My fourth week observing BBHS was about observing beyond my novice eyes. It was about putting the pieces of my puzzle together to understand a classroom environment and the “why” teachers prepare their lesson’s plan the way they do it. We all as students are used to a routine where teachers have the “game plan” of the day, the “during the class time”, also the time to review homework period, the check the progress of the students and the wrapping up time where the teacher closes the day and give us the “why” we needed to have that class.
As a future professional in the field of education I love to see how everything has the purpose improve education or to help our students’ learning process. I was able to observe this happening at Mrs. S’ class. I witnessed how Mrs. S. offered “extra credit” to those students who were falling behind in their grades. However, they had to show her that they care about the class and they had to behave well during the week in order to participate in her “extra credit raffle”. This extra credit raffle was with the idea of having a bucket filled with names of students from her class, and once a week she will pick a piece of paper from the bucket, and will read the name of the student of that week and will offer that opportunity to the student as long as she or he was well behaved in class the previous week. I liked this idea because it is a motivation for a student to know that they can improve their grade and also help students to behave well in class and look forward for that opportunity.
Another technique Mrs. S. likes to use when she wants to check homework is to show her emails to the entire class trough her LCD screen that mirrors her laptop’s image and she will read all of the names that gave homework and those who did not complete homework on time she reminds them that they will have to stay with her 2 hours after school until they finish any essay or research that was requested; and then she adds: “IT IS NOT NEGOTIABLE”. She treats every student equally and she does not seem to expect less or more from anyone; in front of her students they all are treated equally and there is not secret for the students who gave homework on time, or what is expected for all of them, or who will stay with her for a longer period of time. Rules in her class a black and white and expected to be accomplished and if they are not, then students also know what will be the consequences of their actions.
I really admired the way Mrs. S. had her class prepared for everything and also how well prepared she was for all of her lesson plans. I would love to apply that to my future classes and just like Mrs. S. have a purpose for the students (just the way education should be) I want to create an impact in a student’s life and observing Mrs. S. made me feel she truly accomplish that. For example, Mrs. S. had one class where her students were exposed to watch movies and then compare the written books and online analysis. I was very lucky I observed how Mrs. S. chose and old movie and book “To kill a mockingbird”, a kids’ movie and book “Hugo” and a current movie but with actors over 60 years old “Young at Heart”. Mrs. S. told me how she knows her students will never rent or read those types of movies and books; but she wanted to show them that they could find a nice experiences over things that they will think are “boring” or less attractive to their young eyes while she was applying her lesson plans with the core curriculum requested for the age of her students. And at the end of every movie I could not agree more with her; her students watched every single movie just as if they were watching a video game in their ipad! And without knowing it students were also were having an amazing learning experience.
As a future professional in the field of education I love to see how everything has the purpose improve education or to help our students’ learning process. I was able to observe this happening at Mrs. S’ class. I witnessed how Mrs. S. offered “extra credit” to those students who were falling behind in their grades. However, they had to show her that they care about the class and they had to behave well during the week in order to participate in her “extra credit raffle”. This extra credit raffle was with the idea of having a bucket filled with names of students from her class, and once a week she will pick a piece of paper from the bucket, and will read the name of the student of that week and will offer that opportunity to the student as long as she or he was well behaved in class the previous week. I liked this idea because it is a motivation for a student to know that they can improve their grade and also help students to behave well in class and look forward for that opportunity.
Another technique Mrs. S. likes to use when she wants to check homework is to show her emails to the entire class trough her LCD screen that mirrors her laptop’s image and she will read all of the names that gave homework and those who did not complete homework on time she reminds them that they will have to stay with her 2 hours after school until they finish any essay or research that was requested; and then she adds: “IT IS NOT NEGOTIABLE”. She treats every student equally and she does not seem to expect less or more from anyone; in front of her students they all are treated equally and there is not secret for the students who gave homework on time, or what is expected for all of them, or who will stay with her for a longer period of time. Rules in her class a black and white and expected to be accomplished and if they are not, then students also know what will be the consequences of their actions.
I really admired the way Mrs. S. had her class prepared for everything and also how well prepared she was for all of her lesson plans. I would love to apply that to my future classes and just like Mrs. S. have a purpose for the students (just the way education should be) I want to create an impact in a student’s life and observing Mrs. S. made me feel she truly accomplish that. For example, Mrs. S. had one class where her students were exposed to watch movies and then compare the written books and online analysis. I was very lucky I observed how Mrs. S. chose and old movie and book “To kill a mockingbird”, a kids’ movie and book “Hugo” and a current movie but with actors over 60 years old “Young at Heart”. Mrs. S. told me how she knows her students will never rent or read those types of movies and books; but she wanted to show them that they could find a nice experiences over things that they will think are “boring” or less attractive to their young eyes while she was applying her lesson plans with the core curriculum requested for the age of her students. And at the end of every movie I could not agree more with her; her students watched every single movie just as if they were watching a video game in their ipad! And without knowing it students were also were having an amazing learning experience.
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