This past week was yet another week of weather interruptions. Two of the three days I could have visited my school, I was unable to go because of snow or ice. Hopefully, this new week will bring many opportunities for observation with my supervisor!
On a positive note, I was able to complete another classroom observation. I visited a middle school art classroom and was given the opportunity to view classroom sessions with all the grade levels (sixth, seventh, and eighth grades). I noticed immediately that the teacher, Mrs. Shelton, had excellent rapport with her students. Over the years, I have heard many horror stories about working with middle schoolers, but Mrs. Shelton has a talent for it. The lesson and activity dealt with the recent “Doodle for Google” scholarship opportunity. Students in each class took a virtual field trip to Google where they learned about the inspiration, daily activities, and creative musings of the Google’s Doodle Team, or the team that modifies the Google logo. Mrs. Shelton then informed her classes of the scholarship opportunity, introduced the requirements for the scholarship, and helped her students brainstorm ideas for their own “Google Doodle.”
The students were well-behaved, involved, and motivated. I was impressed by their creativity and the way Mrs. Shelton made a point to work with each student individually. She walked around the room, making herself available to all of her students, during the entire class sessions, and her classroom management strategies were excellent. If the students began raising their voices or procrastinated doing their assignment, Mrs. Shelton addressed the problem firmly and respectfully. Her students respected her in return.
I feel this experience taught me much about classroom management and what it is like to work with middle schoolers. So far, I have only worked with high school students, so this was an interesting change of pace. I’m delighted I was able to observe Mrs. Shelton; it was also nice to get to know a new group of students, even if it was just for a day.
My First Experiences in a School Media Center 