Classroom Observation
The students poured into the classroom, and the teacher began the mass lesson immediately, without any small talk. The eighth grade class consisted of twenty students of various genders and ethnicities. The topic of the day was algebraic equations, and the teacher's authoritative attitude conveyed her firm grasp of the subject matter. Her serious tone and attitude created a sense of urgency about her goals, which were obviously to provide the students with a solid foundation in this fundamental branch of mathematics. Moreover, these were honors students, so her pace was adequate for the academic level of her students.

After describing the basic principles of that day's lessons, the teacher posed some questions for the students to work on at their desks in silence. Afterwards, the teacher went over the answers and ascertained whether all the students comprehended the lesson. To do this, she frankly asked if anyone had any…...

Educational Observation
I observed a high school English teacher as the teacher led the students through a study of Shakespeare's Hamlet. While the students have to complete a certain number of English classes to graduate, they can choose most of the English classes they take. This was not an advanced placement class, but the students in it had chosen it and so presumably had an interest in Shakespeare. There were 18 students in the class.

The teacher used a variety of activities to encourage her students to think about what Shakespeare really was trying to communicate and to foster a deeper understanding of the play.

She fostered intellectual development -- increased understanding of the play with the activities; social development as students produced projects in teams of three students; personal development as they were encouraged to find creative new ways to present old information. Students knew from near the beginning of the unit…...

Mrs. Menocal, 1st Grade, omerset Academy, Blended Classroom
Professional Background -- BA in Elementary Education, MA in English. 15-year veteran, taught English at the Middle chool level, and both 3rd and 1st grade at the Elementary level. Additional curriculum certification in literacy.

pecific Training -- 30+ hours in literacy and development reading; classes in EL and teaching immigrant children to read. These classes have been very helpful in teaching in school systems with diverse populations.

Consultative philosophy -- Regularly consult with school counselor and peers on development issues for children; particularly children who are outside the bell curve.

Development issues -- First graders still exhibit a great deal of "preschool" behavior and thus need help in both socialization and cognitive growth areas. Most of the class is fairly equal in their physical and mental development, with the exception of a few who are quite gifted and have obviously had a great deal of at…...

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Summation -- Mrs. Menocal was quite pleased with the interview and depth of questions. She was particularly excited about sharing her views on the environmentally rich classroom, which tends to incorporate the constructivist approach to learning within her day-to-day planning (see below).

Development Theory in the Classroom- Much of the professional world has a theoretical basis. This is not to rigidly ensure that each person act/react in a similar manner, especially in the classroom, but to establish a basis for commonality within a particular career orientation. One of the most enduring theoretical basis for contemporary classroom education is, ironically, one that finds it roots in Piaget, Dewey, and most recently Vygotsky and Bronfenbrenner. In different ways, all of these educators used a constructivist learning theory, and Mrs. Menocal is a firm believer in its viability for all ages of learner.. Constructivism, of course, is a theory of knowledge arguing that humans generate knowledge and meaning by way of experience. In science, for instance, this implies epistemology and experimentation, not simply lecture and instructor-generated knowledge (Kim, 2005). In general, social constructivism views each student as having unique needs and backgrounds -- and is quite complex and multidimensional. Social constructivism not only allows for this uniqueness, but actual encourages, utilizes, and even wards it as part of the learning process (Dougiamas, 1998). It encourages the student to arrive at their own version of the truth, of course influenced by their own worldview as well as the nature of instruction. The responsibility of the actual learning, then, resides with the student, and emphasizes the importance of the student remaining actively involved in the process. The motivation for learning is based, in many ways, on Vygotsky's "Zone of proximal development" -- a theory that posits that learners are challenged in proximity to their current level of development, yet slightly above.

Constructivism was abundant within Mrs. Menocal's classroom; from the use of exploratory questions and allowing students to "discover" answers on their own, to the pushing of the envelope several times when moving children out of their comfort zone and into a new zone of learning. I believe that, in the modern classroom, it is necessary to combine constructivism with a more realistic ecology for the learner. This is a synthesis of models, beginning with existing framework and gradually evolving forward. This is known as a conceptual change model which is a way to aggressively move forward with a concept that is plausible and reaches a learning conclusion that is satisfying and robust. One might literally

Math Classroom Observation
This eighth grade algebra class proved to be generally engaging, largely due to the efforts of the teacher. She does not rely solely on the text but rather uses it as a guide to preparing her curriculum and for devising equations for the students to solve in class. Otherwise, the teacher's explanation of the day's material comes across as being completely professional and based on a solid understanding of the mathematical principles at work. Her command of the subject matter is also evident in the way she confidently invites and promptly responds to all questions posed by students.

It is evident the teacher has a long-term agenda in mathematics; each topic flows into the next in a logical manner; she omits that which she feels is unnecessary and spends more time on issues that plague the majority of students. Whenever possible, she challenges her students with more advanced math…...

She explained that the natural processes of geological erosion could be effectively duplicated and modeled accurately enough on a small scale to learn about geological erosion in the real world on the large scale. She explained that following the directions for examining the effects of different variables (i.e. material composition, slope angle of natural deposits, and the amount of water fall, etc.) would enable students to draw conclusions and answer quiz questions about geological erosion.
Teachable Moments

A teachable moment arose repeatedly when three different work groups seemed to be having difficulty differentiating between the effects of multiple variables. The teacher took that opportunity to explain to the entire class how important it is to test all potential variables one at a time. During that instruction, she explained why altering multiple variables simultaneously undermined the value of any empirical experiment. Afterwards, the working groups returned to their projects and isolated the…...

instrumental case study approach in order to provide a description, analysis and interpretation of the phenomenon that exists at the intersection of technology and special needs students. The method will consist of evaluation research, which will be conducted to evaluate the effect of technology on special needs students. Evaluation esearch is a form of study that employs social research methodology in order to establish an evaluation of a social program (Powell, 2006). Evaluation research for example is used when a researcher is trying to examine and judge the merits of (evaluate) a specific social program. The researcher will use standard social research methods as a methodology for evaluating the merits of the program. For this study qualitative and quantitative data will be gathered from the students to establish the relationship between special needs students and technology in the classroom. Both students and teachers will take surveys that will utilize…...

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References

Clason, D. L., Dormody, T. J. (1994). Analyzing data measured by individual Likert-

type items. Journal of Agricultural Education, 35(4): 31-35.

Creswell, J. W. (2007). Qualitative Inquiry and Research Design: Choosing among

Five Approaches. CA: Sage.

Description
This observation is of an eighth grade mathematics class, in which algebra was being taught. The objectives of the math lesson included to “appreciate the usefulness, power and beauty of mathematics,” and to “recognize that mathematics permeates the world around us,” which are core objectives of the middle grade math curriculum (“The Middle Years Programme – MYP,” 2008). This specific lesson on the day of observation was linear equations, with an introduction to word problems at the end of the lesson. The ages of the students were around thirteen years old; the teacher was in her early 20s and was African American. The classroom was small, only containing twelve students of various ethnic backgrounds. Also, the classroom was specifically arranged and designed as a math class because the posters on the wall, the props, and the computers were all set up for math lessons. This is a middle school that…...

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References

An, S., Kulm, G. & Wu, Z. (2004). The pedagogical content knowledge of middle school, mathematics teachers in China and the US. Journal of Mathematics Teacher Education 7(2): 145-172.

“The Middle Years Programme – MYP,” (2008). OIS.

Van De Walle, J.A. (2014). Elementary and middle school mathematics teaching development. Fourth Edition. http://floridastateseminary.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Math-Quest.pdf

Webb, N.M. & Farivar, S. (1994). Promoting Helping Behavior in Cooperative Small Groups in Middle School Mathematics. American Educational Research Journal 31(2): 369-395.

http://yayoi.senri.ed.jp/ois/curriculum/maths_aims_objs.htm

Classroom Observation and Commentary How the Teacher Promotes a Positive Classroom Environment for Reading Instruction
The teacher promoted a positive classroom environment for reader instruction first by greeting the class warmly and announcing the activity that the class was going to do in a warm and enthusiastic tone. The teacher then used cue cards with large print words in different colors to go over the various vocabulary terms that the class was going to read in their reading material for the day. The teacher sounded out the first few words and then invited the class to sound them out with her. Thus the teaching approach was varied and oriented towards appealing to diverse learning styles (Souto-Manning & Martell, 2016). Then she asked if anyone could spell the word. If a student raised a hand but had difficulty spelling or reading the word, the teacher encouraged the student by asking helpful questions in…...

Introduction
It is easy to assume that a comprehensive decision making theory gives a reliable basis for an observation scheme for a classroom. However, it is apparent that even though the practical and theoretical ventures overlap in many respects the core of the theoretical tenets are fundamentally variant. They are broader in some respects and narrow in others. The deterrents of real time implementation are significant and thus the scheme of analysis is fundamentally different from the theory frames that led to (Schoenfeld, 2013.

At the onset, I believed that teaching was about spending 8 hours teaching and having a great time with children. Indeed, teaching seemed the easiest career choice for me. However, having interacted with many a student from across the age spectrum and educational levels, there is a side of the world that can only be viewed from the inside of a class. I changed my mind and view…...

It provides a marker for conducting and easily recording observations of complex learning. This is in a paperless format, highly efficient and engaging strategy." (Wren, 2011) (Ivers, 2003)
This is illustrating how technology is critical to reaching out to students and offering them with further explanations about what is occurring. When this happens, they will be able to more effectively relate to key ideas and have a grasp of the way they can be utilized in the future. It is this point, when everyone will have a more hands on feel for these ideas and can easily remember them. (Wren, 2011) (Ivers, 2003)

Moreover, Johnson (1994) found that having individuals work with each other in small groups is more effective than requiring them to sit and listen to someone presenting the material. Evidence of this can be seen with Johnson saying, "The ability of all students to learn to work cooperatively…...

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References

Haberman, M. (1995). Star Teachers for Children and Youth in Urban Poverty. The Phi Delta Kappan, 76 (10),

pp. 777 -- 781.

Howard, G. (2007). As Diversity Grows So Must We. Responding to Changing Demographics, 6 (62),

pp. 16 -- 22.

formed on properly executed observations does make out efficient teachers as well as practices itself. Teachers' accomplishes on the classroom surveillance mechanism of appraisal system dependably envisage the attainment increases undertaken by their students. The outcome upholds the notion that teacher assessment systems require not be founded on test scores only for the purpose of providing constructive in sequence as per which teachers are for the most part effectual in elevating student success.
Teachers Evaluation System (TES) has been seen as an exceptional instance of sky-scraping quality assessment program founded on classroom observations. At a bare minimum, it is a structure to which the quarter has dedicated substantial resources and this prove that teaching excellence is valued and recognized by the university.

Focusing on the TES it is without doubt that the presence of appropriate resource as well as technical support is felt this is because the TES which is founded…...

Education - Classroom Management
Relationship etween the Use of ehavior Contracts and Student's Ability to Stay on Task

An Introduction to ehavioral Contracting

In dealing with children, there are cases when a teacher encounters a child who does not behave in a normal way as other children do. For instance, a child may show constant inattentiveness to learning, or may demonstrate irresponsiveness to discipline. A child with such disruptive behaviors oftentimes requires special attention and monitoring as part of a process of modifying an unpleasant behavior into an appropriate one. One strategy used to deal behavioral difficulties of a child is ehavioral Contracting. From Family Education Network (online), the following is a definition of behavioral contracting.

A behavioral contract is a written contract that specifies the child's behavioral obligations in meeting the terms of the contract and the teacher's (or parent's) obligations once the child has met his or her obligation (Family Education Network,…...

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Bibliography

Watson, Christopher. Behavior Modification, A Proactive Intervention for the Classroom.

2003. University of Minnesota. 28 November 2003.  http://ici2.umn.edu/preschoolbehavior/tip_sheets/behmod.htm 

Behavior Modification.

Gale Encyclopedia of Childhood & Adolescence. 28 November 2003.  http://www.findarticles.com/cf_0/g2602/0000/2602000079/p1/article.jhtml

The teacher explained that the use of a commercial science-teaching program that emphasized hands-on participation and active inquiry in its design had helped her achieve high levels of genuine interest among her students. The materials for this module consisted of individual sets for each group that were easily assembled into experimental designs utilizing different types of soil, inclined planes, and water dispensed through variable means to closely simulate natural erosion processes (Huber & Moore, 2001).
According to the teacher, the use of the materials dramatically increased student interest and also subject matter retention of the same Earth Science concepts that are typically the subject of passive learning via textbook reading assignments and lectures by teachers (Huber & Moore, 2001). The teacher credited the hands-on involvement as well as the design of the lessons to emphasize critical thinking and inquiry-based analyses with the ability to sustain the high level of student…...

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References

Gardner H. (1999). Intelligence Reframed Multiple Intelligences for the 21st Century.

New York: Basic Books.

Huber RA and Moore CJ. "A model for extending hands-on science to be inquiry based" School Science and Mathematics, Vol. 101, No. 1, (2001): 32.

School Observation: Springfield Gardens Middle School
The focus of this school observation is PS 59, Springfield Gardens Middle School in New York City. The observation was conducted in three separate settings: a math class, the cafeteria, and the school's main office. The goal of the observation was to gain insight on the relationships between different stakeholders in the school community, including teachers, students, staff, administration, and parents, and how these relationships influence the connectedness of the school environment. The assumption is that school connectedness as summarized by Blum (2004), can be measured by the presence or absence of factors such as positive student-faculty rapport, high academic expectations, and publically displayed efforts to strengthen school culture and safety. The observations of the school, thus, considered school connectedness as evidenced by student-teacher rapport, exhibition of student work, teaching methods, and classroom comportment, and interaction between staff members. In addition, student body and staff…...

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References

Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. (2004). School "Connectedness: Improving Student's Lives." Baltimore, Maryland. Blum, R.

New York City Department of Education. (2010) "I.S. 059 Springfield Gardens: Progress Report, 2009-2010." NYC Department of Education, New York, New York. Retrieved from   24, Feb. 2011.http://schools.nyc.gov/OA/SchoolReports/2009-10/Progress_Report_Overview_2010_EMS_Q059.pdf .

New York City Department of Education. (2010) "I.S. 059 Springfield Gardens: Learning Environment Survey Report: 2009-2010." NYC Department of Education, New York, New York. Retrieved from   24,Feb. 2011.http://schools.nyc.gov/OA/SchoolReports/2009-10/Survey_2010_Q059.pdf .

testing data for the WJ-J-IV Tests of oral language and the test of achievement for Freddie Fictitious. Identify the four Broad Clusters included on these two test batteries, then give the Standard Score for each and using the WJ-IV classification chart what Range (not Proficiency) would you place Freddie for each of these four Broad Clusters?
The four broad clusters on these two test batteries include broad reading, broad mathematics, broad written language, and broad oral language. There is a band of 68% on Freddie Fictitious' scores in these categories. In broad reading he got an 82, in the range of 79-85, which is a low WJ IV classification range. In broad math he got a 113, in the range of 110-116, which I would classify as the high average range. In broad written language he got an 81 SS with a range of 78-84, which puts him in the…...

Are Teacher Evaluations Necessary? A Comprehensive Analysis

The necessity of teacher evaluations has been a controversial topic in the field of education for decades. While some argue that evaluations are essential for improving teaching quality and accountability, others contend that they are biased, ineffective, and can damage teacher morale. This essay will delve into the arguments for and against teacher evaluations, examining their strengths and weaknesses to determine their overall necessity.

Arguments for Teacher Evaluations

1. Accountability and Improvement:

Teacher evaluations provide a systematic way to assess teacher performance and hold them accountable for their effectiveness. By identifying areas of strength and growth, evaluations....

Action Research Proposal:

Title: Enhancing Students' Understanding of Linear Equations through Active Learning Strategies

Research Problem:
Many students struggle to solve linear equations due to lack of understanding and engagement with traditional teaching methods. This action research aims to explore the effectiveness of incorporating active learning strategies in improving students' understanding and problem-solving skills in solving linear equations.

Research Objectives:
1. To investigate the current level of understanding of linear equations among students.
2. To implement various active learning strategies in the classroom to enhance students' understanding of linear equations.
3. To evaluate the effectiveness of these strategies in improving students' performance in solving linear equations.

Methodology:
This....

Action Research Methodology:

1. Data Collection
- Surveys will be conducted to gather information from grade 7 students regarding their challenges in solving linear equations.
- Classroom observations will be conducted to observe the classroom dynamics during linear equation lessons.
- Interviews with teachers will be conducted to understand the instructional strategies currently used.

2. Data Analysis
- The data collected from surveys, observations, and interviews will be analyzed to identify specific challenges faced by students in understanding concepts, developing problem-solving skills, and coping with classroom dynamics.
- The effectiveness of instructional strategies such as teaching methods, supplementary resources, and peer support will be assessed.

3.....

Introduction

Solving linear equations is a fundamental skill in mathematics that is essential for success in higher-level math courses and careers. However, many students find solving linear equations challenging, particularly in terms of understanding the concepts, developing problem-solving skills, and overcoming classroom dynamics. This action research study aims to identify the specific challenges that students face in solving linear equations and to investigate the effectiveness of different instructional strategies in supporting beginners in this process.

Methodology

This action research study will use a mixed-methods approach, combining quantitative and qualitative data collection methods to triangulate findings. The study will be conducted in a grade....