WASHINGTON STATE UNIVERSITY TL330 1

Classroom Observation (for your Final Integrated Social Justice Lesson Plan)
DUE: March 26th 2017 on Blackboard
To help prepare you for your group Final Integrated Social Justice Lesson Plan, please engage in
a targeted observation of the classroom, and engage in discussions with your teacher around the
following areas. Remember, these are things for you to consider so that you can ensure, to the
best of your ability, that your lesson plan is culturally responsive and accessible to all of the
students in your classroom. Some of these questions can be answered via your observations, but
many will require some discussions with your teacher. Please remember, each individual in
your group needs to submit a classroom observation sheet on Blackboard by March 26th
(Sunday).
1. What is the general layout of the classroom and resources available for you to use for
your lesson and stations? Whiteboard, projector, laptop, document camera, smartboard,
Chromebooks, etc.? What supplies do the children generally have in their desks that they
can use?

The layout of the classroom was that there was a projector, CD player, document camera,
and chrome books. The supplies that students had in their desks were pencils, markers,
journals, and story town books.

2. What are some of the classroom dynamics to consider? Number of boys and girls in the
class? What grouping strategies might you consider for your stations?

There are 11 boys and 11 girls in the classroom. The dynamics of the classroom was that
they had group points. This really helps the classroom when coming to transitions
because the students want to get the points to get rewarded at the end. Each student also
has a brag tag. This is when they have a necklace and collect tags for things they did well
such as being a good worker, partner, helper, cleaner upper, focused.

3. What are some of the general mathematics concepts that all of the students in your grade
level can understand/use, regardless of their math grouping? Are there particular
mathematical concepts that the teacher thinks would be useful for your lesson to use?

During math they have walk to math. There is a high class then everyone who is on level
and lower split into two different classes. Every student takes the same tests but the
higher level goes into more depth. What the class is working on now is 3 digit
subtraction.

4. What are some of the main themes in the social studies curriculum for your grade level
that might be a good tie in for your lesson?

The main theme in social studies right now is the history in Pullman. They spend a few
weeks on the flood, fire, water, and farming. These are all things that impacted Pullman.
They are also starting Why we live where we live. This is a book that talks about food,
jobs, and different countries. If a country doesnt have a Safeway, where do they get their
WASHINGTON STATE UNIVERSITY TL330 2

food? They just started this before spring break and the teacher is making her own lesson
and doing her own thing, not based off of a curriculum.

5. What social studies resources do you observe in the classroom (maps, texts, books, etc)?

For social studies she said that they kind of do their own thing. There was no map or
textbook in the classroom. The only thing they have been using is the book Why we live
where we live. That is the only main focus on social studies that they have done so far.

6. Regarding ELL students, what is the first/home language? Are they receiving services in
the school? How many years? What strategies have teachers used that were helpful?

There are two students who are going through testing for ELL and are not pulled out.
They make accommodations as needed. Both of these students are Arabic. They blend in
with the class and dont really stand out as ELL.

7. Regarding students with special needs, what accommodations do you need to consider for
reading, math, language arts, social studies? Think about students with documented IEPs
and 504 plans as well as those that do not have official plans on file. What strategies have
been successful?
There is one student has autism in the classroom but is normally in the life skills room
most of the day. He comes in and out of the main classroom throughout the day. This
student always has a para with them as well. There is another student that goes to the
resource room for math, writing, and reading and he will leave throughout the day. Their
skill level is low and might be pulled out. Another student has a 504 plan for her
behavior. She has a hard time making decisions and has a hard time when things are
difficult. She is required to have more time on activities.