Field Experience Journal

HS Day 1 (2/19/19):
● Room capacity 25 students
● Limited Whiteboard space
● Smart Board
● Students have access to their own form of technology
● 2 teachers (One main with and an Intervention Specialist)
● Posters related to the subject around the room
● Room feels sorta small
● Kids were not truly paying attention
● Kids were sleeping and had their heads down during the lesson
● Some students had their headphones in with music playing
● There was an old tv with a VCR in the room
● The teacher used Google Slides to present his lesson
● Played videos to end class over the topic
● Exit slip was used before leaving the class
● The teacher was a long-term sub (who just recently graduated)

HS Day 2 (2/21/19):
● Students are struggling with turning in and doing assignments
● Teacher gave them multiple extensions but still less than half of students turned in the
assignment
● The teacher was pretty kind to the students
● A lot of the classroom assignments were for completion
● They watched a movie in class and the students were asked to fill out a worksheet
● During the movie students were not paying attention
● Kids were on devices
● Kids had their heads down
● Kids had their headphones in even with the teacher requesting them to remove all
headphones
● Kids would get up and move during the movie and would talk to other students
● Kids with headphones were asked multiple times to take them out but they would not
follow direction
● Students did not use positive language when talking among one another

G e n e r al Observations / your initial impression …

​ after getting settled with your placement. Take some time to focus on the general atmosphere
of the classroom. Jot down notes in respect to your first impression of the classroom - its
students, the teacher(s), and the feel that you get for the environment as well as the classroom
that houses a community of learners. You can write this reflection as a bulleted list or a set of
paragraphs. You might even want to draw a picture of the classroom settings including the
seating arrangement, the technology, etc.In general try to capture the spirit of this classroom.
High School Week 1 Reflection: My first week in my placement was an eye opening experience.
Before going into Alliance High School, I had only been in my own high school. My first
impressions of the schools were the rooms were really small. There was not a whole lot of
walking room. Students had access to their own forms of technology and the teacher granted
them permission to follow along with the lesson. Students with this access of technology could
very well be misused and lead them to be off task. The students were not really engaged in the
lesson. As mentioned in my observations above, the kids just really were not paying attention. It
had to be very hard for the teacher because he was not the full time teacher of the class. The
teacher is a long term sub and he just graduated college. That being said, it is still a learning
experience for him. Lucky for this teacher, he had another teacher with him. It must be hard as a
new teacher trying to jump right in and teach. Some students will try and test you and try to take
advantage of you. It is critical to stand your ground so that the students will not walk all over you
but it is important to also care for the students. Students struggled with turning in assignments
so the teacher would give them extensions. Eventually, he gave them a final deadline and it it
was not turned in then they would not receive credit. Overall, I really enjoyed being able to go
into this classroom for the first week. I look forward to observing more classrooms and age
levels.

HS Day 3 (2/26/19):
● Playing a review game (Jeopardy)
● Room is well decorated
● Classroom had two class pets
● Teacher is energetics which made the class more interesting
● All the students were engaged in the game
● There was a couch located in the room
● Prizes for the team that won the game
● Kids were talking out because they were really into the game
● It was a high school English class
● Kids did not always use positive language toward one another.

HS Day 4 (2/28/19)
● Today they were taking a test
● The desks were moved around the class time on Tuesday
● The tests were taken on their ipads
● The test was in a google form but the questions were on paper
● The teacher sat at her desk for most of the test
● She would get up if someone had a question
● The one class pet was a bit noisy during the testing process which for myself found it to
be very distracting
● The kids had to put their cellphones in a holder during the test
● After they finished students could retrieve their phones and put earbuds in
● Students would talk before all the tests would be turned in
 Visit T W O – ​ Focus the students ​ …what are the adolescents doing? How long are
they able to maintain focus? Do students listen well – to the teacher and to other
students? What instruction and activities engage their attention? How (in what ways)
do students represent diversity (diverse cultures, language skills, SES, experiences,
abilities/disabilities, etc.)? Be careful not to stereotype students or make assumptions
about them – just observe and reflect. In what ways are the high school students
unique, e.g. in what ways are they more independent than middle school students?
Reflect on the students’ cognitive/intellectual, social, emotional/psychological, moral, and
physical development

High School Week 2 Reflection: The students during this week were reviewing for a test which
they took later in the week. The students were involved in the game and were interested in the
topic. The students listen well to the teacher when she would go over and explain certain
questions. These questions would some of the test questions. The Jeopardy game kept
students engaged. This game helped engage the students attention to what they need to know
for the test. I believe the students in the school did represent a large amount of diversity. This
school was a lot different from the high school that I went to when it came to diversity. In this
school, there were students who were from different cultures, languages, SES, experiences,
and abilities. Students represent these different cultures, languages, SES, experiences, and
abilities by their upbringing. The students cannot control where they come from or any other
those other features. As a teacher, it is important to be able to accommodate this and work with
the students. High school students are more independent than middle school students because
the high school students are older and are reaching the age where they are almost adults.The
high school students are juniors in the classroom that I was in. Most of the students, are higher
intellectually because the class they were in is an advance type course. The students social,
emotional/psychological, moral, and physical development all play apart in the development of
the students. It is important the students develop these skills because they are important skills
they will need in the future.

MS Day 1 (3/19/19)
Key
Desks (Red)
Lab Tables Blue
● Students talking when teacher was talking
● Notes were taken on their laptops
● Notes were on google classroom
● The notes were fill in
● Not all kids were involved in the lesson
● The teacher had to bring his own computer because the room did have a stationary
computer
● Lab Safety station located in the back of the room
● Kids were not always following the lesson
● There was a student sleeping ( The teacher did not do anything about it)
● Students would talk back to the teacher
● Other Mount Union students were on their phones during observation
● Class had a mixed diversity
● Students were not prepared for class (Had to take time out of class for students to get
their books)
● Teacher played a video to give the kids a little bit of a break from class
● Kids were not gentle with their computers
● Kids were throwing pens around the room
● At the end of class, teacher gave the students free time to finish an assignment from the
previous day

MS Day #2 (3/21/19)
● Special Event Schedule
● Medieval Fair in the gym
● Kids and staff dressed up
● Students worked on a project and had to write a paper about it.
● Everyone's project was unique.
● School brought in judges to judge the projects.
● Students could work alone or in pairs.
● I was a judge of the event.
● Some students were more prepared for the presentation than others.
● Some students also put more effort into the projects than others.
- ​ G e n e r al Observations / y o u r initial im p r e s sion … ​ after getting settled with your
placement. Take some time to focus on the general atmosphere of the classroom. Jot down
notes in respect to your first impression of the classroom - its students, the teacher(s), and the
feel that you get for the environment as well as the classroom that houses a community of
learners. You can write this reflection as a bulleted list or a set of paragraphs. You might even
want to draw a picture of the classroom settings including the seating arrangement, the
technology, etc. In general try to capture the spirit of this classroom.

MS Reflection Week 1: I believe this week's observation was the most interesting week yet. We
are finally getting into the area which I will be teaching so it was excited to spend time in the
classroom. My first thought of the classroom and school were that it was a nice building and
students truly had a great opportunity to learn here. I was shocked with the general setup of the
classroom on my first visit. I really liked how they had lab tables in the science rooms. I believe
in science, it is really fun to do different experiments. With the setup of the classroom. The
students have this opportunity. I would also like to capture the atmosphere of the medieval fair
that took place. The students all completed a project. There were different projects options for
the students. The students picked a topic from history then had to write a paper on this topic. I
liked how it tied together History and English. All the students and even the teachers dressed up
in costumes related to their topics. This is a great experience for the students in the school. I
think it is really interesting how creative the teachers and staff were to combine History and
English to come up with this unique project. This allows for students to show their creative side
and allows them to grow. I feel the environment in the school is a positive one which is calling
for students to think outside the box and be creative.

MS Day 3 (04/02/19):
● Students entered the classroom and sat down in their seats.
● Sixth grade classroom.
● Talked about chicken pox.
● Watched a Brain Pop to start class.
● The they did a simulation which they were up and moving.
● The simulation was fun and interesting.
● The students had various levels of knowledge of teachers.
● There were two teachers in the room.
● School was on weird testing schedule.

MS Day 4 (04/04/19):
● Students are testing so they would come and go from the classroom.
● No bells are used during testing.
● Teachers meet students at the door and collect a card.
● Students came into the room and sat quickly at desks.
● Today’s topic was food safety.
● Started class with a survey which was located in Google Classroom.
 ● Some students needed help with the survey so the teachers, other students observing,
and I helped them.
● The students watched a Brain Pop video independently.
● Then they had to get an 8 out of 10 on a quiz that followed to move on.
● Some students took this quiz more serious than others.
● I also had the opportunity to help students who struggled with the quizzes.
● That was a lot harder than it looked because I tried to help give them clues but I did not
want to directly give them the answers.

Focus the students ​ …what are the young adolescents doing? How long are they able
to maintain focus? Do students listen well – to the teacher and to other students? What
instruction and activities engage their attention? How (in what ways) do students
represent diversity (diverse cultures, language skills, SES, experiences,
abilities/disabilities, etc.)? Be careful not to stereotype students or make assumptions
about them – just observe and reflect. In what ways are middle school students
unique? Reflect on the students’ cognitive/intellectual, social, emotional/psychological,
moral, and physical development.

MS Week 2 Reflection: The students are learning about different topics which would be
beneficial for their everyday lives. They are learning about Chicken Pox and Food Safety. The
students were able to maintain focus very well. This was really surprising due to the fact that the
students were only in sixth grade. The teacher did a great job of keeping the students engaged.
I really liked the activities she had in place because I believe they were really informational. The
students were engaged in activities that kept them active and busy. Most students are
interested in activities in which they are up and moving. They like being hands on with the topic.
I believe that the students represent diversity largely in this class. In the class, there were
students who did not learn and have the same abilities as others. The teachers were able to
work with these students and help them so they could get an understanding of the topic. Even
though these students have some hardships when it comes to education, they still have an
equal opportunity for a quality education. I believe Middle School students are unique in their
own way. There is a lot going on in their lives and they are trying to find out who they are. I
believe the students are trying to develop the cognitive/intellectual, social,
emotional/psychological, moral, and physical development. In Middle School, students are trying
to figure all of those things out. It is okay that the students are trying to figure those things out
because they are still growing and learning.

MS Day 5 (04/09/19):
● Most students were seated at a desk.
● Some students were sitting on the floor in the back of the room.
● Students were working on a worksheet.
● Teacher is walking around helping the students.
● 8th grade science class.
 ● Teachers helped the students by doing some of the problems on the boards.
● 6 lab stations plus one main station up front.
● Teacher would look over the worksheet and check them.
● If students made an error she would help guide them to fix the error.
● A flat screen is in the front of the room displaying the time.
● Smartboard was located in the front of the room.
● There were bins with folders for each class room.
● Class started with a question of the day to get students thinking.
● School is on a weird testing schedule.
● They did not want students leaving the room.
● There was a certain student who called his teacher Hun.

MS Day 6 (04/11/19):
● Kids were working on assignments in groups.
● Not all the students were on task.
● Teacher played Jeopardy as a review.
● Students were sitting on top of lab tables and desks.
● The class was really involved in the game.
● The room got a little noisy with students blurting out answers.
● Not all the students were playing the game because some were still working on the
worksheet.
● The class also went through some fill in notes.
● Every class were in different spots due to testing.

Focus the teacher ​ ….what does the teacher do to help get the students focused? Does
the teacher make her/his objective clear at the beginning of each lesson? How does
he/she maintain focus throughout the lesson? Does he/she utilize routines to keep
students engaged? What indications are there that the teacher has differentiated
instruction for students? In what ways is the teacher’s instruction different in middle
school vs. elementary and secondary settings?

MS Week 3 Reflection: The teacher helps the students stay focused by walking around the
classroom and making sure the students are completing their work. She would help guide them
and point them in the right direction. The teacher clearly has her objection stated at the
beginning of the lesson. The objective is not only written on the board but the teacher also
stated it at the beginning of the lesson. She is very good at making sure students maintain focus
throughout the lesson. Her lesson is very hands on and interactive which keeps the students
involved. If the students are involved they are more interested in the topic. She has a routine of
starting out with a daily question everyday. This draws the students interest to the topic and
keeps them thinking. This gets their mind on the topic and what is to come. Teachers
differentiated for students by offering students who struggle more guidance than students who
do not. She offered the same assignment to every student but offered more guidance to
students than others. I believe in Middle School instruction is very similar to Elementary. They
both use the idea of a to do/ task list of what needs to be accomplished. I do believe that in
Middle School there is more verbal instruction than in Elementary setting.

Elem Day 1 (04/16/19):

● 2nd grade Reading class.
● Teachers is reading a story.
● Students are sitting around her in a circle.
● Smart Board and Projector located in the front of the room.
● Teacher has the Reading/ LA goals on the front board.
● Computer cart was located in the back of the room.
● Students were working on vocabulary.
● 13 students.
● 10 boys and 3 girls.
● Not every child was paying attention.
● Floor is half carpet and the rest was tile.
● Class had students with IEPS.
● The class broke into smaller groups to work on assignments.

Elem Day 2 (04/18/19):

● Students were working on writing a paragraph.
● Students were learning different parts of a paragraph.
● The students were to write their paragraph in a booklet.
● Their paragraph was based on a story they read in a class.
● Some students were not on task during this activity.
● The teacher, my fellow observers, and I would walk around and help the students with
any questions.
● Student had a phone taken away.
● The school put on a Easter egg hunt.
● All the Mount Union students helped hide eggs on the playground for which the students
would later go and find.

G e n e r al Observations / y o u r initial im p r e s sion … ​ after getting settled with your

placement. Take some time to focus on the general atmosphere of the classroom. Jot
down notes in respect to your first impression of the classroom - its students, the
teacher(s), and the feel that you get for the environment as well as the classroom that
houses a community of learners. You can write this reflection as a bulleted list or a set
of paragraphs. You might even want to draw a picture of the classroom settings
including the seating arrangement, the technology, etc. In general try to capture the
spirit of this classroom.

Elem Week 1 Reflection: My general impressions of the building was that it was an older school
building. The classroom was smaller than I imagined for that age group. I found it to be very
interesting how the floor was half carpet and half tile. I remember when I was in elementary
school it was the same way. I am not really sure why this is the case. I feel like this classroom is
very welcoming. There are posters all over the room and the students work is hanging up in the
room. The classroom I observed was a lower level class. All the students were on the same
level which was very helpful for the teacher. I feel at the young of an age it is hard to keep the
students attention. This is not really surprising to me because the students are just a few years
into their school career and are still trying to get adjusted. I would like to touch on the fact a
student had a phone taken away during class. This is something crazy to me how some
students are having cell phones by the second grade. I believe this is just showing that
technology is becoming a huge part of society and is being introduced at younger ages. I
believe the teacher did great job with her students. She was really nice and understanding with
them but at the same time she wanted them to get their work done. She would do anything to try
and help the students understand the topic. The seating arrangement in the classroom were
sets of desks in groups of four. There were five sets of desks

Elem Day 3 (04/23/19):

● 3rd grade classroom.
● Only 7 real desks in the room.
● 3 small tables and 2 long tables in the room.
● Laptop cart in room along the far wall.
● Went over a worksheet as a class.
● This was an English class.
● Talked about Expository text.
● Not all the kids were paying attention.
● Teacher has a focus wall which shows what they will cover for the day.
● Teacher was checking/texting during class.
● Certain students were sleeping during class.
● Students had a to do list and were given a certain time frame to get it all done.
● Tasks involved the use of a computer.
● Teacher left the room for an extended period of time while students were working.

Elem Day 4 (04/25/19):

● Teacher was texting during class.
● It was really noticeable because she was giving instruction then would stop and text.
● Students were reviewing vocabulary.
● Kids had their hoods up.
● Students were talking out.
● Students were laying down.
● Lesson was about comparing and contrasting.
● Used clipdown as punishment.
● Not all the kids were following along with the book.
● Students listened to an audio recording from the book.
● Students moved about the room whenever they like.
 ● Books were thrown on shelf instead of stacking them neatly.

​ Focus the teacher ​ ….what does the teacher do to focus the students? Does the teacher
make her/his objective clear at the beginning of each lesson? How does he/she maintain focus
throughout the lesson? Does he/she utilize routines to keep students engaged? What
indications are there that the teacher has differentiated instruction for students?

Elem Week 2 Reflection: I decided to focus on the teacher for this reflection because she did
something that really bothered me. As a future teacher, I have a hard time seeing a teacher on
her phone during class and especially at that age. It truly interfered with her teaching because
she would be giving instruction then she would stop to text or check her phone. By no means
am I saying teachers should not have their phones during class because I do not believe that is
the case. I just believe there is a right time to check your phone and a wrong time. I believe the
right time would be during a break or after class. The wrong time would be during class when
trying to teach a lesson. When she did this it would lose some of the students attention. I do not
believe the teacher did a good job of focussing the students because a lot we not paying
attention. The students also moved freely about the room whenever they felt like it. This would
cause other students to get distracted. I do believe the teacher make the objective clear at the
beginning of the lesson. At the beginning of class, the teacher would refer to the focus wall
which is what they would be covering for the day. I liked this idea of a focus wall because it
allowed the students to know what the topic was for the day. I believe she does not go a good
job of keeping of maintaining focus throughout her lesson. I think she could had better to draw
the interests of her students to help keep them engaged. The major indication of the
differentiation during the class I saw was when the teacher going over vocabulary with the class.
When she went of the vocabulary, she choose words that were easier to students who struggled
and harder words for students who had a greater understanding.

Lesson 1 Video:
● Day starts with a mini lesson.
● Main focus is reading.
● The teacher starts the day by reading a story to the students.
● He will stop at certain points and ask students to do a turn and talk or to act out a certain
emotion.
● During turn and talk the teacher would go around and hear what the students were
saying.
● The teacher would then report some of the things he heard from the students.
● Talking it out is a way to engage with the text.
● Teacher engages the students with the text.
● Students then return to their desks for silent reading.
● Students get to choose their own book.
● Every student is at a different level of reading.
● The teacher goes around and works one v one with the students.
 ● The teacher’s goal is to make them better readers.
● The students keep a reading log to keep them accountable for their reading and also to
see their growth.
● The teacher also keeps a notebook to track progress.
● It takes time to adjust to this setting because it is hard to be that into a book where
students block out what is going around them.

Lesson 1 Video Reflection: I really liked what this school is doing. This teacher does a great job
of engaging students in the classroom. All the students were engaged and involved in the
lesson. I liked how they started off in a large group then split into individual work. In the large
group the teacher is reading a story. He keeps the students involved by having them talking with
people around them and having them act out certain emotions. He asks the students for their
opinion on what is happening and accepts their views. Then breaking into smaller groups was
something really interesting to me. I thought it would be really difficult to stay focus and read
when there is a lot going on around them. It makes sense that it takes some time to get use to
this process. I like the teacher working individually with the students because I think that is really
beneficial. As a student, I would feel the teacher cared about my education and wanted me to
do well. Overall, I think this is a very interesting technique the school is using. I would like to
look more into it because I truly believe this is a good thing. I would like to someday in my
classroom keep the students engaged like this teacher did.