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Field Observations Blue Ash Elementary #2

GENERAL INFORMATION

1. Name and address of the school: Blue Ash Elementary, 9541 Plainfield Road, Cincinnati Ohio 45238

2. Date: See Attached sign-off sheet Time of Day: 9:30-11 Weather: Cloudy & Cold

3. Type of School (Public/ Private): Public

4. Hours the school is in session: 9:15-3:45

5. Description of the group you observed: First Graders

What is the age range of the group? 6-7 years old

How many children in the group? 21

o No. Of boys? 10 boys

o No. Of girls? 11 girls

Ratio of staff to children?

6. Basic philosophy of the school-- its stated aims and objectives of handout:

BELIEF STATEMENTS

The vision, mission, and priorities of Sycamore Community Schools are guided by the following Belief

Statements. We believe that…

Students are the focus of all that we do;

We must address the needs of the total person; teaching the mind and the heart

We must be proactive in preparing for a changing world;

There is power in a collaborative relationship with families in our community;

All persons have an innate desire and the capacity to learn;


Diversity enriches the human experience;

Integrity, respect and open communication promote trusting relationships;

We must value the citizens of our community and seek collaborative partnerships with all

entities to improve our effectiveness;

It is necessary to support and encourage continuous professional development of our

employees;

A safe and secure learning environment supports success;

We attract and employ highly talented staff who are held to a high standard of accountability;

and

We are fiscally responsible and good stewards of our resources

B.THE PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT - INDOOR

1. List the 5 materials the children used most often in free play, or materials observe the children might

use.

o The children did not have any free playtime. At snack time the children sat at their

desks and listen to a story or watched a movie the Boxcar Children.

o The students may have used the computer for learning games on Study Island.

Describe the above free play:

2. Is a variety of material available in open shelves for the children to use when interested?

Yes? No?

3. Indoor furnishings, materials and equipment well spaced for safety and usage?

Excellent Average Poor


Describe:

Although there was quite a bit of material in the room, the room was very large, it seemed as if it was

too full.

4. Indoors materials and equipment that is unusual or unique?


Describe:

There were about 3 computers along one side of the wall.

5. Give 2 examples of play materials conducive to small motor skills-digital (finger) dexterity.

There was very little if any play material.

The children used something called bits and pieces when they were doing math. The

children used this opportunity to play, although they were disciplined when they did.

6. Give 2 examples of play materials conducive to imaginative and creative play.

Books

7. Give 2 examples of play materials especially conducive to concept development (i.e. number

recognition, shapes, seriation, size, color, symbol, word recognition, etc.). Be specific; please list

material and concept it promotes.

Shapes were laminated and posted around the room. Doctor Jean’s alphabet letters

were on the wall. Observing the shapes and making the sound for the letters will help

increase language development. Additionally learning the sounds would promote

reading development.


8. Give 2 examples of indoor equipment and materials that might be used to help a child release and

cope with negative feelings.

There were none in the classroom.

9. Are materials stored neatly and well-spaced in individual units, i.e., boxes, \plastic pails, pans,

drawers, etc., so children can use them and return them without confusion and without being

forced to share with a group.

Yes No

Describe how they were stored:

Materials were stored in tubes, crates, and baskets. You could see through some of them. Although

some things were stored it was still not very organized and neat.

10. Can quiet and noisy activities go on without disturbing one another?

Yes Some No

Is there an appropriate place for each? Yes No

Describe: Everything was pretty close quarters. The computers were set apart and had head sets. The

children didn’t do noisy activities that I observed.

11. Where their teacher planned (vs. free play) and/or teacher directed indoor activities for the

children? Yes No

Give three examples of teacher planned activities or directed activities children are or could be involved

in.

All activities were teacher directed.


Students worked on work sheets while she directed them from the smart board.

Children had some time to work alone on the worksheets.

12. Is the children’s artwork displayed at the child eye level? (See attached images)

Yes No

Describe types of art displayed:

No artwork is displayed in the class. All art is in the hallway.

13. Did you observed any inappropriate equipment? Yes No

14. List and describe 2 things that made the room attractive.

There are two windows.

Poems on the wall. (A little worn)

Dr. Jean’s Alphabet drawings in color were posted on the wall.

The children were beautiful.

15. List and describe 2 things that made the room unattractive.

It was overwhelming with all the material on the walls.

The gray paint color.

16. How would you describe the overall space?

Very attractive better than average average needs some improvement unattractive


17. Describe: colors of walls and flooring, decorations in the room, kind and color of furnishings.

The walls were a grayish bluish cell type color. The decorations probably were quite intentional and

thoughtful at one point but now seem cluttered and lackluster as if they had forgotten their purpose in

the room. The desks were arranged nicely in groups of 4 or 5, directed towards the smart board and the

teacher.

18. Describe how the materials--furniture and activities, etc., are arranged and placed in the room.

(DRAW on a separate page.)

Please see drawing on attached page.

C. THE PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT –OUTDOORS I did not observe the Physical Environment

1. The variety of outdoor equipment is:


Describe:

2. Give 3 examples of large permanent apparatus.

3. Give 3 examples of portable play materials conducive to gross motor skills.

4. Outdoor equipment is will arranged for safety and usage.



Describe:

5. Any outdoor materials and equipment that are unique, different?

Excellent average poor

Describe:

6. Is there a variety of outdoor surfaces?

Grass cement asphalt dirt sand gravel

7. Describe 2 things that made the yard attractive.

8. Describe 2 things that made the yard unattractive.

1. How would you describe the overall play space? Very attractive

Better than average Average Needs some improvement Unattractive

2. Describe the shape of the yard, landscape (trees, flowers, grass, etc.), the arrangement of

equipment, activities and choices for children. (DRAW on a separate page.)

3. Is the yard easy to supervise? Yes No

D. INTERPERSONAL ENVIRONMENT

TEACHER/CHILD RELATIONS

1. How did the teacher provide a warm overall interpersonal environment (i.e., talk, touch,

involved with children)?


Describe: give a specific example

Once or twice she called the students “friends” or used the term as “I have some friends who are

ready.”

The teacher consistently walked around the room.

2. How did the needs for basic trust and security met (i.e., sharing feelings, teacher approachable)?


While the teacher seemed nice, I did not observe that the children thought that it was okay to approach

the teacher. When students did approach the teacher, she reminded them of what they were suppose

to be doing, and answered their questions as if they had asked the question before (a little impatiently).

3. Does the teacher use “open-end questions” encouraging the child to answer and think and

participate in learning and discovery?

Occasionally Sometimes Never Did not observe


The teacher would ask a question and say, “What’s a little strange about that…?”

The teacher would also say “That’s a little tricky…”

4. Does the teacher use errors or mistakes as learning experience for the child and move forward

on a positive not?

Always Often Occasionally sometimes never did not observe


Does it make a difference if a teacher uses positive or negative techniques for the child to move

forward? I think it does make a difference since I believe that words have power. If I was a child in this

classroom I think I would have had my feelings hurt many times by the teacher’s words, impatience, and

tone. Although I’m quite sure she did not mean them to be harmful.

The children were mostly quiet and well behaved.

7. COMPETITION All of the time

Most of the time

Some of the time

Seldom Not at all

Is their outright Fostering of

competition?

X

Are there enough equipment

and materials?

X

Does the teacher compare

children?

X

Are there too many children

in one activity at one time?

X Computers

Is there an apparent plan for

taking turns?

X

Is there outright favoritism? X

Describe your conclusions on competition at this school

The classroom did not seem openly competitive although the students consistently looked at each other

to see who was doing what and when they were doing it. The little guy I helped with spelling kept

looking at the students in the classroom to see if he was caught up with them.


8. When limits are placed or directions given, do adults use reasoning and consistently follow through?

Always Often Occasionally Sometimes Never Did not observe

Give a specific example:

The children certainly knew the rules, the teacher was very consistent, and used limited reasoning. Any

reasoning or follow up was always negative. If a student did not put something away the teacher would

tell them to do what she asked of them.

9. Is the teacher a positive model for behavior and healthy attitudes (tone of voice, manners, treatment

of children, etc.)?

Yes No


I think overall the teacher is a positive role model. Her tone of voice was high and a bit commanding.

The teacher seemed to have some students who got under her skin more than others. But overall she

treated everyone the same.

10. Was there evidence that the teacher tried to include most of the children in some manner during the

activities you observed.

Yes No


Everyone had a turn at the dry erase board when they were doing number placement. The students

were very interested in this work.

All the students were called upon when they did compound words unit.


All the students played the game together on the website with compound words as well.

Overall, it seemed that, the boys were bored and more fidgety, more quickly, than the girls.

11. Where there children who did not engage in play activities? Yes No

Describe: One young boy who was new to the country did not understand English and could not

participate in most activities. He was often sent to the computer to work.

Another little guy was sent to his seat during carpet time for misbehavior. I think he may have been

touching a friend.

4. Is there much freedom of choice allowed? Yes No

What were the alternatives for the children?

Describe:

There were no alternatives for the children, except for the little guy who did not understand English. He

used the computer quite a bit.

One time, children who finished an assignment first were allowed to start coloring the next project.

5. Were the majority of activities you observed:

Teacher selected Child selected Combination of both


Math, teaching ones, tens and hundreds placement with a work sheet, bits and pieces and the smart

board.

English compound words on worksheets, dry erase board and the smart board.


Story sequence, teacher read aloud.

Spelling tests.

Writing a story.


E. ACTIVITIES TO STIMULATE DEVELOPMENT (EITHER DISPLAYED OR BEING USED)

1. Are there opportunities for dramatic play? Yes No

Example: The teacher said that was for Kindergarten when I asked her.

2. Is there a housekeeping area, doll house? Yes No

Dress- up clothes for boys as well as girls? Yes No

Any other materials that might encourage interest and involvement in dramatic play?

Yes No

Examples:

3. Did you observe a variety of basic art supplies? Yes No Did not observe

Examples:

4. Are there equipment and materials to stimulate language development?

Yes No Did not observe

Examples:

10 shelves of books

20 baskets of books


Tubs of books with ditto sheets.

5. Are there equipment and materials to stimulate concepts about people and how they live together

(families, community helpers, etc.?)


Examples:

Mostly signs that say things like, “Grow together, Read together,” “Be Safe, Be Respectful,” “Be a

Problem Solver,” and “Be Responsible.”

6. Are there equipment and materials to stimulate science concepts?


Examples:

Animal Books

Dinosaur Books

Are there small manipulative toys to build eye-hand coordination and finger dexterity?


Examples:


Yes, but they are only for learning ones, tens, hundreds placement. The children were reprimanded if

they played with them.

The children did have to manipulative their 3 prong folders to get their papers organized in their folders.

Are there some opportunities to follow patterns or achieve a predetermined goal: puzzles,

design blocks, dominos, matching games?


Examples:

Do children do things like cooking, planting a garden, caring for animals, field trips?


Examples: Although there were books about these items.

Are there provisions for children to learn through their senses (taste, smell, touch, etc.) as well

as verbally?


Examples:


Are there materials in the room that address the multicultural world in which we live?


Examples:

Black history Month. There were books at the table I was sitting at and the teacher read a book by an

African American Writer, Denise Lewis Patrick, and titled Dancing Shoes. It was very good and the

children were very interested in the story.

12. Are there materials that encourage and foster care about our environment: recycling, posters,

books, etc.?


Examples:

They were some posters on the wall about protecting the earth.

Globe.

F. GOALS OF EARLY CHILDHOOD

1. Did observe the teacher helping a child development a positive self-image/ self-esteem?

Very helpful Helpful Helpful Did not observe

2. Did you observe the teacher help the child in learning or improving gross and small motor skills

(motor development)?


3. Did the teacher stimulate language development by helping the child learn new vocabulary?



4. Did the teacher help the child in encouraging cognitive growth in such areas as: understanding,

perception, knowing, analyzing, questioning?


5. Did the teacher help the child in encouraging creative growth by allowing the child to explore

materials rather than tell the child how to do things or by using predetermined crafts with only one right

way?


6. Give one example from the above. (Give number from above.)

#3) The teacher assisted with vocabulary, and stimulated language, when she read dancing shoes

G. GENERAL SUMMARY. YOU MUST ANSWER ALL AREAS OF THIS SECTION.

DESCRIBE, GIVE EXAMPLES IN EACH AREA

What is your overall opinion of indoor/outdoor environment?

1. Include a description of indoor/ outdoor environment.

My overall opinion of the indoor equipment is that the classroom was crowded and needed to be

cleared of clutter. Most of the students kept their desk areas neat. The one student, who did not, was

told that he needed to clear out his desk to find the folder they were working in. My opinion is that the

old posters and papers on the wall should be taken down so that there is some breathing room in the

classroom. Perhaps, only intentional poster should be up and they should mean something.

2. Interactions between teacher and children.

One child in particular seemed to need consistent correction from the teacher, I think he was talking,

although very quietly. Additionally, whenever the teacher called on him he always knew the answer. I

had the impression that he may have been bored. He listened attentively at story time and was always

bursting to answer teacher directed questions. Most of the teacher’s interactions with students were


corrective and slightly blaming with statements like “you should know” or “put that away” and “are you

ready to learn?”

3. Teacher characteristics and personality? The teacher had a nice personality and is probably well

liked by parents. She is a grandmother and greatly enjoys her grandchildren and is effusive in

her praise of them. The teacher did not smile very easily to the students. I think that she

probably was a very smiley person at one time. The teacher took great joy in books and wanted

to share that with her class. The teacher seemed very strict and controlled/managed her class in

such a way that the students were very quiet and obedient. I don’t know if it was like that all

the time but I have the impression it may have been.

4. Activities: All activities were teacher directed and are purposeful, standard based, controlled

and quiet. The students seemed to lighten up a bit during snack time. One time they got to

watch the video the Boxcar Children, another time the teacher read a book to them, on another

occasion the class looked at pictures of the Whitehouse on the smart board.

5. Selection of materials. Most materials were ditto worksheets and writing in their journals on

lined gray paper. One time they had a huge piece of lined gray paper that they were able to

make a colored picture on.

6. Goals of early childhood (see the 5 goals of this observation) give examples of goals being met or

not met. Goal one: the teacher could have acknowledged all of the children doing such a

great job of listening and following directions. Goal two: The teacher did a great job verbally

instructing the children on how to open a three-prong folder. However, for the children who

needed additional help, with this fine motor skill, she simply went over the directions verbally

again, instead of actually helping them or directing a student to help. Goal Three: The teacher


did an excellent job stimulating vocabulary when she read the Red Dancing Shoes. The teacher

often stopped and described what was happing. Additionally, the teacher went back through

the book and retold what happened all the while asking questions. This was a very nice moment

in the classroom. Goal four: The teacher often told the students what they were analyzing, what

they were seeing and how it related and connected to prior knowledge. One thing the teacher

referred back to consistently was that students should use their schema to figure something

out. Goal five: The teacher did not encourage creative growth but rather told students exactly

what to do. The class did not do any pre-determined crafts, and in their writing projects, the

teacher was very clear on how she wanted their papers to be, as far as name placement and the

number of sentences.

7. How did you feel about the way they handled discipline at this school? Use examples.

I did not agree with the discipline strategy. I felt there was no “seeking to understand first.” It

seemed that some children were left to their own devices to make up classwork on their own if

they fell behind, could not perform as quickly as other students, or couldn’t find the right paper.

One little girl I happened to be sitting behind kept working on her writing assignment all the

way through snack. The other children had eaten their snack before she had a chance to even

get hers. This little girl did not complain, just kept working to catch up. She was one of the

students the teacher had mentioned as having gone to half-day kindergarten last year.

8. Would you send your child to this school? Why or why not?

No. I think my daughter would come home crying everyday saying the teacher did not like her. My son would just tolerate the class, not complain, and just be glad when it was over. The children did not seem happy and carefree or seem to find much joy in learning in this classroom.

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