As I observe I have noticed that there is definitely a variety of levels of engagement from the students in the class. One of the things that impressed me the most was watching Ms. Lapossa engage her students by paying attention to individual needs and not assuming that what will open up one student will work for the entire body. The questioning frequency in the class seems to be very high. I have also learned a great deal about wait time as she is good to pause and allow all of the students to think about her question. There are a handful of kids in the class that are gifted and tend to raise their hands very quickly. She generally waits to call on anyone until everyone has had some time to think about an answer.
Something else that I have noticed and appreciated is the way that the information being taught receives closure at the end of each day. The students spend 5-10 minutes at the end of the day summarizing the things they learned, their favorite activities, how the information is applicable etc. The majority of the students seem to be very engaged when participating in the recap.
Lastly, I saw a great deal of withitness. Teaching requires a tremendous amount of multitasking and awareness. You have so many different needs and at times many things going on. To make sure that each student in engaged in the learning process it is so important to know what is happening at each desk or learning environment. At times you are engaging the entire class, at times smaller groups, and also one on one is necessary. During those times being aware of how engaged each student is makes a difference in how successful each lesson is.
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