Victoria

McDonald ECED 429 Spring Contextual Factors Classroom Factors Learning Environment Matthews Elementary is extremely inviting and welcoming. Once entering through the office, student learning is evident. The hallway housing Mrs. Lori Ashleys first grade class is also home to K5, 3-6 year old Montessori classes, as well as other first grade classes. The sunny yellow hall holds some of the students most recent class work. A passer-by would easily notice that Mrs. Loris classroom door has been transformed into a space ship and students have constructed astronauts that resemble themselves, which have been placed around the space ship on the hall wall. Inside Mrs. Loris classroom one would probably label it as a student centered classroom. For example, everything in the classroom is at eye level and within reach for first grade students. The students have ownership in the classroom and feel very comfortable in this learning area. Physical Features Mrs. Loris first grade classroom is very child friendly. It houses lots of materials to aid their learning. The classroom has a bathroom for the student to use throughout the day while in class. There is a big counter and lots of storage space above on the back wall. Near the bathroom is a classroom sink and refrigerator. The classroom also has two average sized windows that both overlook a playground area on the school campus. Each student in the class has their own individual desk and chair. The desks have been pushed together to create groups and give the illusion of tables. There is one kidney bean shaped table in the room that function as Mrs. Loris desk and the small group area. Throughout the room there are various types of shelving and rolling bookcases that section the class off into specific areas and centers. The materials found on the shelves depend on its location in the classroom. The students are allowed to use these items during center time or when they complete an assignment early. Located in the front center of the room is the class carpet. The carpet is near the SMART Board, Mrs. Loris school issued laptop, and the class calendar. There are also two lamps that surround the carpet area. The lamps are on majority of the day because the big lights are off when using the SMART Board, which is used regularly during the day. Resources Numerous resources are available for each student in the class. The students have access to the classroom library and the various manipulatives located

Victoria McDonald ECED 429 Spring throughout the room in different center areas. During some writing assignments Mrs. Lori will leave the SMART Board on with some words written on it that they may need during their writing assignment. Located in the front of the classroom above the SMART Board is the class word wall. Words contained on the word wall are all of the words that students should know and recognize before exiting first grade. Another resource that is a huge help for students are the word charts located at random, however, most charts are located in the reading center. The charts are special because they are based on words sounds. For example, there is a chart for words with the /oa/ sound such as goat, soap, boat, etc. Each student also has their own individual in class mailbox. The mailboxes may contain missed work if a student was absent or completed work that they may now take home. Classroom Rules All classroom rules were set at the beginning of the school year in August. Mrs. Lori and the students constructed the classroom rules together by having a class discussion on the things you should and should not do at school and in class. The class also has special rules for center time. The most important rule in Mrs. Loris class is to behave and remember if Mrs. Lori would not like it then do not do it. Often times when Mrs. Lori needs the students undivided attention she will place her hand in the shape of an L and hold it in the air. The students will then also hold an L in the air with their hands. When they hold up the letter L it means, I am looking, listening, and ready to learn. Parental Involvement Family involvement is highly encouraged by Mrs. Lori. Each day she sends the students home with their S.T.A.R. folders, which have to be signed by the parent or guardian of that student. S.T.A.R. stands for Students Taking Awesome Responsibility. It is the students responsibility to go through their folder each afternoon and give their guardian any important papers. Students also have to receive a signature each day on their behavior calendar. This calendar allows the guardians to know what type of day their student had at school. Also by the parents or guardians signing each night lets Mrs. Lori know that they are aware of their childs education and various things going on in the school or classroom. When a student does not have a good behavior day Mrs. Lori writes a brief note informing the parents of the misbehavior. Parents and guardians are also always invited to attend PTO meetings, volunteer with different school events, and chaperone field trips. Mrs. Lori also, sometimes contacts families for a parent/teacher conference. Availability of Technology

Victoria McDonald ECED 429 Spring Matthews elementary has two computer labs for students and the library also houses several computers for student use as well. Mrs. Lori has three student computers in her classroom. The students use this area during the morning and during center time. The classroom also is equipped with a SMART Board and students have the opportunity to use this technology everyday during whole group. There is also a listening center in the classroom, where students use CD players and discs to listen to different books and follow along. The teachers at Matthews also have access to a copy machine, printers, scanners, a fax machine, and a laminator when there is a need for any of this equipment. Routines, Grouping Patterns, and Scheduling Depending on the day of the week determines exactly what the class will do on a particular day. However, each morning when the students enter the classroom they take their S.T.A.R. folder out of their backpack and into Mrs. Loris basket. Students place their backpacks and coats in their designated area before taking a seat at their desk. A morning snack and drink is provided for all students each morning. When they are done eating, they are allowed to work in the computer area if there is space or read a book quietly at their desk or on the carpet. The schools morning message comes on through the school intranet shortly after 8 a.m. During the morning message students are led in saying the pledge to the United States, South Carolina, and a pledge to Matthews Elementary. Following the morning message Mrs. Lori begins with the calendar and days of the school year. Each day the students are involved in some type of movement activity. During carpet time Mrs. Lori will read the students a book on the SMART Board. This allows the class to participate in shared reading. After whole group on the carpet, the class is assigned seatwork. Seatwork usually consists of a writing assignment. During seatwork small groups are called to work with Mrs. Lori on reading skills. The groups are based on reading level. She has five different groups created within the class. When students complete their seatwork, they are allowed to begin working in a center assigned to them. Centers are assigned based on rotations and individual needs. Students are aware of what center they are participating in for the day by looking at the center chart. When center time comes to a conclusion students clean the areas they were working in and begin to prepare for lunch. After lunch, depending on the day students may travel directly to the computer lab for a little over half an hour. For the remainder of the day the students are mostly working in whole group or within assigned small groups. Students are allowed twenty-five minutes for recess daily each afternoon. When there is inclement weather that does not allow for outdoor recess the students have indoor recess. Recess inside can consist of extra center time or watching a video. The class ends each day with hands on activities involving cutting, gluing, coloring, etc. At 2 p.m. they

Victoria McDonald ECED 429 Spring pack their backpacks and place all belongings at their desk as they all prepare for dismissal. Student Characteristics Description Female Male Total Number of 9 11 20 Students Age Six Years Old 8 5 13 Seven Years 1 6 7 Old Ethnicity African- 7 5 12 American Caucasian 2 3 5 Hispanic 0 3 3 Special Needs IEP 1 4 5 Speech 1 3 4 Reading 3 Recovery Extended 0 1 1 Resource ADD/ADHD 0 2 2 RTI 0 1 1 Vision 1 0 1 (glasses) Hearing Aid 0 1 1 Other Free/Reduced n/a n/a 17 Lunch Special Needs Assistance There is one male student in the class who has two hearing aids. During the day Mrs. Lori wears a microphone around her neck so that her voice is better projected throughout the room. The student performs well in all subject areas when given proper instructions. Four students receive speech twice a week and are sometimes assigned homework from their speech teachers. Every day three students are pulled from the class for reading recovery. These three students are reading below a first grade level. They receive additional help outside of the classroom to help aid their performance in

Victoria McDonald ECED 429 Spring class. One of these three students also receives RTI (Response To Intervention) daily with a reading recovery teacher. Achievement/Developmental Levels All of the student in Mrs. Loris class were tested at the beginning of the school year and are periodically tested now. Students are grouped in small reading groups based on the tests they are given. The instructional materials used vary based on what group a student is placed in. As students begin to progress they can be moved to a different group with different leveled materials. Mrs. Lori has students whose abilities range from below first grade level to above first grade level. They range anywhere from a Pre-A to a level 16. Students who have been labeled as reading below grade level make small but major progressions each day during small group work with Mrs. Lori or myself.

Prior Learning that May Influence the Development of Learning Goals, Instruction and Assessment Noticing that majority of this first grade class is on free and reduced lunch means they mostly come from a low to middle income family. Many studies show that children coming from low income families often struggle in developing educationally. Half of the students in the class also come from a family that has less than twelve years of school experience. However, not all of the student represent identical backgrounds and have really good home lives and foundations. Because of the various backgrounds and home situations Mrs. Lori and myself must use various methods to teach lessons and help students understand the material we are teaching. Instructional Implications Contextual Characteristics of the Classroom The contextual characteristics of this classroom allow the students to take ownership in the classroom and really feel at home. Being comfortable in the classroom is important for the students learning. The students are aware of the various centers and areas in the classroom and know how to govern themselves in those particular areas. Matthews Elementary have new rules in place that all classroom doors have to be locked at all times and this gives the students and teachers a sense of security and safety.

Victoria McDonald ECED 429 Spring Instructional Implications When teaching my lessons I will have to consider the various levels that students perform at. I do not want to make a lesson objectives to easy and not challenge the upper level students but I also would not want to challenge the upper level students leaving the lower level students clueless. I must be reminded to keep each child in mind when constructing a lesson and view objectives and procedures from their standpoint. I will plan engaging, interactive, meaningful, and fun lessons. These lessons will need to connect with every student not only a few. My goal when teaching lessons is to remember the students background and foundation while also taking their developmental levels into consideration. Summary Overall, I am extremely pleased with my placement at Matthews Elementary. I like the caring and kind faculty and staff. My cooperating teacher Mrs. Lori is a great match for myself because she is identical to what I picture myself as a early childhood teacher. Personally I believe that knowing students background information and home lifestyle only makes you a better teacher. You can then better understand what each child needs to be able to take away something valuable from your classroom and the lessons taught. This also aids for great incidental teaching moments. Throughout this semester I plan to also create ownership in this classroom and not just be an observer but a doer. My goal is for the students to trust me as their very own teacher.