1. I observed in a 5th grade class room.
2. I observed at Carrie Busey Elementary School.
3. The cooperative teacher said that it depends if he uses written plans for the curriculum. If he does make a written plan it is informal. He teaches mostly from the text books. He usually uses the books’ explanation or his own but he does not usually work from a written plan.
4. Since there are no written plans he seems to use the planning that is provided for him in the textbooks.
5. The cooperative teacher did make long term planning goals that he made up two years ago. He says that he modifies them every year. These long term planning goals are more benchmarks for each month. He has different things that he wants the students to understand each month. He strives to make it possible for the students to meet these monthly goals.
6. My cooperative teacher at this time makes his own objectives for his class. He uses his own experiences and the textbooks to make these objectives. Starting next year however, the school board is going to supply the teacher with a new curriculum and objectives that he is to teach.
7. In his planning the teacher says that he takes into account the special needs of the students. He does not however, take the culture of the students into account. He feels that teaching individual cultures is the job of parents. It is their responsibility to teach the children culture. I asked the teacher about how the student is able to understand other cultures. He responded if they want to learn another culture then they should marry someone in that culture and ask them.
8. I leave my observations very discouraged each time. This teacher seems to be heartless. It is not my place to make judgments on him or his teaching styles but I can not help to be critical. I think that this teacher is a man who apparently taught for 20 years but really has been teaching 1 year twenty times. I think that somewhere down the line he gave up on teaching. I feel that he is now in a routine of direct instruction. He has not grown into his position. I disagree with his means of planning, evaluating and instruction styles that he uses. I also disagree with his attitude on teaching a culturally appropriate lesson plans. I feel bad for the teacher and the class. This experience that I have been having I think will help me in my future classroom. I think I am able to compare my own teaching with the styles of this teacher. I think I will better understand the attitudes of students in my class by comparing it to the attitudes of the students of his class. I may be able to see when I am being ineffective myself.