2/25/14

I enjoyed the opportunity to observe the student teacher teaching Mrs. Anderson's physical education class on Tuesday, February 25th. It was fun for me to see the student teacher employing classroom management strategies that I have been learning about in my classes. I enjoyed seeing this because I have always wondered how effective these methods would be in a real classroom setting. Two of the methods that were used that I have learned about in classroom management that seemed especially effective were the use of a student's name if they were off task or misbehaving in any way and proximity to a student. It was impressive to me that just by getting closer to a student their behavior changed.

Also, during my visit, I had the chance to talk to the student teacher, Mr. Hertz. I was able to ask him questions about the expectations of student teachers, what it is like teaching cooperatively with his coordinating teacher, and stepping into the role of the primary instructor of the class. I appreciated his insights and it eased some of my anxieties about my upcoming role as a student teacher.

I also observed some of the groups of friends in this new class and how these groups affected the overall climate of the classroom. There is a group of about five boys that frequently get off task and become a little problematic. At times, this derails the focus of the rest of the students. However, it is clear that the student teacher and regular classroom teacher are aware of this issue and minimize any issues quickly.