LESSON OBSERVATION RUBRIC

Teacher Candidate: _______________________ Observation No. ________________

Lesson Date: ______________________ Lesson Topic: _________________________

Observed by: _____________________________________________________________

This rubric is intended to be used to provide feedback to the Teacher Candidate (TC) on the planning, implementation, and success of a single
lesson. It is recommended that you take notes while watching the lesson (you can use page 5 for this purpose). After observing the lesson, circle
the statement that best describes what you have observed. Use the “comments” column to explain your selection and provide guidance to the TC
for improvement and growth.

I. Design of Instruction Exceptional Proficient Needs Improvement

(Target) (Acceptable) (Unacceptable)
1. Lesson objectives Lesson objectives are Lesson objectives are performance Lesson objectives are stated but are
performance based, connect to based, connect to NJCCC standards, not performance based, do not
NJCCC standards, and challenge and reflect lesson content. connect to NJCCC standards or are
students to make deep extraneous to the lesson.
conceptual connections.
2. Subject matter Lesson demonstrates deep Lesson demonstrates content Lesson reflects weak or inaccurate
knowledge content and awareness of competency and conceptual content knowledge or lacks
conceptual connections. connections. conceptual connections.

3. Developmentally Content and assessments are Content and assessment are Content and assessments are not
appropriate practice customized for subgroups of generally differentiated. meaningfully differentiated.
students.

II. Implementation Exceptional Proficient Needs Improvement

4. Lesson beginning Is an activity that activates prior Is an activity that activates prior Is an activity that does not activate
knowledge, stirs inquiry, knowledge, generates interest, prior knowledge, does not engage
launches, and connects to launches and connects to lesson. students, or does not connect to
lesson. lesson.

5. Lesson Activities Lesson activities are Lesson activities are developmentally Lesson activities are developmentally
developmentally appropriate, appropriate, generate interest, and inappropriate, uninteresting, are poor
creative, target student needs are sound instructional choices that instructional choices, or do not meet
and interests, conceptually successfully meet learning objectives. learning objectives.
connect to one another, and
successfully meet learning
objectives.

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 LESSON OBSERVATION RUBRIC
Exceptional Proficient Needs Improvement
6. Subject Matter TC demonstrates command of TC demonstrates command of content TC provides incomplete or inaccurate
Knowledge content knowledge and makes knowledge. information.
conceptual connections.
7. Differentiated All students are engaged in the Most students are engaged in learning Many students are not engaged in
instruction learning activities and activities and assessments throughout learning activities and assessments
- prior knowledge assessments throughout the the lesson. throughout the lesson.
- disabilities lesson.
- culture
- English language
proficiency

8. Effectiveness of TC has good command of TC has good command of standard TC has poor command of standard
Communication/Classroo standard English; communicates English, but some lapses are noted; English; TC’s voice is too loud or soft,
m Presence effectively using voice, intonation, TC’s voice, intonation, non-verbal lacks enthusiasm or modulation;
and non-verbal communication to communication and classroom and/or fails to use non-verbal
- Use of standard enhance comprehension. TC has presence is generally appropriate. gestures; lacks appropriate classroom
English appropriate classroom presence. presence.
- Voice
- Intonation
- Non-verbal
communication
- Enthusiasm
9. Materials TC uses materials/ technology/ TC Generally uses TC does not use
space (as appropriate) to support materials/technology/space (as materials/technology/
instruction effectively. appropriate) to support instruction space to support instruction
• Graphic organizers effectively. effectively.
• Handouts
• Technology
• Laboratory
• Use of Space

10. Questioning TC poses higher order questions TC poses some higher order TC poses a series of questions that
that make students think critically questions that make students think are lower on Bloom’s Taxonomy.
and make complex connections. critically.

11. Responsiveness TC listens actively to students’ TC listens to students’ ideas and TC does not listen and/or respond
ideas and contributions and contributions and tries to respond with appropriately to the students.
responds appropriately. interest and flexibility.

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 LESSON OBSERVATION RUBRIC

12. Managing Transitions TC’s transitions make effective TC’s transitions are mostly effective TC’s transitions are absent or
connections between lesson in making connections between underdeveloped.
activities. lesson activities.

13. Pacing Lesson is well paced. Parts of the lesson are well paced. Lesson is not effectively paced.

Exceptional Proficient Needs Improvement

14. Awareness of Student TC is aware of and responds to TC is generally aware of and TC is not aware of and does not
Behavior individual differences in student responds to individual differences in respond to student behaviors.
behaviors. student behaviors.

.
15. Managing TC is consistent in maintaining TC is generally consistent in TC is inconsistent or unable to
instructional time and positive and appropriate maintaining positive and appropriate maintain classroom control.
space. classroom control. classroom control.
16. Closure In the closure activity students The closure activity connects back to There is no closure activity or the
share their thinking to provide the learning objectives and provides activity does not connect to learning
evidence of mastery of learning some evidence of achievement. objectives.
objectives.
17. Assessment TC uses assessment strategies TC generally uses assessment TC does not use assessments to
to evaluate student learning strategies to evaluate student learning effectively gauge student learning in
effectively throughout the lesson. in the lesson. the lesson.

NOTES/NARRATIVE COMMENTS:

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