Field Observation #9 11-14-13
Breanna Sheaffer
I.
Breanna Sheaffer, 2nd Grade
II.
Observations
1. The class begins with students working on a warm-up, and handing in last night’s
homework. The student’s desks are arranged in a lower case n shape, so that every
student can clearly see the teacher, and the front of the room. The teacher encourages the
students to raise their hands if they would like to speak to the teacher. After warm up, the
class begins daily 5 and does 3 different rotations. Some students came over to read with
me. The teacher has student’s names on a clothespin. At the beginning of each day each
child’s name is on green, and depending on the child’s behavior throughout the day, their
name either stays on green or gets moved down. Two different times throughout the day,
the teacher takes the whole class to use the bathroom, this prevents from interruptions
throughout the day. The teacher works on writing with the students. The students
worked on inferring. The teacher has a lot of posters around the room, helping students
to spell, write and special tips on how to read. The class works on a math worksheet.
The teacher displays the worksheet on the document camera, and the students follow
along with the teacher. During recess a group of girls from the class go to girls club.
Girls club meets once a week and focuses on something new for the girls discuss. This
week the girls talked about friendship. Some students in the class would stand up, out of
their seats to raise their hand. At the end of the day the students are responsible to write
homework in their planner. The teacher then goes around and checks every student’s
planner to make sure their homework was in fact written down.
2. Inferences
In the room there was no T.V. or even a computer for the students to work on.
Technology is not a large part of the classroom, which I was surprised because most
classrooms now come equipped with a T.V. and now Ipads. I would infer in the future
technology will become a larger part of the classroom, once money is found to fund
classrooms with more technology. The classroom did have a document camera, which
the teacher used to help the students with math. I think more girls in the class will begin
to go to the girls club once a week. The club helps to bring up girls confidence, and help
them face issues that can occur in elementary school.
3. Connections
In the EDPSY 014 class and EDTHP 115 class I learned about the common core
curriculum. In Mrs. McIlquham class, the class uses common core for math. Each grade
learns the same math, but each year learns more in detail about a certain portion. The
teacher explained the common core was used at the school, but was a level above then
what most schools used. I also learned in the EDPSY 014 of how important it is to allow
students to give examples in class. In the second grade class, some students went to the
front of the room to present what they had written. Allowing the students to present in
the front of the room gives those students confidence, and the students sitting down, good
examples of what their writing should sound like.
4. Evaluation
I enjoyed observing in the second grade classroom. I would like to teach in second grade,
so it was nice to see what it is like to be in a classroom. I was surprised at the lack of
technology in the classroom, because I know technology is such a fast moving thing. I
think once the school can manage some extra money for technology, the classrooms will
have a computer for students to work on.