Teacher Observation

While in Carrie Knife's room at Blue Ridge Elementary school, I had the

privilege to observe second graders learning English as a second language.

This was only two months into class, so students were just starting to learn

syllables. All of the children were very interactive and engaged, thanks to

Mrs. Knife's effective teaching system. Each student was organized based on

comprehension of the English language. In other words, areas of the carpet

were numbered from one to five. The front row was for struggling students,

middle row was for students on track, and the outer back row was for over-

achieving English language learners. Every wall was filled with positive and

encouraging quotes and posters of past lessons called Anchor Charts.

Anchor Charts were used as a source for teachers to revisit a previous lesson

or just as a reminder for students of particular area learned. The lesson

progressed, switching to students sounding out whole words. Mrs. Knife used

a strict and specific system called Set R to clarify how to sound out words.

Mrs. Knife used one finger for a two-syllable word, two fingers when sounding

out larger words, etc. She would say the word, then sound it out. Students

then copied and said the word aloud. As the students spoke, the teacher

listened carefully for slurred and confused-sounding voices. If a student

sounded the word out incorrectly, she repeated the word and sounded it out

slowly. Then she called on the students who were having troubles to repeat

the word until they got it right.

 To separate the language of the lesson taught, the teacher used

different colored pens. Red pen was used for Spanish, blue pen was for

English, and purple pen was for lesson revisiting. The last lesson I had

observed was story time, where each student sat at his or her assigned

table, with a face in the booklet, and ears on the teacher. Mrs. Knife read one

sentence in the story. Then, the students repeated, as she slapped a spoon

on her thigh. While doing this method, she used consistency because the

same words the class had just practiced on sounding out were embedded

into the story, Kates Dream, that they were now reading. After the story

was finished, Mrs. Knife read a whole paragraph to the class, and let them

think about it so they could summarize it into one sentence. Watching these

methods showed me how much reflecting the teacher had been doing.

According to the book "Those Who Can Teach", an effective teacher has

specific qualities. Some of these qualities include, Planning instruction and

student learning activities, varying the learning situation to keep students

involved, recognizing when students are paying attention and using this

information to vary behavior and, possibly, the direction of the lesson, and

lastly, using cultures to make learning experiences relevant and effective for

them (Cooper, 2013). I saw each one of these skills used by Mrs. Knife. Each

lesson was planned by being written on the board and organized in a weekly

binder. She varied instruction and kept students involved by how she taught

the lesson. For example, when she was sounding out the words, they were

spoken loud and clearly, but also with enthusiasm. The lessons also changed
by starting out as sounding out syllables to words, progressing into a story,

and finally converting a whole paragraph to one sentence. This kept

students interest because they kept moving from the carpet to seats and

made them cooperate more with partners. As for the skill of recognizing

when students are paying attention and using this information to vary

behavior can possibly determine the direction of the lesson. Mrs. Knife did

great at this when she sounded out the words, had students copy, listened

those with pronunciation troubles, and called on students to repeat the word

until they succeeded. She also continuously and randomly picked students to

answer questions to keep them alert and intuitive. Mrs. Knife was a bilingual

teacher, so if a student had troubles comprehending something, she explain

it in Spanish. On the wall, there were posters in purple pen of Spanish words,

converted to English so students noticed the difference. Each student also

had a picture and unique biography on the wall. This helped in showing the

teacher was making an effort in knowing each child as individuals. Not only

was Mrs. Knife showing effective teacher methods, but I feel that I gained a

lot of perspective from just observing and being around her.

By watching each lesson, it became clear to me which qualities are

mainly needed to work with children learning another language, specifically

English. This information stayed with me because I am interested in the

topic, considering I would like to teach English as a second language in other

countries. One of the many qualities was patience, which I noticed a lot

during the lessons, especially when Mrs. Knife taught syllables. Another big
one was empathy, considering every child in there had to put aside what he

or she knew to have an open mind for a totally new language. This takes a

lot of work, and understanding from the teacher to make everything flow.

After observing the whole class period, I was most impressed by the great

classroom management. I believe the reason it worked so well was because

every student knew what the expectations were, and they were all very

interactive and interested in learning the new language. The teacher also

had a big part. She made the class fun, but also kept structure and had a

stern yet kind voice. I think this was a great and much needed experience.

Over the observation, I realized the most important qualities needed

for an English teacher, how to create a well-managed classroom, and how

much of an effect a positive attitude and atmosphere has on the subject and

students. Organization by planning out daily lessons is key. This is necessary

because students learn at different paces. Some may comprehend material

faster than others. I was privileged to be able to attend and observe the

wonderful classroom of Mrs. Knife. She is a great influence and teacher to

learn from. It influenced my thinking even more, confirming how much I

really am a natural educator and want to become a teacher. Many new ideas

were learned, as well as gaining the classroom atmosphere vibe. Second

grade and English as a second language is where I am meant to go.

 Works Cited

Ryan, Kevin, and James Michael Cooper. "Chapter 6." Those Who Can, Teach.

Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1972. 182-86. Print.

 INTERVIEW SUMMARY

The interview with Carrie Knife lasted quite a while. This being mostly

because it turned into a conversation, rather than a formal interview. I

learned a lot about her teaching methods, her experiences, and her advice

for a beginner teacher, or someone looking into the career. I think She

showed great ways on how reflecting teaching helps structure a classroom.

As well, as what an effective teacher looks like. I gained a new and improved

perspective on teaching a whole new language to different cultures. The

biggest idea I gained from this interview was, always be consistent in your

teaching, stay on subject, and have good student-teacher relationships. I

think the biggest reason this interview had such an impact was how much in

common, Mrs. Knife and I had. She had taught in Equador (across country)

for only a month, but said it was a great experience. Just listening to her

reasons why she loves being a teacher makes my excitement and passion

grow of myself becoming a teacher.

1. What is your philosophy of education?

"Kids need to know what expectations are, and always be consistent.

Routines are great, keep practicing on what needs to be done. Cooperation is

huge, students need to interact a lot."

2. What do you believe are the most effective methods for teaching?

"Direct instruction has it's place, but boring."

"Math manipulates, very moving around, hands on, use colors to mix things

up."

"The biggest thing is to have brains make a connection."

3. What values do you try to foster in your teaching?

"Citizenship/Cooperation"

"Know expectations"

"Strict on getting along." *Golden Rule** is very important

4. What advice would you give to a new teacher?

"The biggest challenege is behavioral management,"

"Kids need consistency , and expectations, no wasted time"

"Have a way to keep kids minds on track"

5. What do you think is the role of the teacher?

"To create a stimulating, and safe learning environment to meet each child's

academic needs, to help them reach their full potential."

6. What is the role of the student?

"To do their best, and support their other classmates in the classroom."

7. What made you decide to teach 2nd grade?

"Planning on special ed, but learned high burnout. My professor got me to

get my degree in billingual ed. Biggest focus was working with students. I

loved first grade, but team was too negative. Switched to second grade and

loved it even more, so much easier."

8. What is one pro and one con of teaching in general?

Pro: "Student and teacher relationships, and hoping to make a difference in a

childs life."

Con: "Hours, finding balance between career and family."