Hoelzel

Grace Hoelzel
Professor Suk
EDUC 230-01V Education Field Experience
Spring Semester 2021
Rationale Statement Standard #3

Standard Three: Learning Environments:

The teacher works with others to create environments that support individual and

collaborative learning, and that encourage positive social interaction, active

engagement in learning, and self motivation (NJ Professional Teaching Standards,

2014, p.4).

Artifact: Observation #2 Planning

Date of Completion: Spring 2020

Course Completed in: EDUC 212 Foundations of Education

This letter is an observation of how the student learning in a Montessori classroom

is planned by the teacher. From my observation, I was able to see how the teacher
established a clear and organized learning environment for her students, and how
successful they were able to come into class and know what is expected of them
everyday. This specifically relates to artifact 3.ii.3, “The teacher knows how to
collaborate with learners to establish and monitor elements of a safe and productive
learning environment including norms, expectations, routines, and organizational
structures” (NJ Professional Teaching Standards, 2014, p.4). This standard explains
 Hoelzel
2

well with what I observed because of how productive students were able to work
because the teacher established a clear routine for students to follow, and it was very
successful. An example of this kind of planning is how the teacher had a chart that lists
all of the students' work and what is expected of them to work on.
What I have learned when completing this observation is how crucial good
planning is in a classroom, because it will affect how students are learning and whether
students are able to learn properly and get the most out of each day. I learned this from
not only observing for this assignment, but it has been proven to me through years as a
student. I was able to identify the various ways in which teachers plan for the
classroom, and the ones who set out rules and expectations that were made clear and
precise to students had classrooms that ran smoothly than ones who didn't.
This observation based on planning is something I found useful as a future
educator because it is essential to learn how to have your classroom functioning
successfully and to have students learn in the most efficient way. That is something that
is a goal for all teachers to be able to have their classroom thrive as much as it can for
students. One of the many ways I could do this is by taking from what I observed,
which would be having what is expected of students and having that written down for
students to look at. Having things written for students to see and look back on gives
them a sense of ownership and motivation to do their work and learn.

Reference

New Jersey Professional Standards for Teachers Alignment with InTASC. (2014, August
4). Retrieved from New Jersey State Department of Education:
https://www.state.nj.us/education/profdev/profstand/ProfStandardsforTeachersAli
gnmentwithInTASC.pdf