SED 407 -- Classroom Observations

I’ve been assisting in several different biology classrooms as a part of my service learning at Central Falls, and I’ve found that every class has a unique personality with different strengths and weaknesses. Now that I’ve chosen the class that I will be teaching next week, I can share some of my observations of that particular class.

What?

The class that I observed and will be teaching is a general Biology class with a mix of students at different grade levels. It is in a lab classroom, with hexagonal lab benches and a few individual desk/chair combinations at the front of the room. Most of the students sit in groups at the lab benches. There are 25 students on the roster, but usually there are around 20 students present in the class. The classroom is orderly with objectives for behavior clearly posted on the walls and student work displayed around the room. There are cages and aquariums on one side of the classroom with reptiles, a bunny, and small fish providing a little background presence to the rest of the class. The overall atmosphere is welcoming and shows effort on behalf of the teacher to provide students with a varied and stimulating environment.

In terms of class curriculum, many of the lessons that I observed incorporated inquiry-based learning and employed some literacy strategies. Word problems and constructed response were a major part of the assignments, and there was often some attention to mathematical literacy through the use of algebraic explanations and graphs. In order for students to successfully complete the assignments, they had to communicate with each other, in writing, through diagrams, and sometimes with mathematics. It didn’t have to be a particularly elaborate or creative assignment to engage students, but it did help to have some real-world implications.

Every class that I observed showed some kind of effective differentiation. Students that were still working on tasks from the previous class were permitted to finish them, while students who were finished moved ahead to the next task. Groups were organized based on which students needed to complete what tasks.

So What?

Early in SED 407 we discussed how teachers are constantly assessing their classrooms and making decisions that affect the course of the rest of the lesson. Observing my cooperating teacher Mr. U in class, I saw excellent examples of this kind of decision-making in action. At first it just seemed like Mr. U naturally knew exactly what he needed to do at all times, and that he understood his students so well that he could quickly organize and mobilize them when he made transitions between lecturing, activities, and assignments. As my observations progressed, I realized that what seemed like effortless decision-making was actually the result of extremely detailed planning and experience. Mr. U always had a plan and an objective, not only for his students but also for himself. As a result, he knew exactly when to push the students to move more quickly, and when to step back and allow for more time on a specific concept.

When I asked students what they like about Mr. U’s class, they repeatedly mentioned his enthusiasm, his knowledge of the content, and the fact that it didn’t feel like “learning” when he taught. I think a major reason for this is that Mr. U puts a strong emphasis on the use of narrative as a teaching tool. Seeing him in action, it is apparent that he is very effective at drawing students in and having them retain material by tying the information to real life anecdotes and situations. When I spoke to him about it in more detail, I realized that it was a deliberate choice and part of his teaching philosophy to employ narrative in his lessons. He even had me read a paper that he’d coauthored on the subject and will be submitting for publication.  

Even a talented teacher like Mr. U has challenges with maintaining engagement in his classes. It was obvious that a few students had issues in their lives outside of school that were affecting their performance in class. Mr. U seemed to know when it was appropriate to approach them, and when it was better to leave them alone. There were occasions when some students did not appear engaged in the lesson, and inevitably some students were not meeting the objectives that were set in the beginning of class. Mr. U was persistent though, and continued to encourage accountability in the students who were not meeting the objectives.

Overall, the most important things that I think Mr. U brings to his classes are enthusiasm for his content area, genuine care for the students, and high expectations. The students obviously respect him, and he respects them in turn but not letting them get by with substandard work. He’s also obviously passionate and knowledgeable about biology and models this for his students.

Now What?

Watching the interactions between Mr. U and his students has taught me so much. It’s really caused me to examine my own approach to teaching and the presence I bring to the classroom. I’m naturally a little more reticent personality-wise, and that’s something that I’d like to work on. It’s not that I think there is anything wrong with being guarded or introverted, but for the sake of my students I’ve seen how much easier it is to create a rapport when you are open and willing to share more of yourself. After observing Mr. U I’m also convinced that narrative is an underutilized tool in science classrooms. I hope that I can not only find a way to incorporate narrative into my lessons, but also re-envision what teaching science can be through narrative.

In terms of the influence of these observations on my professional identity, I will continue to reflect on my own interactions with students and strive to be accessible and engaging. In the future, I will endeavor to infuse my lessons with humor, enthusiasm, and real-world context, as I’ve seen Mr. U do with great results.