Personal Narrative: My Classroom Observation

I completed my ten-hour class observation at the private school Georgia Military Prep. The Georgia Military Prep School is located on Georgia Military College’s main campus in Milledgeville. At GMC prep I observed Ms. Jennifer Spencer's advanced eighth grade math class. Ms. Spencer has a decidedly pleasant air about her, a quick smile, and a brisk step that belies her ‘let us get the job done’ type attitude. On my first day observing her class, I soon gathered that Ms. Spencer always has a goal in mind when she sets foot in the classroom. Speaking of which, the makeup of Ms. Spencer's classroom is primarily Caucasian. For example, out of the twenty-two students in either of her first or second period classes, several students are Black/African-American …show more content…
A large calendar on a whiteboard outlined the daily, weekly, and monthly agenda. Students sat in rows. Desks and chairs were grouped in sets of two or three. For the most part, students are allowed to sit where they please. However, if need be, groups of friends will be split up and some students may be required to sit up front. The students all face a giant Promethean board centered on the left wall. Perhaps it was a preconceived notion of mine that at a private school, one that I presumed to have better resources, there would be greater use of technology in the classroom by both the students and the teacher. Yet, the Promethean board seemed to be the extent to which technology had a place in the classroom. Three larger posters lined the back wall of the classroom. One poster listed the names of students who had done well on their Accelerated Math tests, another poster displayed GMC sporting event news, and the third poster displayed examples of student work. The 'Word of the Week' and GMC’s honor code are posted very prominently by the door, reminding students that they will not “lie, cheat, or steal, nor tolerate those who do.” When Ms. Spencer is not at the front of the room directly instructing the class and going over the classwork for the day on the Promethean board, she is weaving through the rows working with the students one on one, or she is at her desk grading homework. Some students, if they have finished the class work, will work on their Accelerated Math. Beyond standardized testing, like the summative college readiness test that the students take, such as ACT Aspire, Ms. Spencer's students are regularly assessed with Accelerated Math quizzes. The Accelerated Math quizzes go over and review previous standards. By using the Accelerate Math quizzes which the students can scan and grade on their own, the