High Point Elementary Observation

My observation for the spring semester was placed at Pine Richland High School. I was able to watch over John Dolphin’s twelfth grade British literature course. John Dolphin has been teaching at Pine Richland for the past eighteen years. I went to observe his class three times. Two out of three of those visits I was able to be at the school all day long to really get the feel of the way it is like to be at the school all day and seeing the difference of his eight classes. Throughout my time there I learned different strategies on how to keep the students involved, the way that a school of this size is ran, and the difference of how John taught compared to my previous observation teacher.

During the Spring Semester of my sophomore year at The College of New Jersey, I was placed at Maurice Hawk Elementary School in West Windsor Plains Burrow for my practicum experience. My practicum partner, Gwen, and I were placed in Mrs. Jones’ 3rd grade classroom. This portfolio is an accumulation of different lessons and activities we observed and participated in, both in Mrs. Jones’ classroom as well as in other classes held at Maurice Hawk. The portfolio is just a snapshot of all we did and learned, but it serves as a reminder of various learning theories and application of teaching practices in a real classroom.

My purpose of the observation this week was to examine classroom management. As soon as I arrived to the room, I got my paper signed and sat down at my usual spot. The round table at the back of the class. Students should work together as a team to make the class better. As soon as the kids walk into class in the mornings, they should know to get out their composition notebooks and do their warm-up that is up on the board. Students should follow the teacher's directions as soon as they come out of her mouth.

During the observation time I was placed in a first grade classroom. Walking into the class I began to look around and smile, there was so much color all over the classroom I could not help but feel happier. The teacher immediately stopped the class and told us what they were doing that morning and had each student introduce themselves to us. They went around and stated their name and then went back to their math workbook. When they were finished with their math worksheets they were then able to pick something to do around the room. That included reading on their own, getting to use the iPad, working on the computer, etc. Some students were together while others chose to work on things independently.

My measurements of success are found in each and every student I teach. One of the most rewarding experiences I have had while student teaching, was watching a child’s face light up at the pivotal moment when they grasp a new concept or master a new skill. In fact, those “aha” moments are my motivators which feed my desire to look for better ways to ensure all students experience those same “aha” moments. As an effective teacher, I am determined and dedicatef to the continual process of researching, implementing, collecting and analyzing data to ensure I am improving upon the curriculum, instructional strategies, and assessment used in my classroom. Learning is a never-ending process. The better skilled I become as a teacher, the better the learning experience I can provide for my students. Therefore, the more I actively research, implement, and reflect, the greater the opportunity for giving my students the education they deserve and hopefully, the inspiration to pursue their own lifelong love of learning.

While being in a classroom and being able to observe without having to worry about my work, I learned how hard the teacher works to help the students. How hard it is to make

Going to Thompson elementary I observed some very close teachings. The first class I was in I was only in there for 15 minutes and they rotated. The second rotation I was there the whole class. My classes were very interactive, using interactive google docs and the teacher giving positive feedback through it. My students were very engaged in the assignment and payed very close attention.

The observation will be conducted in each of the participants’’ classrooms. I will be observing their lessons from the back of the classroom while taking

In the sixth grade math classroom, I was able to observe and be a part of a learning community that encouraged all the kids to take part in their education. On a daily basis, the teacher would encourage the student’s learning by facilitating lessons and activities that were structured towards developing the qualities of respect, communication, and collaboration in the classroom. “In all of this, the goal was to make the classroom environment a learning laboratory, an active workshop for discovery. I wanted to challenge the youngsters to pursue their work, their interests, and their knowledge” (Ayres, 70). She developed the curriculum and this learning environment by choice so that each individual student could have the chance to positively impact the classroom. Due to her valuing all of her student’s voices, she allowed each student to have an impact, and this is what created and continues to create the opportunity for students to have multiple ways to pursue their interests and to

For my classroom observation I had the opportunity of sitting in on a first grade regular education classroom. Listed below are the following that relates to the teacher’s classroom design.

I am approaching the end of my first semester at ECU and it has flown by. As I think back on my observations, both online and in class, I feel as though I have learned quite a bit. I have gain useful knowledge about teaching and how to do an observation protocols. Now that I have acquired some of the skills needed to teach, I just need to make sure I apply it. My teaching journey at ECU is far from over, but I have left the starting line and I am moving forward.

In the resource room for second period where Mrs. T is the teacher and not the aid she lets the students pick which assignment they want to work on so they are ahead for their next class. She will sometimes put on music when they do their work, she walks around to help them and answer any questions as well. I would say it is a student-centered setting. In Mr. Backus science class, it is strictly teacher centered he is not flexible what so ever, He wants things done his way and he will sometimes say it over and over till it’s through every student’s head.

At Meyer Elementary I first started with Mrs. Jessica Martinez’s class, overall I found her class to be well structured, organized and successful at most. But, She did not have her class quite under control, and had difficulty retrieving their attention span, which I found odd with the multiple teacher assistants she had, however I found that her lessons where quite intriguing to the students’ knowledge. One lesson I found extremely stimulating was her “word of the day,” in which the students compared and contrasted that specific vocabulary word throughout the activities in their school day. The second teacher I observed was Mr. Gabe Cortez’s P.E. class for first and second

The current structure of teaching seen in American schools today vary by the type of classroom a student is in. For example, there are teaching styles that shift the focus from the teacher giving the instruction and being the central figure in the classroom. The counter to this example would be the students or groups expressing individual freedom with exploring and learning. In this type of system the teacher would not be the central figure of the classroom, but instead act as a guidance figure. The exposure to different classroom settings can prove to be beneficial in facilitating learning and engagement. Dimensions of Person-Centered Classroom Management defines three types of classroom settings: person-centered classroom, teacher-centered classroom, and student-centered classroom. The first type of classroom setting is a person-centered classroom is defined by “sharing control” and “self-discipline … to determine the appropriate actions needed to grow and develop … without someone monitoring you” (Freiberg, 2009, page 100). The second is a teacher-centered classroom create a different environment and relationship between the teacher and students. In a teacher-centered classroom, “students wait for instruction, rarely taking

Teachers are always seeking for the method or the approach that is most beneficial to meet all of their students’ needs (Which is best…, 2012, p.1). With all the changes that are occurring in the Educational system there seem to be one approach that is on the rise, “transforming classroom environments.” Teachers want their students to become independent learners. Both student-centered and teacher-centered classroom environments can meet teachers’ expectations of producing independent thinkers or learners. But, what is the exact approach that would improve student comprehension and cause students to excel much more academically? More importantly, what type of classroom environment would ninth graders statistically excel in? Students hold the answer to what type of environment they choose to excel in. While teachers are always looking for the right approach to use in the right environment, students are always looking towards the teacher to formulate a clear path to an often engulfing “sea” of material (Bishop, Caston, & King, 2014, p. 55). The purpose of this action research project is to view the perspective of students in the ninth grade in which student-centered environments and teacher-centered environments are analyzed through the use of focus groups,