Devyn DeWitt

EDU 201 Intro to Elementary Education

Olivia Grant

March 08, 2018

Field Observation

Daniel Goldfarb Elementary school is engulfed with memories. Their mission statement

is bold. “With an all-pervading and relentless preoccupation toward student achievement, we,

the administration, the teachers, the parents, and the community are working together to teach

our children to become leaders of the future”. The halls are covered in that idea. There is

artwork, goals, and motivations. This is all from the students that make Goldfarb what it is. This

is the school I attended when I was younger. The school just finished their performance of

jungle book from the night before and the stage was decorated. I told my teacher how small the

stage was in comparison to when I was student. She has a past with the school and that is why

she chose to teach there. She also has her kids going there. This is school full of community

and passion. The teachers were there because they wanted to create a neighborhood of

families.

Goldfarb is a diverse school. The teachers and the students were from every

background. This made a great observation school. This was the school I remembered the most

as a kid. I had the community while interacting with students from different walks of life. The

classroom was diverse as well. The teacher would only separate students if they were

distracting from the lesson.

The classroom I observed was full of 20 wonderful kindergartens. I was able to disturb

and not distract. I felt as if I were a student as well. Learning the basics a second time around
from a different perspective. The classroom was set up as if there were different rooms in one

classroom. There was the main room, the rug room, and the seperate rooms for individual time.

The main room was filled with three different tables. These tables were where the students were

allowed to pick their seat. The teacher assigned seats in the beginning and then allowed them

to choose when the new year began. These tables were set up right by the projection for

convenience. The students did most of their work here. Each table had an assigned basket for

homework and supplies. It was closest to the front door and the teacher’s desk. The rug room

was for an all class interaction. The class would group here after a recess. This would involve a

reading or words. They would then take what they had learn from the rug room and write in their

journals. The classroom was then full of multiple areas to create individual space. The teacher

would often do this for easier assignments so the students could focus on their own paper. This

setup is how I would invision my classroom. The room felt much bigger with a lot of options for

the students and the schedule.

Each day Mrs. Montenegro would start the kids off with a quick and simple puzzle to get

the students mind into learning. They would then head to breakfast. Kindergarten was the only

grade to have breakfast after the start of school for safety. They would then head back to their

classrooms to start learning. This classroom would go to the rug room. The teacher would either

have them read or recite their sight words. After this, they would come up with at least one

sentence with the words that were the most difficult. These students would complete or gather

during centers to work on it with the teacher. They would then have a physical activity to move

and stretch before math. Math involved with interaction to get the kids focusing. She had a great

way to get the kids involved and never looking bored. Math always involved blocks or dice.

White boards helped with mistakes and easy interactions. They would work on most problems

as a class and then finish on their own. The students would get a certain amount of time before
heading to lunch recess. After returning from lunch, they joined at rug room. The teacher would

then discuss about centers with the students. The day ended with art or music. The teacher was

involved with a great bond between the parents and would inform them about their day.

Observing the students was the best part. It was amazing to have that perspective again.

Everything was new and they were ready to absorb. I wanted to see how a quiet versus an

outgoing student interacted in a classroom. This classroom was an even spread of both. The

quiet individual would often finish first and then raise their hand. The outgoing one would often

raise their hand no matter what. They tend to work with others at their table. The quiet ones

would often look towards their teacher while the outgoing one would look towards their peers.

They both were there to learn but in different ways. The outgoing students often had the most

troubles with speaking too much. They would often miss the lesson or copy of their students.

The teacher encouraged talking amongst themselves it as long as it did not interfere with them

understanding the lessons. They needed to interact with one other. The teacher taught with the

students mind first and adjusted accordingly.

Mrs. Montenegro had a style of teaching I would love to take as my own. I was fortunate

to observe this classroom. Her style of teaching was understanding her students. She wanted to

be involved with their lives in order for them to be successful. Clark County does not require

kindergarten but some students arrive not knowing how to hold a pencil. It is her duty to see

where her students are at and having to teach where even is able to understand. She showed

me a messenger for an easy way to keep in touch with parents for the best and sometimes the

worst of times. The classroom felt learner-centered. She was able to feel as she was learning

with them. The students would listen. Some would act out but that is just the balance of being a

teacher.
 This classroom and experience has made my future secure. I felt comfortable and as

one with the classroom. The students were accepting and kept working with their day. I had

interactions with some because of their curiosity with me. The teacher was accepting of me and

that was comforting as well. She put it as this was her home and did not want strangers coming

in and taking notes. I understood what she meant after I saw her teach. These students will go

on with their lives thinking of this teacher. These are the teachers that inspire and are here to

create a bright future.

 Resources

Daniel Goldfarb E.S. (March 01, 2018). ​Mission Statement.

http://www.goldfarbschool.org/