ELL Classroom Observation

The period of time that I will be reviewing is coming from Mrs. Porter’s first and second grade ELL classroom. Pseudonyms will be in place for all students and teachers present in this description and story. On this particular day I was to help out at a literacy station. Stations are a regular routine in this classroom for all subjects, and the students really do enjoy this part of the day. It breaks up learning into different activities that are both individual practice and group work. On this day, I felt a little stressed and worried for Mrs. Porters students. The 4 children I was working with at this station were assigned a work sheet where they were to write “are big” or “is big” in the sentences below. Mrs. Porters class is extremely

Benchmarks are “check points on where students should be at a particular point in time” (Arends, 2009, p. 107). This is where diversity plays a huge role because the student’s academic levels are on opposite ends of the spectrum and this can affect finishing rates. “Rules, procedures, and downtime activities are needed for students who finish early and have time on their hands. These include high-interest activities such as making available special reading material or educational games that students can complete on their own” (Arends, 2009, p. 427). It’s vital to a child’s learning experience that we as teachers watch what is going on at these stations. Our text clearly states, “Many students rush through the work at a center without really paying much attention. Teachers need to be alert to these problems and check the work of these students very carefully before allowing them to move on to a new learning center” or another assignment (Arends, 2009, p. 427). Late finishers are a little easier to address. Arends suggests that teacher’s should let these students have extra time on assignments either after school with teacher supervision, or at home for homework. Research has found that “students who are falling behind often are those who do not work well alone and who need teacher assistance to complete important tasks and assignment” (Arends, 2009, p.