EDFN 295 Practicum

Lindsey Pate

November 28th, 2016

I observed two different classrooms at the Madison Middle School for a total of 20 hours.

The ages of students I observed ranged from about 12 years old to about 14 years old. Most of

the students were Caucasian and there was just about an equal amount of girls and boys in each

classroom. In those short 20 hours, I learned three important techniques that I will carry to my

own future classroom. The most important observation I made about each teacher is the positive

attitude they have towards the subject they are teaching and towards their students. Ms. Blake

and Mrs. Schamber both exhibited enthusiasm and positivity throughout their classrooms. When

the teacher gets excited about the material, the students will follow suit and be excited to learn.

The second observation I made about each classroom that I thought was valuable, is that Ms.

Blake and Mrs. Schamber teach for the students in a way that they understand and can relate to.

During one class period, the students in Mrs. Schambers science class were not understanding

what she was talking about so she resulted to explaining the material in a different and following

that with a video that showed the students what she was talking about. After the video, the class

discussed what they learned and it seemed as though more of the students were understanding.

Adapting as a teacher is also an important skill to have in the classroom for situations like these.

I have learned from this field experience and other classes that students learn at different paces

and in different ways. Once Mrs. Schamber realized her students were not comprehending the

material, she explained it in a different way and found even more ways to explain it.
 Classroom management has always made me a little nervous when thinking about how to

manage 20 or more students in one classroom. I focused a lot on observing how Ms. Blake and

Mrs. Schamber handle their students when they get off task or become disrespectful. I did not see

a lot of disrespect like I was expecting with middle school age students. They did get off task

quite a bit and Mrs. Schamber would ask them if they were doing what they were supposed to

and they would get back to their work. Ms. Blake did the same thing by asking the students if

they were done with their assignment or are helping each other. Middle school students are old

enough to know what they should and should not be doing. However, with my degree in

Elementary Education, the younger students may not be so willing to get back to work. Mrs.

Schamber and Ms. Blake have had experience with middle school students and classroom

management to where they know what works and what does not. Students in both classrooms did

not get off task too often as Mrs. Schamber and Ms. Blake had plenty for the students to do that

they were actually interested in and wanted to finish. The activities and assignments were created

to benefit the students learning and grab their attention.

Overall, my experience in the Madison Middle School was successful and I gained some

knowledge about middle school classrooms. They are not as dramatic as I thought and I might

end up in a middle school classroom someday if that is where my education degree takes me.