Required Journal Entries:

  Each Journal entry you write will focus on a few related topics.  The questions following each topic are intended to guide your observations as you take notes for writing your journal entry.  Please limit your journal entries to descriptions only.

Journal Entry 1:  Physical environment and demographics of the school and classroom

Describe the physical layout of the school?  Why are different parts of the school (classrooms, administration, custodial, etc.) located in the building as they are?  Is there a typical classroom layout? Describe the similarities and differences. Describe how the desks, bulletin boards, and other physical elements of the classroom are placed and designed. What purpose does this placement and design serve?  What does the teacher have posted on their classroom walls that deal with management:  Class rules, headings for assignments, homework assignments by subject, hourly schedule, monthly calendar, students who have been honored, students who have cited for inappropriate behavior, and times for bathroom breaks.

  Describe the student body population, in terms of race, sex, socioeconomic status, and special needs.

Journal Entry 2: Routines

How teachers do routine:  Checking and reporting attendance, collecting and returning papers, collecting assignments, collecting names for lunch, etc., distributing handouts, and grading seatwork. 

Journal Entry 3: Classroom management and motivation, verbal and nonverbal language

Describe how the teacher manages the classroom.  Describe how students are motivated.  List other ways students could be motivated.  Describe the verbal and nonverbal communication you see among students and teachers? 

Journal Entry 4: Teaching techniques

Describe the variety of teaching techniques used by the teacher.  Why are these techniques used?  How the teacher makes transitions:  From direct instruction to other forms of learning, from teaching one subject to another, organizing students to leave the room for lunch, PE, or computer lab.

Journal Entry 5: Addressing the needs of students with special needs

Describe the special needs of students in the classroom you observed.  How are these needs addressed? Describe any effect accommodating these special needs have on other students?

Journal Due:  Dec. 7th, 2001

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