Crystal Villa

Professor Jaqueline Sgobba

EDU 201

12/17/2021

Field Observation

During the fall semester of 2021, I had the pleasure of observing a kindergarten teacher

and her class. For my EDU 201 class, it is a requirement to complete field observations for

education majors. I have done one field observation before, in the year 2020 during the pandemic

and all classes were remote. This second time around it was in person and I appreciate the

experience to truly feel what it was like to see a teacher teach her students on a more personal

level.

My first impression of the classroom environment was that it was open, colorful, bright,

organized, and inviting. The teacher had a nautical theme, which I believe all kids could

appreciate a fun pirate feel to their classroom. There were fun detailed sayings and nautical

decorations around the classrooms, some sayings like “Do knot give up”. Tables were divided by

colored themed boats, that had work trays that were placed in the middle of the table that

provided worksheets or projects. There were no posted class rules in the room. The teacher's one

rule was “Be kind”. The classroom workflow was used efficiently. The room was spacious and

was arranged well for students to have different areas to work.

breakfast in their classroom. During this time, the teacher would go over the schedule for the

day. She also used this time to select student helpers such as line-leader, calendar helper, lights,

lunches, messenger, and library helper. Also, during this time were the morning announcements.

I appreciated that the school included their motto that the students would recite before the pledge

of allegiance. They called this their “Bulldog High-Five" and it goes “Bulldogs are cooperative,

responsible, caring, courteous and respectful”.

Once the students have finished eating their breakfast, they throw away their trash, clean

their tables, push in their chairs and walk directly to their assigned seating on the mats. Like all

traditional kindergarten classes, this class sang their days of the week and months of the year.

After the teacher and the calendar helper have gone over the date the teacher proceeds with her

lesson. The teacher typically begins the day with phonics. What I observed from the classroom

was that the students were engaged with the teacher and the lesson. The lessons were always

entertaining, and the students seemed to enjoy them. There were many opportunities for the

students to participate, and instructional time was managed efficiently.

The teacher handled her transitions from one subject to another efficiently. The students

were well-rehearsed and knew exactly what they had to do after a certain point. For example, the

teacher would select each student to come up to the front of the class and read a site word, then

they knowingly walked quietly back to their tables and put their heads down.

The teacher had a variety of ways to gather the classroom's attention. One example is

clapping, and the students would respond to the same clapping rhythm. Another way the teacher

used to gather the classroom's attention was by saying “if you're listening.... touch your nose,

touch your ears, touch your head... etc.” and the students would show the teacher their listening
by following instructions. When students speak without raising their hands, the teacher would

say to the class, she would only answer to the who have raised their hands, or she would even

explain that it is hard to hear everyone when they are speaking all at once, so they need to raise

their hands that way everyone could be heard.

Most of the students were always eager to participate. If a student seemed shy or unsure about

participating the teacher would encourage students as well as choose them to share their answers

with the class. The teachers’ interactions with the students were efficient. The students did well

with listening to instructions. The students always knew their routine.

I conducted a cooperative teacher interview that included questions about the teacher, based on

the CSN field observation packet. The interview went like this:

Interview Question 1: What was the primary reason you became a teacher?

She has always wanted to be a teacher. She remembers playing with siblings and showing them

how it was to be a teacher. Her father was also a teacher. She also mentioned how important the

work schedule worked well for her as a mother.

Interview Question 2: What are the main challenges you face as a teacher?

Her main challenges are paperwork, meetings, expectations, and duties. Especially since the

pandemic, there have been more meetings as well as expectations and duties.

Interview Question 3: What is the best part of being a teacher?

The best part about being a teacher is the kids. She enjoys the funny little comments they make

and as well as seeing their progress.

Interview Question 4: How do you determine where students sit in class?

Interview Question 5: How do you determine the members of any flexible groups?

The teacher tries to group medium level with low level, and high level with high level to

challenge students. She does not group low-level students with low-level students because she

feels that if she groups them with higher-level students, it will enhance the lowers students'

ability.

Interview Question 6: Beyond standardized testing, what assessments do you use

regularly?

The teacher does monthly assessments, ongoing assessments, and foundational assessments.

Interview Question 7: What requirements are placed on you for reporting progress to

parents?

Progress reports go home quarterly; report cards go out two times throughout the year.

Interview Question 8: How often do you interact with a student’s parents in person, and

what type of discussions do you typically have?

It is typically easy to interact with students' parents. The teachers physically pick up their

children from school, which allows her to speak to the students' parents if needed. There are also

parent-teacher conferences that are conducted to discuss with parents.

Interview Question 10: How long does it take to prepare lessons for the day/week?

She will plan a week ahead.

Interview Question 11: What procedures or strategies do you use to maximize instructional

time?
This teacher is big on routine to maximize time for teaching. She also encourages students to

monitor themselves.

Interview Question 12: What positive reinforcement programs have you had success with,

and what behavioral consequences seem most effective with this age group?

The teacher uses a “clip system” and she allows playtime for those who are finished with their

work, and those who aren't done could use the time to complete their assignments.

Interview Question 15: What consequences are there if your evaluation is not favorable?

She explained that there are write-ups and leave without pay.

Interview Question 16: What types of support do you receive instructional, financially, or

professionally from the school, parent organization, or school district to enhance

instruction?

This teacher says that she is fortunate enough to have a community that helps a lot. She also

explained that some fundraisers and programs help.

Interview Question 17: What surprised you most about teaching as a profession?

“How rewarding it is. The impact teachers have on students, and the responsibility.”

I observed a student in the classroom during an extended period of direct instruction. During this

lesson, that first took place at the mat. This student was sitting quietly and listened to the teacher

as she was teaching. This student was vocalizing her response to the teacher respectfully. She

would also nod her head in agreement, which shows a level of understanding. As soon as the

teacher asked the students to go back to their seats, this student was the first to sit and put her

head down on the desk. She was a very good listener and did not seem easily distracted by

others. She also noticeably did look at the same sheet that the teacher did, that was displayed on
the board so that she was able to color the same way that the teacher did. She pays attention well

to instruction. The teacher played educational music and this student sang along quietly but not

as vocally as her other classmates. She was very focused on her work and although she didn’t

seem to rush her work, she was the first one to finish at her table. All the students could

creatively work on their papers, but she made sure that hers was more like her teachers and that

stood out to me the most. The teacher asked students to turn in their worksheets, she followed

instructions, then walked back to her seat, crossing her arms indicating she was ready for recess.

I am appreciative of this year's field observations as well as the cooperative kindergarten teacher

and her class. This opportunity to observe that class has given me a bigger understanding of this

field of work. I am truly inspired and now more eager to become a teacher. I must say that now I

am more lenient towards teaching kindergarten. I enjoyed every part of my field observation.