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As a member of the rowing team here at Bryn Mawr, we're encouraged to enroll in the PE Rowing Class that an instructor, Harriet, offers at the start of the spring semester. We don't officially start our season until the second week of February (per NCAA rules), so the class is a good way to get in shape for the actual season. While many of my classmates are also my teammates, everyone else in the class is entirely new to rowing, so the first few days are spent learning the rowing stroke on the ergometer. 

These notes are from the second class on Tuesday. In this case, I can't really say I'm learning how to row in the class  - hopefully I know how pretty well after eight straight years of it - but instead I'm learning how to observe the instruction and withhold my own critiques for the other students while still leading my team as the captain. 

7:00am - Class starts

- People milling around in the multi-purpose room

- Harriet takes attendance and instructs Joanna, my co-captain, to run everyone through a 10-minute warmup while she quickly runs to her office

- Joanna tells us to do a 3-2-1 warmup, with increasing pressure. Because she's standing next to me, I correct her and say that the new students have no idea what that means, so she clarifies that it's 3 minutes at an easy pressure, then 2 minutes with more pressure, and a final minute with more. 

Setting: A private, independent second grade elementary classroom in center city

Today was my first day at this new placement. The first day is always an unpredictable one, because I, as well as the teacher and students, are figuring out what role I will have in the classroom during my visits. In past field placements, it has been clear that I will have an observational role only, but in this placement, it seems as if the teacher (referred to as Teacher P) is open to me taking an active role in the classroom--participating in group activities, talking and interacting with the students, helping out with setup for activities.

Once a week I work at an art school in Philadelphia. I monitor a 3hr long Open Studio Figure Drawing class for Adults. Every week there is a model who poses while the students draw.

3rd session of this class

10:05

6 students

male model, looks around room, assessing his options, undresses

(drawing/sketch of model stand with black table/desk sitting on model stand)

The first student that arrived, I asked him his opinion about the high black table/desk on the model stand

I'm struggingl with what my role is in the class. What is my role as a monitor?

I am not the class instructor. When students ask, or talk to me about their art, I am eager to give advice, feedback, encouragement. But I try my best to sit back and not interfere. They signed up for a class with no instructor so I don't try to be an instructor. But its very hard not to teach. I want to teach. I try my best to let them dictate the structure of the class, the poses, the few things that I do have some control over.

Model today asked whether we should keep the black table on the stand, I had already spoken to one student about keeping it as an option/something new, different. I referred the question back to the students. (The table was already on the stand when I arrived that morning.)

10:07 - 10:27    4 5-minute poses

I've attached two sets of field notes.  One attachement is notes I took specifically for this assignment after my Zumba PE class yesterday, and the other attachment is old field notes I have saved from when I was in Special Ed and ELL.  

01/29/2013

Today, I took field notes on a field placement orientation in a class. I’ve used pseudonyms throughout. The orientation took about 30mins.

Last semester, I took Curriculum and Pedagogy (Ed 301) and did my field placement in a 2nd grade class. Because I developed a positive relationship with my cooperating teacher and really enjoyed the environment created by the school, I will be continuing my placement there this semester. This is an excerpt from the field notes that I took on my first day in the class.  

-2nd grade class

-1 to 3:30 pm

-two main periods while I am there (math and reading)

-when I arrived, my cooperating teacher immediately included me in the routine of the classroom

-first child that I worked with was Justin, a boy that my cooperating teacher described as “special” (she did not mean this to be offensive)

-Justin has motor control issues (which make it difficult for him to write), as well as speech problems

-He is not at the same level in math or writing as his peers

January 29th, 2013

Fieldwork Seminar

Field Notes #1

These are “field notes” from the first meeting for my Independent Study this semester, which is the culmination of my concentration in Peace, Conflict and Social Justice Studies. Pseudonyms were used. 

January 29th, 2013

Fieldwork Seminar

Field Notes #1

These are “field notes” from the first meeting for my Independent Study this semester, which is the culmination of my concentration in Peace, Conflict and Social Justice Studies. Pseudonyms were used. 

In-Class activity: Writing reflections about a group project

Last year, I observed a class taught by two teachers. Teacher M was the primary teacher for this 6th grade class, and Teacher L was a support for students with language learning needs. Just to preface this excerpt – the students had just finished working on a multi-day group project, and the teachers were explaining their expectations for the reflections.

I was struck by this lesson, because I think it clearly demonstrated the focus of the school, and the values that teachers intentionally incorporate into their actions and expectations every day. I was really impressed that teachers could work together this efficiently, without a weird power hierarchy. Also, students, at least by this point in the year, seemed to be very responsive to the high standards and methods used for self-reflection.