Field observation essay

Having to do a field observation in a live class was a great experience. Even

though it was virtual, It was a gratifying experience. I got to see and hear what it was like

to be in an elementary classroom. I felt like I had a gre4at well-experienced te4acher that

made my experience very knowledgeable. I was assigned to MJ. Christensen elementary

school with teacher Tammi Turner and her 3rd-grade class.

The instruction I observed from the teacher was very eye-opening. I always

thought I would teach a kindergarten class as my ideal goal, but being in her 3rd-grade

class, I liked the interaction she had with her students. The students were very eager to

learn history since it was all very new. It was an exciting experience to see a child learn

history for the first time. The students would read the article assigned to them and learn

about a person in history and relay it back to the class. They would ask more questions

to understand better the historical person they just read about, and it was very

refreshing to see the students actively wanting to learn more about a person. I enjoyed

student-teacher interaction when they became more engaged and wanted to know more

than what was offered. Her Classroom was an excellent environment for learning.

The students and teacher seem to have an excellent flow for learning during my

observation. The teacher actively had the students participate in all the lessons that she

taught. She would randomly call on students at different times during various

assignments to ensure all students engage in the lesson. I noticed she would purposely

call on students that seemed distracted to get them on track with the lesson. The

teacher was great at keeping an eye on all the students during the lessons.
 Of course, a few students had trouble focusing during the long-time frames when

it was just reading, but I think it was more distance learning and home distractions that

played a big part. Some Students I noticed were even in-car going to different places

while in class, and some had the added distraction of having younger siblings in the room

in the background watching tv and playing while in class. There is so much a teacher can

do when the students are not in the class. When I was able to talk to the teacher one-

on-one, I know they reach out to parents when these incidents arise, and at that point,

that is all the teacher can do to help the student during virtual learning. And now, Having

to sit in this virtual class, I noticed how hard virtual learning could be for teachers and

their students.

I have tremendous respect for teachers now more than ever from this

experience. I had a fantastic experience doing this field observation, and it made me

more determined to become a teacher. I know the road will not be easy, and I have a lot

to learn. Education is constantly changing, but I am up for the challenge. After watching

this class for 10 hours, I am more interested in teaching an older age group. I feel like

they have a better grasp on learning, and it would be fun and exciting to teach them.