1. I am impressed at the level of academic focus and concentration in all the classes I have seen. Whether watching Freshmen collaborate in 9th Grade English, an overview of a challenging Calculus concept, a review of new vocabulary and verb tenses in French, or an experiment in chemistry, I see students who are locked in, working hard and staying on task. What is particularly noteworthy about this focus is that the students are exhibiting it class after class, all day long—some students have as many as five academic courses in any given day. I realize that this generation is often criticized for having short attention spans, but you wouldn’t know it by watching our Upper Schoolers in their classes.
2. Our teachers are supportive, enthusiastic, and innovative. They build rapport and trust with their students, understanding that positive, professional relationships are vital to the success of students in a small school. They are skillful in their use of technology, their engagement with their subject matter, and in eliciting strong effort from their students. Like the students, they are focused and able to shift gears quickly as needed. They are responsive to student questions and concerns and do their best to keep everyone engaged. They are often trying new and innovative forms of instruction or assessment, such as the Salem Watch Trial simulation I saw a few weeks ago.
3. Compared to what I might have observed even ten years ago, student learning is more active and collaborative than ever. Using various configurations of desks and other classroom materials, teachers rarely have students sitting in rows; a circular arrangement of desks or a small grouping of a few desks is much more common. This is not to say that the occasional method of “stand and deliver,” whereby the teacher presents content to the class from the front of the room, does not have its place; however, the percentage of time that students spend in this modality is quite low in 2018. 
4. In virtually every class I visit, I see evidence of all 6 C’s: Critical Thinking, Creativity, Collaboration, Communication, Character and Cultural Competency. These six concepts, which we have designated as being essential to fulfilling Colorado Academy’s mission, are not just words on a poster. They come to life in classrooms all over campus. In some cases, teachers are explicitly teaching to these skills; in other situations, they are implicitly developed through the creative approaches teachers are taking.
5. Public speaking is alive and well! I see a lot of student presentations—both formal and informal—in all fields of study. Students look comfortable in these settings, even though I am sure they are nervous too. Like anything, the more you practice this skilll, the better you get at it. So I am pleased we give students plenty of opportunties to get up on their feet.

My general practice after I observe a full class is to meet with the teacher and review the notes I made during my observation. My notes reflect the fact that I am watching the students as much as the teacher, as a positive school envrionment relies on a symbiotic relatoinship between the two. After seeing so many interesting classes already, I can't wait to learn more!