Establishing and maintaining a sense of community is an integral part of the classroom environment. These elements are what make students feel comfortable and safe to learn.
Allocate at least 4 hours in the field to support this field experience.
Speak with your mentor teacher and, provided permission, seek opportunities to observe three different classrooms, pre-K-Grade 3. Your mentor teacher must approve any hours spent observing another classroom environment.
In each classroom, observe how the teacher shares the class schedule, posts rules, and promotes a positive classroom community during routines and instruction. Pay particular attention to the use of digital media and tools used to meet the needs of diverse learners.
Use any remaining field experience hours to assist the teacher in providing instruction and support to the class.
In 500-750 words, summarize and reflect on your field experiences. In your summary, compare and contrast the three classrooms, answering the following questions:
• How did each teacher share the daily class schedule with the students?
• How did each teacher post and share the classroom rules and behavior expectations?
• What positive routines and behavior reinforcements were implemented during instruction to establish a positive learning environment?
• Did the teachers have different expectations for their students?
• What differentiation was identified during instruction?
• What adjustments would you have made in the classrooms? What technology resources would you utilize?
• How is the design of the each classroom you observed different? Share one design example that aligns with a positive classroom environment.
