A Day in Mrs. Mosley's 5th Grade Classroom

Today was my first day observing in Mrs. Mosley's 5th grade classroom. I cannot believe the difference between 2nd grade and 5th grade. It's hard to imagine how quickly children can change over a short period of time. When I first entered the classroom, most of the children stared at me and did not even bother to hide that they were watching me. I could feel all of their eyes on me as I started to take notes on the classroom setup. Most of the students sat in groups of three while others sat alone. All of the desk were arranged to face the front of the room. For the most part, the classroom walls were colorful, displaying education posters and some student work. Mrs. Mosley sat at the front of the room, observing the students while they were reading A.R. books before lunch. When it was time for students to be dismissed from lunch, I could hear the whispers among students and knew they were curious about me. I decided to sit with the children at lunch, that way I could get to know them a little better, and they could get to know me. I enjoyed our conversations and was shocked at how quickly some of the students warmed up to me. They were all very curious out my background. Most of the students wanted to know where I was from. I briefly told them about me and then started asking them questions. All of the students were eager to talk about themselves once they warmed up to me. Most of the students talked about their hobbies, their pets, or their families.
Once lunch was over the student went outside for recess. I was still surprised to see that the boys and girls still separated themselves from one another while they were playing. It was interesting to watch them play and socialize. Most of the boys were involved in a game of football or tag, while most of the girls walked around the play ground socializing with one another. I began listening to the students conversations throughout the day and was shocked by the way that some students gossiped about their classmates. This was such a difference from 2nd grade, where most of the students got along with one another and did not know what gossip was. I understand that as kids get older, they become more concerned with what their peers are doing and often get involved in gossip, but I did not know that it would happen so early.
Once recess was over, the students dragged themselves back into the classroom and continued with their grammar worksheets. Most of the students had a hard time settling down after recess or became restless as the day came to an end. They struggled to complete their grammar and read from their A.R. books until the bell rang. Once the bell rang, there was a sudden burst of energy as the student lined up at the door. I was surprised when a couple of students told me goodbye and asked if I would be back in the morning. All in all, my first day in Mrs. Mosley’s 5th grade classroom was a positive experience. I know that I have a lot to learn about 5th grade and am looking forward to getting to know all of the students. I can’t wait to see what’s in store for me!