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Classroom Observation Summary 1: Test Review

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Classroom Observation Summary 1: Test Review

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Today was a test review day where students discussed what they learned about different patterns in weather and how they can relate to Earth's position around the sun. At the beginning of class, the teacher, Mrs. K, made it a point to describe how patterns in nature can be analyzed just like patterns in mathematics and other subjects. This allowed the students to create connections across subject matter. She then encourages her students to think and talk like scientists and use the scientific process they have learned to review their "Artifact" project. Students worked in groups and then in pairs to find the review information and discuss their findings. Afterward, students shared the artifact answers as a class and made sure the reviewed material was correct.

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Classroom Observation Summary 2: Test with Diverse Learners

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Classroom Observation Summary 2: Test with Diverse Learners

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Today was the day students took their exam regarding the Patterns of Earth and Sky. Mrs. K created different scaffolds for all her students so they all had access to the test. All eleven diverse learner fifth graders are in the fourth-period general education science classroom. The first scaffold for the students is a video of someone reading the instructions and test questions to the entire class. Students were given three to five minutes between each audio reading to answer the question before moving on to the following audio reading. Next, each student could utilize their notes, and they were all granted access to the online program they used to review for the test. A second teacher in the room was assigned to work with one specific student to read the questions and explain what the question was asking. After reading the questions, they would dictate his answers. This student has a Specific Learning Disability in written expression, reading skills, and reading comprehension.

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Classroom Observation Summary 3: Properties of Matter - Size Comparison

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Classroom Observation Summary 3: Properties of Matter - Size Comparison

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Every Monday, students begin their science class by working on missing or center work to ensure assignments are completed. When students finish their missing work, they are directed to finish their exit ticket from their labs. After about fifteen minutes of independent work time, students were given an assignment to work on in pairs regarding the size of different parts of matter related to each other. When they finished, it was reviewed, and the class participated in a classroom meeting. This meeting is called "Class Circle," and students can practice different social and emotional learning opportunities by sharing different parts of their lives, resolving interpersonal conflicts between classmates, and thanking classmates for positive interactions.

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Classroom Observation 4: Experiment Part 1

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Classroom Observation 4: Experiment Part 1

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Today, the Spanish-only instruction class received two new students on the roster, and the teacher introduced herself before talking about the objectives and learning goals of the day. After explaining introductions and lab instructions, students began preparing their working stations for the lab experiment. Students are told to explore the topic of chromatography by watching a video and discussing it with their table groups. Students then make predictions for the experiment regarding a specific color presence in an ink sample and are given the materials to start the lab.

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Classroom Observation 5: Experiment Part 2

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Classroom Observation 5: Experiment Part 2

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Today, two more new students were added to the roster in the Spanish-only instruction class. Ms. K introduced herself and reviewed the class's rules and expectations. Many students had not finished the experiment the day prior, and the new students in the classroom were absent to review the project. Ms. K found a video representation of the chromatography experiment. She showed it to the class so that everyone could understand the experiment's main concepts, whether they had participated or not. The students discussed why this process would be necessary when it came to different dyes that could be present in food or inks. Students then connected the results to life examples, such as food's healthiness given synthetic colors. They related the chromatography of ink to how scientists could use the information to help determine evidence at a crime scene.

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Question 1: What strategies did you see the teacher use? How did the students respond? 

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Question 1: What strategies did you see the teacher use? How did the students respond? 

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Ms. K is a Positive discipline certified teacher and many of her classroom practices are influenced in this manner. During Observation 1, there was a student who was talking rather loudly, and Ms. K quickly reminded the student of expectations by asking them if the student was actively practicing self-control. The student reflected on their actions and responded that they thought they were in control of their bodily movements, but that maybe they they were talking too loud because they were excited to share their information with their partner.

Ms. K is a Positive discipline certified teacher, and many of her classroom practices are influenced this way. During Observation 1, a student was talking rather loudly, and Ms. K quickly reminded the student of expectations by asking them if the student was actively practicing self-control. The student reflected on their actions and responded that they thought they controlled their bodily movements but were talking too loud because they were excited to share their information with their partner.

Another strategy Ms. K has implemented in her classroom is to talk about the science of the brain using the book Our Brain Book, written by Christian Covius. He talks about the neuroscience of the brain so that people can practice self-regulation. He talks about a hand model that students can relate to when they are feeling calm and when they are feeling strong emotions. In this model, a calm brain is referred to as a "forward," and a brain experiencing strong emotions is "flipped." While observing the first day of the lab experiment, the classroom was starting to grow chaotic. Ms. K drew the class's attention with a rhythmic clap. Once the class gave attention to the teacher, she began talking to her students about the exuberant energy in the classroom. She related to the hand model and explained the situation with a reference to "mirror neurons" in the brain. She stated that it is incredible that the students are excited to do science but that everyone's mirror neurons are affecting the noise and behavior in the classroom. She instructed them to practice a few minutes of mindfulness to help turn their "flipped" brain into a "forward" one. The students took a few minutes to reflect and regulate themselves. When the student returned to the experiment, they were more mindful of their learning practices.

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Question 7: What concerns/questions do I have about teaching?

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Question 7: What concerns/questions do I have about teaching?

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One of my biggest concerns is teaching effectively. As an educator, I want to teach my students material that is appropriate for them to learn. I want to push my students to their potential and ensure they receive the best education, but I do not want to "push" them past a certain frustration level. Further, I want to ensure I am responsible for teaching the students grade-level material without over-modifying the work. My biggest concern is that I do not find the balance soon enough in my teaching career, and I "teach down" to the students instead of trying to build them up for success. One of my questions is, how can someone know whether they are successful or not in teaching effectively and in a way that is beneficial to their students?

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Question 5: How will you use what you learned in your future teaching practice?

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Question 5: How will you use what you learned in your future teaching practice?

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I plan on co-teaching in the future, and I believe that the positive approach to student interaction and community-based principles in the classroom will take my classroom to the next level because many of the diverse learners in the school "gush" at how much they love being in class with Ms. K. She has created an environment where all are welcome and have the autonomy to impact the learning of others positively. How discussion-based learning benefits all students, especially the Diverse Learner population. As a Social and Emotional Learning concept, I plan on utilizing the idea of dedicated class meetings during the week to address the different needs of students and allow them an extra space to create a stronger community. I see the success of this teacher for all students because she has dedicated her teaching approach to creating a welcoming and engaging environment suitable for everyone.

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Question 4: How did the classroom environment support diverse learners? 

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Question 4: How did the classroom environment support diverse learners? 

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As mentioned in Observation 2, this teacher has ensured that all students can succeed on exams with different supports and accommodations. Another way that she supports Diverse Learners in the general education setting is through multiple discussion-based learning and collaboration. When referencing the observations from the test preparation, the students can all contribute to the learning environment because of an activity the teacher conducts. First, when completing their "artifact" paper study guide, students work with their table groups, and then later, they participate in a "Mix and Mingle" activity. This activity allows students to leave their seats, take notes, share their group's findings with their classmates, and change their answers. This collaborative learning method allows all students to participate in the learning experience actively, and the Diverse Learner students can share their knowledge orally with their classmates. Further, this practice helps maintain an atmosphere where multiple modes of communicating knowledge are accepted and utilized.

To learn more about how this teacher supports Diverse Learners, I asked her about other support systems she uses for her students. Ms. K stated that science is a very visual subject in her classroom, so she regularly provides videos, picture examples, and the option for some students to demonstrate their knowledge through graphical methods. These close systematic details allow students to access and demonstrate an understanding of the material differently. Ms. K stated that illustrating and orally communicating the main ideas of a given topic "keeps the same workload but allows a different mode to give information."

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Question 6: Connect what you saw and heard in the classroom with our class discussions, activities, and readings from last quarter. 

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Question 6: Connect what you saw and heard in the classroom with our class discussions, activities, and readings from last quarter. 

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The most significant components I observed regarding themes covered in the previous semester are Module 5 (Communication, Collaboration), Module 7 (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion), and Module 8 (Classroom Environment, Organization, and Management). Regarding communication and collaboration, this teacher has made it a priority to ensure that the needs of her diverse learners are met. In an interview, Ms. K stated that she always keeps her IEP "cheat sheets" near her whenever she plans lessons and tests and thinks about different strategies that would benefit all 100 of her students. She, along with the special education teacher, has made arrangements for various procedures and accommodations to be met for all students, including audio of the questions read aloud and arranging for a paraprofessional or another teacher to be present for the student's success that needs the most support.

Regarding Diversity, Equity, and Management, this teacher makes it a point to discuss diversity in multiple ways. When she introduced herself to the five new students in the week, she talked to them about accepting others. She spoke about her disability, Cerebral Palsy, and the difficulties she has faced and talked about how our differences make everyone stronger. She made it a point to briefly ask the students to state where they are from by raising their hands when she called out a country. She explained that some similarities and differences help build a strong community. Likewise, Ms. K's principles are driven by a strong sense of community for the classroom environment, as mentioned heavily in question 5.

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Question 2: What did you enjoy about the lesson? Why?

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Question 2: What did you enjoy about the lesson? Why?

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My two favorite lessons I observed were Observation 2 (Test with the Diverse Learners) and Observation 5 (Experiment Part 2). Although the teacher taught no specific lesson on the test day, I enjoyed seeing how this teacher ensured equity for all students in her classroom. Regardless of ability, every student could successfully access the test with accommodations, modifications, and supports. I liked how Ms. K asked the Special Education Team and Administration to provide a paraprofessional to dictate the student responses on the test day so that the student could share their knowledge on the topic tested. This student, who has trouble writing his thoughts down, was able to explain his understanding of gravity, constellations, and patterns in nature.

I enjoyed the second day of the experiment because the students could focus on the key learning objectives for the day and discuss the findings of what they learned. They connected the information that was talked about on the first day regarding the dyes in food to food that they wanted to try to test for specific chemicals. The students also worked collaboratively in a community-like setting where they actively helped each other to understand the process. One of the quotes that Ms. K shared was, "As a class team, we are not succeeding if the person next to us is struggling. If you know how to help your neighbor, please make our class team stronger by aiding them." Students sitting next to one of their five new classmates showed them where the materials were. Others helped them write post-experiment notes on the experiment. Furthermore, all students were able to have access to the learned outcomes of the project through the video, looking at the results of their peers and discussing the implications of chromatography.

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Question 3: What did you wish you had seen? Why? 

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Question 3: What did you wish you had seen? Why? 

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I wish I had seen how the experiment differed between the Spanish-only instruction class and the class with all of the 5th-grade Diverse Learners. The teacher stayed consistent with her different supports, and the overall lesson would have been the same. However, I followed up with Ms. K about how she would ensure that the student who struggles with writing their responses, and she stated that she uses two strategies. She will either write their words on a whiteboard for them to copy or in highlighter on the page so that they can trace the letters. I would have also liked to see how the classroom community differed in helping each other out so that no one was falling behind in the experiment. I can only imagine that the students from the general education population would have worked collaboratively with the Diverse Learner students because the sense of community is strong in this teacher's classroom. I wonder how the interactions between students would have differed.

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Interview Response 3: What is the teacher's advice to you as a new special educator?

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Interview Response 3: What is the teacher's advice to you as a new special educator?

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The critical components to a successful first couple of teaching years:

1. Academic content: Special education teachers must keep their students' expectations high. Many special education teachers over-modify and do not teach students grade-level material to their students. This mindset leads to some students becoming complacent with current levels without positive outlooks toward achieving more. Ms. W stated, "I get frustrated when other special education teachers teach down to their students because they don't believe their students can succeed. They can succeed, and they will if they are given the proper support, accommodations, and modifications. These students are capable of achieving grade-level material.

2. Celebrating small successes: As a special education teacher, celebrating successes reminds everyone that all the hard work is paying off. "Sometimes special education teachers need to reframe what it means to be a success - for yourself and your students," Said Ms. W. "Sometimes you must celebrate successes at a rate appropriate for individual students." This means a celebration could include a student holding a pencil properly after years of struggle or reading a short passage with decodable closed-syllable words.

3. Be okay with the fact that your work will never be done: Special education teachers frequently have many responsibilities, and the job demands are always in a consistent flow of "priority" tasks. Their work is hardly ever finished, and that is okay. Ms. W states, "Just because a specific task is not completed doesn't mean you are drowning. Do what you can and focus on the more important tasks first."

4. Ask for help when needed: Ms. W says, "Sometimes when things feel overwhelming, it is okay to ask for help. Don't silently wonder what to do. There are likely many different people who can and are willing to help you. Don't be scared to ask for help on how to do something. Please do if you need to reschedule or ask for an extension. Administrators and case managers can sometimes be the biggest help."

5. Relationship with parents: The ties that special education teachers build with the parents are a key to Diverse Learner education. Often, parents know their children in a higher capacity than anyone else. They can be your biggest ally in helping their student succeed. Likewise, Ms. K states, "Showing that you are invested shows that you will advocate for their children and can bridge the 'gaps' that can be created by the school systems."

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Interview Response 1: What are their job's daily demands, requirements, dynamics, pitfalls, possibilities, potentials, etc.?

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Interview Response 1: What are their job's daily demands, requirements, dynamics, pitfalls, possibilities, potentials, etc.?

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The demands and requirements of a special education teacher include:

Having your own lesson plans prepared: In a co-taught classroom, many times, the special education teacher should be thinking about how each lesson supports the needs of the Diverse Learning students in the classroom and to be prepared to understand the material so that they have multiple ways to help explain the assignments and topics covered in class. Preparing lesson plans can also benefit the special education teacher because if the general education teacher is sick, the special education teacher has already planned how to teach the class for the day.

Being willing to adapt: In the classroom, many different factors can play a part in changing plans; therefore, special education teachers should welcome change and be flexible in how their day can run. Sometimes, the special education teacher may receive plans or tests late from other teachers, so they may need to utilize different avenues to ensure they can get all their required work done effectively. They may also be required to work on various tasks during lunch so that they may accomplish different modifications to work.

The dynamics of a special education teacher include:

The ability to understand the dynamics of other adults: Special education teachers work with many different adults, including other teachers in the classroom. Understanding how to navigate the dynamics of interacting with additional general education teachers, paraprofessionals, and teacher's aids. Special education teachers need to build a trusting relationship and discuss intricate procedures such as which teachers take responsibility for different tasks and parts each teacher will "take on."

The ability to understand the dynamics of their students: Special education teachers often may be "in and out" of the classroom frequently and only see some students for a small portion of the day. Alternatively, the special education teacher could be the teacher that some students see the most throughout the day. A special education teacher needs to build strong relationships with their students so that the students want to learn with them. This is important because if students do not want to work with their special education teacher for multiple reasons, they may not receive the necessary information to succeed in the class.

The pitfalls of a special education teacher include:

Working with so many different adults: Many times, the workload for a special education teacher can include many other factors for the success of their students. Sometimes in a given week, there is not enough time to complete everything. Specifically, Ms. W stated, "Sometimes, if I focus on all of the work I need to complete with other adults on the Special Education Team, then I am not able to focus on all of the work I need to complete with the teachers on the General Education Team and vice versa." This means that there is a challenging balancing act that all special education teachers must do when working with so many different adults and teachers.

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Interview Response 2: What are their job's "great" and "not so great" parts?

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Interview Response 2: What are their job's "great" and "not so great" parts?

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The "great" parts:

Making a lasting impact: Special education teachers can make a huge difference in a student's education, which can impact their life. This positive relationship can change how students view education and their role in succeeding. Additionally, they can be a student's favorite teacher and build a strong relationship of trust. This trust can sometimes be shown in how some students interact. Sometimes, students will "open up" to their special education teacher to tell them about different situations in their lives that are affecting them, or the students will describe the special education teachers' uniquely interesting details or jokes. Ms. W joyfully expressed, "Some students consistently make me handmade gifts.

The "not so great" parts:

Time: Sometimes, as a special education teacher, the time available to work on projects is insufficient because many essential tasks must be completed in a week. One of the biggest struggles is the balance given the time. Ms. W expresses, "Sometimes I wish I had six more hours in the day and two of me to finish all of my work." She also notes that the limited time in a school day can negatively impact the amount of planning time available to collaborate with other adults and teachers.

Paperwork: Special education teachers have many different types of paperwork that they must fill out daily, weekly, and monthly. The paperwork can be very time-consuming to fill out and could easily be forgotten if someone does not keep track of everything effectively.

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Thoroughly reflect upon your observation and interview. Please share your thoughtful reflections, complete this portion of the assignment, and share findings in a manner that fits your learning style: video (with or without visuals), chart, slides (with or without narration or music), visual representation using technology (Padlet), etc.

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Extra Materials: Community Circle Power Point

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Extra Materials: Community Circle Power Point

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Extra Materials: Discussions and Discussion Norms

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Extra Materials: Discussions and Discussion Norms

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Pastel Colorful Class Expectations Poster (7).pdf

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Extra Materials: Unit Overview for Observations 1 and 2

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Extra Materials: Unit Overview for Observations 1 and 2

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The Earth System @Home Family Overview.pdf

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Extra Materials: Unit Overview For Observations 3, 4, and 5

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Extra Materials: Unit Overview For Observations 3, 4, and 5

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Modeling Matter @Home Family Overview.pdf

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For Part 2: Educator Interview, two individuals were interviewed; the general education teacher, Ms. K, and the special education teacher, Ms. W. They gave insightful feedback regarding their responsibilities for Diverse Learners.