Observation

Report
Observer: Qixing Zhang
School: Cheltenham Elementary School
Location: 7853 Fron Street, Elkins Park, PA, 19012
Instructor: Michelle Fella Przybylowsla
Type of exceptionality: Emotional Disturbance/ Intellectual disabilities
Type of class: Inclusion class
Age of students: Kindergarten/ Second grade

In this observation I had listened to two classes, one is for kindergarten kids, and
another is for second grades students. Both classes are the inclusion class. Every
class had about 19 students, and two of them are students with special need. But
what surprised me was that under the teaching of Ms. Michelle, I almost couldn’t
recognize the children in the class who had special needs. Ms. Michelle told me
two reasons. First, because the children are still at a young age, the difference is
not so obvious. Second, she applied the teaching method applicable to all
children in the class. In addition, she often observed and communicated to
children with special needs.

The class lasted for 55 minutes, all the children participated a lot of music
activities, like learning to sing different styles of songs, making the movement,
using storytelling to learn chant, using sticks to learn rhythm, etc. Basically, each
child could complete 55-minute class work, although the teacher often
encountered some unexpected problems for the children during the class. For
example, there was a girl who lost her name card, and she insisted that Ms.
Michelle should give her another one; otherwise she will not be able to
concentrate on the music class. But overall, Ms. Michelle has done a great job in
class organization and discipline. She knew how to appease students, when she
should be serious and how to win children’s attention.

In my observation, one of the boys with Emotional Disturbance, he didn't treat
music activities negatively; on the contrary, he would be unusually exaggerated
and positive in music activities. When he became more and more excited, he
would start to ignore the teacher's command and could not control himself. Then
Ms. Michelle would let him calm down before rejoined activities.

In addition, the advantages of inclusion class were obvious in this class. When
children with special needs are with normal children, they will get help from
their peers and they will influence each other. In the kindergarten's classes, a
little girl with special needs and another normal little girl were good friend; they
held hands throughout the whole lesson and corrected each other’s movements
all the time.

This observation experience gave me a lot of inspiration. Inclusion class does
have a lot of benefits for younger children with a special need or those children
whose behaviors are less severely. I really admire music teachers like Ms.
Michelle who use her superb teaching skills, patience, and love to make more
special needs children get the chance to grow up with their normal children of
the same age.