Running head: CLASSROOM OBSERVATION SUMMARY

Classroom Observation Summary

Ana Rodriguez
LBS355 #42335
California State University, Dominguez Hills

Running head: CLASSROOM OBSERVATION SUMMARY

Introduction
Ms. Taylor is a seventh grade teacher who teaches language arts. During the classroom
observation, she was preparing her students to writing an essay without using only simple words,
or dead words. Her main goal was for her students to use sophisticated words and to enhance
their English vocabulary. The lesson took place in her classroom, yet did not lecture the whole
time. She first began her lesson with an idiom warm up, allowing her students to use real life
situations so that they can grasp a better understanding of what idioms are. Then, the lesson
proceeded with a game entitled PassWord that encouraged all of her students to actively
participate. The game was the main purpose for the students to think of alternative simple words,
such as replacing nice to considerate. While closely approaching to the end of the period, Ms.
Taylor made her students work on their essays that they had already been working on so that they
can do any substitutions.
Common Core Standards
It is required that all teachers follow the common core standards. Ms. Taylor was
teaching sophisticated words to her students and had them practicing while writing a paper.
According to the Common Core State Standards website, the standard that Ms. Taylor was
teaching W.7.3, that is, write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using
effective technique, relevant descriptive details, and well-structured event sequences (English
Language Arts Standards). The supporting standard that highlighted that lesson was W.7.3.D,
which states that the students were learning to use precise words and phrases, relevant
descriptive details, and sensory language that capture the action and convey experiences and
events (English Language Arts Standards). Before Ms. Taylor taught this standard to her
students, she must have had prior lessons that led to her students to writing the essay. There is a

Running head: CLASSROOM OBSERVATION SUMMARY

possibility that she may have used W.7.3.A, which says that students are to engage and orient
the reader by establishing a context and point of view and introducing a narrator and/or
characters; organize an event sequence that unfolds naturally and logically, (English Language
Arts Standards) because those are important qualities to writing a paper that will grasp the
readers attention.
The main standard tend to maintain the same throughout every year. The only difference
among the grade level is that amount of knowledge it is expected from students. First and third
grade standard are similar to the seventh grade level. First grade anchor standard, W.1.3, states
that first graders are to write narratives in which they recount two or more appropriate
sequenced events, include some details regarding what happened, use temporal words to signal
event order, and provide some sense of closure (English Language Arts Standards). Unlike the
seventh grade supporting standard, the first grade standard does not provide one. First graders are
barely learning how to write and they will not provide a lot of descriptive information. Third
grade on the other hand, do require a little more than first graders. The third grade primary
common core, W.3.3, is very identical to seventh grade. Third graders are to write narratives to
develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, descriptive details, and
clear sequences (English Language Arts Standards). The only thing that changes from seventh
grade is that seventh graders are required to use relevant descriptive details, and well-structured
event sequences (English Language Arts Standards). Third graders are required to be more
descriptive than first graders, but it is a command that seventh graders to be more precise with
their words. Also, like the seventh grade standard, third grade has a supporting standard;
although, they do not fall under the same one. W.7.3.D is W.3.3.C, which details the use of
temporal words and phrases to signal even order. (English Language Arts Standards) At the

Running head: CLASSROOM OBSERVATION SUMMARY

third grade level, the students are to use more than one phrases, to enhance their vocabulary, but
not as what it is expected from a seventh grader.
Strategies and Activities
Ms. Taylor was not only a teacher in the classroom, but a student too. She allowed her
students to take over the classroom while she observed and only intervened to do any
adjustments. Before she began the game, PassWord, she made the students read the instructions
first and then went over them as a class. This method of making the students read instructions
first and then going over them as a whole class is great because it makes it easier for teachers to
only clear and confusions. Along with a student, she modeled the game so that the students can
have a visual of what is being expected from them. Once the students understood the concept of
the game, Ms. Taylor sat down and the students did most of the job. She encouraged all of her
students to participate. As always, there is one or two who are shy and do not enjoy doing
activities that require them to be in front of the class, but Ms. Taylor would have a private
conversation with those students and encouraged them to participate. When those students
actually did what was being asked, the whole class applaud and Ms. Taylor would say good job.
The game of PassWord is a game that helped students think outside the box. Most
students tend to stick with only the basics when it come to school and writing papers, but this
game helped the students to think of alternative words, such as nice. Ms. Taylor wanted her
students to understand that there are more than one way to be descriptive on their paper and even
in their daily lives. Her goal was to enhance her students vocabulary and with this fun and
interesting game, they managed to get the concept. The last and final task that Ms. Taylor had her
students to do was to revise their essay and highlight any simple words. Once the students

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highlighted or circled all of the dead words, she wanted them to replace them with sophisticated
words.
A suggestion that I would do if I played this game in the classroom is that I would pick
out names of the students from a jar or any container. There are always those students who enjoy
being in front of the classroom and like doing everything, and those are isolate themselves from
participating. By picking out names randomly, all students are going to have the equal amount of
participating and playing time.
Additional Sources
There has to be a lot of creativity when it comes to first grade. First graders have a huge
imagination and with a lot of good ideas. In the Utah Education Network website, I found a
lesson plan that could help students strengthen their vocabulary. It is called Interactive Writing
and it creates an environment in class where students listen to one another and respect each other.
Students are required to brainstorm about any topic that the teacher provides them with, and they
would have to create a sentence. Once they have a sentence, they will have to share it to their
classmates and verbally share their story based on what they wrote. Although the first graders
will not be writing a full complete essay, they are sharing what they would put down on paper
verbally (LessonPlans).
Third graders enjoy playing games. On the IXL Learning website, there is a game entitled
Choose the Synonym. This game gives a word and the person who is playing needs to match the
correct word. Now a day, students are more into technology and a lot of technology is being used
in schools too. Since this game is an online game, students are going to enjoy themselves while
being focus. This game will help students think for an additional word to replace the word from
the question. For Example, which word is a synonym of beautiful? Is it ugly or pretty? Answer

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would be pretty. This game can also be transferred into a hands on game. If I were to teach this
game, I would rather want to use flashcards and do it a matching game. I would have more than
one synonym for each word, that way the students can enhance their vocabulary in a
sophisticated way (Practicing Third grade language arts).
Conclusion
There were a couple of things that I learned from observing Ms. Taylors seventh grade
classroom. I really liked how her students are trained to speak when they can speak and listen
when Ms. Taylor is speaking. The way how she had everyone actively participating, whether
they were shy or not was something that I hope I can manage to do in the future. Giving pep talk
to those who isolate themselves is important because that way they can know that there is
someone there who cares for them. Giving positive comments and rewarding students with highfives or knuckle to knuckle builds a better relationship with the teacher and students. The way
how Ms. Taylor implemented the game towards the common core state standards was excellent
because the students were enjoying themselves while still having fun. There are also a lot of
outside sources that contribute to all of the lessons and it is okay to permanently borrow other
teachers ideas because it is important that all teachers work as a team, whether they are local or
not.

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Reference
English Language Arts Standards Writing Grade 1. (2015). Retrieved October 16, 2015, from
http://www.corestandards.org/ELA-Literacy/W/1/
English Language Arts Standards Writing Grade 3. (2015). Retrieved October 16, 2015, from
http://www.corestandards.org/ELA-Literacy/W/3/
English Language Arts Standards Writing Grade 7. (2015). Retrieved October 16, 2015, from
http://www.corestandards.org/ELA-Literacy/W/7/
LessonPlans, U. (2003, August 11). 1st Grade- Act. 24: Interactive Writing. Retrieved October 18,
2015, from http://www.uen.org/Lessonplan/preview.cgi?LPid=5682
Practicing Third grade language arts: 'Choose the synonym' (2015). Retrieved October 17, 2015,
from https://www.ixl.com/ela/grade-3/choose-the-synonym
Taylor, T. (2013). 7th Grade Language Arts Lesson [Class Presentation].