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                                 Interesting Experiences I had!

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                                 Interesting Experiences I had!

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Throughout my observation at the elementary level I had quite a few interesting interactions and experiences. The most exciting part out of all of it would have been when I got to run a few centers and actually have the opportunity to teach a few activities. On the first day I was in charge of a short lesson called "Story Starters" where I made up a 30 second story and when the timer went off it was up to the students to continue the story on their paper. I was a little nervous at first because I had to come up with something off the top of my head! However, with a little help from the students it went very smoothly. Another cool experience I had was on the last day, I helped groups of students put together a game called Q-bitz. It was interesting to watch the children try to solve the puzzle and help those around them when they were stuck. This experience with Mrs. Thompson's 1st graders is surely something I will always remember and I look forward to applying a few of the teaching techniques I picked up on in my future career.

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                                 School Atmosphere

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                                 School Atmosphere

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The overall atmosphere of the school was very delightful! From the moment I arrived at Meadowlark Elementary I was given a warm welcoming from the office assistant Mrs. Harvey. When I was in the office a student even came up to me and asked if I wanted to pet her stuffed penguin. So, from my first moment I felt very welcomed and excited to be at the school. I was given a visitor’s badge and directions to Mrs. Thompson's first grade class I would be observing. As I walked down the halls several teachers said good morning to me with a smile on their face, from that I knew I was going to have a pleasant experience in this school. Once I arrived in the classroom I was welcomed by Mrs. Thompson and was introduced to the class. The students seemed to all be in high spirits and excited to start their day. Mrs. Thompson's classroom was full of fun and colorful decorations with several areas that showcased students work. I could tell just from looking around the class that Mrs. Thompson was a fun teacher who cared about each and everyone of her students. On all three of my visits at Meadowlark I felt very welcomed by each and every person I had an interaction with, there was never a moment when I felt uncomfortable at the school. Overall, Meadowlark Elementary was a very enjoyable place to observe, the school was most definitely a great place for students to learn and have fun!

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                 Student-teacher and Student-student Interactions

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                 Student-teacher and Student-student Interactions

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Student-teacher interactions: Mrs. Thompson did a very good job at engaging all students to make sure nobody felt left out. She created a positive climate with some great instructional learning formats. She engaged students in several ways such as having students sit on the floor in front of the smart board as they followed along to reading and other activities. I also noticed that she was good at behavior management, when someone was doing something they shouldn’t or off task she was able to redirect the misbehavior into a positive direction. For most of the hours I observed the class was very focused on group work, everyone worked together as a whole class on all things there wasn’t much individual or busy work so to say. She made sure everyone was included and every person got a turn to give answers. I did notice that the class had a very set routine but still managed to provide fun and excitement, so it wasn’t repetitive every day. Mrs. Thompson also offered a lot of emotional support. She was warm and definitely had very supportive relationships with each and everyone of her students. Just from the few days I spent in the class you could tell that the students really liked their teacher and enjoyed coming to school.

Student-student interactions:
There was a lot of student-student interaction in the classroom and I loved it! All of the students talked among each other helping each other with their work. For a lot of the activities, like when they sat on the floor and followed along to the lesson, Mrs. Thompson would take short breaks between topics to have the students turn to their shoulder partner and discuss things then call on random students to share their ideas. Allowing students to discuss among themselves before being called on gave the potential for one answer to generate deeper thinking processes. This also really encouraged students to work together to get to a bigger idea! All of the students worked together and nobody left anyone out which is a big deal when you are in first grade, nobody wants to be the odd kid out. On my last day one girl tripped and fell over a chair and several students ran to her side to help her up and make sure she was alright, it really showed me that the students cared for one another.

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                 The Teaching and Learning Environment

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                 The Teaching and Learning Environment

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The general environment of the classroom was very inviting. During each of my 3 visits to Mrs. Thompson’s class you could tell that each of the students felt comfortable with a sense of belonging. During group activities all the students worked together and everyone seemed equally encouraged to tackle challenges and ask questions. Mrs. Thompson herself, was a very upbeat teacher who brought a great deal of enthusiasm to the students providing a stress free, positive and engaging learning environment. During my hours in the classroom the students would sometimes start to get a little distracted and when this occurred Mrs. Thompson would have everyone stand up and she would play a Go-Noodle video to get them moving and expel their excess energy. I personally thought this was a very neat way to give the students a quick brain break! Mrs. Thompson brought many positive elements to her classroom with both humor and fascination, the learning environment she has created in her class is outstanding.