Running head: Hazelbach intro to education individual observation 1

Hannah Hazelbach Intro to Education Individual Field Observation

My week of individual observations was everything and more than I could have ever

asked for. Ill have to admit, walking back into my old high school was incredibly strange. Some

things were exactly the same, while others changed drastically. It goes to show that schools

evolve and change over the years incorporating new elements and standards. Because my degree

will be an English major and History minor, I decided to visit and observe my all time favorite

teachers, my sophomore history teachers. I loved sitting down and talking with them about life,

and the realities of becoming a teacher. Different from being at William C. Abney where you

teach all different subjects to the same classroom of kids all day, as a secondary teacher you

teach the same lessons to different groups of students each day. Teaching the same lesson is a lot

like following and memorizing a script, while at the same time you are constantly evaluating

yourself based on how your students perceive the information youre presenting. It was funny at

first to hear the same comments two lessons in a row, but you have to remember that it is the first

and only time the students are hearing it. Because a majority of the courses are taught by

multiple instructors with variations in teaching styles, the teachers take time to consult with one

another for ideas and strategies that work with different classrooms. Ive noticed that the reality

of being a Secondary teacher, is that you are always evaluating, and being evaluated. The more I

observe teachers, and students reacting the teachers instructions, the more it is obvious how

much power teachers actually have. Most often students dont question doing the work teachers

give them in schools because it feels like an obligation. You are in complete control of their lives

for the hour and a half they are in your room. With great power, comes great responsibility, and I

am ready for the challenge.

Scheduling
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Classes are split into five macro sessions of an hour and fifteen minutes per session. The

students start at 7:40 a.m., have six minutes in between classes to transition into the next, a

scheduled 30-minute lunch break in the middle, and conclude the school day at 2:37 p.m.

Looking back on it now, it is clear to see how structured each day and each class was. Most

teachers write the daily schedule, specific instructions, and homework due dates on the board so

students know exactly what they are supposed to be doing and can be prepared. Additionally,

students have assigned seats, so they are in the same position every day. High School students

are fit into a very structured schedule with little down time. Mr. Diekevers, one of the teachers I

was observing recognized this, and sometimes lets the kids talk a few minutes into the start of

class. In addition, he reads from a book titled Lifes Little Instructions and gives the students

3-4 lines of different lessons to follow in life. He leads with purpose, with a class moto from

veteran Robert Hood who said look around and say to yourself; who got me all this? And what

price did they pay? This quote is what ignited the fire within me to become not only a teacher,

but a history teacher. My goal is for my student to recognize the elements that brought them into

the world they are today, and to be passionate in fixing the injustices that remain. Kicking off the

start of each class this way rallies the students to take in everything they are learning in history

and apply it to their lives today.

Security

As a well-funded public high school, security is valued at a high importance. There is a

woman working at a security desk just inside of the front doors, and you have to sign in with her

to receive a pass to walk around the school. In the same way if a student needs to use the

restroom, or go anywhere on campus, they have to take a pass with them. Doors into the

classroom are always locked from the outside, and students often have to knock to get back in. In
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addition, there are security cameras everywhere monitoring everything from the hallways to the

parking lot. During my time there, a police car was sitting in the visitor section of the parking lot.

The staff frequently practice drills of all emergencies, which is incredibly important to teach

students what to do in an emergency situation. Since the Sandy Hooke Elementary shooting, all

public school districts and teachers are well trained, well aware, and take appropriate security

precautions to maintain the safety of their students.

A.P.U.S.H (Advance Placement U.S. History)

If I could do one thing differently in high school, I would have taken this class instead of

the regular history class. The sophomore students in this class were by far more engaged in the

content then the sophomores in the regular history class. When you are teaching an A.P. class,

there are different regulations you have to follow, rather than the regular Michigan standards for

a non A.P. American History course. Your role as a teacher is different, and it is to prepare highly

intellectual students to take a test to determine whether or not they receive college credit. While

this is the reality, Mr. Diekevers incorporates different learning elements that will not only allow

them to effectively retain the content, but unconsciously teach them life-skills for future learning.

Students have to purchase their own books for the course, giving them the ability to practice

underlining and highlighting key information, and developing reading skills. In addition, each

student is assigned a different blue heading of the text each week, and sits at the front of the

class and speaks about the important elements they took away from that section. This not only

allows students to talk through what they learned while receiving feedback from the teacher and

students, but it builds public speaking skills and confidence in front of an audience. While

common core standards remain, teachers are embracing different measures of teaching their
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students that is more engaging and intellectually stimulating. These measures not only improve

content retention, but are building life-skills that students will use in the future.

Student, Course, and Teacher Expectations

Coming in to observe on Monday was the first day of a new trimester, so it was syllabus

and expectations day for all of the classes. It was great to see how teachers introduce themselves

and the course to a classroom of new students. One of the things I often think about, is how my

first day of student teaching, and my first teaching job will go. How will I present myself to the

students so they enjoy their time in the class and show respect? Mrs. Tornes, the other teacher I

had the opportunity to observe, was a perfect example on how to accomplish both goals. The

students are given a syllabus with the course description as well as rules and expectations. This

informs students of their role as a student, and their responsibility to learn from the teacher. From

there she gave them a tour of the classroom, showing them where to turn in assignments, where

to receive any work if they are absent, and a book shelf with other educational resources they

may use during work time. Another valuable resource are Chrome book laptops that the students

have access to for assignments, and to research current historical events. However, to keep them

from free-searching, they must face the back wall with their screens facing the teacher so she can

make sure the students are on task. There is also a strict rule prohibiting the use of cell phones in

the classroom. If at any time the phone goes off the teacher must confiscate it, the students

receive detention, and the parents of the student must come pick it up from the office. However,

during work time students are allowed to use a phone to listen to music, but are not allowed to

stream music from the internet. This for me is drawing a very fine line that can be easily disputed

in any situation. In a high school setting, it is hard to determine if the students are using it for

educational purposes, or merely taking advantage of the rule. While I agree with the difficulties
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regarding personal technology in the classroom, I wonder if continuously pushing these rules

causes students to resent teachers, and therefore the education they are receiving in the class.

Somehow there should be an effective balance.

Moreover, Mrs. Tornes was able to keep a great balance of being firm but fair in

explaining the classroom expectations to her students. She is very organized, and updates grades

for the students to access via the website Infinite Campus. In addition, she has her own updated

classroom website using weebly.com to communicate information to her students. The students

in her classroom have absolutely no excuses because she efficiently executes her information.

Maybe it is because she is a mom, her voice is calm at times, but means business at others. She

has also mastered the mom face putting students in line when they need to be.

There are different classroom expectations between a regular required course, an A.P.

course, and an elective course. It was so great to see the passion Mrs. Tornes had teaching the

history elective course, because it was different material than the state of Michigan specifically

requires. I am very interested to learn what common core standards in Michigan are for

developing an elective course. She is mainly forced to rely on pre-tests and post-tests to reveal

evidence of learning to the state. In the regular American History class, they are using the same

old and beat up text books that I used four years ago. Looking back now I wonder if the school

hasnt replaced the text books simply because of a lack of funds, or if the state expects them to

use the same model text book year after year. A great deal of pressure is placed on teachers, and

because they are expected to be able to teach all levels of students no matter the circumstances,

and to help the students succeed in the classroom.

Small Classes
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During my time observing, I found that I loved the small class sizes. I think that is one of

the reasons I have come to love Aquinas so much. You can do so much more with a small class

verses a large class. Perhaps it has something to do with it being less intimidating, both for the

teacher and the students, but the kids are easier to personally interact with. Unfortunately,

because Caledonia is growing so much, more classes are packed to the rim with students.

However, there were a few small classes for the A.P. History class. These classes moved by the

fastest, and were the ones I looked forward to the most. The kids were so passionate in their

questions about history and how elements of the past are relevant in the present. One day in the

last 15 minutes of class, the students were learning about the Hoover Dam, and began to come up

with ideas for alternative energy sources to provide electricity and to eliminate oil fuel waste. At

this point, Mr. Diekevers let the students use the board to draw pictures and bounce ideas off of

each other. It was such an amazing thing to see. After class he told me that it doesnt happen

every day, but when they do start to make worldly connections and work together to come up

with innovative ideas that it is okay to stop teaching for the period and let them run with it. As a

teacher you are constantly learning and being inspired by your students, because one day they

will take what you taught them and change the world. In the same way, Mrs. Tornes is drawing

away from spoon-feeding information to her students through rubrics, study guides, and

PowerPoints. Students are being taught to make connections through terms in the reading, take

notes during videos, and draw charts and other visuals on the board. These innovating learning

strategies have been proven to be more effective, and prepare students for life after high school.

Energy

Without a doubt, you have to be energetic to be a high school teacher. If you are tired in

the morning, just like your students, you have to fake it to make it. Students at this age are very
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impressionable, and if they see you are excited to be there, they will be excited (or at least try). It

is fun to stand outside the door with the rest of the teachers to greet students (whether they are in

your class or not), and give high fives to motivate them for the rest of the day. The teachers I

observed had the extraordinary ability to relate to the lingo of their students. In addition,

remembering the names of students makes students recognize their value in the classroom.

Students are also encouraged to learn each others names and spread encouragement to each other

throughout the class period. Mr. Diekevers would often say Everybody say good job (insert

student name here) when a student would answer a question correctly, in which the students

would reply good job (student) giving encouragement by name. The best teachers I have

found, are the ones that can break up the lesson plan to talk about anything other than the

content, and effectively transition back. There was one moment observing Mrs. Torness

classroom, that the kids started to look drained from the material. She changed the subject asking

about the success of the boys hockey team. Within seconds the faces of the students lit back up

enough to talk about that, giving them an extra second to breathe and talk about something more

exciting. Then she was able to transition effectively back into the lecture within three-four

minutes. Recognizing these moments is essential in not only to the educational success of the

students, but also being able to relate to them on a personal level. These moments are what

distinguishes what makes a great teacher, and it is ultimately what the students remember about

being in your class.

Conclusion

Being back at Caledonia High School was an extremely valuable experience to view high

school education from a different lens. I learned an immense amount just from being there for

four days. These teachers continue to be my inspiration, and I will continue to strive to model
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their teaching skills, and influence they leave on their students. I want my students to leave my

classroom like I left theres, to be open minded, find what you are passionate about, and to make

the world a better place.

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