ED 327 Reflection 1

September 19, 2012

First Impressions…

Upon meeting Mr. Pitcock my interest was piqued! He explained he completed his undergraduate degree from Purdue University in elementary education, then after a few years of teaching returned to IUPUI to pursue a few more classes which would allow him the added licensure to teach at the middle school level. Then, as he went on to express, he chose to continue his education to complete a masters in administration. At learning all this information about his history I was interested to see just how it would play out in his classroom management, teaching style, and overall philosophy of education. Because I believe the best teachers are life long learners who continually look for methods to improve their classroom, I was very curious if this would hold true for Mr. Pitcock who had continued with a significant amount of education in teaching after his initial undergraduate degree.

As I looked around the room, I could see he was a teacher who embraced and appreciated higher education. Largely his room is themed with different universities: university labeled cabinets and tables, and university pennants hanging from the ceiling. This would be a great tool to use to enhance the environment for any middle level classroom where students should be encouraged from a young age to choose to continue on in post secondary education (INTASC 3). It was also clear from the environment Mr. Pitcock manufactured that he held high expectations for his students. There were numerous pages all around the front board expressing the characteristics of a scientists according to the IB philosophy, and what I would expect is Mr. Pitcock’s own personal philosophy. He also actively embraced diversity (a critical values for any school, but especially essential at Westlane where students come from any number of ethnic backgrounds) by posting these signs in various languages (INTASC 2). It was exciting for me to see a classroom where the teachers philosophy of education was so visible, and in line with what we have expressed middle level learning to look like: providing high standards and structure, embracing diversity and similarity among learners at widely different stages of learning, social, and emotional development, and providing for various social and emotional needs (Vatterott Chapter 1).

The First Classes…

At the start of the first class, I was able to see the immense amount of organization Mr. Pitcock had in his lessons (INTASC 7). He structures each lesson beginning with an informal hook of an animal of the day. The students record the facts about this animal in their “opening moves” booklet in addition to a word, definition of the word, objectives, and any other information needed for the specific lesson on the day (INTASC 5). This is then put aside and the lessons begin.

Mr. Pitcock varies his lessons significantly (INTASC 7,8). The students transition from group work, to single work, to small group work through the 90 minute period with time to move–an important need at this developmental stage. It has been interesting for me to observe the flow of these lessons because as I can see, Mr. Pitcock pushes his students in each activity and he gets the transitions and timing spot on–just as the students are needing to move, he is ready to move the group to the next activity. A 90 minute block can be a substantial amount of time for middle level learners to sit still and pay close attention, through his dynamic activities Mr. Pitcock helps his students through this block by maintaining a quick tempo throughout his lesson.

On Classroom Management in Science and Mr. Pitcock’s Class…

A critical factor authors Chew-Leng Pong, Doris Tan, and Aik-Ling Tan mentioned in their article “Classroom Management and Inquiry Based Learning: Finding the Balance” the tempo and pacing of lessons can make all the difference in classroom management. They encouraged the idea that teachers must keep inquiry based classrooms (science classrooms specifically) busy and transitioning from one activity to the next. Not only does this minimize the noise level which can increase as students end one activity and have to wait for another, but it also keeps them actively engaged in the subject matter and the task at hand. I would conclude this is something Mr. Pitcock does with a fair amount of success. Mr. Pitcock also demonstrates another critical strategy for maintaining control of his classroom: he is highly organized and structured, satisfying another middle level learner need. He sets up the labs before the class enters the room, and the stations are all user friendly with the necessary materials right at hand. This also minimized the distraction and unneeded movement which could be a factor when students have to gather lab materials themselves from around the room.

The article goes on to outline 5 other practices ranging from reflective learning and journaling to varying types of instruction throughout a period. And I would say Mr. Pitcock’s class measures a success in these other counts as well. I would also add I have noticed Mr. Pitcock is the most reflective learner of his classroom (INTASC 9). He is constantly monitoring the classroom for how well his lessons and activities are being received, and I have noticed him jotting down notes in a journal between classes. Although I have not asked, I would not be surprised if this is a professional journal for his teaching.

Looking Forward to the Rest of the Semester…

I am excited to continue working with Mr. Pitcock! His classroom seems well structured, and a balance between fun and learning. He is well respected by his students and they seem to understand the expectations of the class. As a professional he seems to meet many of the challenging developmental needs of this age group. However, I am wondering how he handles discipline in the classroom, students are still young adults with a lot of character and unpredictability, I am curious to see as the semester continues and the students push the limits as middle level learners often do, how Mr. Pitcock reacts.

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