Student Observation

On April 10th, 2017, I volunteered to be a teacher aide for my teacher from 11:30 am-2:30pm, which was three hours long. At first, I did want to be aide for another teacher, but due to my lack of time management and inconsistent stress levels, I asked my cooperating teacher if I can be an aide for her classroom. Mrs. Phipps’ students were in lunch, when I first arrived to the classroom. After I walked into the classroom, she told me today we will only work with two students, Student D. and Student J, which the rest of the students were out school sick and a few students are hospitalized. For the first half hour, Mrs. Phipps was quickly discussed today’s agenda: math subtraction, CNN, Civil War books, SEL activity, and art class. When the

and Student J were done with math subtraction, Mrs. Phipps projected a ten-minute CNN news channel video for the students to watch and answer three short questions after the video. Mrs. Phipps asked the students what is the expected behavior and voice level before the video played. As the teacher aide, I observed the students and the CNN video. After the video the students wrote on a sheet of notebook paper questions one through three and wrote the one of the following: A, B, and C. One of the two students would ask me what the right answers are, and I was assertive and told the student, “I know what it is, but you need to remember what you watched to answer the questions.” Students would turn in the notebook sheets of paper, and then go over the right answers. Student D. and Student J. answered two of the three questions correctly. Mrs. Phipps was a little disappointed because the students were not fully paying attention to the video. The class transitioned from CNN to Civil War

Martinez to art to complete a similar art piece, of a mosaic. Student D. sat by Mr. Martinez and I, while Student J. sat by himself. I asked Student J. if he wanted me to sit by him to help with art, which he said, “No.” Art only lasted for thirty-minutes, which was not long, but was very therapeutic. I helped everyone after I was done with my mosaic mock piece, even Student J. When art class was coming to an end, I cleaned up my table and made sure all the students cleaned up. I walked the students back to class, asked Mrs. Phipps a few questions, said good-bye, and left. I enjoyed being a teacher aide for Mrs. Phipps’ classroom. It felt like a typical day, when I come on Thursdays mornings and Thursdays afternoons, just a little bit longer. When I left, it hit that I want to work with HID learners, and would not mind working at Southeast. I really do enjoy my experience at Southeast, and this time when I was volunteer aide, I felt the passion I have always had to teach students receiving special education