Field Observation

Camila Elias

Introduction to Special Education 203

Field Observation Essay

Sat. December 18, 2021

 During my field observation I was quickly welcomed to Jack Dailey Elementary

School by both students and staff. I was extremely excited because Principal Trupp

signed me up with the best third grade teacher of the school. My cooperating teacher,

Mrs. Bravo, was the teacher I would be spending 10 hours with. As I walked in, the room

felt very warm. I can tell that the kids are very comfortable here and they had arranged their

desks to their liking. From the classroom door, the first thing I observed was the front white-

board. To the very far left of the board, I examined what the students were learning for the day

and why we’re learning it along with the schedule. In front of the board in the middle, there is a

projector where I find that the teacher spends most of her time, teaching. In the back there is a

black board that demonstrates the proper ways of completing sentences as well as the proper

way to raise your hand for certain things for example, going to the restroom, or taking a water

break.

There are 6 groups of four students scattered throughout the room and one big table on

the left side which is where I am observed from throughout the process. Of the whole

classroom, there were only 6 female students and the rest were males. Mrs. Bravo’s class

includes 4 ELL students, two of them were new to the country and spoke only Spanish.

Throughout class time I heard my cooperating teacher enforce the posted class rules.

The instructions go as follows, hand up means a question needs to be asked. One finger up

means someone needs supplies and a water break is shown by raising three fingers up. When

a child needed to go to the restroom, they were to cross two fingers. These rules were given

throughout the whole school and were to be used in every class like art and music class for

example.

My cooperating teacher showed out to be a progressive, social reconstructionist, but

most of all, an essentialist teacher. She is the type of teacher that genuinely cares for her

students as if they were her own children, calling them “sweetheart,” or “sugar.” She speaks to
them kindly but firmly and looks at them in the eye, always trying her best to reward good

behavior and likes to let the students know what goals they need to reach. She expects

students to set and achieve their goals.

Mrs. Bravo clearly shows visual and kinesthetic modalities during class time. Most times

she would make student interact by using a microphone, using technology or the smart board.

The kids usually observe what she is reading off of the smart board and afterwards work on

their assignments through computers. Overall, her instructional time was used efficiently and I

hope to be able to use my time like she does as well when I have a class of my own. I also wish

to handle transitions as she does, but with more caution. I realized that a few times during my

observation, she would spend time asking them to quiet down or stay on task.

Beyond standardized testing, at Jack Dailey, the third-grade teachers use IReady

diagnostic test, maps assessment, aims web three times a year. These three times are in the

fall, the winter, and the spring. In the spring, the CCSD district and this school require the s-

back. Students that are low are to do the aims once a month. These are students that scored

under the 25th percentile on aims and 16th percent on maps. Tests genuinely cover

mathematics, reading, language usage, and science.

When I interviewed my cooperating teacher, she explained to me that what mostly

surprised her as a teacher was the little support from community and parents that she received.

I think that when it’s time for me to be a teacher I want to work with my community including the

student’s parents. I will do this through constant reaching out and possibly fundraisers for my

students. This is what Mrs. Bravo explained to me that the third-grade teachers did together for

students. I will strive to have a strong relationship with fellow teachers like my cooperating

teacher does with hers. Communication with other specialist teachers will also help involve them

be involved in the instructional planning process.

Furthermore, after completing my field observations hours, I took away plenty of things

from my cooperating teacher, the students, and just the classroom environment in general. I am
tremendously grateful to have been placed with Mrs. Bravo and will continue to keep in touch

with her through my studies.