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[Carolyn Viss (observing teacher):] Some other things that I saw,

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I was looking at our observation form and your lesson had an objective.

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The students knew what the objective was.

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The objective was to solve proportions, and you used popsicle sticks to check for understanding.

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You called on two students as non-volunteers, and then I kind of jumped in

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and had the whole class do a choral response.

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What my thinking about that was that with two students only,

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you wouldn't know for sure if all the students knew what the objective was.

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So those were a couple of things that I saw.

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How do you usually check for understanding on an objective

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or check with the students to know what an objective is?

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[Travis Walsh (classroom teacher):] I usually do three popsicle sticks.

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I don't know why I didn't do three this time, and usually I ask them, "What's the objective?"

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and "What are we going to do today?"

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Those are the two phrases I use.

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That's about it.

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[Viss:] Awesome.

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One of the other things that I noticed in your lesson was the TAPPLE [Teach first,

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Ask a specific question, Pause, Pick a non-volunteer, Listen to the response,

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provide Effective feedback], which you are referring to right now.

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You were very consistent about teaching first the content

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that you were holding the students accountable for-both the concept and the skill.

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You taught the students before you asked them questions, and then you asked them questions.

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You didn't just leave it at teaching and say, "Okay.

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I have taught it, move on," but you then asked questions.

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You picked non-volunteers the majority of the time, and then you listened to their response.

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There were a couple of times that I noticed you echoing just

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if the student had answered correctly, you just echoed back that correct response.

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And there were a couple of times where I heard you kind of elaborating on the answer

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that the student had given you, where they were definitely on the right track,

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but maybe they were using a word or a phrase that might confuse other students

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in their understanding, and so you paraphrased it into a way

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that would make more sense for the rest of the class.

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[Walsh:] Would you recommend me going back and having them rephrase their answer

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after I elaborate, or how would you deal with something like that?

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If they are a little bit off, they are close?

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[Viss:] I think that might be a good time to maybe take the heat off of the student

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that you have just called on and go to another non-volunteer in the class.

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Then, now, that first student who was really on the right track but had maybe a little bit

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of a misconception, they have heard your paraphrase,

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and then they have heard maybe another student or two respond to the same question.

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[Walsh:] One of the problems I ran into-I am not sure if you noticed-but I pulled

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out a popsicle stick and I read one of my English learner names on it

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after I had already asked the question wait time, and I didn't feel comfortable asking her

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that type of elaboration question.

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So I went back and pulled a second name, asked the second student,

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and then reworded the next question so I knew she could answer it,

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and that's something I am always working with.

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How far can I push an English language learner out of their comfort zone?

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A lot of times, especially the girls, if you push them too hard, they clam up.

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So I try to kind of tread lightly.

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That's one of the issues I am dealing with, is how far to push them,

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and then what do you do if you pull that name, it's their turn,

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and I don't know if it's okay to slide them behind?

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Do you have any suggestions?

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[Viss:] Well, a couple of things that you might consider are maybe just allowing extra wait time

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for that EL student, depending on the level of the question.

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Or maybe that would be a good time to, you know, you have got your stick in your hand

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and they all think, "Oh, he is going to call my name, he is going to call my name,"

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and then say, "Okay, tell your neighbor what you are thinking right now.

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Tell your neighbor," and provide them an opportunity in a much safer atmosphere.

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Instead of "Here I am speaking to the whole class," "I am just speaking to my partner here,

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we are having a conversation, and I won't be embarrassed if I don't know

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or if my answer is not quite on."

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So a couple of things, strategies that you might use.

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Another thing that I really admired in your lesson was you did have a couple of times

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that you called on a student and they didn't know.

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And what I noticed was you did not let that student off the hook.

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You called on another student, but then without exception,

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you came back to that student so they knew, "I may be able to say 'I don't know' for a minute,

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but eventually, I am going to have to know.

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I am accountable for this knowledge or for this concept."