Marianna Walls

Intro to Populations

Dr. Ellis

April 29, 2017

Intro to Populations Reflection Paper

My observation hours were accomplished at Butler, the elementary school in Quinlan. I

Observed Mrs. Amy McDaniels class of 3rd graders in math and science. During these 16 hours

of observation I felt like I was able to learn a lot about what all a teacher is required to do. Mrs.

McDaniel was kind enough to walk me through what all is required of a teacher and how to do it.

She allowed me to sit through several meetings she had with other teachers, or with a students

parents. She also showed me how to grade and input them in the computer system. Mrs.

McDaniel was very insightful and showed me that there is a lot more to teaching than just

lecturing students.

These 16 hours I felt like gave me a good idea of what to expect when I start my first

teaching job. I knew I would have to teach and grade papers, I just never thought about all the

rest such as inputting grades, dealing with parents, working with other teachers, reporting to your

supervisor, and so forth. I feel like now I completely understand the responsibility a teacher has,

which I feel like will drastically help me not get overwhelmed when I first start teaching. Now I

am mentally prepared and excited.

Another thing I really enjoyed was observing Mrs. McDaniel teach math. This is the

subject that I would prefer to teach in future years. I thought she did a really good job getting the
point across and at the same time making it fun. Mrs. McDaniel had a lot of energy and she kept

the students engaged and involved. I even enjoyed observing her teach.

I feel like these observation hours really opened my eyes to what all a teacher is

required to do. I have gained even more respect for the position of teaching. In my future class

room, I would love to bring in the energy Mrs. McDaniel brought into her classroom, and I will

strive to always be on top of paper work. I know how important it is to keep parents and teachers

informed of any changes or just needed information. I am greatly looking forward to all the

challenges and rewards this career has to offer.