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EDUC 280 - Timecard and Journal Entries

Task 1. Timecard
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Task 2. Journal 1 & 2 Combined Journal Assignment
Task 1. Classroom Management

Question 1 – Do you think your teacher has successfully created a productive learning environment? Why or
why not?
Yes, I do think the teachers I have been observing have successfully created a productive learning environment.
One teacher in particular has been especially successful in creating this learning environment. She has been able
to achieve this several different ways. One very important strategy is consistency. The teacher has consistency
with her expectations, they are clear and organized, and everything the students need to carry out those
expectations is available and ready for them. This allows the students to know what to expect and what is
expected of them. They know exactly what to do when they get to class and they know the teacher is prepared
for them. She is also a proponent of PBIS and has taken the time to establish a program called The Zones of
Regulation and re-visits it regularly. This allows a student to assess where they are emotionally and if they are
not in the ideal zone, they can use different tools to help them get back to baseline and in an ideal “zone” to be
receptive to learning. This helps the student self-regulate and take responsibility for their feelings and emotions
and gives them actions or tools to help themselves.

Question 2 – What techniques does the teacher use to keep students actively involved in academic activities?
One of the teachers I observed teaches resource language arts, so there is a lot of reading. The reading is done
as a group and the students that like to read aloud will take a turn reading or the teacher will read out loud. The
students follow along in a book. For those that do not wish to read, they will just follow along. The class starts
with a review of the previous reading as a group and the teacher is very enthusiastic and does a really good job
of keeping the students engaged. They also have vocab work that they keep in a journal. They go over
challenging vocabulary they will encounter in the text before they read so they are not derailed by them during
read aloud. They use this journal to study and are able to use it for comprehension tests. After read aloud, the
students are given a writing prompt that relates to a situation in the reading, but apply it to their own
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experiences. Most students will do this writing on their Chrome Book, but students also have the option of
writing the story out on paper if they are more comfortable with this method. The teacher provides different
ways for her students to respond to what they have learned and by creating a non-threatening environment she
gets high student participation. By applying the story to their lives, she makes the story relevant and memorable
to the student. Front loading the challenging vocab words allows the students to keep their focus as they are
reading or following along.

Question 3 – How is your teachers “withitness?” In other words, do they have command of the classroom? Do
they have great systems of classroom management in place?
All of the teachers I observed has great withitness. They all did a really effective job of multi-tasking. One teacher
does have a challenging classroom, but is able to handle the “craziness” because they keep their cool and never
seem to get flustered.

Question 4 – What types of “punishments” are used in your classroom?

There is one class in particular where the mood in the room is very inviting and relaxed and I did not witness the
teacher having to send anyone out of the room or to the principal. There is intervention, which is an additional
study time the students have to do if they do not get their work completed. This is in lieu of getting to
participate in a fun activity. It is a natural consequence for the students not completing their work, and this has
been effective. The teacher has a relaxed style, which works, because she does not need to get into a power
struggle with her students. The students seem to feel safe and comfortable in her classroom environment and
there is an impression of mutual respect.

Question 5 – How or where are the rules posted in your classroom? How were they created? By the students
or the teacher?
The rules are clearly posted at the front of the classroom and they were created by the teacher with student
input. I think this is appropriate, because it is ultimately the responsibility of the teacher to decide what is
acceptable in their classroom, but also gives the students some say and gets their buy in. I will say, however, that
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because of the relaxed style of the teacher, the rules are in no way over the top strict, or ridiculous. They mostly
have to do with mutual respect and common sense.

Task 2. Curriculum

Question 1 – Give an example of when the teacher used integrated curriculum across subjects (i.e. combining
science and language arts)
An example of the teacher using integrated curriculum across subjects is when during the group discussion
about the book they were reading, the teacher would ask leading questions about a situation in the book to get
the students discussing it and have the students write about it from their personal experience. These topics
range from social situations, economics, history or government. The teacher would also provide these integrated
opportunities by giving writing prompts from situations in the book and have the students write about it from
their perspective and experiences, working on both language arts and history or social studies.

Question 2 – Give an example of when the teacher used hidden curriculum.

The teacher used hidden curriculum by taking the opportunity to ask leading questions about situations in the
books they read and teach what is acceptable today, and how we might differ in our expectations or social
structures compared to when the book was written, or how we might do things the same and why. She also
taught important life skills by teaching them ways to regulate their behavior at school, which ideally carries over
to home and into being a successful member of society.

Question 3 – Does your teacher use differentiated instruction?

This particular teacher was good at using differentiated instruction and would do it by offering the students
different ways to display their learning. For example, they could type out stories on their Chrome Book or they
could write it out by hand. They can use their journal notes for comprehension tests. The teacher and the
students would take turns reading out loud and those that did not want to could follow along on their own. They
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used the think-pair-share strategy to get students talking and sharing their thoughts. Independent study was
also provided on I-Ready that was customized to their individual skill level.

Question 4 – Can you tell what kind of learner the teacher is from his/her instructional preferences?
From what I can tell the teacher is an auditory and social learner. They like to function in a group setting and is
energized by group discussion and feedback.

Question 5 – Do you think the teacher adapts the curriculum to the types of learners in the classroom?
I know the teacher definitely adapts curriculum to the types of learners in their classroom. All of the students in
this class have IEP’s and their progress has to continually be taken into account and adjustments made when
things are not working.

Question 6 – Does your teacher like the curriculum he/she is teaching?

The teacher does like what they teach. This teacher is an avid reader and can really get behind the importance of
learning to read and having a strong foundation of all forms of language arts.

Question 7 – What would they like to see added in the future?

I did not get specifics to this question, but I would assume that like all teachers they would wish for more time,
resources for the students and collaboration with colleagues to better meet the needs of students.

Task 3. Technology

Question 1 – What kind of technology was used in the class(es) you observed? Was it effective?
In the all classrooms I observed in, with the exception of the P.E. class, Chrome Books were used by all students.
They used them for almost everything. The wide use of Chrome Books is due to COVID-19, however, this was a
positive consequence of everything going digital. It forced us all to become much more effective in our use of
technology. A couple of the teachers also used a smart board to show videos, power points and do group
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research for lessons. I do think that the teachers used these resources effectively. The better the students learn
to use technology, the more versatile they will become in the workforce.

Question 2 – What type of technology might you use when you start your teaching career?
I would definitely like to use some sort of laptop or notebook. These are great because they can be used in so
many different ways. I would also employ the use of a Smartboard, which is so helpful for lessons and doing
interactive worksheets and watching videos, etc. I am planning on going into Special Education, specifically ERR,
so I look forward to using the assistive technology and communication devices that are so helpful in that setting.

Question 3 – Do you think it is harder or easier to incorporate technology into your classroom?
I will say I think it is harder to incorporate technology until it is set up or you have a chance to learn it. Once it is
established and everyone is comfortable with it, it seems easy. Teachers are always short on time so sometimes
incorporating a new method or technology seems hard because of the learning curve.

Task 4. Diversity
Question 1 – How diverse was your class(es) you observed?
The classes I observed were fairly diverse. It was a mixture of white, Hispanic and a little African American, but
the majority was white and Hispanic.

Question 2 – What did your mentor/teacher do (or not do) to create a diverse classroom? 
The teachers that I observed all made efforts to make sure they were inviting to all students and their
classrooms/p.e. class was inviting in every way. I was lucky enough to observe teachers that made a real effort to
get to know their students and build relationships and try to understand them as individuals and their home
life/culture. This goes a long way to help the student feel safe and able to be themselves at school. I never want
a student to feel like they have to change who they are in order to be successful in my class, and I will do
everything I can to support my students and who they are.