Running head: ARTIFACT #1 FIELD OBSERVATION

Artifact #1 Field Observation

Sarmiento Daisy

College of Southern Nevada

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Last semester, I had the chance to observe a regular first-grade classroom. I was able to

get a glimpse of what being a primary teacher encompasses. Being given the opportunity to

observe a special education classroom has been yet another enriching experience. It was very

different from my last experience and felt like I was observing a classroom for the first time. Ms.

Morvay was very caring and firm which made her an excellent educator. Thankfully, I learned so

much about the students, the school, and what it means to be a special education teacher.

The children in the classroom had autism. There were nine students and they ranged in

grades three to five. Although they did learn some academics, the focus of the class was on

behavior. Lexi had severe anxiety while Syla had trouble with comprehension. There was a set of

male twins in the classroom. One of them would type everything instead of writing. Two other

male students were able to go to either gen. ed. or a resource room for a few hours each week.

Another male student did not start speaking until the past year. His articulation was not very

clear. DeAndre had shown great progress throughout the year. His problems with impulse

behavior had gotten much better Lastly, there was Jensen. He was a non-verbal student with

great comprehension.

Each morning, the students would copy from the board what they were going to do that

day. Then, they would go over the calendar. Mrs. Morvay and her students would pick a "leader"

to call on the other students. They would ask them simple questions to help them understand.

"Quiet hand and a quiet mouth" were heavily emphasized. The students have something called

token boards. Whenever they showed good behavior they would receive a token. Once they

would complete the board, they could get a few minutes on either the computer or iPad. This

helped focus on positive reinforcement. Tokens were only taken away as a last resort.

The school was very supportive of the special education classroom. Each morning, the

students would walk by the front office and greet one of the staff members. They would shake
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hands, ask about their day, and smile. It was part of a daily routine they had going on. For

specials, the students got to interact with the general education students. Sometimes it would be

difficult for them to participate in all the activities, but the assistant was always there to help

them out. The other students were also very sweet. They would give the children with autism

good behavior certificates which was very nice. Ms. Morvay also mentioned that the principal

always made sure the classroom had everything it needed and more.

To be a special education teacher, you must be kind, compassionate, caring, and

determined. Mrs. Morvay showed all these qualities every single day. Although she was firm,

she never snapped or made bad judgements with her students. They all knew she cared very

deeply about them. She herself mentioned that she never imagined she would love her students

as much as she does. Although this profession is not easy, it is very rewarding. To see the

students show progress throughout the year is amazingly gratifying. Special education teachers

deserve more recognition and yet, do not ask for it. They do everything from the bottom of their

hearts and that truly is admirable.

Although I do not plan on going into special education specifically, I do want to be a

successful educator. This experience has shown me how to better accomplish this goal. I

observed some amazing students and a warmhearted teacher. Now, I better understand how a

special education classroom functions, and all the adjustments that are needed. My admiration

for those in special education had doubled. I look up to them and when I accomplish my goal of

becoming a primary teacher, I hope to only keep learning from the special education classroom.
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Interview Question 1: What was the primary reason you became a teacher?

Ms. Morvay explained that she was 50 years old when she decided to go back to school.

She was volunteering for a reading program at a school and felt inspired.

Interview Question 2: What are the main challenges you face as a teacher?

Trying to adapt the different instruction for all of her students can be challenging. Each

has different abilities and qualities which makes it more challenging.

Interview Question 3: What is the best part of being a teacher?

"The kids" Ms. Morvay loves all of her students and appreciates all of them.

Interview Question 4: How do you determine where students sit in class?

She goes by behavior. She will sit a student that has less problems controlling his or her

behavior next to a student who may face more challenges in that area.

Interview Question 5: How do you determine the members of any flexible groups?

Morvay bases the flexible groups on behavior and abilities. For example, she uses high

and low functioning to help her determine the groups

Interview Question 6: Beyond standardized testing, what assessments do you use

regularly?

AIMSweb and core phonics are used regularly in her classroom. She also uses teacher-

made tests.

Interview Question 7: What requirements are placed on you for reporting progress to

parents?

Ms. Morvay says that she uses progress reports, district-wide report cards, and a weekly

behavior report. All of these are provided to the guardians of her students.

Interview Question 8: How often do you interact with a student’s parents in person, and

what type of discussions do you typically have?

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She tries to interact with the parents every morning during pick-up. Also, she gets to have

deeper conversations with the parents during IEPs, school conferences, and phone calls.

Sometimes it can be hard to get a hold of the guardians, so she has to work extra hard to try and

contact them.

Interview Question 9: How much grading do you complete on a daily/weekly basis?

Each week, Ms. Morvay spends 1-2 hours for grading. The time can vary but usually, it is

no more than two.

Interview Question 10: How long does it take to prepare lessons for the day/week?

It usually takes 2-3 hours to prepare for the week. She likes to draw from previous years

lessons and modify them for each of her students.

Interview Question 11: What procedures or strategies do you use to maximize instructional

time?

Behavior management strategies, student attendance, and compliance. She relies on aba

procedures.

Interview Question 12: What positive reinforcement programs have you had success with,

and what behavioral consequences seem most effective with this age group?

ABA behavior analysis. Token boards are used as a positive reinforcement. The goal is to

eventually get them off token boards. The goal is to go to verbal reinforcements or simple high

fives. Morvay mentions that they try to ignore negative behavior.

Interview Question 13: How are specialist teachers involved in the instructional planning

process?

They are not really involved but she does provide all of her specialists with her students'

IEPs at the beginning of the year.

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Interview Question 14: How often are you evaluated, and what measurement tool is used

by the administration for determining your teaching performance?

At first, Ms. Morvay would have three observations a year but now it's only one.

Teachers need to show growth and aims web is used to do this. Students must also show

progress.

Interview Question 15: What consequences are there if your evaluation is not favorable?

Teachers are offered additional support if they are struggling in an area.

Interview Question 16: What types of support do you receive instructionally, financially, or

professionally from the school, parent organization or school district to enhance

instruction?

LINKS is used to provide behavior plans or strategies to help work with students.

Throughout the year, she goes to various trainings that are offered by the LINKS department.

She mentions that she is extremely lucky to have a very supportive admin. He always offers help.

The special ed. self-contained programs are given a bit of extra money for the classroom.

Interview Question 17: What surprised you most about teaching as a profession?

"That I would love the kids as much as I do." She was going through a rough time in her

life and fell in love with volunteering at a title I school and decided to go back to school. She

now loves the classes and loves her job.