Second Observation

On my second observation I observed a 7th grade science class and an 8th grade math class. I was immediately surprised when I walked into the 7th grade science class, because the first thing I noticed was that they used folding outdoor tables as desks. The tables looked old and dirty, and I was shocked that they didn't use normal desks. I also noticed that the classroom had a good amount of technology that included a smart board, 6 computers, 2 laptops, 4 microscopes, and a t.v. I also observed that the students were in groups and were taking turns going to the different centers that were set up in the classroom. One center was a smartboard that had a learning activity about the microscope, another center had real microscopes and samples for the students to examine, and  another center had a virtual museum for the students to explore. There were also two other centers where the students could work directly with the teacher and student teacher to ask questions. The teacher talked to me about the centers and mentioned that he didn't understand why most middle/high school teachers didn't use centers when they work so well. From my observations, the centers were a big success. It gave the students the freedom to work alone, work in groups, and work one on one with the teacher. It appeared that this variety kept the students attention and encouraged them to learn.

The next class I observed was an 8th grade Algebra class. This classroom had a smartboard, which was being used to display math problems, and four computers. I also noticed that only a couple of the students were using calculators. When I asked the teacher about allowing students to use calculators she mentioned that only a couple have access to calculators at home, so she offers time after school and during lunch for them to use calculators to complete homework.

Overall, my second impression of the school was much better than my first impression. While I did notice some unruly behavior, it wasn't as bad as on my first visit.

My First Observation

My first observation at the school was on Monday February 7th and while there I observed two different classrooms. Upon entering the school I was surprised that they seemed totally unprepared for my arrival. The secretary asked me if I knew which class I wanted to observe and seemed frustrated that the principal had not left any instructions for her. I told her that I was fine with observing any class, so she escorted me to a 6th grade social studies class. The teacher was very welcoming and told me that I could take a seat in the back of the classroom. It was near the end of class so I was only able to observe about 20 minutes of class, but I learned a lot during that short period of time. The students were supposed to be working quietly while answering questions from their book, but instead they were talking loudly and kept getting out of their seats. The teacher was very frustrated and told them many times to quiet down and finish their work so they could watch part of a movie. Once she turned the movie on the students continued to be loud and disruptive and did not seem to care when she told them to be quiet. The total lack of respect for the teacher was shocking! The teacher was obviously frustrated and looked at me numerous times with a look of pure exhaustion and hopelessness. During class change she told me she was sorry that her class behaved that way but that was the normal behavior for her classes that are after lunch. This was shocking because I thought I just happened to be there on a bad day. I stayed in her classroom to observe the next class period and the behavior was even worse than in her previous class. The students were passing notes, talking, changing seats, and even screaming during part of the movie. The teacher told one extremely talkative student that she was going to send her to the office numerous times if she continued to be disruptive, but she never followed through with the punishment.
During that first visit I also took note of the condition of the classroom. The teacher has a Smartboard but she usually uses it to display questions or movies. There were four computers in the back of the classroom, but it didn't appear that they were used often. I also noticed that the clock did not work and that the classroom pencil sharpener was one of the individual ones you can buy for 50 cents at most stores. You could tell that the teacher had tried to make the classroom look pleasant by hanging up a few posters and decorations, but the overall appearance of the room was not nearly as nice as the schools I have been to in the past.
Overall, my first impression of the school was very negative for many reasons including the bad behavior of the students and the lack of a nice school environment. I feel sorry for the teachers, staff, and students for having limited funds and resources that I feel are needed to promote success in our modern day world. I hope that the school will eventually be able to find a way to better their school and give their students more initiative to go to school everyday and get good grades. While my experience was not enjoyable, I know that observing at the school is going to be a wonderful learning experience that I can definitely learn a lot from.