EDTE 255 Sophia Beck

Intro. To Dem. Perspectives in K-12 Education

Formal Observation 1
I am volunteering at Analy High School in Sonoma County for Mr. Jeff Ogston, who
teaches AVID, Math 1 and Finance to all grade levels. His classroom is all the way in the back of
the school behind the baseball field, so far away from the main building that the bell can’t be
heard. There are about thirty students in each class. The arrangement of the room varies
depending on what activity each class is doing for the day. For example, when the students in
Math 1 were preparing for a test doing group work on the study guide, the desks were organized
into groups of three so that students could collaborate with their assigned groups. On other days
when there is just a lesson, the classroom is organized like an amphitheatre, with four rows of
desks curving to create a “center stage” at the front of the room where Mr. Ogston teaches.
Though he teaches three different classes, he still implements the same teaching methods
regardless. He likes to check in with the class first, then he will implement the math lesson, and
lastly, he will assign some work or reading to be done collaboratively in groups or with the
people around them. In his Math 1 class, he assigned their homework and let them get a head
start in class, and in his Finance class, he assigned in-class group project work to help understand
the difficult concepts that were in the book reading.
During my observation I was able to determine what a few of the basic classroom rules
and procedures were because he verbally goes over what the routine for the day will be at the
beginning of the class; it is also written on the board. Basic rules are not posted, but he does go
over what he expects of them for the day at the beginning of class and before each activity. For
the most part, the kids would pay attention and be engaged during the lesson Mr. Ogston was
teaching. Of course, there are always a few kids who would be snickering here and there, which
prompted the teacher to call for their attention and ask them to listen. Most of the kids were
engaged because he would continuously ask them questions or call out for their opinions which
made the kids feel more open to be a part of the lesson themselves. This type of conversation
between the students and the teacher is also how Mr. Ogston assesses if they are hitting the
learning objectives for the day. He also gages where the students are at by walking around and
observing groups during work time. This is one of the examples of the democratic principles
found in the classroom; not only does he encourage feedback during the lesson, but he also
makes sure to encourage discourse among the students by putting them in groups. If rules are
violated there is a correction made with the student. I asked Mr. Ogston what would happen if
the behavior persists and he said that then additional counseling will happen including, and up to,
a referral. From what I have observed, however, the students respect and genuinely like the
teacher. From the minute they walk in until the end of class they make conversation with him
and each other in a friendly manner. The seem to genuinely want to do a good job and are very
willing to help one another.
Mr. Ogston tries to motivate his students by figuring out what they do outside of school
to relate the lessons to something that might be more relevant to them to reach them on a
personal level. He also tries to praise as much good work as possible. For example, he keeps
reminding the kids that improvement is the goal and that even if they get a low score, as long as
EDTE 255 Sophia Beck
Intro. To Dem. Perspectives in K-12 Education

it is better than the last one they are on the right track. Mr. Ogston tries really hard to relate the
lessons to real life, which in itself helps motivate the students to impact the community in a
positive way. The students frequently help each other, and the arrangement of the classroom
helps make this even easier. There is no traditional front of the room when they are working in
groups and the desks are arranged as such, as the only indicator of the front would be the
whiteboard. Part of their motivation to be good citizens comes from the goodness of them in
general. It was very obvious that most of them strive to make their parents, if not the teacher,
proud. Since being helpful towards one another seems to be the norm in the class, the students
that diverge from this succumb to peer pressure to at least appear to be helpful. Even though this
type of behavior accumulates in a classroom community, it still directly relates to what will be
expected of them in the real world. His classroom prepares them that the more helpful you are,
the farther you will get.
Throughout the week, he has students take quizzes, which he uses as a formative
assessment to see where the students are, and what he needs to focus more on as a teacher. For
these, he allows for something called test corrections, where the kids can correct the questions
they missed and earn points back. After every unit, he has them take a test, which he uses as a
summative assessment where the students have the opportunity to show him what they have
comprehended. He does not allow test corrections on tests, since he already gives them many
opportunities on the quizzes leading up to the tests. He does, however, let them use a single
notecard on tests, which is a sneaky way of getting them to study at home since they review the
material to write out what they need. Mr. Ogston says he allows for test corrections and
notecards because he wants the assessments to be less of an “impending doom” kind of thing and
more of an opportunity for them to tell him what they know.
The environment that he provides is definitely more of a collaborative space and
encourages conversation among peers. The kids are engaged for the most part and really want to
show off their knowledge to others. His goal as a teacher is to help others, not to stress them out
with a bunch of tests. Overall, his classroom has been a very engaging and informative place to
learn. I even learned a few things myself.