Field Visit #1!

Today we had our first field visit with a first grade class. We spent some time speaking with the teacher and observing the classroom before the children came back in from a "special." It was fun to watch the change in the atmosphere of the classroom as the children arrived. While the room was empty, I took note of the centers in the class, the items posted on the walls and bulletin boards, the arrangement of the desks, and the various materials present for children to use in their learning. The physical environment of the classroom varies from corner to corner and side to side. There are areas for reading, desks for students to work in, small tables for center work, and an area set aside for children to store their belongings and work. With all of these areas, there is certainly a lot going on in the classroom. The walls are covered with pocket charts, children's works, calendars, clocks, pictures and labels in multiple languages, shapes, maps, sight words, and problem solving games. Along the walls are pillows and stuffed animals for reading, book shelves and a library, puzzles, and dictionaries. The desks were aligned to allow for some conversation and group work, and larger tables are spread around the classroom for more collaborative work or games. Everywhere children turn, there are tools to help their learning and resources for them to use in various works/activities. I immediately noticed the many labels on the walls, clocks, pictures, and book bins to help children learn new concepts as well as languages.
As the children arrived, I felt the change in energy (and the stares of the children) as they rushed in to put their library books away and join the teacher on the rug. There was plenty of space for all children to join together for their daily morning calendar and counting activities.

The children definitely know their daily routine well. They knew exactly what to do and where to go as they entered the classroom. The teacher was very good at engaging the students and attracting their attention to the task at hand. Children were eager to participate and help with the organization of the calendars. As the students assembled, it was very clear that the class is very multi-cultural. It was great to see the teacher using multicultural activities to engage children. The class is learning both Spanish and Sign Language to communicate. Students were excited to do the planned activites, and the rules of the classroom and the individual games played at the centers were clearly understood. The teacher and the teaching assistant were supportive of students and encouraged them to try new challenges. I also noted that the teacher gave great feedback to the children as they answered questions. There were quite a few changes taking place, as various children left class for additional instruction, met with the teacher for reading assessment, and later came back to join their groups. This did not seem to be a distraction to the children.

Overall, this classroom is very well organized for children to learn, with various environments, tools, and activities surrounding them, all at a level appropriate for small children to see, reach, and use easily. The teachers obviously have taught the children how to proceed from activity to activity and how to treat each other and share, and they make sure to always encourage the students. I am excited to go back and work with the students further in weeks to come!