The Community

The community of Silverton is a small town approximately 12 miles east of Salem. The surrounding area is predominantly made up of farms and other small towns such as Mt. Angel. The population is 9,909 which is a 34% increase from the population in 2000. According to the statistics from bestplaces.net, the average household income in Silverton is $48,724, which is slightly less than the national average at $52,954. The unemployment rate sits at 11.10% versus a national average of 9.10%. Silverton is mostly comprised of White residents at 85%. Hispanics are the next largest group at 12% while the remaining 3% is comprised of Black, Asian and Native American residents.  Silverton appears to be a middle class town based on the statistics and observations of the town and its people.  

Silverton is a community that is proud of its small-town atmosphere. In my interviews with residents, words like “awesome”, “magical”, and “unique” were used to describe the community. Several residents specifically stated that they enjoy living in a town such as Silverton versus a larger town like Salem. A few people mentioned that they are better able to make connections with neighbors and the schools in Silverton than in a larger town. Downtown Silverton also features many unique buildings with many of them having large murals painted on the side. In 2009 Silverton was featured on CBS News as one of the “Top 10 Coolest Small Towns in America” according to Budget Travel Magazine. There are several organizations in the community such as the YMCA, Silverton Together, and Community Connectors that serve the residents in the area. The YMCA provides recreation while Silverton Together and Community Connectors provide support and education to residents in the community. 

The area surrounding Eugene Field Elementary School is downtown Silverton. The school is very much in the middle of the town. The downtown area has several small businesses, restaurants, and grocery stores within walking distance of the school. A number of residences are located near the school as well. Other schools such as Silverton High School and Mark Twain Middle School are close to Eugene Field.  In addition, Eugene Field is close to attractions such as Silver Falls and the Oregon Garden. These kinds of attractions offer excellent opportunities for educational field trips. For example, science classes could be made much more meaningful if students are allowed to see some of the animals and plant life that they are studying. Silverton is also home to several historical buildings which also allows for more meaningful learning opportunities in the areas of history and social studies. The murals in town could also be a source of inspiration for art lessons. A successful teacher should always be aware of the learning opportunities available to them in the community. Teachers at Eugene Field are fortunate that there are many excellent opportunities for learning outside the classroom near the school. 

With Eugene Field Elementary located centrally in Silverton, it appears to be an important part of the community. The teachers report that the parents are very involved with the school and offer a great deal of support in the way of volunteering their time at the school. As with many schools, budget cuts resulted in the loss of some staff from the previous year. As a result, parents involvement is even more needed at the school. The staff at Eugene Field mentioned that parents often fill in the void to chaperone field trips or volunteer to help with other school activities. Parents can often be seen helping in the classroom during instruction time. One way parents volunteer is to help during reading groups. Parent volunteers sometimes lead individual and small group activities or just offered support during whole class instruction. Many parents also volunteer to help teachers make copies and do other non-instructional activities allowing teachers to focus more on teaching and preparation. There is also a group of grandparents that volunteer to read to students who have been identified as struggling readers. 

As a teacher in this environment, it would be crucial to have a positive rapport with parents, grandparents and guardians. Regular and positive communication with the parents is important in order to best serve the need of the students. Because teacher aide time is limited, parent involvement is more important than ever and having a good rapport goes a long way in securing that involvement. Aside from having parents volunteer, teachers need to keep communication open with the parents and guardians. If the student is experiencing problems at home, these problems will often manifest themselves at school as well. The teacher must be aware of problems at home to effectively help the student at school. For example, if the student is not able to get breakfast at home the teacher can help arrange for it at school. Teachers also must be in constant communication with those students who are taking medications or have some kind of medical condition. 

The School

Eugene Field Elementary is a K-3 school that serves approximately 466 students according to Oregonlive.com. It is a large school compared to many of the other rural elementary schools in the area. About 75% of the student population is White, 20% is Hispanic and the remaining 5% is Black, Asian, and Native American. ESOL students comprise about 16% of the population. Around half of the student population is on the free or reduced lunch program. 

The building is over 80 years old and some teachers complain of the poor air quality in the school due to the age of the building and proximity to the street. Some people have reported various health problems, which they feel is possibly due to the school environment. Dust builds up on shelves very quickly and the dust particles appear to be very dense in the air. A few teachers believe there could be possible long term health problems, particularly those teachers who have been at the school for fifteen years or more. Evidence of water damage is clearly visible on several classroom walls and ceilings. In general the school appears to be in need of maintenance and possibly some renovations. 

The facilities at Eugene Field are quite old but appear to be adequate for the most part. There is a gymnasium, which aside from housing the physical education classes, also serves as the cafeteria and meeting place for assemblies. The basement contains the kitchen, computer lab, and the sensory room. Outside, there are several trailers for additional classroom space, and a large playground, which includes a covered area. There is ramp access for students who are in wheel chairs. There are no stairs that students need to climb to get to classes. Most classrooms do not have sinks, which was a complaint of at least two of the teachers I spoke to. 

Eugene Field Elementary provides programs, classrooms, and staff to serve special education and ESOL students. There appears to be sufficient support for students who may be struggling academically or emotionally. The staff is proactive in getting students the additional care they need or referring them to outside caregivers if necessary. “Care Teams” meet periodically to discuss how to best serve students in need of special assistance. For example, if a teacher suspects a student has a speech problem they can ask for parental permission to have the student tested. If the student qualifies, they will receive extra support during the school day. The staff appears to be very professional and is dedicated to serving the needs of the students. 

The staff at the school is very welcoming and helpful. During meetings they would often compliment each other on the positive atmosphere in the school and how teachers often help each other. Every teacher I had interaction with seemed very happy to be at the school. In addition, the principal appears to be very well-liked and has an active and positive role in the school. Most teachers dressed casually throughout the week. This added to the relaxed and comfortable atmosphere of the school. Interaction between students and teachers is also generally positive. Students sometimes hug their teachers on the way to the buses. There is a sense that the teachers genuinely care about the students. 

All of the teachers and support staff at Eugene Field are female except for two custodians. Several people commented on how males teachers have the potential to be positive influences on many of the students,  especially those without a positive male role-model in their lives. I noticed that some of the male students who often had disciplinary problems responded to me in a positive manner. The response was not immediate, but over a period of days and weeks the students began to behave better in class. I am hopeful that as a male teacher I might be able to positively influence all students, but particularly those who are considered “at risk”. The comments from teachers and responses from students have helped reaffirm that belief. I realize that I not only have the opportunity to affect students academically, but also emotionally. So many students have problems at home that sometimes school is the only “safe” place they have. To be a part of that safe zone is a huge responsibility that I will not take lightly in my teaching. 

The Classroom

The 2nd grade classroom I was placed in is a very welcoming and comfortable place. It is a very literacy-rich environment. Age and level appropriate books are available throughout the room. Students are encouraged to read at any time when they finish work in class. There are pillows that students can use during silent reading times and also a rocking chair to sit on. Lamps in the room also give the classroom a more comfortable feel. Occasionally, the teacher will turn out one or both banks of lights which seems to add to the calming atmosphere. Students always appear very at ease during reading times and can be seen stretched out on the floor or at their desks. The walls have many relevant vocabulary lists, such as math vocabulary, that students can refer to when necessary. There are also examples of student work inside and outside of the classroom. Students are very proud when they see their work on the boards and are also rewarded with tickets which may be redeemed for privileges at the end of the week. There is a bulletin board in the room that is dedicated to the theme of the month. Every month the teacher changes the decorations around the room which keeps things interesting for the students. 

I believe establishing a comfortable classroom atmosphere is a key element to the overall success of the class. I feel that I was able to observe a good example of this type of environment during my practicum. I would like students to feel happy when they are in the classroom and to look forward to coming to school every day. Surrounding students with useful and purposeful text is very important. I believe that students should know why certain posters are displayed on the walls. Everything should have a purpose, and not just be filler. Posters that remind students of how to perform tasks are good examples of this. Also, I feel rules and expectations that students helped to create should be posted. Having the expectations posted is an effective strategy to constantly remind students of how they should be behaving. Additionally, providing a wide variety of fiction and non-fiction books which are level appropriate and enjoyable will encourage students to read. I also believe that the teacher should allow the personality of the students to come out in the classroom. One way to do this is to decorate the classroom with student class work and art. Students can feel pride in displaying their work, leading to enhanced self esteem and efficacy. 

The Students

The students in the 2nd grade classroom are fairly diverse academically, though not ethnically. Of the 23 students, 21 are White, one is Indian and one is Hispanic. One student is in the ESOL program, approximately five are on IEPs, and at least one is on medication for ADHD. Several students are pulled out of class for special instruction such as ESOL, sensory class, reading, and math. These pull outs often occur in the mornings during my lesson time. This proved to be a major challenge in making sure the students were actually taught the lesson as well as assessed for learning gains. I would have to pull them out of other lessons to make sure they received the required instruction and assessments. However, I was disappointed to see that some of these students did not meet my required learning gains as determined in my unit of study. This means that as a teacher I failed to meet those students’ needs. In the future I need to make sure I give these students the extra support they need, whether it be by assigning peers to give them help, having an aide help them complete the work, or pulling the students aside myself and giving them one on one instruction. It is my responsibility to make sure those students reach the academic goals. It may be that I need to have their goals modified so they are not the same as students who are in the class full time. My job is to set the students up for success, and in my work sample, I was not completely successful. Being able to effectively manage a diverse student population and successfully differentiate instruction is going to be crucial factor in my success as a teacher. 

The students at the practicum site seemed have positive relationships with each other. Most students were very friendly with each other, but I did observe certain groups who had a strong preference to only play with certain peers. One student would often tell me if someone would not play with her on the playground. That student was often quite clingy and my mentor teacher stated that there were some problems with that student’s home life. 

I did not observe any strong cliques, bullies, or rivalries between students. However, there was one student with special needs that one or two of the other students would occasionally tease. I tried to intervene when I witnessed these incidents but did so in a way that did not make the students feel bad. There was one instance where the mother of the special needs child reported to the teacher that her child cried at home because another student had called her son “stupid”. I believe there is a chance that these interactions will lead to bullying so it is important to put an end to it early rather than letting it continue. In the future I would talk with the potential bully to make sure he/she understands what they are doing and how it affects other students. In another incident, the teacher learned about a problem between students which involved basketball and perceived cheating. One student then wrote a note to the other stating that he did not want to be friends anymore. The next day, the student who received the note came to school late, accompanied by his mother. Both the student and his mother were in tears over the situation. Immediately after school my mentor teacher called the parents of the student who wrote the note and told them about the situation. The teacher also talked to both students and asked how they could have handled the situation differently. By the next day, the students seemed to have moved on from the problem. This incident made me realize that the teacher must also serve as a mediator as well as instructor. 

Conclusion

With all of the different personalities, learning styles, family situations, socio-economic backgrounds, cultural backgrounds, ability levels, and other influences (such as medical) that influence a student’s learning, I must be able to differentiate my instruction to meet the needs of each student. I must be able to adapt instruction if a student misses significant time from school, as one was the case with one of the students. Open and consistent communication with parents and guardians is another important aspect of the job. I will need to make sure I know what is going on with the student at home as well as at school in order to best serve my students.