Classroom Observational Study Strategies

PS. 45 is a school in in Staten Island New York, serving 900 students, 61% of the students are economically disadvantaged. This is a diverse school where 5% of students are Asian, 17% Black, 48% Hispanic and 27% White. They have a population of English Language Learners that take up 6% and 23% of the school's population have disabilities. I am observing a 4th grade classroom at P.S. 45. This class is a general education class with 26 students, two of these students are English language learners and two others struggle with focusing. There are also a number of students in the class that need extra support.

I conducted my observations at the HUB, outside where the tables are located. I decided upon this location due to its large size, alongside the fact that it is placed in a spot where most people have to pass by while walking to class. Additionally, I decided to sit outside the HUB rather than inside due to the fact that I would be exposed to more people, sounds, and smells; I would be out in the open rather than a closed setting. Almost every UCR faculty member takes pride in mentioning how diverse the UCR campus is, however, I had not truly recognized how diverse the campus is until I sat down and focused on observing other people. I noticed people of all sizes, skin colors, hair types, speaking a wide array of different languages and eating

Adapted from Reaching rockets (n.d.) to fit the literacy outcomes will be done as a

On September 13th, 2017 I observed Chef Holman at Murray-Calloway County Area Tech Center. I first met principal, Dan Hicks, he showed us the facility and gave us an overview of all programs offered at the school. Before this observation I did not know that culinary was a program offered at an area tech center. During my observation I used the domains of the Danielson Framework for teaching observation. I also learned many new ideas and I plan to apply them to my future classroom.

The teacher asks the students to divide in groups and of 2 or 3 and elicits that each group is a musical orchestra that uses different materials for their instruments, such as vegetables, old office materials, fruit or things they can find in nature. Each group will have to decide on its name, style of music, instruments and activities. What kind of songs they have and some history that they can imagine. After this they will have about 5-6 minutes to prepare and then they will have to introduce themselves to the rest of the class. Afterwards the class will vote which musical band might get in the leading positions of the radio charts.

Before class even began, there I was, making predictions about how this group of students were going to act during class – it was clear from the beginning that they knew how they were to present themselves in that class. As the students came into the classroom, the teacher greeted them all individually, fist bumping some, inquiring about the personal lives of others. It was a very pleasant environment; the students were courteous to their teacher and upon getting to their seats immediately opened up their books to where they left off last class and started setting up their Chromebooks for their reading journals. The teacher then inspired this demeanor in other students by telling students who were trickling in at the last minute to follow the example of their classmates who already had everything out and ready to go. In addition to verbal responses to and reminders of positive behavior, she reinforced this behavior in her students through posters around the room that detail the behavior she and they should expect to see in the classroom.

The purpose of this observation is to analyze the students’ behavior that is reinforced in the classroom based on behavioral learning theories. During this observation, I will record how my teacher responds to various students’ behaviors that are both verbal and non-verbal interactions between my teacher and the students. After the observation I will classify each interaction as either positive or negative.

According to Dictionary.com a classroom is a place where people learn or get experiences, it is also a room in which classes are held. However, I do not believe classrooms are just a place where people learn or get experiences. It can be for so much more; you can hold a party in a classroom, people can just go to a classroom to sit and reflect by themselves. I’ve even been in a classroom where movies where being played all day long. Not everything is used for what its intended, and one thing could have so many propose. I conducted my observation at a college campus. I was in room 205 at the Community College of Aurora Lowery campus. The main reason I choose this destination was because I, myself is a busy College student that do not have too much extra time especially, with this week being a big test week for me. Since I’m always on the CCA Lowery campus.

d.) What was the atmosphere like? Were the students in a routine? If so, describe. If not, describe how one could have been put in place.

The observation hours completed for this education course were extremely beneficial to me. Working in education as a substitute for the past ten years, I never had the option to go in depth with all the planning one really does as a teacher. Previously, I assumed teachers jobs were one of the easiest to come across, due to my friends all getting degrees in education, I thought it was a walk in the park. Little did I know there is so much effort put into even the smallest of class activities? However, that is if you are a good teacher. I am eager to say I was baffled by the styles in which the two classes I observed altered. One of the teachers that I had was absolutely meticulous in the way she ran her classroom. The second teacher I observed was polar opposite, where he had lessons planned, everything else seemed to fall where it may throughout the day. Through both teachers I gathered the different techniques they used to gather their data, how they tracked students’ accommodations’ in the classroom. I was able to compare the classroom management during student transitions from group work to individual work, as well as find strategies used in both classrooms to keep students engaged throughout instruction, reading and group times.

I was really excited to be observing in a Pre K classroom. I want to teach Kindergarten so I hoped that this would be an eye opener into an elementary school classroom setting. Initially going into observation, I was nervous about how the children would respond to me sitting down and writing down some things. I knew that I could treat this as if it was a regular day in my own classroom. The only difference is that I would not be teaching. I was really excited that upon my first visit, the children responded to me well, asking my name and if I was a teacher. The teacher introduced me as teacher which was also really exciting. By the time I had conducted my third visit and observation, the nerves had gone away and I looked forward to going. The children knew my name and often wanted me to sit with them during large group times such as circle time and reading time.

Dr. Howard Knoff(2017) stated, “ Behavior in the common area of the school does impact, as I alluded to earlier, what happens in the classroom relative to classroom management (slide. 11).” It is important to have a plan or behavioral expectations for all areas of the school, in results students will know how to proceed. Although, it is equally more important to enforce those expectations daily. Upon, analyzing Lacey Elementary School, there are some improvements that need to be corrected in order for instruction, lunch, or recces to run smoothly. In the following paragraphs, I have identified the components that require interventions nd the components that are working good.

The fundamental of classroom observation is to evaluate teachers’ instruction performance during classes by using assigned observers and evaluation tools (Gallagher et al, 2011; Learning Point Associates, 2010). In order to observe the teacher performance, core components of teacher effectiveness should be used for designing criteria of rubrics or checklists, such as the quality of demonstrating content knowledge, communicating with students, and classroom management skills (Learning Point Associates, 2010). Although classroom observation has a moderate relationship with student achievement (Kane, Taylor, Tyler, & Wooten, 2011; Gallagher et al, 2011), most of the teachers have a positive attitude toward this method

Motivational activity- The lesson will begin with a motivating activity. The teacher will ask students to share different activities and entertainments they enjoy after school and on the weekends in their free time. This will allow students to share things they enjoy as well as diverse students to talk about things they may do in their culture after school and on weekends. Then the teacher will tell students to imagine the year is 1890. Many forms of technology and entertainment that are available today, do not exist yet. Would the activities the students named be around? What activities and entertainment do you think kids during 1890 be able to do? Students can predict and brainstorm and share ideas. I choose this activity because it makes the material relevant to the students and makes a connection to them. This activity should take about 10 to 12 minutes to complete.

In my action plan, the very first week was an observation week. During observation week, I watched the students, the aids, and how the teacher responded to her students. As I observed throughout the week, I quickly learned what the schedules of both morning and afternoon class, and what it was the teacher was going to work on with them. As I watched the teacher, I noticed that she would divide small groups between low and high learners and work with them that way.