Engaged Learning - Assignment 4

The class that I have observed so far is a Special Ed class that serves as an extra support for the students English classes. As a result, the class structure is quite straight forward. The teacher is helping the students to understand concepts better while, at the same time, helping them to complete their homework.

Some ways the teacher tried to engage the students is by reading out loud to them as they follow along. She pauses as she reads in order to define difficult words or talk about a particular interaction in the book.

She is also excellent at helping them navigate the online aspect of their assignments, making suggestions and giving feedback as they progress.

For the most part, the students are well behaved, but I have noticed that when the teacher allows one or more of them to speak about something completely not related to the classroom, they all interact and then end up being better focused when they get back to the project at hand. As if providing a brief intermission helps them all find their focus again.

Choice - Assignment 3

I have not gotten in to my service learning classroom yet - my first visit is scheduled for September 28th. However, I have a different education class for Exceptional Students. So, I will use this classroom experiences in order to answer the questions for this weeks blog post.

In describing a time the teacher has offered choice to students, I would say that the teacher I have observed is very fluid in her classroom. Interruptions do not seem to phase her, and she has been able to make changes to the course of the day easily. Some of the class time is spent as homework support, and though they are supposed to be working together, she has allowed some students to change what it is they need to focus on more.

I feel like the students in the classroom feel very safe and loved. As I said, interruptions do not seem to bother the teacher and she is good at acknowledging off-track comments, and then redirecting the class back to the focus. She is also always prepared if a student needs things like a charger cord for their computers or a bottle of water. They all seem to be very comfortable in her classroom.

I feel that she tries to recognize all of the students skills as she will call on all of them intermittently throughout the class period by name, and if they don't know the answer, she is very good at helping them come up with the answer. She is also aware of their limitations and is always good at steering around those in order to help them accomplish the task at hand.