Running head: OBSERVATION #1 SETTING 1

Observation #1 Setting

Allison Gerlach

Raritan Valley Community College

Professor Kimberly Schirner

September 24, 2018

SETTING 2

EDUC 212 Foundations of Education

I. Observation #1:
Setting

II. Grade Level and Subject Area:

Preschool II

III. Setting:
The classroom is in a child care department that is a part of the Somerset Hills
YMCA. The class is comprised of 20 children ages 4-5 years old typically. The
day that I was in the classroom, there was only 15 children (4 boys and 11 girls).
There are two teachers in the room. There are three other classrooms of younger
children in the childcare department.

IV. Pre-Observation:
Prior to my observation in the classroom I expect to see a classic
preschool setting with tables, chairs, a rug, book shelves, cubbies and toys. Since
it is a preschool, I expect to see plenty of open space for playing, circle time, story
time, nap time, or lessons that require ample space. I expect there to be a sink and
a bathroom since the students are in the classroom all day. I found an article on
the National Education Association website that got me thinking about the aspects
that teachers take into consideration when designing their classroom. The space
should feel comfortable for the teacher and the students (Zauber, n.d.). I expect
the space to be functional as well as welcoming for the younger children.
From my research, I understand that classroom set up can have a direct
correlation to students’ behavior. Traffic should be free flowing in the classroom
to enable the teacher to walk freely as well as to give the students access to the
whole room without conflict. All supplies in the room should be within reach so
the students get all the materials that they need. Teachers should have students’
work displayed in and outside of the classroom to promote pride and expectations
of successful work to strive for. The classroom or school rules should be
displayed so that all students have clear expectations set for them. The schedule
should also be clearly displayed so that students as well as the teacher can stick to
the routine. Structure helps the day stay on task and cuts down on ideal time, so
the schedule is important (Trussell, 2008,).
Another aspect I found through my research is the concept of Universal
Design. Classrooms will have a diverse set of learners and even if you do not have
a student with a diagnosed special need, there has to accommodations in place to
assist all the learners. The room should be a safe space that all children can use
regardless of ability. For example, papers should be low enough for the children
to reach on their own, the environment should not be over stimulating as to
distract the students, the posters or learning materials should be presented in a
way that all learners can understand (Hitchcock and Stahl, 2003). These physical
SETTING 3

accommodations that should be in place in the classroom can also be reflected in

the inclusive teaching techniques that teachers should incorporate in their daily
lessons.

V. Data:
 Children gather on the carpet on dots that are placed down to form a circle
 The shelves, the easel, the tables and the computers were options for free choice play
time
 Jobs are listed on the bulletin board so the kids can see
 Spanish days of the week are listed next to the regular calendar
 Children’s work is displayed on another bulletin board, 15 free draw pictures
 Shelves and cubbies for toys are against the back wall with the windows
 There are cubbies next to the computers for the children’s nap time comfort items,
blankets, extra clothes for enrichment activities, and snacks
 ABCs and 123s above the bulletin board with the daily things
 Circle time schedule is posted on the wall beneath the bulletin board and is referred to
throughout the opening lessons
 Sign language alphabet and braille symbols are posted on the closet door
 Birthday calendar is posted above the sink
 Town carpet with streets is on the big rug for play time
 Solar system banner is hanging above the windows
 Stars are hanging from the ceiling
 Children take a kindness pledge
 Antsy child is pulled behind the circle to have more space to move around before
returning to the circle
 Games and puzzles are on shelves by the door out of the children’s reach
 The dots on the carpet were placed too close together so the children had to scoot
back to have space to participate in some of the songs
 Schedule, enrichment schedule, allergies, lunch menu, important information, and
staff schedule is posted about the sink at adult eye level
 A large chair is in the middle of the carpet against the shelves for story time
 Sink is low so the children can reach it without having to use a step stool
 Children’s mailboxes (manila folders) are on a bulletin board by the door, each has a
picture of their family or a picture of themselves clipped to it
 Garbage is accessible to the children
 One teacher sings songs with the kids while the other places out journals and supplies
for the next activity
 There is an evacuation plan mapped out by the door and there is a door window cover
taped to the back of the door for lockdowns
 Theme of the week is family
 For their journal entry children draw a picture of their family then the teacher
captions it for them
 Supplies are in the middle of the table in little cadies, it is hard for kids to reach
 When children finish the activity, they are instructed to get books and sit down on the
carpet to read quietly
SETTING 4

 They line up on the dots by the mailboxes to wait to go to the bathroom

 The bathroom is located across the hallway from their classroom
 There is a bad traffic flow there because children want to be first in line
 There is not space for them to reach their cubbies adequately
 The cubbies are too high for them to reach fully
 Their backpacks stay in the hallway
 When they come inside from the playground they put their shoes in a separate cubby
by the back door
 There is a family tree hung up above the computers with the pictures from home
 There is a library with a ton of books above the cubbies
 Coats, spare clothes, movies, and teacher books are in the closet
 There are dry erase boards with markers by the computer station
 The computer station is the closest thing to a teacher’s desk in the classroom although
the teachers seldom sit there
 In the hallway, outside of the classroom is a bulletin board of drawings and of the
schedule for the class. Each classroom has this outside their room. There are three
other rooms.
 Nap mats are in the closet directly across the hallway from the classroom door
 Nap mats are handed out to students and they set them up for after lunch and outdoor
time
 Kids sleep on the carpet, except for two disruptive students who sleep on the other
side of the tables alone
 All the children go to the bathroom and wash their hands before outdoor time
 Teacher put on Spanish sing along songs on YouTube for the kids who are waiting
 Line leader gets to choose how they walk outside, she chooses fingers on their lips.
They walk quietly.
 They walk past the other classroom to get to the playground
 Play on the playground with the other classes
 With so many girls in the class there was a lot of “you aren’t my friend” and “you
aren’t my best friend”
 Arguments over who will play with who
 Lunch time back in the classroom with school supplied lunch
 The children change for dance and soccer after they are finished eating
 Nap time, soothing music is played while the children lay down
 The teacher cleans the tables and floor after lunch
 A little girl with glasses hangs them on a thumbtack on the shelve by her nap mat
 Kids struggle to reach all the items in their cubbies because they are in bins inside the
cubby and it is too high for them to see
 Enrichment classes are for the children who have paid an extra fee (swimming,
sports, ballet, or tumbling)
 Children who are not in enrichment classes stay in the classroom and nap for a longer
time than those who leave the classroom for other activities
SETTING 5

VI. Analysis:
The setting of this classroom was highly functional. Students had access to
the supplies they needed for lessons from the caddies placed on their tables. The
sink and paper towels are lowered so that students have a chance to safely and
efficiently use them. Also, the garbage is in a central location, making the
children much more self-sufficient because they have the chance to clean up after
themselves. The sink also has cups next to it for students who need to get a drink
and I thought that was a very useful tool for students while they are learning to
self-regulate their needs (Hitchcock and Stahl, 2003).
The table set up that this classroom uses is perfect for encouraging social
interaction. The children have opportunities to communicate while they work and
this is especially important in early childhood classrooms (Maddern, 2011). This
set up also allows for the sharing of knowledge and the opportunity to support
other academically (Hitchcock and Stahl, 2003). While the lesson I observed was
about their own families and not a more universal topic, students took this
opportunity to share with their table mates about their home lives.
Something very positive that I found about the environment of the
classroom was the noise level. Students were under control and even during lunch
time or transitions there was not too much noise. For example, during nap time
the teachers turn the lights down and all the students lay on their nap mats. Even
the students who were not sleeping, were resting and silent. I attribute this to the
environment that the teachers created and the timing of nap in their schedule.
They play soothing instrumental music from the computer to calm the children
SETTING 6

and nap follows outdoor play and lunch time, the most energetic of activities (Ask
hello, 2018).
The classroom was decorated in a very balanced way. There was just
enough student work and just enough teacher bought items to make the classroom
functional and cozy (Zauber, n.d.). The use of informational posters, like the sign
language alphabet and the solar system, help to teach students more complex
lessons than the ones that are easily taught verbally. Also, the posting of student
work helps to make the children feel at home in their classroom. They have pride
in their work and are excited to see that their teachers are proud of it too (Trussell,
2008).

VII. Recommendations:
The main issue that I found within the setting was the placement of the
students’ cubbies. While their backpacks were in the hallway to alleviate some of
the clutter in the classroom, the students have far too many things in their cubbies.
They have their blankets for nap time, their clothes for enrichment activities and
their comfort items from home. Also, because there are so many students, some of
the cubbies are much higher up than others on the shelf. I suggest putting the bins
in the cubbies on a different shelf by the windows so that all the children can
reach their things. I also think that if the students kept their change of clothes in
their backpacks, this might help to cut down on the surplus of items in the
cubbies. Another issue that I found with the cubby placement was the distraction
it caused to the children as they line up. Students were playing with the things in
their cubbies as the teachers tried to corral them into a quiet line to go outside or
to wait to go to the bathroom. Moving this shelf would be very beneficial to the
students (Trussell, 2008).
Another thing that might improve the learning experience in the classroom
is the flexibility in table layout. The traffic flow around the tables is fine but, the
grouping is what I found to be the issue. There are bigger group with the more
disruptive or talkative students while the smaller groups were where the quieter
students sat. If the teachers move the quieter students into the larger groups, this
would lead them to be more social and if the more distracting students were in a
smaller group, this would lead them to focus better. I think that if the teachers
moved the tables more to circular setting, this might encourage class wide
communication rather than just table wide. Because volume is not really an issue
in this class, I think that this would be good to foster a more inclusive feeling in
the room (Maddern, 2011).
SETTING 7

VIII. Post Observation:

From this observation, I learned a lot about how important it is to
multitask in a classroom. While I was taking my notes, students were approaching
me and asking me to help them with things or to show me things that they made
or even just to ask me random questions. It was challenging at first to keep track
of everything but as I went along with the day, it became easier for me to just take
notes in my mind about the important things I was seeing and to just write them
down later. I can imagine this technique would be very important when you have
your own classroom and you need to constantly be observing your students and
assessing their needs. I also learned how important it is to be flexible and adapt to
the needs of your students. If you are too focused on what your main goal is, you
might miss out on the signs that your students need something from you. You
need to be able to think on your feet and change things up to accommodate your
children.
 SETTING 8

IX. Citations:
Ask hello. (2018). Teaching Young Children, 11(5), 31. Retrieved from

https://ezp.raritanval.edu/login?url=https://search-proquest-

com.ezp.raritanval.edu/docview/2080866806?accountid=13438

Hitchcock, C., & Stahl, S. (2003). Assistive technology, universal design, universal design for

learning: Improved learning opportunities. Journal of Special Education

Technology, 18(4), 45-52. Retrieved from

https://ezp.raritanval.edu/login?url=https://search-proquest-

com.ezp.raritanval.edu/docview/228483843?accountid=13438

Maddern, K. (2011). Seats in groups, columns or rows. The Times Educational

Supplement, (4964), 4. Retrieved from https://ezp.raritanval.edu/login?url=https://search-

proquest-com.ezp.raritanval.edu/docview/911183450?accountid=13438

Trussell, R. P. (2008). Classroom universals to prevent problem behaviors. Intervention in

School and Clinic, 43(3), 179-182. Retrieved from

https://ezp.raritanval.edu/login?url=https://search-proquest-

com.ezp.raritanval.edu/docview/211715843?accountid=13438

Zauber, K. (n.d.). Classroom Set-Up: Assess Your Space. Retrieved from

http://www.nea.org/tools/classroom-setup-assess-your-space.html