OBSERVATIONS PARKVIEW HIGH SCHOOL OCTOBER 21, 2014

Mr. Allen Murphy

Advanced Placement Language Arts
Diversity:
- Majority Asian/Oriental
- Some Latino/Latina and White
- One Black
Number of Students: 23
Procedure:
Teacher passed out papers; very smartly dressednice pants and shirt with bowtie. Lesson on
Rhetorical Devices of Opposition; has students read aloud handout aloud. Teacher is very humorous
gives students a hard time. Teacher asks students what the read aloud portion means, and calls on
students by name. Teacher has students mark antithesis in the quote and asks them what incredulity
means, what it is, what they think of the passage, etc. Students name oppositions in paragraph.
Students are dressed in a mix of nice casual and regular jeans and t-shirts. Teacher picks on
specific students, reminds them of poetry rules; has students go through the next section of the
handout and circle oxymorons that lead to antitheses. Class is not held in Mr. Murphys classroom, but
in a Human Geography room for 1st period due to Gateway testing. The teachers desk is in the corner
closest to the board in the upper right quadrant. There were/are lots of maps on the walls.
Students named various oxymorons; teacher corrected when the students were wrong and
picked different people student called on doesnt respond. Students groaned aloud at the mention of
the book Animal Farm. A female student read loud the section on Paradox (different students read
aloud each section). Juxtaposition is easier seen in the movies (great point!). Mr. Murphy was very
relatable to the students, constantly making them laugh by poking fun at them.
How did the juxtaposition make the students feel?
Challenges student word choice
Interactive
A male student finished reading a section with exaggerated enthusiasm which made the class laugh
(very hysterical); teacher casually insults the student
A female student asked for clarification of juxtaposition.
Teacher gave students time to do the activity/application on the back of the handout; briefly reminded
them about an upcoming vocabulary quiz. Mr. Murphy moved up and down the rows checking on
student work and helped them out when they had questions.
Tragedies are personal, not universal.
Reflection (brief):
I had so much fun listening to the lecture I had to remind myself to take notes!
Because of my professional attire I was asked by the teacher whose room it was if I was subbing for Mr.
Murphy.
Mr. Murphy asked if I was staying for my sister Meghanns class
Gave me the advice that after youve been teaching for a long time you can get away with making fun of
your students (in jest of course).

Ms. Crawford
College Prep Literature and Composition 9th grade
Students were a mix of Hispanic and African-American
Board along one wall; lots of posters and quotes
Students passed out three digit numbers on a piece of paper to one another
Ms. Crawford gives students reasons why they do high-stakes testing (she is dressed business casual)
Explains Race to the Top and asks students of they are excitedsome say no
Explains the type of education given to students via powerpoint
Classroom is set up in horseshoe
Ms. Crawford speaks clearly
A bunch of students change their numbers because they had the same oneMs. Crawford explained
that she made copies and accidentally gave those out.
Students are dressed in t-shirts and jeans
Teacher snaps to get attention, and explains that the numbers they have is part of an experiment that
will last for a month; the numbers are area codes (three digits because it is equalizing); students flip out
at the mention of no grades (individual). Teacher explains that the glass will be graded as a group (good,
bad and meh). Has to do with the class text of Ayn Rands Anthem.
The world cannot exist without order.
Class is vocal and verbal about everything.
Teach each other according to their intelligence and needgrades are a class average/group
consequence
No more land of what if, only land of what is.
Class discussion of questions on the powerpoint
Purpose of life: You or Others?
Reading vocabulary list on the board; teacher both stands in the center of the room and sits on a tall
stool; does recap of last week (on the board) and explains (briefly) a mini unit. Teacher asks students to
pull out notebooks; the class will be reading Ayn Rands Anthem. Ms. Crawford explains that it is a
novella/short novel, overview of the text and the author. Gives students an extra credit assignment
asking the question of what was going on at the time the book was written. Explains that students will
be reading one chapter a night; calls out a student by number and asks them to read aloud the first page
(student read robotically), then asked the students what they thought was different about the passage
grammatically.
Community (in book) based societynot allowed to be an individualcollective wecollective society;
no snapchat, facebook, selfies, etc. social media and collective society comparison
Teacher wont print things unless she can help itshows students where to find everything online (had
tabs up already)
Before class Ms. Crawford waited for her students outside the classroom.

Mrs. Kate Heier

Special Education Autism Spectrum Disorder
9-12th grade
6 students total; one walking around the room, two sitting at their desks, one sitting in a chair on the
floor, another sitting on an exercise ball
Diversity: All students minorities two Hispanic, three Black, and one Asian
Unit on Treasure Island; Teacher instructs teacher aid to hand out things (papers?)
Asks students who the main characters are, helps students to answer the questions
Story up on interactive powerpoint and summarized
Teacher constantly checks to make sure the students understand and assigns students specific
characters and prompts them to act out the story; she helps by narrating throughout; goes over what
pirates need for a journey; affirming of students when they answer correctly; uses an assertive tone of
voice.
Asks students which is the least/best buy for a pirates journey; literally directs students actions
Gives students hand outs and asks them to cut out one character and glue them to another hand out.
One student throws the scissorsMrs. Heier reprimands the student, then helps them perform the task,
narrating as they do so. Teacher walks around the classroom checking student work.
Ms. Kasson
Special Education
12th grade
Unit on MacBeth
- Saddleback Education Publishing (type of text)
- Uses props to help with illustrations
Students are working on a worksheet; room is smallonly 6 students; teachers desk is by a window.
Class is ethnically diverse: mostly Black, one Hispanic, one white
Teacher is dressed business casualwalks around checking student work and progress. Students asked
me questions, teacher reminded students to stay focused and on task.
Teacher helps orient students in where they are/whats going on/whos who in the text
There were storage cabinets along one wall.
Student read a favorite quote found while reading the text.

CASE STUDY DIVYA PATEL (female)

12th grade
Hard of Hearing
Part One: Meeting with Ms. Griggs Specialist (like Mrs. Gorman)
- Asked student how they felt about an upcoming history test
- Went over powerpoint slide information; asked if student didnt understand anything
- Discussed vocabulary and religious history in Europe
- Went slide by slidecomprehension check
- Student asked questions
- Friendly chatter while Ms. Griggs looked up a map
- Explains whats happening and how
- Overview about religion and the crusades
- Checked reading comprehension
Part Two: Economics Class
- Student sits in back row
- Ethnically diverse: mostly black, one Indian (my student), one Hispanic, one white, one Asian
- Student dressed in jeans and sweatshirt and takes notes
- Teacher up front, walks back and forth along board, speaks in loud, clear voice
- Student has feet on back of chair in front of hersneezes; checks phone, which is out and on
desk
- Asked teacher for clarification on assignment and teacher checked for understanding
- Student checks phone again; feet are off chair and on floor, ankles crossed.
- Student puts paper in a binder, takes notes and listens to assignment answers, jiggles legs,
doodles on paper, legs crossed, pulls out calculator from backpack and does problem,
plays/texts (?) on phone, continues notetaking, works on mini assignment, puts pencil/pen
down, opens notebook/binder and flips through notes, then closes binder.
- Appears to be reading notes, bites nails (?), waited for teacher to check work, said couldnt think
of a third thing to write.
- Moves phone over, plays on phone, does math question on calculator and answers question,
continues taking notes, does math on calculator, takes notes, checks phone, stretches,
continues doing math problem, checks phonemoves it to side of desk, packs up notes and
puts in backpack.