Classroom Observation #1: Tuesday, Sept. 13th

I waited to post this observation because I felt that it would be nice for the two teachers that I observed to see my observation notes before I posted them. For this observation I was allowed to observe the ELL teacher administering the reading and writing portion of the ACCESS test to a Kindergarten student who is an ELL and then I was allowed to observe a sixth grade student in the ELL program in her regular ed. Math class. It was a great experience. The notes are broken up into Notetaking and Notemaking. I could not insert columns, so I had to put the Notetaking first and the corresponding Notemaking (my reflections) after each section. My reflections are in bold and my notetaking is not.

9: 30 am – I arrived at Grace Christian to meet with Mrs. Martinez, the ELL teacher for the school. I had to go to the front office to sign in and wait for her to meet me there. The office area has a large desk which takes up most of the space. The waiting area, however, has enough space for several people. There are a lot of chairs and plants. The secretary had me sign in while she called Mrs. Martinez to the office.

The front office had a very home-like feeling. It was almost like a home office with a waiting room. The chairs in the waiting room were very comfy. Also, I liked that the waiting room was almost partitioned off. Sometimes when you are in a waiting room just staring at the lady behind the desk, it gets a little uncomfortable. In this case the people waiting have a little privacy.

9:32 am –Mrs. Martinez met me in the office. She led me out some doors into a small courtyard area. We entered the first door on the right which was the library. The library was not very big, but was filled with books and colorful posters. There were a few round tables in the center and the librarian’s desk in the back. Mrs. Martinez’s office is behind the librarian’s desk. We went into the office and she explained that she was going to be administering the reading and writing part of the ACCESS test to her kindergartners individually. She explains that I will observe her administering the ACCESS to Student J2 and then she has scheduled me to observe another ELL student, a sixth grader, in her regular ed. Math class with Dr. C. The student, Student E, has been struggling in the class and Mrs. Martinez felt that it might help to have an extra set of eyes observing her. Martinez explained that she thought this would be a nice substitute for an observation of her teaching a group of ELL students since she is still testing and has not begun teaching yet. (She mentioned her hopes of finished testing by the end of this week.)

I really like that her office is in the library. She has easy access to a lot of resources and libraries are always so nice and happy.

9:35 am – Mrs. Martinez left the office to get Student J2. While she was gone I caught up on my notes.

9:37 am – Mrs. Martinez returned with the student and explained that I could not take notes during the testing. She also explained that Student J2, who is in kindergarten, had already taken the Listening and Speaking part of the test. I put my notes away and observed the test.

I agree that I should not take notes while he is testing. I may make him nervous and this is a very private time.

9:38 am – Mrs. Martinez explained to the student that he would be taking the reading and writing portion of the test and that all she wanted was for him to do his best. She also asked him some specifics about his family. She made a personal connection.

I love that she shows the students she really cares about them, both in and out of school. I am sure the students feel more relaxed because of this.

9:40 am – 10:00 am – TESTING
(Mrs. Martinez made sure to speak very slowly and clearly during the whole test. She also made sure to give encouragement often.)

I really like the positive reinforcement and her patience. She gives a lot of praise. The student really seems to like her as well.

10:00 am – After the test Mrs. Martinez looked for her stickers but could not find them so she promised J2 that he would get 2 stickers the next time she saw him. Then, she took student J2 back to class. I got my notes out so I would be prepared when she returned.

The student seems proficient in his listening and speaking. He spoke very well and followed oral directions well. He seems a little shy though. It was sweet.

10:02 am – Mrs. Martinez came back to her office and we discussed J2’s proficiency. He had some trouble with the reading section and a bit more trouble with the writing. She explained to me that he had scored exceptional on his listening and speaking sections, so they will focus on reading and writing a bit more in his LSP. We discussed using the test to identify the Can Dos and using those for the LSP. We also briefly discussed the test.

Mrs. Martinez explained that the skills are usually acquired in that order: listening, speaking, reading and writing.
I did notice during the writing test that he did not seem to try to hard when he was not sure. His confidence may be a little low. If he had sounded out the words, he may have been able to write more. As of now he stops at the first letter. It is also important to remember, though, that he is still learning to read and write period. He is in kindergarten.

(I do not feel comfortable describing the test because of the more confidential nature. However, I do want to address one question I had for Mrs. Martinez. During the reading section there was a point where Student J2 had made a mistake. At this point she stopped the test even though they had not finished it. During the writing test there was one point where the student made small mistake but the test was not stopped. A section later the student was really struggling and the testing was stopped. I asked her how she made the decision to stop the test and why. She explained that the test itself is set up that way. There are sections that instruct the test administrator to stop the test if a student scores below a certain number.

I do not know the exact reasons for stopping the test like this, but I believe stopping the test when the student begins to have troubles is good. This way the student will not become overly frustrated or depressed or anxious. Also, it can be inferred that the student will continue to have trouble in later sections of the test as the test becomes harder. It seems that the test is set up to progress from easy to hard.

10: 05 am – Next, we discussed Mrs. Martinez’s schedule. She works at both GC Elementary and Hawkins Elementary. She is at GC on Tuesdays and Thursdays. She goes to Hawkins on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. She only has 15 ELL students at GC and she has 25 ELL students at Hawkins. Also, the daily schedule at GC makes it easier for her to see all her students both days she is at the school. Once she is finished with all the testing she will begin having classes. She pulls small groups during the activity time at the school. At Grace Christian each grade level has a separate activity time, so she can see all the ELL students in their separate grade level groups. At Hawkins it is harder because the activity times are shared by two grade levels at a time. For example, the 6th and 4th grades have the same activity time. However, the ELL students she has in the 6th are at a different level of proficiency than those in the 4th. So, she must take turns with the grade levels.

I can see how it must be hard to make sure she works with the students enough but not take away all their activity time. If they lost most of their activity time, then her sessions with them would seem more like a punishment. This really stresses her because she is working so hard to make sure they each get the time and attention they need, but she does not want them to miss all of their activity time. She wishes Hawkins would work out an activity schedule more like Grace Christian. Really, I think they should have an ELL teacher for each school, but I understand that the schools are smaller and the number of ELLs is not too high.

During this time I made sure to really look at her room. She has been moved several times at this school so her office is not fully decorated at the moment. She has decided not to put up all her posters because she is afraid she may move again. However, her room is still very colorful. She has a bunch of games that she uses with the students. She has stickers and books everywhere along with her files, a small desk with a computer and a small, round table in the center of the office. Even though the office is a bit smaller, she is still able to utilize the library when she meets with her grade level groups if there are more than one or two.

I really like her office. It is a bit cluttered, but it is also very inviting.

I loved using games with my students to help them with their grammar. I believe games are a good way to teach certain things because the students almost do not even realize they are learning and they internalize more because they are having fun.

I love that she has access to the library.

10:22 am – Mrs. Martinez took me to a sixth grade Math class so I could observe the teacher and the ELL student in that class. This is her only 6th grade ELL student. She has been struggling in her Math class. As we walked out of the library we entered a small courtyard. There were some doors that led to classrooms, a lot of plants, colorful poles and flowers. We came to a set of double doors that led into a hallway. There were classrooms in the hallway. All of the doors were decorated by the home room classes. There were colorful posters and the school rules up on the walls. There were even rules for being in the hallway.

I love that the students get to walk outside to get to the library, the office and some of the other classrooms. I think getting that time outside boosts the mood. I know that the sun gives us Vitamin D and that boosts our mood, so I believe it is good to get some sunshine even for a few minutes at a time.
The hallway rules are great and I love that the students stay in lines on the edges of the hallway.

10:28 am – The math teacher escorted her class out into the hallway and let some go to the restroom. She monitored them as they waited in line and all the other classes came out and got in their lines. Then, the classes were allowed to move, in their single file lines, to their next classroom.

There was a lot less chaos than there probably would have been if they were just let out to run through the halls on their own. I do not think this should be necessary for the older grades, but in an elementary school, this helps to keep the students on time and safe.

I watched the teachers pass around cookie sheets with colorful tape and magnets on them. Mrs. Martinez explained that these were used to keep track of student behavior. Each student had a magnet and each color represented different behavior. The student’s magnet was moved to show how they had behaved in class. This way the teacher in the next class knows how the student’s day had been going and can make judgment calls for disciplinary action or reward if necessary. The teacher also has an idea of what to expect from the students or might be able to pin point causes of bad behavior, etc.

GREAT IDEA!!! I love that it is a visual way of keeping track of student behavior and the students can see that they are being monitored. I also love that each teacher knows how the child has been doing and can be prepared for any issues. Also, a student who acts out in one class and then acts out in another class will not slip through the cracks because all the teachers communicate about the students. What’s even more, the teachers can collectively see if there is a big problem that needs to be addressed with a student.

10:31 am – I met Dr. C, the math teacher, and found a seat off to the side, near the back. I made sure to sit where I could observe Student E, the ELL in the class. Student E is the only Mexican student in the class. All other students are African American.

This must be very isolating at times.

10:32 am – There were a few students who automatically went to the back of the room to get the workbooks and passed them out to the class. Dr. C did not have to remind anyone of their job. The rest of the students went to their desks and got out their notebooks. During this time Dr. C did a last check of the hallway as well as her role sheet. The students passing out notebooks also passed back the boardwork from the previous class.

It is great that the school year started only 4-5 weeks ago and the students are at a point where they know what is expected of them and their duties in the classroom. It is also very helpful to the teacher. It can be hard to get everything that needs to be done at the beginning of class done and not waste too much time. I was surprised that they did not have boardwork/bellwork already up on the board to be working on, but this could be because it is a test day.

10:35 am – Dr. C announced the objectives for the day: Go over boardwork and take vocabulary test. The students each have a little basket on their desk that should have a pen and a pencil in it. They must check their work with a pen. Dr. C reminded the class to use a pen when going over the boardwork and making corrections.

I am sure they do not always end up back in the basket, but this is a good way to ensure that the students have the necessary supplies.
Also, having them check with a pen minimizes changing answers.

Dr. C used a tablet that was connected to her laptop by a wireless connection. She showed the students a simple way to compare fractions. She spent some time on this because many of the students had had difficulty with this question. After giving the students an example, they proceeded through the rest of the answers. Dr. C went over each question and had the class answer as a group. Student E seemed to participate in the activity.
When they were done Dr. C had the students pass up their papers. Next, she passed out the test and asked the students to clear their desks and hang their bags on the back of their chairs. Student E was wringing her hands. Dr. C to the class: “Go ahead and put your heading on your paper.” Dr. C explained to the class that many of them had been losing points because they leave information out of their heading.

I am very glad she makes use of the technology available. I really liked using this technology when I was teaching last year. It was very helpful: it took less time than writing on the board, you do not have to turn your back to the students, you can move around the room to monitor the students, and they really like to use it as well. I would reward student’s by letting them use the tablet to write answers or add to what was on the pull down screen. I know there are graphic organizer templates in the software as well, which is great. I was a bit surprised that she did not move around the room much at all; however, the classroom is pretty small and the students have been ‘whipped into shape’ enough for her not to really need to.

She is very smart in the way she keeps her room from being cluttered and she keeps the students’ attention on their own desks.
She is teaching them structure and consistency. I love it. It is always easier if you learn early.

10:33 am – Dr. C to the class: “Once you write your heading, and you are sure you wrote your whole heading, you may begin.”

10:35 am – Student E has been staring at paper and keeps moving to write but stops herself. All other students are writing.

10:36 am – Student E writes down an answer then erases it.

I wonder if she is second guessing. Also, I have not seen her look through the whole test. It is a better test taking strategy to look through your test and answer the ones you are sure of. Then, you should go back and answer the ones that you think you know and finally, go back and answer the ones you really are not sure of. Also, this test has a word bank – it is a vocabulary test – so this strategy is very helpful.

10: 37 am – Student E writes down an answer and erases it again. It looks like she has answered a few. Her hand has been on her forehead most of the time.

I wonder if she is having confidence problems. She does seem a little stressed or worried.

Dr. C. is organizing some papers and monitoring the class.

10:39 am – Student E begins to answer questions a bit faster. I see other students flipping their paper over to look at other side. They are moving back and forth between the two sides. Student E has not flipped her paper over once.

Maybe she is gaining confidence.

I see that she keeps having to erase. This is probably due to the wording of some of these definitions. There are probably some that are similar and she is realizing that she used the answer to a later question already. LOOK OVER THE TEST FIRST.

10:41 am – Student E puts down her pencil, wrings her hands, looks around, picks up her pencil, taps it on the paper and then erases another answer.

10:43 am – Student E rubs her eyes. Her hand is back on her forehead.

She seems nervous and tense. I wonder if she has some testing anxiety. I know it must be hard to be taking tests in a language that you are not completely proficient in a content area like math especially. I wonder how she does with just numbers? I plan to ask if she is better with numbers than word problems and vocabulary.

Dr. C has leaned out of the room to discuss an issue with another teacher. The class stays quiet. Everyone is working diligently. Every once in a while there is a bit of movement, some sighs and a student or two will quickly scan the room then go back t their work.

Wow. The students know what they are supposed to be doing. It is wonderful that the teacher can turn her back on them and still trust them to do what they are suppose to do.

10:45 am – Student E pulls out a mechanical pencil to use.

Killing time? Trying to distract herself?

10:47 am – The class stirs a bit. Dr. C to the class: “If you are finished, you should check and re-check.”

GREAT ADVICE!

10:48 am – another teacher walked in loudly and made a comment about there being a bad smell. The teacher briefly discusses something with Dr. C.

I do not feel it was very fair to be so distracting. It was obvious they were testing.


10: 51 am – The teacher leaves the room.

10:57 am – Several students have finished. They look over their work or stare into space.

11:00 am – Dr. C to the class: “Who’s finished?” Some are done; they raise their hands. A few are checking over their work and some are still working, including Student E.

11:02 am – Student E puts her pencil down and watches another teacher and a police officer talk in the hallway.

11:03 am – A student raises their hand and waits quietly until Dr. C addresses him.

They know the rules and procedures.

11:05 am – Dr. C sees student and prompts them to ask their question. They respond that they are finished and Dr. C tells the student to check over their answers once more. Student E is still looking up every few seconds.

Maybe she has some trouble concentrating.

11:06 am –Student E has put her pencil down and is twisting her hair as she stares at the paper.

Definitely anxiety.

11:07 am – Student E plays with a strand of hair and her headband which she has taken off.

Wasting time.

11:08 am – Student E takes up her pencil and looks back at her paper. She still has not turned her paper over once and she keeps having to erase her answers. She has had to go back and change a couple answers.

This is probably because she has used a word for a similar definition and then found the correct definition and has to make the change. OR She could be second guessing herself.


11:10 am – Most of the students are done. Many of them are checking their answers. Dr. C to the class: “If you are finished, pass your paper up. If you are not finished, keep right on working.” Student E has gotten to the back of her paper. (There are 6 students plus Student E still working.)

11:11 am – Dr. C to class: “If you are finished, take out your book….” Dr. C tells the students to turn to page 298 and complete the review what you know section.

I think I would have explained this to the students at the beginning of class and had the assignment written on the board. That way I would not disturb students still testing. I would just go around the room and take up the tests of students who are done then point at the board.


11:12 am – Another student finishes test.

11:13 am – Dr. C stepped out of the class for a brief moment. A couple students started to whisper and another student has their hand raised. Dr. C catches the students whispering and warns that they will receive -20 points off their test if they do not stop.

They stopped immediately. She seems nice but stern and she sticks to her guns it seems like. I like this. Consistency is key.


11:14 am – Dr. C acknowledges the student with their hand raised then steps back out. All the students are finished except for 4, including Student E.

11:15 am – Student E is done. Dr. C tells students that have just finished to put their tests on her stool and work on the review in the textbook.

11:17 am – A student asks if they should write down the questions along with the answers in their notebooks. Dr. C replies, “Just answers.”

11:18 am – Student E has taken her time to get out the textbook, which stays under their desks, and her notebook. She finally turns to a clean page and begins heading her paper.

11:19 am – Dr. C is back in room. Student E seems to be working hard.

She seems a little more focused on this work than she did during the test.

11:20 am – Another woman enters the room and sits in the back at a empty student desk. She is carrying a clipboard with paper and a pencil.

She may be there to observe a specific student in the next class or even observe Dr. C.


11:21 am – Dr. C asks, “Does anyone still have their test out?” Two students raise their hands.

11:22 am – Dr. C has some students pass back papers (previous student work). She explains to the class that they will be receiving some work back and they must keep the papers on their desks. She explains that she is coming around with a letter and she wants them to staple the letter to the front of the stack of papers.

She is very clear in her instructions. Student E follows verbal instructions very well.


11:23 am – A lot of students are walking around.

11:24 am – Dr. C passes out the letter: “Take one and pass it back.”
Student E follows the oral instructions correctly.
Student E appears to be reading the letter. It has two paragraphs.

I wonder if she comprehends everything in the letter.


11:26 am – Student E puts the letter down and listens to Dr. C’s directions: Put the letter on top, staple the stack of papers as you leave class, turn in both your workbook and notebook today.

11:27 am – The student helpers take up the workbooks and notebooks. Dr. C: “First row, come and line up.” She explains to the class that they will get an extra 5 points on their test if they bring back the papers tomorrow with their parent’s signature. Dr. C continues to call them by row and staple their papers as they leave the room. The students line up in the hallway. Dr. C also makes sure to thank the students for waiting patiently to be called.


I like that she is giving an incentive to the students to show their previous work to their parents. I like that she is involving the parents. I wonder how often she does this. This is probably the middle of the 9 week period. I am sure progress reports will come out soon. She will probably do this for every progress report and report card if possible. Great!

I love that she acknowledges the good behavior of the students even though it is expected behavior.

11:30 am – I got up and thanked Dr. C. She invited me to come back when she is teaching a whole lesson.

I definitely want to come back.