ETP201: Interactive Notes (Observation 2)

Date and time: Interaction participants:

Date: 09/05/2015 • Classroom Teacher

• Pre-Service Teacher
Time: 10:23 – 10:30
• Student being observed
Observation details: Harley*
• Grade One • Classroom of students

• Classroom of 19 present children: 10 females, 9 males

• 7 minute observation

Teaching materials, resources and set-up:

• Laptops at their investigation tables.

• Refer to attachments section for a photograph of the table Harley is

sitting at

• Table with pencils, paper and plastic tree

Attachments: Comments:

This observation has given me

an insight to how Harley
handles certain situations in
regards to his behaviour (in
particular his anger) when
instructed to do something he
doesn’t want to do or doesn’t
know how to do it.

Pictured: Table Harley was sitting at.

Seating plan or class map:

The class follows an open plan structure classroom, with two classrooms adjoining to the right hand-side of the
learning area. The school follows a modified version of the Kathy Walker Developmental Play Approach
where instead of assigning students to a standard table, they are assigned to an investigation area that they are
responsible for tidying up each lesson but are not restricted to that area during working time unless instructed.

Today Harley was seated next to another boy in the class working on one of the laptops the class gets to use.
Time: Duration: Explaining what is being observed
10:23 – 10:30 7 Minutes

10:23 (1 minute) The class is ending their computer session. As instructed by the
teacher, all students are told to log off their computers and close the
lids.

10:24 (2 minutes) Harley is still playing around on his computer and gets told again to
pack up. He exclaims, “I haven’t finished yet! I don’t know how to do
it!” and the teacher comes over to him and repeats telling him how to
pack up.

10:26 (1 minute) Harley still does not understand what the teacher is saying and is not
happy with what he is hearing and slams the lid down and hits the
laptop twice.

The teacher speaks to Harley on how that’s not how we treat things
10:27 (1 minute) and he gets up from his chair and starts storming around the class.

Harley swipes the table cloth from one of the surrounding tables and
all the items sitting on top fall to the floor e.g. pencils, paper, plastic
10:28 (2 minutes) tree, making angered noises and then storms out of the class and down
the stairs.

Conclusion of observation
Concluded
10:30
Reflections:

In this observation, it appeared quite obvious that Harley has issues with controlling his emotions and in
particular his temper. This was shown when told to pack up and he slammed the lid down on his computer and
hit it. As a child, this can seem cute or not so much of a big deal, but what happens when he gets older and
stronger? Will he continue throwing things? Will it escalate to hitting people? And is it really worth risking the
chance of not addressing the behaviour and something bad happening in the future?

Harley also appears to struggle asking for help in situations where he doesn’t know what he’s supposed to be
doing and so he gets angry.

Possible topics for goals:

• Finding ways to express himself through talking instead of action

• Following instructions

• Learning to control his behaviour

• Asking for help when he needs it (putting hand up or thumb to his chin)