ASSIGNMENT 1 (Observations): After arrival, take a seat in a nonintrusive location to begin your

classroom observations. Complete the questions below:

Observation 1: What are your first impressions of the classroom environment? Is it warm, inviting,
organized, etc? Describe the physical environment in detail.
My very first impression of the classroom was, “woah, this place is huge!” The last class I observed was a first-
grade classroom at a different school. That classroom was incredibly small to the point where there was hardly
any walking space for the teacher. But this class was massive. There was a large area for 6 groups of tables plus
another large, carpeted area where the kids had their own dots to sit on in front of a projector. In addition to this,
there was another part of the room that was tile, designated for sink and bathroom space; yes, the class had its
own bathroom. I was shocked at the size of the class. Another impression was that the room was very busy, with
numerous amounts of posters covering every wall around the classroom.

Observation 2: Please describe the student make-up of the class, including gender, ethnicity, ELL,
students with physical challenges, and any other apparent attributes that are important to note.
The class was very diverse in ways of race, gender, and ability level. There was a total makeup of 20 students.
Two were African American, 6 were of Asian descent, and the rest was of white descent or mixed. There were 11
girls and 9 boys. After speaking with Mrs. Spory, she had informed me that 5 are in Special Education and 7 have
IEP’s.

Observation 3: What are the posted class rules in the room? (Exactly as written)
“Kind Kindergarteners”
Use Kind Words
Use Kind Hands
Use Kind Hearts

Observation 4: Does the teacher enforce these posted rules? Are rewards or consequences being used
for compliance or noncompliance?
Mrs. Spory always reminds the kindergarteners to be kind. If she sees them fighting, she will ask them to use kind
words. She also rewards the students who are in special ed with stickers, as requested by the special education
curriculum, or the rest of the students with dojo points, when they are being kind kindergarteners.

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ASSIGNMENT 2 (Classroom Layout): Use graph paper or drawing software to create an accurate
overhead view, labeled drawing, of your assigned classroom before answering the questions below

Classroom Layout Question 1: Describe the workflow of the room. Is the space used efficiently?
Every single area of the room is being used efficiently. Mrs. Spory believes in constantly moving the kids so that
she does not lose their focus. So, they have a 10-to-15-minute lesson on the carpet, then a 5-to-10-minute fast
practice at their desks. She will constantly have them switch between the areas throughout the day to ensure that
they are not in one space, losing concentration and keeping them focused.

Classroom Layout Question 2: In your opinion, how can the physical arrangement of the room be
improved?
The first two weeks the desks were placed in a way that closed the classroom and created two whole different
areas. I thought that it would look better if it was placed differently to open the classroom and connect the two
areas. But when I came in on my third week, Mrs. Spory rearranged the desks and did exactly what I thought she
should do, which was open the desks to connect the room. So, improvements were made while I was there.

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ASSIGNMENT 3 (Instruction): Observe any instructional time in your assigned classroom, and record
your observations when presented with the questions below:

Instruction Question 1: What is the posted daily schedule for different subjects or periods? >>>
Arrival 8:00
Reading 8:15
Writing 9:50
Lunch 10:30
Math 11:00
Library 12:25
Snack 1:15
Science 1:25
Dismissal 2:11

Instruction Question 2: Is instruction done in small groups, centers, whole groups, individual? >>>
At the beginning of the day, students put away their belongings and immediately go to their centers, which are
posted on the board when they walk in. Each center is different, focusing on reading, writing, math, or art. After
centers, the class meets on the carpet for a whole group lesson. Throughout the lesson, Mrs. Spory will have
them work in groups for “talk about it,” or go to their desk for a 10-minute individual practice. Overall, however,
direct instruction is done in whole groups.

Instruction Question 3: How would you describe your cooperating teacher’s teaching style? >>>
Mrs. Spory’s teaching style is very direct but flexible. She is direct in a way that every day was the same, so the
students had a routine that they are used to. By flexible, I mean that if a student was having a hard day, she will
always have something in her back pocket that could make it easier for the child. In addition to this, Mrs. Spory
shows love and care to her students. Her students are constantly telling her that they love her, draw pictures of
her, and write notes for her. She’ll do the same thing back for them. I noticed that whenever the students leave,
Mrs. Spory will remind them that she loves and cares about them.

Instruction Question 4: Does the teacher incorporate the sensory modalities (learning styles)? If so, give
examples. >>>
Mrs. Spory incorporates all learning styles, visual, aural, but especially kinesthetic. During her class lessons, she
uses videos. These videos are often songs about their lesson. This is a good way for students to see what they
are learning, but also hear what they are learning. Mrs. Spory also uses a lot of body movements for learning
words and spelling. For example, she uses arm parts as parts of the word, and then the whole arm as the whole
word. She also has them stand up and stomp for each sound of a word, then jump for the word sounds together. I
noticed this is very efficient because when a student tries to spell by themselves, they will use their arm or stomps
to break up the sounds and put them together.

Instruction Question 5: Do the students seem engaged in the lesson(s) that are being presented? Please
explain. >>>
I was shocked at the fact that every student was engaged in the lessons. They would know all the songs and sing
along to them, they would remember the books and read along, and they would raise their hands and fight to
answer or ask questions.

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Instruction Question 6: Are there any students isolated from the rest of the class for any reason? Why?
>>>
There is one student isolated from the rest of the class, named Christian. Christian has autism and has a very
hard time in a general education class, for which he gets distracted and overstimulated very easily by the
surroundings, fellow classmates, and instructions of his teachers. If he had enough of a lesson and is unable to
focus, he sits at his desk with headphones on and plays educational games on his iPad.

Instruction Question 7: Is instructional time managed efficiently? Please explain

Yes, time is managed very efficiently. Mrs. Spory follows a strict schedule and uses timers to make sure they are
on schedule. She ensures that the children have movement every 15 minutes so that they do not lose focus.

Instruction Question 8: How does the cooperating teacher handle transitions from one subject or period
to another, and are these transitions efficient? >>>
Mrs. Spory uses timers and songs for transitions. For example, at the end of centers, Mrs. Spory will play the
cleanup song. The students will immediately start cleaning, put their centers away, and meet at the carpet at their
designated dots. She also uses timers for student practice time. After a lesson, she will give the students 10
minutes to do their individual work and put a 10-minute timer up on the projector. When the timer goes off, the
students know to turn in their work and meet at the carpet.

Instruction Question 9: List ways that the teacher attempts any “attention getting” commands? (Ex:
Countdown, Light flicker, Heads on Desk) How effective are they? >>>
Mrs. Spory uses a bell as her main attention getter. Whenever the students are being loud and rowdy, she will
sound her bell and the students will have a “reset” where they stop talking and listen to Mrs. Spory for directions.

Instruction Question 10: What specific behavior issues does the teacher have to deal with? How does the
teacher deal with these behavior issues? Be specific. >>>
The main behavior issues that Mrs. Spory must deal with are crying, fighting, and not focusing. Kindergarteners
are still learning how to share their attention, so a lot of them still cry when they are not called on or not chosen to
do something. Also, the kindergarteners also are learning to cope with their feelings, and therefore tend to fight or
argue with their fellow classmates. Lastly, kindergartners do not have a long attention span, so they often get
distracted very easily and therefore lose focus. Mrs. Spory uses “that’s a sad story,” when a student cries or does
not get their way to show that she understands they are sad. She also allows students who are upset to walk
away to their desk and have time to calm down. If a student is having a difficult day overall, she allows them time
to themselves in a corner with fidgets like spinners, pop its, and hourglasses.

Instruction Question 11: Are there any policies or procedures in place that help or hinder instructional
time? If so, explain them and how they help or hinder use of instructional time. >>>
The amount of standardized testing interferes with student classroom time.

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ASSIGNMENT 4 (Culture): Using the information provided below, carefully observe and evaluate the
culture of the school where you are assigned to observe. Remember you are evaluating the school for its
educational culture, place of learning, sense of safety, invitation for learning, promotion of self-
actualization, development of values and socialization.

Physical Characteristics: Look at the physical areas of the school to determine atmosphere, comfort, and
feelings the school creates for students in the educational setting.

1. Consider the school property: building, grounds, fencing, equipment, landscaping, trees, parking
lot, crosswalks, gates, signs and symbols. >>>
Twitchell Elementary was very interesting because it shares the same parking lot and school grounds
with Vanderburg Elementary, both facing each other. I noticed that Twitchell had an entire area
specifically for preschool and kindergarten families, where they have their own parking lot, pick up, and
entrance.

2. Next, study the interior of the school: halls, floor coverings, lighting, doors, windows, hall colors
and decorations and entrance security. >>>
I did not really get to walk around and see the entire school because I was in the kindergarten hall.
Twitchell had its own hall for kindergarteners called, “The Kindergarten Hall,” where the hall had
entrances to all the kindergarten classrooms and the kindergarten play area. I noticed that all the
classrooms were large, with carpet and tile. In addition to this, each kindergarten classroom had its own
bathrooms so that it was easier for the students to access the bathroom. In addition to this, each
classroom in the kindergarten hall had its own hall decorations of all their artwork.

Culture of the School: Read, listen and observe to determine the climate, values, and atmosphere within
the school.

1. Identify the school’s mission statement, motto, and mascot. >>>

Mission Statement: “All students will experience the opportunity for success and become confident, self-
directed learners. By building upon character and knowledge, we will nurture a passion for lifelong
learning.”
Motto: “Inspiring a Passion for Life-Long Learning”
Mascot: Timber Wolves

2. Analyze staff and visitor interactions in the main office. Note student and faculty interactions in
other areas of the school. >>>
The staff in the main office was great. They were welcoming to every visitor who walked in, with wide
open arms. I noticed that because of COVID-19, every visitor had to sign a health form and take their
temperature before being considered to go in. If they pass the health test, they sign a visitors form and
are walked to where they need to go.

3. Look at the formal practices: School bell schedule, and the grouping of students. (ie. grades,
block scheduling, periods) Does the school use inclusion, or a pull-out program for special
education students? >>>
Twitchell is an early start, early finish school. That means that school starts at 8AM and the students are
dismissed at 2PM. The grouping of the school is very interesting. Although I have only been in the
kindergarten hall, I was informed by staff that the students are grouped by halls for their grades. This
means that kindergarten has their own hall, and fifth grade has their own hall. I was also interested in
seeing that kindergarten had their own section of the school: their own parking lot, playground area,
classes, and more. Twitchell is all about inclusion for their special education students. Mrs. Spory
explained to me that Twitchell uses “push in” methods for special education students, meaning that these
students are pushed into a general education classroom for majority of their learning so that they are
offered the same experience as the rest of their classmates.

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 4. Observe student-to-student interactions, inside and outside of the building. Observe where
students gather to socialize – lunchroom, halls, playground, etc.
At the beginning of the day, all kindergarteners are dropped off to their kindergarten playground area.
This is where they get to do most of their play and socialization with other kindergartens who are not in
their class. When students get to class, they are assigned a seat and a dot so that exposure is limited, for
safety of COVID-19. Unfortunately, I was unable to see the lunchroom and lunch recess.

5. Examine school traditions, achievements and awards; community recognition or community

partners; extracurricular activities/clubs and athletics. Look for and document sources of
community pride and sense of identity through ceremonies, assemblies, trophies, and artifacts.
As I walked through the school to get to the kindergarten hall, I noticed that Twitchell enjoys recognizing
their students. Student schoolwork and artwork is posted throughout the halls to recognize their students.
Other extracurricular activities that are offered are music class, art class, and a limited number of sports.

Culture of the Classroom: Each classroom has its own culture and way of life.

1. Look for teacher(s) expectations for learning and success, interactions with students, and
his/her personality. >>>
Mrs. Spory’s focus of the classroom is her students. She ensures that her students are in a strict routine,
they are focused, but also, they are always feeling happy. I noticed that Mrs. Spory does not like when
the students are off track and routine, so she will say something like “Good Golly that’s a sad story!” Her
personality is very loving, always reminding her students that she loves and cares for them.

2. Evaluate the level of student participation in the class. Who participates? Who does not? What
modifications, accommodations, and/or inclusion techniques were observed? >>>
Student participation is key for Mrs. Spory, so she ensures that every student is always participating. At
the carpet, she gives each student a chance to participate by using name sticks. She will pull a stick with
a name on it and allow that student that chance to participate. She also ensures that all students are
singing along, watching the videos, and copying every movement. I noticed that the students are
constantly raising their hands to participate and get sad when they are not chosen. The only child that is
not participating would be Christian, who has autism and a hard time focusing.

3. Evaluate the interactions between teachers and students, rapport, cohesiveness, distribution
of power, tone, frequency and reinforcements. >>>
Mrs. Spory has a strict routine with her students, with her schedule and controlling their behavior. She
ensures that her students are always on schedule and are engaged with the lesson. One of the major
things I noticed about Mrs. Spory is the language she uses with her kindergarteners. For example, when
students are sad and crying, she will respond with, “That’s a sad sad story” so their behavior is
acknowledged but also ignored. She also uses “Good golly!” when the students are being rowdy, loud, or
not engaging. Mrs. Spory also loves to recognize her students. For example, when she is taking
attendance in the morning, she will have each student stand up and say their name, and make sure she
acknowledges them personally by saying, “Good morning, Jane” or “Good morning, Emily.” For
reinforcements, Mrs. Spory will acknowledge each student by saying something like “Wow, Emily, great
job!” or “Good work, Grace.” Finally, Mrs. Spory uses stickers and dojo points for reinforcements.

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ASSIGNMENT 5 (Cooperating Teacher Interview): Complete the questions below by interviewing your
cooperating teacher during a convenient time. Include any school documents that your cooperating
teacher will allow you to photocopy for your packet.

Interview Question 1: What was the primary reason you became a teacher? >>>
Both of my parents were teachers so that is really all I knew; I wanted to be just like them.

Interview Question 2: What are the main challenges you face as a teacher? >>>
There is a lot of paperwork that goes into teaching, there is a ton of mandates and state testing that you must
follow, even if you do not agree with it. This year, COVID-19 has been hard because society thinks that teachers
are miracle workers, but really teachers do not have any training or counselling for the hardships that come with
the pandemic.

Interview Question 3: What is the best part of being a teacher? >>>

My students. I love my kids so much.

Interview Question 4: How do you determine where students sit in class? >>>
You have to always keep in mind their gender, race, and levels, but also who they are friends with and who they
talk to the most. My secret is to find a student who does not have a lot of patience and pair them with a student
with lots of patience. This way, they balance each other out and the student with lots of patience will not get
overwhelmed.

Interview Question 5: How do you determine the members of any flexible groups? >>>
Data, academic levels, and their abilities.

Interview Question 6: Beyond standardized testing, what assessments do you use regularly? >>>
Listening, looking, observing them, and keeping tracking of their milestones.

Interview Question 7: What requirements are placed on you for reporting progress to parents? >>>
A monthly progress report must be sent home.

Interview Question 8: How often do you interact with a student’s parents in person, and what type of
discussions do you typically have? >>>
Some parents daily, others weekly. Usually, it concerns student progress or behavior

Interview Question 9: How much grading do you complete on a daily/weekly basis? >>>
3-4 hours a week.

Interview Question 10: How long does it take to prepare lessons for the day/week? >>>
5 hours per week.

Interview Question 11: What procedures or strategies do you use to maximize instructional time? >>>
You must have good classroom management.

Interview Question 12: What positive reinforcement programs have you had success with, and what
behavioral consequences seem most effective with this age group? >>>
ClassDojo points, positive praise

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Interview Question 13: How are specialist teachers involved in the instructional planning process? >>>
They are not really.

Interview Question 14: How often are you evaluated, and what measurement tool is used by the
administration for determining your teaching performance? >>>
Yearly for an official formal evaluation, but admin can walk in at any time to observe.

Interview Question 15: What consequences are there if your evaluation is not favorable? >>>
You receive assistance from coaches to correct the issue

Interview Question 16: What types of support do you receive instructionally, financially, or professionally
from the school, parent organization or school district to enhance instruction? >>>
Financially, I receive some support from PTA and parents. CCSD purchases very limited supplies for their
teachers. We have little to no professional development, especially since Covid.

Interview Question 17: What surprised you most about teaching as a profession?
The amount of paperwork.

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ASSIGNMENT 6 (Observing a student): Discretely observe one student in your assigned classroom
during an extended period of direct instruction. Detail what was going on in the environment, and what
you observed the student doing while the lesson was being given. Make sure to document ALL behavior
in relationship to what was being presented by the classroom teacher. Please describe the setting, the
lesson that was given, if the student was on task and engaged in the lesson, and what you uncovered
about putting yourself in a lesson from the student’s point of view.

After speaking with Mrs. Spory about this assignment, she suggested that I discretely observed a student

named Grace. She suggested Grace because of the unusual situation that she had with her in her class; Grace

has a twin named Emily and they are both in the same class. Grace is a high-level student while Emily is a low-

level student on a strict IEP plan. Mrs. Spory explained to me that twins are not recommended to be in the same

class because it can be very distracting for them; and she is right. Grace would consistently check up on Emily,

help her with her work, and sometimes even do Emily’s work for her. Although it’s a nice deed, she would tend to

lose focus on herself.

I observed Grace during a reading lesson about word parts and word sounds. Throughout my 10 hours

observation I noticed that Grace would always be involved, finishing her work, then helping her sister. However,

on this day that I was observing her, she had a rough day. She would not listen to Mrs. Spory or follow directions,

she would not participate in class, and she would consistently throw fits and cry at her desk. After going through a

rough reading lesson, Mrs. Spory pulled Grace aside and had a talk with her. She had time to herself and got to

calm down and process her feelings. Then they moved onto rhyming words. The rhyming word lesson was about

Christmas and Rudolph the Reindeer. I noticed that Grace began participating at the carpet during the class

instruction and was given dojo points for doing so. However, when it was time to do student practice, Grace

began to misbehave again. She sat at her desk and started coloring different pages, talking to her table mates,

and constantly checking up on her sister. When Mrs. Spory asked her to finish her independent work, she only

threw a fit. When it was time to go back to the carpet, Mrs. Spory again had asked her to sit at her seat to process

her feelings and finish her worksheet when she was ready. Grace, alone, finished her worksheet in no time

because she knew she could do it. She returned to carpet with the rest of the class.

Although Grace had a rough time when I was observing her, she overall is a great student. Throughout

the rest of my observations, I noticed that she is a very strong student when it comes to communication,

participation, and her overall academics. She knew her routines, she was one of the handful of students who

knew how to read, and she would be one of the first ones to finish her work. I personally think that if her twin

sister, Emily, was not in her class, she would have more time to focus on herself and her own achievements.

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ASSIGNMENT 7 (Summary): Thoroughly summarize and reflect upon your entire 10-hour Field
Observation Placement.

My 10 hours at Twitchell was one that I will never forget. I learned so much, more than I thought I would.

On the very first day, I was blown away by the staff interaction in the office. They were welcoming and ready,

already knowing that I was on my way and where I was going to be. When I first met Mrs. Spory, I was amazed at

how sweet she was both with me and her own students. Mrs. Spory always made sure that I was being

acknowledged and engaged with the class, and always ensuring that she was teaching me, and I was learning.

She placed me in groups with the kids so that I could see what they are doing and how they interact with one

another. She used me as examples in her lessons. She even partnered me up with her students for partner work.

Whenever there was a time that something new happened, Mrs. Spory would come up to me, explain what they

were doing, and why they were doing it. She would explain to me the different studies that science had on

children, why she believes in the studies, and how she implements it into her classroom. She would give me tips

and tricks for managing classroom behavior and parent interaction. She even gave me tips and tricks to help me

be successful in college and my future career as a teacher. In addition to this, Mrs. Spory taught me methods of

teaching that I was completely unaware about, like the “Better Alphabet” and “Secret Stories of Letters and

Sounds.” Although there were many methods, these two stuck with me and I will be sure to carry it on to my future

classroom. Lastly, the students were so loving and welcoming. They knew when I would be there, they knew

where I would sit, and they knew that I was observing them. Whenever I was given the opportunity to walk around

and them during their independent work, they would all raise their hands and call on my name in hope that I would

help them. On my last day, some of the students cried and hugged me. Even though I only spent 10 hours there, I

enjoyed my time at Twitchell, and I hope to be back there soon, but as an educator.

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