My Observation For The Spring Semester

During the months of September and October this semester I spent time at two different schools in four different classrooms. Being able to observe different classes and teachers at Westside Junior High and South Live Oak Elementary was a very new and exciting experience for me since I can’t say I’ve always wanted to be a teacher. My experiences at these schools gave me a better insight into the differences between schools, classrooms, and teachers. The purpose of this field experience was to get 10 observation or tutoring hours in an elementary or junior high setting. I chose to observe a

My curriculum observation is an analysis of a third grade class in a public charter school. Charter schools are known for their strong core curriculum and creative elective courses and teaching methods. I also selected this particular class setting and student group because of the questioning and dialogue commonly used in the learning process at this grade level. I speculated that the in-class interactions would consist of open-ended questions and reflective dialogue. This extends the learning process and allows for better assessment of student comprehension of the material. My goal was to pinpoint teaching strategies and theories being used by the teacher and determine their effectiveness.

At Arts-Based School I did my observation in Leni Fragakis’s third grade class. This was the first observation I had done since learning about instructional design. Since learning it, I now have a new way of observing, I pay more attention to the teacher; how she implemented the lessons, what strategies she uses, and the types of assessments she uses. This gives me a better experience because before I was just paying attention to what the students were doing and their part in the classroom and now I am paying attention to so much more. Even though it is important to watch the kids, I now also know how important it is to observe the teacher, too. I was also able to observe what I am learning in class be used in the classroom.

On February 1st, I visited the Britton Macon Area School. The teacher I observed was Ms. Richardson. She teaches a self-contained classroom for middle and high school grades. I started the observation at 8:00 A.M. until 11:32 A.M.

Michael Carmody entered the classroom for the second day, with a sense of anticipation, rather than with any nervousness as he had the prior day, where he’d first met the students he’d been given the responsibility to guide to GCSE Literature and Success for the remainder of the year. Not that Michael wasn’t qualified, or confident in his ability to teach the subjects – he’d . It was just that teaching in a classroom full-time was to be completely different than on the sports fields, and in the gymnasium, where he usually plied his trade, where rowdiness was to be expected, and even at times encouraged. but since Mr Edwards had gone down with an illness during the half-term break, and wasn’t expected to return to the next full year, Michael had been co-opted conduct his classes.

I was lucky enough to get to observe two of my children through this observation assignment. My three year old daughter who attends preschool at Temple Tots, here in Portsmouth. Also my youngest son, who is in second grade at Portsmouth West Elementary School. I really enjoyed the observations, and not just because my children were there. Reading and trying to imagine what a classroom is really like is more difficult than it would seem. Actually getting to be present during school and feeling the atmosphere created is a completely different experience.

The students each volunteered read their sentences. Olgesby offered feedback to each student indicating success or encouraging them to utilize the skills taught to write a sentence. The students were the placed in pairs to revise sentences that needed to be corrected. During the 15 minutes, Olgesby monitored the students’ progress and assisted them when necessary. Olgesby asked the students to reflect on what they learned in science. Once they completed their reflections, the students left for art class. Olgesby and I spent her planning period discussing her teaching methods, expectations for her students, and community involvement in the SPED program.

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.

After looking at my transcripts though it's quite easy to see why I was placed on academic probation for the Fall semester of 2010 at West Valley College. At that time I was clearly conducting myself in a manner unbefitting of a student. I was placed on academic probation based on the poor performance in my classes. I wish I could tell you the mind state I was in, but it's been over six years. I was just newly experiencing my freedom as an adult, and I took advantage of that to focus on less important things, Such as my social life. I did this at the expense of my education. I have regretted how I handled junior college for a long time. If you look at my transcripts from California State University: East Bay, you can see that I learned from

The fall semester was a great semester for me. Academically I have to seen it in my studies by my semester GPA of 3.73 accomplishing making the Dean's List. Also, I have enjoyed my work in the community by volunteering for a tutorial program at the local church. Over the course of the semester I have gathered over 50 volunteer hours serving my school, and the local community. The worst part of the semester is not finals week but the week after finals. Sitting at home after finals waiting for your professors to put in your grades is the most nerve-wracking, stressful thing about college. Every hour I kept refreshing the grade book hoping for good news as my professor slowly put their grades in one after another I slowly breathe a sigh of relief

Conducting classroom observations are very important to the prospective teacher. Observing helps show how experienced teachers manage their classroom. For this observation it was important to notice how the classroom was arranged, how the teacher interacted with the students, the teacher’s management style, and interview the teacher.

In that class, the student learns about different teaching methods and how to care for children. As part of the curriculum, we volunteered at Long Elementary as teacher aides. Working with 4th grade students and observing an everyday class room was such an awe-inspiring experience. I had a completely new perspective about teachers. I have so much more respect as before. Teachers put so much time and effort into helping children for their benefits. I knew from the first day I helped with Ms. Williams’ 4th grade class, how much a teacher is a positive influence on children. There is an overwhelming feeling when you help a student with a problem and in return they give you the most heart-warming smile. The experience at Long Elementary helped me make my final decision on whether I wanted to teach elementary or secondary school. As much as I enjoyed helping elementary students, in my heart I knew secondary school was the path God had in store for me.

As a child, I spent almost all of my days off school in my mother’s neuroscience research lab at Colorado State University. There was nothing special about it. It was small, tucked away into a dingy corner of an aging building on the outskirts of campus. But I loved that lab - loved the mysterious bottles of chemicals crowded on the shelves, the neat racks of test tubes, and the background hum of complicated machines. I still remember how proud I felt when my mother put a micropipette in my hand and asked me to help finish an experiment. Those experiences with my mother were formative in how I imagined my future. Other kids wanted to be firefighters or astronauts. I saw myself in a white lab coat, making earth-shaking discoveries.

For my off campus lesson observation I was fortunate enough to go visit one of my favorite teachers from high school, Kirsten Galanter. She has been teaching at Evergreen High School for 7 years and teachers family and consumer sciences classes. During high school I took one of her classes every year and she was one of the reasons I decided to pursue a career in education. Through the two classes I observed on Thursday November 30th, I was able to to see how she used different strategies for each of her classes, and then how this effected the students engagement and classroom environment.

My visitation and fieldwork assignment took place at the Summit School in Queens. This school is a private special education school that caters to students with various disabilities. This particular class that I observed was a 7th and 8th grade reading class. I observed this class on December 7th, 8th, 9th and 10th from 12:30 to 1:15. The class I sat in on had seven students, one teacher and one assistant. The class was a nice mix of boys and girls, and all the students got along.