Blog Post #8

What is the most important thing you have learned in your fieldwork observation? Why?

In doing my fieldwork, it is hard to pinpoint the single most important thing I have learned from observing in my classroom. I feel like I was extremely lucky in the teacher I was able to observe, and have learned many valuable teaching methods and ideas from her. She is a very loving and patient, yet firm teacher that values giving the students trust to manage themselves.
The single most important thing I will take away from observing in my classroom, is probably the method of taking responsibility of themselves, and being accountable for their actions. She does this in such a way that it makes the students want to earn their good consequences, so she doesn't need to focus on their misbehavior. This is a tool I will utilize in my own classroom, and I can't wait to try it!

Blog Post #7

Blog Post #7

• What are the procedures the teacher uses to make everything run smoothly in the class?

In my class, the teacher is very efficient with the structure she has set up for her class to run by. She has clear expectations for what the students are supposed to be doing, so they are always aware of whether or not they are "on task". She has set up a system where the students are mostly managing themselves, and she monitors the classroom while they do their work. It really has been an amazing experience watching how well she controls her students.

So for example, once they come into class, they silent read for 20 minutes. They know exactly where their books are, where they are supposed to be sitting, and for how long they are going to be doing that activity. Once silent reading is over, they go through morning exercises (basic same routine each day) and then dive into their lesson. They have group table set out each day, and they rotate with their groups to complete different assignments at each table.

I honestly try so hard everyday I'm there to remember exactly how she handles each situation because she does so in such a calm yet firm way. I think children thrive in controlled environments where they know exactly what the rules are and what they can expect.

Blog #6

What strategies does the teacher use to actively engaged the students?

In the classroom, the teacher I am observing uses many different methods to keep her students engaged in the lesson. She makes sure to present many examples given by students, and tries to cater to different learning types by having a detailed discussion, in which she includes popcorn reading (taking turns reading) as well as asking frequent questions to make sure they understand exactly what she wants them to do. After the lesson, she will often have a group discussion where students are able to share verbally or present the work they have done. I think this method is effective for regrouping the class and evaluating the effectiveness of the lesson.

My favorite way she engages the students however, is when she has them do stations. She will set up different stations and each table and give them hands-on activities for a set period of time, where they have to complete a certain task before the time is up. I think this gives them a good routine, and helps them keep focused on what they are supposed to be doing.

Blog #5

Blog Entry #5

What do you think is the most important role a teacher plays?

        I think one of the very most important roles that a teacher can play is striving to instill a love of learning in their students. So often children learn to dislike school at such an early age, and it becomes very detrimental to their entire educational career. If a teacher can help inspire them to become good learners, they are helping children in ways they won't even be able to see for years to come.
         In the No Child Left Behind Act, they have children take a standardized test to make sure children are keeping up, but personally I think this test doesn't show how well a teacher is teaching, or even what is going on in the classroom. A teacher may have completely inspired a student who was previously struggling to try and do better, but they still haven't made much improvement on paper, but it doesn't emulate the work or progress going on beyond that.
        If teachers can help children have a desire to do well in school, they will have helped them in ways that cannot be shown on paper.

Blog #4

How does this teacher manage assessment?

In the classroom, the teacher manages assessment by having a review at the first of each lesson. She usually tries to tie in whatever she had talked about the lesson before, and asks general questions to the class to see if they understood what she was teaching them. She uses the student's verbal feedback as a reinforcement of whether or not she taught the lesson well enough the first time. If she finds many of the students have not learned the intended outcome, she will do a review lesson and teach it a different way.
Another way that she assesses what the children have learned, is by giving small quizzes at the end of the lessons, or group activities as a part of her lesson, to apply what they are learning about in a hands-on setting.

Blog #3

What strategies does the teacher use to support students who are English learners?

In the classroom I'm assigned to, the teacher has three students who are deaf--two of which have just recently had successful surgeries, giving them hearing they have not had before this year. Because she has such an unusually high amount of students with specific hearing needs, she caters each of them individually, and I am increasing amazed at her deep concern for them.
Since they have not been able to speak very well, they are considered "english learners" in her classroom. At all times, she has a microphone device clipped on to her shirt so the deaf student can hear, and she gives slow, simplified and very specific instructions to the two english learners. I feel so lucky to be in a classroom where I can watch and observe the techniques she uses to cater to the different needs of her students.

Blog number 2

• Tell about an opportunity you had to work one-on-one with a student:

So far, a lot of my responsibilities have included reading with the children one-on-one. I love seeing how each student, whatever race or ethnicity they happen to be, are all trying their very best to learn and do their best in school. It doesn't matter to them what race their friends are. Most likely, they won't even realize they are very different at all.
The outlook children have on one another is such a good example to us, as adults. It is so important to judge someone based on their character, and not on the color of their skin, or the type of clothes they may wear. Even though, as a society, we are far from perfect when it comes to racism, it is so comforting to watch these young children in class so fully accept each other.