Observation Papers

For the past few weeks I have been volunteering for Mrs. Seutter’s first grade class at Pine Meadow Elementary. There are twenty-two students in her class, and their ages range from six to seven. I volunteer every Monday through Friday, except Wednesdays, from 8:30 in the morning to 9:50 a.m. During that time the first graders get all settled in. When I first arrive they are usually reading, working on an assignment that the teacher gives them, writing down their addresses, or talking to the teacher. After they have done everything, the teacher projects on the smartboard a dance along video that the kids can dance to so they can lose some of the energy they have. After their dance they all go sit in a group next to the whiteboard to discuss
As I walk around during reading time, I notice several kids are reading books about insects. Some kids come up to me and show me a picture of an interesting bug they like. Others will tell me stories of how they once caught that bug or how they have seen it before. The third theorist that I have studied is Erik Erikson. He theorizes in age groups, and ages six to eleven falls under the industry and inferiority category. This means that they have a sense of accomplishment from their work and they learn about self-discipline. My first graders feel a sense of accomplishment whenever they answer a question correctly. If a student gets called on by the teacher and they get it right, that student will either smile proudly, cheer, compliment themselves or high-five other students around them. The first graders show self-discipline when they are working on their assignments. I have noticed that almost all the kids are able to follow direction and listen very well. When the teacher or I tell them to do something, they listen and do that task right away. The teacher rarely has to re-tell them to do something. The fourth theorist that I learned was Sternberg. She stated that there are three different types of intelligences: analytical, creative, and practical. The kids demonstrate creativity everyday when they are doodling on the mini whiteboards. They draw many interesting pictures and they like to have their friends guess what it is. They also write in journals every Monday to explain what they did over the weekend. Above their description they draw pictures to show a visual of what they did. I also learned about the theorist Piaget. Piaget is a stage theorist and he grouped each age into categories, just like Erik Erikson. The 2 to 7 year olds are grouped in the preoperational period which is where they interpret