The Classroom Down the Hall

There's a lot to be said about getting views from different vantage points. 

For example, in efforts to gain a better understanding about the way in which other classrooms are run at Midd-West High School, I was assigned to perform an observation in a science classroom. There's much purpose behind this assignment, agriculture is an applied science so there are a lot of connections that can be made to delivery and management of my classroom. 

I observed Mrs. Shellenberger's Biology class, primarily 10th and 11th grade students. I observed this class on a lab day, however; I appreciated getting the opportunity to observe how Mrs. Shelleberger prepares and manages the students to complete the lab assignment. 

Mrs. Shellenberger was very enthusiastic, clearly passionate about her subject area and embraced the energy of a last period class. This was quite evident by her tie-dye lab coat she was sporting that day, she does her best to make her Biology classroom a positive learning environment for her students. 

I have a strong appreciation for Mrs. Shellenbegers well established classroom routine, something I absolutely strive to build in my own classroom. This routine was very definitive but allowed for flex room for a little bit of fun, like singing happy birthday to a student. She did a phenomenal job at helping her students understand her expectations for the class period. Her lab packets were extremely thorough, setting students up for success. The clarity she worked hard up front to provide, proved worthwhile because she had much more time to enjoy the process and help students dig a little deeper into the lab instead of answering and clarifying over small details. 

She also utilized several tools to effectively manage the class time. During the lab students were held accountable to complete tasks by a digital count-down clock on the screen. She also posted her class agenda, with time limits on the board, so each student understands the plan and goals for the day. Midd-West High School has forty minute periods, which fly by, so strategies like both of these help maximize learning time. 

Simply put, this assignment proved valuable not only as an opportunity to gain some tips and tricks for my teacher tool box, but also to help me to continue to understand the workings of Midd-West High School. 

Simply put, I have a long way to go before I can master the classroom as well as Mrs. Shellenberger did. But I am confident in my training from Penn State and coaching during my time here at Midd-West to help me get on my way!

Until Next Time, K. Janae