Classroom Observation: Garrett Case Study Paper Example

What is your overall impression of Garrett in this class?

Garrett is inattentive in the class and did not participate in all the activities the teacher engaged in. He is also pretty reserved and does not interact with the teacher nor his partner during the group exercises as seen in the video by Rebekka, (2013).

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Is his level of attention and engagement the same or different from the other students in the class? In what ways is he the same or different?

His level of attention and engagement is pretty different from other students. Other students are actively participating in class by answering questions, raising hands and being a "teacher helper." However, Garrett did not participate in any of these activities. His level of concentration is also poor as he seldom turns as the teacher moves around the class. Moreover, he was quiet the whole time as other students responded to the teachers prompts. He also did not maintain eye contact with the teacher and looked out through the window for the better part of the class. Finally, Garrett did not obey the teacher's instructions, especially during the group activity. Other students were engaging their partners, but Garrett was withdrawn from his partner and failed in doing the exercise.

How would you describe his behavior in class? Be specific about what you observed.

He is reserved, inattentive and unresponsive. Garrett is reserved as he fails to engage his fellow partner during group activities. He also does not participate in any class activity and rarely engages in eye contact with the teacher or his partner. He is inattentive as for a large portion of the class; he is looking through the window. His feet are fidgeting indicating boredom or nervousness.

What challenges did you have in observing Garrett?

The main challenges in observing Garrett was what behaviors to observe and the frequency with which to collect the data. There was a lot of activity in the class, and I had to observe Garrett's behavioral patterns alongside other students. This was difficult as I could sometimes lose concentration and focus on other students. There were also many cues to document which was a bit exhausting. Additionally, to get enough information, I had to watch the video which was time consuming constantly.

Based on this observation, what goals might you have for Garrett?

The goal is to make Garrett attentive and interested in the class. This will be measured by continuous improvements in his response to the teacher's questions. Also, the frequency with which he volunteers to help in class or raises his hands to answer a question. Another goal is to make him interested in class and in this case, making eye contact with the teacher or following him across the room with his eyes will prove his interest in elementary math. The final goal is to make him more social with his classmates. By participating in group activities and engaging his friends, Garret will be deemed less reserved.

What did you find easy about the observation and what was difficult?

Coming up with realistic results is time-consuming as I had to watch the video severally to ensure that I captured all hints. Additionally, choosing the information that was necessary from that which was unnecessary was rather difficult. Consequently, I had to analyze a bulk of information to help understand Garrett's case. Another challenge that I face was obtaining the cognitive outcomes as direct observation only indicates the client's actions. Consequently, direct observation was essential in monitoring only visible aspects. More research is hence needed to analyze physiological and cognitive outcomes, which will explain whether the fidgeting of the legs is out of boredom or anxiety. There are also necessary for deriving the true feelings that Garrett has.

Reference

Rebekka Rannva, Creamy. (2013, January 13). Elementary Math Classroom Observation [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jzq-kuyhiqs&feature=youtu.be