Personal Essay: Classroom Observation

Personal Essay: Classroom Observation


    Josh Van Coppenolle
    EDU 301
    Social Studies Methods
    Mary Iandoli
    Classroom Observation
    Date: 9-30-96
    Kindergarten teacher: Mrs. Debolt
    First grade teacher: Mrs. Casteluzo
    Location: Penn Yan Elementary

Carrie and I were going to observe a kindergarten classroom social
studies class that combined their lesson with a first grade class.   We were
scheduled to arrive at 2 PM. When I arrived at 1:50 PM,   Carrie was waiting
outside the school   and informed me that she had already gone in and was told
that there was going to be a fire drill in just a few minutes.   We waited for
the fire drill to finish and then went into the class.   The time was about 2:10
at this point, so the teachers were running a little behind.
When we entered the room it was empty, we had obviously beat the
students back from the fire drill.   This gave us time to look around.   The
kindergarten room was brightly decorated with lots of posters and student"s art
work.   The kids were working on colors because there was a strip on top of the
blackboard that had the colors and things we might see in that color.   The
student"s desks were arranged in two rows, pushed together and facing each other.
There were about twelve seats in each group, so there were about 24 students in
the class.   Apparently, the class had just been returning from a trip to the
school library when the fire drill went off,   so when they came in they were
still carrying their library books.   The students were asked to take their seats
and they did so quietly.   Everyone"s eyes were on Carrie and me.   Mrs. Debolt
asked us to introduce ourselves, which we did.     She told the class that we
were learning to be teachers and that we wanted to sit in on their social
studies class.   Each student sat at a little desk with their name laminated on
the top.   The students had laminated cards with their names on them tied around
their neck with a long piece of...