Classroom Climate and Culture
Olivia Baughman
Date of Field Experiences Reported: 9/15
Time Spent: 9:50-10:40
Sequence of Events
Student A who throughout the week has been in every class period of Sociology, has kept their hood up or has had headphones in listening to music.
Student A has been disengaged from the class activities and from other students. Today the student needs to complete work that has not been finished or even started.
The student is given the work and can sit where they choose, whether on the floor, at their usual seat, or at the back of the room.
The student sits at the back of the room and does not do their work.
The teacher allows the student to complete tasks around the classroom and helps him, giving him roles and structure other than their schoolwork.
The student is given a pass to the school 'clinic' which I believe is the nurse.
Elaboration of the Significant Episode:
At the beginning of class, Student A came into the room and was wandering around. Student A did not want to sit down immediately. The teacher was perfectly fine with this as he could tell the student was not socially and emotionally regulated today. The teacher allowed Student A to keep their headphones on. Student A was not causing any distractions towards the other students and the teacher began the class. As students were given their task for the class period, the teacher broke off and began engaging with Student A. Mr. Byrum (the teacher) said, " Hey, (student A's name) how about we look and see what work needs to be made up for you this week, does that sound alright?" Student A did not give a response, just shook his head in a yes motion. Student A continued to wander around the room while Mr. Byrum was pulling papers that the student needed to work on. This week students have been learning about deviance in Sociology and students have been completing field observations, group work, and proposals on an assignment. Student A during this time never showed blatant facial expressions, always keeping a neutral disinterested facial expression. Student A earlier in the week also did not work with the two other students in their group. The two other students did the work while Student A sat with their headphones in and arms tucked into their shirt.
As the class went on, I would watch Student A and see that they had started on their work but had stopped working completely. I allowed the student to have personal space, as I had tried talking to the student the day prior and the student was still getting used to having another authority figure in the room and did not feel like talking to me since I am a stranger still. Mr. Byrum after engaging with other students and checking on their work, along with directing them when they had questions, looped back around to Student A to see how they were doing.
Student A began to get up and walk around the room, blowing their nose several times, and asking to use the restroom. Mr. Byrum allowed it. The whole time Mr. Byrum never showed any anger, annoyance, or any negative emotions towards the student. Mr. Byrum also never said anything negative to the student. For example, he never said, "I need you to do your work, you are behind and you need to stop messing around." That was not the case. Mr. Byrum shows extreme patience with this student and all of his students because he understands that some of his students need extra care and patience from an authority figure. Mr. Byrum eventually said to the student, "Will you take out the recycling, it is starting to get full and smell." This allowed the student to have a task and participate in school but in a different way that did not involve their work. When the student came back, Mr. Byrum had written the student a pass to the school clinic and talked to the student for a minute or so, but I could not hear what was being said. The student seemed to relax however in their posture.
Student A was never distracted by anything in the classroom but preferred to be disengaged from socialization with other students or the teacher. Mr. Byrum leads a very open and authoritative classroom, following the constructivist way of teaching. Mr. Byrum throughout the week never disciplined a student, mostly encouraging them to think outside the box.
Analysis of Episode:
After watching the student all week and attempting to engage with the student several times by asking neutral questions, their interests, and offering them space, I am not sure what works yet in terms of getting the student to open up. It seems as if Mr. Byrum has not gotten the students to open up much out of their shell either. I was able to get the student to actively participate for several minutes during the field experience day on Wednesday when the class went to the atrium to observe people in relation to impression management in Sociology. I have learned however that the amount of teacher-student building in terms of that relationship that Mr. Byrum has done has been quite a lot. This has led to a very positive classroom atmosphere. Students are not afraid to ask questions and most will talk to any of their peers.
Practicum last year, I was used to seeing my mentor teacher use discipline almost immediately with students, and the atmosphere in the classroom felt cold. Students did not engage with each other and did not want to ask questions. My teaching perspective is that a classroom has to be built on trust. However Burris Laboratory school is a very small school and students go here based on a lottery or being able to afford it. It is different than most public K-12 schools or high schools in general. It makes me wonder if Mr. Byrum's teaching pedagogy and methods would be as beneficial or work as well in a larger, more diverse school, that contained fewer resources. Personally, I feel like it may not. Reflecting, I feel like his teaching style would not work as well with middle school students either. Mr. Byrum allows a lot of fluidity within his lessons and how students approach their learning. However, students who need specific roles and structure may find this class a little challenging. As a future teacher, I think I will have to learn how to incorporate classroom fluidity and structure in a way that works for all students because so far I have not seen it mastered, but it may never be perfectly mastered by educators because students are so diverse.
I do like how Mr. Byrum treats students who are not actively engaged. I feel like not enough teachers have that kind of patience with students and that can lead to students shutting down if they are not given time to work on themselves as well as their academic success.
Technology Use in the Classroom/Schoolwide
Name: Olivia Baughman
Date of Field Experience Reported: 9/20
Time Spent: 10:45-11:35
Sequence of Events:
Students arrived at class. Students were told that they would begin something new for the next few days. Students were introduced to examples of federal regulations and each contained a supporter's comment and a critic's comment. After students read through the three different federal regulations, students were then asked to answer questions that applied to each regulation. Students worked in groups. Students had half of the class period for this.
Students were then asked to go to Regulations.gov. Students were asked to work on finding a regulation that interested them or their group. Their group was to research the regulation and find supporters and critics of the regulation. Students were to use their laptops, iPads, or their phones. Students were shown the website and how to use it on the front projector board. Students had the rest of the class period to work on this.
Elaboration of the Significant Event:
As students were directed to go to the assigned website and begin researching different federal regulations as their task, many students became distracted by the technology available to them. I noticed that students did not get to work right away, yet the teacher did not have a problem with this. It took several minutes for students to start working and collaborating together. The group of six students that sit together and usually work together were talking to one another. One of the students was drawing on their iPad instead of going to the assigned website. Another student was texting somebody. About half of the students seemed engaged with this task. The other half were on their phones or iPads/computers doing other tasks such as writing emails or doing other schoolwork. The teacher allowed this to occur for several minutes. The teacher allowed the students to be on their phones or text other individuals the whole class, never disciplining a student or telling a student to get off of their phone.
The teacher did say about halfway through the class, "What's going on today, it seems like everybody is sluggish, did everyone not get enough sleep, what's going on?"
I walked around the room once students began the task and engaged with all of the different groups. Two students in a different group (not the one described above) were engaged in a pretty respectful yet heated debate over a topic that had to do with gun regulations that they discovered. I stood back and allowed the students to discuss their opinions and why they supported either side, I chose not to interject because they were being respectful. When they were finished, I directed them to other sites they could look up if they wanted to know more about the topic.
The student with the worst IEP in the class was on their phone for most of the class and the teacher had no problem with this.
Students in the class are respectful and listen to the teacher's instructions and material that is covered and taught, yet will be seen texting, or on their iPads throughout the class. Student phones are definitely a distraction in the class.
Analysis of Episode:
Throughout the whole class, I wanted to tell students to put their phones away and work on the assigned tasks within their group. However, I did not because the teacher never tells students to put their phones away, as it is not part of the teacher's classroom management style. The teacher does not mind students having their phones out, however, I feel differently about that. I feel like students should not have their phones out during instructional time, as I have seen many students texting, and listening to music, on Instagram, or other social media sites. This is distracting to their learning process and the classroom atmosphere. My perspective has changed as to where I definitely do not want students to have phones out because it makes me see how students can be engaged one second, and then completely out of the loop and disengaged a few seconds later.
What I am noticing that does not work is the teacher not engaging with students and telling them to get off of their phones. It is almost too much of a 'laid back' classroom where students are free to do as they wish because they behave well. Classroom management in terms of dealing with 'bad' behavior is not really prevalent in the classroom. That might be why the teacher has no restrictions on what students do on their computers or phones during the class period. I feel like there needs to be structure, expectations, and guidelines for the use of technology used by students.
It honestly is also making me question what type of school I would like to work at once I graduate. Burris is a great school where students get a great education, however, I think I like working at schools where students need certain roles, and deeper SEL and trauma-sensitive classroom initiatives.
Students with Exceptionalities
Name: Olivia Baughman
Date of Field Experience Reported: 9/25
Time Spent: 9:45-10:35
Sequence of Events
The student with the IEP that I have reviewed who is in both class periods that I am at Burris came into 3rd period and sat down. The student began to play games on his phone which is allowed. The student was engaged with the game on his phone and began to listen as the teacher began to explain the new activity for the class. Students would be completing their second Field Observation (which correlated to the unit of Deviance they have been working through). Students were given a list of deviant acts and were asked to create a survey that would allow individuals who took the survey to rank from least deviant to most deviant. The student with the IEP began interrupting and saying things about the acts listed on the survey. The student was making inappropriate comments and saying, "This is stupid, you're stupid. These shouldn't be on the survey... who is going to take this survey... this is ridiculous". The student kept mumbling about the deviant acts and then would blurt out the acts and if they were deviant or not. The teacher asked the student to quiet down and allow other students to ask questions, as there were two students who wanted to talk.
Elaboration of the Significant Episode
As the student was given the paper with the research questions, directions, and list of deviant acts, the student began having outbursts over the acts and over certain words. The student would become fixated on certain deviant scenarios and certain words. The student would then repeat the words or acts and repeat them loudly which was distracting to the class. The teacher would ask the student to quiet down or pause, or to think through what he was saying. As stated in the Sequence of Events, the student would say the assignment was stupid, that the teacher was stupid, or that anything in general that the teacher was saying was stupid. The student's aide would ask the student to stop and the student would get angry at the aide and aggressively say no. As stated in the IEP, this particular student is not a fan of female aides, and prefers men, as they are seen as role models/figures. Other students in the class were distracted, but they were not making weird or confused faces toward the actions occurring. The students were respectful, if not a little annoyed that the teacher was interrupted while describing the assignment. The other students were not making fun of this student, but rather just waiting for the teacher to say something. The aide was taking notes for the student, who was sidetracked the rest of the class. The teacher disengaged and allowed the student to be on his phone or draw on paper.
Analysis of Episode
I feel as if the reason the student got caught up on certain words or actions that were described in the deviant acts presented in the survey students would be using, was due to the fact that the student does not understand social cues. The student also does not understand the context of texts and has a very low processing speed. The student also struggles with executive functioning skills, peer relations, communication, literacy, writing, spelling, etc. Therefore, the student does not understand that outbursts or repeated words, or calling others stupid, along with being loud and disruptive is not conducive to the classroom environment. The student does not realize that they are behaving differently, or aggressively when his wording turns rude towards others.
With this assignment, a modified version was created the next day for the student. This version contained simpler instructions and the deviant acts were far more appropriate. For instance, on the original sheet, listed one as "soliciting for prostitution", while the modified version included acts such as, "practicing medicine without a license". I feel as if the student with the IEP should have been given the modified version of the assignment at first, rather than the other version that other students had. Yet, I feel as if the teacher wanted to see if the student would be able to comprehend and complete the same version. The teacher may have been wanting to see the student's ability to understand social cues and actions since these are being worked on in the Life Skills Class. The student is also working on responding appropriately to conversations and learning to interject when it is appropriate. Therefore, I feel like my mentor teacher wanted the student to feel completely involved and see what improvements have occurred.
However, the student was unable to complete the assignment. I overheard my mentor teacher talking to the aide and asking and wondering why this student had been placed in the Sociology class, and the aide was unsure. I think it is good that the student has been placed in this class, because Sociology is all about understanding why individuals and groups act the way they do, and the student often is able to add a different perspective or insightful thoughts.
I would like to ask the aide in the classroom what her specific role is with the student because the aide does not correct or direct the student's behavior often. The aide also does not have the student complete work in class or attempt to get the student to complete work in class. The student may be completing work outside of the class setting (as noted is preferred in the IEP) but I am not sure.
Classroom Management
Name: Olivia Baughman
Date of Field Experience Reported:10/3
Time Spent: 9:45-10:35
Sequence of Events:
Today in Sociology, students had a work day to finish up their Disruptive Technology Canva Assignments that were due that evening, or to finish up their Field Observation Assignment that was due the following night. Students were for the most part working, my mentor teacher was getting work done behind his desk while I walked around the room and interacted with students. I was working with a group of students who were asking about the Disruptive Technology Assignment and if their presentations were up to the criteria that was expected of them, or if they were okay to submit. These students also wanted for me to read over their work and give them feedback. At one point I heard raised voices and the student noted in the previous week's Focused Observation with the IEP that I have focused on and chosen as now of my three students for EdTPA, began raising their voice at a group of students that sit in a cluster together. The student with the IEP was eating chips and had become invested in the boy's conversation at the cluster of tables across from him in the room. He was becoming agitated that he was not understanding or part of the conversation and misheard what one of the students heard, leading the student with the IEP to say to the group of boys, "I'm not a dumbass, you're a dumbass, so shut the f*ck up". The boys were not sure how to respond and my mentor teacher told this particular student to sit down. The rest of the class when the student called the other students those names made a loud, "whoa" noise. I went and stood by the boys and began talking to them about their assignments, and what pieces of technology they had chosen as their two items that they would include as disruptive tech and research. While talking, the student with the IEP began interjecting into the conversation which was fine, and then the student began saying things such as, "You're a racist, I'm Asian and you're being a racist, so shut the f*ck up". Meanwhile, the students were confused because the student is white. I told the boys to focus on their work, to ignore and not continue a conversation with this student. The student was told to sit down and then my mentor teacher and I had to clean pieces of chewed chips off of the student with the IEP's desk, along with the backpack of one of the boys. I told the boys that it was not their fault, as one asked if I was mad at them because I wanted them to be so focused on their work, I said in no way that I was, I simply just wanted their attention to be on the assignment.
Elaboration of the Significant Episode:
I learned from this day that asking the student to sit down is simply not enough to distract the student from the conversation occurring with the other students or to get the student disinterested in it. I think if something like this happens again, I will give the student an alternative task, as the student likes to have specific roles. Even if it is asking the student to put headphones in to use with their phone, while they have animations playing. I won't lie, at first when the interaction began I was wondering if my mentor teacher would handle it, because I felt underqualified to engage with the situation, however, I think I did my best and have identified an area of my teaching that needs work. I want to work on better understanding and working with my student who has the IEP and finding ways for the student to work with others but in a positive way. We do group work in the class, but oftentimes, this student does not get involved. I think if group work is created that specifically gives the student a role, then the student will focus on it, unconcerned about the other peer's roles. I overheard my mentor teacher talking to another teacher and discussing at their shock that this student was placed into the Sociology class.
Analysis of Episode:
From my perspective, I think it is good that the student is in this class as it allows the student to have interactions with peers, and work on social skills, task-oriented skills, and life skills. However, I do see how it distracts the other students sometimes, or I see other students getting a tone in their voice when asking the students to stop. In terms of classroom management, my mentor teacher is pretty lax. Students are not strictly told no, or told to stop doing something. Students do not have classroom rules or guidelines. It is a very student-led/ oriented classroom, as my mentor teacher feels it is important for students to take charge of their own learning. Students will be guided through the learning process, of course, students are at the center of really grasping it. Students will get out of it what they choose to put into it in class.
I like seeing this style of classroom management, but reflecting back on my own teaching pedagogy and who I want to be as a teacher, I think giving students too much freedom creates a learning environment in which students become concerned with socializing with peers around them.
Differentiation in the Classroom
Name: Olivia Baughman
Date of Field Experience Reported: 11/2
Time Spent: 10:40-11:35
Sequence of Events:
Today in Government, students were to finish their two-day assessment projects on how a president gets elected, and to research the process in which an individual becomes president. Students were allowed to work either by themselves or in groups of up to three. Students had the previous day 11/1 to work on this assignment after being given the instructions. This project was described as being very 'abstract' by their teacher (my mentor teacher) because students have the ability to create their assignments in any format. Students also have the ability to put relevant information into their assignments. Still, there were no strict guidelines as to what exactly had to be displayed in their assignment, along with how much content had to be reported on. One student in particular had missed class the previous day and was confused as to what the assignment was about. This class period was spent with several students presenting their projects while I worked individually with this student who needed specific guidelines or a rubric in order to be able to complete tasks. There needs to be tangible instructions and not just 'abstract' thinking. I wrote down for the student specific instructions and ones that also interested the student and the direction the student wanted to take on the assignment. This student wanted to and even mentioned that they needed to "lock in" on their focus and learning today. By guiding this student through the assignment process and giving direct instructions that differentiated from others in the class, the student was able to start on the assignment.
Elaboration of Significant Episode:
When the student arrived at class, the student immediately began talking to me and my mentor teacher. The student was angry and upset that the cheer coach had just quit and that there would not be cheer practice for the rest of the week. The student was also upset about their Pre-Calculus grade because the student felt like the teacher is not a good teacher and that the class is harder than it needed to be. The student showed myself and my mentor teacher their grade and we told them that they could talk to their Pre-Calculus teacher to see if there were any ways to bring up their grade, or study tools/ sessions that could be of use. We also told the student that this is a safe place and that they can vent to us if they are feeling overwhelmed with school or life outside of school. My mentor teacher soon transitioned into the beginning of class and students were asked to continue working on their projects from yesterday. This student did not know what to work on and I explained the instructions to them. I first instructed the student to get their iPads out and go to Canvas. I then explained where the link to an article students were using and that contained an example of the project they were creating in class. The student was still confused and was still getting off track. The student was on their phone and wanted to talk about anything other than the project. The student asked if they could sit at the back table where I sit sometimes and I said yes. I sat at the back table with this student and worked one-on-one with them for the remaining 30 minutes of the class period. My mentor teacher worked with other students and listened while several students presented their projects. I worked with this student on choosing the product they felt comfortable creating, I helped the student research information and guided them on what links to use. I then worked with the student and asked them to write out steps that they would like to add (content-wise) of information that would be in their project. The student became overwhelmed so I took over. I broke down for them by modeling and then differentiating how they would receive the direct guidelines of what should be on the project. I allowed the student to add or take out certain parts, allowing for student-centered learning to occur. I wanted the student to take charge of their learning process in places I knew that they were capable of after some guidance. The student felt confident that they could complete this assignment on their own by the deadline the next day.
Analysis of Episode:
I learned today that this particular student does best with one-on-one instruction and tangible planned out instructions that they them exactly what has to be on the assignment or what is expected of them. The student struggles with assignments that are 'abstract' and have little structure. The student has to be told directly to work otherwise the student will keep engaging with me or their teacher and want to talk about anything that is not class-related. The student has extended time on assignments (directly stated on their IEP) but me and my mentor teacher still ask the student to use their time wisely in class. I learned that there definitely needs to be direct instructions provided for students on Canvas. Students who miss class can view Canvas for the assignment details and to look back on if they forgot what to do. I had other students ask me several times what exactly they were supposed to be doing for this assignment. I also think its important to take time out and work with students individually and not always focus on the whole class. Sometimes students need that one-on-one time and during this class, I could tell all of the other students were doing okay without being asked constantly how it was going.
Data-Driven Decision-Making in the Classroom
Olivia Baughman
11/9/23
Time Spent: 9:50-10:40
Sequence of Events
Students came to class and were given several minutes to regulate. Students were then asked to take notes within their Guided Notes Packets that they had been using all week. Students were to take notes on the video " Race, Employment, and a Criminal Record" that came from Standford University. This was to wrap up the portion of the learning segment on Stereotypes, Prejudice, Discrimination, and Racism. After the video students were asked to pull out the two primary source readings that were given to them yesterday. Students had time yesterday to read the sources and begin answering the questions that went alongside each reading. Students were asked if they had answered all of the questions, completed reading both sources or had the sources/questions with them in class. Students were then asked questions about what they thought about the readings and the questions. Students were asked to transition into talking about the two sources. Each source was talked about separately, and students also had the option to read the sources online. Students spent the rest of class discussing the sources and were shown an image or two on the projector to help them with their historical understanding.
Elaboration of Significant Episode
When students were asked if they had read the sources, about a third of the class said they did not read either and a portion of the class said they had read but not answered the questions. Several students responded relaying that one source was more difficult to read than the other. Students were given more context about the sources and were asked to explain to their peers (those who had read) what the source that was being discussed, was about. Students' discussion with each source went differently than planned to meet the students' needs. The use of the presentation, the projector, and the HIPPO worksheet allowed students to begin to understand the sources and be able to understand the time and place of the event, along with the audience, and more. One student read aloud (had asked to read) an excerpt from the second source that they found interesting and was their favorite.. This allowed students to really take a hold of the discussion and lead themselves. Several students did not talk during the discussion but a good portion, over half of the students talked a least once. For those that did not talk, they were still engaged.
Analysis of Episode
I was not caught completely off guard that not all of the students didn't complete the readings or the questions. I also was not surprised that the students did not enjoy reading two sources and this confused them as to which they had to read and answer questions for the previous night in preparation for the discussion. Students provided me with good feedback on how they felt about the assignment and discussion which I much appreciated and I learned how to better a discussion and what type/ amount of sources to use in the future. For the future, I will only assign one source for students to read but I will still give them questions and the HIPPO worksheet that helps students break down the source and I will still model annotations. I will still explain different ways to annotate and what to look for in sources. After teaching this week, I felt I have grown a lot but there are still improvements to be made. I need to work on sounding less monotone and explicitly giving instructions when everyone is listening. For the most part, all students listen but then there are a few where instructions have to be repeated.
Students did very well in the discussion and I was really proud of them so in the future, I will hope to do more of these with students. It showed me how some students prefer to orally present what they have learned while others prefer just to answer the questions on the paper.
Name: Olivia Baughman
11/14
Time Spent: 10:40-11:35
Sequence of Events:
Students walk into the classroom and are greeted by myself and my mentor teacher. Students take their seats and talk amongst themselves. Students are given the first few minutes of class to talk and regulate before class is officially started. Students are watching a three-part video of McCulloch v. Maryland while learning about what Precedent is and how it relates to Supreme Court cases. Students are filling out Graphic Organizers that ask questions and align with each video. Students are given two handouts. One contains the questions and one contains the case background. Students work on this for the whole class period.
Elaboration of Significant Episode:
This class period in government showcases Problem-Based Learning because students seem to be more engaged and there is more buy-in because the videos are short and broken up, and the worksheet clearly defines what is expected of students to write down. Students having learned about Precedent on the day before, have a general understanding of the real-world problems and reasoning as to why this case was so pivotal. Each student filled out the handouts with the questions and after each video, my mentor teacher stopped and asked students what they wrote down in the assigned category. My mentor teacher wrote on the whiteboard, for the students who didn't catch certain things from the video and he also rewrote it in simpler terms for students to understand. However, what he was writing, is what students said, just summed up. This became a student-centered process and he was simply just the writer. If students were wrong, then the wrong information would be written on the board. This was to ensure that students were paying attention because he told them that he would not be giving them the answers. My mentor teacher acted as if he knew nothing about the court case and the students were the 'teacher' or individual who had to explain the background importance of this case. Students were asking questions about the case and were generally interested and staying engaged with the lesson. Students were not as talkative today, since they had a worksheet and videos to watch.
Analysis of Episode:
This is the first time while in practicum with my mentor teacher that I have seen him do a lesson like this and there was definitely better student engagement and buy-in from students than there is with some of the other class work or activities he has students do. Students do really enjoy working in groups in this class, yet this activity made students focus on the task at hand, and although they weren't physically moved into groups, the group discussions after each video allowed for the classroom climate of collaboration to continue. I really liked the flow of this lesson and hearing students provide the answers and work with one another to find an answer that everyone agreed upon before it was written on the board. I also enjoyed seeing how seriously students took this lesson. Yet, students also provided their own input and opinions which I always love to hear. I asked where he got the resources from and now I have some new resources to use. I think in my future classroom, I will try out lessons like this. I like student-centered classrooms, but only if there is structure. I think since there was structure that day, it made engagement go up. On other days, where there is minimal structure, students are more talkative and off the task at hand. I think it all circles back to how I want to or how I picture my own classroom management and structure and yes I see it differing from my mentor teachers, but I am also taking so many things away from him that are making me a much better teacher.
Name: Olivia Baughman
11/30
Time Spent: 9:50-10:40
Sequence of Events
Students in Sociology today were having a class discussion in which students would present the introduction paragraphs of their research topic, their question, and any other information, and then receive feedback from the teacher and their peers. My mentor teacher and I asked that students provide the most feedback to one another, but my mentor teacher and I would still guide the conversation. Students were assessed For Learning by seeing where students were at in their understanding of the scientific method they were using and where they were in their skill set to accomplish their research. Students were also heavily participating in the As Learning assessment. Students were asking their own questions about their own projects, and their peers.
Elaboration of a Significant Episode
During this class period, students had a "round table" type discussion. Students were to read out loud, project their introduction paragraphs on the board, or summarize their research topic for the class. Students were guided by Mr. Byrum and then it was open for other students to inquire about the student's topic who was talking. Students were to work together to improve, give feedback, and help organize their peer's work. This showcased how students could monitor their own learning, while using different methods, such as asking their peers for advice which had not been done in this classroom set up yet. This was also a way for Mr. Byrum and myself to see where students levels of understanding are currently at with the scientific method, the sociological relation to their research in terms of their topic, and what knowledge they had gained so far from data researched or collected (for ex. surveys made by students in correlation to their topic). There was ongoing feedback, learning was improved, and the group collaboration allowed for students to support one another. For Learning and As Learning were prevalent.
Analysis of Episodes
In class, students were actively listening to their peers and providing helpful, informative feedback that their peers may not have thought about or were struggling to outline or determine within their research projects. I saw many students throughout the week working hard on their research and research papers, but several students were trying to incorporate too much into their research, for the time frame that they have to complete it. Students during this class period, were able to receive and use group collaboration to think of revisions to their research questions to make them more clear, along with narrowing their topic into a feasible and doable amount. One student in particular who wanted to research the modernization of technology from the 1980s to 2020 and how it affected communication and social skills within K-12 students, had too broad of a timeframe. This student was able to benefit from the As and For Learning that took place and was able to gain a new perspective on how to look at his project, along with rewording his research question.
I felt as if this was a very beneficial class period for students. Students really do better in this class with group collaboration and this reinforced that belief of what I have been witnessing. Students were not quite and were actively engaging to help their peers, because they learned that their peers were there to help them in return. In the future in my own classes, I will dedicate days of learning like this because I saw how much it benefited students, the confidence it gave some students in their own work when they heard from their peers that it was good and ways to make it even better. Students were respectful and even students who normally aren't as engaged in class, participated because they knew they would benefit from the help. I think opening the floor for students to take center stage like this, while also having the teacher guide students with questioning, is the way I would like to teach. I do not want to have a super strict ridgid classroom, but a student- centered learning environment where students have a voice, but there are expectations and guidelines.
I know this is supposed to follow a certain format, but I would prefer to write what I have noticed throughout the semester in correlation to my mentor teachers pedagogy. While I have learned a lot this semester and grown in my own ways, I could not have done that without witnessing how my mentor teacher holds together his classroom. What I mean by this is, my mentor teacher uses SEL almost everyday in the classroom, sometimes I think he does so without even realizing it. My mentor teacher instills Self-Awareness and Self-Management in students. He tells studennts to complete work by a deadline, but if students do not do it, he will not always force them because it is their grade and their education. Students put in what they want out of their learning environment. My mentor teacher often tells students what they are doing well, and what they can improve upon, to take responsibility and ownership for your own actions, while working towards goals (whether in the classroom, or outside of school). Social awareness was used constantly in the Sociology classroom and this often aligned with relationship skills. Students were respectful and it was reinforced that you should be respectful to everyone. This worked well because having a Student-Centered classroom with a mixture of problem based and project based learning allowed students to collaborate in group work which they preferred over working independently. However, I did like how often my mentor teacher held class discussions and scaffolded questions that met the needs of differentiated learning. Often times in Sociology, class would be spent discussing the relevant content, but it would be like an open discussion, students would take notes, continue to ask questions, be guided with examples, and encouraged to think critically. Rather than lecturing with a PowerPoint. I appreciate how my mentor teacher puts students first. If students are overwhelmed or struggling, he does not disregard that, and then works with students to map out their coursework, or help them with the class work, even asking students how they are doing outside of class. He is very engaged in their lives outside of the classroom, such as their sports teams, or theater events.
My mentor teacher had a lax rule system in his classroom and I think this goes in part with the student-centered classroom where they are constantly trying new learning tactics. However, I think this sometimes was not beneficial to students who need structure. I think there needs to be a balance found between being strict and being lax. As I mentioned lecturing with a PowerPoint earlier, I do know that some students prefer that, therefore I feel like it could be used to introduce each new lesson or unit.