Use of Class Time

Warm up- Review past material to help with the upcoming lesson.  My cooperating Teacher was sitting in the front of the room observing the students.  This is a good time for the students to recall past material and make sure that they still understand it.  The repeated retrieval also helps the students with the recall of material when it comes to the test.  Most of the students sit and do the warm up everyday.  During this time one student seemed distraught so my CT talked to them and checked to make sure he was doing okay.  5 min.  

Warm up instruction- This was time that we took to reteach some aspects of the warm up.  The TV was not working, it would not display the step by step instructions of how to do the problems.  So instead my CT stood at the board and wrote it all up and explained it.  She called on students so they could tell her the next step.  There was a couple of times that no students were raising their hands so she stood there until a student volunteered with the answer.  3 min.

Learning how to use algebra tiles-  Students got out their chrome books.  During this time we had to keep them on task and help them get to the right place, because they were not paying attention when it was explained the first time.  The teacher was sitting at her computer using the algebra tiles so the students could see what the was doing.  The TV froze up mid way through so she had to draw the algebra times on the board.  13 min.

Practice problems-  The students were allowed to use there algebra tiles to figure out the problems.  My CT went through two problems at a slow pace so that the students were gaining a good understand of the problems.  Students either followed along or worked ahead at their own pace if they had a good understanding of what was happening.  10 min.

Next Problem-  No more chrome books or algebra tiles.  So the students had to write out everything in order to solve for x.  My CT gave them a little time then worked through it on the board with the suggestions of students that she called on. 4 min.

Last Problem-  Students were allowed to work on their own.  Most of them gave the problem an honest effort.  They were allowed to ask for help.  My CT walked around and answered questions.  Then after the students had solved the problem my CT went through it on the board quickly so that they could check their work.  8 min.

I feel as thought the instruction was good.  She used different aspects in the lesson.  We reviewed material that would help in the warm up.  The students were allowed to explore solving for x using the algebra tiles.  That's one thing that I may have wanted to change.  I wish the students would have had more time to explore all of the things that they can do with algebra tiles.  Then after they were able to explore they were able to solve the problems and put skills to work.  After my CT went through the right way to do things and see if the students got the answers they were able to develop closure.