Angela Hutchinson EDUC 101-21K Introduction to Teaching Karla Henderson Classroom Observation #2

1. The school I attended was clean and well maintained. The hallways were decorated with an Around the World theme, and each classroom branched off of a travel theme. As the students entered the building, they pass through the office, and the staff said good morning to all that entered. The students that approached me in the halls were very respectful, and they all greeted me as I passed by. When the students were walking in lines down the hallways they were quiet, and they behaved exceptionally well. In the classrooms, I observed accelerated reading and math percentages were located on the walls to show how each student progressed in these areas. Each child set their own guidelines that they felt they could achieve during a nine week period. If the student was lagging behind, then the teacher informed the student of the level that they needed to be so they could accomplish their goal in a timely manner. For reading, the students take tests on a computer, and when they are finished they immediately receive a printout of their score. In math, they fill in their answers on a scan-tron paper, and then they send it through a reader to have it graded. After both the reading and math test have been taken each student immediately receives a printout of their score and percentage to date. Each classroom displayed the students work in the classroom and in the hallways. Response to Intervention (RTI) and Acuity are other forms used to evaluate the students. This is done in a computer lab with all of the students. Every student is at a

different level and is tested on their English skills. This also helps to get them ready for ISTEP testing. Each classroom has a daily schedule that they follow, and each student knows what each day entails. The students have a daily agenda book that is checked every morning by the teacher, and they are graded on it. The teachers that I spoke with really enjoyed teaching at this school. They spoke highly of the principal, other teachers, and the custodian. At the time of my visit, the teachers were preparing the students for the ISTEP test. Each day the teachers do a review of what might be on the test. I did not feel that there was a tremendous amount of stress among the students or teachers when it came time to review. Most of them seemed to be very comfortable with the problems they were reviewing. During lunch, the teachers from each grade meet in one of the teachers classroom, and they have lunch together. They talk about upcoming events, curriculums, and any issues that they may have, in the classroom or with a student. There are a couple of events that are coming up such as Girls on the Run and a sixth day overnight camping trip that were the main topics of discussion. The teachers in each grade level work together, and decide what is or is not working in the classrooms. 2. I visited two classrooms during my observation and noticed two different philosophies, essentialism and existentialism. In the fourth grade classroom, I noticed more of an essentialism philosophy. The teacher stuck to the basic material for the textbooks, and students really did not have choices about how things were presented. On the other hand, the sixth grade classroom portrayed more of an existentialism philosophy; these students were given more freedom and worked alone or in groups. In both classrooms, students were required to read for at least ninety minutes per day throughout class time.

3. See attached map. This classroom was adequately arranged for student learning. There was plenty of room, and the students were not distracted by their surroundings. 4. This school has a special education department that students go to for help in certain subjects. In the grades I observed, they switch classes for certain subjects. They separate the students by skill, and then they equally mix them to make classes. They are four teachers for each grade, and two teachers teach one subject, while the other two another subjects. I was informed that this allows the students to help each other and they are not labeled, because they are not separated completely by academic ability. The fourth grade class had a student of Asian descent, but for the most part the classroom diversity was boys and girls. They girls were separated from the boys when walking down the hallway but were mixed in the classroom. 5. Interview Question and Answers: 1. How do you set up your lessons? Answer: I prefer to set mine up yearly that way I know what is going on and do not have to worry about it on a weekly basis. 2. How is the curriculum decided? Answer: The curriculum is set by the state standards and that is what we follow. 3. What do you enjoy the most about teaching? Answer: I enjoy knowing that I can influence a life and my favorite subject to teach is math. I have always had a love for math, and it is more enjoyable now that I can teach it to others. 4. What do you like the least? Answer: What I like the least is trying to figure out how to teach the students that are bored with the class, not because they dont like it, but because they already know the material. 5. How do your students learn best, in a group setting or individually?

Answer: My students seem to work best individually, although, I do have a few that I have to give special attention to. 6. How are the students selected when they switch rooms for math? Answer: They are separated by classrooms. I teach all the math classes for the sixth grade one class at a time. Each teacher has a subject that is taught such as social studies, English, math, and history. 7. How often do you integrate other subjects into each another? Answer: As often as possible, this gives my students a real world experience if I can teach them how it is used in multiple subjects.