Wednesday, September 16th, 2015 I did my observation of Paul Dunbar Middle School. Some of the first things I noticed when I entered the school was how enormous the school’s population is and how the school was mostly Hispanic and African American students. I arrived at the front desk and was asked by the assistant principal what was my preference of classroom. She then proceeded to take me the section of the school where the ESE classes are held. ESE stands for exceptional student education classes. When entering the room I found the classroom to be full of colors and labels. I then was introduced to Mrs. Wehrle who was one of the ESE teachers. She sat down and explained to me how the ESE students were split into three groups, A, B, and C,
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Wehrle’s class went to their elective classes, I went upstairs to observe Mrs. Gaither. Mrs. Gaither’s class was considered to be an ESE class, but the students still took state standardized tests. This classroom had a totally different environment compared to the first classroom. These students were learning the same thing as general education students, but at a slower pace. I noticed that in this class there was all Hispanic and African American students and only one Caucasian student. The desks in the classrooms were set up for collaborative learning which seemed to really work for her students. Mrs. Gaither also did great job in teaching with all the different learning styles so that she could reach each student’s preference. After each assignment, Mrs. Gaither went around to each individual student and went over their answers with the student. Based on what answers they got wrong is where she would focus more attention. I found this style of teacher very helpful to each student because it wasn’t just as a whole. Students seemed really engaged in what they were learning, which I think was because of the style of teaching. Then, when Mrs. Gaither was done checking all of the student’s work it was time for lunch. I got to enjoy the teacher’s lounge for …show more content…
From watching Mrs. Wehrle I learned how to smoothly run an ESE class. She kept the class calm and went with the flow of things. She had things spaced out and relaxed to fit the needs of the students allowing them frequent breaks. She remained calm no matter what the situation. I learned a few important lessons from Mrs. Gaither too. Mrs. Gaither taught me that you need to teach to the individual because the class as a whole might not be on the same page. During the lesson, Mrs. Gaither made sure she reached all of the learning styles so that each student could succeed. There is more than one learning style and sometimes teachers forget that not all students learn the same. We need to reach each one of them. Like the example I gave of Mrs. Gaither going to each student individually after an assignment and talking to them about what they need to work on. Overall I had a great experience at Paul Laurence Dunbar Middle School. The school was ran orderly fashion and definitely focused on student
Wehrle’s class went to their elective classes, I went upstairs to observe Mrs. Gaither. Mrs. Gaither’s class was considered to be an ESE class, but the students still took state standardized tests. This classroom had a totally different environment compared to the first classroom. These students were learning the same thing as general education students, but at a slower pace. I noticed that in this class there was all Hispanic and African American students and only one Caucasian student. The desks in the classrooms were set up for collaborative learning which seemed to really work for her students. Mrs. Gaither also did great job in teaching with all the different learning styles so that she could reach each student’s preference. After each assignment, Mrs. Gaither went around to each individual student and went over their answers with the student. Based on what answers they got wrong is where she would focus more attention. I found this style of teacher very helpful to each student because it wasn’t just as a whole. Students seemed really engaged in what they were learning, which I think was because of the style of teaching. Then, when Mrs. Gaither was done checking all of the student’s work it was time for lunch. I got to enjoy the teacher’s lounge for …show more content…
From watching Mrs. Wehrle I learned how to smoothly run an ESE class. She kept the class calm and went with the flow of things. She had things spaced out and relaxed to fit the needs of the students allowing them frequent breaks. She remained calm no matter what the situation. I learned a few important lessons from Mrs. Gaither too. Mrs. Gaither taught me that you need to teach to the individual because the class as a whole might not be on the same page. During the lesson, Mrs. Gaither made sure she reached all of the learning styles so that each student could succeed. There is more than one learning style and sometimes teachers forget that not all students learn the same. We need to reach each one of them. Like the example I gave of Mrs. Gaither going to each student individually after an assignment and talking to them about what they need to work on. Overall I had a great experience at Paul Laurence Dunbar Middle School. The school was ran orderly fashion and definitely focused on student