Classroom Observation - Essay Example

Classroom Observation For this essay, I observed a third grade classroom of nine children at Theills Elementary School on May 2, 2006. Of these children, seven were boys, and two were girls. They varied between the ages of eight and nine, with most being eight. Each child showed varying degrees of development, although all were near expectations for grade level. These children were Anthony, Conner, Dhruv, Eric, Jarrett, Jason, Lori, Richard, and Vee. Anthony was a very quiet child, who tended to choose one activity and remain focused on it for extended periods of time. He did not tend to interact with other children, was not interested in trying new activities, which I found very frustrating. While Anthony does not seem to show academic delay, his behavior is indicative of nonsocial activity, suggesting that he is either very shy, or unsure of himself in a social setting. His lack of interaction indicates that either he is particularly in tune with a certain task, or has been rejected by the peer groups in his classroom, which leave him particularly subject to ridicule. During the observation, he seemed to actively avoid participating in group activities, remaining alone. John Watson suggests that children are easy conditioned to certain behaviors (Berk 18). Because Anthony has been rejected by his peer group, it is plausible that he has learned that his attempts to be a part of the group will only draw ridicule, teaching him to remain alone. I found this particular child very frustrating, since, in spite of any efforts, he refused to work with his peers. Conner, on the other hand, is very much a part of the social group in the classroom. He is friendly and polite; he follows classroom rules, and is a very hard worker. He seems very well adjusted to the classroom setting, and is comfortable interacting with his peers as both a member of a group and as a leader. Conner listens carefully to the teacher, and mimics what she does exactly. Conner seems both happy, and at home with the responsibilities of the classroom. Because Conner works so hard to imitate the teacher, and to follow directions carefully, he appears to be a model for social learning theory (Berk 18). Every time he imitates the teacher, or does what he is asked, he is rewarded for the behavior with praise. He has therefore learned that doing as told in the classroom will bring positive outcomes, which he desires. I can only imagine how wonderful it would be to have an entire classroom of Conners! He was so hard working and well mannered; it made the class environment much more pleasant. Dhruv, another child in the class, was a very different matter. He was uninterested in being involved in the classroom, and refused to do his assignments. During table work activities, he chose to daydream, or draw pictures, instead of doing his work. His unwillingness to work made it difficult for the teacher, and for the students around him to concentrate. Dhruv, beyond showing a lack of interest in the classroom, appears uncomfortable with his surroundings. Vygotsky suggests that children learn similarly to how Piaget suggested, with an emphasis on the social interaction, and receiving tasks of increasing difficulties from their peers (Berk 26). Because Dhrov seems secluded from his peers, and has difficulty with language, it is likely that he has not been presented with enough challenges to prepare him for the classroom situation. This lack of interest is frustrating for both himself and for his teacher, and I worry about his future in academics. Eric is a different subject altogether. His behavior in the classroom is completely unacceptable. He talks loudly and interrupts others during conversations and instructions. He sleeps during class, and refuses to follow classroom rules. He is mean to the other children, and does not understand social conventions. It would appear that either he has not yet found a locus of control for his behavior, such as Freud suggested in psychoanalytic theory, that his ego may not yet have control over his id (Berk 15). Another possible suggestion for his behavior is a poor family situation, which would account for his inability to stay awake in class. I am primarily concerned for this child, since it is unusual for a child to have such a strong lack of focus and control at this age. Jarrett is a very sneaky young man, who uses his abilities primarily to get others into trouble, while appearing innocent himself. He uses times when the teacher is not looking to cause mischief, which the other children appear to find frustrating. He seems intelligent, and his table work takes him very little time, he just does not control his impulse to cause mischief. While he has learned to use his skills, he still needs to develop the ability to work together with his peers to achieve success. Jarrett appears to be in the midst of the step between initiative versus guilt and industry versus inferiority. While he has learned to take initiative, he is not quite at the point that he can channel his behavior into positive, industrious work. While Erikson suggests that most children have left initiative versus guilt by around six years of age, it is possible that he is a bit slow in developing (Berk 17). I felt constantly on guard, because his behavior was so sneaky and deceptive, I was unsure what he would do next. Jason was the child that I was most concerned with in the classroom. While Jarrett caused trouble, and Eric interrupted others, Jason seemed to have absolutely no control over his behaviors and actions. He was unable to sit for long periods of time, and often got up and wondered around the classroom while the teacher was talking. He changes the subject often, and gets sidetracked easily. Because he can not focus, he seems to have very low self esteem when it comes to his school work. Because he can not sit still, his peers tend to stay away from him, further lowing his self esteem. He is behind educationally, because he can not listen through directions. While it appears that he simply has poor control over his id, as Freud suggests, or that he has not followed social cues, as Watson and Bandura suggest, it is possible that his behavior is more medically related ( Berk 20, 28). I believe that Jason has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Children with such a disorder can not control their impulses, and are often behind in the classroom. I believe that it would be best if his parents took him to the doctor, to have him checked for any illnesses, and possibly consider medication for his ADHD. Lori appears to be more than anything a girl’s girl. She is very sneaky, and often cheats off other student’s homework. She pouts when she does not get her way, and spends most of her free time playing with her hair and doing her nails. Lori is clearly a case of social conditioning and modeling, as she has probably seen her mother do these things at home, and is rewarded for copying mom (Berk 28). She has probably also seen that in movies and on television that girls who pay attention to their looks receive more attention, and is modeling her behavior on those girls. While she is not particularly distracting during class, I would be concerned about her already intense feelings about appearance and the possibility that these will someday manifest themselves as an eating disorder. It is likely, also, that she is spoiled at home, as her extensive pouting suggests she often gets what she wants by throwing a tantrum or pouting. Richard is one of the gentlest children in the classroom. He is sweet and kind to others, and is very loveable. He loves to give hugs, and goes out of his way to make a friend feel better. He puts aside his own work to help his friends, and consequently rarely finishes his assignments. Piaget suggests that children his age have reached the concrete operational stage, a time at which they realize that certain things in life are fixed, including social order and hierarchy (Berk 438). I believe that Richard wants to be liked, and therefore actively works to fit into a social group, and find a place in the hierarchy. Because he is not particularly interested in sports, and does not excel at schoolwork, being extra friendly may be how he chooses to distinguish himself socially. While I can not help but find this admirable, he definitely needs to put a bit more focus into his school work, so that he does not fall behind. Vee, the final child that I observed, is an exceptionally smart young girl. She speaks and acts like an adult, and is uninterested in play or goofing off. Vee spends most of her time reading, or talking to adults, and appears to have trouble interacting with her peers. Her haughty behavior towards them, and her unwillingness to join their play suggests that she may believe that she is more mature than they are. Vee, who is of Asian heritage, may have a very different environment at home than the other children in the class. Because she works so hard, and is unwilling to accept a low grade, it appears that she has been taught that she is not allowed to fail. Vee also appears to have been taught that she has to expect more of herself than of her peers. She has probably been very carefully trained that only hard work will give her rewards, a very behaviorist approach to child rearing (Berk 34). While I found her interesting and easy to talk to, it was also difficult, because her actions and language were that of an adult, and it is hard to remember that she is only a child. Of the children in the class, it was interesting to notice that the boys showed significantly less social development than the girls. While the girls had already started focusing inward and reflecting on self, the boys were still working to be noticed, through acting out and inappropriate behavior (Berk 400). Other than Jason, who may have actually had a specific reason for his trouble (ADHD), all the children seemed to be performing at age and grade level, although with varying degrees of success. These observations lead me to realize that while all children may go through the same stages, they are visible to very different extents. For most of the children, several different theories could be applied to their behaviors, so I chose the most relevant. Overall, most children appear to fall within the range of what is considered normal for childhood development. Works Cited Berk, L.E. (2005). Infants and children: Prenatal through middle childhood (5th ed.). Boston: Allyn and Bacon. Read More