Personal Observation

During my fieldwork I was able to observe professional development high school in an urban area. Many students receive free or reduced lunch based on their family’s financial status. When first walking into the building it seemed very out of date and very dim lit. When entering the new wing of the building there were murals on the walls and was a more welcoming environment. Their library and computer center did not seem up to date with the most current materials. The principal explained that their graduation rate is around 85%-88% and the rules that are implemented are ones that are not going to restrict their freedom. It was explained that because of the area that majority of these students come from, putting an excessive amount of rules in place is useless because they will not follow them. For example, they are free to use their cell phones outside of the classroom and during passing.

The first classroom I observed was a freshman English class consisting of children with learning disabilities. There were twelve students, one teacher, and one aid. The aide sat in the back of the classroom not giving the teacher or students much assistance. In the classroom there was a smart board, projector, and chalkboard. I found the variety of materials would be helpful with this specific class due to the variety of learners The room was very dark, there were not many things on the walls, and you were unable to see out of the windows. These students were very outgoing, loud, and talkative, making it difficult for the teacher to begin the lesson. The teacher began by asking them to take out their homework, many students were unprepared or could not find the material. When they began to become disruptive the teacher set a timer and told them if they did not complete the assignment that was previously assigned by the time the timer went off they would receive a zero. The assignment was a fill in the blank worksheet about the act of Romeo and Juliet they read in the previous class. Student X was very disruptive and disorganized, the aide took student X’s book bag and organized it so he would be able to find and complete future assignments. Once the timer went off, the teacher used the projector to put the worksheet on the board and began to go over it. Instead of raising their hands like the teacher asked, they shouted out the answers. About halfway through the worksheet, the students began fooling around and had difficulty recalling what happened in the past learning segment. Once they eventually got through the entire worksheet, the teacher began moving around the room asking comprehension questions. By the teacher moving around the classroom, it kept most students on task and engaged in the material. She worded the questions into real life situations and then would go back and relate it to Romeo and Juliet, so the students would understand. When a student interrupted another, they would get frustrated and yell at each other. The teacher ignored the inappropriate language and comments and continues to ask the class questions. Teacher A had to adjust his language and body language in order to relate to the students. It was a very strict environment but the material was basic and related to the students in a way they were able to be attentive and engaged.

The second classroom I observed was a sophomore English class. The teacher explained that this classroom consisted of children with behavioral disorders. In middle school, the majority of the students in this class were in a self contained classroom so administrators felt it would be better to keep them together moving forward. There were eight students and one teacher in this classroom. The students had assigned seats and were not allowed to get up without asking. The overall rapport of this classroom was not respected very well. Before the class started, the teacher explained to me that some days they are able to get through a lesson and other days nothing is able to be taught at all due to the severity of their behavior. The students refused to participate, were cursing excessively, and making extremely innapropraite remarks. Due to the lack of attention, the teacher told them to read the excerpt out of their Scarlet Letter reading packet and highlight what they believe is important. The version of the Scarlet Letter they were reading was a simplified, more adaptive version. Student Y was being extremely disruptive, while others were trying to read and highlight, and eventually highlights the entire packet and leaves the room. The teacher walked around the room to keep the  students on task. They then attempt to begin a class discussion of what they read. Not many students were engaged and rather than the teacher asking individuals questions, they are asked as a whole group discussion. The teacher tries to adapt her lesson to their behavior to the best of her ability. The students had very low reading levels, below the sophomore level. Their vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension were not consistent. When the discussion began to get off topic, the teacher instructed the students to go on the class set of chromebooks and look for an essay question relating to the Scarlet Letter. By the time the students attempted to search for questions, the class was over and they did not complete much work. The teacher was very patient with these students and told them to come more prepared next class.