Pre Instructional Assessment

Thomas Wesley Grenn

EDTE 301

March 3rd 2016

Vancouver Island University

I observed at Woodbank Elementary School and the following is my findings about the
classroom behavior and the rules of the classroom. Every classroom is unique in a school even
though the material that is being taught may be the same. Every individual classroom has its own
rules that dictate the nature of the classroom. The individual style of the classroom teacher will
also change how the classroom looks. I observed in different classrooms seeing what practices
took place in them and how these rooms ran. My findings reflect the knowledge that I have
gained from observing these classroom and the understanding I now have about classroom
policies. The research was gathered in association with Hailey Balle, Joshua Bolt, Moriah Hardy,
Kasie Lough, Jessica MacKinnon, Sarah Pike, Gavin Purewal, Kyla Senchar, Taylor Wislon.
Getting the attention of the classroom is a skill essential for all teachers. There are a large
number of different strategies involved in accomplishing this. A very common strategy that I saw
used by teachers is a method of counting down. Teachers will count down from five until they
reach the number one at which point the class will be silent. Another useful strategy used in these
classroom is to address disruptive students personally. This is either done by talking to students
by name or by grabbing students attention by asking them questions. When noise in the
classroom reaches an extreme volume teachers will often raise their voice to accommodate this.
Classrooms will also have individual apparatus to get the attention of the class such as a bell or a
chime. Things such as clapping hands and pointing fingers are also used to get students attention
throughout the day.
Beyond simply getting the attention of disruptive students dealing with disruptive
behavior is a whole different issue. Teachers handle disruptive behavior in many different ways
depending on the classroom. A very common way to end disturbances is to move students around
the classroom away from problem areas where they do not stay on task. In one classroom the

students all had free time on Friday. Disruptive behavior takes away from free time. This is a
great system of keeping a class in line. Discussion is also important to dealing with behavior. The
teacher regularly talks to the class about what is acceptable behavior in the classroom and what is
not.
There are several different management strategies that a teacher uses to maintain order in
the classroom. Positive reinforcement is very common in the classroom. This is exhibited
through rewards such as gum given to the students when they display good behavior. Another
common strategy used in classroom is negative reinforcement. This means using some kind of
punishment to see good behavior in the classroom come about. There are a series of different
punishments such as being inside at recess, losing free time, and being moved away from friends
in the classroom. Other classroom strategies include asking questions to the students to make
them think, using good students as an example to others, following a strict set of rules, creating a
chart of student behavior, and establishing full authority in the class.
When a conflict arises in a classroom its a situation that must be dealt with immediately.
A teacher has many different tools to deal with a situation of conflict. When a situation arses it is
never ignored and always discussed with the whole class. The teacher will ask the class what
happened and why they think that thing happened. This gives the teacher am opportunity to
reinforce their classroom rules and values. Words are always very valued in a classroom. The
teacher allows time for the students to give there take on a situation. If a conflict situation arises
between two individuals the first step is for those two people to talk through the situation
themselves. The two are separated from the class and come to a conclusion on their own. If this
does not work the teacher will intervene but diplomacy is highly valued in the classroom to
resolve most conflict situations.

When materials are needed to be gathered in class there are a few simple rules that
classrooms follow to make sure that this process happens in a fast and efficient manner. The first
rule to be followed is to be quiet when this process is taking place. The second rule is to be quick
when putting things away. The third and final rule is to always stay on task always when putting
things away and to make sure that you dont get distracted by other activities thusly wasting
time. These rules are displayed prominently on a notice board in the classroom so that students
may remember them. They are also often repeated by the teacher throughout the day before
materials are collected.
There are several times in the day where materials are distributed to a class. There are
classroom monitors who help to distribute these materials. These students are chosen from a list
or they are chosen personally by the teacher as they are known as trusted students. There are also
education assistants who help out with the distribution of materials. In addition to this there are
parents who help out with this task. Personal materials such as planners are kept in individual
students desks. Textbooks are commonly kept in student cubbies and are taken back and forth to
school and home. Other materials are kept in cupboards around the classroom and also in other
spaces around the classroom.
Moving around in a school can cause problems and teachers have a number of different
solutions to all types of scenarios. If the class as a whole is going to be moving around the
school the first step that everyone knows is too quickly and quietly for a line inside the
classroom backing away from the door. Once all the students are there the teacher will explain
where they are going and what they will be doing there. Students are expected to maintain a level
of complete silence when they are in the hallways. This is the general rule for moving to all areas
in the school such as the library, gym or other areas in the school. Other than this a classroom is a

place of constant movement with students entering and exiting the classroom all the time. There
is a bathroom list in most classroom to keep track of who went to the bathroom and when. At the
end of recess or the start of the day students will line up outside the classroom in an assigned
area and will enter the room when the teacher comes out to get them. When moving in the class
for other reasons teacher permission is mandatory.
When questions arise in the classroom there are rules that have been laid out to ensure the
process happens without conflict. If the teacher asks a question students must raise their hands if
they know the answer. When the teacher picks someone they answer the question clearly and
slowly. If students had a similar answer instead of yelling out they simply put their hands on their
heads to indicate this. The questions that the teacher asks are very broad in nature so that they
can generate many ideas in the students minds and the teacher will get a wide range of
responses. The teacher will also ask questions that are leading statements where the logical
conclusion is obvious to the students. Calling out answers is very much discouraged in a
classroom. Any Questions?
As the day goes on a teacher must make sure to maintain control in the classroom. This
means that a teacher much ensure that he or she is aware of everything taking place in a
classroom. A teacher is always surveying the classroom looking for any situations that may arise.
The teacher will have a bell to grab the attention of the class when its needed. She will also
regularly ask for silence when the volume of the class becomes unacceptable. A teacher must
always be very adaptable. When a teacher is working with a particular student she is still
surveying the classroom and she will still call out the names of misbehaving students. This is the
way to maintain order in a classroom.

It will vary from class to class how the teacher organizes student helpers. In some classes
there is a list off students who are chosen in rotation for student helping duties. In other classes
the choice is a random one by the teacher. None the less most if not all classes have special
student helpers who will assist the teacher. Theses helpers will do a wide range of activities to
keep up a productive classroom. Student helpers will often help teachers out in whatever comes
up throughout the day such as collecting materials, changing decorations, handing out work, and
organizing other students.
In a classroom cleanliness is very important for the overall state of a classroom. Beyond
the work of the janitorial staff, individual teachers dictate how there classroom is kept clean
throughout the day. Students are encouraged to keep their desk and cubie clean and orderly and if
that is not the case they are asked to clean it. At the end of the day students must pick up one or
two pieces of garbage before they go home. The teacher will also spray down all the desks with
soap at the end of the day to keep them clean.
Students work is displayed in many different places throughout the classroom. The
material displayed is often updated throughout the year. Material is usually presented in major
themes that change over the year. These materials are displayed on the walls of the classroom.
Materials are also displayed on bulletin boards outside of the classroom. These displays are
rotated monthly. Materials that are no longer displayed are distributed to students or stored in the
classroom. Additionally work that is finished being displayed is put in the classroom duo tangs
and kept in the students records.
Woodbank is a primary school with students from grades K-3. Because of this there is a
limited homework program at the school. Any homework given is personally assigned by the
classroom teacher. Teachers assign practice reading to the students which is to be complete

outside of the classroom. Students are given twenty minutes of reading every night to be
completed at home. Students are also given spelling practice for tests to be completed on
Fridays. Math practice is sent home at night and parents are kept up to date about what is
happening. Students also complete the A-Z Kids computer program which happens both at home
and at school.
In the classroom the daily time table is posted prominently and changed every day. The
following is an example of a daily timetable in a typical classroom.

8:30- Attendance
8:35- Circle Time
9:00- Math
10:00- Silent Reading
10:15- Short Recess
10:30- Daily 5 Program
11:00- Reflection of the Week
11:30- Running Program
11:45- Long Recess
12:20- Lunch
12:45- Reflection Notebook and Planner
1:15- PE
2:22- Final Dismissal
There are other weekly activities that are schedules in different days. Every classroom schedules
events for different days and times. Some classes do not have a typical PE class and instead have
different activates in nature outside of the school. Classes use the library on Wednesdays. The

computer lab will typically be used on Thursdays. These schedules are also usually placed in
student planners daily.
When moving from activity to activity the process is handled carefully as students finish
activates at different rates. When students finish an activity there are a number of activates that
they can engage in. Students may look ahead to see what the next activity may be. They can also
engage in silent reading until the rest of the class catches up. This time is free time for the
student to do what he or she wants. Once the class as a whole has finished an activity or the
teacher determines that it is over, the teacher will collect materials from that activity. Then the
next activity is fully explained by the teacher. The teacher will typically ask questions about what
she said to make sure the students hears him or her.
Free time is available at various times throughout the school day. It typically happens
when students finish activities before others. When this happens students are asked not to talk
and to keep volume to a minimum. The teacher maintains this level of volume by reminding
students to be quiet and by other methods previously mentioned. Students will have free time at
their desks where they will do activities such as reading, coloring, or doing other study work. On
Fridays there is designated time for free time. At this time students engage in a variety of
different activities that are more active and loud.
The students in every class will have different types of records to keep their work on file
and to demonstrate what they have accomplished in the year. A common way of storing
information is through file folders kept in each individual students names. Students also have
daily work duo tangs where important daily work is stored. Typical work that will not appear in
duo tangs includes Math, Art, Science, and other academic products. Duo tangs will largely store
smaller projects compared to larger things that cannot be confined to that space.

Classroom marks are tracked by a number of different way throughout the year, The First
way of doing this is through something called a Daybook. The daybook is a place for daily marks
to be gathered and kept up to date. The type of marks taken in this book include spelling test
results, math tests, and reading scores. Another way of recording work results is through a
portfolio. Portfolios typically do not hold tests. Things in a portfolio include daily work, personal
notes and more abstract work. A portfolio is used to gather anecdotal information beyond just
what marks show to get a clear picture of how the students are doing. For recording official
marks report cards are always used.
There are several other types of assessments that the teacher will give to their students to
make sure that they have a clear picture on how that student is doing. One way is through a
spelling journal which tracks the students spelling progress over time. Students also receive selfmarking on the daily 5 activities. Students will also often do self-assessments on how they think
they are progressing .The teacher will also have benchmark assessment to give a different
perspective on the progress of the class. Although it was a part of this assignment I was unable to
obtain a copy of a blank report card. The school of Woodbank Primary did not feel comfortable
giving out this information.
Woodbank Primary School is a complex and complicated system of rules and regulations.
The classroom is a home to students who will learn and grow over the course of a years. There
are many different rules and procedures that take place in a classroom. In my time observing at
this school I have managed to record many of the daily procedures that a teacher faces on a day
to day timeline. In this assessment I recorded these procedures. Below is a picture of my drawing
of what a typical classroom would look like this will vary as ever classroom is different, which is
something I have discovered in my observations.

The following is my observation notes made studying individual learners.

Learner #1

This learner will often stand up during class

Is listening really well to teacher
Attentive at following teachers instructions
Helps to organize work for the teacher
Is a trusted member of the class
Is not distracted when moving through the classroom and stays on task
Does not interrupt the teacher
Very quick to answer the teachers questions
Student is very good at math and always comes up with the correct solution in quick time
Calculates math in their head
Stays quiet in class
Remains alone in the class away from other students
Student will help out people around him with work
Student sits on hands and remains silent in free time
Works efficiently with math blocks
Reads very proficiently
Very good at spelling
Students plays all by himself at recess
One of the teachers most trusted helpers
Student is always doing what the teacher asks

Learner #2

Is often off task

Constantly getting the attention of the teacher
Often wanders throughout the class
Hangs out with a lot of other kids
Often stands up in class when sitting is required
Calls out in class
Hands always up to answer teachers questions
Will fidget at desk
Often plays with friends during class
Kill kick desk to disturb class
Is eager to answer teacher questions
Will shake with excitement
Often hyper during class

Ask other students for help

Works on other students work
Completes all work competently
Reads with others
Shares what he knows with other students
Plays with math blocks instead of using them

Learner #3

Student is shy
Very quiet
Loves to learn
Stays on task well
Works privately
Is a very fast learner
Likes to observe other students silently
Avoids other classmates
Reads slowly
Is a nervous person
Does not speak up in class
Rarely raises hands in class
Struggles with spelling
Needs help but afraid to ask for it
Has trouble with math work
Is able to understand with one on one help

Learner #4

Reads quietly on task

Uninterrupted concentration when reading
Will steals the pen of her classmate and tosses it across the room
Will hand in assignments on her own
Does not trust others with her work
Yells at other students one in a while

Is silent most of the time

Moves hands about during class
Very rambunctious
Acts out violently with other students
Moves around classroom a lot
Goes to a special in class
Works with others on work
Plays with her math blocks
Quickly does spelling work

Learner #5

Wanders around class

Excluded by other students
Other students called bad
Unable to get materials from other students
Separate from other students
Not trusted by other students
Student works standing up
Yells at other students
Gets a lot of attention from the teacher
Name often called out in class
Has a reputation in class
Borrows from other students
Does not stay on task
Struggles with spelling work
Is easily distracted
Distracts others from their work
Very loud in class
Plays with his food
Will sleep in class
Moves all about class when isnt supposed to be
Does not do work in planner
Only pretends to read
Makes designs out of math blocks

Pre-Instructional Assessment Marking Sheet

EDTE 301
March 3/4 2016

Part 1- The Classroom

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Part 2- The Learner

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