Alpine Elementary, 5th grade 1:30-2:30pm

Anna Kingsbury
ENG 308
Classroom Observations 1 & 2

All observations were made during the classroom independent reading times

Monday February 1, 2016

Mrs. Bushs Classroom

On the whiteboard was written:

o Reading from 1:15-1:35
o Read to self from 1:40-2:10
o Wonder from 2:10-2:35
No extra reading material or bookshelves in the classroom
Students have individual cubbies that have their own books they are reading
There is a couch in the corner in which students can sit on during
independent reading time
o If class is cooperating, they are allowed to sit wherever they wish in the
classroom to read
o Poster Couch Potato Days that lists the different days of the week in
which each student has access to the couch during independent
reading
There is a separate room connected to the classroom that contains a table
and chairs, lamps, and shelves.
o Could be used for tutoring
o Looks like students might do independent work in there
There are reading and writing posters on display throughout the classroom
Students work is not displayed
During independent reading, different instructors came and pulled certain
students from the classroom
o Discovered later that these students are pulled to work on math
Mrs. Bush worked with certain students in the back of the classroom on
worksheets
o Not sure if the students needed help catching up to the rest of the
class, or if they were doing extra work designed to help them in a
specific subject
o Seemed to be working on reading comprehension
o Has students read aloud different excerpts and answer questions on
what they read
o Stops students and explains when they do not understand a word,
helps them pronounce it so they can continue, helps explain the work
for comprehension
Students were given a choice on if they wanted to read fiction or nonfiction
during their independent reading time
Little to no social interaction was observed between students, as they were
supposed to be reading silently and on their own
o Of course some students got distracted and whispered to each other

Anna Kingsbury
ENG 308
Classroom Observations 1 & 2
Only some students are really focused on reading throughout the entire half
hour
Some of the students have exercise balls instead of chairs at their desks so
that they can move around
Mrs. Bush goes around to misbehaving students and quietly discusses and
corrects their behavior and tries to ensure that all students are focused and
on task

Mrs. McVeys Classroom

Students are around the classroom, reading independently but are working
in pairs
o Some students do not have a partner and were reading individually
o Students in pairs were reading the same book, and taking turns
reading the book aloud
o Social reading experience
o Different pairs were reading at different reading levels. For example,
one pair was reading The Hunger Games and another was reading
Junie B Jones
Students were going in and out of the classroom because they were being
fitted for instruments in band class
o Perhaps that was why they were reading in pairs?
There are 3 book cases at the back of the classroom
o Alphabetized to make it easier for students to find the book they were
looking for
Mrs. McVey was walking around the classroom to make sure the students
were staying on track
o She would pause to listen to the pair read, ask them questions about
what they were reading, perhaps take a turn reading with herself
o She would also correct students if they read a word incorrectly or
pronounced it incorrectly
o She made it a point to try and get to each pair of students
o Asking students about the title of the book they were reading, what
they thought the title might mean, predict what the story will be about
or asking what it is about so far
There isnt a specifically designated reading area in the classroom, but
students are allowed to sit wherever they please to read during this
independent reading time.
Class has a separate attached room much like Mrs. Bushs classroom that can
be used for individual instruction
o Contains a table and chairs, other materials
o Called the Opportunity Room
This classroom also has exercise balls for students to sit on instead of chairs
at their desks in case they need or want them
There are posters and papers up around the classroom to encourage reading
and writing
o The parts of a story, how to write a paragraph, etc.

Anna Kingsbury
ENG 308
Classroom Observations 1 & 2
Pictures drawn by students and student work is on display in the classroom
Mrs. McVey occasionally encouraged the class to quiet down, but not to be
silent (as they are reading aloud to each other)
o Ensured that rowdy kids calmed down by quietly correcting their
behavior
There are dictionaries and encyclopedias available to the students on display
in the classroom
Each student has their own cubby in which they keep the books they are
currently working on reading
Students were occasionally off topic and talking when Mrs. McVey was not
paying attention or when she was on the other side of the room
Mrs. McVey helped student pick out books form the shelves that they would
find interesting if they had trouble finding a book to read
o Wants students to enjoy the book they are reading
If students were not paying attention or reading, she would threaten to make
them stay in and read during recess the next day
o (this was crazy to me reading should not be a punishment!)

Friday February 5, 2016

Mrs. Bushs Classroom; Student Kierstyn
Objective Observation
Was reading a chapter book
containing no pictures
Has other chapter books in her
cubby
Sitting on exercise ball instead of
a normal chair

Subjective Understanding
She is at or above reading level

Needs to move around or is not

very good with sitting still

Did not begin reading right away

Consistently fidgets and adjusts
the way she is sitting
Had sticky notes marked in her
book

May have trouble concentrating

or focusing

Went to sit on the reading couch

during independent reading time
and did not stay at her desk
Eyes were wandering for the first
few minutes

Either to take notes or to keep

her place? Either way she is
really paying attention to the text
Likes to be comfortable when
reading (dont we all!)

Not talking to others when she

was supposed to be reading

Begins talking to boy next to her

Was not reading right away

Either gets distracted easily or it
takes her a minute to become
absorbed in the book
Semi-focused or is not sociable
with the people sitting around
her
Only whispering and not for long,

briefly

Gets focused and begins reading

avidly about 10 mins after sitting
down with her book
Kept looking up and back down
to her book when other students
are talking around her

All the students have laptops

with which to take AR tests

Anna Kingsbury
ENG 308
Classroom Observations 1 & 2
think he was showing her
something in his book
Has interest in others books
Might take her a while to get
interest in her book, or to get
settled
May need encouragement to be
focused
Is not completely grabbed by the
book or entertained it, may need
a different book
Resources are available to
students!

Mrs. McVeys Classroom; Student Aternity

Objective Observation
Moving around the classroom
and not looking at her book
Occasionally passes notes to
others students
Only turns one page in her book
within the first 15 minutes of
reading
Talking to other students for a
significant portion of
independent silent reading time
Goes to bookshelf with another
student to find him a book
Tries to get another students
attention by whispering her
name

Subjective Understanding
Unfocused, distracted by all
other students around her
May need encouragement to
become focused on her book

Reading a picture book about

birds of prey, it is not a chapter
book, but it is informational

Keeps standing, moving around,

and talking well into independent
reading time not just the first
few minutes
Students as a whole are not
focused, Mrs. McVey tells them
that they will be reading during

More social than focused on

reading
Is she distracted or is she
genuinely trying to help her
friend?
Perhaps they are best friends,
they were reading in pairs the
other day
She may not like to be on her
own
Working on nonfiction
Could be below grade level (I
couldnt see the actual content in
the book)
Cant focus very well
Might not be interested in her
book
That motivates her to begin
reading! - or at least to stop
talking to other students

recess if they cannot focus

When she finally begins reading,

she is reading out loud

Her book is about birds, she

takes interest in the fact that her
book says that birds have
eyebrows and shares this with
another student
Book has an interesting
interactive page where you can
see through the picture to the
birds bones if you hold it up to
the light, she takes a great
interest in this and shows
multiple students

Anna Kingsbury
ENG 308
Classroom Observations 1 & 2
(still cant believe she is
threatening reading as a
punishment!)
Perhaps that helps her to focus
Perhaps she wants to be noticed
by other students since she
seems to be so social
Finally begins taking interest in
her book
Took her a bit to begin reading,
but once she did she found it an
interesting one
The interactive parts of the book
really grab her attention
She is more focused on the
pictures than on the text

Reflection:
From these observations I conclude that both girls are reading at least at grade
level, if not higher. They also both seem to have trouble concentrating on the
material they are reading, and might need more encouragement to focus on the
text they are currently reading.