1

CALIFORNIA BAPTIST UNIVERSITY FIELDWORK

EDU 518 Fieldwork
Observation 1 & 2 (2 hours required)
Directions: Be prepared for your first visit to the classroom. You might be expected to
introduce yourself and explain that you are there to help the teacher and the
students. Next, condition your mind that you will not be sitting taking notes. You will
be alert and moving throughout the classroom. A teachers discipline problems are
minimized the closer the teacher gets to the students. Do not be a distraction, but do
make yourself available for students who may need help. This is also good practice for
your own classroom.
1. Write up your introduction. What is it you plan to say when
given the opportunity? You need to sound and act as a
professional from the first minute of your straight. You are
proud to be in this classroom visit. Stand up when you
introduce yourself, speak loudly, and stand
Written Introduction: Good morning students! I am Mrs. Cupples; Im here today to
learn everything I can about your class. My goal is to get to know all of you, to work
with you, and to learn how to be the best teacher possible.
Reflection: I was able to use this introduction to start my observations in a 1st-grade
classroom. I kept the introduction short, to minimize the disruption of the classroom
and because of the developmental level of the students. The first graders seemed to be
surprised that I want to learn from them. The introduction was helpful because it
forced me to think about an appropriate and constructive way to introduce myself to
the class. It also helped me to feel my purpose of being in that classroom.
2. After your visit, write your reflective responses to these
questions:
What did you notice about students behavior when you stood next to them?

Why do you think this is an effective technique?

ll of the students, except one, changed their behavior when I stood next to them. If the

tudents were talking instead of working, they immediately stopped talking and got back to

work. Students that were off task returned to their task without any verbal cues. I also noticed

hat students tried harder when I stood next to them. One of the students did not get back to

is task when I stood next to him. He was playing with a toy and ignored my presence. I told

im to put his toy away and work on his assignment, he complied.

Increasing proximity to the students is a very effective technique because it allows
me to communicate non-verbally to the student that I am watching him or her, and
that I am aware of what is going on. The technique is effective because it allows me
to have a silent communication with the student without disruption of the lesson.
Going up close to the students also demonstrates an interest in the students and
helps them feel included and appreciated. The technique is also effective because it
forces me to move around the room, which increases my withitness and supports
my awareness of how students are progressing through their task. This helps me
monitor the progression of the lesson, increase the students engagement, and
adjust the pacing of the lesson to the needs of the students.
What interactions did you have with students? What questions were you

sked? How did your respond?

I had many interactions with the students. Several students asked for help with
their math problems. I used the following technique to help the students: I knelt
down next to the students desk to the students eye level and asked the student to
read the problem to me. Then I asked the student to tell me step by step how he or
she would solve the problem. Most students were able to solve the problem when
we used the think-aloud technique and thought the problem through step by step.
One student asked me to read the word problems to her. I sat in the chair next to
her and pointed to each word; she read most of the words, and I helped her sound
out words she was struggling with. One student was very frustrated with his math,
he became agitated, I calmed the student down, and helped him with the math. We
did the first two problems together, and then I gradually released the student to do
the rest of the problems independently. One student asked me if his answer to a
problem was correct and we double checked the problem together. The questions of
the students were all related to the task, the activity I observed was very

structured, the students were engaged, and all my interactions with the students
were task related.
Reflecting back, what did you notice about the readiness of the master

eacher? How did that affect to overall success of the lesson and learning?
The master teacher was very well prepared, and she also established clear routines
in her classroom. She was very organized, all materials needed for the lesson,
copies of worksheets, manipulatives, and equipment were readied at the beginning
of the day and laid out in a logical way which supported the flow of the lesson. She
used parent helpers, which helped with the sorting of copies and they also created
homework packets for her. Her use of clear routines was very evident and very
effective. Handing out papers, turning in finished work, and the done routine all
reduced the need for instruction and improved the flow of the lesson. To hand out
papers: a paper passer handed the papers to each table group and the table captain
handed the papers to the rest of the students. She differentiated instruction to the
needs of the learners. She began the lesson with an introduction of the academic
vocabulary of the lesson and added the words to the word wall. She used the
document camera for direct instruction, she explicitly modeled the math lesson,
used manipulatives to help the students visualize the lesson, she provided guided
practice and did two problems together with the class. Lastly, the students
participated in independent practice activities, where the students completed a
worksheet by themselves. She increased the pace of instruction for the advanced
learners and had additional activities ready for them when they completed the
activity. She provided additional support to the learners that were struggling by
offering manipulatives; she also assigned me to work with some of the struggling
students and had me work with them in a small group.
Overall, the teachers readiness, preparation of activities, lesson planning, selection
of effective strategies, application of differentiation strategies, and her
implementation of effective classroom routines were essential to the success of the
lesson and the management of her classroom.
Observation 2

Directions: During your second visit, focus on the students. What types of students did
you encounter who fall into the categories who can cause behavior problems? Discuss
your findings with the master teacher if you have a chance. This will verify what you
observed. After the visit, answer these questions:
1. What types of students who can cause behavior problems did you
encounter in this visit? Describe them. Also, describe their location in
the classroom, the teachers use of space/proximity, and the teachers
use of instructional time.
Advanced Learner: The student completed all his activities at a very rapid pace;
when he got done he became bored, disruptive, and talked to other students. He
walked around the room and started talking to other students. The teacher placed the
student in the T zone, in the center of the room but towards the back of the room,
which placed him in close proximity to her direct instruction work station. The
students behavior problems surfaced during his independent reading time, the
student read at a 4th-grade level and had already finished his independent reading
book at his level. He needed to be challenged. In my discussion with the teacher, she
remarked on the problem of keeping the student engaged because he was so
advanced. The teacher was working on developing a collaboration plan with a secondgrade classroom to provide opportunities for the student to participate in more
advanced language arts activities in a second-grade classroom to provide more
challenging activities for the student.
English Learner: The student started drawing during the language arts lesson.
Instead of doing his work he drew pictures all over his assignment. The students
language acquisition level was very low; the student had just moved to the school
from Mexico and was not able to communicate beyond the basics. The student was
seated in the front of the room in close proximity to the whiteboard, in the T zone.
Student 3: The student was hyperactive; she had a tough time sitting still, she often
blurted out answers, was fidgety, tapped her pencil, and was bouncing back and forth
in her chair. She had trouble focusing, following directions, and completing tasks; she

also seemed to have a very short attention span. The teacher had referred the student
to a study team for evaluation; the teacher seemed to think that the student may have
ADHD. The student is currently not on medication; the teacher implemented a behavior
modification plan for this student, which was somewhat effective. The student had a
behavior card taped on her desk. She was working on raising her hand instead of
blurting out answers. The student self-monitored her behavior and placed a tally mark
on the sheet every time she raised her hand. The teacher also monitored how many
times the student raised her hand. The student got to pick something thing from the
treasure chest if she raised her hand ten times, without blurting out. The student did
not get to pick a prize on the day I observed the class; she had nine tally marks that
day and was very motivated that she would be able to reach her goal the next day. The
student was seated in the T zone of the room up front close to the whiteboard.
A student with special needs: The student was autistic; he was in a special day
class and was mainstreamed for an hour each day in a mainstream 1st-grade
classroom. The student became severely agitated and upset, laid down on the floor and
refused to get up because a student moved the pencils on his desk. The student was
able to function well as long as his routine was not disrupted; he had a picture
schedule on his desk to help him remember that routine. The student was seated in a
single desk in close proximity to the teachers direct instruction work station.
2. What about the teachers work area, the student area, the wall space,
and the materials created an effective classroom environment?
The teacher had three work areas, her desk where the phone and her desktop
computer were located. Behind her teacher desk, were all her schedules, planning
books, teacher manuals, and resources. The desk was placed next to the window and
facing out towards the window; she did not use this area during her instructional time.
She only used the desk during her planning period and before and after school. She
had a kidney table that she used for small group instruction and guided reading. Her
third work area was the desk where the document camera and laptop were located.

The teacher used this area during direct instruction; this desk was towards the back of
the room.
Effective use of wall space was an integral part of creating an effective classroom
environment. She had a word wall that incorporated multicultural pictures. The
classroom rules were prominently displayed at the front of the room. PBIS expectation
posters were displayed on a bulletin board. Thematic bulletin boards, which
incorporated class created anchor charts, were used for instructional support. One
bulletin board showed the writing process and also showed examples of good writing.
There was a math bulletin board and an extensive student work area that exhibited
work from each student. The teacher made sure that every student had some work on
the wall. There was an extensive classroom library, which had a wide variety of books
at different levels; the books were leveled with colored stickers. Every student had a
cubby, and all backpacks were hanging on a rack outside.

EDU 518 Fieldwork

Observation 3 (1 hour required)
Directions: Remember that effective teachers are welcoming. This is a large part of
what creates and maintains an effective environment. For this visit, position yourself
at the doorway of the classroom and greet students as they enter. Be open and
welcoming. Observe how they enter the room. Calmly remind any student entering
inappropriately to please behavior according to the classroom rules. (You have been
in the classroom for 3 days now; you should be familiar with them.) You are NOT to
challenge the students or get into a fight; you are just reminding them that they are
entering a class when learning is the goal.

1. Reflect on what happened as you stood at the door. What did students
do or say as you greeted them? What difference do you think this made
in the tone of the classroom?
I greeted each student at the door, shook his or her hand, and welcomed them. The
students were not used to this; they were surprised that I talked to each one of
them, and they were very surprised that I knew all their names. Some of the
students asked me why I was greeting them today. I told them that I wanted to
welcome them and help them have a great day. Some of the students started to tell
me about themselves others were still kind of shy. I think that greeting the students
at the door showed the students that I care about them, that I am interested in
them, and want to know more about them. It also helped me form personal
connections with the students because it allowed me to interact with every student in
a less formal way and to learn a little more about the student. It also helped to make
the students feel more welcomed in the class, and it ensured that I interacted with
every student. Overall, it set a positive note for the day, a more open and friendly
atmosphere.

Describe the rules and procedures for this classroom. In what way(s) do the
rules support student learning? In what way(s) do the rules create a safe
environment?
The teacher had four basic rules:
1.
2.
3.
4.

Keep your hands and feet to yourself.

Raise your hand for help.
Treat others with respect.
Walk at all times.

The rules were focused on safety; safety was the top priority. Keeping hands and feet
to themselves helps to keep the students safe, it prevents accidents, and also reduces
the chances of students getting hurt. Walking at all times also supports the safety of
the students. Students are much more likely to get hurt when the run, skip, or jump.
An effective learning environment requires rules for basic interaction; students need
to know how to treat each other. The teacher incorporated this through the rule of
treating others with respect and by establishing the rule that the students need to
raise their hands for help.
The PBIS skills were an important part of establishing the learning environment.
Instead of assuming that students just know how to employ basic classroom skills,
students are systematically taught how to do use the following social skills: asking for
help, following instructions, getting the teachers attention, accepting permission,
making an apology, disagreeing appropriately, accepting no for an answer, listening,
and working with others. The rules and the systematic introduction of PBIS skills, as
well as the fact that the teacher continuously referred to the rules and skills, clearly
supported the establishment of a safe and effective classroom environment.

EDU 518 Fieldwork

Observation 4 & 5 (2 hours required)
Directions: We have read about motivation and discipline in the Savage text.
Ask two students (one of the students should be an English learner or a
student who is at risk) the following questions:
1. What are the things you like to do when given an opportunity?
English Learner: I like to write stories in Spanish, draw, and paint.
At-Risk Student: I like to act, I would like to be in a play like the students
that did the play for drama club. I like to read stories using funny voices like
my teacher did today.
2. What are the things you do in school that you find interesting?
Why?
English Learner: Show and tell is interesting; when somebody brings
something he or she likes to class and shares it with the class. I like to see
the different things they bring and want to know why they like it.
At-Risk Student: Science is interesting, I like to watch and do science
experiments, my 4th-grade buddy showed the Oobleck he made as part of a
science experiment, I want to do that.
3. What are the things you like to do out of school?
English Learner: I like to play outside, I like to kick the soccer ball and run
around my street and play with my friends.
At-Risk Student: I like to play video games on my iPad and watch TV. Do
you have a favorite video game? I like the Crazy Goat Simulator game. Why
do you like this game so much? The goat does crazy things, jumps on cars
and smashes things.
4. What do you think your teacher believes about you as a
student? What makes you think this?
English Learner: I think my teacher thinks that I need lots of help to learn
English. She always tries to help me.

10

At-Risk Student: I think my teacher believes that I can do anything if I try

my best and keep trying. She always tells us that we can do anything if we
put our mind to it.
5. What do you think could be done to make this school a better
place to learn?
English Learner: I think that my school should have an afterschool
homework club, where I can get help with my homework and better lunches.
At-Risk Student: The school needs a better playground. Students can learn
better when they have more fun at recess. Stop kids from teasing kids on
the playground. Have better lunches.

11

EDU 518 Fieldwork

Observation 6 (1 hour required)
Directions: In addition to being alert and available to help students, pay close
attention to the teacher. We know that many behavior problems can be prevented
through effective lesson management. Your task during this visit is to evaluate the
way the master teacher kept the class on task and accountable. In reflection, you
are to think of ways you might have done the lesson differently. After this visit,
please answer these questions from the Savage text:

1. What specific things did the master teacher do to keep the class on
task and alert? How did the master teacher gain their attention?
The teacher used relatively short instructional blocks no longer than 20 to 30
minutes per activity, which helped to keep the students on task and she also
incorporated routines. Except during direct instruction, when she used the
document camera, the teacher moved around the room. The teacher used both
verbal and non-verbal cues to gain the students attention. She clapped her
hands, used the quiet sign, flipped the lights, lowered her voice and spoke very
quietly, and used the give me five technique. The teacher raised her hands, and
the class followed. She lifted each finger and the whole class together said eyes
- look, ears - listen, mouth - closed, hands - still, and feet quiet.
In what ways did the master teacher provide variety in the lesson?
The teacher did not provide a lot of variety in the math lesson I observed. She
mainly used worksheets from the adopted math curriculum Eureka Math. The
students did three different worksheets, which got progressively more
challenging. The teacher used direct instruction, she modeled how to do the
problem, provided guided practice, and then had the students practice
independently by completing the worksheets. She roamed the roam and
supported students individually who needed extra support.
2. How did the master teacher ask questions? (Randomly? Show of
hands?)

12

The master teacher asked questions in a randomized fashion, she moved

around the room and randomly asked students from different table groups. She
also adjusted the level of the questions to the students to provide
opportunities for all students to feel successful.
Where did you notice creative repetition?
The teacher used creative repetition as part of her math instruction. She
repeated the same concepts in different ways. The same vocabulary was
repeated, the students did multiple varied problems in different formats to
cement the concept of addition. The students did word problems to apply the
concept.
3. How were the students notified of their accountability for the material?
In what ways were students asked to apply the material from the
lesson?
The students were told that all their work would be corrected by their teacher.
The teacher returned corrected work and put stars on perfect work and marked
corrections. The students also took their completed work home to show to their
parents. The students knew that the teacher would use their assignment as
part of an overall picture to do the report cards. The students had a math test
each week and knew that the scores of the tests would be used as part of the
report card. The students knew that the work they did in class that day and the
homework would prepare them for the math test.
Critique: What would you change about this lesson?
I would include different forms of representation in the lesson and make sure
that students use multiple senses to interact with the content. To better engage
all learners and get them interested in the lesson, I would use an introductory
video that introduces the concept. I would also include manipulatives and
provide hands-on opportunities for students to manipulate items to gain a
deeper understanding of the concepts. I would use technology activities, such
as TenMarks assignments to provide additional practice. I would try to move
beyond just using worksheets and not do three worksheets in one lesson.

13

EDU 518 Fieldwork

Observation 7 (1 hour required)
Directions: During the next visit, focus on identifying the causes of misbehavior. This
requires you to be observant of both the student and the teachers behaviors.

1. Describe an instance of misbehavior that you observed. How did the

behavior break the classroom rules?
A student got in a fight at recess. The student came back from recess with a PBIS
referral slip from the yard duty. The behavior violated the rule of keeping hands
and feet to yourself at all times the rule also violated the rule of respecting
others.
2. Now, identify the master teachers response.
1. The teacher talked to the student first. She tried to determine the
antecedent for the inappropriate behavior. She asked the student what
happened, why he got into a fight with a first grader from a different class.
The student told the teacher that they were playing a game and that the other
student broke the rules and played out of turn, the student, therefore, pushed
the girl out of his way to take his turn, and the girl fell down and got hurt. The
yard duty intervened before the altercation escalated, benched the student
because he was caught with his hands on another student pushing her and
sent the student with the scraped knee to the health office.
2. The teacher talked to the student about the rules; she asked the student which
rule he broke. The student said, I broke rule number 1 keep your hands and feet
to yourself. The teacher replied: Yes, and you also broke the rule of respecting
others. The girl got hurt because you pushed her. How does that make you feel?
Student: I didnt mean to hurt her.

3. Then the teacher talked to the student about problem-solving skills, is asked
the student how he could have solved the problem differently? She asked: How

14

do we solve problems on the playground? The student didnt reply, and therefore
the teacher reminded him of the walk, talk or rock problem resolution strategy:
Walk: You can walk away from the conflict and play with somebody else.
Talk: You can choose to talk to the person to resolve the conflict. Ask the student
to please wait to take her turn, or tell an adult.
Rock: Use rock, paper, scissors and the winner gets to decide how to resolve the
conflict. The teacher emphasized: you CANNOT put your hands on another
person and push them out of the way that is not safe!
Next, they practiced together what to do next time. The student and the teacher
practiced the walk, talk, or rock conflict resolution technique.
4. The teacher had the student move his pin down on the behavior chart.
3. Next, identify 3 alternative responses you might be able to use in a
similar situation, which would still support the rule. (Use your PRIM text.)
I would talk to the student about what happened and why he behaved the way he
did. Since the school had a schoolwide recommended conflict resolution technique
that the students learned in a schoolwide assembly, I would remind the student of
the technique, practice it with him, and then I implement the following additional
responses.
1. I would make sure to check on the student during the next recess, observe the
student and make sure he uses the walk, talk, or rock conflict resolution
technique that was adopted as the schoolwide technique for students to resolve
issues.
2. I would maintain maximum supervision of the student. As the student
demonstrates appropriate behavior, I would gradually decrease supervision.
3. I would make certain the student understands the natural consequences of
hurting other students (e.g. less freedom, more restrictive environment,
assault charges, etc.)

15

4. I would separate the student from the peers who may be encouraging or
stimulating the students inappropriate behavior.

5. I would reinforce the student for demonstrating appropriate behavior: a) give

the student a tangible reward (e.g. classroom privilege, line leading, passing
out materials, five minutes of free time, etc.) or b) give the student an
intangible reward (e.g., praise, handshake, smile, etc.)

16

EDU 518 Fieldwork

Observation 8 (1 hour required)
Contextual Information: Describe Setting: classroom, cafeteria, playground, bus
area, hall, etc.
Directions: Observe a teacher for about an hour. As you observe, note instances where
the lesson seems to go especially well - students are orderly and on task - and
instances where the lesson seems to go especially poorly - students are disorderly and
off task. During or after the observation, answer the following questions:
Setting: Classroom and outside walking students to lunch.
Teacher Withitness (Page 103 Savage Text)
Did the teacher exhibit withitness? If so, why do you think this teacher had
withitness or did not have it?
The teacher exhibited withitness; she was very aware of what was happening in the
room at all times. She seemed to have eyes in the back of her head. She knew when a
student was off task and used non-verbal cues and proximity to get the students back
on task. She moved around the room, checked on students, used proximity to reduce
misbehavior, intervened swiftly when intervention was needed, deferred intervention to
a more appropriate time to maintain the flow of the lesson. She also was very adept at
interpreting facial expressions and behaviors; she knew when students struggled with
a lesson and when to provide extra support. When she was walking her class to lunch,
all the students were in a straight quiet line behind her even when she turned her back
to lead her class. As soon as one of the students turned around to talk to another
student, the teacher turned and got the students attention by establishing eye contact
and shaking her head. The student instantly turned back around and got back in line.
There no part of the lesson that went poorly, the teacher was in control the entire time
the overall the class was orderly the entire time.

Where did the teacher spend most of his/her time: desk, front, back, moving
around, sitting at desk, or?

17

The teacher spent most of her time moving all around the room. She also had no
predictable pattern when moving around the room and established proximity to
students who got off track. She continuously monitored the students, checked for their
understanding, and adjusted the lesson to the needs of the students. The only time
the teacher sat down was during direct instruction when she used the document
camera or the laptop to model the lesson and provide guided practice.
Amount of Student Participation
Identify boys or girls who participate the most, the least.
The teacher used a randomized system to call on students; there were very few
instances where students raised their hands. During those times two advanced
students a boy and a girl participated the most. One ELL student, a boy, did not raise
his hand at all, and two girls seemed to be very shy they do not raise their hands
either. The rest of the class all participated and raised their hands.
How does the teacher solicit participation? Does it appear the same for all
students? What system is used for who answers classroom questions?
During most activities, that required participation, the teacher used a randomized
system to call on students. She randomly called students from table groups in the
room, the front, the back, the left, the right side of the room, there was no discernable
predictable pattern, all students got called on equally, but the students didnt know
whom the teacher would call on next. She also adjusted the level of the questions to
provide opportunities for all students to succeed. She incorporated higher order thinking
questions and made sure all students participated. She also provided think time and
used guiding questions to give every student an opportunity to answer the question and
did not just move on to the next student, if a student did not respond to a question
right away.

Reinforcement and Feedback

How are students praised? For what? Are students criticized? For what?
The teacher used praise sparingly. She praised some of the high-achieving students
when they completed an advanced assignment. She praised a student when he
improved his behavior and did not blurt out for the rest of the day. She praised a

18

student for his responsible behavior when returning a valet he found. She praised the
class for lining up quietly. Not all students were praised; the female student, Eloise
(name changed for privacy purposes) who was very disruptive and talkative never
received any praise. The student continuously tried to the get teachers attention.
Some students were criticized for never listing to instructions. One student was
criticized on his outfit. He wore a white undershirt and had a bandana stuck in his back
pocket. The teacher told him that he looked like a hoodlum and to wear proper clothes
to school. She had a smile on her face when she said this to the student, and the
student did seem to be visibly upset by her comment.
Rules
Are rules posted?
The rules were clearly displayed in the front of the room next to the whiteboard.
List the rules even if not posted.
1. Keep your hands and feet to yourself.
2. Raise your hand for help.
3. Treat others with respect.
4. Walk at all times.
How does the teacher make the students behave?
1. The teacher moved around the room during instruction; the students knew that she
is aware of what they are doing at all times.
2. The teacher often referred to the rules, when students violated a rule. When a
student violated a rule, he or she received a warning and had to state the rule they
violated and had to explain the reason for the rule.
3. The teacher used a behavior clip chart. At the beginning of the day, all students
started on green ready to learn. When a student violated a rule more than once,
he or she had to move his or her clothes pin down on the chart. The chart was very
effective because it served as a visual reminder of how students were doing. Having
to move their pin down made the students think about their behavior.
4. Students had the opportunity to move the pin back up by making better choices
throughout the day; this was really effective to help support the students in
learning self-control. A student forgot to raise his hand and blurted the answer out
instead. After he had to move the pin down, he increased his efforts to remember.
The teacher had the student move his pin up when he raised his hand for the rest
of the day.

19

5. The behavior chart offered a way to help focus on

positive behavior; the students were eager to get their
pin moved up and to see a visual representation that
they were doing well. This continuous visual reminder
seemed to be very effective; most students had their
pin in the blue, purple, and pink areas of the chart at
the end of the day.
Intervention Processes
What steps are taken before the student is sent out
of the room?
During the 10 hours, I observed no student was sent out
of the room.
- Some students received a time out.
- Some students lost a part of recess to make up work
-

they missed because they were off task.

The teacher made a phone call to parents because a
student continuously disrupted the class.

Are consequences and incentives posted?

The consequences and incentives were not posted. The
teacher posted the behavior clip chart, which showed the
different levels of behaviors for the day but did not list
the consequences or incentives for each level. I asked
her about the consequences and incentives; she decided
not to post them so that they can be adjusted to be most
effective.
How are they used?
The clip chart ensured that students were continuously
aware that their behavior was monitored, having the
student move the pin up or down helped to reinforce the
concepts that the students need to take responsibility for
their own behavior.
Consequences: When students had to move their pin down on the behavior chart they
received a consequence connected to the misbehavior.

20

1. A student kept talking in his table group; the teacher moved the student close to her
desk.
2. A student played around in his desk, the teacher confiscated the toy, placed it on her
desk for the student to pick up at the end of the day.
3. A student refused to complete his assignment. The teacher redirected him, provided
extra assistance. When the student still refused to do the work the student had to
finish the assignment at recess.
Incentives: The teacher incorporated a preferred activity each day at the end of the
day. Students whose pin was below the green (ready to learn) area of the clip chart
were not allowed to participate in the activity. They had to complete unfinished
assignments instead of taking part in the activity. The teacher drew one of the names of
the students whose pin was on the top of the behavior chart and that student got to
choose the PAT activity for the day. Choices were 10 minutes of fun, choosing a special
story to be read to the class, watching a short video, playing bingo, participate in buddy
time.
What motivational techniques does the teacher use?
1. The teacher implemented a preferred daily activity.
2. The teacher kept track of students who were able to move their pins to the top of
the chart, and they had lunch with the teacher at the end of the week.
3. The teacher provided incentives for good behavior during PE, computer lab, and
assemblies if the class got 10 points for behavior they got to collect the points if
they were able to collect 100 points they got a pizza party in the classroom.
4. The teacher gave out Roadrunner Pride tickets to students who exhibited honesty,
kindness, respect, or responsibility; all student tickets were entered in a raffle for
lunch with the principal once a month.
5. The teacher used praise; she explicitly stated what the student did well and used
praise as an effective incentive.
What Routines and Procedures does this teacher have in place?
PBIS SKILLS: The teacher implemented the schoolwide PBIS skills, each week students
were introduced to a new skill, the students practiced, and reinforced the skill. There
was a schoolwide assigned skill and expectation for each week. This included
playground expectations, office expectations, library expectations, and hallway
expectations. Social skills: asking for help, following instructions, getting the teachers
attention, accepting permission, making an apology, disagreeing appropriately,

21

accepting no for an answer, listening, and working with others. A skills poster was
posted for each skill, the teacher often referred to the skills and posters to support the
students acquisition of the desired behavior skill.
The teacher implemented my procedures, which an integral part of this first-grade
classroom. The procedures were very well established and became daily classroom
routines, which the students performed without being prompted step by step. The
teacher had a routine for most everyday tasks. At the end of the school year, the
routines seemed flawless the students knew what to do without step, by step
instructions.
Morning routine: Enter the room quietly, put your backpack on the rack, have a seat
at your desk, do the morning activity on the board.
Class meeting routine: Clean up your work area, push your chair in, silently walk to
the rug, sit down in your square, look at the teacher.
End of the day routine: Clean up your desk, put all the supplies in the supply
basket, put all work in the work folder, push your chair in. When your table group is
released, go to your cubby and pick up all take home items and put them in your
backpack. Pick up your lunch pail and backpack and line up outside in your boy or girl
line.
Cleanup routine: Put all work in the work folder, put all books in your desk, put all
supplies in their spot in the supply basket, pick up any trash and put it in the trash
can.
Transition routine: Listen to direction, put all items away, and go to next activity.
Lunch routine: Clean up your work area, push your chair in, grab your lunch pail or
money from the cubby, line up by the door in a boys and a girls line.
Turn in work routine: Check your work, make sure your name is on the work, and
place the work in the finished work basket.
Early finisher routine: Check your work, finish any unfinished items in the work
folder, work on homework, read your silent reading book, pick an activity from the Im
done box.
Procedures:
Chromebook checkout procedure: Students come to the Chromebook cart in
number order, the teacher hands each student their assigned Chromebook, the student
holds the Chromebook with booth hand and walks back to his desk. All students are

22

seated when the Chromebooks are opened. No food, drinks, ice, or magnets are on
the desks when there is a Chromebook on the desk.
Classroom library checkout procedure: Students can borrow one book at the time,
to check out a book students write their name and the book title next on the checkout
sheet for the day. All books need to be returned at the end of the week. Students who
do not return a book will not be able to check out books.

23

Use of Space
Is it easy to give proximity to all students? How are seats arranged?
The desks were arranged in clusters of 4 or 5 desks; two students were seated
separately in close proximity to the teacher. There was adequate space around the
desks to move around the room in an irregular pattern and to give proximity to all
students in an effective fashion. There were only 24 students in the class, which
made the room far less congested than some of the other classrooms I observed.
Give a small scale seating chart and comments.
Rules

Whiteboard

Teac
her
Des
k

Rug

Group
area

Document camera
desk, teacher sits
here during direct
instruction

D
o
o
r
Sink

Student Cubbies Bulletin board with student work above

Classroom

The teacher had two desks, her teacher

desk with her phone and desktop computer
cubbies
Library
was facing the wall with the window. She did not sit at that desk when the students
were in the room. She also had a desk with a document camera and a laptop, she
sat at that desk during direct instruction, or sometimes when the students were
working independently. The students were assigned to table groups; each cluster of
desks was a table group. The table groups were mixed there were usually two boys
and two girls in the group. Students from different cultures of ethnicities were
mixed in the table groups around the room.

24

What system does the teacher use to collect & distribute materials &
supplies?
The table groups each had a supply basket with pencils, color pencils, glue,
Kleenex, rulers, and a pencil sharpener. The teacher handed materials to the table
captain for each group and the captain distributed the items in the group. The
captain also collected supplies that had to be turned in to the teacher. The supply
person was in charge of organizing the supply basket and sharpening pencil at
designated times.
Paper Passing Routine: To hand out papers, a paper passer handed the papers to
each table group and the table captain handed the papers to the rest of the
students.
Off-Task Talking, Joking, not Working or Wasting Time
How does the teacher handle off-task behavior, and are there
consequences? What are the consequences?
She increased proximity to the students. When students were off task the teacher
reminded the students to get back on task; she checked if the student understood
the assignment and provided additional instructions if needed. If the students
repeated their off-task behavior, the teacher had the student move their pin down
on the behavior chart. She also removed a student from a table group, changed his
seat, and had him sit at a single desk next to her teacher workstation. Some
students had to finish their work at recess because they were off task.
Who participates in off-task talk? Why do you think this?
There were two students, a boy and a girl that participated in a lot of off-task talk
several times. The girl was talking when the teacher gave directions; she,
therefore, did not know what to do when she had to do her assignment. She
seemed to have great difficulty focusing, and she also struggled academically. She
liked getting the teachers attention and since she did not get any praise or positive
attention she engaged in talking to get attention from her group, tried to get any,
even negative attention from the teacher. I worked with the student one on one; I
asked her to repeat the directions, and she severely struggled with the task. I

25

broke the task down into steps, and she was able to complete the task. It would
have been helpful to have a student repeat the directions for tasks; I think this
strategy could have been effective to increase on-task behavior and reduce off-task
talking. One of the boys was often engaged in off-task talking to his table group
after he finished his assignments. The student was very advanced; he breezed
through his assignments and the choices in the when Im done routine did not
challenge him. He seemed to engage in off-task talking when he got bored.
I think that off-task talking happens more when students are confused about the
expectations, assignments, or what is expected of them or if they dont understand
the directions.
Procedures & Routines
Does the teacher have procedures & routines? The teacher faithfully
implemented many routines, and the routines greatly enhanced the flow of the
lessons, facilitated transitions, and reduced the need for directions. The teacher
told the students: lets do our morning routine, and the students knew what was
expected of them. The routines also freed up the teachers time to focus on
students individually. When the rest of the class was quietly working on the
morning routine, the teacher was able to work one-on-one with a student who
struggled with his homework. There were also no arguments in line, because the
students knew the routine and what was expected of them.
I observed the following routines:
Morning routine: Enter the room quietly, put your backpack in the cubby, have a
seat at your desk, do the morning activity on board.
Class meeting routine: Clean up your work area, push your chair in, silently walk
to the rug, sit down in your square, and look at the teacher.
End of the day routine: Clean up your desk, put all the supplies in the supply
basket, put all work in the work folder, push your chair in. When your table group is
released, go to your cubby and pick up all take home items and put them in your
backpack. Pick up your lunch pail and backpack and line up outside in your boy or
girl line.

26

Cleanup routine: Put all work in the work folder, put all books in your desk, put all
supplies in their spot in the supply basket, pick up any trash and put it in the trash
can.
Transition routine: Listen to direction, put all items away, go to next activity.
Lunch routine: Clean up your work area, push your chair in, grab your lunch pail
or money from the cubby, line up by the door in a boys and a girls line.
Turn in work routine: Check your work, make sure your name is on the work,
place the work in the finished work basket.
Early finisher routine: Check your work, finish any unfinished items in work
folder, work on homework, read your silent reading book, pick an activity from the
Im done box.
Student Number procedure: The students had an assigned number in the
classroom, the used this number to line up, the used it to check out Chromebooks,
textbooks and also during emergency drills.
English Language Learners
How do teachers help ELL students communicate in social settings?
The teacher helped the students communicate in a social setting by grouping the
students in heterogeneous supportive groups in the classroom. The groups
established opportunities for students to interact in the classroom, which also
transitioned into other areas. The ELL students seemed to make friends in their
groups and talk to the kids from their groups on the playground and during lunch.
The supportive grouping exposed the students to fluent speakers and also helped
them practice oral language in a non-threatening environment, which increased the
students comfort level in practicing their language and reduced anxiety.
Is it in lesson plans? The teacher included accommodations for English Learners
in her lesson plan book; she wrote down specific supplemental resources to be
used in each lesson.
How are ELL students required to interact related to academics?
The use of flexible groupings provided opportunities for the students to practice
academic discourse in a supportive setting. The teacher used Think-Pair-Share,
which greatly helped to engage all students and have them interact with their partner
about academic concepts and share their ideas with the class. The teacher also

27

provided sentence frames for the students to help them get started and assist them
to participate in the group. ELL students were required to interact with content and
other students in multiple ways. The teacher continuously modeled how to use
complete sentences, and she reminded students to use complete sentences. She pretaught academic vocabulary in a small group for the ELL students and provided many
opportunities for students to practice the vocabulary in multiple settings. She also had
a word wall that incorporated pictures. She introduced the vocabulary through visual,
auditory, and kinesthetic approaches and used realia. The students listened to the
word, repeated the word, wrote the word, did the same with the definition, drew a
picture, and practiced a gesture for the vocabulary word. The teacher made sure the
ELL students were participating in all tasks and scaffolded the tasks to their ability,
thus ensuring that all students felt successful.
Built into lesson plans? In her plan book the teacher recorded specific ELL
strategies she used for each lesson. She used it to monitor the effectiveness of the
strategies. She also used an anecdotal observation log and recorded specific areas
of each lesson; she checked skills off the students mastered, and she made notes
on areas the students struggled with. She later addressed those areas in small
group instruction.
How are ELL students expected to construct and apply academic
knowledge? Use the backside for writing additional comments. Refer to PRIM
Worksheet for additional comments.
Students are expected to apply concepts they have learned in their daily writing
journals, group discussions, projects, and activities. The teacher provided an
environment that fostered the students practice of verbal output. One of the ELL
students had just moved to the school from Mexico and was only able to use very
short sentences. The teacher slowly and systematically encouraged the student to
use more complex sentences and provided many opportunities for the student to
apply new words in listening, speaking, reading, and writing tasks. Students
worked in groups and also used different ways to demonstrate their learning. The

28

new ELL student drew a picture to show his understanding of the story. The teacher
assigned the student a buddy, which was a Spanish-speaking student who served
as a translator when needed.
Pick out a student in the room.
If you were this student, how would you feel about the teachers
interaction with you? Write your notes on the backside of this paper if
necessary. This is a very important component of your observation.
I am an English learner; I just came from Mexico, and I know very little English.
This new school is strange to me, and I dont have many friends yet. My teacher is
great; she is very interested in me, she always talks to me and smiles at me. She
asks me lots of questions about the things I like and things I know. She helps me
all the time; she assigned me a special buddy that helps me understand what to do
in the class. She smiles all the time, I feel happy when I see my teacher, I know
that she cares about me and that she wants to help me learn and grow. My teacher
makes sure that Im safe at school, we have rules that make sure everybody in my
class is safe. When I do a good job on my work and when I try hard, my teacher
gives me a star on my paper. I like getting stars; I try really hard to get more
stars. I like to work in the small group; my teacher put a bunch on nice kids in my
group they are very helpful and nice. I love story time, when the teacher reads a
story, I like listening to my teacher read. There are lots of pictures in my classroom
and lots of colors; the pictures help me learn. The teacher shows a lot of pictures to
help me understand things.

29

EDU 518 Fieldwork

Observations 9 & 10 (2 hours required)
Directions: Cultural diversity needs to be considered when creating and maintaining
a physical environment that engages all students. These two visits will help you
focus on a student, who may be experiencing difficulties because of cultural
diversity. You will also use this information for your Case Study assignment. Focus
on a learner who may be having difficulty learning or paying attention for the next
two visits. Be attentive to his or her questions or conflicts. After the visits, write up
your reflective summary here.

1. Describe the background of this student.

The student spent the first four years of her life in Saudi Arabia. Her home language is
Arabic; her mother whom she spends most of her time with speaks mostly Arabic and
very limited English. Her father is American he speaks English and Arabic. The father
often goes back to Saudi Arabia for extended contract assignments, during this time the
mother who only speaks limited English and has no extended family in the area
supports the student. The student came to the United States at the end of kindergarten.
The student enjoys different foods and customs; she does not dress differently.
However, her behavior is often different from the behavior of other students, and she
seems to struggle frequently with social interactions with others. Interestingly the
student looks Caucasian she has blue eyes and blond hair. The student seems very
attached to her mother and appears to have separation anxiety at school.
2. Considering instruction, what would you say about this students:
a. Preference for learning? Group or individual?
The student prefers learning individually. She does not work well in a
group; she often gets into conflicts with others when working in a group,
she does not share supplies well and does not take turns. She grabs lots
of supplies and refuses to share them with others.
b. Comfort level with the other students? With the teacher?
The student was comfortable with three other students in the class. She
seemed to be in conflict with most other students. The student was used

30

to different customs. She seemed very self-centered and did not seem to
be able to think about other students feelings and how her actions
affected others. The student did not have a high comfort level with the
teacher. She did not like it when adults told her to do something. She was
often defiant and refused to do assignments.
c. Implications of values, such as helping another EL student?
The student did not believe in helping others she refused to so when
asked. She often grabbed items and told the other students that they
were her items and would not give them back, which lead her not to play
or work well with others. The student did not try hard or show a lot of
effort, she often gave up when things get hard and started doing
something else instead. She was coloring instead of doing her writing.
d. Beliefs about schooling and success?
The student did not appear to believe that school is important. The
student often told the teacher that she did not want to do assignments
because school was not important. According to the teacher, the students
mother did not place a high value on education, school and success. The
student missed a lot of school and did not do her homework. The father
seemed to place a greater emphasis on education however he had not
been home during the entire school year and had therefore not
participated in any conferences or parent-teacher meetings.
3. Considering the students characteristics, what would you say about
this students:
a. Comfort with stating opinions?
The student seemed to be comfortable stating that she does not want to
do something. Generally, however, she had a low comfort level stating
opinions. She often did not participate in activities, and her lack of
comfort stating her opinions may be related to her limited ability to
participate. She was comfortable stating her opinions during a Think-PairShare activity with one of the girls she is friends with.
b. Comfort with volunteering answers?

31

The students comfort level in volunteering answers was very low. The
student did not volunteer answers; she seemed to have a very low
comfort level in participating a whole group environment. She was
volunteering answers in a small group environment but only if paired with
two other girls from the class. She rarely volunteered answers when
working one-on-one with the teacher.
c. Beliefs about classroom etiquette?
The student had difficulty conforming to classroom etiquette and basic
daily interactions such as saying please and thank you and taking turns.
When she didnt get her way, she put her head down and started to
whine or cry.
d. Comfort in working with adults? Peers?
The student had a low comfort level working with most adults. The
teacher did not assign her to work with the parent volunteers because
the student often became agitated and disruptive when working with
volunteers. The student also exhibited problems with the PE coach
because she refused to participate. I worked with the student several
times and was able to get her to do activities as long as I explicitly
modeled what to do and reduced the length of the task. The student
received Tier III one-on-one intervention services for reading from a
kindergarten teacher; she seemed to have a much higher comfort level
working with this teacher than her classroom teacher and did not refuse
to do her assignments when working with her.
The student struggled with working with peers; she seemed to get along
fairly well with two students but had constant conflicts with other
students. She wore a tiara to class one day and told all the other kids
that she was a princess, and they had to do what she wanted to do.
When the other children did not want to play her game, she got upset
and cried.
4. Consider the students proficiency with language. How does it affect
the classroom management methods?

32

The student had very low English proficiency levels. Her strength was listening;
she scored early intermediate in her listening skills. In the other areas
speaking, reading, and writing she scored beginning on the CELT test. She also
consistently scored low on classroom assessments. The students low English
proficiency levels clearly affected her in the classroom and also affected her
interactions with other students. The student used very short sentences, did
not apply proper syntax, and struggled with the language. She used sentences
like: I color now. Me not like.
The teacher considered her low language proficiency levels in her classroom
management methods by continuously modeling and repeating the rules and
routines. Assigning the student in a supportive group to help the student with
tasks, and she also removed the student from stressful interaction and conflicts
by not including her in activities she could not handle.
The student missed a lot of school sometimes several weeks in a row; the
student seemed to have a very difficult time adjusting to classroom rules,
procedures, and routines because she was absent so much. According to the
teacher, as soon as the student started to get used to the routines and rules
she missed extended periods of school and they had to start all over. The
student showed some improvement when she attended school regularly, the
consistent use and repetition the rules and routines helped the student adjust.
It was very challenging for the teacher to work with the mother because the
mother only spoke limited English and the school did not have a translator
available to translate parent communications into Arabic. The teacher was not
able to assign a buddy student nobody else on campus spoke Arabic. The
student was pulled out of school again at the end of the school year; she did
not attend the last week of class after I did my observation.
Reflection: Working with the student helped me gain a deeper understanding of
the cultural challenges students may face. To better help the student I would try
to improve communications with the parents and try to find a community

33

resource that could help me better communicate with the parent. I would also
try to learn more about the culture of Saudi Arabia try to find a way to establish
a common ground with the mother to be able to help the student better.

Log and evaluation attached in a separate file.