Krahn Elementary Classroom Observation

For my observation, I observed a first to third grade special day class at a public Fresno Unified School District classroom in Fresno, California. When I first entered the classroom all the students, approximately 10 students, were sitting down on the rug in front of the class as the teacher was reading a short story to them. When she finished they would go over their reading assignment.

The rooms were inviting, and the students were engaged in learning. I quickly noticed that having a positive, and inviting classroom environment is of upmost importance for successful student learning. As the students walked through the second grade classroom they were greeted with a hug. When the students’ finished their morning work, the chimes signaled the students to line up, and transition to their first class of the day which is Science. This is where I was able to observe both Mrs. Stanford, and Mrs. Taylor

I teach at Marshall Elementary School in Dubuque, IA. Marshall is in a suburban area of our city. The families at Marshall are in a wide range of incomes, but mostly the families are low to middle income level. The school is located in an area around houses, there is train tracks that run behind the school, then behind that is an industrial area. The Mississippi River runs along the industrial area. The families at Marshall are employed in a wide range of places throughout Dubuque. There are quite a few stay at home moms, factory workers, food service employees, office staff, etc.

Today was my first day in Mrs. Ferguson’s first grade class at North Mahaska. When I arrived the students were not in the classroom yet so I talked to Mrs. Ferguson about my schedule for the semester. She said that today I could sit in the back and observe. I was a little disappointed because I did not feel a warm welcome like I have with my other observation experiences. Once the students arrived, they began their bell work where they practiced writing their name. I was surprised by this since the students are in first grade and should not have to practice writing their name.

Observations at Columbia High School were collected in the Student Services department for 9th and 10th graders in the Huntsville City Schools (HCS) district. Students enrolled in this self-contained, special needs unit are supported by a curriculum design with prevocational transition targets. These exceptional learners work toward benchmark academic, behavioral, and vocational skills development.

On November 16, 2016 at 7:30am I arrived at John H. Kinzie Elementary School to observe Mrs. K’s second grade class. The data collected took about 30 minutes during the language arts lesson. Given the fact that this is a second grade class students stay in the same classroom with the same teacher during core subjects (math, language arts, math, science and social studies). The only time they switch classrooms is during Art, Music and Gym. This observation took place during language arts subject and the lesson of the day was possessive and plural nouns. The class consists of a total of 28 students out of those students there are 15 female students and 13 male students. Mrs. K’s classroom is in the first floor of the school building and the

On October 26th I observed at Park Elementary in Munhall, Pa. The school is from kindergarten to 4th grade. Park Elementary was the same Elementary school I attended and the second-grade classroom I chose to observe was the same classroom that I sat in ten years ago taught by the same teacher. I chose to observe Park Elementary because the school and the teachers are who inspired me to become an elementary school teacher. The classroom was very colorful and organized. The walls were covered with decorations such as calendars, months, star student, alphabet, and number lines. The lesson I observed was a second-grade mathematics lesson and language arts. Classroom sizes are 25-30 students per classroom. The lesson was making numbers using ones, tens and

will go in depth about different philosophies and ideas used in the classroom, and also focus on the motivation and classroom management within the classroom. In the end, I will conclude with my opinion on the positives and negatives from the class, and how I would run my class differently from the educator I observed.

I was able to observe the oldest preschool classroom we have at the center I currently work at for one hour. The classroom has about 20 children, ranging from four to five-year-old’s. They are the classroom that gets the children Kindergarten ready. There are three teachers that work in the classroom: Teacher P., Teacher A., and Teacher J. The large group time started after the children went to the bathroom, about mid-morning. Teacher P. leads the group time and teachers A. and J. did room prep.

Classroom Two is also an Elementary special day class Ms. Lopez is the teacher, she has been teaching for 5 years. She has a Masters with her special education credential. She is Bilingual she speaks English and Spanish. The children she services have speech and language impairment and on the spectrum for Autism. The classroom ratio is one adult to two children. She had two instructional aide and 6 children in the classroom.

My observation was at Green Valley Elementary School, a small public school near my house. I observed Mrs. Fields kindergarten classroom on an early Monday morning. The first thing I noticed was how crowded the classroom was, there were books, backpacks, learning centers, and children everywhere. The class was fairly big, with sixteen children and two teachers but it was not very diverse. The teacher seemed aware of the classroom cluster but worked around it, she spoke kindly to the children but with authority. Overall the classroom looked and worked like any other

Upon speaking to the principal about observing he assigned me to Mrs. Johnson’s third grade class, because she was the best organized. I was surprised when I walked into the class and it was not pristine and in perfect order. Shelves are organized with baskets but the baskets are overflowing with books. I was glad to see

On a separate day, this observer examined the school age classroom at the child development center; the class had mixed age groups and consisted of children age’s five to twelve. Children began to arrive from their elementary schools at 2:30. The teacher sat down at one of the tables and instructed the students to get started on his/her homework from school, or to quietly read a book. At the time, there were only five children in the classroom. The teacher prepped afternoon activities while the children worked on homework assignments and chatted with their peers. The second bus arrived at 2:40 and more students flooded the classroom. Some of the students immediately began working on their assignments and others hovered around the teacher. The

What were your reactions? This class appeared very cramped contributing to a claustrophobic feeling for the teacher and the students. The teacher could barely slide between the desks to reach the students to guide them on their assignments. This could also pose an environmental risk if a potential fire on the school grounds would occur because it would be difficult for the students to quickly exit the classroom without stumbling over each other. Because the students were all situated very close to each other it contributed to a very noisy classroom atmosphere. It was also very difficult to hear the teacher giving instructions to the students because sound resonates in the classroom.

When you look through the window of an Elementary classroom, ages 6-12 you will see a steady “hum” of activity. There will be children sitting in small groups working together, some children are working alone, a small group of children will be sitting on the floor with the teacher receiving a lesson. Older students might be helping younger students, children will be moving about the classroom, children will be working with manipulatives, and some might be absorbed in research. The elementary classroom is a very busy community filled with inquisitive minds solving the why, how and when of everything.