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Field Observations

Kyle Williams

College of Southern Nevada

EDU 201: Intro to Elementary Education

Susan Bridges

12/12/21
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Kyle Williams

Observation Video #1

The Sensory Room: Helping Students With Autism Focus and Learn

https://www.edutopia.org/video/sensory-room-helping-students-autism-focus-and-learn

In this video I learned about a school in Connecticut that has a sensory room. A

sensory room allows children with autism to get all their emotions out and calm

themselves. After using the sensory room they are better able to focus. As autism is

present over a very broad spectrum each child has different needs and areas where

they require extra help. This often requires them to take different sensory breaks

throughout the day. The students within the school’s S.T.A.R.S. (Students and Teachers

Achieving Remarkable Success) program utilize the room once a day for 30 minutes as

well as for physical therapy and general students are also able to use the room as

needed. The teachers use a variety of different methods including music, breathing

techniques and even yoga to calm the students. The room contains a variety of stations

such as, a punching bag, ropes, a swing, a crash pad, a light wall and a walking path.

These rotations are done in a set sequence to give a sense of routine. After visiting the

room the students are more ready to learn and are more focused in class.

I think that this is an excellent way for students to get rid of excess energy with a

set routine that is both fun and tailored to a student’s individual needs. I had not seen

anything set up like the sensory room set up in schools before. As long as the room is

set up in a safe and well thought out way I believe this is a great option for students with

IEPs and other special needs. If a school does not have an extra room to spare, it

could also be set up, in some version, outside.

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Questions:

#1 Explain the ways that the sensory room was made to feel different than a regular

classroom.

#2 Compare the ways that a sensory room could help not only autistic students but

the general student body as well.

#3 Compose an argument that you would give to a school board to gain funding to

implement a sensory room in your school.

Kyle Williams

Observation Video #2

Fall-Hamilton Elementary: Transitioning to Trauma-Informed Practices to Support

Learning

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

This video was very eye opening to me. I had no idea that so many students

have had an adverse childhood experience, 60% in Nashville, where this school is

located. The staff at Fall-Hamilton learn the stories of their students and are proactive

in making sure that their needs are being met. They do this by making sure that their

students are safe, nurtured and supported. The school has a full-time trauma informed

practitioner. The school uses The Leader in Me curriculum that teaches leadership and

life skills through seven habits. All students receive a regular class in leadership and

they participate in student led clubs. The school has even changed the lighting, and

uses incense diffusers to make the students feel calm and welcome. This approach has
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allowed this school to outperform its peer schools in ELA. It has also led to a decrease

in student behavior referrals. Almost all of the students feel that there is an adult at

school that cares about them.

I found this school’s approach to be very refreshing. They really are nurturing a

positive school culture where everyone is empowered to be successful. Having never

taught before and my only experience with school have been with my children’s and my

own. It is easy for me, personally, to forget what struggles other students and staff are

going through. I think this school is doing an excellent job and should really be a model

for other at risk schools.

Questions:

#1 What are the seven habits that this school teaches and how do they help the

students deal with the trauma in their lives?

#2 How does the check in/check out system work and why has it been successful?

#3 How can the approach this school uses be applied to schools that you are

familiar with? (Either as a parent, staff or teacher.) Do you feel that there is a need for

it at the school you are familiar with?

Kyle Williams

Observation Video #3

A Student-Centered Model of Blended Learning

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zrR-KIoggf4&t=5s
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The video that I watched is about Eastern High School in Washington D.C. This

is a low income school where the students have a wide variety of learning levels and

many have faced trauma in their lives. Teachers there have found that their traditional

models of teaching are not very effective with these students. Teachers have done

away with their normal lecture at the beginning of class. Teachers have implemented a

student-centered model made up of three components: blended instruction, self-paced

structure and mastery based grading. This method does create a chaotic classroom

setting, with each student working on different aspects of a lesson at different times.

Students start by watching a video, created by their teacher. They then move on to

working on lesson assignments, usually as a collaboration with other students. Lastly

they have to demonstrate a mastery of the topic to move on to the next topic. This

method allows students to work at their own pace and students that are more advanced

are able to help those who are behind. Since the teacher is not doing a lecture they are

more free to work directly with the students. The use of videos allow students who are

often absent to watch the lessons on their own time.

I thought that this method was very effective. I feel that it would be beneficial in

any school. It allows the teacher more freedom and time to work with students one on

one. It also allows students to show leadership by having the more advanced students

to help with those that are having trouble on a topic. The flexibility that it gives students

to watch and rewatch the instructions is also helpful, not only for those who are absent

but for those who may need additional instruction.

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Questions:

#1 How does the unique structural model work and how has it been successful with

the students?

#2 How can the attendance rate of a school affect the method of teaching and why

was the student-centered model more effective with this school’s attendance rate?

#3 Do you believe that this model could be effective in a more traditional school,

even if it does not have the issues that the school featured in the video?

Kyle Williams

Observation Video #4

The Power of Relationships in Schools

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kzvm1m8zq5g&t=2s

This video emphasises that strong relationships between teachers and students

are crucial for the learning process to be successful. These relationships must be built

over a long period of time. These relationships help students to be willing to take risks

which helps students to learn. On a scientific level, when children feel trust and

closeness, oxytocin is released in the brain which is very beneficial for the brain. The

teachers in this video built that trust in a variety of different ways. Teachers have to

build trust with their students, they must be honest and transparent and they must be

willing to be vulnerable and authentic with their students.

This video reinforces the earlier videos I watched (#2,#3). Students get the most

out of school when their teachers really care about them, when they get to know them

and when they put their students first. I feel that the most important role of a teacher is
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to be a positive influence in their student’s life. For all students, their teacher is

someone who they will be spending a great deal of time with and for some students this

may be the only positive interaction they have with an adult.

Questions:

#1 What are some of the ways that the teachers in this video showed vulnerability in

order to build trust with their students?

#2 In what ways can you personally build relationships with your students?

#3 In which ways did the teachers in this video build trust with their students?

Kyle Williams

Observation Video #5

Making Sure Each Child Is Known

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xjZx0VdmgkE&t=1s

This video is about Cold Springs Middle School in Reno, Nevada. The focus of

this video is that every child should have at least one adult at their school know them by

name. At the beginning of the year the teachers use a teacher-student-connection

poster to measure their knowledge of each child. This is basically a quiz for the

teachers to make sure they know the “name and face,” their academic status and a

personal story of each student. If the teachers can not identify these markers then the

student most likely is not feeling valued by their teacher. Based on the results the

teachers develop an action plan to connect with their students. The more valued the

students feel the better they will do academically.

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This seems to be a recurring theme throughout the different videos that I have

viewed. Students have to feel valued and seen to be successful in school. It was

interesting to see in this video, versus some of the others, that this was a more high end

school but the formula is the same. When students know their teachers care about

them they are more eager to learn. I think it is very important that every teacher

remembers that kids are all coming from different personal experiences and home lives.

You, as a teacher, might be the only positive person that a student has in their lives.

Questions:

#1 What strategies did the teachers come up with to connect with their students?

Are there strategies that you would add?

#2 How did the teachers quantify their knowledge of each student? Are there other

categories you would add?

#3 Is there another way you can devise, rather than the teacher-student-connection

poster, to determine the level of connection that students have with their teachers?

Kyle Williams

Observation Video #6

Inviting Participation With Thumbs-Up Responses

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=37CTCDTesWA&t=6s

This video is about King Middle School in Portland Maine where the instructor

developed a method for her students where they do not raise their hands to answer

questions. She has done this to encourage participation from a larger number of
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students. Rather than just the fastest that would normally raise their hand. She

believes that the traditional method of raising your hand discourages other students

from thinking about the problem once they see that someone has raised their hand.

She finds that by using a thumbs-up approach she is able to create a sense of

belonging for the entire class. The students feel that it is a more open environment for

learning. She believes that this strategy and routine allow all students an entry point to

contribute to the class. Students that are contributing and interacting with the class are

more vested in the subject matter. This method allows more students to be involved in

the overall discussion of the classroom rather than just having a few people answering

the questions.

I found this method very interesting, it is very simple but it seems to allow for

more involvement among the students. Last year when I was observing my daughter’s

classes online it was easy to see that often it is only a few people answering the

questions. I am sure that it is discouraging to the other students and allows some of

them to check-out of the overall discussion. I also know that in my daughter’s class

they use hand signals for other purposes: one finger means I need help, two fingers

means I need to go to the bathroom, and three fingers means I need water. This allows

the teacher to know what they need without them disrupting the overall class. It is very

interesting that such a simple change can affect the class in a positive way.

Questions:

#1 In what ways did the thumbs-up approach encourage classroom participation?

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#2 Can you think of other ways to incorporate hand gestures into the classroom and

what would be the benefits of these?

#3 What are some of the reasons that a student might not want to raise their hand in

class, what other methods might be used to overcome these hurdles?

Kyle Williams

Observation Video #7

Learning Walks: Structured Observation for Teachers

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AUTIIOfma90&t=27s

This video takes place at a Lab School at the University of Wyoming. The school

acts as both a traditional school, Kindergarten through 8th grade, pre servicing

teachers. The learning walks are structured observations of a classroom. By doing

these walks, teachers are about to see ways that they can improve their own

classrooms. These observations are a great way for teachers to see what their

colleagues are teaching in all grade levels. Each observation is limited to 5 minutes so

the teachers can observe all of the classrooms. After the observations the teachers sit

down and go over their reflections on what they observed. This approach has led the

Lab school to outperform most of its peer schools in Wyoming. Many of their students

have also received Congressional awards in achievement.

I found the concept of this school very interesting. I would have liked to learn

more about how the school operated. I was a little confused as to whether the teachers

on the learning walks were regular teachers or if they were learning to become

teachers. Either way the learning walks were a great way to learn from the habits of
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other teachers within their own school. I feel like this technique could be incorporated

into any school. As it doesn't take too much time away from the teachers, has no extra

costs and has proven successful in this school. The best way to learn is to learn from

others that have experience. It also allows for teachers to get a different perspective on

how others are teaching their classes.

Questions:

#1 What are the benefits of these learning walks, both for the participants and the

hosts?

#2 What is the protocol for the learning walks? What would you add to this protocol

to improve it?

#3 Do you think you could incorporate learning walks into your school? How would

they differ or be the same from the ones shown in the video?

Kyle Williams

Observation #8

Developing Executive Function With Priority Lists

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AhoXKhkQ6SE&t=7s

This video takes place at King Middle School in Portland Maine. The empathize

is that there are certain foundational skills that must be in place before more complex

skills can be developed. This school builds its students' foundational skills by using an

ABC priority list. This priority list acts as an executive function skill for the students.

These lists are created by the students in front of the entire classroom. They help the
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students to organize and categorize what work needs to be done and in the most

effective way. Having the students do this as a group activity helps them workout and

solve the issue on their own without being told to do something a certain way by the

teacher. These lists help the student identify the most important work they need to do

and the order in which to do it. After the priority list is written students are more

motivated to get their work done, as they have a clearer vision of what needs to be

done.

I found this video very interesting as I have always been a person that writes lists

in order to visualize the work that I need to get done and that I should do it in. I was not

aware that this could not be taught before adolescence. I really like the approach of the

kids working together to figure out their priorities as opposed to doing it individually. I

enjoyed the quote about the “frog,” once you finish that one thing you are dreading you

always feel better.

Questions:

#1 Why are executive function skills especially important for middle school students

and why are they not taught to younger students?

#2 What is the “frog” and why is it an important concept for students?

#3 How does the ABC priority list work and why is it important? Can you think of

ways to improve it?

Kyle Williams

Video Observation #9
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5 Keys to Successful Social and Emotional Learning

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DqNn9qWoO1M

This video focused on the success of social and emotional learning (SEL) in the

classroom. By using this model students are able to reduce their tension so they are

more open to learning. Academic success has increased when a student's social and

emotional needs are met first. The five components of SEL are: self-awareness,

self-management, social awareness, relationships skills and responsible

decision-making. Self-awareness is the ability to identify your emotions. This is

addressed by using conflict mediation, group circles and writing journals. Self-

management is the ability to motivate one’s self and to regulate emotions. Being able

for the students to calm themselves by using breathing exercises, counting back or just

taking a break, helps the students with their self-management. Social Awareness

focuses on diversity and empathy towards others. Students get a better understanding

of how their classmates may be feeling by doing service learning projects, learning

about social justice issues and the use of role playing. Relationship skills are built by

having students work cooperatively in project based learning activities. This helps the

students to be better able to resolve conflict and work through problems together.

Responsible decision-making is considering the well being of others. Students learn to

evaluate consequences by using shared agreements, one-one problem solving and

even having debates. Schools that have implemented this approach have had a

reduction in aggression and emotional stress. Behaviors, attitudes and even academic

performance have improved. Students are able to become more productive citizens by
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learning problem solving skills that will help them throughout their lives. This SEL

method is a true culture shift for the entire school.

I thought this was a fantastic video. I like how the different aspects of SEL

overlap and can be used for a multitude of benefits for the students. Students have to

be able to learn about themselves before they can fully be successful learning

academically. This approach might be challenging to implement across a whole school,

but I think it is definitely worth trying as it seem to make for a much better learning

environment and creates a student that is better prepared for the outside world, not just

the classroom.

Questions

#1 Why is self-awareness one of the hardest issues to address and what methods

can be used for students to become more self-aware.

#2 What methods could be used to encourage social awareness in the class and

what positive outcomes could be gained with a better social awareness of a whole

school or class?

#3 What is the “one skill you need your whole life” and what are some methods to

teach it to students?

Kyle Williams

Video Observation #10

Using Video for Professional Development

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XvBKOKIqZaY
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This video is about Kettle Moraine High School in Wales, Wisconsin. The

teachers at the school film themselves teaching or their students, in order to improve

their teaching techniques in the future. This allows teachers to better focus on their

professional development. This visible learning strategy allows teachers to watch and

reflect on their teaching. It has encouraged a culture of risk taking, growth and

engagement. A teacher will set a goal for a filing session, which will be shared with the

students. An example of a goal would be increased class engagement. A camera is

set up on a swivel and filing usually lasts about 30 minutes. This allows teachers to see

their habits and patterns. From this observation they are better able to gage their

effectiveness with their students. After watching their videos the teachers will meet with

a coach to talk about the best strategies to improve their teaching methods. This

method has allowed this high school to increase its accountability rating and graduation

rate. It has also outperformed the state benchmarks in math and ELA.

I think that this is an interesting approach to teaching. All teachers will be

observed at some point either by their administration or their peers. So observing

yourself seems like a good approach to improving your own teaching. Teachers are

able to be reflective and willing to be flexible in order to make this method work. It is a

great way to track engagement of the class room on a topic and see where

improvements could be made. The only drawbacks I see would be the cost of the

equipment, the teachers taking the time to watch the videos and the teacher’s ability to

be self critical of their own teaching methods.

Questions:
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#1 What are the overall benefits of the visible learning strategy?

#2 How can vocabulary be used to change and/or track engagement?

#3 Are there hurdles to implementing this method, both financial and from a

teacher’s point of view?