February 12, 2015 Afternoon Fieldwork Experience Blog 8

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

     I am very grateful for the opportunity which I have had to go and work with such a wonderful group of first graders and their teacher.  It was an eye opening experience for me and one which I will never forget.  I think that the most important thing that I learned from my observation is that a first grade classroom (which grade I was set upon teaching) is not the grade for me to teach.  I loved the honesty and excitement in the kids but they had so much energy and were all over the place.  There was a lot of tattle-telling, crying, "selective hearing", and lots of other misbehavior's.  They would try the patience of a Saint and believe me their teacher was one!  It is the first year these students are at school all day and they learn a lot about structure, rules, and control in this first year.  Personally I think I would be better able to handle a slightly less out of control group of students... second or third grade.  I am glad that I observed and had the opportunity to discover this.
     I learned so many valuable things thoughout this semester including ways to engage the students in the classroom better, different ways to deal with behavioral issues, and most importantly that there is now a common core that teachers teach from.  I am excited to continue to learn how to become the best teacher I can and to hopefully remain open minded to new thoughts and ideas.

     I always loved school and thought it would be great to be one of those teachers that I think back on and appreciate.  I was blessed to have passionate grade school teachers who loved what they did and loved seeing their students succeed; that makes all the difference in the world.  I hope to one day have the opportunity to inspire that same love of learning in a new generation of students.

February 12, 2015 Morning Fieldwork Experience Blog 7

What are the School Rules/Classroom Rules and how are they enforced?

     The school rules for Hobble Creek Elementary are shown on posters hung in each of the classrooms and they say the following:

"Hobble Creek Hawks show respect and soar when they:

1.  Follow adult instructions

2.  Are where they are supposed to be

3.  Choose words and actions that are helpful, not hurtful

4.  Protect and take care of school property

5.  Leave gum, candy, and toys at home."

     The classroom rules are as follows:

1.  We need to be respectful

2.  Listen while others are talking

3.  Always do your best

     The teacher typically enforces the school and classroom rules.  In the classroom the students all start out with a green card.  If a student is not following the school/classroom rules or is having a behavioral problem the student is asked to pull a card.  A green card means a student is doing great.  A yellow card is a warning to the student.  If a student pulls an orange card they will miss five minutes of recess.  A red card means that a student will miss 10 minutes of recess.  At this age (first grade) usually just pulling a yellow card is enough of a warning because no one wants to miss any part of recess, but, if a student does pull a red card and they continue with disciplinary problems then the teacher will send the student to the principals office and the parents are called.  The school rules are enforced using the teachers discretion.  When I spoke to the teacher she said that rarely are their times when a situation goes beyond her classroom.  If a student hits someone, starts a fight, or brings a weapon to school they are immediately sent to see the principal otherwise they will pull a card.

Graphic Organizer Project

February 5, 2015 Afternoon Fieldwork Experience Blog 6

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

        I think that I lucked out getting to observe the first grade class and teacher that I did.  One strategy I would like to discuss is the teacher's use of "equitable distribution."  I love that the teacher had a jar of popsicle sticks with all of the students names on it.  The students also loved that everyone had an equal chance of getting their name called out to help the teacher do a specific task, answer questions, or their favorite thing the popsicle sticks were used for... drawing their names out for reading prizes at the end of the week.  I think it was great that the teacher focused on helping the class move along with a variety of activities that involved as many students as possible.  The students worked with mixed groups of students for different center times such as reading groups, writing groups, math activity centers, photo analysis', art projects, and so many others.  I like that as the students were changed from group to group they were able to share, interact, and receive ideas with those they might not have normally associated with in the classroom.  It was a good strategy to diversify the classroom dynamics and served to broaden the student's ideas and perspectives.  
     One of the activities that actively engaged the students and that they loved was poem time.  The class read "A Frog and A Flea by Cynthia Mitchell."  The teacher put it up on the board and read it then asked the class what certain words meant.  Then she had all of the students read the poem aloud together and they loved it.  Another activity similar to poem time that involved the whole class but also groups of students was in essence a group reading.  The teacher handed out scripts to each of the students and then divided the class into groups.  The scripts had 6 different parts and each group highlighted their parts and read over them.  Then as a class they read it aloud.  Each group saying their part together and then the whole class reading the "everyone" sections as one.  I believe that is one of the key strategies that the teacher uses; the students aren't confined to their desks all day like I was as a child.  She keeps the students busy working on one activity for 10 or 15 minutes then begins moving the students around the room.  She lets them work alone for a few minutes then it might be story time so they all move to the rug where she reads to them, it might be time to pick a partner and work together, or find a group to play math games with.  Whatever the activity the kids are active and remain interested because the teacher has made learning exciting and interesting.  
     First graders aren't used to being cooped up at a desk all day long so it is good that the teacher allows movement and encourages interaction.  I think the teacher has been effective in her strategies to keep the students interested in learning.  The environment she encourages could get out of hand with noise or students who just talk instead of work but she has a reward system for those who keep working and do what they are asked.  The teacher doesn't tell which students are getting their names written down but throughout the week the teacher watches and those who are doing what they are supposed to get their names put down for a prize drawing.  If students get out of control and don't listen to the teacher she takes away their group privileges and they have to work alone until they can prove their privileges can be given back.  I have enjoyed observing and learning from this teacher.  She inspires students to be the best they can be and to strive for more.

February 5, 2015 Morning Fieldwork Experience Blog 5

What is the most important role a teacher plays?  Why?

     I think the most important role a teacher plays is building a foundation for success in students lives.  I have an idealistic perception of teachers.  I would like to think that teachers teach because they love what they do and they want their students to have a love of learning.  Teachers teach students to respect others and themselves.  They teach students about the rules of society and start building that foundation that will carry the students through the rest of their lives.  When children are young they learn so many fundamental things about life.  If there is someone there who genuinely cares about a students success then that person can achieve unbelievable things.When I spoke with some of the kindergarten and first grade teachers they told me that often times "exposure" is one of the key roles they play in a students success.  What they mean by this is that there are quite a few students who come into the school systems that haven't had exposure to literature, both reading and writing.  Many children grow up in homes where the parents don't take the time to read to their children, don't have the opportunities to do so, or lack the abilities.  When these students aren't getting that "exposure" to learning at home it makes it that much more important that they are receiving it in a school setting.
     Another important role a teacher plays is the protection of her students.  If they see that a student hasn't been eating at home and a child tells her they are hungry then the teacher can help make sure at least while they are at school that they can get two meals a day.  Teachers can look for signs of abuse and try to do what they can to get the students in a safe environment.  Sometimes, these kids come form less than ideal circumstances and school is the only place they can find kindness, experience friendships, and have people who care for them.  There is so much good that just one teacher can do and that is an idea that has endeared me to teaching.  If a student knows that someone is there for them and wants them to be happy and succeed then the sky really is the limit!

January 29, 2015 Afternoon Fieldwork Experience Blog 4

What clerical and preparation responsibilities have you participated in?

     I had to laugh when I read this question because this is exactly what I have been doing!  I walked into the classroom and Miss Johnson said, "I remembered last night I have a helper and am so glad!"  She put me right to work!  She handed me stacks of different papers and I put together homework packets for each of the students and filed them in their homework folders, then the real preparation began! The students in the school were going to be celebrating the 100th day of school the next day so the teacher had all sorts of prep work for me to do.  I spent my time drawing 10 large circles in a grid pattern on the back of 30 white t-shirts.  The students are going to be drawing groups of ten items in each circle so they can have a t-shirt with 100 things on it.  I also cut, punched papers, measured, and cut yarn for necklaces they are going to be making.

     After I cut out all of the yarn for the necklaces I got to cut a bottle of glue in half and dip all of the ends of the yarn into the glue and hang them up to harden and dry for the night.  It took quite a few hours to get all of the preparation work done for the 100th day of school party so I can see why the teacher was glad to have some help!  She said she would have been up all night preparing if I hadn't been there to do some of the work.  I can see that teachers take their work home with them quite often and put in a lot more time than just when they are in the schoolroom.  I think that is one of the things I understand more so now that I have spent some time in a classroom situation.  Teachers work really hard both inside and outside of their classrooms to make school a good experience for each and every one of their students.  

January 29, 2015 Morning Field Experience Blog 3

What modifications for learners who are exceptional do you see?

     This is an interesting topic to consider and discuss.  I have had the opportunity to see a few of these modifications in the classroom where I have been doing my fieldwork experience.  I have never really learned very much about ADHD until this semester and the information on accommodations for ADHD in Module three have been a big help to me in putting two and two together.  There is a student in the classroom who has a very hard time maintaining his focus and keeping his eyes from wandering.  The teacher understands the needs of this student and has been very conscientious of the seating chart.  In module three the idea of preferred seating is discussed.  This is what the teacher has done in this particular situation.  She sat the student at the front of the class so the amount of "stimuli" in his line of vision was lessened.  This is the first modification  I have observed.  It seems to help with the closer proximity to the board and to where she is standing.  She can stand directly in front of him while giving instructions and maintain eye contact with him.  The teacher told me that this little boy has sat there since the second week of class and it has been a big help for him.  She also allows this student more time to finish his math worksheets.  She knows that this is an area that takes him a little more time so she adapted her class schedule and after the class finishes their math worksheet in the mornings she sits in the back of the class with students and reads a story of the classes choice.  This gives the little boy extra time to finish his work before they move on to another project and he is still able to listen to the story.  

     Another modification I have seen also deals with the seating chart but in the reverse as the previous case.  There is another student with behavioral issues who tries to disrupt the class by being mean to others, crying, and acting out.  The first time I was in the classroom this student threw a fit and started crying.  The teacher tried to work with her and said they had already discussed not disrupting the class with these outbursts.  This student became more upset and wrapped a scarf around her head (covering up her face) and kept it there the remainder of the class.  The teacher informed me that she has often had similar issues with this student so she sits at the back of the classroom where these outbursts and acts of defiance won't disrupt and affect those around her.

   The third modification I want to discuss is about another student who has some learning disabilities.  During center time while the other students were reading to themselves or working with groups I had the opportunity to read with this student.  She was reading the same subjects as the other students but at lower grade reading levels.  It gave her the time and opportunity to focus on those building blocks for reading but still learning about the same kinds of things as her class mates.

     The classroom is full of students who all learn differently and who are on different levels.  That is why the use of so many different kinds of technology, and having a variety of activities keeps these young students involved and interested.  The education world is changing and with so many students that face challenges it is important that we as educators do our best to adapt and modify our classrooms and curriculum to best benefit our students.

January 15, 2015 Afternoon Fieldwork Experience Blog 2

In what ways is the school in which you are serving similar to or different from schools in the earlier periods of history in the United States?

     There are so many differences in our classrooms and schools today than those in earlier periods in our countries history.  I believe that as a whole the government has made a push for these differences to be positive changes to the school system and our society.  One of the main differences I see is the diverse mix of ethnicities in our schools today.  That is what Brown vs. the Board of Education ruling was all about.  It was a monumental decision to incorporate other races into the public school system.  The prejudices that were faced in the 1950's and 1960's and generations before that may have taken many years to try and erase but what I have seen in our public school system now is a tolerance for differences in others.  I have been working in a first grade class and granted at that age something like personal hygiene habits matter more than skin color to these children but with so many prejudiced ideas fading toward race I have hope for the future of our children.
     There is one student who I have worked with who is from a spanish speaking only home.  Her only exposure to the english language has been at school.  Thats why the Lau vs. Nichols ruling was so interesting to me.  It is important for these students to have the opportunity to a "meaningful education" regardless of their language background.  It is pretty amazing that our schools supply classrooms where students who only speaks spanish can learn english so that they can succeed and be successful.
     We are now living in an age of information.  The advancements in technology in the last 20 years are incredible let alone the advancements in the last 100 years!  Sputnik ushered in a whole new age of learning.  The use of science, math, and technology opened doors to the way we see the world, universe and others.  It opened the door to possibilities.  It changed the way that we perceive everything.  These advancements in technology are used everyday in the classroom.  The students use ipads, computers, audio listening devices, smart boards, projectors, and televisions.  There has been an evolution in the classroom.  Along with the common core curriculum, (math, english, science, etc.) the students are exposed to special classes such as art, music, and computer courses.  The students go on field trips and have experiences they may not normally have the opportunity to.
     I am so grateful for the developments and progression of education in the United States.  Things are very different now then they once were and education has come a long way since the ruling of Brown vs. the Board of Education.  Thankfully, people can change for the better and when they do, other circumstances also change for the better.  We become better people capable of greater things.  I hope I can teach my future students this.

January 15, 2015 Morning Fieldwork Experience Blog 1

What does a teacher do all day?  

     I am so excited to have the opportunity to observe and participate in Miss Johnson's First Grade Class!  It has been a long time since I was in first grade and things have changed so much in the last 25 years.  This is a very energetic talkative group of first graders and the teacher has her hands full with these 30 students.  She did a very good job of keeping the  kids attention on each activity by moving from different subjects every few minutes and also by keeping the kids active throughout the day.  That was something I found very interesting.  She has a routine in the class which is great because the kids know what type of activity they will be participating in but they are constantly moving around the room which with all the wiggles and energy is a must in this class!  This way of teaching also encourages the students to work one-on-one, in groups of two, in larger groups, and in a small group setting with the teacher.
     While the students were doing center time I had the opportunity to help many of them brainstorm ideas for the stories they were writing.  If they were stuck on a sentence I helped them think of describing words that they could incorporate and words that would help them complete an idea.  It was interesting to observe and help during circle time because I saw that the students are as diverse in their learning styles as in their ideas for their stories.  Some of the students who were more visual learners than others drew pictures to describe the characters or the plot of their stories.  I observed another little boy who was practically writing a novel.  He wrote four short stories in the space that some wrote one sentence.  I really liked that the teacher encouraged the students to work together and to read their stories to one another.  Some liked this more than others... One little girl said, "I don't like to read out loud!  I am going to read to myself!"  I liked listening to the kids and learning what were their strengths and weaknesses.  This type of teaching helps the teacher cater her lessons more to specific areas if she sees students are struggling with somethings more than others.
    I think that this is one of the most challenging things that Miss Johnson faces each day as she  prepares her lessons to cater to such a large group.  For the most part her class is all on the same learning level, but at the beginning of the day I saw that after all of the students had finished their math worksheet that one little boy sat staring at his paper.  After a few minutes of waiting for the little boy to finish (which he still hadn't) Miss Johnson took the class over to the circle for reading time and left the boy to work on his math.  I watched him and noticed that his attention kept wandering to other things so I asked Miss Johnson if she would like me to help him.  She said that the most important thing was to try and help him stay focused and on task which I guess is a challenge for him.  Once I sat down and talked through the problems with him I could see that he is very smart and just has a short attention span!  So on the one hand she has two or three students who struggle with certain areas of the curriculum and on the other she has one student who, while I was in the class, finished all of her work and was asking the teacher if she had more for her to do.
  I was almost certain that FIRST grade was going to be the grade I wanted to teach most but after observing for just one day I am not sure.  Miss Johnson is kept busy by things other than teaching.  She is constantly redirecting, trying to get kids to focus and listen while she works hard to instill a love of learning in these young minds.  Amazingly she is doing all of this while dealing with wiggly, non listening, emotional (you're not my friend anymore) students.  She even had one student run out of the class and hide in the school.  She said it can be very stressful because some days they just don't want to listen to her but that other days she sees the students succeed and sees the reward in all of it.  I have a new appreciation for first grade teachers!