Northwestern High School Classroom Observation

Northwestern High School is where I observed a co-ed English class. There were two teachers working together within the classroom. The teacher’s educational goals for their classes were to improve students reading and writing. Both teaching methods were effective as they both stood up in front of the class and lectured while also having class discussion. Instructional technology was big in the classroom and helping with the lesson. I always want to incorporate technology because it makes learning fun. Each student had his or her own laptop that they were assigned to and held responsible to keep up with. They completed their work on the laptop. Students also had handouts they were to follow along with the teacher while going over the material.

Both teachers moved from the front to the back of the classroom while lecturing. I loved the fact that they never stood in one spot because it gives them a chance to view what every student was doing. There were a couple different learning styles that were addressed in the class. Much of the lecturing was auditory or verbal.

While being verbal they also wrote everything that was said on the board. So there also was some visual which helped kids when filling out their chart. It is always important to include different learning styles because everyone is different. Seeing how to do so was very helpful in how I will do so in my class. The room was set up nicely there were posters on the wall that were informational. All of the desks were turned towards the front of the classrooms that all students were able to see the board. I got so many ideas in my head now for setting up my class. In all the room gave off a home type of feel to ensure students were comfortable. The students knew the expectations of them in the classroom. As soon as they entered the class they got situated in their seats and put away their phones. This action shows that the teachers established rules ahead of time. If rules are present the class is sure to run smooth so I’m sure to set rules the first day. While one teacher taught the other walked around and answered questions. While answering questions she also passed out coins that students collect to get extra points. Both teachers had the same role and they worked together to accomplish a goal. This showed me exactly how important it is to work together as a

team. The student-teacher relationship was professional. The students respect both teachers and treated them both the same. There was laughter in the class which showed that teachers incorporated humor. I always believe that laughter is good for the soul. Teachers didn’t show dominance within the class which gave them the respect that they needed. The curriculum that was taught was on the book Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson. Students analyzed the story closely. One thing that stood out to me is that the teachers knew when students were becoming tired and they would switch up the lesson to get them back focused. They knew that it was a lot of information to be processed so they took their time and broke it up into sections. This was a great opportunity for me to see a typical English classroom setting. Everything that I observed will play a role in my future from how I teach to how I decorate my classroom.