EDUC 1301- Field Experience

Field Report #1
 The site: (for each site)
 Ms. Casas
 CCISD (Clear Lake Independent school district)
 Falcon Pass Elementary
 Third grade
 ELA (English Language Arts)/Social Studies
 April 4, 2022
 7:45am-3:45pm
Description: (For each site)
Describe each of the following:
 The room arrangement – MS. Casas third grade classroom has two
blackboards, one on the right- side wall and the other in the center, a
projector hangs down from the ceiling tile a few feet from the south-facing
blackboard. To the right of the projector is an area for students to work on
projects in small groups. In the far-right corner of the room is a desk
dedicated to test taking. Behind this is a cabinet where students place their
assignments. There is a welcome area where the teacher places pictures of
her family introducing herself to the class. At the back of the classroom,
aligning the farthest wall is an area with stuffed animals and a bookshelf that
has bins of many picture books. This area is designated for reading time. In
the reading nook, there is a small round table with a crate of books and an
electric pencil sharpener. Next to the reading area, there is a filing cabinet
where Ms. Casas keeps her supplies. On the west end wall of the classroom,
there is a row of two cabinets. Behind this is the teacher’s desk. She keeps
her laptop and microwave here. A black filing cabinet and a shelf full of
binders. In the far left-hand corner of the classroom is a sink students use to
wash their hands. Five tables with about three to four chairs are arranged
throughout the class. Under the students' chairs is a cubby area where they
keep their books and pencil pouches. This is where students sit during the
discussion and independent study time.
 Items on the wall – Several posters adorned the board on the right side of
the classroom showing different strategies and topics for learning. There
 were magnetized papers showing how to write more effectively by using
plural nouns, possessive nouns, contractions, adverbs, and subject/verb
agreement. Above the blackboard were these illustrations of children, each
of them was presented as having an internal dialogue about what they hoped
to learn in school. Next to the blackboard, was a poster with a list of class
expectations. Near the sink, there were two poster boards stapled to the
wall that listed tips about how to analyze reading passages. In the reading
nook, on the wall was a rectangular wooden frame with the words Be the
Change in eloquent black letters. Above this sign was a vanilla shaded
poster board that read MS. Casas class. In front of Ms. Casas desk was a
sign designed like a scroll with a patterned rainbow and underneath it a
heart. Surrounding this were letter Cs with assorted designs. Behind the
area where the teacher sat displayed were her students' works of art. MS.
Casas had a collage of pictures of her students on a poster.
 Teacher-student interactions – MS. Casas emphasized the need for
students to raise their hands before being addressed. The teacher paid
attention to the ideas of her students and didn’t show partiality. She gave
them time to speak and when they didn’t have the answer, she told them to
continue thinking. The students asked questions about the lesson and
listened to her intently. She walked around the room and checked on her
student's progress.
 Instructional groupings and organization of the class as a whole – MS.
Casas class was well thought out and organized. She had file folders for each
concept she instructed her students. She wasted little time in having the
students transition in between activities smoothly. The teacher gave
thorough explanations of what was expected for individual work. She
interacted one on one with many of her students and surveyed the class. The
groups were intermingled with diverse students. The students were able to
strength one another's skillset while working together.
 Instructional materials available in the classroom - There were several
academic dictionaries that the students could refer to. A reading nook,
where students could select a book of interest. The students had posters,
markers, colored pencils, pens and paint to use. There was a cart designated
for laptops that the students could have for learning purposes. Small Crates
were placed underneath the students' desks for them to put supplies in.
Dispersed around the room were jars of paper clips and sharpies for the
students to use for academic purposes.
  Student behaviors – The students were engaged in the lesson and focused
on strengthening their skills. Most of the students raised their hands and
only a few of them spoke out of turn. Early in the day they seemed
noticeably quiet and somewhat tired. Then as the day progressed their
individual personalities began to appear. In the afternoon, the students were
energetic and collaborated productively with each other. The students took
turns washing their hands and drinking from the water fountain. There was a
minor problem with a few students who returned to the class late after lunch.
Overall, the students focused on their work and gave each other positive
feedback.
 Teacher behaviors – MS. Casas was strict with her students. She made it
clear what she expected from them and set boundaries. As a teacher, she said
many encouraging things about and to her students. When a few of the
students would speak out of turn, she would give them a very stern but
gentle warning. She welcomed creativity in the classroom environment. She
reminded them to be patient with themselves. While the students would be
busy working on their projects, Ms. Casas would work alongside them and
talk to them. The teacher was calm and didn’t raise her voice. Because of the
attitude Ms. Casas had toward her students the classroom was a place of
tranquility.
 What activities were observed?
The students worked using a method called Synergy which involves the
incorporation of two different skills. This course was a compilation of two
different subjects' English language Arts and Social studies. Some of the students
worked to finish group projects that were due by the end of class the following
day. After reading a book titled “Henry’s Freedom box” the students answered
comprehension questions. They also went to art, where they drew and painted.
 Exactly what were the teachers and students doing?
After the morning pledge, the teacher read a short story to the class. The class
discussed the reading, and the purpose of the author. She had a book she used to
ask the class questions about the passage. Then she instructed the students to
answer some comprehension questions in their composition books. After this she
encouraged students to work on their project or read independently. While the
students read MS. Casas graded reading logs and reminded them to keep track of
it per day. The project was to choose a topic person/place or thing that was
inspiring and conduct research. The students had to create PowerPoints and send
the completed version to the teacher prior to Thursday. Another activity was to
go to an educational website and work on skills. These skills included arithmetic,
reading, and science.
 Was the learning objective stated?
The directions for the assignments were written on the blackboard. While the
teacher would verbally remind them of these expectations.
 How will the learning be measured?
On their laptops, the students are graded by how well they prove skill knowledge
during test time. Students are also graded on pre-tests, homework and quizzes.
This helps them to evaluate their own standing academically. There is a set of
levels that must be completed by the end of the year. When a student has scored
70% or higher on this work he or she can advance to the next level. This set of
studies consists of core subjects that must be mastered. The teacher grades the
reading logs by hand, where she writes comments on the side. Her students have
spelling and vocabulary quizzes. At the end of the year students will take a
standardized test that measures intelligence. The students are also given an oral
exam, to measure the amount of knowledge gained.
 What materials were being used?
In art class, the students used sketch paper to draw their design and then paint
to watercolor it.
While working on their group projects, they used their laptops to create
PowerPoints for presentations.
Some of the students used colored pencils and crayons to design their posters.
The projector was used to display the reading passages for classroom discussion.
The students used their headphones to listen to music quietly and stories online.
File folders were used to put academic papers and homework sheets.
Reflection:
Having the field observation in Ms. Casas class was a wonderful experience
for me. I thought it was nice that she encouraged the students to appreciate their
individuality. Each student had their own laptop supplied by the school and their
own workspace. There was a lot of socio- economic and racial diversity within the
class. MS. Casas emphasized acceptance in the differences among her students
and self-respect. During the class discussion after reading a short passage, the
teacher asked each student his or thoughts about the main idea of the story. She
was genuinely interested in the thought process of her students. When a student
had mastered a skillset, she gave them a piece of candy. If students were
struggling to grasp a concept, she explained it in a simpler way. I noticed that she
talked with all her students one on one. The Growth mindset, MS. Casas told her
students that intelligence can be refined over time (pg28). That throughout their
lives, they would be learning new skills. While working on their laptops doing
learning exercises for mathematics. A couple of students were ready to give up
when they did not achieve their end goal. The teacher was calm and kept pushing
her students to complete the task. One of the aspects of MS. Casas class that I
appreciated the most was her inclusion of the Respectful mind. This type of
mindset focuses on showing honor to those who are culturally different (pg29).
While the students worked on their group assignments, I looked around the
room. There were many posters about respect and the inclusion of others. Her
classroom was decorated with laminated papers about treating others with
kindness and developing character. When a couple of the students had a minor
altercation, the teacher reminded them to be patient. She said that everyone
learned at their own pace and had an alternative perspective. MS Casas was
careful not to address her students according to Stereotypes. She saw her
students as individuals with their own personalities. Ms. Casas addressed her
students with respect, calling them Ms. and Mr. followed by a last name. She
didn’t apply absolute beliefs about students who shared the same heritage
(pg73). All the students for group assignments were racially and culturally diverse
with the involvement of boys and girls. In the classroom, the teacher used the
Transformation approach, and taught from diverse cultural points of view (pg70).
MS. Casas read a book called Henry’s Freedom box” about a young, enslaved man
who mailed himself to freedom. She asked the class to think about what it would
mean to have the same experiences as Henry. Then, she went a step further and
she asked them to put themselves into his shoes. Deep sadness, unfairness, and
heartbreak were some of the comments by her students. The common method
used in the classroom was essentialism. The students were given time for
creativity, but the teacher focused more on core subjects. Arithmetic, reading,
writing and science were the skills that the teacher put emphasis on. The
approach of Physiology was implemented in the class. This learning style places
significance on how students learn (pg32). For example, students do not learn
while hungry. She supplied snacks like goldfish, pretzels and capri sun for students
who did not have lunch. MS. Casas did not leave until all her students were
picked up by their parents. The transition between activities in her class went
seamlessly. Ms. Casas was the gatekeeper; she navigated the direction of the
coursework and students in the class (pg86). She checked what lessons were
taught and when. The lesson objective was clearly stated, and the order of the
class was well planned. There were a lot of details considered by the teacher
before she made decisions affecting the class. Before the break for lunch, a
handful of students were selected to take part in a special education class. This
was to help students who were struggling with reading and writing (pg41). The
teacher incorporated the Regular Education Initiative to supply more learning
facilities for students (pg46). In her class, the teacher taught her students the
value of an interpersonal mindset, she had them examine the motives and
desires of the characters they read about (pg28.) However, the teacher’s class did
not allow parent participation. All the core subjects and skills the students were
taught were mandated by the school. As a teacher, I would have more parental
participation. I believe that parents have the right to know what their children are
taught in an academic setting. As an educator I would teach using the method of
pragmatism, where my students can learn concepts from firsthand experience. I
believe that students learn better when they use their five senses to evaluate
their environment. As a teacher I hope to implement the value of intrapersonal
and people skills in my class. I want my students to not only understand their own
motives, but I also want them to know the motives of their peers.