Field observation

Victoria Bodden
EDF 2005
Professor Qadri
14 October 2012

FIELD
OBSERVATION

INTRODUCTION:
As part of my Field Observation I was able to partake in
observing classes at both, the elementary school and the
middle school levels.

 Lawton Chiles Elementary School – 8 hrs.
Ms. Skoloski – 4TH GRADE –Math & Reading

 Legacy Middle School – 8 hrs.
Mr. Bunch – 6TH GRADE - Math

LAWTON CHILES ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Ms. Skoloski –
4TH GRADE

ARTIFACT # 1 : SUPPLY LIST
Here is the 4th Grade supply list
given to all students at Lawton
Chiles Elementary School.

Due to economic difficulties in the
past few years in the area where this
school is located, many students are
not able to purchase these supplies
therefore the staff has been kind
enough to supplement and accept
donations so as to assure a
seamless education experience for
students.

ARTIFACT # 2: CLASS LEARNING GOALS

Ms. Skoloski is very
dedicated to her students
and sets goals not only for
herself but for them. She
tries to encourage her
students to look at these
daily and remind themselves
of their true potential.

ASRTIFACT # 3: PROGRESS REPORT & REPORT CARD

Both of these documents
detail how the students
are assessed throughout
the school year in all
areas of study.
The Report Card is
completed 4 times per
year, while the Progress
Report is sent home just
to give the parents an
update on the students‟
progress.

LESSON PLAN:
In elementary school the classroom
teacher instructs in all areas of
study, Reading/Math/Writing/Social
Studies/Science/Spelling as you see
here. Ms. Skoloski plans ahead by
preparing weekly lesson plans for
her class.

This is the standard lesson plan
that applies to students. If special
accommodations are needed they
are not disclosed as to maintain
confidentiality regulations

PICTURE 1:

Here you see these 4th graders hard at
work reviewing the lesson at hand
through the use of technology.

PICTURE 2:
As part of the Social Studies lesson, diversity was discussed. To
further instill the lesson a hands-on project of creating this bulleting
board was completed in group assignments to learn team work.

PICTURE 3
Ms. Skoloski uses this “Shine Out
Loud” board and a positive
reinforcer for not only good
behavior but exemplary
achievement.

TEACHER INTERVIEW: MS. SKOLOSKI
Name of Teacher: Ms. Skoloski School: Lawton Chiles Elementary School Grade: 4

Do you think that school culture is different at the elementary level versus the middle or high school lever? If so, how?
In my opinion the lower levels can be a little more manageable. I see a sense of camaraderie amongst students of this age group that starts to
dissipate as they go into middle schools. There is a large yearly student turnover in this particular school and the clicks of the higher grades
have not yet formed so what you will see is established students welcoming new students and helping each other.

What challenges do you face as an elementary school teacher?
As an elementary school teacher my biggest challenge has been lack of parent involvement. This particular school has had many changes in
its population in the past few years. As the area changed from being an affluent up and coming to now borderline poor with children from
broken homes who openly admit to not having food at home, or constantly moving due to eviction, teaching here has become more involved. I
not only deal with my daily lessons, but worry about the students’ nutritional needs, whether they have clothes, and certainly, whether they are
safe at home. The number of DCF calls has increased tremendously since the change in the economy.

What forms of communication do you use with your parents?
Communication with parents is essential in the students’ education plan. I say connected through phone calls, e-mails, and any way I need to
reach out to those in need. The principal also has a system, ‘connect –ed’ where all the students’ contact numbers are housed. What I have
noticed is that different cultures feel differently about communicating with educators, for example; Haitian parents do not have much to
communicate, while Asian parents question just about everything. Acknowledging these different needs is very important in being able to
communicate effectively.

What effective teaching strategies would be good to utilize at this age/grade level?
The younger age groups need to have teaching strategies that are applicable to them. For me, the most effective ones have been the following;
repeating, extra time, preferred seating and peer grouping. Working in groups, especially with technology such as computers or smart boards
seems to be beneficial to all. Not only can they learn to work together, but one’s deficiencies are someone else’s excellences so they balance
and learn from each other.

What forms of incentives do you utilize with your students in the classroom to enhance extrinsic motivation?
Positive incentives work well with the elementary age group. There are the usual rewards of candy, trinkets, etc., but I personally enjoy the
smile points. This system is a give and take depending on good or bad performance. What I have noticed in the last few years is that students
now value the use of technology so I use this as recompose for excellence in academics and behavior.

LEGACY MIDDLE SCHOOL
Mr. Bunch –
6TH GRADE -
Math

ARTIFACT # 1 : SCALE OF UNDERSTANDING

Mr. Bunch uses this scale for his students to verbalize how
well the understand the material taught. Students enjoy this
because they can better explain where they are at with the
lesson, and the teacher can then take action to assist.

ARTIFACT # 2 : WORKBOOK

Each student completes the first
section of the workbook assignment
in class post the lesson being taught
and then must finish the assignment
for homework.

ARTIFACT # 3 : WORKSHEET
This work sheet was
handed out at the
beginning of the classroom
period as a quick refresher
of the prior day so that the
new lesson could be
started on a fresh point.

LESSON PLAN:
It is the expectation of
administration to have each
daily lesson plan written out
on the white boards so that
all students are aware of the
benchmark, essential
knowledge, goal, agenda,
assessment and homework.

Any special accommodations are
made on an inclusive basis so as
to not single out any student for
any particular reason or disability.

PICTURE 1:
Mr. Bunch takes his time to go over
his lessons via visual aids such as
the white board and a projector.
Students are welcome to open
discussion to better understand the
lesson.

PICTURE 2:

In this bulleting board
students are
encouraged to “think
mathematics.”

PICTURE 3:

Math Martial is a rewards system
used in this class where students
earn points and „belt colors‟ as
they would in a martial arts class.
Students of this age group are
more receptive to this than to
receiving a candy for good
behavior, therefore making this a
wonderful innovative idea that is
age appropriate.

TEACHER INTERVIEW: MR. BUNCH
Name of Teacher: Mr. Bunch School: Legacy Middle School Grade: 6

What challenges do you face as a middle school teacher?
As a middle school teacher I encounter many challenges primarily due to the age group, the fact that I am a male teacher and
personality conflicts. What most do not realize is that as a male teacher of this age group with male students coming from
broken homes where they have been the ‘man of the house’, having to listen to another man becomes a power struggle for
them as if it was two alpha males competing. My goal is to be able to work past that wall and reach all my students.

What effective classroom management strategies do you utilize with your students?
My primary classroom management strategy is to instill respect in all my students as well as command respect of myself. I
tend to be somewhat shy within my age group, but become a positive and outspoken role model when with my students. I try
to teach them not only the curriculum but life lessons as well through safe and fun learning and showing them that I truly care
for them as persons.

What forms of communication do you use with your parents?
Technology has been a great asset in improving communication with parents. As always, meetings and parent conferences
continue, but the use of e-mail has worked out the best for me. There is also a Legacy Middle School twitter page as well as
Facebook with applications such as progress book and virtual grade book that keep parents well informed if they chose to do
so.

What effective teaching strategies would be good to utilize at this age/grade level?
I look for strategies that will not only catch their attention but keep them interested. In doing so, I parallel my lessons with
current movies or songs and try to be creative. Many of my students are into martial arts, so I make the ‘math mart arts test’ in
which if they pass with a C+ they are awarded ‘belts’ as a form of promotion.

What forms of incentives do you utilize with your students in the classroom to enhance extrinsic motivation?
Like I stated prior, the promotional ‘math mart belt’ is a great incentive. I also try to think outside the box by having an
incentive ticketing system. The accumulation of tickets will give the students the opportunity to use various amounts to
achieve prizes from a treasure box; it can be as low as two tickets for the candy jar, or even a raffle for larger prizes. These
incentives serve as positive reinforcement of good behavior and achievement.

REFLECTION:
It was with great trepidation and caution that I completed my field observations. Having recently moved from the
north-east area where not only I studied but practiced substitute teaching, I was not aware of the differences and similarities
between the Orange County Public Schools and what I was accustomed to . Those fears were swiftly put to rest as I
contacted the very welcoming staff of both of the schools I was looking to observe. Both, Lawton Chiles Elementary School
and Legacy Middle School where able and willing to accommodate my eight hour observation per school and looked forward
to showing me the great job they are doing for the children of our community.

First I observed Mr. Bunch‟s sixth grade math class. Spending the day with this age group was quite different for
me as I am more used to younger students. As it often happens with students of this age, they begin to experience a form of
fragmentation as the break up into clicks or groups. Nevertheless, Mr. Bunch commands respect and students appear to meet
his high standards. The lesson of the day was clearly written on the board for all students to see. He not only made math
understandable but fun. His way of having the students interpret problem-solving as well as his ability to assimilate workbook
material into everyday math was so innovative that I expressed how I would have liked to have a teacher like him at that age.
He highly encouraged critical thinking skills and not only motivated but rewarded the students. Mr. Bunch was most proud of
the results of his hidden curriculum; his students are incidentally learning camaraderie through their interactions with each
other. I was truly impressed by his teaching procedures.

The following day I had the pleasure of observing Ms. Skoloski‟s fourth grade class at Lawton Chiles Elementary
School. The entire school culture was very welcoming and warm. Ms. Skoloski runs an interdisciplinary curriculum which
includes reading, math, writing, social studies, science and spelling. Although her class is comprised of regular and
exceptional education students, you would never know as they are all in an inclusive environment. Her class and teaching
strategies were inspirational. Ms. Skoloski uses many methods to captivate the attention of her students as well as motivates
them through positive reinforcement. One unfortunate situation that I was not aware of is that the population in these area-
schools is considered at-risk students. This particular school used to be part of an up and coming community, but due to
economic struggles in the past few years, the area has declined. Many, if not most students come from single-parent homes,
cannot afford supplies or even school meals. The government is assisting in this predicament by declaring it a Title 1 school,
which aims at federally assisting low-income students who are at risk of failing. Furthermore, Ms. Skoloski is like a second
mom to her students and is proud of the significantly fulfilling job she does.

In conclusion, I am very happy to say that the schools I visited and teachers I observed not only focus on
learning, but care for the students as if they were their own. There is an atmosphere of honest and sincere passion for
education and learning. Additionally, I found such empathy for the struggles of the students and the parents that it further
sparked my passion for this profession. I look forward to proceeding with my studies in search of becoming a teacher as
exemplary as these two were.

Field observation

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