Amanda Jackson

CHD 165
Graded Observation 1 Adult/Child Interactions
Just like parenting styles differ; teachers differ in their teaching styles as
well. Some teachers shift their teaching to tailor toward an individual child or
toward an individual class. The importance in teaching styles is the atmosphere
that is created for the child. While some children grow up loving to learn and
thrive in classes, just as easily there are children who make too many mistakes
and feel that school just isnt for them.
My observations were all done with the same 2nd grade class of 20
(usually 22, two were absent) ; however, the teachers and their styles differ
greatly. These students attend Arcola Elementary School located South Riding
(the Arcola area), Virginia. The first observation is with their day to day teacher,
Ms. Owings. The second observation is with their music teacher, Ms. Wyman.
The last and final observation is with a substitute pair of teachers that the
students knew well. They were in their P.E. class. They have a set schedule to
see these teachers and even corrected their teacher when it was a different
schedule. While Ms. Wyman conducted her class in their daily classroom, the
P.E. class was held in a multi-purpose room.
This excerpt was taken from my observation journal:
In Ms. Owings group- she has trouble with a student wearing a
hood. She talks with him for a moment- returns to her group and invites him to
join. He reluctantly joins; however keeps his hood up.
I come back to this boy multiple times in my journal. I found out later that
his name was Collin. One that I did not recall in my journal is his dad (or other
guardian) visiting him at lunch. Afterwards, Ms. Owings comments on Thats the
Collin I wanted to see. I am not sure if she gave him a call and invited him or he
just happened to show up a day that he wasnt feeling well. I dont know the
situation; though I feel it was handled in a very nurturing yet authoritative way.
Ms. Owings kept her personal thoughts in between her and Will, and once she
was finished she invited him back to the group in front of the group. As if to say I
understand what youre going through, but it is time for school. Once he is in the
group, she doesnt single him out. She just continues to teach. She lets learning
be his choice. That stands out to me. It stands out throughout her teaching. She
does this by saying things like I like the way that _____ is sitting. She also
started one session of class by repeating rules and asking the students to help
clarify for each other. Her method of teaching is one I wish to mimic.
The Music teacher, Ms. Wyman, though fun, was more eyes on me,
hands on lips type teaching. It was an only speak when spoken to, though she
gave opportunities for the students to call out. I am not sure if the assertion of
control was due to not being in her own classroom and having the surroundings
not to her advantage; however that could be a main cause. Frequently she had to

remind students to put books or other learning materials away. This excerpt is
from my journal:
She has a different teaching technique though the kids remain quiet. They
sing while she plays. She asks questions and they answer. They are playing the
instruments; however only 1/3 of the class has instruments at a time.
While she may have taught differently, she still had order and not chaos in
the class room. She was more authoritarian though she allowed for slight
freedom when she asked the group questions.
Lastly, I have an excerpt from the P.E. class. P.E. was the class before
recess:
The sub teacher came out and greeted us in the hallway. They are very
strict. They make the students sit in lines while they explain the rules of Hot
foot.
Later on, the teacher describes this game to me as a softer version of
dodgeball. At first I mistook these teachers as authoritarian; however, once the
game started they were playing with the children and even changed the game
type to suit the children. Everything was tailored to how the children reacted to
the current conditions. They were very laidback and even laughed when they
realized they were off schedule. This seemed more nurturing to me as well as
care-free. They knew they had an easy as well as challenging group, but chose a
more laidback situation. Though this was a Friday and their lesson was done on
a Friday, this may have influenced what the original teachers left for them.
Overall, I feel Ms. Owings was a balance between both extremes. Though
all classes held the attention of the students, the long term results would be
better in the end with someone more like Ms. Owings and less off-balance. It was
a good example to have all three classroom and see the effects of one sitting. I
would like to see the example over the course of one to two years.