Journal 3
This reflective journal entry is focused on the topic “Classroom as a Community.” The notes were taken on November 11, 2022, but may have input from previous observations in this third grade classroom.
procedures and routines:
There is general student knowledge to reinforce procedures and routines. There are also physical reminders in place around the classroom. For example, there is a physical schedule for the day, with times for events like recess and lunch. There are also reminders for call outs. For example the teacher will say “Macaroni and cheese” and the students respond with “everybody freeze” followed by the action.
teacher causing positive classroom environment:
During the lesson, the teacher was attempting to maintain the attention of all the students. In order to create a more welcoming environment, the teacher would ask for volunteers for things that may cause anxiety, such as reading aloud to the class. In this way, the central focus of the class was to learn and help one another with that process.
student observations:
I noticed that the students were mainly communicating about the lesson, instead of outside matters. They were helping each other with the material. There was even a student with the translation of material from English to Spanish. The students participated respectfully by answering with raised hands. There was however only a handful of volunteers for answers. This caused the learning to seem to progressing further than the reality, since those who are behind are not volunteering.
tips for teachers:
Behavior Expectations: Before beginning a lesson, I would recommend teachers to speak with students about the expectations. Are answers going to require a quiet hand or is calling out allowed? This allows students to know the expected behavior and to model it.
Procedure for Rule Breaking: There should be a set procedure in place when the rules are broken. If students speak out of turn, there should be a reminder for the rules that were discussed in the beginning of the lesson, followed by a warning, then a last call before they will either be asked to move sets or a privilege be taken away.
Classroom Culture & Respect: It is important to make the students aware of each other’s learning. Even if a student is not motivated to learn for themselves, they should not feel comfortable getting in the way of other student’s learning, by being a distraction. In an environment where most students want to learn, this will motivate the others to learn also. Through the desire to learn, the students will respect the process of learning.
Engaging Activities & Short Lectures: Even though lectures should be kept to a minimum, they should also be highly interesting. This could include changing the environment of the lesson by allowing students to come sit on a rug or allowing students to sit on their desks. The activities will be interactive while focusing on learning the material on a more independent level.
Student-Centered Classroom: Often the classroom may feel teacher centered, but it is important to shift the attention to the students. With group activities, the classroom focuses on the peers rather than the teacher.
to create effective classroom community:
I believe a teacher should have many personal characteristics to create an effective classroom community. Some include being patient, understanding students’ needs, kindness, and being organized and timely. Through these traits, a teacher can create an effective classroom that is organized and on track for learning. It is also a welcoming environment that invites learners to grow throughout the year.
3 questions regarding the observation:
In what ways can teachers make transitions within a lesson easier? Do you think going over the flow of the lesson will benefit the students?
Do you feel that calling on volunteers is an adequate way to check with student learning? Do you think there is a better way to ask students questions without them feeling called on?
Is there a way to make procedures more well known to make the class transitions smoother?
3 things I learned:
In what ways can teachers make transitions within a lesson easier? Do you think going over the flow of the lesson will benefit the students?
Do you feel that calling on volunteers is an adequate way to check with student learning? Do you think there is a better way to ask students questions without them feeling called on?
Is there a way to make procedures more well known to make the class transitions smoother?