My First Observation :)

Walking into Mount Pleasant High, I immediately felt inspired. When one walks in, they see paintings that express diversity and culture. I walked upstairs to the main office and was received my pass to visit a teacher’s room—I was originally arranged to a certain teacher, but by some strange twist of amazing fate I was set to observe Lisa Wilcox’s room. It was eight in the morning in room 305. I immediately fell in love with my surroundings. Lisa’s room (she prefers that I refer to her as that) was filled with books, pictures, and although the standards were listed on the wall, she decorated it with inspiring photos of higher education and an “American romanticism” timeline.

When the students walked in, I could see it was a diverse class. Lisa had shown me a seating chart, and on this seating chart Lisa had labeled certain students in order to help with Lisa’s teaching. In example, Marcos* in seat number two in the second row is an ELL student, whereas Celina* in the third row has a bladder problem and so she can be excused for her various trips to the bathroom.

When Lisa was teaching the class, she told funny anecdotes to help the students with engagement. She knows one student used to have a drug addiction and so her temper is short, so Lisa paid careful attention to her to make her laugh and feel welcomed.

What I loved about my first observation is how welcomed I felt in this class. Lisa and the student teacher, Mrs. Fallon, were so warm and friendly and offered me so much information, not just regarding their classroom but teaching in general. The class was filled with at most 20 students, yet I felt as if it was a smaller classroom for everyone was involved and there was a shared responsibility between teacher and student. Lisa would discuss and explain, and leave the students to analyze poetry cooperatively, yet she would always be available to help should a student need it.

I left my first observation with a smile on my face, excited to return again to learn more from Lisa and her students.