Field Report Analysis #1

Introduction:

I observed two classrooms at North Ridge Middle School on February eighth from eight thirty-

five to eleven forty-eight. In that time, I observed two teachers. An eighth-grade science teacher

named Mrs. Ollie and an eighth-grade math teacher named Mr. Campbell.

Physical Attributes:

In Mrs. Ollies class the seats were arranged in rows placing students next to each other at a long

table. The first thing I noticed was that the students had a class pet which was a hamster and that

all around the room were various decorations relating to science. Fossils were displayed in a

glass case, lab equipment was scattered throughout the shelves, and there were also formula

posters on the wall as well as many student-made projects placed generously around the room.

There was both a bulletin board containing a plan-do-study-act guide along with a whiteboard

that housed a word-wall. I recognized that this is a multimedia classroom. There was one desktop

computer in the room located on the teachers’ desk, students also had Chromebooks that they

use, but those Chromebooks weren’t required today. The lighting was mainly fluorescent with a

bit of natural light seeping in through the windows. Mr. Campbell’s class was similar in certain

ways, but varied in seat arrangement. Instead of central tables, each student had an individual

desk which were spaced apart from each other. Instead of science, the rooms’ main theme was of

math. Formulas scattered throughout the room along with motivational posters and pictures of

previous students along with a bulletin board that also has a formula on it. The teachers’ desk has

one desktop computer, students also have Chrome books that they do work on. It is clear this is a
multimedia classroom. The lighting in Mr. Campbell’s class switched between fluorescent and

dimly lit led lighting. There was also a bit of natural light seeping through the windows.

Behavior Management:

Both classes don’t have a specific set of rules that is clearly listed somewhere in the room. What

I can infer about the rules in miss Ollie’s class is that she expects students to pay attention,

participate, and stay on task. She rewards positive behavior with positive reinforcement, things

such as saying good job to a student who participates and answers a question correctly. I’ve

noticed that when a student acts up, she will go over to them and calmly point out their

inappropriate behavior. If she notices a student off task, she will politely emphasis that they are

off task and need to get back on track. Much of the time if students are being too loud, she will

tell them to shh or to quiet down. As far as I was able to tell, students aren’t heavily involved in

creating the rules. I feel as though Mr. Campbell has similar rules. He too seems to expect

students to stay on task and be respectful as well as focused. I overheard Mr. Campbell say a

student can listen to music if they get their work done. He also give them a free one-hundred on

an extra homework assignment if they show him that they can do their work efficiently without

causing distraction. Students seem somewhat involved with creating rules as they will ask if

something is ok and Mr. Campbell decides if what they suggest is ok or not.

Monitoring Behavior:

I saw in Mrs. Ollies class that she had a student teacher walking around to help keep an eye on

students and facilitate classroom activity. She herself would also walk around and help keep

everyone on track. Mrs. Ollie uses verbal and non-verbal strategies to monitor behavior in the

classroom. She reinforces positive behavior through encouraging words. A student got a question
wrong, but Mrs. Ollie didn’t beret them, she politely corrected them while showing smile to

express she was pleased with that student’s participation. Mr. Campbell too walks around the

class making sure everyone who needs it gets help. He encourages students to answer questions

and participate. He uses verbal and no-verbal reinforcement strategies to facilitate learning. In

giving positive reinforcement, he gives excited responses to students who get answers correct. A

good example of this is when he said “Boom, there you go” after a student correctly calculated

an answer. Mr. Campbell also tells students who are staying on task and accomplishing their

tasks that they are doing a great job and that they should keep it up. To discourage negative

tendencies, he calls out students who aren’t doing their work and places them on the spot to

answer a question. Misbehaving students are told to sit next to the teacher.

Routines and Procedures:

I noticed Mrs. Ollie tell her students to make sure they do their warmups at the beginning of

class and to get their journals ready to take notes. I didn’t get to see how students submit

assignments, but I would imagine that they submit online assignments through canvas and turn in

physical assignments in a trey for their class period. After class begins, Mrs. Ollie will teach or

facilitate an activity of some kind and play some relaxing music for everyone. During class, she

typically walks around making sure no one needs help and encourages students to raise their

hands if they have any questions. I recognized she said thank you to a student for raising their

hand instead of just blurting out. Her student aid also assisted students when needed. Mrs. Ollie

will often play music while students are working and if a student gets done early, she will give

them a task, such as collecting supplies or what have you. She encourages students to return

items they borrowed in an orderly fashion. When class is about to end, she tells students to pack

up and then she dismisses them by rows. In Mr. Campbell’s class students begin by getting their
journals ready for note taking. I wasn’t able to see how students submit their assignments, but I

would assume it’s rather similar to Mrs. Ollie’s class. Mr. Campbell starts teaching his lesson

while calling on students directly to answer certain questions and then he goes on to facilitate an

activity for the students. During class he walks around to help students who need it. He sets time

aside for peer-to-peer assistance then switches to solo time where he then said for them to come

to him if they need help. He usually plays calming music during the students work time. If a

student needs to borrow an item from him, they must give a shoe for the item. Students must also

sign in and out when using the restroom. At the end of class students pack up and leave at the

bell.

Overall Impressions:

I found that Mrs. Ollie created a comfortable atmosphere and a fun learning environment through

the way she interacted with her students and through her choice of activities for the students. In

regards to Mr. Campbell, I felt he creates a well-organized and structured class with students that

are comfortable communicating with him as well as each other. What I have learned from these 2

teachers is that creating a repour with students can help them feel comfortable communicating

with you. I also found that a well-structured class can help students stay focused as well as on

task and that planning fun activities can help students stay engaged in their learning.