Monique Czaczkowski- 0488464

Assignment #3

Ed. 4273

Oct. 2014

MIDDLE SCHOOL VISIT at BISHOP E.Q. JENNINGS SCHOOL

Behaviour, Interactions, and Classroom Management

What do you notice about
student-student
interactions? (Remember
to consider non-verbal)
What elements of them
are disruptive to learning?
Do teachers leverage
student-student
interactions in effective or
empowering ways?

What do you notice about

student-teacher
interactions? How do
teachers approach talking
to different students? Are
there non-verbal cues?

Students associate with their friends often but fail to include others in the class who are not in their friends circle
They tend to clump together in pairs or groups
Both girls and boys communicate verbally and actively with their friends
Girls tend to show more signs of positive affection towards their friends (I.e. hugging, arms around each
other)
Boys tend to display more negative actions towards their friends as a way of showing their affection (I.e.
light punch on the shoulder, high-five)
Students tend to associate with classmates of the same sex more often than with the opposite sex
This is also the same in regards to students associating with others who have the same cultural background
When students need to find partners, they often only pick their friends (fortunately, no one was left out)
Students will try to impress other classmates by behaving in an amusing way
This was used as a method to gain approval as they looked around the classroom to see peoples reactions
When students laughed, the behaviour was usually repeated or enhanced
If one student laughed, others would typically follow until the teacher intervened to stop it
This behaviour was disruptive especially when other students engaged in it or encouraged it
This was also a source of distraction, whether it was irregular movements or sounds, as the students
directed their attention to the distractor and were no longer looking/listening to the teacher
The teacher influenced the student-student interactions in an effective way by stopping the distractor, modeling
positive behaviours, picking groups, and arranging different seating plans
The teacher had recently changed the seating plan so that a student sits beside both by a close friend and
someone they are less likely to talk to on their own to implement class cohesion and a friendly environment

The teachers treated all their students fairly and in the same manner
The teacher would continue to ask each student if they required help while walking around the classroom
The students showed respect to their teacher; the teachers demonstrated authority in all classes
They would immediately stop what they were doing when the teacher demanded their attention or raised
his/her voice
They would follow the teachers instructions

Monique Czaczkowski- 0488464

Examples of how the

teachers interact with one
another? Thoughts on
this?

What are some examples

of disruptive student
behaviour? Why do you
think they happened?
How are they managed?

They apologized when they did something wrong or showed lack of respect by talking to a neighbor during
a lesson
The students trusted the teacher
They felt comfortable coming to the teacher and explaining why she/he could not participate in phys. Ed or
why he/she did not finish their homework even if it was related to a personal matter
The teachers were very friendly to their students
Some students were a lot more open and/or more talkative to the teacher; their student-teacher relationship
seemed more open and close
Depending on the relationship, the teacher was able to joke around with the student
The teacher didnt always stop the drill or lesson if there was a distraction, this depended on the student and the
occurrence of the behaviour
The teacher tended to give a look to the student and wait to see if he/she would stop his/her behaviour
If the behaviour didnt stop, the teacher would take away the distraction or vocalize the negative effect it is
having on the learning of the rest of the class

Teachers would communicate with one another in between classes
I found this useful as teachers were able to discuss certain things going on in the school
One teacher used this time in between periods to vent to another teacher when the previous class was
extremely difficult to teach; This could be helpful by warning the next teacher ahead of time incase they
need to tailor their lesson
In one situation, a teacher came in quietly and talked to the other teacher during the period
This was not disruptive as it was during the transition to the next activity and the teacher was just waiting
for the students to get out the specific worksheet
I think this is okay if the situation needed immediate attention
When the period was over and the next teacher came in to use the classroom, the previous teacher was very
friendly, acknowledged her presence, and made sure the room was left tidy
I was able to sense a supportive community among the teachers at this school, which I think is important

One student in phys. Ed continued to spin the volleyball while sitting down outside of her squad during the
teachers lesson
The student was unaware of her disruptive behaviour; she was just doing it while listening because she had
the volleyball in her hands
Once the ball started getting away from her and distracting other students, the teacher told the student to
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Why do you suspect they
are managed this way?

hold the ball and sit in line with her squad

The teacher did not stop her right away; he may have not noticed or felt that it was not interrupting other
students
Three students walked in late to science, talking loudly to one another
The teacher stopped his instruction and asked the students why they were late; they indicated they were in
the vice-principals office
I think the teacher acted this way because he wanted the students to know that being late was
unacceptable
He also advised the students that in the event that they would be late again, they should show respect and
walk in silently

How do teachers gain or
The teacher raised his voice
keep the attention of
This was used at the beginning of the lesson to calm the students down and gain their focus
students when they need
This was also used to tell the students to get back into their squads when they werent listening or grab the
it?
students attention to explain the next part of the drill

The teacher would change the loudness of his voice when talking about important concepts to stress them
What do teachers do to
The teacher asks questions frequently and tries to pick a different student to answer each time
manage the students when The teacher walked around the classroom
talking to the whole class?
When the student was not paying attention, the teacher pointed to the section he was talking about while
(Think especially about
he continued to lecture
subtle things).
The teacher paused and looked at the students
The students realized the teacher stopped talking due to their distractions, and this caused them to stop
what they were doing and start paying attention
The teacher used students names in his examples
The teacher used different instruction methods
He switched from lecturing to taking up a worksheet, to demonstrating key concepts and applying them to
daily situations

What goes on in the class
The rules of the classroom appear to be set out early in the year and listed on chart paper
that helps maintain a
This paper is displayed in the classroom above the board
culture of respect?
When a student mistreated a classmate by either pranking/tricking them the teacher encouraged the student to
apologize
The teacher vocalized the positive behaviour of students- I.e. when the student let his friend borrow his pencil
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What do you notice about At the beginning of class, the teacher acknowledged each students presence by saying Hi ______
teacher, student, teacher- The students were loud at the beginning of the lesson and very chatty
student, and student-
This may have been because they were switching classes and started conversations in the hall
student behaviour at the
The teacher was very friendly at the beginning of the lesson, but by the end of the lesson, he had become more
beginning and end of
strict as some students tested his patience by not completing their assignments after multiple chances
learning episodes?
The students were quieter closer to the end of the period
This may be because it was near the end of the day and the students were getting tired
They were also given independent work to complete

How are transitions
When the students transitioned between periods they were able to regain their energy especially if they had to
between learning episodes move to a different classroom
handled (both within one
Two bells rang, one indicating the end of the period and the other indicating the start of the next period
period and when
The students were very loud during this transition as they were able to have conversations with each other
transitioning between
The time in between bells was sufficient for students to get to the next class
periods).
The transitions between learning episodes were handled as efficiently as possible
In phys. Ed, when the students transitioned between drills it became occasionally difficult to settle them
down and regain their attention; the teacher usually had to get them to sit back down in their squads in
order to provide instructions for the next drill
During class, the teacher gave time frames to the students (I.e. 90 seconds) to put away the materials they
were using and get out the ones they need for the next task
The teacher remained available at the front of the class in case students had further questions or questions
they wanted to ask in private

Examples of kids 'acting
I cant do gym, my leg hurts
like Middle School kids'?
It wasnt my fault, she made me do it
Thoughts?
I want to be his partner, not hers
I left my homework at home

When observing MS kids, I found it involved a lot more babysitting; it wasnt enough to just ask students if they had
the worksheet, you actually had to make them show you it as some students just said yes or were too afraid to
speak up if they were missing it. They were much more distracted by other students. I found they were more
willing to participate and answer questions when a teacher asked compare to older students.

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Physical Classroom Setup and School Space

Tell me about what you
notice about how the
overall physical space is
organized. How do
students interact with the
space? Does this seem to
match teacher
expectations (as far as you
can tell)?

The school is small and only consists of grade 7 and 8 students

The classrooms are organized in a circle with the gym in the middle; This makes it very easy to get around
Every student has a locker and these lockers fill all the walls
The grade 7 and 8 students are forced to mingle as there are no separate sections dividing these grades
Because the school is small, the students are in constant, close proximity to one another
This encourages students to interact with each other
There are no areas where students could hide out alone

I think it matches the teacher expectations as teachers can also communicate with students easily and are able to
see students interacting with one another to make sure they are behaving appropriately
The physical space helps foster a closer and supportive environment

Tell me about what you
The gym had a motivational saying painted on the wall that included the schools catholic mission
notice on the non-seating
It also had white walls, making the room look brighter and also larger
parts of the classrooms
It was very clean and safe, and the equipment was tidy
(walls etc.). Are these
The science/art room had many visuals around the classroom
spaces leveraged to
The science lab areas were clean and tidy
improve learning or
The cupboards that included many art and science materials and textbooks were clearly labeled
development?
Numerous models were displayed around the room including wood bridges and house models
3 smiley faces were tapped to each wall around the room
The board displays the schedule for the period
The blinds on the windows are open, letting natural light enter the room

These spaces are leveraged to improve learning and development as they are related to the subjects being taught
and displayed different scientific and art principles
-This could help the students get back on task and/or stimulate their curiosity
-The smiley faces could make someone find happiness if they are feeling down
-The schedule on the board helps students know what is going on and what is still left to do

Tell me about the seating In phys. Ed, each student belonged to a squad
setups. Why do you think
This kept the classroom organized as each student knew where they needed to be seated once they were
things are set up this way?
changed
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How does this seem to
This helped with attendance and making partners/groups
affect learning and
In one classroom, the long tables were set up in 3 columns with roughly 2-4 students at each table
interactions?
Each students chair faced the front of the classroom; This allowed students to see the board and teacher at
all times
Having classmates in close proximity made it easier to work in groups
Most tables included just girls or just boys; Students at each table appeared to be very comfortable with
one another
In another classroom, the desks were in single rows
This promoted individual work which can be more beneficial in classes such as math or classes that are hard
to control

How is the classroom
All the classrooms were very organized and clean
organized for functional
The science/art classroom was more spacious than the others; It was able to have large desks that multiple
use (ex. is it easy to get to
students could sit at
the scissors? Can the
-The desks were arranged in 3 columns and 3 rows, close to the board and the teachers desk
students move around if
-At the back of the classroom, science lab stations were set up far from the students desks to give more
they need to?)
room and make the supplies easily accessible

-This may exist because both art and science require more supplies, materials, and equipment, and these
Tell me about the
subjects often promote group activities
differences between
The math classroom was much more crowded but the supplies were on the perimeter of the classroom and
classroom setups. Why do
still accessible to students
you think these differences
-Much of the work done in math is individual and stationary so it requires less space
exist?

Notice anything creative
In the science/art classroom, the desks were not arranged head on
that a teacher has done in
The tables in the end columns were slightly titled to face the board so every student could see the teacher
setting up their room?
The tables in the middle section were kept straight
This slight difference made the classroom feel more open and engaging as all students were facing the same
central point-the board and teacher





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Instruction

What is the pace of

instruction like?

What instructional
strategies are used? Any
quick or small tricks that
teachers use to help with
instruction and learning?
How would you assess
their effectiveness?

The instruction pace is much slower than high school

It takes more time and repetition to get all the students to take out the required materials or find the
worksheets from previous lessons
Because the periods are relatively short compared to high school, the teachers were not able to cover
numerous topics in one class
The students were easily distracted and therefore, the teacher needed to change the activities more
frequently
The teacher needed to be very patient and go over concepts multiple times in different ways

The teachers used different forms of learning including lectures, partner/group activities, worksheets, and active
examples
It was important that the teacher stopped frequently to ask questions to gage the students understanding
-The teacher would ask the students to show their level of understanding using the fist of five DI
technique
In some cases the answer would be incorrect, but the teacher would acknowledge their effort and direct
them through further questions to the right answer
When the students did not show enough understanding, the teacher explained the concept in other ways
including a demonstration
The teacher would try to ask a different student each time to answer the question to keep the whole class
focused and involved
The students seemed to learn best when they were asked why something happened in the real world
This indirectly forced the students to apply the concepts they learned in class and make connections to
things they saw or experienced every day
The teacher also raised his voice when a concept was very important and actually said this is very important- you
will need to know this for the test
The teacher supplied the students with worksheets to test their knowledge and force them to explain the concepts
in writing
The teacher then took up the answers, asking the students to take out a coloured pen to make corrections
-Allows the students to see how their answers are similar/different than the correct answer and make
the necessary adjustments
-This provides the students with feedback right away allowing them to determine their level of
understanding
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-This also gives the teacher an opportunity to see where his/her students are at and which concepts
he/she should go over again

These strategies were effective as the students, by the end of the lesson, all demonstrated the appropriate
understanding and were able to apply it to other problems

What do you notice about Students were distracted very easily
where students are at
They did not have good time management skills or organizational skills
cognitively?
It took the students longer to make connections between concepts learned in class and everyday examples
They learned better visually through demonstrations



Other Insights, Powerful
-When appropriate, give students a second chance to complete a part of an assignment they werent able to finish
Observations, or Best
the first time
Practices
-If one student declares he/she does not understand the concept, there is a good chance that others also do not

understand the concept (ask students if they understand the concept-wait for students to respond-if students say
(Additional Observations)
they understand it, ask one of them to explain it to the rest of the class)
-Determine a routine for the class at the beginning of the year this way students know what is expected of them
Phys. Ed- Get changed, sit in your squad, warm-up (2 laps, stretch, 2 laps), get back in squads, wait for
further instruction
Science- Sit down in assigned seat, get agenda out
-Provide opportunities for each student to be a leader
Rotate between students when choosing an individual to lead the stretches