What is the most important thing you have learned during fieldwork observation? Why?

The most important thing I have learned is that I want to be a teacher.  I want to have my own classroom and teach and make a difference in every child's life on a daily basis, even if they don't realize it.

This is important because it gives me the drive and motivation I need to accomplish all that I need to in order to become a teacher and have my own classroom and all that other fun stuff.

It's important because I know I haven't been wasting my time in taking classes consistent with this major.  It's important because I know I love being in a classroom and will do what it takes to get there.

What are the school rules/classroom rules and how are they enforced?

A rule that the school has for disciplining is to have a chart with 4 different sections and clothespins with each student's name.  The top section is where all the clothespins start.  If the student is misbehaving they are told to go clip down.  That acts as their first warning.  If they continue to misbehave they are to clip down again.  This time their punishment is losing 20 seconds of recess.  If they still continue to misbehave and have to clip down yet a third time their parents are called.

One of the classroom rules is to listen to the teacher when she is talking.  To get the students attention she has several phrases that she'll say and the students will respond with the appropriate phrase and turn to look at her.

I have noticed that one of the students does appropriate behavior just to get the reward involved.  If there is no reward he won't be on task.  But the other students seem to try to pay attention because they want to be good.

What strategies does the teacher use to actively engage the students? How effective are these?

One thing that Miss Hawes does to actively engage her students is a thing called Centers.  She does Centers during the time when she needs to read with small groups of students.

The centers are different areas around the room with a different learning activity in each one.  One center has kindles that will read to the student while they follow along.  Another center has addition and subtraction flash cards that they can use with a friend.  A third center has letters that they use to form words.  A new center is reading out loud to me in the corner.

When they have finished with one center they move on to the next center and either join the students or create a new group there.  They interact and help one another learn and review the things they've been taught.

The centers seem to keep their attention really well.  The teacher also sets a timer for two minute segments and every time it goes off the students are able to earn points if everyone on their team is on task, which they usually are.

What do you think is the most important role a teacher plays? Why?

I think that the most important role that any teacher has played in my life is that of Learning Facilitator.

So much goes into this role and without we wouldn't have any need for schools, because there wouldn't really be anyone there to teach us or to help us learn.

Several factors influence the role of the learning facilitator.  One of these is understanding the students.  When a teacher understands his or her students they are much more able to teach to their needs and help them to learn and grow in the way that is best for them.

Teachers, when using the role of a learning facilitator are able to help students learn how to learn.  They, when using that role, make learning fun, and something that students want to do for possibly the rest of their lives.

What clerical and preparation responsibilities have you participated in?

In the class I'm in I haven't been able to do much in the way of grading papers or participating in preparation and I have no idea how Miss Hawes manages assessment, but I have been able to help in the teaching of the students.

Near the end of the school day the students participate in what is called Centers where they do fun things to help them increase in their reading skills.  Miss Hawes asked me to call her students out of their centers one by one and have them read to me.

She said that some of the students hadn't quite passed the benchmark tests and needed extra help and because of that they needed 10 minutes each day practicing reading to someone.  So I got to help them read and sound out words and increase in their fluency.

What modifications for learners who are exceptional do you see?

One of the modifications I saw was when I was asked to have each student read aloud to me.  I am observing in a first-grade classroom and most of the students are on very small books with easy vocabulary and large words.

But one boy in the classroom was on chapter 7 in his book.  He was given the opportunity to read books that were much advanced for the students in the class because he was ahead of them in reading.

The other thing I saw was that certain students were taken out of the classroom one at a time to read with a volunteer who was there to help them improve in their reading skills.  For most of the class period they were with the other students, learning what they were learning and how they were learning it, but at times when it was more beneficial for them to learn one-on-one with someone, they did so.

In what ways is the school in which you are serving similar to or different from schools in the earlier periods of history in the United States?

There is so much diversity in the classroom that I'm observing in.
In the seats I saw children with several different skin tones, hair colors, and even height.  The differences between these students don't matter to any of them.

The students in the class perhaps notice the difference in color and race but it doesn't matter to them.  They don't seem to have any knowledge of racism, of the struggle for equality, and other important battles for education.  But they are the ones that get to reap the benefits.  They are the ones that the battles were fought for.

It makes me feel grateful that they don't have to experience the hate and the anger that accompanied battles for equality in education.  It makes me grateful that those battles have been fought so that children can have equal opportunities.

How does knowledge of the way people learn relate to the experience of being a teacher?

There are three ways that people learn.  These ways are called learning modalities.  One modality is visual, one is auditory, and the third is Kinesthetic or tactile.  Visual learners learn best when whatever is being taught engages them visually.  Auditory learners learn best when whatever is being taught can be heard.  Kinesthetic learners learn best when they use all of their senses to learn.

Teachers have the obligation to teach their students.  When they know the different ways that students learn best they can then tailor their teaching styles and lessons to best help all of the students in their classes.  I saw this happen once when I went into my little brother's classroom.  The teacher was teaching rhythm and she had the students go into to the gym and use their feet to stomp out different rhythms.  They all loved it and I'm not sure they realized that they were learning, because they were having fun.  But she was able to teach to kinesthetic and auditory learners in ways that they would best be able to remember.