Observation Paper MTE:501

Individual Assignment: Classroom Observation and Reflection
MTE/501

Classroom Observation and Reflection I observed Mrs. Jessica Allred’s 2nd grade class at Paxson Elementary School. I observed the classroom from 9am to 12:15pm. The kids were in the classroom the entire time of this observation except for when they were released for recess at 10:45. The experience of seeing the morning routine of the students was very informative. The kids stayed in the same room for each subject. Mrs. Allred informed me that they do leave for art class on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. The classroom was decorated in a very educational format. The posters on the wall covered all types of information and projects that the kids were working on. The classroom had a turtle as the pet named Lucy. Each child got to take turns taking the pet home on the weekends as a lesson to teach responsibility. The desks were arranged in small groups of 4 and the teacher had her desk at the front of the room. Mrs. Allred had her class rules posted on the wall next to her desk were all the children could see them. She informed me that they go over the rules every other week as a reminder for behavior in the classroom.
Educational Philosophy
The answers to the questionnaire and the interview questions told me that Mrs. Allred’s teaching philosophy is progressivism. Progressivists believe that individuality, progress, and change are fundamental to one 's education. Believing that people learn best from what they consider most relevant to their lives, progressivists center their curricula on the needs, experiences, interests, and abilities of students. Progressivist teachers try making school interesting and useful by planning lessons that provoke curiosity (The Foundations of Education Web, 2013). Mrs. Allred loves using real world experiences in projects and assignments so the children can relate even if it is very simple. Mrs. Allred also loves to get the children interested by using the experiences that they are comfortable with and that they use or see everyday. Mrs. Allred believes that learning should be an experience, not just an experience but also an active experience. She believes that children should never be bored when they are learning.
Application
I learned some valuable aspects of classroom elements when I observed Mrs. Allred’ s classroom. In my opinion the most important aspect that I will be taking away from the experience is classroom management. The way that Mrs. Allred managed her classroom was very impressive. The classroom was organized, scheduled, and the children new exactly what her expectations were. After talking with Mrs. Allred for some time I realized that she goes over what is expected from the children throughout the school year so they know what behavior is appropriate and what is not. Mrs. Allred also provided the children with a fun and educational learning atmosphere and the kids were excited to be in school. The children all seemed to enjoy there time in the classroom even while doing sometimes tedious tasks such as math problems. I will definitely apply what I learned as far as classroom management and making a fun atmosphere for learning into my own teaching technique. In conclusion, Mrs. Allred provided a very informative observation for me. I saw how a classroom can be set up and decorated to provide the children with a very interactive place to learn. I also learned how a teacher could incorporate his or her teaching philosophy into their lesson plan. In all, I gained information on how I would want to teach my students in the future.

References:
The Foundationsof Education Web. (2013). Retrieved from http://www.siue.edu/~ptheodo/foundations/index.html

References: The Foundationsof Education Web. (2013). Retrieved from http://www.siue.edu/~ptheodo/foundations/index.html