Form of Field Experience Report

for EE 333
Date/Time: 1/14/15
Name: Catalina Dvila
1. Topic(s) that students learned (Brief description of the math class) and related Standards (CCSS-M)
The topic the first grade class was covering today was the concept of addition and subtraction through
the use of a word problem. The word problem was the following: there are 9 people in line for ice cream.
John is the 4th person in line. After John, how many people are there? There are two CCSS that I was able to
observe in the lesson.
-

CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.1.OA.C.5:
Relate counting to addition and subtraction

CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.1.OA.D.8
Determine the unknown whole number in an addition or subtraction equation relating three whole
numbers. For example, determine the unknown number that makes the equation true in each of
the equations 8 + ? = 11, 5 = _ - 3, 6 + 6 = _.

Upon entering the classroom the setup made me think that the students interacted in their mathematics
lessons. There were seven tables and each table had four chairs. On Wednesday there were 27 students
present with two teachers.

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2. Description of the students (Strengths and weakness of the students in the class regarding the topic
they studied during the class)
The whole classroom was composed of Hispanic children. The students were well behaved and one
could see that they had learned the daily routines. The students participated when they were at the rug
dissecting the word problem. I was surprised to see how well they were participating despite the twentysomething strangers around them simply observing. When the students went back to their seats I was able
to see their number sentences. One student had: 9 + 4 = 9 while the girl next to him had 9 + 4 = 14.
They had the correct visual representation with their flower counters but they did not see how the visual
representation transferred to the numerical representation.

At the rug I saw how some students had

understanding of the word problems while others did not despite having similar problems the previous
days. I was intrigued how through guiding questions asked by the teachers students were able to explain
their reasoning and others were able to see their error
3. Flow of the lesson (Minutes of the class)
Time

Teachers
instruction
comments, etc.)

(questions, Students learning activities (answers to

teacher, group work, individual work, etc.)

the

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- The teacher instructions were clear.

What do we already know from
the problem?

Go back to your seat and use the

flower counters to figure help you
figure out the problem.

- The students were able to understand the word

problem.
There are 9 people.
John is the 4th.

In silence the students got to work each one

using their flower counters. There was no
peer interaction.

- The teachers would walk around

looking a the students work and would
ask question:
Can you point to which one is
John in the line?
The students would point to where they
- The after allowing individual work time
thought John was based on their
the class regrouped at the rug.
understanding.
Can anyone show me the
- The students raised their hands to volunteer to
diagram they made with their
draw on the board their diagram.
flower counters?
With a thumb down or up, do
The whole thing is nine.
you agree with the diagram.
Which one on the diagram is
The majority of the class had a thumb up.
John?
The red one is John.
Can any one write their number
Marco: 4 + 5 = 9 Marco had the wrong
sentence?
number sentence in his math journal but
Does anyone know what the five
with the diagram he was able to see his
represents? Look back at the
error.
store.

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4. Summary of the class observation

The routines established allowed for an easy and sooth flow of the mathematics lesson. I loved and
enjoyed how at the
beginning of the lesson the students were asked to tell the teachers what they knew from the problem and
what the problem was asking them to do. To me this showed how students were to make connections. As
the students worked I wondered how the teachers reached those students who did not understand the
concepts.

I wanted to know how they retaught the concepts to those who did not understand. The

teachers used questions to guide the students to a better understand of what they were looking for in the
word problem.

Students on the rug and through their peer explanation were able to reach some

understand as not all students understood though. The students have been doing similar problems and
the teachers left the previous examples on the board as an aid as they work through similar problems. This
is helpful because they are able to form connections.

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