The document provides observation notes and feedback on a lesson taught by student teacher Jeremy Tang on Romeo and Juliet. It summarizes the lesson activities, which included recapping the previous lesson, discussing ideas about marriage, analyzing a video clip of a scene, answering comprehension questions, and doing a roleplay activity to modernize the scene's dialogue. The observer notes strengths in Jeremy's planning, resources, and behavior management, and provides targets around allowing more time for activities, focusing on developing independent reading strategies, and incorporating more self and peer assessment. The overall judgment is that Jeremy is making the required progress at this stage of his teaching certification.

1. SECONDARY: School Experience Observation Standards Sheet
Academic Year: 2015 2016
Student Teacher Name: Jeremy Tang Date: 29th
February
School: Queens’ School, Bushey Visit: AP2
Professional Standards, Targets & Directed Activities. Please: comment on each of the Standards headings at each
observation, taking into account the practice observed, documentation, and discussions with the student teacher and
relevant school staff; check and comment on progress towards meeting previous targets and set new ones; check and
comment on Directed Activities.
1.Set high expectations which inspire, motivate and
challenge pupils
I am asking students to modernise Shakespeare which
is challenging, getting them to compare Shakespeare’s
world with ours, and looking closely at the language.
2. Promote good progress and outcomes by pupils
I am promoting “discovery learning” by asking
students to identify quotes and interpret meaning.
FG: I agree, but I would like to see more modelling of
reading strategies for Shakespeare, e.g. once they have
found the quote, how do they work out the meaning of
the words?
3. Demonstrate good subject knowledge and
curriculum knowledge.
Showed good knowledge of Shakespeare’s play here,
using appropriate BBC clip of the relevant scene; this
was a play which ties in with KS3 National Curriculum.
4. Plan and teach well structured lessons
All the activities had a purpose and built upon each
other; it was very well planned, with the PowerPoint,
video clips, worksheets and exercises all built in to the
lesson with real skill. Possibly, as Lisa points out, there
could have been more time for the written tasks, and
the performance for the following lesson, with written
tasks finished for homework.
5. Adapt teaching to respond to the strengths and
needs of all pupils.
The difficult material was well-scaffolded, e.g. there
were “cheat sheets” if they were struggling. I was a
little uncertain about giving your own example so early
on. Why not wait until they have had a go, and if they
are struggling, then show them what you had done?
Please be clearer about WHAT you want the students
to do; is it a straight “translation” where they have to
be accurate, or is it something that they can give the
“gist” of? Or could some students do a literal
translation, and other could provide an improvisation?
Then feedback etc.
6. Make accurate and productive use of assessment.
Plenty of chances for AfL. E.g. lots of feedback
sessions, where students could comment on other
students’ work. Most particularly when they performed
their plays.
I thought that they could peer marked the questions,
swapped books. There did not seem to be any peer
assessment in the books.
7. Manage behaviour effectively to ensure a good and
safe learning environment.
Behaviour was amazing! No misbehaviour whatsoever.
A great class who are very self-motivated.
8. Fulfil wider professional responsibilities
Mentoring a Year 12 student.
Doing some rugby sessions.
Orwell workshop on Friday which Jeremy is helping
Huw with.

2. SECONDARY: Lesson Observation Commentary
Stage: AP2
Trainee Name …Jeremy Tang….. School…Queens’ School Bushey…
Class……Year 8NE (Mixed ability) English No: in class…28………. Lesson Theme: Romeo
and Juliet
Observer (s)………Francis Gilbert…………………….
Narrative of Lesson Observed
Students enter in dribs and drabs because they are coming in from another site, across the road, the “north
side”. All English lesson are situated on the “south side”. Students sit down and read. They enter in a quiet,
purposeful way.
Jeremy introduces the class, Act One, Scene Two.
Jeremy recaps what happened the previous lesson, and when asks the question on the PowerPoint: “What
is your idea of marriage?” Studentsdiscuss in pairs. Jeremy takes feedback.One pupil says: “When you love
someone and want to devote your life to them”; “When you are not forced to do anything you don’t want
to”; another pupil discusses arranged marriage; Jeremy says “arranged marriages” are quite good and asks
students to disagree with him. This is good, inviting counter-arguments.
The feedback is dealt with in an efficient, clear fashion.
Completed Parents’ Evening.
Been assigned a form group.
Strengths
Excellent planning and resources.
Very good behaviour management.
AfL has really improved; lots of questioning; plenary
used to get the students to think about their own
thoughts and feelings as well as addressing learning
objective.
Targets (up to 3)
Please use continuation sheet if necessary.
1. More writing time; more time for students generally
to reflect upon what they are doing.
2. Please focus upon learning strategies more to
develop independent learning. E.g. how do you read
this passage for understanding? What strategies do
you need to work out what is going on in
Shakespeare?
3. Continue developing AfL so that there is more
reflection upon what they know and don’t know.
Judgement For this stage of the PGCE you are:
making the required progress □ YES not making the required progress □
Judgement is made in relation to performance at this point in the PGCE. This must be filled in.
Signed _____Francis Gilbert___ Mentor / University based tutor
Signed_______Jeremy Tang__ Student

3. Jeremy puts definitions of marriage on the board: “legally and formally recognised union of a man and a
woman (or people of the same sex) as partners in a relationship”.
Jeremy asks the key question: “What do you think marriage was like in Shakespeare’s time?”
A student points out that some families want to marry in order to build powerful alliances. One student
mentions that it was a “misogynistic” society. Jeremy notices a good point from a student and put “Sam
+1” on board.
New slide:The beginswith Capulettalkingto Paris who wouldliketo marry Juliet; whilewatchingthis scene
underline things in your book that answers the following questions:
1. What reasons does Capulet give for Paris NOT marrying Juliet yet?
2. What does Capulet warn and instruct Paris of?
3. Think about the body language between Paris and Capulet.
Jeremy uses an old BBC clip of the scene. Very good cueing!
New slide: talk to your neighbours about your answers. Jeremy gives the students one minute.
I think Jeremy could have modelled how to work how the meaning of the lines in a clearer fashion;
more work is needed to be done on the “strategies” for reading Shakespeare.
Jeremy hands out worksheets with seven questions on them: 1. What is Paris asking LordCapulet in his first
words? 2. How old is Juliet? 3. How long does Capulet think Paris should wait until he marries Juliet? 4.
What happened to Juliet’s siblings? 5. Find one quote that shows that Lord Capulet is a protective parent.
6. Re-read Lord Capulet’s lines 16-19: “But woo her gentle Paris’ to…’fair according voice’. How much does
Juliet appeartohavea say in who she marries? 7. WhatadvicedoesCapuletgiveto Paris in his final speech?
These questions are mostly about “understanding”, but using Bloom you might want to have some
analytical/evaluativequestionstowardstheend, e.g. how does Shakespearecreatesuspense/conflictinthis
scene?
Jeremy circulates around the classroom, helping students.
After 5-10 minutes, Jeremy takes feedback, but again he needs to model the reading strategies needed to
work out what the words mean I think. It’s good that he says: “What quote tells us that?” but the further
questionwouldbe “howcan wework this out fromthis quoteetc.?” Students couldpeerassess each other’s
answers?
New slide: Modernise it!
“Using your annotationsand whatyou know, you makea short script(atleast8 turns) using modern speech
to show what Lord Capulet wants before Paris can marry Juliet.
Think about your body language and where you stand in front of each other.
It has to include WHY Lord Capulet does not want Juliet to marry Paris yet – use your question sheet as a
checklist.”
Jeremy shows an example. Did he need to do this? Wouldn’t it pre-empt what the students might do? I felt
that the exampleJ.showed was inaccurate(not only with the age) but when Paris says: “I understand, won’t
your wife be happy?” I didn’t find this in the text. The key line from Paris is: “Younger than she are happy
mothers made”, i.e. there are younger girls than Juliet who are made into happy mothers. I suppose it
wasn’t that clear what the “parameters” of the task were; could students be more creative or did they have
to give a literal translation?

4. Jeremy stops the class: “If you are struggling, there are ‘cheat sheets’ to help you…” Most students get up
to have a look.
Students go back to their seats and work on their scripts.
Jeremy asks to see if there are any volunteers, no one volunteers. Instead he picks two students who give
a creditable performance. Jeremy asks for positive feedback…Students could have written down their
evaluation. Jeremy asks for two other pairs to show their work.
I looked at the books; there was no peer assessment in them that I saw, which surely would be important
if teachers are not marking the books?
Jeremy takes feedback on another pair who perform. Jeremy gives out “sticky notes”: “how would you feel
if your marriage decidedby your parents?” This is a good question to prepare students for the next scene.
Jeremy asks students to put their three adjectives up on the board.
Jeremy sums up the lesson and says “Well done!” Asks for the books to be passed to the front.
LISA’S OVERALL THOUGHTS: Excellent planning; by the end of the lesson, the students really understood
the text in much more detail. More time needed to be given towards the completion of the written task.
She has given a complete set of notes on the lesson to Jeremy.
Observer’s Signature:………Francis Gilbert … and Lisa Hirst
Date:…29th
February 2016
Trainee’s Signature:…………Jeremy Tang…… Date:…29th
February