Final Paper

Natalie Marren
TCH 212
Clinical Observation and Field Experience Final Paper

Component One
Before making my observations, I expected teachers to have a set daily routine. I assumed the teacher would have a strict lesson plan laid out each day for her students. Also, I expected a smooth transition throughout the introduction of the class, review of previously learned material, discussion, the focus on new material with use of technology, partner work, and then a brief summary of the day. I was correct with some of my expectations. However, the teachers were more lenient than I imagined when changing up their lesson plans. Teachers compromised with students for the most part when students asked for things like more time to complete the activity, an extension on assignments, etc. I never was in a catholic high school before, so I was taken by surprise when they would pray before every class period. The use of technology was big in basically all of the classrooms. The technology used most were PowerPoints, over-head projectors, and laptops. Technology is a great way for students to be more engaged in the material.
The observation that surprised me most was the active participation of the students. Out of all classes I observed, there was only one class that the teacher had to urge students to participate. The feedback from the students was tremendous and the teacher always made sure that they were on task with their participation. One teacher gave an incentive of bonus points for participation. This abundant amount of participation surprised me because in my high school, I feel like there was many times where the teacher seemed to be the only one in the room talking. The distribution between students participating and the teacher lecturing was all in all very effective.
The use of methodology was treated pretty similarly in all classes. Teachers had their own strategies of teaching, but they all used examples and imagery to get the information across.  Technology was used in all classrooms because now-a-days technology is essential to education. The use of technology varied, though. Some teachers used PowerPoint, where other teachers used a touch screen projection and had students come up and complete the activity with the help of their peers.  The methodology of the teachers varied throughout the different classes based on subject material. For example, he science classes both required the use of taking notes as the teacher wrote on the board. The English classes consisted of the teacher and students reading out loud, and then reflecting on the story. Each content area requires different means of education.
The thing I will take away through the observation of methodology and technology is that there is no certain way to run your classroom. There isn’t one way that is necessarily better than the other. It just depends on your style of teaching and how you want to present information to your class. This will make me a good educator because I will try all different methods of teaching in order to figure out what works best for me. Sometimes, I will change it up to prevent boredom of the students. Technology in the classroom proved to be very effective and I will without a doubt be using some form of it in my future classroom.



Component Two
For the observation component of professionalism, I expected teachers to be well dressed in either business casual or formal attire. When it came to their verbal language, my expectations were that the teachers would use both informal and formal language with the students. I assumed teachers would treat their students with respect and not to belittle them in any way. Also, that their organization of the material would be clear and well prepared before the start of class. I expected the teacher to have professional knowledge on their course material and have exceptional classroom management skills. My expectations of component two were met during my observations. It was confirmed that the teachers all dressed appropriately and knew how to speak to their students correctly. I did not expect teachers to make discriminating remarks or have a preference toward any group, and thankfully that was not seen during any of my observations.
My observations made me realize how important this component is to teaching. Teacher’s dress, organization, language, expertise, autonomy, and overall attitude have a huge impact on how the students will learn new information. I don’t imagine that I will have any problems with any of these component besides maybe the organization of my classroom. I will solve that problem with asking teachers before me advice on what I should be including on my lesson plan.
The thing that surprised me the most while observing this component was the great overall attitudes of every single teacher I observed. Their attitude toward the school and the students in it were wonderful and you could tell they all really enjoyed their jobs. They all had great relationships with the students and seemed like trusted adults that the students could go to in time of need. The teachers were very excited to teach the children and they were quick to offer any type of help, whether it was after school or printing out study guides for the class. Although all teachers should have great attitudes, this part of my observation surprised me the most because there wasn’t one teacher that I observed in the school that had a bad attitude or a cold personality.  They were all very welcoming of me and excited for me to observe them.
Professionalism was treated the same for the most part in all of my observations. All teachers were dressed properly, had respect for their students, and knew how to effectively run their classroom. The classroom management skills were different with different subject material because not all information can be learned through lecture or by simply taking notes. The best approach of professionalism was to have your materials ready and your lesson prepared. I think it is best for you to prepare yourself for any question you think might arise from what you are teaching, so that you won’t hesitate when answering. This will show your professional knowledge on the material and students will treat you with respect.
One thing I will take away from my observations in terms of the professionalism component is if you treat your students with respect, it will go a long way. One of the teachers I observed was a student teacher from Illinois State that is also a Spanish Teacher Education major. Although she isn’t that much older than the students, she established a relationship with the students where they respected her as an authority figure. By the use of dress, her expertise on the material, and more, she presented herself as a professional teacher despite the age difference. This made an impression on me because when you are a young teacher, students and even other faculty see you as not as capable as older teachers with more experience. If you carry yourself in a professional manner early on, no one should treat you as anything but a respected teacher. This will make me a good teacher in the future because I will have more confidence going into my first years as student teacher and then taking on the challenge of my own classroom.
Component Three
To be honest, for Component 3 I did not really know what to expect for the most part. I knew I was going into a Catholic school, so they all shared the same religious values. I didn’t expect a high number of ESL learners because the school only has around three-hundred students. I did expect for all of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs to be met because these needs are necessary in a well performing classroom. I did not believe that teachers would treat their students differently based on gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, etc. I assumed teachers would switch up different learning styles to accommodate their students.
Through my observations at the Catholic school, it was confirmed that all the students share the same values. All teachers but one took time before the start of their class to recite a prayer. Most of the prayers were led by a student and ended with suggestions from everyone in the room about who they wanted to pray for. Also, it was confirmed that all of the hierarchy of needs were met. All students seemed to me to feel very safe in their classroom environment. Many of them also had a sense of belonging and I observed this through their eagerness to participate. Teachers treated the students fairly and divided their attention equally throughout the classroom. I thought there would be more individual course work provided by teachers, but most of the classes involved partner or group discussions.
My observations did not change my perceptions on this component, but they did confirm them. I knew that teachers in this day and age would not treat their students differently based on what they look like or who they are individually. I understand the importance of this component when it comes to a student feeling comfortable in a classroom. Through the use of different learning styles, the teacher made it easy for all the students to understand the material. If a student needed extra help, the teacher made accommodations. Many of the teachers mentioned that if anyone felt uncomfortable asking a question in front of the class, to come to him/her after class. I will definitely do the same in my future classrooms. If I believe a certain student is struggling, I will address him or her privately and not call the student out in front of the class.
In this component, one thing that surprised me was the variety of learning styles used in the classrooms. There was a wide range of materials used: textbooks, projection screens, worksheets, lab equipment, PowerPoint, and more. The teachers use many different means of communication with the student. Obviously there is face to face communication with the student, but they also communicate highly through e-mail. Many of the teachers use a website in order to post worksheets and other resources on. This way, if a student misses a class or loses a worksheet, all they need to do is go on the website to find it. Also, each class contained individual and group activities. Mainly, the students would work individually on something, then go over it as a group. This is an effective way to have the students develop their own opinions first, and then hear from their peers.
This component was treated seriously in all observation sites I visited. Teachers were very responsive of student’s needs in all content areas. There was an engagement of multiple intelligences in learning activities. Whether it was orally, written, pictorial, graphic, dramatic, or operational, teachers used whatever they felt would be the most effective on their students. In my opinion, the best approach was a combination of oral, written, and graphic learning activities. The students hear and process the information, write it down in their own words, and then see a visual that helps them get a better perspective on the material.
One thing I will take away in terms of the Understanding Learning component is that every student deserves to be treated equally no matter what the circumstance is.  This made an impression on me because students should feel comfortable in school. Some of the students already face problems at home, and then come to school to get bullied by their peers. It would not help if teachers also treated that same student horribly. If anything, students should have one trusted adult in their life, and I hope one day I can be that person for my students.
Component Four
In management of the physical environment, I expected that the classroom would be set up in a way that would be beneficial to the students. The classroom should have no distractions that can hinder the student’s learning process. I assumed that the environment would be clean and tidy, but also not look so plain. I imagined there would be some student work on the walls, posters, evacuation plans, etc. For the routine procedures, I knew it would be just like a traditional high school classroom with students expected to be seated at the bell, attendance taken, and the introduction of the lesson for the day. This was all confirmed for me during my observations. The only thing that I didn’t expect was the prayer before every class. I thought that they would just do a prayer first and last period only. This was not the case.
My perceptions of this component was that teachers would have a hard time handling some student disruptions, or just let them slide. These perceptions changed after my observation because every teacher handled minor or major interruptions very well and the student always complied quickly with the teachers. In the future when I am faced with a student who keeps causing disturbances during class, I will handle it very calmly. If the student does not comply, I will simply send them out to the office. Hopefully, this technique will work and the students will respect me enough to not talk or disturb me when I am giving a lesson.
One thing I observed in this component that surprised me was how well the students listened to the teacher when they asked them to stop doing whatever they were doing. There were multiple instances where students had their laptops out in class when the laptops were unnecessary. The teachers kindly asked the students to put them away and that there was no use for the laptops at this time. The students did not wine or complain back, they simply closed the laptops and put them in their backpacks. This was surprising because not one student questioned the teacher or neglected to follow her instruction. It seemed like all teachers in Central Catholic had their students under control.
When dealing with student misbehavior or interruptions, teachers handled it in their own ways. If students were talking during one the teacher’s lecture, he would just direct what he is saying to them by name. This got the students to realize the teacher was getting annoyed by their side conversation, and the student quickly stopped. Other teachers stopped what they were doing and just looked at the student until he or she stopped the side chatter. In my opinion, the best approach was to kindly ask the student to stop whatever they are doing to cause a disruption. This is the best approach because you are using respected communication with the student.
One thing I will take away from my observations in terms of this specific component is to make good use of my classroom and set classroom routine procedures so my students know what I expect of them during the day. I think I will allow my students to choose wherever they would like to sit, but if they take advantage of that opportunity, I will choose their seats for them. I will use proper equipment in teaching and make use of the material I am provided with. These observations will make me a better educator in the future because I got to see what I did and did not like when management a classroom environment.


Component Five
In the diversity and demographics of the high school, I expected there to be a wide range of ethnicity throughout the school. I obviously knew everyone to come from a Catholic family and hold the same customs and values. I did not expect to notice if a student was from a part of a certain socioeconomic status. I did not believe that the background of the teacher would really affect the quality of their teaching performance.
I was wrong in my expectations when I thought there would be a wider range of race throughout the school. I would say eighty percent of the students were Caucasian, and the other twenty percent was a mix between African-American, Hispanic, Asian, or Other. Central Catholic is a very small high school, though, and in a small town in central Illinois. I was right when I thought I would not notice the socioeconomic status of the students. Students are required to wear uniforms in the school. The only way they are really different in their appearance from the other students is their different type of shoes or the way they wear their hair. Uniforms are actually a good way to have students feel equal.
These clinical observations solidified that the gender and ethnicity do not determine a teacher’s ability to effectively teach or a student’s ability to learn. The only way the demographics of a student or teacher can affect the classroom is if a teacher is treated a student differently based on race, or vice versa. In the future, if I ever saw a teacher singling out a student based on race or anything for that matter, I would first inform my supervisor immediately of the problem. I would then let the administration go from there because it would be better if I did not directly get involved, unless the situation required it.
In this component, I was most surprised by how spread out activities were in the classroom. I expected way more lecture style teaching, but that seems to be going out of style. Teachers would lecture, but it would not just be them lecturing at the students. There was always something else involved, like handwritten notes, or a visual up on the projection. There was an abundance of group work, review of previous material, individual work, and question and answers from the students. Also, each student had their own computer assigned to them by the school. Many of the teachers encouraged the use of the student computers throughout various activities.
In all observation sites I visited, the demographics of the teacher and student were not a factor in how well they taught or understood the material. All students were respectful of the teachers, whether it was a boy or girl, whether they were black or white, or whether they were in their twenties or in their eighties. This school has very respectful students and this is probably due to the amount of respect the teachers them back. The difference in this component throughout my observations was the amount of time the teacher gave to each type of instruction. Each teacher’s time management seemed efficient to their personal classroom procedure. Lesson plans were made differently throughout content areas because not all content areas require the same teaching methods. In my opinion, the best approach overall for students was to divide the class up with lecture, individual work, group work, and then a little time at the end of class to review. This was observed in most of my classes I went to and it really seemed to work well with the students.
In terms of the Diversity and Demographics component, if there was one thing I would take away, it would be that the demographic and diversity of a student should never matter to a teacher. No matter what, you should always try to teach to your best ability. If you need to accommodate certain students in order for them to understand, you should do so. I will used unbiased management of my students and will always try to educate my students on the important of diversity. This will make me a better educator in the future because my students will learn that although it is important to be different, everyone should be treated and respected equally.
Overall, these clinical observations were really interested to me as a future teacher. I got to observe on a couple of Spanish classes, and I even got to meet an ISU student who is doing what I hope to be doing in a few years. I received many helpful tips and techniques from these teachers, and I hope in the future I can use them to be a great and respectable teacher.

Thank You Note

Dear (Teacher’s name),
Thank you for giving me the opportunity to observe your classroom. You gave me the chance to be a part of a traditional classroom setting and this experience will help me to become a better teacher in the future. Your acceptance of me into your classroom was greatly appreciated. I felt very welcome and I thoroughly enjoyed being part of a classroom environment. This experience justified my desire to be a high school teacher. Thank you for letting me observe your effective teaching methods. They will definitely help me in the long run. Thank you again!
 
 Sincerely,
Natalie Marren

Note: I customized the note to fit each specific teacher.

Observation Ten

Observation Ten

Central Catholic High School
Band
6th Hour
Notes:

Reflection:

I am glad I got to observe this Band class because it was not in the traditional classroom setting. It was super cool to see students in their comfort zone. The classroom was the most diverse that I observed, ranging from Caucasian, African-American, Hispanic, and Asian students. The teacher did not lecture her students. She would have them play their instruments individually for a while, and then they would play the song they were working on as a whole. The constructive criticism she provided the students really benefited the students. They used all types of instruments and the band played very well together. 

Observation Eight

University High School
Chemistry
Online Observation
Notes:

Reflection:

The teacher gave the students a preview of what they would be going over in class for the day. The students sat at tables of two facing the teacher while she wrote on the white board. The set up seemed to work because students were very focused on the teacher and none of the students were dozing off or looking around the classroom. The teacher used the white board to show problems and had the students do the problems themselves, too. When asked to be excused, she gave permission to the students to go fill their water bottle or go to the bathroom. No one really acted up during class. I personally think this teacher could make her information more exciting. She seemed not as into teaching as other teachers I observed. 

Observation Six

University High School
Online Observation
Freshman English
Notes:

Reflection:

This classroom setting seemed like a relaxed environment where everyone felt safe and weren't afraid to answer the teacher's questions. The teacher called on all different types of students whether they were willing to participate or not. All students were on task and following step by step on their computers about the new website. They were using the computers to learn how to use a new website that would help them with future assignments. The teacher made sure to always address the students by name and made sure everyone was paying attention and were going the same pace as the rest of the class. 

Observation Nine

Central Catholic High School

Spanish 3

8th hour

Notes:

This is a copy of the homework the students got
to work on for 10 minutes at the end of the class.

Reflection:

This class was amusing for me because this is the subject area and age level I want to teach. Central Catholic High School has only around 300 students total, so they have relatively small class sizes. This class in particular had 14 students. 78% were Caucasian and 22% were Hispanic. The teacher was female and had a traditional classroom setting. She divided out the class time into review, discussion, group work, and then gave students time at the end to finish their homework so they didn't have to finish it on the weekend. The students were very involved in participation. The teacher used a variety of activities from going over tests, PowerPoints, worksheets, and then homework. She had a great relationship with the students and at the end of the class, all the girls were super excited to show her their Prom pictures.

Observation Seven

Central Catholic High School

Freshman English

2nd Hour

Notes:

This is the assignment the students worked on after the teacher read them a short passage from the book, "To Kill a Mockingbird."

Reflection:

This was my favorite class that I observed. The teacher had me involved with the class. She introduced me to the class, had me involved in the class activities, and had me pass out papers. The students desks were facing the podium and all students were engaged. She had the student's old projects hanging all over her classroom, which showed she was proud of their work. All of the students seemed to have a great relationship with her and that she was a trusted adult to them. The students were assigned an individual activity for about ten minutes, then compared answers with partners and the class. The teacher handled disruptive students in a joking but serious manner. The students respected her right away and stopped the disturbances. 

Observation Five

Central Catholic High School
Freshman Music
9th Hour
Notes:

Reflection:
You could tell the teacher in this music class was super into the subject material. She had a PowerPoint slide up for the students to take notes, but she didn't just read off of it. She put the general information on the slides, but elaborated on the information orally. She showed the music and videos of the artists she was talking about and the students seemed to really enjoy the videos. Although she lectured most of the period, the students were really engaged and participated the whole time. 

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Observation Four

Central Catholic High School

AP Physics

1st Hour

Notes:

Reflection:

This was the first class I observed at the high school. This is where I first observed the class starting off with a prayer and I noticed the students all wear uniforms. The teacher was dressed in a suit to distinguish himself from the students. The teacher used the proper vocabulary for the students. He gave students feedback when he walked around checking homework and asking if the they needed any extra help on their practice AP test problem. He complied with his students when they asked him it they can have a day filled with review and this showed spontaneous decision making. The teacher's attitude toward learning in general was he really cared about if the student knew the material or not. He provided the students with multiple resources if they needed extra help. 

Observation Three

Central Catholic High School
Spanish 1
3rd Hour
Notes:

Reflection:

This class was very interesting to me because the student teacher leading the class was a Spanish Education major at ISU, like me. She was super into her teaching and excited to be teaching the children new material. The regular teacher only had to step in one time to put her input in on the subject. Other than that, the student teacher led the whole class. Although she is young, her attire and professionalism kept the students from treating her like a fellow student. The teacher was very knowledgeable about the subject and answered all student's questions with ease. The students seemed to really have a good relationship with her. It also helped that there was only eight students in the class.

Observation Two

Central Catholic High School

Sophomore Chemistry

5th Hour

Notes:

Reflection:

As the teacher was going through the notes, she was asking questions throughout her lecture.

This kept the students focused and engaged on the material. Also, she provided an incentive for correct answers. She gave the students plastic chips and at the end of the period, she awarded them points for how many chips they had. All students but one had a chip, which shows how effective this strategy is to get the students involved. The teacher used an overhead projector for notes and filled them out as the students did. She worked on practice problems with the students and used visuals to explain her definitions. 

Clinical Observations

My Clinical Observations:

Above is the schedule I was assigned at Central Catholic High
School on April 24th, 2015. The 10th hour I observed was after  an after school activity (Choir).

  Observation One

  Central Catholic High School
  Soph. Literature
  4th Hour
  Notes:

Reflection:

This is the only class of the day I observed that the students did not seem to be interested at all in the material. The teacher had to force participation by students by calling on them, no one voluntarily participated. One student fell asleep in the back. The teacher noticed this and made him get in front of class and complete the activity on the projector. The student seemed so bored and irritated while completing the activity. Students were eating during class even after the teacher politely told them to put it away. The teacher got the students involved by choosing on students to read out loud and then summarize their understanding of the material. She also got them to use critical thinking when connecting their story to everyday life.