Field Logs

End of Semester Field Log Evaluation
Taylor Apperley
December 7, 2015
ECS 100
1) What were some general observational themes throughout the sessions?

One theme that interested me the most while doing my fieldwork was how the teacher
interacted differently with different students. This includes the different attitudes she took
addressing students, different treatment and reaction to issues the student raised. I was lucky to
have my experience in a first grade classroom with lots of diversity in the students. After a few
weeks in the classroom it became very clear to me which students struggled and thrived in
different areas, with different learning techniques. One young boy could barely speak English
and communicate with others, but he excelled at matching words and numbers. Another student
was an exceptionally gifted printer, a skill not many students in the class had mastered yet, but he
lacked focus and often had to be worked with individually to accomplish assignments. It became
very interesting to watch how these students interacted with the teacher and with others. Often
the students who finished assignments early were thrilled when the teacher asked them if theyd
like to help a classmate who was struggling.
Our teacher did her best to help the students who struggled with English to understand
without singling them out which I found very important for them. She did not isolate them from
the class by making it clear that they were struggling, she simply kept an eye on them and was
quick to signal to us student teachers when they might need help. As far as I could see there was
not a lot of divide between the students who spoke English fluently and those who did not.
Another theme that stuck out to me this semester in my fieldwork was watching how
technology in the classroom affected the students differently than it did for my own days in
school. It was fascinating to watch the students react calmly to certain pieces of technology that I
had never seen before and couldnt understand to save my life. As well, the classroom often had
shared laptops for the children to use, something that took me a while to adjust to. They would
share a laptop with a partner and use different websites the teacher would open for them to play
games, practicing identifying letters, numbers, and words. I was very impressed by the calmness
and maturity the students showed on occasions like this.
2) What are areas of thoughtful concern based on your observations?
One of the biggest concerns to me in the classroom was the students who struggled with
English. I had many fears for them and their futures. A prominent one is that while the other
students accept and understand their situation now, in a few years if they are still behind in
speaking and reading they will become targets of bullies. However I have many concerns for
them in the classroom too. While the teacher in my class was extremely caring and patient with
them, I worry that in future years they will end up with teachers who do not show the same
gentle, understanding nature. I think that having the teacher to observe that I did truly inspired
me to try and become a teacher who shows care in the same way. I hope that if in the future I am
faced with students who struggle, with the English language or with anything else, I can be the
calm and nurturing teacher that they deserve as we work together to solve issues.
(What wonders remain about classrooms and teaching?)

I believe that I was truly lucky as the classroom that I was in was filled with twenty-two
excellently behaved first graders, however I know that this is not always the case in the
education world. I guess one thing I would have liked to see first hand is how my teacher would
have gone about disciplining a child if she had to. I have often thought back on my time in
school and remembered the many different approaches that teachers took to disciplining my
peers and seeing how many of them seemed like insensitive, hurtful practices. I guess I have a
curiosity about how to successfully discourage a behavior while still treating the student
properly, without shaming them or making them feel dehumanized. This will be something I will
focus on learning in the next few years as I work toward my future in education.
3) In relation to your observation and the ensuing guiding questions what does this mean for your
work and study going forward?
The fieldwork component of this class truly emphasized for me that I made the right
choice in applying for the Faculty of Education. Every week I had more fun than I ever could
have expected despite the age range being different than the range I hope to teach one day. I
found the guiding questions were very helpful to read before class but once I was out of class and
could reflect on them was when I truly learned. A few questions that truly led me to think about
my future and what I desire to accomplish as a teacher were What do you see as the main
tensions & dilemmas in education? and In what ways do you observe the school, classrooms
and teachers using inclusive practices?
The question about the main tensions in education caused me to think a lot about the classroom I
was in as well as classrooms I remember from my own schooling. I saw many conflicts and
tensions present in the classroom I was working in, even some that the students themselves may
not have noticed. As it was only first grade there was a beautiful innocence around them when
issues like religion were discussed. The week before Halloween, one young girl told me about
how she felt sad when other students spoke about their Halloween costumes because her family
did not celebrate. Instead I sat with her and asked her to tell me about the special holidays her
family does celebrate. While this would never appear to be an issue to the students themselves, it
was hard to watch as an outsider with the knowledge of what kind of tensions in the outside
world occur and how they played out on a much smaller scale inside the classroom.
The other question that grabbed my attention deeply during the fieldwork was about
inclusive practices within the classroom. I have already spoken about the classroom teachers
care and commitment to making sure the students who struggled with English did not feel
isolated from the class, but there were many other inclusive practices I noted during my time in
the classroom. One student showed signs of a mild cognitive disability but the teacher and
teaching assistant treated her as an equal member of the class at all times. On the very rare
occasion she would act out she was never spoken to harshly, just encouraged taking a short break
outside the class with an educational assistant until she calmed down. The teachers never raised
their voices or got angry with her and her fellow students followed their lead and acted the same
way. I was happy to see that she was never signaled out and was treated with respect at all times.
These two questions spoke to me very personally as I truly hope that when I am a teacher
I can be the kind of educator that has this same caring outlook and puts my full effort into
making every student feel safe and accepted. In my future studies and fieldwork placements as
well as in my career teaching I will give my whole effort into creating a welcoming and secure
space.

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End of Semester Field Log Evaluation

1) What were some general observational themes throughout the sessions?

(What wonders remain about classrooms and teaching?)

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