What is the most important thing you have learned during fieldwork observation? Why?

I think the most important thing i've learned is that there are many different types of teachers and ways to teach. I think I felt before that there was a cookie cutter type of personality that would be the only kind to be make a good teacher. As i've been able to observe in 4 different classrooms (2 main) I have seen that each teacher is unique with their personality, teaching style and emphases. That has helped me a lot, especially when I felt unsure if my personality would fit well as a teacher. I have been able to see (in my opinion) what works and what doesn't - with some types of kids, some types of lessons, etc. Its been great to see the variety, and i'm really glad we were placed in two different classes.

I have also found that it is so important to listen to the kids. It seems simple to make a lesson plan and stick with it, but some teachers are good about going with the flow and teaching the way and style that specific kids will respond to the best. There is so much more variety and flexibility than I thought, and I have found that it is a very good thing.

What are the school rules/classroom rules and how are they enforced? What are the procedures the teacher uses to make everything run smoothly in the class?

I feel like the two questions posed go hand in hand. The classroom rules are written vary largely on the back wall in the classroom. Each rule was agreed upon by the entire class. I think that is a novel way to create rules for the class. Not only do the kids create and agree on the rules before the school year starts, but they are held accountable by their classmates as well. Its like a contract, the kids all sign the bottom, stating that they will follow the above rules. I can't remember them all right now, but some of them are: Raise your hand when speaking, be respectful of others, stay in seat, etc. 

To make the class run smoothly, the teacher enforces the rules of the classroom. I have also noticed that he is very good at being patient, looking at the ground and waiting for the class to be quiet before he continues teaching. The students know him and his teaching style, so they have caught on pretty fast on the way things are run. They don't fight the system, which is so great. He also chooses different children each day to be the line leader, or the kid to take the library books to the library, etc. That way each kid gets a chance to be the leader for the day. Most of all though, he is a friend to the students and a person they can trust. 

What strategies does the teacher use to actively engage the students? How effective are these?

I saw several examples, just today, on how the teacher engages the students.
-Today they had a sort of extended recess/field day for about an hour with a few different classes. I noticed right away, that the teacher started playing with the kids. He played 4-square, basketball, soccer, jumprope, scooters, etc with them. I thought that was really admirable, because he could have just sat and watched, but he wanted the kids to be active, so he joined in. I found it to be very effective, and the kids LOVED playing with him.
-The teacher is also very good at validating the children. As we walked to the library, he commended several of the children on being quiet and respectful. I saw that this was not just effective on the behaving students, but the more rowdy ones saw his praise and started to follow suit.
-The teacher also has been reading a chapter book to the kids. I've noticed that he is very good at changing his tone for different parts of the story, and also asking questions as they go along. He doesn't just read straight through, he will read a paragraph or so, and then ask, "why do you think the character is doing that?" or "what do you think will happen next?" He even had each table discuss two different characters and why one did what was right, and the other didn't. This helps the students have better comprehension to what they are reading, and become more interested in the story.