First Observation!

On Monday for class we went to an Elementary school to observe in the classroom. What I observed was very eye opening. It was different this time to be in a classroom because I was there as an observer and not as a student. I understood the teacher position better and I saw things differently. Although I don't plan on teaching elementary school it was good to see how this school worked. It also made it very clear to me that I will never be equipped to teach elementary school. I observed a 1st grade class and it was hectic. When I arrived in the classroom the students were in centers that included writing and math. There was a group of students in the front of the class who were working on math problems on a smartboard. This was crazy to me because when I was in 1st grade the only things we used to learn math was some blue colored blocks. It's amazing how these students are already depending on technology in the classroom and how the teacher is using it to her advantage. Something that really hit me hard was how much we actually have to work on classroom management. Some of the students were getting up from their sits and interrupting class, others were not doing what they had been told. The teacher startled me when she blew a whistle, I then realized she blew it to get everyone's attention. While observing this classroom I got some ideas on how I want my future classroom to be like, I will make sure every student knows the rules and follows them. I will incorporate technology in my lesson plans to try and facilitate learning. I want to be able to use my time wisely and teach instead of wasting time trying to get the class to be quiet. I know that with observations I will be able to learn something from every class I sit in. Can't wait for next week!