Field Blog Post 2

I observed Mr. Flynn’s 9^th grade Algebra 1 class at Cleveland Heights High School. At first, I was disappointed that I was assigned to observe a math class because I do not have much of an interest in the subject but my experience turned out better than I thought it would be. When me and my two other classmates entered Mr. Flynn’s classroom we were welcomed to a very warm and inviting environment. All of the students were fascinated by the fact that we were there and made it very obvious by staring at us. I thought that Mr. Flynn was not too outwardly friendly but definitely gracious to have us in his class. He asked each of what we wanted to specialize in in education and whether we were interested in teaching mathematics.

            That day in class Mr. Flynn’s class was reviewing for a test that they were going to take during the next class period. I noticed during my time observing that Mr. Flynn uses a very matter of a fact teaching style and straightforward thinking. I admired how much the students respected him even when he was stern with them about misbehaving or not being attentive. I liked that the class was small because it allowed for Mr. Flynn to spend more time to move around the room to check in on each individual student. I think that the smaller class size served as a benefit to the students because they were able to receive individual, undivided attention from the teacher. Another thing that I observed was how engaged Mr. Flynn kept his students throughout the class period. When reviewing the material for the upcoming test he focused on emphasizing the more important information to remember for the test. I think he is effective at making sure that students grasp the concept of the material that they will be tested on. One thing I found exceptional was how Mr. Flynn offered his students opportunities for improvement by allowing them to fix their mistakes for credit. Overall, I think that Mr. Flynn seemed like a remarkable teacher because of his dedication towards his students’ success. 

            I enjoyed my experience observing at Cleveland Heights High School because I had never seen what it felt like to be an observer from the outside looking in. It felt so strange to not be a high school student anymore and was a little bit difficult for me to feel completely comfortable. Lastly, I thought it was so neat how the students at Heights High earn all of their high school credit by their junior year and are able to start enrolling in pre college courses. I think that is an extremely awesome opportunity to have access to at that stage of your academic career.