Observation

Observation Experience

Spending time in the four elementary classrooms was a great experience. Observing the students from the different grade levels taught me a lot on how a child can change over a couple year periods. Just by watching I learned a great deal about being in the profession and the advantages and disadvantages of teaching the elementary grade levels in general. Teaching a 1st grade class is a whole different then being a teacher and in a 6th grade classroom. It is almost like they are two different professions because the way you approach teaching to the students is very different. The children are at very different levels in their life and act the age they are in the classroom. This experience actually changed my mind on what grade level I thought I would like to teach at and what was most compatible to me. The observing project was designed to show myself and other students how different it actually is to be a teacher in the primary and intermediate grade levels and the experiences they deal with everyday.

While visiting Mrs. Davies' classroom the first thing I happened to notice was how small the children actually were. There were 18 children in the classroom and there was a wide range of different cultures. They were very lovable and full of energy. When I came in they were reading a thanksgiving story with the student teacher. They seemed to be very excited about everything going on in the story and asked a lot of questions. Once they were finished with that they all worked independently on a turkey art project, their picture poem or read a book. While looking around I noticed that they had great imaginations and understood what they were doing. Sometimes they had to be reminded to stay on task and be quiet but for the most part they were good. Mrs. Davies used different rhythms and sayings to get them to calm down. They were called "two fingers", "shake it out" and "big ears". They seemed to work very well and showed she had good control over the classroom. After this they did K/W/L's about thanksgiving on the carpet. They seemed to understand what they were being taught because the students asked a lot of questions and got involved and answered what they knew by raising their hands but at the same time they were all a little antsy because they knew their snack break was soon. The whole time I was observing there was a teacher aid helping her teacher out through her lessons. Overall, I really enjoyed watching this 1st grade class in action.

There were many advantages and disadvantages of the 1st grade level that I noticed while observing. I liked how they were very attentive and eager to learn. It was like they could not wait to learn something new. They also adored the teacher and showed a lot of respect for her. This is not always the case in higher level grades. The students needed to be reminded that they were doing a good job on assignments and projects because they seek appraisal from their teacher and like to be rewarded for their good deeds. Mrs. Davies was very good about this by giving out stickers and candy or prizes. This is something that will be easy to do but one must remember to reorganize all the students. At this grade level they were easily adaptable to routines and like to help out with everything around the classroom. The disadvantages of a 1st grade classroom were they are always on the go and usually do not sit still long so there is never a moment you can look away or take a break. Sometimes it can almost feel like you are babysitting because the children are very needy at this age. A 1st grade teacher also has the same children all day so the teacher has to keep them busy so they will not get bored, antsy and let their mind wander. 1st graders can sometimes be hard to control at times and especially by one self so I hope if I ever take that position that I have a teacher's aid helping me.

The next classroom I observed was in a different building 3-5 Kelley Elementary school. It was Mrs. Eckert's' 3rd grade class. She introduced me and they all listened closely to what she had to say. I think they liked to have a new person in the room. There were 10 boys and 11 girls and they were all a variety of cultures. I happened to come while they were making butter for the thanksgiving celebration for the end of the day. They all met on the carpet and had a chance to shake a jar of ingenance to make butter. This activity was very interesting. Some were acting very mature while a few boys got in trouble for fooling around so they had to sit at their desks. The students worked very well and interacted positively during this activity and listened to what Mrs. Eckert had to say. They seemed very interested in the project too because it was more hands-on. While they were participating in this activity I looked around the room and there were many art projects and pictures around that the students did and this showed they were very creative. I would like to observe a 3rd grade classroom again while they are doing a regular normal lesson to see how they react to that too.

The advantages were similar to the 1st grade classroom. According to my observation I noticed the 3rd graders also love to learn new things like the 1st graders. They were too adaptable to a routine and they stuck with it. They too looked up to the teacher and listened while she was speaking. The students needed to be reminded that they were doing a good job on their projects and tests because they seek appraisal from their teacher and like to be rewarded for their good deeds. Mrs. Eckert had students of the week charts and they got to be line leader if they were. There was a new student every week for this award. The disadvantages seemed too be a little different. The students had to constantly be told to calm down or listen. They were wild and hyper but I'm not sure if it was because it was a "party" day or not. A disadvantage for the students was this is a new school for them and in 3rd grade is when they started to have frequent tests and which was more then in the primary school. At this age it was noticeable that they got off topic quickly especially if they got bored doing their work so the teacher had to stickler and get after them to get it done. Mrs. Eckert made teaching a 3rd grade class very stressful.

The next classroom I observed was right down the hall in Kelley School. It was Mrs. De Porter's 5th grade class. There was an equal number of boys and girls of a variety of cultures. They were in a middle of a math lesson and going other an old math test when I arrived. They were very mature for their age and sat well at their desks. Only a few students seemed