Bianca Cendejas

EDU 203

Jacqueline Sgobba

2 December 2019

Classroom Experience

I was In Ms. Harris classroom at Kay Carl Elementary School. She has been a Special

Education teacher going on 30 plus years, so she knows her stuff. In her classroom, it is a closed

classroom meaning that the kids she works with aren’t in general ed classes. She has a total of 7

students that she along with her second teacher are incharge of all day. These kids are able to

join the rest of the students their grade leave when they do specials such as music, art, tech, and

stem. They are included that way along with recess and lunch they eat with everyone else.

The 7 students she has in her class has a wide range of knowledge and each have their

own needs. I didn’t want to over step and ask her what classifieds these students to be in a closed

classroom. I didn’t think it was my place to ask her but as I would be helping a student she

would tell me not to because they would just take advantage of me helping them when they in

fact know how to do the activity and just wanted the answers or my reassurance. There were

students I was able to help those who needed it more. Mainly with math.

I attended regularly and the kids began to notice when I wasn’t there so when they would

see me they needed to know when I would be back to see them. So I would give them a schedule

and tell them when I would see them but since I was also observing a general ed classroom I

would be on school property more often but not necessarily to be in their classroom. So instead
of asking when I would be in their classroom they would ask when I would be at their school and

when they could see me which would be during recess.

The way Ms. Harris ran her classroom was after lunch is the only part of the day I saw

she would do a reading comprehension sheet with them, let them each read aloud to the class

together than separately. After they read then would answer a few questions and then ask their

own questions just to clarify some things they were unsure about. They would then do some

math and since some of her students excelled in math they each had their own personal math

booklet with problems to fit their own needs and challenge those who could handle it. After they

did math they would leave for specials I normally got there on days they had P.E I would attend

along with her assistant teacher to help the kids listen and pay attention during P.E. They all

worked well with the other students in their grade level there were only two students who needed

assistance and reassurance during P.E but it was just mainly giving them their space from other

students and calming them down when they would get frustrated they couldn’t do a exercises

correctly they also had an occupational therapist assisting them those two students specifically.

After specials they would return back to the classroom they would they have to complete

one of their task assignments in order to have snack time. Again these were specific to each

students needs some were about manners or telling right from wrong. After they completed their

task assignment they would be able to sit at the round table and be offered a snack as a reward

for the day, this also taught them to have manners because they had to ask politely along with

say please and thank you, and clean up after themselves when they were done eating.

Every student was able to have the questions for their test repeated twice along with ask

questions if there was a word they didn’t understand. Some students would have a math times
table in front of them when doing math along with having a numberline. Each student would get

their specific accommodations and modification more towards the beginning of the day not so

much towards the end when I would stop by because it was group work.

Her classroom was well structured and always followed and agenda and everyone knew

the schedule and if there were any changes they kids knew immediately. They were always in the

loop of what was going on which I liked that about.

I had a great experience observing at their school I felt very welcomed and they greeted

me with open arms, which was nice. I can’t wait to have my very own classroom some day and

be as amazing as those teachers.