CHES

Wednesday, January 30, 2013 - Field Placement Visit #1

As I approached the brown brick building of Excellence Charter School (ECS) at Learning Campus, groups of African-American students lingered around the front door and off to the side of the building talking to each other before school began. I entered the two glass doors and notified a white-male teacher at the front door to inform him that I was here for field placement with Jane Bard. (Jane Bard is a first year teacher). He directed me to the front desk to sign in. After I signed in, I went to Room 107 and saw my host teacher sitting in front of her laptop preparing for the day. Ms. Bard welcomed me and provided me a clipboard with three sheets of the assigned seating for the three math courses I would be observing.

When the first school bell rang, 10th graders began trickling into the classroom for their first class of the day -- geometry. Ms. Bard greeted her students saying "Good morning Tom" and "Good morning Anna" by calling out her students’ first names. She then asked her students how their internships were going. When they saw the new assigned seats, some of Ms. Bard's students called out, "We got new seats?!" Mrs. Bard tried to calm her class down by having her students focus on the Do-Now, which is a silent and independent task.  Since this was a new semester and a new year, Mrs. Bard had some questions she wanted to know from students. They were:

1. Which expectations will be most challenging for you?

Unstructured Dialogue: A Way to Access Funds of Knowledge

12:30 p.m. – I arrived earlier than I expected so I told Ms. D that next time I could start around 12:45 instead of 1 p.m. Today is my actual first day of “teaching/tutoring.” I put those in quotes because this experience will not exactly follow the kind of teaching that happens in a school classroom. However, Site A has classrooms that are used for all sorts of activities. A weekly schedule is posted on each classroom door to show which department can have the room for the allotted time.

The classroom is a decent size even though Ms. D said that there isn’t enough space in the organization. About 16 chairs surround the rectangle table, which occupies most of the classroom. A white board is located across the door. There is a world map and several handmade posters on the walls: classroom rules (e.g. Turn off cell phones), “What is your job?” (pictures with words), and classroom questions (e.g. How do you say ___ in English?). There are fluorescent lights on the ceiling. I mention this because lighting is one of my concerns in a classroom.

Christine Calderon

01/29/13

Field Post #1

Notes for first visit Friday 25^th, 2013:

I was planning on just having a meeting with Ms. Teller but found myself being introduced to the principal along with the 4^th grade students I will be working with. The first day at the Madison Elementary[1] was a bit impromptu but the students where very welcoming. I should say that I have been to this placement before my sophomore year for special education in a pull out classroom as well as last semester in an ELL classroom. I enjoyed both times at this elementary school although I was placed here twice I still have yet to be in a regular classroom. I am excited to continue in the same school especially since there are students in this current classroom that where also in special education and ELL this has now given me a better standing point. A lot of the students recognize me as they were filling in the classroom.

January 29^th, 2013

Fieldwork Seminar

Field Notes #1

These are “field notes” from the first meeting for my Independent Study this semester, which is the culmination of my concentration in Peace, Conflict and Social Justice Studies. Pseudonyms were used. 

January 29^th, 2013

Fieldwork Seminar

Field Notes #1

These are “field notes” from the first meeting for my Independent Study this semester, which is the culmination of my concentration in Peace, Conflict and Social Justice Studies. Pseudonyms were used. 

• These field notes come from the second meeting of a Comparative Literature class
• Course is taught by Professor Reynolds*, a Classics professor who also teaches one course in Comparative Literature
• There are about 25 students in the class
  • College sophomores, juniors, and seniors
  • About ¾ female and ¼ male
• Class began by the teacher bringing up a key question and asking the students to answer using one of the readings as a guide
  • Discussion was technically student led, but it was interesting to see how Professor also shaped the discussion
    • With certain points made by students, Professor Reynolds continued to ask questions (either to that individual student or the entire class).
    • With other points made by students, Professor Reynolds would just nod or say okay, and then call on another student
      • What determined which points/comments were elaborated?
        • I assume Professor Reynolds pre-determined a direction for the conversation to go and addressed points that fit that mold.
        • Professor Reynolds could have also highlighted comments that she felt were particularly insightful or interesting
        • She didn’t say any one’s comments were wrong or irrelevant, but did not fully acknowledge them
        • How would this method work in a classroom with younger students?

In the beginning of the party, Bryn sat in her seat. However, just a few minutes later, she kept standing up and sitting back down. Over time, she then began to move around her seat causing Mrs. G to tell her, "Please sit down." This continues for some time as Bryn's classmates are presenting their book reports. Eventually, Mrs. G makes Bryn to go next for her presentation. During the presentations, one could notice the distraction of Bryn standing up and down in her seat, as well as the shifting and moving of her body while at her chair. This caused a distraction to the other students sitting on the floor while they trying to pay attention to their classmates' presentations.

Knowing How to Wait

           Last semester I was placed again at School A, my placement since Spring of 2011. An advantage to this is that I can continue to build a good relationship with the students and faculty and I even get to see the students grow, literally. Being a part of a school means you begin to really get a sense of the person behind the image of a student. You can predict how some students behave if they are having a good time in school and also how they will react if they are having a hard time. As a teacher, building good relationships with your students is a continuous goal. Your reaction to a student in certain situations can either propel your relationship toward the positive route or the not-so-favorable way.

               This is an excerpt from my field notes last semester that highlights one particular moment: