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Ryan Brown

Dr. Jagerson

EDUG 588

19 April 2023

Alternative Classroom Observation

I observed an IB Theory of Knowledge class (ToK), which is taught by an English

teacher in the International Baccalaureate program at Ocean View High School. During this

observation, I witnessed students working on their ToK “Exhibition” which is an assignment

where they connect a group of 3 images that visually respond to one of the 35 ToK prompts. The

teacher I observed spent a lot of time working one-on-one with students because they were in the

final stretch of completing their exhibition projects.

Class started with the students coming in and choosing their own seats; some sat at high

bar stools along a counter at the back of the room, others sat in groups around a circular low

table––others were in groups of singular desks and a few students scattered themselves at desks

along the back wall. The teacher’s desk was open and welcoming with a small couch set up next

to her desk. Not too long after the students came in, the teacher gave a short overview of

class––students had not completed enough of their rough drafts for the exhibition yet and so that

was going to be a main priority for class; students quickly got out their chromebooks and she

gave feedback on her own computer. The major formative assessment for this class was getting

their drafts turned in and revising from the feedback she offered. Students trickled up to her desk

throughout the period and would ask questions about their work. They also worked with one

another at their desks.

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Unlike my own class, this room was far less structured; students did not have a seating

chart and they didn’t put their phones in pockets. However, I didn’t really see phones or seating

to be an issue. Students were far less distracted than I would have expected, and they were using

the social setup of the room to their advantage; it was kind of like an organic peer-review

workshop unfolding as class went on. This difference in classroom setup may be partially due to

the fact that these students are juniors unlike the freshman I’m with.

I will first list the 10 specific forms of classroom management I saw the teacher use and

then hone in on a few and their effectiveness. (1) The class was a relaxing environment that

smelt really good and had calming artwork up around the room; the color scheme and art

reflected the teacher’s “vibe” and cultivated a positive and productive learning environment (2)

Students had access to technology throughout class on their Chromebooks (3) Teacher showed

students the Pomodoro method of time management (4) Students worked in small groups and

pairs (5)Teacher played lo-fi instrumental music during independent work (6) Teacher walked

around the classroom to monitor students’ engagement and behavior (7) Directions were

projected on the ViewBoard with slides that changed as the lesson went on (8) Teacher had

adaptive seating throughout the class for alternative seating options students could move around

to as needed (9) Students moved around the room as they completed work: from drafting/ writing

on their chromebooks to physically constructing their exhibitions (10) Teacher had a bulletin of

various on-campus upcoming activities and assignment due dates with an outline of the week’s

agenda.

After observing this class and the teacher’s setup of the room, class management, and the

strategies she used to provide students with feedback, I think that the big theme for me was

student agency. These students were extremely self-motivated learners and did not need very
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much guidance as opposed to my freshman to stay on track. I was observing this class in the

middle of a lesson sequence, so that might be why little direct instruction was needed. It was

interesting to see the change that happens from freshman to junior year in students’

self-motivation and ownership in their work. I spoke with a student about what he was working

on and he had a full explanation of what prompt he was responding to and walked me through an

explanation of how his 3 images corresponded to the prompt and his response.

In the future, I would like to have a similar setup in my room that encourages more

fluidity and student choice in seating. I know that students get antsy sitting in those desks all day

and it’s definitely an investment to find the alternative seating options but I know it’s available

through Facebook Marketplace so it could be worth trying to see what’s out there. In addition, I

liked the time management that this teacher used where students were in charge of their time

management and “chunking” their writing. It teaches real-life skills for when you’re not in

someone else’s classroom getting told what to do and instead are responsible on your own for

getting work done by a deadline. On a final note, I really liked how this teacher had personal

touches in her room that made the room feel like a direct reflection not just of herself but of her

students. There were tallies on the board for student admissions to different colleges, students

posted club flyers on the board, and there were pictures of students and the teacher’s family up

around the room. It was a welcoming, engaging, student-centered environment.