Kranick 1

Mike Kranick
Professor Reilly
Field Experience I
4 November 2015
Classroom Management Reflection
Describe the setting where you observed. Whom did you observe? What were they doing?
What was your role?
I observed at Valley View Middle School. Mike Barrett facilitated the observation and
placed me under several English instructors ranging from language arts, writing, and literature. I
was placed under several different instructors, but for the purpose of my reflections I will detail
my experiences under my first period instructor because I had two periods with her. The first
period was filled half with students with learning disabilities and emotional support and general
education students; the second was a general education classroom with one student with a
learning disability. During the first period class, co-teaching was implemented in order to
facilitate learning for all students. Even though the second period class had a student with
autism, there was no need for a special education instructor. Since these periods were back to
back, juxtaposition between the two was easily achieved.
The setting was an oddly designed classroom setting for an eighth grade class. There
were four desks pushed together to make a square. There were a total of 32 desks (two columns,
4 rows with two squares in each). I was positioned next to a series of book shelves in a pink
stuffed rocking chair.
For the first period, the teacher provided direct instruction while the special education
teacher provided support to those students who needed it. My role was simply an observer taking
notes in the corner. The students and teachers took to calling me Mr. Mike.
Describe how the teacher (speaker) created an environment that facilitated learning.
Comment on social interactions that you observed (peer to peer interactions; teacherstudent interactions).

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The teacher created an environment that facilitated learning by using smart board
technology, graphic organizers, direct instruction, organization through student binders, having
students raise their hands before acknowledging them, adjusting the tone of her voice when
students were not focused, wrote directions on the board, group assignments, providing study
guides, and many more examples.
Teacher to student interactions were handled maturely and there was a clear distinction
with the relationship. Occasionally the teacher would use sarcasm and humor as a form of
teaching and making the environment light and friendly. She often related the material to the
students own lives, making pop-culture references as examples relating to the texts they were
reading.
For peer interactions, because the setup was four students at a desk facing each other,
there were many conversations. Most of the conversations I overheard did not relate to learning
but were off topic and often disengaged, making me realize the classroom setup does not work
for this level of maturity. There were several instances of throwing paper wads across the room,
bullying when a student got something wrong, and overall shaming, but there were also lots of
friendly dialogue which was equally distracting from the lesson.
Comment on motivational techniques that the teacher used; explain classroom interactions
from the perspective of at least two theories of motivation and discuss how classroom
environment contributed to achievement motivation.
The only motivational technique I saw at play in the classroom from the general
education instructor was SSR (sustained silent reading). SSR was given when the students
completed all of their work and behaved well. There were no bonus points, tickets for good
behavior, food or snack given as a motivational technique (at least not on the days I observed).
The special education teacher would attempt to motivate students by explaining to them
that the material was not hard and encouraging that they could do it even when they felt they

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could not. Positive reinforcement was necessary for the students with IEPs because their selfesteem has been lowered. They think their limited by their disability and that it defines them.
The special education teacher would help them through the wall as best she could. Sometimes
she would succeed, other times the students would shut down and have to be removed to
guidance or the special education room.