Courtney Zedaker

Edu 202
ASSIGNMENT ONE (Observation):

1. My first impression of the classroom was that it was very organized but
minimally decorated. I had volunteered at an elementary school previously and
observed that the classrooms were decorated extensively and there werent many
blank spaces lacking color. Mrs. Melvins class had posters of literature and a few
bulletin boards with students work but thats about it. I was a little concerned how
high school kids would react to someone that is an authority but close to them in
age. The students were sweet and nice to me as well as well behaved. I loved how
involved in the class activities they were and how passionate some were about the
literature.
2. The physical environment of the class seemed very inviting and well organized.
The first thing that stuck out to me was the fact that there were so many desks in
the room. There was one wall that had the 3 white boards that took up the entire
wall. The projection screen was hung on the ceiling above the center white board
and was left down the entire time I was in the class. I observed that most of the
classroom activities are projected onto that screen. She has a corner of the room
blocked off for her workspace. She has
3. The student make up in her class wasnt as diverse as I was expecting. I thought
there would be more ranges in ethnicity but it wasnt as diverse as I thought. It
seemed to be equal number of males and females. Mrs. Melvin said there were no
students that are ELL or have IEPs, and she also mentioned there were not kids
with documented disabilities.
4. Mrs. Melvin had no classroom rules posted. When I asked her, she stated that on
the first day of class she verbally goes over what she expects and what she doesnt
tolerate. She says over the past 10 years she hasnt had many issues with not
having a hard copy visible for reminders.
5. Mrs. Melvin seems to have a great handle over her class and the rules are
stretched or tested. In the many hours I spent in the class there was only one
incident of a young man being on his phone. I feel like on the first day of class
when she goes over the rules in a way that has the students know she is serious.
She allows discussions and for students to voice their opinions so I feel like each
student is stimulated and occupied during class so there isnt much time to goof
around. She told me her consequences vary on what the problem is, but moving
their seat can solve most things.

ASSIGNMENT TWO (Instruction)

1. A daily schedule was written on the white board stating the opening activity, main
activity and if there was any homework. The same instructions were brought up
later in class on the projection screen. The white board also had notes about
anything they needed to prepare for later in the week.
2. Instructions were given to the class as a whole.
3. I feel like my cooperating teachers style was very diverse. She used visual and
 auditory for most things, but hands on activities were also included. Being an
English class, most of the hands on was filling out worksheets.
4. She did a great job of incorporating sensory modalities into her lessons. She had
the instructions for the day up on the projection board, spoke the instructions, and
then handed out a worksheet for them to complete.
5. The students seem very engaged in the lesson. Being a literature class, they are
expected to read assigned chapters at home. They all seemed to come to class
eager to discuss the book and get answers to any questions they may have.
6. The transitions from the opening activity to the main lessons were smooth and
seemed to be consistent throughout the year because the students knew what to do
each day. Students would ask for clarification if they needed it. They were
currently in the middle of reading a book so most of the class was spent reading
out loud.
7. Mrs. Melvins attention getting commands didnt have to be used very often
because for the most part the kids were waiting for her next command. If they
would get to talking she would just say I need you to listen I noticed she does
talk with her hands a little bit but she seems so passionate about what she is
teaching.
8. The only behavior issues I noticed in the class was occasionally a few students
would get to talking to each other when they were supposed to be doing
something else. Also, a student had his phone out and she just said please put that
away and he complied. For the most part, I felt like the students were extremely
well behaved.

ASSIGNMENT THREE (Classroom Layout):

1. The workflow of the room seemed to flow effectively. There were a lot of desks
in the classroom but she had them organized in a way that allowed group
discussions to be interesting because students could see each other when they
were speaking. Mrs. Melvin had a corner designated to her space and she had a lot
of room to get things done. There is a second space with a bookshelf and table as
a secondary location for students to work at in group activities or such.
(Diagram on separate attachment)

ASSIGNMENT FOUR (School/Classroom Culture):

A. Physical Characteristics:
1. The school building itself seemed to have been painted recently and clearly
showed signs of Panther Pride Their football stadium is quite large and seems
to have been redone fairly recently as well. One thing I noticed was handmade
signs hung up advertising the plays, concerts, and activities of the student body.
The school campus has a metal fence with gates that can be locked keeping the
building itself secure. The parking lot had a large amount of room that seemed
like adequate amount of space for all the students and visitors. They have
alternating directions one-way rows to help with congestion and to make parking
easier. During the busy hours before and after school they have employees that
stand out to help direct the traffic flow from the rows into the main driving lane.
 There were plenty of signs up that helped you know which direction you were to
drive and everyone seemed to follow the rules. The landscaping was very well
kept and groomed and made the overall appearance of the campus attractive.
2. The interior of the school is very well kept. The hallways are clean and the school
campus is tidy. The handmade signs continue in the hallways and show more of
the activities and Panther Pride. I found that Palo Verde has a lot of school spirit
that you can found displayed on the walls throughout the school. Each teachers
door has a sign that is cut out to resemble a paw print with their name and room
number on it. Inside each classroom they also have a uniform sign that has a
picture of the panther and the school colors. There werent any windows in the
classrooms I was in but I felt like the lighting was adequate. The black and green
school color theme was throughout the halls and quad area so there was never any
doubt was school you were in. The groomed landscaping continued in the quad
area and

B. Culture of the School.

1. The first thing I noticed walking into this school for the first time is the sense of
school pride. There are student made signs hung up on the main gates and
continue through all the halls and the courtyard. It is evident there are many clubs
and students who take pride in the school and advertisement for their causes. The
school itself is beautifully painted and has the large mascot present in several
areas. There are many bulletin boards that advertise different club meeting and
activities that are taking place that week and that month. I also found it
heartwarming that there were signs showing sign of sympathy for France. A large
case in the main office holds sports records for the school as well as a few
trophies. There were a lot of students who wore Palo Panther shirts or sweatshirts
and I thought that it was great they were proud of their school.
2. When you walk into the main office you see the front desk and greeted by the
lady who works it. She has a student aid that helps her out. There is a computer
that you sign into as a visitor and it takes your picture then prints out a badge for
you to wear. I noticed the staff in the main office are friendly but stay in their
designated offices. The staff and students seem to get along in other parts of the
school as well. Walking through the halls I observed students and teachers
smiling and talking to each other as they passed to the other classes.
3. I noticed students gather in the quad area before, during lunch, and after school.
There are tables and low walls where students sit and talk to their friends. The
lunchroom is busy during lunch and has big round tables for students to sit
around. The halls stay pretty clear and teachers stand outside the
4. The school is organized well and seems to have a great layout. The offices
(including principal/counselors/secretary etc) are located in the middle of the
school. The hallways are labeled in very large numbers above the door.

C. Culture of the Classroom:

1. Mrs. Melvin sets her standards at the beginning of the year and rarely has to
remind students of those things. She says that her students listen well and take
instructions great as well.
 2. I found that in this classroom there were a lot of students who participated. I feel
like Mrs. Melvin has created an environment that makes them feel comfortable
enough to speak up about any subject even if they are not sure they are correct, I
think this kind of comfort is important so students voice their opinion and
understandings so you are able to evaluate who is comprehending. I feel like the
handful of students that didnt speak or participate seemed to be a little shy and
didnt feel comfortable speaking up, however, everyone seemed to be paying
attention. Im sure there were a few kids that werent caught up on the reading so
were hesitant to speak up as well. In talking with Mrs. Melvin, she said that her
daily discussions are usually that great and there are very few times she has to do
a lot of prompting to get them to speak up.
3. The interaction with the teacher and the students was great to watch. Every single
student in the class had a respect for her and you could tell in the way they would
listen intently to her instructions. She gave a lot of time for them to speak up and
discuss things as well as ask for clarification on anything they may not
understand. Her directions were given verbally as well as written so students were
able to hear and read what she was expecting. The classroom discussions were my
favorite about her class and I loved how passionate each student got and how
great Mrs. Melvin led them through an intelligent conversation.

ASSIGNMENT FIVE (Cooperating Teacher Interview): Mrs. Melvin

1. The primary reason I became a teacher was my love for writing and love for
literature. My love for literature has definitely grown during my career. At a
young age I was fascinated with it all and wanted to be surrounded by it.

2. The main challenge I face as a teacher is making sure I have covered

everything I need to cover especially with block schedule. I also worry
about the kids getting what they need to get by the time they leave my class.

3. The best part of being a teacher is experiencing them learn the literature and
the characters. Watching them get into it and be enthralled in the literature is
fun to watch. Ive introduced them to these things they now like. My passion
rubs off on them and it is rewarding to see kids that might not have ever
read something like that enjoy and embrace it.

4. I determine where students sit on first day randomly, then I learn the
chemistry and I move them where they fit best. There is power in moving
kids.

5. When selecting groups I typically let them choose pairs or groups of 3

unless it is a big project then I choose and keep in mind their chemistry to be
most successful.
 6. In high school, I feel like we dont get to interact in person with parents
enough. IEP or 504 conferences are the only times you get conferences.

7. Most of the grading I try to do here at school, because its hard to do at home
with my two kids. Utilizing school time is most effective for me getting
things done. Grading depends on the day and what else needs to be done.

8. How long does it take to prepare lessons for the day/week? It takes me about
an hour each Sunday to get my lessons ready for the week. I pull from old
lesson plans but like to freshen things up.

9. What behavior consequences seem most effective with this age group? I
dont have many behavior problems in any of my classes. I have found
seating changes are the most effective if there are any problems. I set the
rules at the beginning of the year and have found that consistency is the key.
They take me seriously so we dont have many problems.

10. How often are you evaluated and what measurement tool(s) are used by
administration for determining your performance? I am evaluated a few
times a year. I know what I am supposed to get done through the year at
faculty meetings, so when they observe me they write down any problems
there are.

11. What surprised you the most about teaching and the teaching profession? I
didnt have many surprises going into teaching; it has been what I thought it
would be. I dont like the Lack of parent involvement at this age. I also was
amazed at the amount of students that consciously are able to do nothing.
Sometimes I have to lead the discussion more than I would like to, but
overall I find this profession very rewarding.

ASSIGNMENT SIX (Observing a student)

I decided to discretely observe a student in the AP Literature Composition class named
Edward. Being an AP student, his academics definitely are important to him. He came
into the classroom and sat down and pulled out the homework from the class before as
well as the book they are currently reading which is Hamlet. Mrs. Melvin instructed the
class to break into small groups to finish a worksheet with questions that she passed out.
He took the leadership role in the group and quickly was leading the other 3 students
through a very interesting discussion. I was excited to hear about his out of the box
thinking and how it was clear he thought about this literature outside of the classroom
extensively. They completed a worksheet with question from the chapter they read for
homework. After about 30 minutes Mrs. Melvin brought them back to their assigned
seats to read aloud in class. Edward volunteered to read first and had great fluctuation in
his voice and was a great reader. When other students were reading out loud he seemed to
be paying attention and following along. They read all the way up to the bell ringing and
he left to his next class.
ASSIGNMENT SEVEN:
I absolutely loved my time in the classroom! I was fortunate to get to be in the classroom
of a fantastic teacher who gave me a lot of information to help me gain knowledge for the
future. Mrs. Melvin is so passionate about English, and teacher, and her enthusiasm
seems to rub off on her students. I too have a strong passion for reading and writing so I
found we have a lot of similarities. This experience has helped me to realize that teaching
is absolutely the profession that I would like to get into and I feel like I have qualities that
will help me to be successful. The chance of being able to observe the class and grade
level we wish to teach is very valuable and I think is important to do early in our
academic career (like we did). I didnt have to many surprises arise and the experience is
basically what I was expecting. I loved how welcoming all the teachers were in the
English department and as I ate lunch with them each day, they allowed me to ask as
many questions as I wanted to. I found the common problem is trying to get everything
done that the district wants in the time frame they want. They all said that they felt some
units were rushed and the kids didnt really get to absorb all of the information to the
fullest. They also mentioned that Palo is trying a new system where they allow kids to
protest grades and retake anything, including tests. I think to a certain extent this is good,
it allows a kid to acknowledge their mistakes and be able to address the material that they
didnt understand. However, I think if they are able to retake anything, some students will
take advantage of the system and guess on the first attempt and if they get lucky and
get a decent grade than thats it. If they fail the first attempt they always have another.
Also, teachers are having to come up with a second test for students to retake so that there
is no cheating. This creates more work for the teachers. The teachers I spoke to werent
sure if there was going to be a limit or what the restrictions are. I hope they devise a plan
that is successful for students but doesnt create as much work for teachers since they put
so much effort into it the first time.
There are several things I will remember for when I have a classroom of my own.
I felt like Mrs. Melvin was a fantastic role model and showed me how to keep an
organized classroom, with fun material, that had students who enjoyed the lesson but also
respected her authority. She showed me some great organizational tips of when she does
her lesson plans and how she gets grading done in a timely fashion. She also showed me
a few lessons that she has done in the past and how she makes reading a book that might
be dreaded more exciting and understandable for the students. She is very inventive on
different lessons that arent the same thing over and over (ie. reading & taking a test,
reading & taking a test). She has given me her contact information and told me to contact
her with anything I might need and that she thinks I will be a great teacher. I am happy to
have been placed in a classroom with a wonderful woman who is now a mentor and
friend.