Observation

Student Observation

Classroom: Observer: Cassidy Walsh

Grade: 4th grade Date: 10/17/17
Curriculum Area: Science Time: 8:10-9:00

What I notice Thoughts, Questions, Connections to Methods

Classes

The teacher creates a contract for
each units project.
Students each get a copy of the
contract so they know what they are
required to complete.
Students turn in the contract when
their assignment is completed.
The teacher puts on classical music,
which she calls thinking music, while
students are working
There is a bulletin board in the back of
the classroom, opposite the white
board, where the teacher posts
information on the unit they are
studying.
There are different pictures and types
of rocks (sedimentary, igneous,
metamorphic) on the bulletin board.
Students share a few science
textbooks with their table.
Students also read from Scholastic
science readers.
Teacher talks the least amount.
The lesson is mostly student-led and
students are doing work
independently or in small groups.
I know I was seeing the end of a
science unit, but I am wondering what
a typical class looks likedo students
just do projects like lap books and
flipbooks on a regular basis?
Do students get to really explore
concepts?
This connects to my methods courses
because the lesson is focused on the
students and having them complete
hands-on work.
I like that they are working in groups
and doing something hands-on, but I
wonder if it is mostly just busy work.
This activity/project is more fun than a
worksheet and it holds students
accountable for completing their
work.
I wonder if, during the beginning of a
unit, the teacher asks the students a
lot of how and why questions and
allows them to share their knowledge
and ideas.

Reflection:
The teacher had clear goals that the students were aware of. Each student had a contract with each
step they had to complete for their project. They checked off tasks as they completed them and then
handed in the contract with their final work. The teacher was very effective at managing the
classroom. There are numerous classroom management tools in place. The teacher also puts on
thinking music while students are working. It is classical music that helps students think and focus
on their work. I observed the end of a unit, so students already knew the science concepts. The
teacher had taught the students a song to sing in their heads to help them remember the different
types of rocks (sedimentary, igneous, metamorphic). I think the teacher helped deepen student
understanding by allowing them to create their own lap book project. I think the project could have
been more engaging. Students were given all of the same materials, which were mainly small
worksheets and graphic organizers, which they completed as a whole group or with their small groups
and then they glued them into their lap books. I feel like if students had been given a little more
freedom and been allowed to create their own project, students would have learned more and been
more interested. The lesson wasnt an inquiry lesson. It was pretty much a direct instruction lesson
because the teacher gave them all the materials and information and students were just completing
worksheet type assignments.