Hannah Lunden

EDFN 295
Practicum Reflection
10/31/2020

The observation experience I had at Mickelson Middle School was awesome. Going into
this I was extremely nervous. Especially with middle schools, I didn’t really know what to
expect. But I had the best time observing in Mrs. Jewett’s 6th-grade classroom. I learned a lot
during this short time about the students, classroom management, content, and overall classroom
environment.
During this experience, I learned that I love the middle school age! When I decided on an
education career, I never would’ve guessed I would want to teach middle school, but my
perspective has changed. I can definitely see myself in a 6th grade or maybe 7th or 8th grade
classroom. From this change of mind, I have learned to keep an open mind. I don’t want to limit
myself to any age, grade, or subject.
One thing I saw in the classroom was how what I have learned in my classes at DSU are
used in the classroom environment. Example of this is explicit instruction- using I Do, We Do,
You do. I also saw the use of “I can” statements or stating the objective at the beginning of a
lesson. This had been a constant discussion in my current and previous classes. From these
observation, I was able to learn and see how these strategies are used in an actual classroom
environment. I appreciate being able to use these observations to make connection to the content
I am learning in my classes.
Another thing I learned during this was that these students seem to stay engaged well. I
wasn’t expecting 6th graders to be on task and stay engaged with the lessons as well as they did. I
was presently surprised by this. I think this is so important. I hope that this is something I can
bring into my classroom.
Overall, I had a great experience visiting this classroom. I am so excited for the future
opportunities I will have in the classroom. I learned so much and can’t wait to continue this path.