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.