USE
Field Notes Visit 3
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Observation |
Analysis |
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1-3:30 p.m. Friday |
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Mariah is not there. Her desk is back in the row (no longer separated). Apparently she was having a tooth pulled this morning, but when her mother came to pick her up, the principal spoke to her about not having Mariah come back-she lives outside the district and they have been struggling to get her out of the class for a while because she is a distraction to the other students. |
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Andrew and Dominique are out sick today |
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Field Notes Visit 2
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Observation |
Analysis |
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1-3:30 p.m., Monday |
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Mrs. Dolly told me during my last visit that there would be a substitute teacher today-Mrs. Dolly would be in the building but she was taking care of other business (she said that she would be back at the end of the day) |
I was curious to see how the class behaved with a different teacher. Mrs. Dolly is very strict and expects things to be done a certain way; she has high expectations and the class knows that there are consequences for misbehaving. I wondered if they would be out of control with the sub because I doubted that she could enforce the same rules that Mrs. Dolly does. |
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Mrs. Dolly forgot to tell the sub that I was coming-I did not want to be in her way or interfere with her plans so I told her that I could just observe if that was easier |
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Class was excited to see me when I arrived |
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Field Noted for Placement
First Day;
My first visit to my placement was a simple meet and greet with the teacher that I could have possibly been doing it with. Before arriving, I knew that I would be placed in a special education classroom with high school aged students. The school, Charming High, is a school that I had heard a lot about precious to my visit. Many of my peers had worked at it before and I knew that Bryn Mawr has a strong connection with it.
To get to Charming High, I rode the el into the city and got off in a brand new area. Not knowing what the school looked like, I followed directions given to me. As I walked through the neighborhood, the first thing I noticed was a huge vacant building, with a chain link fence filled with dead shrubbery, and boarded up windows. It was really a sight to see. On the walk to the school, I noticed a number of schools o n the way, and multiple housing complexes. Once I turned the corner toward Charming High, the first thing I noticed was a large stone building, a factory looking smoke stack and a small wall filled with colorful murals. I couldn’t help but notice the contrast between the two. Unfortunately, the school’s architecture reminded me of a prison. Grey walls, generic windows and stone walls.
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Field Notes 2/11
I am not in my placement yet, but I thought I would write up some placement-like fieldnotes from my job at a kindergarten in order to participate. Here are some excepts: (as you can see, I adopted a fellow group member's style)
Field Notes for 2/5/13 (Week 1)
School: Elementary school (Pre-K – 5th grade) in West Philadelphia
Class: Kindergarten
Class size: 23 students
Teacher: Ms. Lowe
Aide: Ms. Monay
**Pseudonyms are used in these notes.
Field Notes, Week 1
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Observation |
Analysis |
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1-3:30 p.m., Monday |
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Last semester, for the Curriculum and Pedagogy course, I was placed in this classroom so I already know the routine and have established relationships with the students |
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Returning to the same field site after a significant break allowed me to observe the classroom from a slightly different perspective and I noticed things that I was not particularly conscious of last semester. (e.g. at the front of the room, right below the whiteboard, is a sign with the bathroom procedures-1 finger up means drink of water and 2 fingers up means bathroom) |
Although I noticed this sign last semester, I did not realize the significance of where it is placed. By hanging it by the whiteboard, right next to where the teacher stands and where the students should presumably be looking, the teacher eliminates the possibility that students will say they did not know the rules. |
Example of Field Notes
6th Visit; 1st grade inclusive classroom; 5 students with autism, all high functioning. Worked directly with two of them today.
Before entering the classroom, I always arrive during recess.I join Mrs. T, talk with her and observe the students.
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Help Mrs. T plan a lesson; putting words like forest, tree, rivers, sister, brother, mother, kind into categories like "mother nature", "family", "actions" to begin a lesson plan on Native Americans
-Observed Mrs. T read the book "Brother Eagle, Sister Sky" to the students; she had them to a picture tour (looking thorugh at the pictures and sharing their observations)
-Completed an "I Know (K), What I Want to Know (W), & What I Learned (L)" chart.
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Switched to do sensory wok with Mary; assisted her in using the blue ball and trampoline.
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Observed Mrs. T do reading activities with Mary
Mrs. T asks "Is your brain ready?" to see if the sensory work was enough for Mary to continue with her academic work. Mrs. T does reading from a large book. Ask Mary to sound out the letter. Points to each one with the end of a pencil.
Fieldnotes Post 1
Last semester, I took Curriculum and Pedagogy (Ed 301) and did my field placement in a 2nd grade class. Because I developed a positive relationship with my cooperating teacher and really enjoyed the environment created by the school, I will be continuing my placement there this semester. This is an excerpt from the field notes that I took on my first day in the class.
-2nd grade class
-1 to 3:30 pm
-two main periods while I am there (math and reading)
-when I arrived, my cooperating teacher immediately included me in the routine of the classroom
-first child that I worked with was Justin, a boy that my cooperating teacher described as “special” (she did not mean this to be offensive)
-Justin has motor control issues (which make it difficult for him to write), as well as speech problems
-He is not at the same level in math or writing as his peers
