Minh Chau Doan

ECE 251

Alyce Gray

Classroom observation

5 March 2015

Observe a classroom for ages/grades focused on in this course (3 yrs - 2nd grade). Observe the
teacher and her interactions with the children. Answer each of the following questions,
supporting each response with at least one objective observation. Type what is blue and then
write your response.

School: UNLV Preschool Telephone: (702) 895 3779

Teacher: Tonya Age/Grade: 3 - 3 1/2
Teacher Characteristics
1. In general, how unconditional is the teacher in her acceptance of the children's individual

differences? Support with observation.

Natalie (one of the children) moved around the classroom while clasping her hands

together. She couldn't sit still for a long period of time. She walked around the block areas and

moved to the dramatic area playing with the materials there. The teacher gave her a figure to

hold it. Natalie moved to the block area, sat next to another child, and played with the figure and

the teacher. The teacher seems to accept the behavior of the child.

2. How accepting is the teacher of children who present challenging behaviors? How does she

communicate this acceptance or lack of acceptance to the child? Support with observation.

The teacher is knowledgeable in working with children with challenging behaviors. She

greets them and engages with them in their activities.

3. How consistent is the teacher regarding the enforcement of classroom rules? Support with

observation.

Before group time, the children picked their own book from the book shelves and read by
themselves. The teacher selected a book from her desk called, "The Very Very Quiet Cricket."

She told the children, "Now is the story time. put your book away. We'll have story time

together. Please sit down and show silence time." She then placed her index finger in front of her

lip. The teacher reminds the children to follow the rules.

Bonding

1. What kind of bonding rituals does the teacher use? Support with observation.

One of the rituals the teacher use is trust. Natalie walked into the classroom holding

hands with her mom. She cried when her mom left. The teacher asked her, "Would you like to

come sit with me?" Natalie sat on Tonya's lap. Natalie was distressed and when the teacher spoke

to her, the teacher made sure to make eye contact with her and touch the child to comfort the

child. The teacher also used a clam voice and focused on the child's feeling when the teacher told

her that her mom will be coming back later in the day.

2. What other ways of bonding does the teacher utilize? Support with observation.

The other bonding ritual the teacher used was respecting children's choices. After reading

time, the teacher informed them the options for the center they can play in. She offered the book

area, trace pictures, art at the table, and the housekeeping area. She called each child's name and

asked what center they would like to play in.

Schedule & Routines

1. Provide a copy of the classroom schedule. Write an evaluation of the schedule utilizing the

information from the reading and handouts.

The schedule is balanced with quiet activities and active activities. There is snack time

between breakfast and lunch time. The schedule was on track for the day during my evaluation.

Quiet time, outside time, and indoor time is spaced throughout the schedule evenly. during center
time, the children had a long period for them to choose what they wanted to play with. Storytime

is kept at 20 minutes maximum although the textbook recommends only ten minutes maximum.

The teacher also announces time warnings until the next activity.

2. Interview the teacher. Ask how they taught the children the various aspects of the routine

such as teacher signals, student signals, responding to fire drills, etc. Refer to handout Routines

in 1st Grade for more complete understanding of the kind of information you are trying to obtain

from the teacher.

The teacher chooses to remind them about the daily routines since the children are very

young. The children are accustomed to the routine and know what is the next activity. An

example is when the teacher would announce "five minutes" by holding her hand up to let the

children know they have five minutes until the next activity.

3. Write two observations of transitions that occurred. How appropriate were they? In what

ways could they have been improved?

The teacher asked who needed to go to the toilet room and divided the children into two

lines. One line to go directly into the classroom and the other line go to the toilet room. I think

this is an appropriate way of creating two lines. The teacher's strategy prevents having one long

line.

The teacher called one child at a time to wash his/her hands. The teacher sang a washing

song that had the same rhythm as the "Row Row Your Boat" song. The teacher's washing song

reminded the children how to wash their hands properly. The teacher's washing song was

appropriate. The teacher's song helped the children learn the process of washing their hands as

well as expanding their vocabulary

Rules

1. Write the classroom rules that are posted.

Keep myself safe.

Keep my friends safe.

Keep my toys safe.

I listen quietly.

I share with others.

I use words when I am angry.

2. Describe all the rules you heard verbalized or implied in the classroom which were not

posted, e.g. wash your hands after wiping/blowing your nose; wait until I (teacher) finish talking

before you (child) talk; be interested in the task you are doing; child gets in trouble for tapping

their pencil on their desk

At snack time, the teacher put out cereal and milk at the end of the classroom. The

teacher asked the children who wanted to eat the snack. The children that wanted to eat snacks

had to wash their hands, get the supplies, and serve themselves. After the children ate their

snacks, the children had to clean their area and wash their hands.

3. Using the information from the reading and Handout: Rethinking the Rules you

Establish, evaluate the use of rules in this classroom. Include ways use of rules can be improved.

The rules in the classroom is clear. The teach reminds the children of the rules and the

children understands what they need to do to follow the rules. I don't believe the rules can be

improved.