My High School Observation

        My experience at the high school was extremely different from my observations at the middle school and elementary school. It was very intimidating to walk into a classroom full of students that were so close to me in age. I was pushed very far out of my comfort zone during this observation, but I believe this was a good thing. I observed a ninth grade history class, and they were learning about the constitution convention. 

        The teacher I observed was an extraordinary teacher. She seemed to have a very rowdy class, yet she used their talkative nature and sarcastic comments to her advantage. Anytime a student would make a comment that was related in any way to her lesson, she would take their comment and incorporate it into the lesson. I thought this was extremely helpful in learning classroom management, and I believe it was very effective. She showed the students extreme respect, and they returned that respect to her. "Teachers should never forget that they are powerful behavioral role models for their students. Because they shape student behaviors by their own example, teachers should hold themselves to the same standards for civility and respect that they expect of their students" (Link at bottom). The students were allowed to converse with her about the lecture, and she asked them questions frequently throughout the teacher input part of her lesson plan in order to keep them engaged. This helped keep the students focused, and helped them have a part in their learning experience. She definitely took some very uninterested students and helped them to learn and engage in the class. This style of teaching definitely utilizes NCTCS standard four, "Teachers facilitate learning for their students." Specifically, element 4c which says "Teachers use a variety of instructional methods." The educator that I observed used a power point as a visual aid, lectured, and allowed discussion for each topic. The mixture of teaching methods definitely helped to reach a variety of different learners, and seemed to help all the students learn the material. 

        The main thing I learned during this observation is that you can take behaviors that are intended by the students to be negative, and turn them around to engage them without having to negatively punish the student or stop class for their disruptions. Often, these students did not even realize they were being engaged and beginning to learn. I do realize that this would not work in every situation, but the flexibility and engagement this teacher displayed was remarkable. I definitely benefitted from observing this teacher, and I hope to be able to facilitate my classroom in the same way in the future. Even though I plan to teach kindergarten, the same goals of engagement and focus can be used at any age of students. Throughout all three of my observations, I have seen that students respond much better to a positive teacher than to punishment. I plan to make my future classroom a very positive and uplifting atmosphere, and I have learned a variety of different ways to do this by watching these teachers in their own classrooms. 

Link: http://www.interventioncentral.org/behavioral-interventions/schoolwide-classroommgmt/establishing-positive-classroom-climate-teacher-ad