Running head: Observation Paper

CLASS OBSERVATION #2
Carol Ashey
Gardner-Webb University
10.25.2012

This morning I observed the twelfth grade Advanced Placement English class of Mr.
Chad Beam at Shelby High School. Mr. Beam was very upbeat and chatted with his students as
they came into the room. As a luxury to his students, he played music from a playlist on a laptop,
which was very interesting as I have never seen that done before. The music continued to play as
the students arrived to class and began work on a journaling assignment.
The classroom itself was set up in the standard style, with the desks in rows and columns
all facing the same direction. The teachers desk was in the front of the room in a self-made
corner area, while the desks were all on the other side of the bookshelf which acted as a divider
between the desks and the teachers area.
During the journaling time, the lights in the classroom were off except for a floor lamp
and a desk lamp. The journaling assignment was for the students to answer a question on one of
the characters from The Scarlet Letter and how it related to teen culture of today. Some of the

Running head: Observation paper

students chatted briefly with one another before writing. When the assignment had been
completed, Mr. Beam asked specific students what they had written which led into discussion.
Mr. Beam asked fabulous questions that forced his students to think, and he came across as a
man who enjoys what he teaches and thus appears very animated and lively. The students, on the
other hand, were almost impossible to understand, as most of them spoke on a quieter level than
most.
Towards the beginning of the class, Mr. Beam had me stand up and introduce myself to
his class and then asked them if they had any advice for me. One student piped up and said
Dont be as hard as him, at which I laughed. Another student made a comment which made the
entire class laugh, but I did not catch what it was. Later on during the class, another college
student came into the class for an observation. During a discussion on writing papers, Mr. Beam
asked for input from the college students. I actually enjoyed being involved in that, even if it was
brief. I was not expecting Mr. Beam to do so, but it was nice being acknowledged since I am
used to observations being anonymous.
Overall, I really enjoyed observing Mr. Beams class because he taught in a similar way
that I wish to, only with regular students. He made an effort to make his class fun and engaging,
which he said that if one made learning fun, youre still learning, which was important and to
which I heartily agreed.