Common Area Observation

Step 1. Read the Profile of Lacy Elementary School, Special Situations Analysis of the School Cafeteria at the bottom of this page.
You will make your observations from the written profile, and compose a paper summarizing the observations and stating your recommendations/action plan for improvement.
Step 2. From the profile, identify those things that help keep the cafeteria calm, orderly, safe, and well managed, along with those things that contribute to different management or behavioral problems.
Categorize your observations in the five areas detailed below, and record your comments about each area in a well-developed paragraph.
Student Characteristics, Issues, and Factors
Who is demonstrating appropriate and inappropriate behavior? Note where this behavior is occurring (e.g., in the line, at the tables, during the clearing process, when exiting). Note how students are responding to others inappropriate behavior, as well as how the on-site staff is responding to different groups of students.

Teacher/Staff Characteristics, Issues, and Factors
Assess what the teachers and staff in the cafeteria are doing, what they are supposed to be doing, and how they are influencing and/or responding to appropriate versus inappropriate student behavior.

Environmental Characteristics, Issues, and FactorsPhysical Plant and Logistics
What are the physical characteristics and conditions of the cafeteria, and how are students and staff are physically/logistically moving in and around the cafeteria (e.g., in the line, through the serving area, when clearing their tables, upon exiting)? Note how these physical and logistical factors are contributing to a safe and orderly environment, or a chaotic, problematic one.

Incentives and Consequences
Assess the incentives and consequences for the students relative to their appropriate and inappropriate behavior, respectively, in the cafeteria. Note who gives these incentives and consequences, and how they contribute to the climate of the setting and the interactions of the students.

Resources
Assess the resources in the cafeteria (e.g., the people, materials, space, technology) and how they are being used. Note how these resources are making the cafeteria experience successful for the students and staff, or how they could improve the success of the experience if they were used more or more effectively.
Step 3. Compose a thorough summary report detailing the strengths, the weaknesses, and your recommendations/action plan for improving the climate, management, safety, and overall experience for students and staff in the cafeteria.

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