diffusion is most prevalent in the
world today, citing evidence from the class period within their written responses. Throughout the lesson M.S. was energetic and engaging. He
moves student responses around the room, creating an inviting classroom atmosphere. He has built environment for learning and collaboration
in which students are comfortable taking risks and engaging with the content. In a 9-12 AP Elective, this type of rapport and classroom culture
is both a necessity for academic and social growth.
Collected Evidence Based on Marshall Rubric Domains and Elements
 
A. Planning and Preparation for Learning

Rubric Score: 18/20

 
Domain A Score:
3.6
Domain A Rating:
60 Highly Effective
A. Planning and Preparation for Learning
A. Planning and Preparation for Learning Evidence:
M.S. was well-prepared for this lesson, evidenced by this comprehensive lesson plan, relevant real world examples of diffusion such as a tiktok
viral video dancing trend that students immediately recognized, followed by a version of it being performed in rural India using cows instead of
cars, his PowerPoint, ancillary materials including the google forms closure. 
B. Classroom Management

Rubric Score: 19/24

 
Domain B Score:
3.17
Domain B Rating:
55 Effective
B. Classroom Management
B. Classroom Management Evidence:
M.S. is warm and welcoming, while being completely in charge of his class. Before the class period start he engaged several of his students on
the way in the door. He asked a student if they watched Dancing with the Stars the night before, obviously knowing already that this student
very much liked that show. He captivated their interest and maintained it throughout the lesson by using a hook of a viral trend taking place
on tik tok, and showing a version of that very dance taking place in India. He elicited student responses and allowed other students to respond
to each other, showing that M.S. is devoted to creating a safe, inclusive and collaborative environment. Further evidence was found during the
group work, as students maintained their focus on the contents of the lesson even as M.S. cycled around the room.

C. Delivery of Instruction

Rubric Score: 32/36

 
Domain C Score:
3.56
Domain C Rating:
60 Highly Effective
C. Delivery of Instruction
C. Delivery of Instruction Evidence:
The delivery of instruction was presented as one would hope to see in this AP Human Geography class. M.S. differentiated instruction based on
the needs of his students. During our post observation I asked if the groups were random, to which he replied that the seating chart and the
groups were predetermined after the second week of school to try and sit students of varying levels near each other. By pairing students off in
turn and talks he allowed students of varying skill levels to collaborate on shared definitions of conceptual understandings. One area of
improvement can be to further differentiate the groups during the collaborative exercise based on academic level. M.S. shared that he groups
students by approximate location in the classroom. We left with the suggestion that groups can themselves be a tool for differentiation, and
that members of groups can and should be carefully selected based on academic and social strengths/weaknesses.

D. Monitoring, Assessment, and Follow-Up

Rubric Score: 6/8

Domain D Score:
3
Domain D Rating:
55 Effective
D. Monitoring, Assessment, and Follow-Up
D. Monitoring, Assessment, and Follow-Up Evidence:
M.S. checked for comprehension throughout this lesson. At one point he walked over to a group and asked the question, “Okay so can anyone
think of an example of hierarchical diffusion that’s not on this handout?” He then said he would give the group one more ‘cycle around the
room’ and he wanted their response. He did this with different groups, asking them to extend their knowledge by coming up with their own
examples of stimulus and contagious diffusion. By the end of the lesson all groups had completed the classwork while also worked together to
come up with their own examples of diffusion not in the lesson. During the pair share turn and talks M.S. cycled the room to check for ongoing
discussions. During the group activity, he cycled around the room helping groups identify which type of diffusion each example was portraying.
He did so through further use of questioning, never by outright telling the groups which answers were correct. The closure was an opinionated
question that needed evidence from the lesson to support. One follow-up suggestion would be to further assess this topic by having students
provide empirical data to support which type of diffusion is most prominent in the world. This style of follow-up may be more appropriate than
an opinion-based question in an AP Level course.

Final Summative HEDI Ratings

Domain A Score:
3.6
Domain B Score:
3.17
Domain C Score:
3.56
Domain D Score:
3
Average Domain Score:
3.33
Final Average Summative Rating:
55 Effective

Commendations:
M.S. is to be commended for the planning, preparation, and execution of this lesson. The concepts taught were challenging and relevant to
present times. M.S. was able to make connections to cultural issues and how they apply to and impact different peoples around the world. He
has an approach to teaching that is both regimented and fluid. He can meticulously craft a lesson that is scaffolded to get students to
understand the college level content required of the course. At the same time, he can appeal to his students own lived experiences by
engaging them with dialogue about their own lives and potential experiences with the subject matter. Finally, he is able to do all of this while
commanding an attention and respect to the procedures that were clearly established before I walked in. When he told the students they
would work in pair share and group activities, they moved quickly and quietly to their respective places. it is obvious he loves what he is doing,
making the experience enriching and enjoyable for his students.
Suggestions:
The use of turn and talks, though effective, impacted the time they could have spent exploring the examples of various cultural diffusions in
practice. Providing those definitions and moving more directly into group activities would yield a similar amount of collaboration,
understanding, and exploration of the topic. Finally, differentiating groups based on skill level may lead to greater results during collaborative
exercises.