While observing a 3rd grade class, the teacher sent all the students to their centers and then just sat and read the newspaper. What would you do in this situation? Should I just remain silent or is this even an issue?
2007-02-01 11:39:37 · 12 answers · asked by craptastic 4 in Education & Reference ➔ Teaching
I guess they want the money.
2007-02-01 11:42:58 · answer #1 · answered by Jagger Otto 7 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Even when students are work in groups or independently, the teacher should be circulating around the classroom to make sure all the students have understood the instructions and are working well. By circulating, the teacher also makes him/herself more available for questions if the students are confused.
You should definitely talk to the teacher you were observing. Act like YOU are the idiot and say, "Gee, I was just kind of wondering how you know if the students are working when you're reading the newspaper? What I can do to observe from a distance and still know that they've totally understood?" She should get the hint, and if she doesn't then take it up with admin. It's a safety issue too.
2007-02-01 19:46:20 · answer #2 · answered by Jetgirly 6 · 3⤊ 0⤋
I honestly would ask her what she is wanting when she has students doing this. What is her objective for this? However, this is an excellent way for students to learn because they are not getting direct teaching they are learning from each other and they are learning by doing hands on. A good example for this would be a program called Writing Workshop. Students run their own writing groups for pre-writing, drafting, revising, editing, and publishing. In this program the teacher teaches mini lessons that run 5 to 10 minutes. It is not a bad thing for a children to work in centers without the teacher. I would wonder though, why isn't she walking around and observing her students learning. That's what you should be concerned about.
2007-02-01 20:06:42 · answer #3 · answered by plocsgirl 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Find some way to ask the teacher why s/he didn't circulate through the stations to check on what the kids were doing. There may have been a reason, which isn't apparent to you. Or the teacher may have just been goofing off. In either cast, it isn't up to you as a student observer, to raise this as an issue. Just chalk it up to experience and make sure you don't do the same thing to one of your future classes.
2007-02-01 20:06:09 · answer #4 · answered by old lady 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It SHOULD be an issue. I WISH I had time to read a newspaper. A good teacher at least monitors her students. I'd discuss this with the principal. Make sure the principal knows you don't want the teacher to feel like you've called her out on anything. But seriously, that's never okay.
2007-02-02 20:03:18 · answer #5 · answered by elizabeth_ashley44 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
ok, i don't see the issue with sending them to a center....but reading the paper...yeah, problem. the move nowadays is to more student centered teaching. meaning the teacher actually avoids being in the front of the room blabbing. but if you were observing...i'm assuming you know a bit about this. centers are a very cool way to get students to learn independently, and they are really successful. but...the teacher is suppossed to be walking around observing, questioning, etc...
maybe he/she has just lost the luster. or maybe they were having a bad day...try to be forgiving. remember, an office worker can put their head down, or push a pencil all day. but a teacher has to be a performer...and you can't be on top of it every day.
2007-02-02 00:49:20 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
I am not saying that this is what was going on, but:
I have given my students an open ended math problem to work on in groups (I teach math at the high school level) and told them that I will not help them for the first 15 minutes. I then go do something that they believe would be important and should not be disturbed. What I was attempting to do was teach them how to use their groups as resources. I also listened in to see how they were doing. If an administrator came in at that moment, they would wonder why I was checking my e-mail or grading papers.
2007-02-01 22:23:49 · answer #7 · answered by tval_friedly 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I guess because they want to be "teachers". Doesn't it make you feel good when someone announces you that he/she is a teacher? A great job. A job -liturgy. Except of this, it offers money easy enough. Unfortunately there are many teachers that don't even understand what kids loose by one hour standing in their centers without doing anything. They don't understand that the money they earn are good just because they must be perfect in their job, elsewhere some children wouldn't be benefited. I would definitely talk to the school's boss.
2007-02-01 19:57:17 · answer #8 · answered by Marieta C 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Well, if they were doing something educational in their centers, then I would say, leave them alone. But if they're not doing anything, it should be known, because unless the teacher is a substitute, he or she should be teaching the class so they could learn something!
2007-02-01 19:43:15 · answer #9 · answered by Dee 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Just go to sleep and listen to your ipod lol. Im happy cuz i have a break :P
2007-02-01 19:41:36 · answer #10 · answered by Chaos_dude 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋