Alternative Observation Reflection

Your Name: Mikala Miles

CSN Course: EDU 203

Assignment: Field Observation and Reflection- Artifact #2

Professor: Constantina Pappas M.Ed., BCBA

Part 1

Video Selected: SPE 551 Observation 2- Co-Teaching

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WoBUb4ZpgyI

1: Is instruction delivered in small groups, centers, whole groups, individually?

The instruction is being delivered in a whole group setting on the carpet, as well as small

groups at the tables, and then back to the whole group on the carpet.

2: Describe the teacher's teaching style.

The teachers are teaching in a cooperative style with both teachers having specific roles they

play. While one was focused on behavior management the other was focused on instruction.

3: How does the teacher incorporate the sensory modalities (learning styles)? Give examples.

The teacher uses visual aids in the form of pictures. Also Auditory in the whole group by

showing the students how the assignment is to be done. Then the teacher uses Kinesthetic

learning by having the students build the sentence in their small group incorporating hands-on

aids. Lastly, the teacher has the students write the sentences down on paper, having the students

engage in reflective thinking.

4: Do the students seem engaged in the lesson(s) presented? Please explain.

Yes, the students seemed engaged, they were responding to the teacher and all seemed to be

focused. Any student who is not on task was addressed with the help of the other teacher in the

room, who quietly corrected the child without the student feeling singled out.

5: Are there any students isolated or not present/participating in the class? Explain?

Most students are present in their learning and are attending to the task. If a student appears to

be off-task the second teacher is there quickly to correct and assist the child to get them back on
track. There is one student who can be viewed from time to time sitting in the back on an Ipad

with the aide.

6. Did you see any accommodations or modifications made to the lesson for the student? If so,

what were they?

To help the students with gluing easier there were containers with glue sponges on the table to

make gluing easier. The students also worked in smaller groups to help with fewer distractions.

7: How does the teacher handle transitions from subject to subject or activity to activity? Are the

transitions efficient?

The teacher sends the students from the whole group to the tables one group at a time.

Limiting the level of distractions. Then as the students complete their work they are sent back to

the carpet to sit quietly. While one teacher helps the remaining students the other teacher is on

the carpet keeping the students engaged and limiting the level of noise in the room.

8: List ways the teacher uses “attention-getting” commands, word phrases, signals, etc. Are they

effective?

There were no noticeable “attention-getting” commands. The second teacher was there to

assist with keeping the students engaged. This style of cooperative teaching proved very

effective because students were able to focus on the lesson and not the students around them.

9: What specific behavior issues does the teacher have to deal with? How does the teacher handle

the behavior issues? Be specific.

The teacher has to deal with students shouting out as well as talking and moving around. The

teacher speaks to the students quietly to get them to listen as well as reminds them consistently

of her expectations to do things quietly and calmly.

10: What positive reinforcements were used if any?

 There were no positive reinforcements used aside from verbal praises.

11: Are there any policies or procedures that help or hinder instructional time? Please explain

them and how they help or hinder instructional time.

The benefit of having a second teacher in the room is that if a disruption may occur one

teacher is there to assist with the issue while the other teacher is there to keep the rest of the class

on task.

12. What could the teacher have done better to assist the student(s) with learning the material?

I think the teacher did a very good job of assisting the students with the learning material. The

teacher modeled how it should be done helped the students in their small group and then aided

the students with reading their work out loud to the class.
Part 2

Video Selected: Correction of Reading Disabilities- Formal Observation

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ilcUAYRJXw

1: What drove you to choose this student?

The thing that drove me to choose the student in the white shirt was how animated the student

was. He stood out to me.

2: Explain what the student did during the observation.

The student was working on a Reading lesson.

3: Summarize the lesson given and the student’s responses to the lesson.

The lesson was on reading. The teacher discussed vocabulary, read a story, and reviewed the

story they had just read. They also had gone over the sequence of the story. Then the teacher had

the students stretch and then the students played a game to practice their vowel sounds. Then the

teacher had the students work on sequencing again. The student responded very well to the

lesson. The topic was baseball and the student seemed very interested in it though being off-task

now and then.

4: Make sure to document ALL behavior in relation to what was being presented by the

classroom teacher.

The student made periodic noises. The student had trouble staying still. The student started

playing swords with the other student causing both students to be off task. Even when raising a

hand the student still would speak out of turn. The student rocked back and forth in the chair.

Towards the end of the lesson, the student became very distracted and had trouble staying on

task.
5: Please describe what you discovered about the student’s learning styles, involvement in class,

and his/her educational needs. The student was very hands-on towards learning he learned not

only by watching the lesson being modeled but also by doing it himself.

6: What positive reinforcements were used successfully? What behavioral consequences were

used?

The two kids were inside working on their reading while kids who had made healthy choices

were outside playing. The teacher needed to redirect the student a few times. Once the student

was back on task the teacher showed through body language that the student was doing a good

job. After the students had stayed on task the teacher had them stand up to get their bodies

moving.
Part 3

I’ve been around teachers and in a classroom setting for most of my life. I’ve been in

classrooms not only as a student but as a classroom volunteer, a silent observer, and as an SPTA.

I thought I had learned all there was to know. But, then I went through all the videos for this

assignment and have learned so much more. I think that's the best part about becoming a teacher.

You never stop learning and these videos have taught me so much.

The Teaching Kids With Autism video showed me what a preschool autism classroom looks

like. The video gave not only the teacher's perspective but also the parents, and a behavioral

specialist’s perspectives as well. The video shed a light on the role of early intervention and how

it can influence not only the academic aspect of a child's life but the social interactions as well.

The Autism Program at Fruitville Elementary School video taught me to look at what one

individual child needs. It also shows how to help a child succeed at every level. I am familiar

with PECS (Picture Exchange Communication System) but I’ve never seen it used on an early

level like shown in the video. The speech-language pathologist was using a clear plastic square

to help the non-verbal child learn how to pass the PECS cards. I found this video to be very

insightful as to how much of a difference communication really can make, as well as issues with

the lack of communication and the awareness students may have with communication. From the

Understanding Autism: A Guide for Secondary School Teachers (Part 1) video I learned that

autism presents itself differently in individual learners. As well as how Interpersonal Skills

Developmental Courses benefit a student with autism on a secondary school level to better

understand social interactions and social cues. The Miss Reid Teaching Reading (Special

Education Classroom) video helped me to view what a lesson may look like as a typical day for
students on a secondary school level in a non-verbal and semi-verbal classroom. From this video,

I was able to see how a teacher may handle a facilitator type of lesson and how the teacher and

other aides in the room handle behaviors. The next video Small Group Rotations with

Moderate/Severe Special Education Students provided me with different strategies and tips on

how to run a small group rotation in a classroom setting. It also showed how visual schedules

and visual sequencing in a form of first-then would be beneficial to students who struggle with

transitions. Another thing that I noticed from this video and the Autism Program at Fruitville

Elementary School video is the benefits of a sensory room/area and how beneficial breaks can

be. The A Day in a Special Education Room video modeled what a day of everyday tasks for

teachers and students in a high school life skills classroom may look like. The beginning of the

video brings up the benefits of sensory time. It shows the students in a pool in the morning to

help get the students in the right headspace to be in class for the rest of the day as well as taking

breaks to move around and get some energy out. This video also showed what positive effects

having a peer-to-peer program involving general education students is for students in a special

education program. The next video Correction of Reading Disabilities- Formal Observation

helped me to observe what a small group may look like and also helped me to notice what

behaviors to look for. The last video was SPE 551 Observation 2 which showed me what a

collaborative lesson looks like. In this video, one teacher is teaching and the other is assisting.

This video was very helpful.

These videos were all so insightful and helped me a lot to better understand working with

students with special needs. It also provided me with specific ideas to use in a classroom setting

when the time comes. Ideas like the importance of breaks and sensory time, engaging students in

little ways, as well as discreetly handling behavior so the student doesn’t feel singled out are all
valuable. I’m so grateful to have had these videos to watch and learn from and can’t wait to take

the skills I’ve learned and bring them into a classroom setting.