CLASSROOM OBSERVATION 1

Michael Katsandonis

TED 606 Assignment 4.2 Classroom Observation

Professor Shrager

February 3, 2018
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Abstract

In order to better understand and develop more respect and acceptance of a diverse

student body and individualism amongst children, two field observations were performed, the

results of which can be found below. The first observation took place in a first-grade general

education classroom in which students with exceptionalities such as ADHD, autism, and hearing

impairments were learning within a classroom with children without exceptionalities. The second

observation took place in a first-grade general education classroom in which one English

language learner was placed with students whose first language is English. The diversity of each

of the classrooms, along with the modifications within the teaching curriculum made for the

children needing extra support are discussed below. Finally, a reflection on how these field

experiences have affected my understanding of diversity and future teaching skills is discussed.
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Introduction

Upon recognition of this assignment, I immediately started to contact all local public high

schools in my area. I was luckily able to get a response from one of the high schools within a few

days. However, to no avail, the opportunity to visit that high school became less and less

apparent as the weeks in this course went by. After the first two weeks had come to an end, I was

starting to feel nervous about whether I would be able to observe a high school classroom

environment, which is the goal subject area I am working currently towards. Nevertheless, I

chose to start reaching out to all public schools in my area hoping that someone would eventually

respond in order for me to complete this assignment. I was contacted almost immediately by the

principal at Pomelo Community Charter School in West Hills, an elementary school located in

the West San Fernando Valley in Southern California. Upon reaching the principal after a small

game of phone tag, she was able to make an appointment for me to visit two of her first-grade

classrooms. It was during these four hours of observing that I realized how much effort and

patience it takes to be an elementary school teacher. However, the teachers I encountered were

very structured and very good at their jobs, which lead to a very successful overview of the first

four hours of that particular school day.

First Observation

I arrived at Pomelo around eight o’clock in the morning with a very open mind and a

curiosity for how different elementary schools might be since it has been almost 25 years from

the last time I had stepped foot inside an elementary school classroom. Upon arrival, I walked

into the main office and told them my reason for visiting. After I checked in, the school

coordinator escorted me to the first classroom I was going to visit. The first class was being
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taught by Mrs. Friedman and the students were going over some reading practice. I did not get a

chance to talk to Mrs. Friedman immediately, however, I took a seat in the back of the classroom

and started to take notes on how colorful the classroom was. After having spent so many years in

those dreadfully bare and cold college classrooms, I was able to feel an overwhelming sense of

nostalgia which brought back emotions that reminded me of how school could be such a happy

and positive place to attend.

Mrs. Friedman had handwritten the schedule for the day on the whiteboard which

allowed for a structured schedule for the students to follow. The diversity in the classroom

mostly reflected the numbers that have been expressed in some of the readings. For example,

about just over half of the students in the classroom were white while about forty percent were

non-white (Banks, 2016). Furthermore, there were some special needs students who were also in

the classroom and they were able to practice their reading as well. Of the six special needs

children within the classroom one suffered from autism, a few with ADHD, and one child with a

hearing impairment. Mrs. Friedman had the company of a paraprofessional in the classroom who

was able to work with the special needs students whenever extra attention was required. The

special needs students were included in most of the classroom activities as well as during recess

with the exception of a brief reading practice time when they were split off into different tables

for a more focused development on sound practicing.

All the students in the classroom were very well-behaved and listened to Mrs. Friedman

whenever she spoke. The students also collaborated with each other very well and the classroom

and class time flew by until we were interrupted by a drop drill. All of the students reacted by

placing themselves under their desks and waiting patiently until the alarms turned off. Mrs.

Friedman then instructed the children to quietly line up by the door and wait for her next
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instructions. All of us were to meet outside with the all the other classrooms on the playground

while being watched very carefully by the principal who was carrying a megaphone and standing

on a tall bench. I decided to take this opportunity to sit on my own small bench where I was able

to observe how all the children and adults reacted during the drop drill. The most ironic

observation was that the children were listening and following instructions carefully, while the

teachers were not paying attention and causing the principal to have to restart the drill several

times. Eventually the teachers followed instructions and all the children were able to go back to

their respective classrooms.

Another observation I was able to make during the drop drill was in reference to the lack

of diversity amongst our teachers here in the United States. For example, according to the IRIS

Module, “As of 2008, 83% of the teaching force was white, whereas 41% of students were from

non-white backgrounds” (The IRIS Center, 2018, p.2). I was able to observe these numbers first

hand while looking over the entire playground and realizing that the student body definitely

made up more of the diversity than the numbers represented by the teachers. In other words,

every adult I came into contact with throughout the day of my observation was white.

Second Observation

At the end of the drop drill, the coordinator was able to easily locate me since I stood out

like a giant amongst a crowd of small children. She then escorted me over to Mrs. Silver who

was walking her first-grade students to the music class. The music classroom had many hand

drawn paintings taped to the walls. There were two large paintings of Elvis Presley as well as a

third one which (I found to be ironic in an elementary school setting) was a large hand painting

of Michael Jackson. The music class also consisted of a small piano, a drum set, and some other
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small music related items placed in two corners of the classroom. The center of the classroom

had large plastic buckets placed face down on a carpet. The buckets lined the edges of the large,

rectangular carpet. On each side of the buckets were two white plastic sticks with black tips

which were formed by black tape. The music teacher had each of the students pick and sit in

front of a bucket. She then put on a rhythmic track and had the kids play along to the rhythm of

the song in order to warm up. The class was then instructed to follow rhythms created by the

music teacher. After a few of those activities, a few randomly selected students were chosen to

create their own rhythms and have the class follow along.

After returning to their classroom, the first graders all met on the carpet in front of a

projector where Mrs. Silver had set up a projector in order to play a short video for the kids to

engage in while she organized some things around the classroom. After the video was over, the

teacher used the same projector to teach a math lesson. The lesson consisted of counting dimes

up to the number ninety. The students were then instructed to grab their math book and tear out

the pages necessary for the class assignment. After the math practice was completed, they were

given the option to engage in domino/math activities in groups.

Most of the boys played with the other boys and most of the girls played with the other

girls. However, there was one boy who spent most of his time by himself reading by the

teacher’s desk. He was the one English learner in the classroom. He was always willing to help

the teacher whenever she asked for volunteers but did not seem too thrilled with the idea of

socializing with the other students. The diversity in this classroom was similar to the other first

grade classroom. The majority of the classroom was white while less than half was non-white.

For example, according to the IRIS Module, “statistics reveal that in the United States today, a

significant number of students from culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) backgrounds are
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enrolled in the nation’s school systems” (The IRIS Center, 2018). Furthermore, Mrs. Silver

mentioned to me that she also has six special needs children that join her classroom after lunch

every day. This allows for the inclusion of all students starting at a younger age. More elements

of inclusion have helped students work together more efficiently and will help allow for a more

productive future in a world of globalization (Banks, 2016). These elements can definitely be

seen in a such a vibrant and encouraging classroom environment setup by our teachers.

Conclusion

Although my original plan was to observe a high school classroom, I believe observing

young students working together in a first-grade classroom will allow for me to form a basis of

the drastic changes that occur over the next ten years of a students’ life. In other words, watching

the very beginnings of a public-school education will allow for a more in-depth understanding of

how the evolution of a public-school education combined with the complexities of a

multicultural approach will transform students up until the day of graduation from high school.

I have hope in the public-school system after witnessing what I observed on that campus

that day. The teachers that I was able to observe offered their children structure, discipline, and a

very comfortable and warm classroom environment. Most the children were able to play and

learn together and during my four hours of observing inside the classroom as well as on the

playground, everyone seemed to get along just fine. However, this is not to state that there will

not be any conflicts in the future, or that there have not been any in the past, but I do believe that

everyone I have come into contact with so far who is involved in the public-school system seems

to have the best intentions at heart. Perhaps the most interesting part of my day was when I was

approached by a random teacher on the playground and they had asked me what I was planning
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on teaching in the near future. When I had answered that I planned on teaching high school, the

teacher seemed to be very put off and even looked at me as if I were crazy. In fact, they even

asked me why I would want to do something like that to myself. I did not have an answer for

them, I just decided to laugh and embrace the moment for what it was, another cultural

misunderstanding.
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References

Banks, J. A. & McGee Banks, C.A. (2016). Multicultural Education, (9th ed). Hoboken, New

Jersey: Wiley & Sons, Inc.

The IRIS Center. (2018). Culture and Linguistic Differences: What Teachers Should Know.

Nashville, Tennessee: Vanderbilt University. Retrieved from

https://iris.peabody.vanderbilt.edu/module/clde/#content