Classroom Observation Question & Answer Examples

The school is equipped to handle all manner of students. In the classroom observed, seven students with various mental illnesses are taught. Depending on the subject being taught, each student sometimes learns at a different grade level, often below what is the assumed grade level for their age, which is typical for a Special Needs classroom. The children have special needs such as ADD, ADHD, Bipolar Disorder, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, and Pervasive Developmental Delays of different kinds.
With seven special needs students in the care of one teacher it can be difficult to meet the needs of the educator. The teacher has seven students, all with different special needs, and in such a diverse environment, extra instruction is often required. One-on-one instruction sometimes is necessary depending on the topic or the student’s demeanor. In order to meet these needs, the primary teacher has been supplied with one teacher’s aide to help instruct the students, but she receives no other outside help. The general educator has experience in each of the special needs the students have, but more steps could be taken to ensure each student receives more attention based on the subject, or their individual needs. Despite this, the general educator and the aide collaborate often on which will help each student, and whether it would be best to instruct the class as a whole, or break the class into groups. This is typically done based on subject matter, as well as if the students are able to help one another. No other assistance or resources are provided.
There have been some modifications and accommodations to the classroom. For example, one corner has several pillows piled in it for soothing purposes, in case a student needs to take what is called a, “Fiver,” or a five minute break from something that may be overwhelming them, angering them, or upsetting them. They are able to sit quietly, away from school work, noise, and other stimulus in an effort to gain control of themselves. A small chair is seated near the pillow in the event the student requires an educator’s intervention. A small stereo has been placed in another corner of the room. This is unorthodox for many teachers in most classrooms. When it is on, it plays soft classical music, or mood music. This is used in an effort to focus the students and keep them calm. Stress balls are located around the room, as well. Students with ADD, ADHD, and OCD have found them to be helpful when instruction is being given, but they are having difficulty not fidgeting, or are unable to concentrate.
The students seem to be accepting of one another. They do not make fun of one another based on their special needs, and at times try to help. For example, a student with obsessive compulsive disorder accidentally bumped into another student’s shoulder and had the compulsion to touch said student’s should another five times. Six was they number of times they must do something ritualistically before moving on. The student felt what had happened and asked if the student with OCD needed to tap his shoulder again. He was not bothered when it was necessary this was done, and there was a sense this happened often. Nobody laughed or made fun of the student. Another student asked the aide to get a stress ball, not for herself, but for the boy she sat next to, because he was fidgeting too much. She was not unkind, but asked if he needed it. He nodded it and took it; that was the end of the conversation, and there were no more words about it. At times, students became restless or frustrated when one student or another became unable to cope with their specific special need, but never took it out on the student. Rather, there seemed to be a class wide disruption until the teacher and aide were able to calm everybody down. These small interactions and the lack of unkind behavior made it appear they were accepting of one another’s needs and one another.
The teacher-student interaction in the classroom surpassed what one would think considering there were only two people for seven children with special needs. The teacher made it a point to circle the room even after giving instructions to ask if everybody had understood what they were to do. She answered each question fully, and asked frequently if anybody had questions. If another student was able to answer, she encouraged them to try, increasing class wide interaction. Similarly, the aide would circle the room in an effort to ascertain whether the class had understood instructions, or understand if anybody was struggling. Finally, both teacher and aide attempted to give as much one-on-one instruction as possible when it was necessary, sometimes taking one or two students aside depending on their level of understanding of the material in an effort to help them gain a better handle of the subject in a more controlled atmosphere.
In sum, while the classroom may have been understaffed, the general teacher and her aide have been doing all they can to cultivate a calm learning environment for a diverse group of students. While struggling to teach different subjects to students who learn at different grade levels, they have also managed to manifest a classroom of acceptance, wherein students understand their peers are not what the stereotype of a model student should be. They are not only accepting of this, but tolerant of almost any and all issues their peers have. Small adjustments to the classroom, such as a relaxation station for a “Fiver,” and calming mood music have made it easier to speak to the classroom as a whole, but splitting into groups is still necessary. One-on-one instruction would often be best depending on the student and the subject, but sometimes it is not realistic in the current environment.