Running Head: Classroom Observations

Classroom Observations

Sheena King

Edison College

Classroom Observations

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to discuss the events I witnessed while observing teachers and how they implement their lesson plans. I went to North Fort Myers High School to do my observations. While there I watched four different teachers instruct their classrooms, Ms. Isaac, Mrs. Agostinelli, Mrs. Ragland, and Mr. Molloy. For the three days I was there I watched them put their lesson plans to work. I witnessed how they dealt with their students, controlled their classrooms and help the students understand the lesson.

Classroom Observations

Classroom Observations

I chose to go to North Fort Myers High School, being not from Florida, I was not sure where to go to do my classroom observations. North Fort Myers High was right around the corner from where I live. I grew up in a small town and went to a very small school, my graduating class held thirty-two people in all. I was a little afraid to go into these big school that are down here, I wondered how they were able to handle the big class sizes, and if it was hard for the students to get that one-on-one time I got in my school. I went to four different teachers, Ms. Isaac, Mrs. Agostinelli, Mrs. Ragland, and Mr. Molloy, for three days in a row to see how they taught their lesson plans, and how they were able to draw in the students in their classes. I am going to tell about my experience I had in each classroom, the students reactions and behaviors, and how the teachers spent their time in the classroom.

When I got to the school, Mr. Casolino was waiting in front of the school for me to explain the agenda he had set out for me for those three days. While walking through the halls he would stop when he saw kids misbehaving and put them back in line; there were other teachers wondering around doing the same also. Students were lined up at Mr. Casolino’s door waiting for him to finish up with me so they could speak with him, he asked the students to wait for him and explained that he would give them passes since

they would be late for their first class and took me to the first classroom I would be observing. This was Ms. Isaac’s classroom. Ms. Isaac taught Physics for her first period class. I was told I was allowed to sit anywhere, so I sat away from the students so I could

Classroom Observations

better observe them. The students were handed a lab, simple pendulum lab, that they would be conducting in class for that day and they following. I noticed that this was hands on learning (Sadker 2008). The students got into groups collected the items for the lab that was needed, and started to do their project. On the paper for the lab it clearly stated the purpose for the lab and outlined what they would be doing for it. The following day the students got back into their groups and finished up on their labs, there were a couple of students sitting off by themselves working and another student sitting off in the corner doing nothing at all. Ms. Isaac asked if he was going to do anything and he just said no and she let him continue to sit there and do nothing. Throughout the experiment Ms. Isaac stood at the front of her desk and talked to some of her students, wondered around a little and sat down at a desk, and by the end of the class she was sitting at her computer. On the third day the students told their answers from the lab and had a discussion pertaining to it.

The second class I went to was one I really enjoyed, Mrs. Agostinelli’s. She was teaching Geometry during that period. When I walked into the classroom, she was extremely nice, explained to me what they had been doing in class and what they were going over for that day. Once the bell rang, she got the class quiet right away and started in on her lesson for the day, I noticed she was a very good gatekeeper (Sadker 2008). On the board off to the side were things that they were going to be doing for that week, so the students knew what was going to be happening in class. She had a teacher’s aid during that period, and set her up to grade papers for her before she started to teach the class. They were going over their FCAT books, the state test in Florida, before the test that was

Classroom Observations

to take place during the following week. She made it clear to me that she did not like the FCAT, because her students were getting tested on some material they did not know yet, the school year was not over and she still had much to teach. On the second day she addressed the class about a test they had taken and that they had almost made the mark to have an ice cream party, but since they were only a few points away she was going to see if she could still do something anyway. The class went over the odd problems in their FCAT books and she taught them problems they would see on the test and how to solve them. On the third day they went over the even problems in their books and talked more about the FCAT.

The third class I observed was Mrs. Ragland’s class, she taught Speech. She also explained what they would be doing that day in class. The students were giving speeches, the speeches they were giving were stories they had heard maybe when they were little or things they heard from growing up. Each student had to get up in front of the class and tell a story. One was the little old woman who in a shoe, another was a German version of Rapunzel, which was very interesting. The following day the remaining students told their stories and when they were finished Mrs. Ragland told them about the next speech they were going to be doing on women’s history. She told them what women were left to choose from and what they would be doing on Friday. On Friday, they went to the library to start researching on the woman they chose, while Mrs. Ragland assisted with any questions asked.

The fourth and last classroom I observed, was Mr. Molloy’s class. He taught History , and explained to me briefly what they were going to be discussing. He assigned

Classroom Observations

the students a project dealing with the Industrial Revolution, that would help them on their test they would be taking on Friday, and went over notes to help prepare them for the test also. On the second day, they went over the small project given the day before and after went to a Jeopardy game that Mr. Molly made up that had fill in the blank, true or false, and multiple choice questions. During this period, I noticed that the engaged time lasted throughout the whole period due to the game the students played(Sadker 2008). On Friday the students took their chapter 17 test, and when they finished discussed a little about the test and the next subject they would be moving on to.

II. Reflection

Throughout my observations I saw how teachers interacted with their students. I saw things I would try to bring to my classroom and things I would try to stray away from as much as possible. An example of what I would try to stay away from is what I witnessed in Ms. Isaacs’ classroom. I thought that Ms. Isaac did not establish control over her class, but acted more like a buddy at times. When this happens in a classroom, the students, I believe, feel like they can walk all over the teacher. I extremely liked watching Mrs. Agostinellis’ class, she had great control over her classroom and the students seemed engaged throughout her lessons. I enjoyed doing the observations, because it gave me an idea of what I was going to face when I finally got out there.

Classroom Observations

Sadker, D., Sadker, M., Zittleman, K. (2008). Teachers, Schools, and Society. New York: New York.