Reflection Journal #1-Domain 1: Teaching and the Environment

I am completing my 40 preclinical hours in a 1^st grade class at Greenbay Elementary School in North Chicago, Illinois.

Classroom organization

The classroom is organized in four sections, the first section is the student’s desks which are arranged in one group of 8 desks, and two groups of 6 desks, all of the desks are in front of the white board which is located at the front of the class. The second section is the teacher’s desk which is located directly across from the door and next to the windows in the front corner of the room; her desk is in a great position because she is able to monitor the whole room if she ever sat at her desk. I remember when Mrs. Marron said she wished she could assign work and sit at her desk and complete work of her own, but she told me thats what happens when you have 1st graders because they always have questions or need to be supervised. The third section is the computer area, where there are two computers, reading materials, art materials and cubbies for finished work. The fourth section is the gathering area for story time, class activities, class meetings library and other group announcements.

Do children know where things are?

The students seem to know the routine of things and if they are looking for a certain material they would be able to locate it or ask someone that knows. The students always seem to have a great concept of what they are suppose to do next, what the daily schedule is, and also keeping each other on track.

Learners and Teachers use of the classroom space

I think the learners and teacher use the space they have efficiently because they use every bit of space they have and the students understand and respect the area they share with one another. For example, when the students leave their desks they make sure that all their chairs are pushed in and the desks are all lined up, I thought this demonstrated the respect the students all have for the space and also the desks and chairs they use every day. Also, on shelves they’re posters on the sides with word banks and past spelling lists.

Child-Oriented or Teacher-Oriented

I believe the classroom is both student and teacher oriented because students are involved in all the areas of the room. I believe the classroom is a student oriented room because the teacher has allowed the students to feel at home instead of making them feel like they are invading her space. I think the only teacher oriented area is the teachers desk, some shelving where she keeps certain curriculum information and a closet which holds cleaning/party things/decorations/ and other materials. For example, in the gathering area the students participate as they sit on the rug, or when a student is picked to complete a task such as, the weather board. The class has just started discussing the weather (temperature, precipitation, wind) so when a student is picked they fill in the chart with the proper information, then the teacher asks the student what the weather is like and also ask the other students what they think about the weather. This allows the students to learn from one another and feel like they contribute to the learning process.

Resources

The resources that are in the classroom are: television with a dvd player, 2 class computers, printer, teachers computer, white board, chalk board, projector, books, magazines, newspapers, resource books, cd player, and other educational materials that the students and the teacher uses.

Use of resources

The resources that are available in the class are available to everyone except the cd player, projector and certain educational tools the teacher uses for lessons. But, whenever the teacher allows the students to work on group activities, she always reminds the class to use all the resources in the classroom and to be as creative as possible.

Techniques to get attention and make transitions

The teacher uses a bell to make transitions or when one activity is finished or to stop and look up. For example, in the morning students complete morning work and once the class has taken up the work and the teacher has collected the previous days homework; the teacher asks a student to ring the bell that is on her desk, the sound of the bell means the students should stop what they are doing and make their way to the carpet for their daily class activity. Another transition is when the students finish an activity or subject, the teacher will announce a bathroom break or water break, and the students will line up at the door and wait for the teachers okay.

Examples of technology

The teacher allows students to practice lessons they have learned on the computers, she makes a schedule so all the students get a chance to complete the computer activities. Also, when the students read their class reading textbook, the teacher allows them to read through the book and get familiar with the material and then she plays a cd that reads the story to them as they follow along.

Reflection

The classroom I am observing in demonstrates the importance of having an effective class environment which in return helps the students feel like they belong and that they are apart of the learning experience. I thought the teacher made a great effort to be in touch with all the students, for example if a student didn’t complete their homework from the previous night she would ask the student why, or ask about their home life. I thought when she spoke with the student regarding the homework she brought it to a personal level which is important because it shows the student that she really cares and also allows the teacher to understand their home life a little bit better. The teacher seemed very intuitive to her students and always trying to make sure everyone is on the same page, if some one didn’t understand a concept or idea she would tell the other students to continue working silently and she would assist that student. As I have been reading the book Teach Our Children Well: Essential Strategies for the Urban Classroom, I have learned many things to look for while observing in the classroom, so far I feel that the teacher does a good job with the class environment and students. I thought one thing the teacher does incorporate well is having a good rapport with the students, every morning the teacher goes to the gym to pick up her class and walks them to their lockers, as she walks towards the classroom she talks with many students, once she gets to the classroom she stands at the door and greets every student. Also, the teacher always allows the students to help with bulletin boards and other holiday decorations. In the classroom there are bulletin boards that represent the different cultures in the classroom, a student of the week board, past assignments and also a board that they work on everyday with the weather, days of the week, and counting the days they’ve spent together. Therefore, I feel that the teacher and classroom I am observing is helping me recognize certain strategies and tools that I have learned in class and also in the text book. While I am observing I can recognize different strategies that the teacher is implying and also how the students respond to these different strategies; which is helpful to me as I will teach them a lesson and also for when I have a class of my own.