Lesher Field Notes
My field notes from spending time in Ms. Knips's class involve random phrases, doodles, and observations. I tried to pay close attention to how she handled situations that would come up, as well as classroom management in general.
This page of my notes shows specific things that Ms. Knips said that implement classroom management. She's always very clear with what she needs/wants. This specific day, students seemed easily distracted. Ms. Knips had to move some people due to behavior issues. This made me realize that taking the necessary step to intervene with bahavior, even if it seems harsh sometimes, is important and will improve the atmosphere of the class.
This page demonstrates more specific ways to intervene with behavior. A teacher's job is not only to teach content standards, but also to guide students to create a full character. In this way, sometimes tough love is necessary, and getting students to own their actions is huge when having the authoritative stance in a classroom.
This page of notes was from a day when students began to work in groups. Ms. Knips always did a good job with explaining WHY she was having them do the things she asked, and having a holistic sense within her delivery. She also always made a point to praise students when they accomplished someting, large or small.
This page shows my observation of the various routines that Ms. Knips implemented daily. It was clear that she had found her way of managing her classroom and her students know it too. She always made a point to give them a chance to correct their behavior before taking a step further to stop what was going on. This creates respect more than anything; allowing students to have a choice.
This page shows an exmaple of dealing with possible issues with group work. She had two boys who weren't working together or getting anything done. I stepped in and learned a lot about working with them. It took some time, but after a while, I was able to get them moving by asking questions. I asked them what they could do, and kept guiding them to make the proper decisions.