Running Head: OBSERVATION #2 PLANNING

Observation 2

Grace Hoelzel

Raritan Valley Community College

Professor Kimberly Schirner

April 14 2020
PLANNING 2

EDUC-212-01 FOUNDATIONS OF EDUCATION

Observation #2:

Planning

Grade Level and Subject Area:

Pre- kindergarten

Setting:

Private school setting located in Whitehouse Station New Jersey which is considered an
urban area. There is one educator and one helper, with an occasional spanish teacher.
There are 7 girls and 7 boys.

Pre Observation:

Before beginning my observation, I assume that the teacher will be very organized with
her teaching style and the classroom will easily flow. I expect that the students will all
understand and learn correctly from the work that is being done by them. I assume that
the teacher plans her way of teaching among other staff members to provide an efficient
way of teaching all their preschoolers. I expect that the teacher explains her way of
planning work in the classroom as very well explained, so that the students will be able to
clearly understand.

Data:
● Students work based on what subject that need to work more on
● When students do activities on another subject, it means they have accomplished
the last subject
● All students know the kind of work they each need to do/ work on
● Students are not confused with what to do
● There is a chart that lists all of the students work and what is expected of them to
work on
● Each students has their own individual achievements
● It is important to be able to be clear on what is expected of the students and what
they need to work on
● Classroom has an organized routine

Analysis:
PLANNING 3

While observing the teachers' way of teaching the preschool students, I could tell they
had a very organized set up. Each student worked individually to accomplish their own
work plans based on their capabilities. Once completing a subject, they kept track of what
was accomplished and what subject still needed to be worked on. In doing so, that made
it clear to the student on what they had to work on day by day. From this I noticed that
planning is an important part of being in a classroom, because it gives students structure
and organization. It allows for the classroom to follow smoothly, and the teacher to be
able to teach more and manage less, and the students able to learn more. For students to
be able to understand what needs to be done by them, they need a clear understanding in
order to make that happen. By writing lessons and writing down what the students should
work on, it gives “the child a feeling of ownership of this solution” (Green, J. (2013,
October). This is valuable for students to feel like they have ownership of their own
individual work and accomplishments, which can be motivating.
What I observed from the teachers planning style for the students, was that she did not
pile worksheets for them to complete. The classroom was very well taught in the way that
the students learned based on the things they did. Students were able to work on tasks
that were hands-on and could learn by themselves. If a student needed help, the teacher
would go around and explain the activity to them to make sure they understand what they
had to do, and what the learning goal was. This is important because it gives the students
a better chance of learning based on how much they need to engage in what they're doing,
“While I see small amounts of direct instruction as useful, I also know that play-based
learning is essential for young children.” (Mcdonald, P. (2018, March). While observing,
I noticed the kind of work the students were learning were activities that needed to be
fully engaged in, in order to learn.

Recommendation:

What I recommend for the teacher’s planning is that she plans more for the students to
work in groups. What I find concerning is that because each student has their own
individual work, it could be hard for the teacher to concentrate on each student's learning
needs. Although there is a chart to keep track of what the students need to work on and
what they do not, it could still be hard for the teacher to focus on each student's
individual lesson plan. By working in groups, it gives the teacher a chance to see what the
students can accomplish as a group, and working on the same topic, “Being part of a
group allows kids to regulate their emotions and deal with social conflicts in order to deal
with basic subjects such as literature and math concepts (Kane, K. (2016, August 12).
NAEYC.

Post Observation:
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Once completing my observation on a setting in a classroom, I understood more on how

important it is for a teacher to plan in order for the classroom to be a successful learning
environment and for the students to properly learn. Things need to be set up very organized in
order for the students to be able to understand and grasp what they need to learn and what needs
to be accomplished. I also noticed how crucial it is for students not only to work individually, but
learn how to work together because in the long run it could affect them in the future. I have
learned that during this child development age group, that everything you do in the classroom
will affect them whether it is a positive or negative effect.