Running Head: CLASSROOM OBSERVATION REFLECTION

Classroom Observation Reflection

Hannah Donner
University at Buffalo SUNY
LAI 574

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I observed a twelfth grade ELA inclusion classroom for forty-five minutes at Maryvale
High School in Cheektowaga, NY. I interviewed both the special education and ELA teachers
prior to the observation, in order to learn more about the inclusion classroom environment, both
educators teaching strategies, the engagement and characteristics of the students with
disabilities, and the interaction between the classroom teachers and the students with disabilities.
Im happy that I had the opportunity to speak with both Mr. V., the ELA teacher, and Ms. G, the
special education teacher, prior to the observationparticularly because it gave them more time
to elaborate and fully explain the needs of their students, and the strategies they use to help them.
In speaking with Mr. V., I learned that he has been teaching in an inclusion setting with
Ms. G for eight years. Ms. G told me that out of twenty-six twelfth graders in the class, seven
have been provided with IEPs, and two have 504 plans. The students with disabilities have
varying characteristics, diagnoses, and needs. These students have been diagnosed with either
Other Health Impairments (OHI) or Learning Disabilities (some in reading, one in math). Ms. G.
explained that all of these students always sit on the edges of the classroom, so that they are
easily accessible when they need help or redirection. Certain other students receive more
individualized assistance. For example, some students are read to by Ms. G., particularly in
receiving directions. Ms. G. also ensures that certain students have directions re-explained to
them, while others need to be in a location where they will have minimal distractions. Other
students, including the two students with 504 plans, receive extended time while completing tests
and quizzes.
In terms of social management, all of the students get moved around on a regular basis,
but always with assigned seats. In regard to educational management, the students with special
needs all receive graphic organizer templates throughout the first half of the year. By the end of

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the year, these students are expected to know how to make their own. Many students also face
difficulties with completing all of their assignments in the required timeframe. As a result,
many of these students receive the assignment 2-3 weeks in advance. This helps these
exceptional students plan what they will need to know and write.
In terms of classroom management, if there is group work, group members are all preassigned by both Ms. G. and Mr. V. Overall, Ms. G. and Mr. V. seek to create a safe and fun
classroom environment. Class often begins with Mr. V. telling a relevant joke, and the daily
objectives are reviewed. Ms. G. mentioned to me that she and Mr. V. frequently laugh at
themselves, which further encourages students to approach the class with greater ease. Although
bullying has not been a problem this past year, there is a clear zero tolerance for bullying in the
classroom. Students are aware that if they bully someone, they will be disciplined immediately.
Typically, if bullying occurs, these students will be required to face detention and counseling.
In regard to classroom strategies, Mr. V. does not assign a lot of homework. When it
comes to reading a book, play, or poem, these assignments are typically read aloud by Ms. G.
and Mr. V., interchangeably. Ms. G. often redirects and even prevents negative behaviors by
being in close proximity to her students, and checking in with them regularly throughout the
period. In terms of instructional strategies, Ms. G. and Mr. V. take turns instructing the group,
which creates an environment where both teachers have full reign of instruction. Both Ms. G.
and Mr. V. accommodate their students needs by utilizing a lot of images and films in their
instruction, particularly when providing the setting of a story. This is an example of a Universal
Design for Learning, because it provides students with different ways to grasp important details.
Instead of only learning by listening, reading, and talking, students also have access to
knowledge through images and films.

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When I arrived at the school, I learned that the current unit of this ELA class was called
Greatness, focusing on people in history who have been deemed great by society. I also
learned that the class would be in the computer lab during the period, working on their final
paper for the unit. I observed all students working on a two-three page essay that discusses three
characteristics of a great person.
The instructions on how to write this paper were very explicit, which made the overall
teaching more effective. All students were given a handout with a series of prompts, which
helped organize the essay into five parts (an introduction, three body paragraphs, and a
conclusion). First there was an introduction section, asking for a definition of greatness and the
various traits necessary to be great. Second, there were clear directions on how to categorize
greatness as either: people who were born great, achieved greatness, or who became great after
greatness was thrust upon them. Students were asked to circle the type of greatness this person
had. Underneath these three categories, lines were written on the page, enabling students to take
detailed notes about the person mentioned in their paper. They were told to include three pieces
of literature and a thorough explanation of how this persons greatness affects their view of
greatness. Next, there were prompts provided for students to write their conclusion. This
section asked for students thoughts about greatness, which category the person fell under, and
how these students will move forward in trying to achieve greatness. At the end there was a
website that showed examples of how to write a works cited page in the MLA style.
As students worked on their notes and papers, Mr. V. and Ms. G. walked around the
room, reading and explaining their expectations to all students-- not only to the students with
disabilities. Because some students were already done with their notes, those students were able
to begin their essays. Offering differentiated tasks for the class enabled the period to run more

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smoothly. This is such an important idea to keep in mind as a future teacher. I really liked how
at the beginning of class, Mr. V. told his students that he needed exactly seven minutes of their
time. In that short time, Mr. V. was able to capture all students attention and explain the
expected format for all students essays. He clearly first wrote out the format on the front board,
which reinforced its contents as he reviewed everything orally. He also made reference to how
the length of an introduction typically relates to the size of an essay. For example, he explained
that a five-page paper should have a five-sentence introduction. Therefore, he said that his
students should write a three-sentence introduction for their three-page paper. In order to ensure
that students knew all of this information, he allowed everyone to take a quick picture of the
information from the board, which further involved technology in his classroom. This also took
far less time than hand-writing these important directions.
There were a few interesting take-aways I obtained from this experience. For example,
Mr. V. was able to relate this assignment to students other classes. When reminding students not
to add unnecessary or irrelevant information in their papers, he compared ELA to math. He
claimed that when students are completing a math equation, they are not adding extra numbers to
solve the problemtherefore, students should also not be adding extra information when they
write. I thought that this was a fantastic way to explain the importance of adding only relevant
information to their essays. Also, throughout Mr. V.s seven minute explanation, Ms. G. was
moving around the computer lab, checking in with each of her seven students with disabilities,
and the two students with 504 plans. This aspect of the inclusion class helped ensure that these
students knew what to do when it came time to write.
I really appreciated seeing how student-centered both Mr. V.s and Ms. G.s practices
were. Students were asked to sit in certain places, utilize notes with prompts, and demonstrate

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their understanding throughout the class in order to ensure their success. I really appreciated
seeing all of these strategies, but I wonder if students really fully understood what was expected,
even when they told their teacher that they did. It is very common for students to feign
understanding of a concept or task, for fear of embarrassment. I think that it might have been
more helpful to see more opportunities to respond, and perhaps also a we do activity, not
simply an explanation and a you do activity. I think that it might have been beneficial for Mr.
V. to first demonstrate what high-quality notes look like for students as a model, collectively
have students produce a sample of good notes, and after that create their own.
Another great check for understanding and opportunity to respond could have been an
exit ticket at the end of the class. On the tickets, students would write what they finished in class
that day, which would have been great for teachers to gauge how productive students were.
Overall however, my opinion of the class was that these students understood what was expected
of them, and were eager to work. I was told after class that these models on note-taking were
already demonstrated in previous classes, as students overall seemed to understand what to do. I
still believe however that a review on strong note-taking would not hurt.
I think the one aspect of this observation that changed my beliefs most was seeing the
value of handing out the note page accommodations to all students, not just the students with
disabilities. By offering this scaffolded assistance to all students, those with disabilities are less
stigmatized. In addition, these extra prompts offer everyone equal access to an opportunity to
succeed. Before I used to believe that additional scaffolds such as notes with prompts should
only be offered to students with special needsbut now I see its overall value for all learners!
I learned a great deal from observing both Mr. V. and Ms. G.s inclusion class. From the
success I observed with these seven students with IEPs and two with 504 plans, I could tell that

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their needs were being met. In my future classroom, I hope to implement a similar explicit set of
instructions when teaching, make sure students are physically easily to access, and find creative
ways to relate what I am teaching to other classes the students are in. All of these strategies will
be very useful in my future classroom setting, particularly if I am working with students with
disabilities.