4.2 Observations 4-6

Introduction

    These past three weeks I have had the wonderful opportunity to observe Mrs. Kiihnl's 4th grade Literacy class. While observing I have learned different methods on teaching and how to manage a classroom. I have also learned how to make myself clear when I'm teaching, for the students to be able to understand the concepts of what is being taught.

Whole Class 1

    My overall favorite part of observing the class was the positivity that the students had, every time I was there. They didn't complain about the work that Mrs. Kiihnl would give out. I thought that the students would have some sort of complaint about the work, you know because they're kids, but that never once complained. I remember thinking to myself I hope I have a group of kids that don't complain about the work I give them. 

Whole Class 2 

    I also really enjoyed how the classroom was set up. The layout of the room was very well designed, Mrs. Kiihnl used circle tables with 4 seats at each table. The tables worked really well with the classroom, between each table there was plenty of room for movement. The seating arrangement was in group pods, so it allowed the students to work together, but during a test the students had privacy folders, so the other students couldn't look at the others. I also loved the design of the classroom, Mrs. Kiihnl uses different kinds of inspirational posters, to encourage the students to try their best. 

Teacher Methods 1

    When I was observing Mrs. Kiihnl, I learned many different teaching methods to use while I was observing. One of the methods that she taught me, is that it's okay for students not to get the information the first time. She showed me that sometimes you need to give some students a little extra help on things. During a test one day on paper, one of the students understands the information being read to them, so Mrs. Kiihnl read the questions and answers to them so that the student would have a better understanding of the test.

Teacher Methods 2

    One of the other teaching methods I learned while observing Mrs. Kiihnl, was how she used the Chromebooks with her class. In some classes all the students do their learning on the computer, but Mrs. Kiihnl split up her class time with worksheets and then Chromebooks. She told me that she found with this particular class they picked up more information when it was on worksheets for the students. Mrs. Kiihnl also said that she found worksheets to be more interactive than the Chromebooks were.  

The Overall Impact

    The overall impact that I had while observing Mrs. Kiihnl, is to always be paying attention to the students needs. I learned that there are some students who have accommodations that need some more help than others, such as reading aloud so that they comprehend the information better. I also learned to be paying attention to how the whole class takes in information. Mrs. Kiihnl taught me that some of her classes take in information better on a worksheet than on a computer. 

Conclusion 

    In conclusion, I had a wonderful time observing Mrs. Kiihnl's class, I really enjoyed the time I spent with the class. While observing I learned many different teaching methods, that I hope to use in the future. I'm so blessed that I had the opportunity to observe a wonderful teacher who taught me many things.