Running head: REFLECTION OVER OBSERVATION 1

Reflection Paper

Kaylee Kautz

English 1302

Dr. Renfro

November 30, 2021

REFLECTION OVER OBSERVATION 2

Reflection over Observation

In October I had the opportunity to observe a Kindergarten class under the direction of

Ms. Owen at W.L. Higgins Elementary. I spent Wednesday of one week and Monday of the

following week observing the students and Ms. Owen’s teaching style. I learned the schedule,

lessons, and quickly formed a bond with the students. The staff is made up of female teachers

with a couple male custodians. I had the privilege of attending the PLC conference meeting

between all Kindergarten teachers. It was learning opportunity to see how it will work and how

they know what they need to teach for the following week. The six kindergarten teachers are

divided into teams of two, where each team has an assigned subject, they prepare for the

following week. Usually one team does math, science/social studies, and the other team does

ELAR. The Monday that I was there is when both teams split up and discuss their assigned

subjects to bring together in the next conference. The PLC conference and the planning meeting

was an amazing opportunity for me.

The interaction from teacher to student that she used will be the kind that I hope to use

one day. The kids knew her expectations and had no problem telling her anything. It was a

positive place for sure. She was not harsh but she was not lenient either. Ms. Owen used a

balance that worked for that group. One thing I learned from the interaction, and me substituting

is that the ‘balance’ is different for every group. Not every kid is the same in that aspect so every

year it would have to change. I did not notice a specific learning style. She was sure to include

different types of learning styles for different students. She would have people come up to the

board for auditory, play videos for visual, and have students write and read. In this Kindergarten

classroom I noticed both examples of a teacher-centered and student-centered classroom. She

REFLECTION OVER OBSERVATION 3

would allow group work with her just being the teacher at her desk to allow the students to gain

independency. On the other hand, she would put a paper and project it on the board and give

step by step direction on some things to make sure all the students followed her lead.

Going into the classroom, I was excited yet nervous. Even though I have substituted in

the school before, observing was a whole different experience. I really enjoyed getting to see the

students from a different perspective and how the teacher handles the students when they get to a

certain level. In my future classroom I hope to get the respect that they have Ms. Owen. No one

spoke when she spoke and acted according to her rules. Ms. Owen was a perfect example of how

I see myself in my future classroom.

This whole experience was one that’s hard to forget. I learned a lot from Ms. Owen and

the students as well. This helped me choose the path of the grade level I want to teach, and it

makes me more ecstatic to start student teaching in a couple years.