College of Southern Nevada

Field Observation Packet

Student ________Julio Vargas______________________________________

School_____Ralph Cadwallader__________________________________________
Greatings Future Educator,

One of the most rewarding aspects of EDU 202 is the opportunity you
have to observe students at an secondary school. These CSN courses
require all students to complete a 10 hour "Field Observation" in an
secondary classroom. When you receive you field placement, you will
contact the school and meet with your cooperating teacher. With your
cooperating teacher, you will create a schedule of days and time for you
to complete the 10 required contact hours. Within this packet, you will
find the required assignments and experiences you must fulfill in order
to pass this class. our cooperating teacher, you will design schedule of
days and time for you to complete the 10 required contact hours. Within
this packet, you will find the required assignments and experiences you
must fulfill in order to pass this class.

Your Name: _________Julio Vargas________________

Professor: Connie Christensen_______Email: connie.christensen@csn.edu

School: ______Ralph Cadwallader________________

Cooperating Teachers:_Kathleen James, Jennifer Drummond, and Russell

Farmintino______________________

THE FIELD OBSERVATION PACKET

Read through all the assignments and take notes during your observation visits. You will gather
information on more than one assignment during an observation. Then, using your notes
answer the questions for each assignment.

When it is time to submit the Field Observation Packet for grading:

print the cover page of the Field Observation Packet,
include all the observation assignments
 include your Time Log and Cooperating Teacher Evaluations.

All assignments must be Word Process except the classroom diagram. Your detailed
responses demonstrate to assignment questions must demonstrate careful analysis of
the questions and the observation information.
Do not include the questions. Using only the question numbers and refer to the
questions and respond in short essay format in complete sentences. For example:

Assignment One - Question 1: What is your first impression of the classroom

environment?
Response: The classroom environment is friendly and welcoming to the students and
seems a fun place to learn. The classroom is decorated with the students work,
interesting posters and the teacher shows respect to the students.

THE FIELD OBSERVATION ASSIGNMENTS:

ASSIGNMENT ONE (Observation): I did this assignment on the math class I observed.

1. The classroom environment was warm and organized. The math instructor was using
a projector and SmartBoard to give the lesson. The students were all quiet and seemed
to pay attention.
2. The physical environment is actually pretty cluttered, but well organized. The walls
are decorated from top to bottom with math posters. There are also four large white boards
that are reminiscent of graph paper. The students desks are in pairs of two that comes in handy
when she asks for peer discussion.
3. The class is made up of about 90% Caucasian students, 5% Latino students, and 5%
African American. As far as gender goes, it seems to be pretty much even. However, I
would say there are slightly more girls than boys. No physically challenged students to
note.
4. The posted rules are titled: Expectations for Student Board Work
Student Board Work Immediately Upon Arrival To Class
Collaborate w/ Student Partners Only
Math Talk Only In Classroom
Stay At Your Own Board Unless You Have Been Instructed To Move Somewhere
Else
Your Board Space Is The Only Board You Write ON
Label All Of Your Problems
Justify All Of Your Work To The Left Side Of Your Board Space
Show ALL Of Your Work
Box Your Final Answers
Do Not Pick At The Tape
Do Not Write On The Tape
Clean Your Own Board
 Put Away Your Own Materials
5. While I was Observing the math class, the teacher did not have to enforce the rules
listed above. The students were well behaved, and didnt speak out of turn.

ASSIGNMENT TWO (Instruction)

1. Monday 5.1 SWBAT write linear equations in slope-intercept form. Tuesday 5.2
SWBAT write a linear equation given the slope and point . Wednesday 5.3 SWBAT
write a linear equation given two points. Thursday 5.4 SWBAT find and write an
equation for the line of best fit. Friday SWBAT calculate residuals in a data set.
2. The instruction is given to the class as a whole. The teacher is using a projector to put
the lesson on the SmartBoard in the front of the classroom. After the teacher finishes a part of
the lesson, she assigns a problem to the students to work on with their partner.
3. I would describe the teaching style as visual. She uses the combination of a
SmartBoard and projector to display the problems and information for her students. The
program she is using on her computer is called ActivInspire. This program allows her to write on
the pages electronically to give her students a visual on how to do the problem.
4. Although the teacher relies heavily on visual learning, she does incorporate both
auditory and kinesthetic styles as well. She uses a microphone that she wears on her
neck so her students can hear her better. This is helpful for when she asks her students
answer any questions. She has white board spaces for all of her students to practice the
problems on for the kinesthetic style.
5. The students in this class definitely engaged in the lesson. They listened intently,
answered questions, and participated in partner discussion. They also were not afraid to
ask for help when they didnt get a part of the lesson.
6. The teacher uses the SmartBoard/Projector combination for the whole class so there
isnt really a need for transitions. However, when she goes from explaining how a
problem is done to peer work she uses words like now, next, or why dont you ask your
partner?
7. Her attention getting commands are simple, but effective. The snap of her fingers,
saying eyes up, shhh, are we paying attention, and the classic excuse me.
8. I observed three different periods of Mrs. James math class, and she did not have to
deal with many behavioral issues. Her first and third period classes were very well
behaved with minimal to zero stops for too much talking or disruptive behavior. Her
second period class was more talkative. She had to stop about five or six times to tell her
students to be quiet. Turns out these were students in advanced math so they were
better behaved than a normal class.

ASSIGNMENT THREE (Classroom Layout): Math Classroom

1. The work flow is fantastic. The space is definitely used efficiently. The desks are
organized in straight rows with two desks next to each other for buddy work. The classroom is
completely organized due to this system. There are four columns of double desks with about
five rows total. The board where the teacher does her lesson is straight ahead for all of her
students to see. Her desk, while out of the way, is still in a great position to observe her
students when they are doing buddy work or solo work.
2. Using the sheet of graph paper, create a labeled drawing of the classroom.

Classroom Layout: Mrs. James Classroom

ASSIGNMENT FOUR (School/Classroom Culture):

Using the questions below carefully evaluate the culture of the school you are observing

A. Physical Characteristics: Look at the physical areas of the school to determine

atmosphere, comfort, and the educational setting.
1. The School Building is in perfect shape. The grounds seem to be well taken
care off. The plants and trees are all trimmed and cleaned, the floors are clear of
 trash and debris, and the carpets in the hallways are all clean and stain free. All
of the fences around the school are in pristine condition with no visible holes.
This school seem very fortunate with equipment. The rooms are spacious, the
teachers have advanced educational tools in each room (smartboard,
Chromebooks, etc.), and each classroom has speakers in the ceiling. The parking
lot is clean and well painted. Each parking spot is visible along with the
crosswalks, and directional arrows. There are no missing signs. Each stop sign,
crosswalk, and speed limit sign, in and around the school, is clearly visible.
2. The school hallways are all clean and feel like a safe place to walk down alone.
The flooring in the buildings seem to be all carpet. The carpet looks well taken
care of. I did not see any stains or tears in the carpet in the classrooms or
hallways I walked through. The classrooms all have plenty of lights. The hallway is
also well lit. The windows are not your basic everyday windows. They are long
height wise and seem to be extra thick and hard to see through. The entrance
security was very impressive. Upon walking in, there is a big metal gate that is
locked after the students start their first class of the day. If you want to get in as a
visitor you must enter through the main office. There is no other way in!

B. Culture of the School.

Identify the schools mission statement, motto and mascot.1. Posters for after school
activities and important school information are posted throughout the school halls. The few
that I saw mentioned basketball intramurals, yearbook notices, and a notice for a school dance.
There is a trophy case in the main hall way with awards the school has received and trophies
their sports teams have won.
2. The staff interacts with the students and parents perfectly. No matter the
situation, whether its a student being late or a student getting in trouble, the
staff remained calm and collected. The office manager was polite to everyone
she interacted with and tried her best to get the late students to class as soon as
possible.
3. Student to student interaction in the classroom inside the classroom is warm
and friendly. I have yet to hear a student be mean to another student. In the
halls, you hear the usual gossip, giggling, laughing, and smiling. The students
here seem to all enjoy each others presence. I did not get the chance to observe
the students in the lunch hall unfortunately.
4. The school is organized by grade. There are three separate hallways in the
school one for 8th grade, one for 7th grade, and one for 6th grade. The library is
tight next to the main office building. Once you exit the main office into the
school there is also a media room and computer lab to the right. The commons is
off to the left wing of the school next to the gymnasium.

C. Culture of the Classroom: Each classroom has its own culture and way of life.
I used the English class I observed for this assignment.
1. My cooperating teacher has high standards of success for her students. She
believes they are all highly intelligent. I observed an interesting class where the
 students were taking reading counts quizzes. She expected her students to follow
the directions perfectly.
2. The level of student participation in class is surprisingly high. About 80% of
the students were engaged in the lesson and were eager to answer questions the
teacher asked. The students were all on task when they were taking their
Reading Counts quizzes. There was minimal talking, and they all seem to finish
the quizzes in a timely manner.
3. My cooperating teacher was very respectful of her students. She told me that
she likes to treat them like adults until they act like theyre little kids. When that
happens, she treats them like elementary school kids. She didnt put up with any
nonsense or misbehavior from her students. When the students did talk too
much or talk when they werent supposed to, she told them they needed to be
quiet. She wasnt rude about it, but her tone showed the students she meant
business.

ASSIGNMENT FIVE (Cooperating Teacher Interview): Arrange for a convenient time to

interview your cooperating teacher. Ask the questions below. Include documents, handouts
etc. the teacher provides you.
English Teacher
1. The primary reason I became a teacher was I liked helping kids. I was going
into the health field, but I found out it wasnt for me.
2. The main Challenge I face is the cooperation of parents these days. There is
less of it. Teachers are held more accountable and parents are held less
accountable. Parents expect teachers to teach their kids manners and how to
behave instead of teaching them that at home.
3. The best part of being a teacher is the interaction with the students. The
moment when they finally get something is the coolest part in my opinion.
4. I determine where my students sit by distributing gender evenly among five
desks in groups. I then try to put two high achieving students with two low
achieving students.
5. I select the members of flexible grouping by having the 504 students closer to
my desk. Students with IEPs are also closer to me as well. I try to partner them
with a few higher students. Further away students are usually my higher
students. I rotate them once every few weeks.
6. I interact with the parents for many things. However, it depends. In eighth
grade, I will reach out if I am having an issue. Behavior, not getting work done, or
something that was said that concerns me such as suicidal thoughts. My first
course of action would be alerting the school nurse then reaching out to the
parents.
7. I grade pretty much every day. I dont have a prep period so my student aid
helps out a lot. Grading take much longer because English assignments demands
about 2-3 hours of grading per day. I do most of my grading at home after school.
8. It is a lot easier now that I have been teaching for 17 years. Typically, I have an
idea and lessons just flow. Administration are less strict on my lesson plans.
 9. The behavior consequences that seem most effective for this age group are
complicated. Every student is different and it is important to get to know them.
Some students need their parents called, some need verbal warnings, some need
to leave the room. It is important that if they respect you, you will respect them.
For that reason, I have a good relationship with my students,
10. How often are you evaluated and what measurement tool(s) are used by
administration for determining your performance? Because I am a seasoned
teacher, I am observed once or twice a year. I tend to invite administration in my room. If
they arent in your room they trust you. We use the NEPF to evaluate yourself first and
then your admin then comes in to see if you are actually doing your tasks. They come in
to watch a lesson to insure you are following your standards.
11. What surprised me the most about teaching and the teaching profession is
that I didnt think it would be as much work as it is. If youre an effective teacher, youre
constantly attending classes and getting ideas to improve yourself.

ASSIGNMENT SIX (Observing a student): History Class

I observed Jordan, who Mr. Farmintino recommended for this activity. From the very beginning
he was participating in the class. Mr. Farmintino loves sports so Jordan asked him about a
relevant issue with a college sports star. During the CNN 10 student news, he was paying
attention the whole time. He was writing down facts as the anchor said them. Jordan was well
behaved, he didnt talk or disrupt the video once. After he was done writing his summary on the
news events, he put his head down and waited for Mr. Farmintino to start the lesson. The lesson
was about Aztec ritual sacrifice tradition. The students were given a packet with two short
stories about the Aztec ritual. They then had to answer questions about the stories in the
packet. Jordan used a highlighter to highlight important information to help answer the
questions. Overall, Jordan was on task the entire time, and never disrupted the class during the
lesson He seems to know what he is doing when it comes to his history work. Definitely a model
student.

ASSIGNMENT SEVEN:
I learned and experienced a lot during my ten-hour observation at Cadwallader Middle School. I
had a rather unique experience because I was assigned three cooperating teachers instead of
the usual one. I got to observe Mrs. James who teaches Math, Mrs. Drummond who teaches
English, and Mr. Farmintino who teaches World History. I learned from each of the three
teachers that it is important to create a good relationship with your students. It is okay to joke
around with your students, but you must establish a line that they should not cross with you. I
realized that students at Cadwallader are overall well behaved. I observed each teachers class
for about three class periods each. In each class, the students were all well behaved and on task
the entire class period. Being able to observe three different teachers also exposed me to three
different teaching styles. Mrs. James used the smart board and projector to visually show her
students how to do a specific math problem. I observed Mrs. Drummonds class when they
went to the computer lab to take reading counts quizzes. She didnt really have to teach a
lesson so I wasnt able to observe how she taught a lesson, but I learned something valuable
from my time with her. She showed how to positively interact with students. She had a great
relationship with every class period that walked in that day, and I hope that I can share the
same relationship with my students in the future. Mr. Farmintino used worksheet packets as
aids in his lesson. Each page had a little bit of reading, a picture or diagram, and a few questions
to answer about the reading. He also had a rather unique way of keeping his kids quiet while
they were filling out their packets. He allowed them to listen to music just as long as he couldnt
hear the music. This definitely worked as I did not hear a peep out of any of the students during
the 20-25-minute solo work. The textbook and class activities gave me some idea of what to
expect, but there is nothing like experiencing it first-hand. The teachers I observed all stressed
to me that classroom management is of upmost importance. Students will walk all over you if
you let them, and you must be firm when needed. I observed an elementary school last
semester so I got to see the differences in those two teaching jobs. An elementary school
teacher is responsible for the same class all day, and must teach them every subject. A middle
school teacher teaches the same lesson about six times a day to hundreds of different kids.
After experiencing both, I definitely want to become a middle school teacher. Yes teaching the
same lesson six times a day everyday seems a little boring, but being able to interact with
hundreds of different kids everyday sounds like a great job to have.

Remember to include your Time Log and Cooperating Teacher Evaluation with this
Field Observation Packet. Also, remind your cooperating teacher to email me and you
to confirm successful completion of the field observation.