1. EDS 3140 Field Placement Journal (Three Paragraph Summary)
October 20, 2014
Student: MaryEllenElizabeth Hart
Placement School: Century Middle School (Adams 12)
13000 La Fayette Street, Thornton, Colorado 80241 (720) 972-5240 (ext. 9, 5242)
I began my Field Placement experience almost one month ago in September. I have really enjoyed every
day in my placement. My Mentor Teacher is experienced, brilliant, kind, professional and really capable
master of Secondary Science Education. The staff of Century Middle School are really professional,
friendly, organized, and good communicators. The facilities are clean, new, organized, safe, and well
suited for an International Baccalaureate (IB) Middle School. My commute to and from school is
challenging. I commute two hours and forty minutes (one way) to reach CMS and the same amount of
time on my way back. I read and study on the bus and at the bus stop along the commute. I appreciate
the opportunity to be serving CMS and consider the commute a privilege accompanying the privilege of
serving as a Teaching Assistant.
I am learning many new approaches to teaching Secondary Science. The laboratories that I have assisted
in have been really creative, academically motivating, and purposeful in allowing students to experience
real world application of solid Science core curriculum. The laboratory is really good, many schools
would only dream or wish to be so well stocked and equipped. CMS is blessed. The interactive hands-on
teaching methods are incredible masteries of both inductive and deductive reasoning, and engage in a
real way all of Piaget’s steps of Cognitive Development and Vygotsky’s ZPD. Students are given a
problem to solve and in small groups are provided equipment, lesson plan, and time to develop a
schema, work at assimilation (with adaptation), accommodation (with adaptation) as they struggle with
the Scientific Method of Investigation to understand what is already known about their activity, and
attempt to test and gather data. They talk, and scaffold each other, in their small groups discussing and
analyzing their data. After group discussions and interactions they individually draw their conclusions
and write a laboratory report with appropriate math tables, graphs, charts and illustrations. The CMS
eighth grade Physical Science students reach satisfactory fulfillment of laboratory objectives and appear
to be at “Equilibration” or fulfillment of objectives and mastery of objectives. Professor Brown asks
them if they have had enough time to finish their project, if not arrangements are made for them to
continue working until they are satisfied with their accomplishment.
Course assessments are masterful. I have witnessed or heard about three types of assessments thus far.
The first assessment was a report style assessment combining a written report about some type of
Engineering, construction of a poster illustrating that type of Engineering and using current technologies
to present their report to their teacher, such as using a QR barcode scanner square. Professor Brown

2. scanned the code, listened to their three minute audio and visual PowerPoint summary of their project
and assigned a grade according to a well written rubric. Another style of assessment was a masterfully
written essay exam. The students were allowed to use notes (both laboratory results, and class lecture
notes) to respond specifically to an exam question using a scaled grading rubric. The students were
allowed to self- assess and write to the letter grade rubric objectives of their choice. They were asked to
use their laboratory data and conclusions in their essay. Masterful assessments and awesome Teaching
Methodologies. I am grateful for my experience!
Cordially Yours,
MaryEllen Elizaabeth Hart
EDS 3140 Field Placement Journal (Day to Day Detail)
Student: MaryEllenElizabeth Hart
Placement School: Century Middle School (Adams 12)
13000 La Fayette Street, Thornton, Colorado 80241 (720) 972-5240 (ext. 9, 5242)
Date Journal Entry (Description of Activity) Notes: 
September 2014
Page 1
Review Expectations (Objectives) for First Field
Experience (copies attached). Contact with Mentor
Teacher (a.k.a. “cooperating teacher”).
Contact Mentor
teacher.
September 2014
Page 2
Initial contact with Professors and Mentor Teacher
Deborah Brown. Deborah would appreciate my arrival
on campus during her second period (between 9:45 AM
to 10:45 AM) and remain in assistance until 3:45 PM.
See copies of emails.
September 22, 2014
(Monday, 8:00 AM -
10:00 AM))
Page 3
Initial tour of Century Middle School
International Baccalaureate (IB) campus and meeting of
Mentor Teacher, principals and staff.
See copies of email
Thank you.
September 26, 2014 Classroom Assistance and meeting of Eighth Grade
Teachers during Grade Level meeting in the Library
Schedule tour of
campus for Field

3. (Friday, 9:00 AM –
4:00 PM)
Page 4
and during mutual lunch period. Great group of staff. I
feel really welcomed and a part of the group.
Placement Research
Project
October 3, 2014
(Friday, 9:45AM –
4:00 PM)
Page 5
Classroom Assistant
October 7, 2014
(Tuesday)
Page
CMS was scheduling a Staff Meeting for Friday, October
10, so Professor Brown had requested I assist her on
Tuesday, October 7, 2014. Missing RTD bus pass, I
requested to meet the following week.
Email and phone call
to confirm.
October 17, 2014
(Friday)
Page 6
Classroom Assistant and observation of a middle
school activity (presentation of vertebrate wild animals)
in the library. Professor Brown’s students were taking
an assessment so she had me assemble lab kits and
assist in another Physical Science laboratory.
October 24, 2014
(Friday 8:45AM-
4:00 PM) Page 7
Scheduled to Assist in Professor Deborah Brown’s
classroom.
EDS 3140 Expectations Rubric
By: MaryEllenElizabeth Hart
Beginning the
Placement
Objectives: Notes 
Student will try to be placed in a classroom within
their content area.
Prior to beginning field experience, student calls, e-
mails or meets with cooperating teacher outside of
classroom time to discuss background, schedules,

4. time sheet and other relevant topics. .
Student and cooperating teacher will schedule
regular planning times and debriefing times.
During the Placement
Student strives to build a good relationship with
the cooperating teacher and students.
Student arrives at the appointed time each
scheduled day, and demonstrates
reliability/dependability by attending to assigned
tasks and duties without prompting from
cooperating teacher.
The student is prepared to HELP the cooperating
teacher with all assigned or agreed upon tasks.
Student demonstrates rapport with students as an
adult, and with the teacher by walking around and
talking to students in the classroom.
Student accepts and acts upon constructive
feedback.
Optional: The student and teacher may agree that
the student can teach a mini-lesson to a
small group or the entire class.
General Expectations
for Behavior
Objectives:
Student dresses and acts in a professional manner
at all times.
Student maintains open-mindedness, receptivity to
new ideas, confidence and dependability in his
/her school placement.
Student is enthusiastic, positive, and shows
appropriate animation.
Student demonstrates confidence and poise.
Student demonstrates fairness, sensitivity, patience,
and understanding.
EDS 3140
Expectations Rubric
Objectives: Notes 
Activities Cooperating
Teacher can involve
teacher candidates in
the classroom.
Homework Help, prepares materials for class,
acclimate new students to the classroom and
routines, lead small reading groups, Read
aloud to class, create class notes for absent
students or for IEP’s, Grading, Re-teach small
groups (especially students who may have
received D’s ad F’s) , Observe a Scheduling ,

5. session in the counseling office, assist
students from your class who are working in
the library or computer lab, Find
articles, videos, or web-sites to complement
lessons. Prepare power point presentations for
class and topics currently being studied., Look at
attendance for patterns, Help prepare for Parent /
Teacher contact (looking up student information,
running off progress reports, attendance
record…), Attend staff
development opportunities with your
department. Have them join you at a faculty
meeting, curricular planning session, Create
small learning groups to discuss readings or to re-
write or re-work assignments, Present a mini
lesson, Send the student to observe
another teacher in your building.
Teacher Candidate
Professional Dress,
Appearance
and Accessories Code
Appropriate, professional, role model, free from
unnecessary disruption