Name: Erin Courington

Date: April 12, 2015

Trails Middle School

Fieldwork Teacher: Mr. Tyler Harnett

Fieldwork School: Lexington

Directions: Please answer the following questions thoroughly, citing evidence

from your eight hours of classroom observation. Submit this assignment typed
in a Word Document via BlackBoard. (Each question is worth 0.5 points, the
assignment is worth 6 points total.)

Observing Your Fieldwork Experience Teacher

Teacher Observation Section:
1 Give three examples of how the teacher met the individual needs of the
diverse learners in the classroom.
- 1. The teacher strategically put certain students together to help each other
and learn from each other.
- 2. He also calls in help and tutors for specific students that sit with them and
assist them during the class period.
- 3. He creates a learning environment where all students feel encouraged and
that they really can learn the material no matter their individual needs or
diverse natures.
2 Give examples of how the teacher encouraged a positive learning
environment?
- The teacher encouraged a positive learning environment in many ways. He
always used a calm encouraging tone. He greeted students by their names as
they entered the classroom and asked them about certain things they were
involved them and about their weeks, etc. He also encouraged all of the
students to work together in a friendly, supportive manner.
3 Give examples of how the teacher kept students engaged in their
learning?
- At one point in 3rd hour before lunch period students were beginning to get
antsy and he had students stand up and do stretches and dances for a minute
or two. Students got to relax for a minute and he encouraged them to finish
their work strong and then they could be off to lunch. Students then focused
and were attentive for the rest of the class time. In other class periods Mr.
Harnett walked around and monitored the students while they worked and
helped them get engaged.
4 Give examples of how the teacher demonstrated mastery of the subject
that they are teaching?
- Mr. Harnett would provide DOL (daily oral language) and let students correct
sentences and then share their answers as a class. At the end of this in each
class he would further review and explain the problems and why it was so

important to know the information. He would also give his students examples of
how to use the subject later in their life.
5 Give examples of how the teacher made their academic subject relevant
to their students lives?
- As said above in #4, Mr. Harnett would explain to the students why the subject
was important and how they would use it later in life in high school as well as
throughout their lives. He told them that they would need the grammar they
practiced in writing and becoming successful in life in general. They would use
the subject in their daily lives.
6 Give examples of how the teacher used formative or summative
assessments to make sure the students are learning?
- The teacher would walk around the classroom periodically and monitor the
students work and tell them what they could be improving on, what to work on
next, and what to have finished by the end of class time. There seemed to be a
general knowing of what needed to get done for the day and what they needed
to know after walking out of the classroom for the day.
7 Give three examples of how the teacher motivated students to learn.
- 1. Mr. Harnett motivated the students to learn in encouraging that them they
were doing well and that their presence was wanted in class.
- 2. He gave them a reference for why the information is important and relevant
to everyones lives, and as a result, important for them to be motivated to learn
it.
- 3. He gave certain students specific plans for their behavior, attendance, and
learning with an end reward in mind for them and motivated them to step up
their game and be motivated in this way.
8 Give an example of how the teacher made their expectations known and
applied consequences when necessary? Do you feel that the situation
was resolved effectively? Explain.
- At one point, two students kept talking to each other across the room and
laughing when they were supposed to be doing work and being quiet. He gave
them a warning at first, and when it happened again he threatened to take
panther bucks away, which are fake dollars students can trade in for prizes
such as pencils, etc. I think he handled this situation very effectively because it
motivated the students to stop talking and get to work.
Teacher Interview Section:
9 How does the teacher plan to make sure that each student learns?
- He plans individually in his lesson plans to get every student engaged during
class time, but he also discusses with his 6th grade team the status and progress
of each student. They then decide together how to get students to pull their
grades up and learn the material more, etc. He puts group activity into the
lesson plan where students must discuss what they are learning to make sure
every student learns.

10 How is the teacher working to become a better teacher?

- Mr. Harnett told me of his previous experience as a high school teacher and
compared it to his middle school experience. He talked about how he uses all of
this experience to constantly make him a better teacher and remind himself of
all of the students he has encountered and how all of it can make him better.
11 What does the teacher do outside of the classroom to help their
students?
- Mr. Harnett spends a lot of time planning out his lessons and organizing the
semesters at home. He also commented on how he is expecting his own child
and believes this may give him a new perspective on students and teaching and
how to deal with children. I think his social and family life also revolves around
education and how he can improve himself so that he can improve the lives of
his students.