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Tiffany Schmidt
Field Observation
6 March 2018
FIELD OBSERVATION
Soar to Success! I had the pleasure of completing my observation hours at Betsy Rhodes
Elementary School. Home of the Rockets! This school is located in the Northwest Area and is currently
celebrating their 20th Birthday. “It is the mission of the Betsy Rhodes community to provide a safe,
nurturing atmosphere of mutual respect. We will inspire students to achieve their full academic
potential as life-long learners in a positive social learning environment.” The atmosphere of the school
Upon arrival, the office staff greeted me and showed me such a warm welcome. I observed the
office staff, and they closely monitored visitors to make sure they were all checking in. This was
comforting knowing the safety of faculty and a student was imperative. While checking in, one parent
was observed speaking with an office specialist and had requested to speak with the principle. She
appeared extremely mad. The office specialist in a professional manner indicated that the principle was
currently in a meeting; however, she would send the principle an email regarding the matter. The parent
appeared frustrated but agreed to patiently wait to speak with the principle.
With excitement, I arrived at Mrs. Siciliano’s 3rd grade classroom. She was located in a portable
outside of the school building. It was extremely small; however, the space was effectively used. She
utilized her entire floor plan, maximizing her classroom space. The classroom setting appeared safe,
clean, comfortable and attractive. The classroom was well organized and it appeared as a comfortable
learning environment for her 26 students. The arrangements of the desks were in groups of 4 with 7
students individually set to the side. There were motivational and inspirational posters and bulletin
boards with student work displayed around the room. The classroom management/rules were located
Mrs. Siciliano’s classroom was a diverse set of students. She indicated that because students are
multiculturally diverse, she often pairs ESL students up with other peers who can help translate. There
FIELD OBSERVATION
were a few more males than females who varied in ethnicity. Mrs. Siciliano has 9 (GATE) Gifted and
Talented Individuals. One boy, was diagnosed with Autism. Immediately, I observed the student and
could identify his challenges. Mrs. Sicilian indicated that the young boy does best in the least restrictive
environment and she does not feel he requires much accommodation. She also indicated that the
special education teacher and team agreed. Mrs. Siciliano had 7 students who were secluded due to
behavioral concerns. After observation, I understood why these boys were individually seated. Students
that exhibit a challenge were easily identified, as they were pulled out of the classroom by specialized
teachers several times when completing my observation hours. Mrs. Siciliano indicated that these
students are pulled by several service providers for interventions based on Response to Intervention
The 9 Gifted and Talented students would attend GATE Mondays and Wednesdays in an hour
increment. There were 2 kiddos who had speech impairment and worked with The Speech Language
Pathologist. Mrs. Siciliano indicated that one little girl whom has a lisp, is often embarrassed to speak
aloud. She reported that she respects and understands the girls concerns of her peers saying mean
comments. I observed the boy who is Autistic, and he often became frustrated and would shut down at
times. He had a limited attention span and became easily distracted. Mrs. Siciliano indicated that he is
very smart overall and with patience she has no concerns regarding his education. Mrs. Siciliano
Mrs. Siciliano was very professional and it appeared she implemented different learning
techniques for the diversity in the classroom. Mrs. Siciliano often allowed the students to work in groups
or pairs and feels teamwork is imperative to success. Her students were very engaged in the lessons
presented. She has the students speak aloud often. She uses visuals and lots of hand on material to keep
the students actively engaged. Instructional time is managed efficiently and Mrs. Siciliano spends limited
FIELD OBSERVATION
time on all subjects through the school day. The transition from one subject to another is smooth. All
students have organized folders by subject. This allows the students to be organized and prepared to
transition from subject to subject. She manages her day very well. If she does not complete an
assignment or activity she will revisit it the following day to ensure she does not interfere with other
timing for another subject. Mrs. Siciliano has several effective “attention getting” comments she uses in
the classroom. “5..4..3..2..1..SALAMI” (Stop and Look at Me Immediately),“Zero Voice”, “Eyes While You
Work” Mrs. Sicilano enforced the posted rules. I witnessed her reward students with praise and candy.
For noncompliance, she made students owe her their recess. Her classroom management is excellent.
From a teacher’s prospective, there are so many questions I would love to ask. Mrs. Siciliano
indicated that the main challenge she faces is the paperwork. That it is daunting and never ending. Mrs.
Siciliano stated that even after 22years of teaching she continues to make improvements. Mrs. Siciliano
indicated that the school has their own Professional Learning Community (PLC) that meets regularly to
collaborate. She indicated that she regularly completes independent assessments and grade level
summative. Mrs. Siciliano states, that parent lack of support/don’t value education has been the biggest
Having the honor to observe Mrs. Siciliano classroom was rather interesting. I obtained a better
understanding for students with special educational needs and the methods and techniques I will need
to obtain to aid these individuals. After completing my observation hours, I am reassured that special
education is not for me and I prefer the general classroom. Teachers are committed to educating our
children, but I am positive there are so many obstacles they must overcome in their career. I am so
motivated and cannot wait to be that educator that openly invites future teachers into my own
classroom!