Classroom observation

            
             I have spent twenty hours throughout this semester observing a fifth grade teacher who teaches English, reading, and spelling at a parochial elementary school that is located in Northeast Philadelphia. In my educational psychology class I have learned many things about the field of teaching. For example I have learned that it is not as easy to be a teacher as everyone thinks it would be, and I have learned a lot about the four knowledge bases which are knowledge of content, pedagogical content knowledge, general pedagogical knowledge, and knowledge of learners and learning. While I was observing this fifth grade parochial school teacher and her students, I looked for the four knowledge bases. I took notes and paid attention to what topic the teacher was teaching and how she presented the topic to her class. I then examined the teacher's lessons to see if the teacher herself understood the subject matter. Then I looked at her and her students to see if they had a connection. I wanted to see if the teacher knew who her students were, and if she knew her students" needs, strengths, and interests. Then my attention was drawn to the children to see if they followed a certain procedures or routines. I wanted to get a look at the classroom environment. By using my discussions from class and readings on the four knowledge bases, I analyzed all that I have observed from of the fifth grade elementary school teacher' s lessons.
             Classroom Environment.
             According to Eggen and Kauchak, students get a feeling about whether or not their classroom is a desirable place to learn. The feeling evoked by a classroom's environment creates the classroom's climate. In the healthy classroom climate, the teacher and classroom characteristics allow students to feel safe and secure. The students feel this challenging, and they believe that they will succeed if they try. I feel that the classroom I observed had a typical healthy classroom climate.