Stefanie Gonzales

ECE 251

Spring 2017

Group Time Evaluation

School: Pinecrest Academy of Horizon

Telephone number: 702-749-3500

Teacher: Ms. Cook

Age/Grade level: 2nd Grade

Beginning/Ending of group time: 12:30 p.m. 1:15 p.m.

Date of observation: 4/7/17

Number of adults: 1

Number of children: 20

1. Group time: The group time that I observed was a bit different then the teacher usually

does. Today, since it was the last day before spring break, the 2 nd grade teachers

planned a rotating class schedule the second half of the day to include fun activities. The

class I observed was not Ms. Cooks normal class, it was another 2nd grade class that

rotated in. Ms. Cooks activity was called 3D Hand. This was an art project. To begin Ms.

Cook showed a step-by-step video of what they were going to do. As the video played
 she stopped it at each step to explain the step, answer any questions the students had,

then demonstrated on the smartboard her own 3D Hand.

Step one: Trace hand lightly with a pencil

Step two: Take a dark colored marker and draw straight flat lines across the paper until

you hit the outline of your hand, the draw a bridge. (Ms. Cook stopped to explain the

term bridge to the students and demonstrated what she meant.)

Step three: After the hand is done being traced, start adding layers of different colors

with the markers following the same pattern as you just did.

Everything presented in this activity was well explained. Ms. Cook patiently took and

answered question the students had and provided good, detailed examples of the

processes involved.

2. Appropriate: I felt this activity to be very appropriate. Ms. Cook had a variety of art

media for this project allowing for the students to have a choice of colors with markers

and paper but yet there wasnt so many choices of art media that it distracted from the

finished project and its guidelines. The children also were able to work alone but sat in

groups so that they could communicate with each other to help or encourage and also

to share items such as markers. Ms. Cook used intellectual engaging strategies by

showing the step-by-step video and then demonstrating her own example. Ms. Cook

also used a wide variety of vocabulary that most classrooms wouldnt hear every day.

Ms. Cook took time to explain the meaning of the vocabulary she was using. Examples

are consistency, bridge, etc. For the children who were have a harder time

understanding the instruction, Ms. Cook would go over with them and not do examples
 but instead asked questions that led them to figure out how to do the step. All but a

few individuals understood the steps and all the students were really engaged in this

project.

3. How long? 45 minutes

Appropriate for the age? The ages of the students were 7-8 years old. Yes, 3D Hand was

appropriate for this age range.

4. Space: The space used for this activity was at the student desks. There were 20 students

that came in and 25 desks available. The space provided was appropriate and provided

plenty of work space for the students and the project.

5. Bring the children together and begin group time: The class was not Ms. Cooks, so

when the transitioned to Ms. Cooks classroom, Ms. Cook waited at the door as they

came and she greeted each one with a warm welcome and smile. She began her activity

with her expectation of the class for behavior and addressing questions and comments.

Ms. Cook then went on to tell of the project and since it was an art project she gave the

class a brief background that she was an art major and that is why she picked this

project.

6. Involve the children: Ms. Cook asks questions and listens to the students responses. Ms.

Cook also allows for the students to comment on each others questions and have an

open discussion. During the activity Ms. Cook goes around the class and encourages the

students at their work and suggests that they show each other their techniques.

7. Percentage of the time actively vs passively: 100 % of the time the students were

involved in the group time. As soon as they sat they engaged in listening then engaged
 in the activity. Yes, this is appropriate because from beginning to end they are involved

and learning.

8. Children react: The students in the class were a bit rowdy. They were excited about the

activity but had a hard time staying focused. Only a portion of the class stayed on task

the whole activity. When Ms. Cook redirected the less focused students, the students

listened and went about enjoying the activity.

9. Flexibility: This was a different class then her normal class. This class was not as focused

as what she is used to. Ms. Cook was flexible in the way I have seen her teach before.

She sat more boundaries for this class as opposed to her class. Ms. Cook still maintained

her upbeat patient attitude but had to implement some seat changes, loss of activity

(due to indecisiveness of a student picking out paper and complaining), and had to be

more on guard to a specific pair of students who were misbehaving.

10. Individualization-special needs and the typically developing: There were no special

needs students. There were typically developing students-example: one student was

having a hard time understanding the step-by-step instructions. Ms. Cook sat with him

and asked questions promoting him to think his way through the problem and he did

figure it out. There were also two boys who seemed to have both a short attention span

and the need for attention. With these students Ms. Cook stayed in their area and

redirected them often. Ms. Cook also made sure to give them the appropriate attention.

She focused on their good behavior and ignored the bad unless it was disrupting others.

In that case she explained to them what they were doing and why it was inappropriate.
11. Gender inappropriate behaviors: The male gender seemed to engage in a more talkative

disruptive behavior than that of the females. The males tended to be louder and up and

out of their seats more. Two boys disrupted their table several times by agitating each

other with situations such as crumpling papers, marking each other with a marker,

poking fun of the others project.

12. Inappropriate behaviors-behavior management techniques: Two boys engaged in

agitating each other through crumpling papers, marking each other with a marker, and

poking fun of each others project. This disrupted the others at the table. Ms. Cook

respectfully redirected these boys several times. She stayed by their group for a bit of

time. Ms. Cook would explain to them why what they were doing was inappropriate.

Example: one boy crumpled the others paper, Ms. Cook sat with both boys. She asked

the one with the crumpled paper how does this make you feel? then she asked the

other who crumpled the paper how do you feel know you made him feel like this?

then she went on to explain how that is inappropriate and if it happens again they cant

continue the project. Another example: same boys continued to get loud. Ms. Cook

would ask them what voice level do we have in my classroom? they would answer and

Ms. Cook would thank them and smile.

13. Ends group time: Ms. Cook announced to the class that they had to clean up. She told

them her expectations for cleaning up and then lining up. As they lined up she went

down the line addressing good behavior that she seen. Example: I like how (child) is

standing quietly ready to go to her class, Good example (child) of being packed up and

ready to go so quickly, and I really liked how (child) cleaned up all the markers at his
 table and placed them back in the bin where they go. Ms. Cook then bid them good

bye with a thank you for coming to visit her today.

14. Activity follows: The students all went out to recess after this activity. Yes, this was

appropriate. After sitting and focusing on a activity they needed to go run around and

let off some energy.

Evaluation: I really enjoyed this particular observation. I observe Ms. Cooks class often but

never with a different class than her own. It was a good learning experience to see how she

handled the different acting class. Her class is so well behaved, quiet, and respectful and

this class was not. Ms. Cook is a teacher who puts to use the DAP philosophy. Everything

she does is appropriate and text book. Ms. Cook also finds ways to fit in other subjects of

learning into whatever it is she is currently teaching. I am not sure if I would consider the 3D

Hand an authentic activity although it was a very engaging one. Ms. Cook did demonstrate

the utilization of the principles of learning. She incorporated a variety of subjects into this

one activity. Examples such as vocabulary, background of art techniques, and reinforcement

of classroom rules. Ms. Cook was very appropriate with her interactions with the children.

When children needed help she helped but in a way where she wasnt doing it. Ms. Cook

asked them questions that helped them problem solve on their own. Ms. Cook took time for

each and every students as she walked the room and encouraged everyone with their work

of art. Ms. Cook also appropriately handled misbehaving students. She did this in a

respectful and quiet manner and did not draw unnecessary attention to those students. The

routines involved were a good flow. Ms. Cook welcomed them, transitioned them to their

seating and explained the activity, she had control over the class the whole time and
wrapped the activity up very smoothly. The pace of the activity was laid back. Nothing was

rushed or overly dictated. The activity was well planned and timed appropriately for the

time allotted.