November 14, 1995

Bala,

         It was nice to catch the end of your grade 10 physics class this morning. I'll try to point out some of the things I observed while I was there.

         When I entered the room you were in the midst of a discussion about radiation and its various wave forms. I noticed that the questions asked by the students were intelligent, extending questions which shows that they have had good grounding in the basic concepts and that the timing of the presentation of this particular lesson was appropriate. I also noticed that you took the time to respond thoroughly to each question in a way that enhanced the lesson and strengthened its concepts.

         When you asked questions of students, you did not take hands up or wait for call-outs. Instead you distributed your questions around the class, keeping students on their toes in case they are the one asked next. No student can opt out of a lesson if he believes he may be held accountable for a question on the material covered.

         Your specific examples of the types of test questions the students will be getting on their exams helps the students in two ways. First, by knowing the nature of the questions, they know exactly what to practice. Second, anxiety is reduced so that students feel comfortable about their studying. Reduced anxiety leads to more efficient study time.

   Thanks for having me in your classroom.

                                                                                        Sig

cc: Ann

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To:  Bala

Re Class Visit on 17/09/97

Class observed: 12 HL Phys

Nice atmosphere in the class.  Your use of humour and the friendly but on-task banter between you and the students gives the class a mature feeling.

I also liked the way you monitored the students seatwork to be sure they were ready before you moved on with your lesson.