Formal Observation #2

Classroom Diversity, Social Justice

EDTE 255 requires the prospective teacher candidate to complete 10 specific classroom
observations. The observations are intended to help you focus on issues of importance in
California schools. Before starting this observations reflection, read through the questions and
prompts below. This will give you an idea of what to look for and what kinds of information to
collect for your second formal report.

This particular formal observation reflection focuses on classroom diversity and social justice
practices. In other words, we want you to report on what you have observed in at LEAST
THREE of the last five videos regarding the learners in the videos - similarities and differences
that reach beyond ethnicity - as well as how a more just and equitable learning environment
was created and supported in the classroom.

While possibly re-watching some of the last 5 video(s), watch OR reflect back on and take
notes on all that you see/remember related to the main topic of this assignment. 1st in your
group, you will answer all of the questions WITH your group members (meaning, DO NOT
SPLIT UP THE WORK BUT RATHER PUT YOUR MINDS TOGETHER TO ANSWER THE
QUESTIONS) THEN….on your own you will write a summary report in narrative format (no
more than a couple of pages, double-spaced) providing information about, and addressing
ideas from the reflection questions below.

PART ONE WILL BE DONE IN CLASS WITH YOUR GROUP…YOU CAN LABEL THIS:

FORMAL OBSERVATION PART ONE- GROUP WORK

As a group, answer the following questions: *If your videos you are synthesizing to answer
the prompts below do not have evidence to support your answer, use the video as evidence to
say HOW they COULD have included…

● Describe the class demographics in the video(s) you are choosing to use for your
evidence.. CITE SPECIFIC VIDEOS and talk about the similarities and differences of the
class demographics of at least three of the videos. Think broadly about student
differences going beyond race and ethnicity. What appeared to be the range of ability
levels, socioeconomic differences, languages spoken, personalities, etc. that were
present among the students? CITE SPECIFIC VIDEOS
● How did the teachers engage and support ALL students in their lessons? If they did
NOT include all students, how COULD they have (cite missed opportunities from the
videos)
● Did instruction involve students exhibiting a variety of learning styles/preferences?
Which mode of learning seemed to be most effective? How were different learning
styles/preferences being addressed? Give specific examples and CITE SPECIFIC
 VIDEOS.
● How actively involved were students in the learning process, focus, and activities? CITE
SPECIFIC VIDEOS. WHY do you think there was that involvement or lack of
involvement (through the lens of social justice)
● Was there personal choice in learning?CITE SPECIFIC VIDEOS
● Were funds of knowledge evident and accessed with parts of the learning cycle? CITE
SPECIFIC VIDEOS with the evidence or missed opportunity.
● Did students know why they were doing what they were doing? What indicators or
examples did you notice? CITE SPECIFIC VIDEOS
● How did the teacher work with a variety of students, such as the reluctant learner? The
shy student? The English learner? The physically/emotionally/academically challenged
student? CITE SPECIFIC VIDEOS
● Did it appear that the teachers modified instruction to best serve the needs of culturally
diverse students? What evidence, if any, can you report? CITE SPECIFIC VIDEOS
● Did you observe any instances of students being excluded from learning because their
needs were not being met? How was this displayed? How did it seem to impact the
student and their behavior during instruction? CITE SPECIFIC VIDEOS
● How was conflict resolution handled? Were restorative justice practices utilized? If so,
describe what you observed. CITE SPECIFIC VIDEOS of your evidence of this or missed
opportunity.
● What practices did you observe that helped to create and maintain a just and equitable
learning environment for all students? CITE SPECIFIC VIDEOS
● How did the teachers teach to the mind AND the heart of students? CITE SPECIFIC
VIDEOS

PART TWO WILL BE DONE ON YOUR OWN AFTER CLASS. YOU CAN TITLE THIS:

FORMAL OBSERVATION #2- REFLECTION SUMMARY

REFLECTION Summary: (use the questions below to write a 2-3 page MAX reflective paper
around the idea of classroom diversity and social justice practices- this is an individual
paper to be completed on your own-NOT with your group).

What personal challenges do you think you will face when teaching a diverse group of
students?

What have you learned about diversity in the classroom based on the videos you have
watched and your prior experiences with K-12 education in California?

Consider strategies used to engage diverse learners. Based on your prior field experiences
and what you have observed, compare and contrast the strategies observed in these
settings. If you were a student in the classes you observed, would your learning
style/preference needs have been addressed?

What thoughts do you have around social justice in the classroom? Anti-racist teaching
practices?
What ideas will you take with you?

What would you do differently in your own classroom?

Evaluation: Worth up to 20 points

There is not a “right” or “wrong” summary, just show true reflection in your writing. You will be
evaluated on the following criteria:

1. Timeliness: On time

2. Format: Title page, double-spaced, appropriate margins (1”), appropriate font size and type

(12 point font), in-text citations, reference page. 12 point font, times new roman.

3. Summary: Thoughtful, reflective and thorough summary

4. All the parts to the summary prompts are highlighted in your paper.
 Observation #2

Some of the challenges that I face when teaching a diverse group of students will be to

gain their trust, getting to know them and also giving them some freedom and flexibility. All of

this will be important because you have gained their respect, you will be their safe place and they

are going to feel like they can trust you with a lot of stuff and they are going to feel free

whenever they need some to talk to. As teachers you never know what a student is going through

outside of school and whenever they are at school you might be their only motivation and even

their only role model. There could be more times where you compare your past classes with your

class now and you realize that you are behind and you think that the problem might be you so

you start taking everything personal. That’s something that I learned from my mentor that I had

in high school and that’s when she told me that you should never take anything personal because

every class is different and that is totally okay.

Some of the stuff that I have learned is that every kid processes things differently and no

one should judge them at all. Because at the end of the day they might be getting the answers

right because there’s some kids that just because they want to be the first ones to answer they get

the answer wrong and the other student that took their time to solve the problem got the answer

right. Some of my prior experiences that I have been part of have been pretty good and it has

helped me to really know if teaching is really for me and after been a couple of days with some

classrooms and being around the students I got asked if teaching was still something that I

wanted to do, and I remember telling them that yes because I realized that I could be good at it.

My parents have told me before that I should practice with my little sister but I told them that I

wouldn’t be able to do that because I already know her and obviously she’s my sister. I wouldn't
really have the patience with her compared to some kids that I don’t know and all of that changes

a lot.

I haven’t experienced anything that has to do with racism in a classroom.I have seen

some videos that have to do with someone being racist to another person and honestly something

that shouldn’t be happening in this world, everyone should respect each other no matter what. Is

really hard to see even kids get bullied because they don’t speak English. I feel like in most of

the schools that I have been around they are pretty good at teaching them that everyone should

be treated the same no matter what. Something that I really like that one of the schools does is

that they have a spanish program and that is something important because it makes a lot of

students that only speak Spanish, so they feel comfortable knowing that a lot of students speak it

too and they are going to be able to communicate with others. Some kids are afraid to speak it in

public because they might be other people that will make fun of them.

I will take a lot of ideas with me since all of the videos that I have watched, it has really

helped me a lot to really see if teaching is really for me. Some of the ideas that I saw is that when

working with students and when they are doing an activity with groups you should always walk

around and stop with each group and ask them some questions to keep a conversation going and

to make sure that every student is staying on task and not getting distracted. Whenever you are

asking the students some questions it is good to have the students to raise their hands whenever

they want to speak because it is good to have the students talk one by one and it is good that

everyone should get their turn. Honestly right know I can’t really know exactly what I what to do

different in my own classroom but something that I do want to have in my classroom is a safe

place where they feel comfortable without having them worry about anything else, always have
fun is something really important, and try to have fun activities to do with them as a class during

the holidays. I feel like once I'm closer to having my own classroom I’m really going to know

what I want to do different.