I had my third observation yesterday. This time it was during my period 6 class. Normally this class is talkative but they always get their work done. Well yesterday was a little different, they all got work done but it was like pulling teeth to get them to talk and volunteer yesterday. I had a great plan and was trying hard to get them engaged and nothing I did was working. I tried to do a thing called proximity partner and it kind of worked to get them talking a little more but my principal didn't like it (he asked me in our post meeting what the purpose was and I said to get them moving and to form partners).
In my post meeting, the principal said things went good and that the lesson was good and the students were engaged and I was surprised by what he was saying because my students were engaged, they were doing work but the engagement and participation was down. However it made a little more sense the next day when my students were asking me questions.
When my students came in today they were all asking what the principal said and they were all telling me they tried to be on their best behavior and do their best so the principal would see I was a good teacher. I laughed and said but you weren't yourselves and that's what he needs to see. You guys normally volunteer and talk more. I never tell students when I am being observed because I want them to be normal but it rarely works. When I said that the principal thought it was alright some fo my students said good (almost like a sigh of relief). I asked why they said good like that and they told me that whenever they walked near the door or left the room to get a drink or go to the bathroom the principal was looking at houses and not really watching me, and at one point he looked like he was sleeping. I was oblivious to all this until the students said something because I was so nervous and trying to do well, I never really looked at the principal. I was also put on the spot when I ran into a parent that night and she asked me about it saying her son came home and said the principal was in my room and was suppose to be watching me but was surfing the web for house and sleeping. I tried to say it may have just looked like that but I am sure it was good.
Talk about a weird and awkward last observation but at least they are done for the year!
