Field Experience 3/13/2012 Classroom Observations

After working with our master teacher, we did our one hour of classroom observation. The classroom that we observed was a home and careers class, and they were reviewing words for their ELA exams and then they were sewing puppets.

I like how the classroom was arranged. Instead of having all the chairs in rows and all lined up, the teacher had the desks set up in a square, so that way the teacher can walk directly in front of the students and be in front of all the students, all the time. This helps defend against behavioral problems or attention problems that happen in a classroom. The students however, we were separated in the classroom then they are in the gymnasium. In the gymnasium that have to interact with the entire class, however in the classroom, students sat by themselves or they grouped together with friends. The boys were separate from the girls too which was kind of funny. However, the over all atmosphere of the classroom was relaxed, students did not seem to be judging each other in anyway. Students were allowed to sit where they wanted and one student was even eating and our teacher said that they were allowed to eat as long as it didn't disrupt other students and as long as it didn't distract them from what they were suppose to be learning.

The students were preparing for the ELA exam in the beginning of the class, and the level of these students seemed pretty high. I am not a 100% sure what words are normal for this age group, but they understood all the words the teacher through at them and when they were reading they all read and at what seemed to me a level that was beyond 6th grade.

I think that by observing the classroom and seeing how girls separate themselves and how the boys separate themselves can help my teach by trying to knock down those barriers. 6th grade is typically when "mean girls" start so as a teacher I feel that I would pay attention to who those girls seem to be and try and separate them in class to try and deter that kind of separate behavior. When it comes to separate boys and girls, in my gymnasium I would mix them as much as possible.