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I have probably been formally observed 150+ times in my 13 years of teaching. Thinking back on those early observations, I still cringe. The first couple of years, I had absolutely no clue what the observers wanted to see. I was just flailing around in the dark, hoping that something would click. Thank God, I finally figured it out! One activity that has saved me countless hours and countless times during observations over the years is the scavenger hunt.
5 things observers want to see when they walk in.
1.) Observers want to see your students actively engaged in a task. ALL of them. All students should be working on a task.
2.) The less YOU actually do in an observation the better. This is about the student’s working. Sure, you have to model expectations and give directions, but everything else should be on the kids. Bonus: When you start seeing observations this way, they become a lot less intimidating too.
3.) Use group activities with instant feedback when you can. Instant feedback means the students have a way to check their work to know when they are right or wrong. This allows students who get easily frustrated to persevere just a little bit more. It also frees you up to help the groups that truly struggle along the way.
4.) Get students up moving. Tasks like four corners, vocabulary walks, etc. are great to get students up and moving. Station teaching is also a great way to get students up and moving even if it is just in transition. Disclaimer: The first time during the year students should be up walking around SHOULD NOT be during an observation. You need to practice this movement in a similar activity throughout the year or at least the week/month before. Although the more you practice it, the better.
5.) Stick to an observation topic that students have at least 75% mastered. This is not a time to teach a new concept.
So how do I pull this off and how long should it take to prepare for this?
The first observation that I actually felt good about during my teaching career was in my third year teaching. I had spent hours planning out 6 different stations for my students. While I was excited for the feedback I got on my observation, I knew this was not sustainable for every observation or even every day teaching. I knew there had to be an activity that I could implement that would check all the boxes that did not require my whole afternoon the night before to prepare.
My obsession with scavenger hunts!
I started using scavenger hunts during observations several years ago. No, I don’t use these during every observation, but it is a great activity to have in the back of your teacher toolbox when you’re short on time.
What are scavenger hunts?
Scavenger hunts are low-prep, hang around the room, and go activities. I start with a foldable print-out. On one side is the problem and answer to a different problem. On the other side is a category word. For instance, let’s say the category for the scavenger hunt is “Superheroes.” Around the room, I would have words like “Ant-Man,” “Batman,” “Wonder Woman,” etc. I usually stick to around 10 questions for this activity.
Each student receives a student handout with 10 question blanks. At the top of each question is the phrase “_______________ leads to _____________.” I tell each group where they will start. Group 1 may start at “Wonder Woman,” Group 2, “Batman,” etc.
Once they begin, they will solve the problem on the task card they started at. Once they solve the problem, they will have an answer that SHOULD match another answer around the room. For instance, the question for “Wonder Woman” could give them the answer that appears underneath “Batman.” So your students would write “Wonder Woman” leads to “Batman.” Students would then go to “Batman” and solve that problem. When they are done, they will be back to where they started! They should have come full circle, and they should have answered every single question along the way.
Rules and expectations when implementing scavenger hunts:
1.) Students must stick with their groups. Not going to lie, I have turned this into a competition so students aren’t tempted to meander to another group and copy work from them.
2.) Students must show their work on every problem. Every student in a group is equally accountable for showing their work.
3.) Students need to stay focused on the task. You may have to redirect a group once or twice, but any excessive horseplay will result in that person sitting out (on the rare occasion that this happens, I do try to have a worksheet, IXL, or Boom Card activity available that I can get a student quickly started on). 99% of the time just knowing that students will be excluded from the group activity is deterrent enough.
4.) Always model to students what they are going to do, and how they are going to switch from one task to another.
Where can I get your Scavenger Hunts?
As of right now, I have 11 Scavenger Hunts in my TPT store. I also have a freebie available in my freebie library!
6th Grade Growing Bundle – If you want to purchase all 11 Scavenger Hunts.
1.) Freebie – Add, Subtract, Multiply Decimals Scavenger Hunt
2.) Multiply Fractions Scavenger Hunt
3.) Order of Operations with Exponents Scavenger Hunt
4.) One-Step Equations Scavenger Hunt
5.) Distance on a Coordinate Plane & Drawing Polygons Scavenger Hunt
6.) Dividing Mixed Numbers & Fractions by Fractions Scavenger Hunt
7.) Greatest Common Factor & Least Common Multiple Scavenger Hunt
8.) Evaluate Exponents Scavenger Hunt
9.) Divide Fractions by Whole Numbers Scavenger Hunt
10.) Identifying Points in a Coordinate Plane Scavenger Hunt
11.) Dividing Whole Numbers and Decimals Scavenger Hunt
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