Elementary School Reflection

Running Head: JOURNAL REFLECTION 1: A CASE STUDY OF A HIGHLY EFFECTIVE, INCLUSIVE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

As I step into the classroom on August 21, 2017, I have one thought: “What’s going to be the difference between my nine and 10 a.m. classes?” When I signed up for the Fall semester, I was aware I would stay in the same classroom, instructed by the same professor (or in this case, doctor) and I would likely mix the two classes up. Although the first class revolved around research and theory and this course focused on emerging media, I couldn’t help but feel similarities between the classes. Each week, three students would present on a topic in the nine and 10 a.m. class. There would be a lecture or video we would take notes over in each class, or discuss an article from Pew Research. For a time, I was worried I would be sitting in class for two hours gaining only the information from my peers. I signed up for Emerging Media to compute how technology is changing society. I was motivated in discussions, but regretted to remember following class our discussion. I was worried this class would be redundant, until I focused in on “The Shallows.” This was the text the class would be based around. I was not impressed at the author’s ideas during lecture at first. Then, on September 13, 2017, I woke up from the redundancy I felt when we discussed technology determinism and the intellectual ethic.

During my first year of teaching the steps I have taken up to this point are organizing a detailed plan, from before school started, of our daily procedures and routines. Every single day I greet my students and let them know they are welcome into the classroom. Once the students enter the classroom, they know to put their things away, backpack on the back of their chair, and lunchboxes in the cubbies. They then know to open up their bell work journal and begin the bell work question or worksheet that is provided for them at their desk. My students will know that every morning they should have 3 sharpened pencils in their pencil box and one pink eraser. They have finished work in their green folder and unfinished work in their yellow folder. By being

For my practicum, I was placed in a sixth grade English and History classroom. Working with two classes of Fargo middle school students proved to be a great learning experience for me. Prior to my first day with them, I had been questioning whether or not I’d truly like to proceed with earning a degree in education; however, now I am certain I do. One of the most valuable lessons I learned through observation and working one-on-one with students, was that everything in the classroom is subject to change, from the physical learning environment to the timeline of the topics covered.

Starting from last year, the chemistry teaching lab at Tech has been my second home at Northwestern University. Soon, it became a place where I worked, researched, and studied. On some days, I would spend more time in the lab than in my own dorm room. This place was familiar to me, but while observing this familiar place, I found different interactions that I had not noticed before. Prior to this observational exercise, I thought that the lab was just a place where classes were held and experiments were conducted. Although I had recognized that there was an academic hierarchy, where the importance of professors, TAs, and undergraduate students were clearly divided, I had never truly noticed how socially complex this lab was. From my observations, there were three main interactions in the lab: equal interactions, unequal interactions, and resonance interactions.

The week of October16th through October 20th was pretty busy. I had three ARD meetings this week but none of them depicted any issues. All the parents were very complimentary of the teachers and their assistance in providing their children with the necessary tools to be academically successfully. We had our school homecoming on Monday so I was busy assisting the committee on preparation for the evening event. All eight grade teachers are required to be a part of this committee so that includes me. I enjoy events like this because when you participate the students (most) appreciate your hard work and seeing you there at their special event. After school on Monday, October 16th I assisted the band director, cheerleading coach, and football coach in lining up the students outside so we could have a couple run through practices on how the evening would transpire. It was nice seeing all the students and faculty coming together to coordinate and plan such a memorable event. As usual, on Tuesday and Thursday of this week I went to Alexander High School immediately after finishing at Trautmann (whew!). We continued working with the students whose STAAR, benchmark, and CBA scores were low last year so that we can bring them up to par. We have been mainly focusing on seniors, special education, and ELL students so that we can continue documenting procedural safeguards on these students. So far, the numbers have been slowly increasing as we continue calling in students and

Education is the key to many doors. The way one uses that education allows for many different doors to be unlocked. The student I am today and will be in the future is a direct result of my journey through different doors into who I am no. Whether it was procrastinating throughout high school, studying hard in college, or planning courses for a new semester, each choice is a door leading to the next room.

During this out-of-the-classroom activity, I chose to attend 1 Million Cups. This is a free, weekly national program designed to educate, engage, and connect entrepreneurs. 1MC is developed by the Kauffman Foundation with different foundations located across the country in order to inform and inspire current or future entrepreneurs. The two speakers that presented during the session on Wednesday September 27 were Jenn with Next Gen Summit, and Simeon Talley with Rad Incubator.

Question 1. How do you make work more meaningful to your students? What motivators are you currently using with your students? Examine the climate in your classroom. What would you change to make it better?

Working with students with special needs, teachers have the responsibility of protecting students’ right. Special education teachers are required to keep high standards and meet best practices. According to the Preliminary Credential Competency Checklist Historical and Legal Foundation 1.4 (2014), two of the best practices that are enforced in the special education field is to individualize education and evidence-based practice (p.1). Being a teacher in a special education classroom, there is a diverse level of learners and each student has an individual method of learning. The role of the teacher is to verify each student’s learning is being met. Individualizing a lesson by making accommodations or modification for them to learn the curriculum. Implementing evidence-based practice is using an educational method of learning that will support the student’s learning based on previous research. Using evidence-based practice in a special education classroom is a key component when a student or students need an intervention to support them in the academic area they are struggling. Special education teachers are responsible for meeting best practice standards for students’ academic learning.

This learning experience supported the science content area physics. It provided the children with opportunity to collaborate as a group to work together to problem-solve. My focus for this lab was to build and construct ramps and pathways in the outside play yard. I implemented technology by letting the children watch a YouTube video about constructing ramps and pathways to generate new knowledge about the activity. They used marbles to travel down the ramps, while recycled bottles and PVC piping were used to make bridges and underpasses. I planned this lesson to connect to some of the children’s prior knowledge about using this type of track. When the children began using the tracks in the outside play yard they chose to put their ramps off landscaping rocks. This gave them the ability to secure the ramp at the top as well as the ability to build bridges and underpasses on the ground. This activity immediately ignited their language such as, “let me try this, I have an idea, what about this, how about if we do this” which demonstrated that the children were engaged in the inquiry process. The learning standards this activity supported was; 3.2 PK.B.1 Explore and describe the motion of toys and objects. AL.1 PK.A Explore and ask questions to seek meaningful information about a growing range of topics, ideas, and tasks.

My first day at Roberto Clemente taught me the most critical and foundation characteristic of the school in that all the staff are there of their own accord with inspiring goals for the students. It is clear that anyone who enters the school with the intent to support the students in one way or another is welcome.

As I walked into the school the first thing I noticed was the student work on the wall. I could observe the whole writing process on the wall from beginning to end. It was amazing to see their ideas, turn into a rough draft, and then turn into final published pieces (p.143). The school’s focus on integrating literature into every subject was apparent. Students had to write how they found an answer in math and had vocabulary words they learned. Also, in art, they found an opportunity to integrate literature. Every chart, mnemonic device, and procedure had a purpose. I only spent half a day at Ozark North, but I know the teachers set high and ambitious goals for the students, and the students expect an engaging and productive day when they walk into the school.

This term, Nina has made noticeable improvements to stay focused during classroom discussions. Despite her best efforts, Nina still finds it difficult to follow instructions, learn specialist vocabulary, locate and join words together to form meaningful utterances. Furthermore, her language and communication difficulty extend to interactions in collaborative tasks, group work and social situations where she struggles to use social language, such as ‘turn-taking’ and to consider what others say. Due to such communication and interaction difficulties, she requires a lot of support and structured activities to help with her learning.

When I evaluate my school year, many things come to mind. I think about friends. I think about the highs and lows.I also think about how I have grown.My 7th grade year at CMS was full of concepts learned, memorable experiences, and personal growth.