Field Experience Observation Assignment
For this assignment you will be required to observe one student in a classroom setting for two hours. During this observation you will record all the behaviors displayed by the student. You should create a comprehensive and specific list of behaviors (eg. pulls his own hair, stares away from the teacher, whispers to her friend, throws pencil on the floor, etc.). The summary should be extremely detailed. Do not use the student’s real name in the summary. Create a pseudonym for the student to maintain confidentiality.
You will also complete an Antecedent-Behavior-Consequence (ABC) chart during your observation. The Field Experience Observation ABC Chart should include at least two behavior episodes.
When considering the function of the observed behavior, please choose from one of the following:
- Escape/Avoidance
- Obtaining/Acquiring
The preferred observation site would be in a classroom that provides assistance to students with emotional disabilities. The preferred student for this observation would be an individual who has been known to exhibit challenging behaviors.
The Liberty University Field Office will not help you to find a school/classroom for this observation. You must independently approach schools in your community to organize the observation. You may use the Field Experience Observation Letter if your chosen school requests additional documentation.
NOTE: If you live in Central Virginia, you may not contact the local school systems (Lynchburg City, Campbell County, Bedford County, Appomattox County, and Amherst County) to complete the field experience requirement. You may contact the instructor of this course for your options. Thank you!
After the observation, provide a description of the student and a summary of the behaviors you witnessed during the observation. Analyze the behaviors and provide a few reasons as to why the behaviors might have occurred. Use information from your textbooks to support your reasoning.
The list of behaviors and the behavior summary should be 400-500 words. This does not include the words that will be used on the Field Experience Observation ABC Chart. Please copy and paste the Field Experience Observation ABC Chart onto the document that contains the list of behaviors and the behavior summary. Use current APA format when writing your summary.
