observation # 1

SED 406: Observation #1

            The classroom was bright and friendly.  The large smart board/projector assembly dominated the front of the class and there was projected on it a cute app that measured noise levels.  The classroom rules were posted on the wall alongside the school rules.  A version of Bloom’s Taxonomy was also posted on the wall over a bookcase containing the classrooms library.  The students’ desks faced the smart board, and the teacher’s desk was positioned next to the board and flanking the other side of the smart board was a computer table.

The students were already seated when we entered the classroom; it was a small class of LEP freshmen, they were taking their first world history course.  The students were all sitting quietly waiting for class to begin.  Their teacher introduced us and then had the students introduce themselves to us and tell us how long each had been in this country.  They ranged from a few years to a few months.  The nine students were spread out around the room, a few clustered together and a few in the back, but they all showed their teacher respect and seemed to enjoy the class.

            The class began with the students working on their DO NOW assignment that was posted on the board and their teacher walked around the room checking for the previous night’s homework.  Although this class contains limited English proficient students, they are required to speak English in class.  Sometimes they forget and speak in Spanish, all the students and the teacher were Spanish speakers, but the teacher will correct them and ask them to speak in English.  The lesson begins with a discussion on Marco Polo, the students will be writing their first essay on the explorer and so they will begin to gather information towards that end.

            They begin with the class reading the section on Marco Polo, followed by a discussion on this material.  The teacher used an app that randomly selected the student who would be called on to read from the book.  One of the students has only been in this country for a few months but read in English very well.  The teacher later told us that on his first day the other students applauded him for his reading skills.  After this group reading was done, the students received two handouts to read.  They were asked to read the material and then graphically organize the information into five categories; who, what, where, when, why and how.  The students worked quietly on this assignment individually for about twenty minutes.  Then they were told to work in small groups to share the information that they found.  Once they had discussed the information for about fifteen minutes, they were given another handout to help them organize the information into working sentences to help contrast their essays later in the week.

            Throughout the whole, lesson the teacher offered help and advice.  There was a very friendly atmosphere in the classroom and you could tell that the students and the teacher respected each other.  The students seemed to enjoy the class a lot and did not attempt to waste time.  There were no incidents of bad behavior during the whole class.  Overall, it seemed a very enjoyable class room in which a lot of material covered and very little time wasting occurring.  The teacher was capable, and she able to keep students on task as well as projecting a friendly and safe environment for learning to take place.