A. Heading

Name: Sally Kleinknecht

Date of field experiences reported: Thursday, October 24, 2002

Time spent: 11:45 – 2:45 p.m.

Subject area: Math

Grade level: Varied

B. Sequence of Events

Geometry class – mainly freshmen and sophomores

1. I came into the class already halfway through.
2. The teacher is explaining the concept of proving lines perpendicular.
3. He is doing work on the board, but I can’t see it. His body is blocking it.
4. He explains the homework – the wording might be different but it means the same.
5. He gives homework – the students work together.
6. A student asks the teacher for paper. After a short conversation, the teacher gives her a piece of paper.
7. The teacher talks to me about a student who failed the pop quiz yesterday because he was absent the day before and he wasn’t listening yesterday. He explained how he extended grace to the student.
8. The teacher squats when he talks with a student.
9. Students are working quietly.

Pre-calculus class – mainly juniors and seniors

1. The class is pretty noisy and friendly before the bell rings.
2. While the teacher is taking attendance, the students keep on talking.
3. The teacher goes to each student and checks to see if he/she has completed the homework given the night before. If a student completes his homework he/she gets 2 points. If he/she completes it partially, one point. Zero points if not at all.
4. As he is checking homework, he answers several questions.
5. Students are still talking amongst themselves.
6. The teacher begins writing on the board one of the homework problems. Some of the students continue talking.
7. The teacher begins lecturing, and the class finally quiets down.
8. He is very thorough, going step-by-step, though quickly. Many aren’t paying attention.
9. He gives them a “trick” of how he memorizes the half-angle tangent formula.
10. He discusses with the students whether the test should be a free-response or a multiple choice. Most of the students prefer a free-response.
11. He uses the side blackboard when the front is full.
12. He ignores the students that are talking and not listening.
13. He talks about a “safety net” in math – is this a reasonable answer?
14. He discusses the different philosophies in math on memorizing vs. not memorizing.
15. One student is falling asleep. The teacher asks if he needs to give the student CPR. The students laugh.
16. He finished the review, giving them suggestions for taking tests.
17. The last 5 minutes he allows them to talk.

Geometry Honors – mainly freshmen

1. The teacher pulls aside a student, let’s call him Matt, and talks with him outside before the period begins.
2. The teacher leaves the class at the beginning of the period leaving a student in charge. He then returns.
3. He tells me, in front of the class, what a great class they are. He then tells them not to let that go to their head.
4. He passes out their tests after going over the grading scale.
5. Matt keeps getting out of his seat (front row) to go back to the last row to talk to his friend. The teacher asks if he needs to get him a seat belt.
6. The teacher is talking with another student.
7. Matt gets out of his chair again.
8. The teacher talks with Matt again to remind him what happens if he is out of his seat a third time.
9. He begins to lecture on the isosceles triangle.
10. When the teacher draws a triangle on the board, he always asks a student to name it (i.e. A-J-Q)
11. He takes the proof of “opposite angles of an isosceles triangle are congruent” and goes beyond it – showing perpendicular bisector and angle bisector.

Algebra 1 – mainly freshmen and sophomores

1. The teacher takes attendance.
2. He is going to give a test on percents and proportions.
3. He moves the students around so that they are not sitting next to one another.
4. He asks a student to pick “odd” or “even.” She picks “odd.”
5. He hands out to each student a half of sheet of paper longwise.
6. He asks the students to number the sheet 1 – 25, odd only, every other line.
7. He hands out the test.
8. As the students begin handing the tests in, I begin grading the tests.
9. I finish grading the tests as the students talk until the end of class.

C. Elaboration of One or Two Significant Episodes

Episode 1. In the first Geometry class, after the teacher gives the homework on proving lines perpendicular, the students begin settling down. The teacher is walking up and down the aisle to see if anyone needs help. Most of the students are working quietly. Student A asks him, “May I have some paper? I don’t have any.” The teacher squats down so he is face-to-face and says, with a grin, “Is it my responsibility for paper today?” Student A laughs. The teacher says seriously, “You may have this sheet of paper, but you must bring it back full tomorrow.” Student A looks at him, confused; then she laughs and takes the sheet of paper from him. Student A immediately gets to work on her homework.

Episode 2. In the second Geometry class, as the students are filing in, the teacher pulls Student B aside and talks with him outside of the classroom. Student B comes in and sits down prior to the bell ringing. As the teacher is passing out the tests, the students are talking quietly in their seats. Student B gets up out of his front row seat and walks back to the last row to sit down. He begins talking with his friend. The teacher sees him and says, “Do I need to get a seat belt for you?” Student B shakes his head and returns to his seat. A few minutes later, as the teacher is answering another student’s question at the student’s desk, Student B gets up again and goes back to his friend’s desk to talk. The teacher looks up and sees him. This time he says to Student B in front of the class, “On the third time – where are you going then?” Student B doesn’t say anything as he is walking back to his seat. “Nowhere is this room!” says the teacher. Student B says, “It’s not my third time.” “Sit down,” the teacher responds firmly. Student B sits and doesn’t get up again. The rest of the students do not appear to be bothered by this interruption.

D. Analysis of Episode(s)

Both episodes were great examples of the importance of a teacher’s rapport with his students. First, I think it was important for the teacher to be available to the students, walking up and down the aisles, instead of up front at his desk. This told the students that he was willing to help. The students did not hesitate to ask him questions – even for paper, which every student should bring to class. He handled this very effectively – using humor. I liked the way he squatted down so that he could be on the same level (or lower) than the student. It allowed the conversation to become private and more intimate. I think it showed the student that he was listening. I am afraid I would have said, “Borrow from someone else” or “You should have brought paper!” But, he didn’t shame the student. He showed the student he cared through his humor, his caring response, and his posture. I could tell that the student was “built up” after their interaction, not “broken down.” This was an example for me to treat students with respect, even in their failures. It also caused me to reflect on my own non-verbal cues and what they are saying to my students.

In the second incident, the teacher already knew who he was going to have to “sit on” this period. After the class, I found out that the teacher had talked with the student, telling him the consequences of not staying in his seat. It showed me the advantage of being pro-active with managing the classroom. No one knew that the teacher had this conversation with the student, which, I think, showed respect to the student. The student must be hyperactive, because he could not sit still, especially since there was nothing to focus on up front. The teacher again used humor, firmly this time, to get him back to his seat. Both times the teacher did not raise his voice, but was very firm. Their interactions appeared to be ignored by the rest of the students. This told me that this scenario must happen frequently. Even when the teacher talked with him the last time, the students ignored the conversation. This time the teacher was not squatting down, but standing. A position of authority was needed now, unlike the other episode when the teacher was coming along side of the student. The student finally received and understood the message, and stayed in his seat the rest of the period. I can imagine the frustration of dealing with a “wandering” student on a daily basis. This teacher showed great patience in a difficult situation. It encouraged me to firstly, to plan, and secondly, to be patient, and thirdly, to persevere. Each student needed something different from this teacher. The only way I will know what the student needs is to get to know him or her personally.