This observation took
place at Seekonk High School in a US History II class. This is a relatively
small school in a suburban area. It is a fairly new school being built in 1967
and has had upgrades since. There are approximately 700 students in the school and
for the most part it is an English-speaking white community. I chose to observe
here because I substitute teach here and have established relationships with
colleague teachers so I felt comfortable to ask them to sit in on their class
and observe.
First things first, I am definitely aware of my surroundings. I
have been subbing here since January of 2012 but never noticed the things I
noticed today after having to really look for it. Just from walking around and
speaking to a few teachers, this school is certainly like many other suburban
schools, middle to upper class families, and not many students have IEPS. Just
by looking around I can see the school is not very diverse. With a little
research and asking around the town is made up of about 13,000 people; 94%
White, 1.8% Hispanic, 1.2% Asian, and 1.0% Black. The other 2% is made up of
Native American Indian, Native Hawaiian, or two or more races. The ethnic
groups in the town are displayed in the school. The students have a strong
association with their ethnicity and claim to being Portuguese, but after
talking to many students and teachers they are mostly second generation born or
third. Second and third generation American born students are not faced with
the same issues as a current immigrant student or first generation. For
example, typically there are language barriers, ESL, or ELL students in
communities where there is a high recent immigration population for example,
Central Falls, Pawtucket, and East Providence.
The bell rings and students pour in the classroom right as the
bell rings, maybe only 2-3 students come with a minute of travel time
remaining. I'm sitting in the back of the classroom while the students are all
sitting in rows while the teacher is at the front of the classroom standing at
the podium. The first thing I noticed was the technology available in the room.
There was an overhead projector with a projector screen, a TV with a DVD/VHS
player, a document camera, a speaker system and the teacher had her laptop.
There was a globe in the back of the class, student work on the walls, clock,
posters, maps, and a bathroom sign out sheet and hall pass. At the front of the
room there was a chalk board and a white board in the middle over the chalk
board. I found this intriguing because now in 2014 most schools have removed
the chalk boards and switched to a whiteboard. On the corkboard/message board
on the front wall of the classroom are these two folders that say 'what you
missed' and 'study guide'. In each of these folders were worksheets that the
teacher had previously passed out so if students are absent they can grab a
copy and don't have to ask the teacher. Next to the folders there is a sign
that says 'Chapter 14: Essential/Focus question and beneath it was a
couple questions that went with the main idea for the chapter. At the back of
the room is the teachers desk and some more historical posters. There is
one that I think would go much better in the front, it reads, “How does a person’s
experiences shape their identity?" I think this poster being in the back
is somewhat a waste because no one is looking at it but the teacher.
Once the teacher has taken attendance, listened to morning announcements,
and the class has settled down, the teacher begins her lesson. As she begins
you can tell she posses the power in the classroom. As she gives directions the
students listen, she has control. But when the students ask questions and raise
their hands she reminds them to not speak when others are speaking. If I were a
student in this class and this school I think I would do well. There were no
distractions and her lesson was easy to follow. She held her students
accountable which is something I need as a student.
No comments:
Post a Comment