During my student teaching experience, I was placed in an affluent suburban school district with a wide variety of students both academically and socially. As you will see in my ‘Classroom Structures Paper,’ this school district is right on the average for the percentage of white students within state of Vermont, but the median income is much higher.

As you will also find in my structures paper, my students range widely in ability, but they are all well-mannered students who take their education seriously and love to be involved in the class. Throughout my semester with these students, I have found there to be an equal balance of all types of learners. Many of the students learn from the hands-on experiences in the classroom; inquiry based learning. Other students are very visual learners and pick up a great deal from the modeling that is done in the classroom. Others are auditory learners and need to hear the directions multiple times, with each step spelled out for them, in order to get started. Some students need a lot of prompting or idea starters to get the thinking on the right track. A lot of the lessons that I taught lent themselves to teaching all of the children because in my differentiation, I though about each set of learners and made sure to create certain aspects or activities in the lesson that each student would excel in.

Because there are so many types of learners and a wide range of abilities in my classroom, a cookie-cutter approach to learning doesn’t work. Therefore, in my classroom, there are many things going on at any given moment. During reading time, for example, there are several reading groups meeting throughout the room. This allows for the students to be practicing reading at their level rather than being lumped together to choral read from a textbook each day. During math, stations are provided for students, which are all set up in a variety of ways to target each group of learners.

The students are always engaged in the activity, no matter how relevant it is because they enjoy what they are doing because the instruction is directed to them and created especially for them. Because we frequently take breaks, the students are allowed to move around quite a bit during the day so that when we are teaching a lesson, they are focused on what is being taught rather than other things that may be taking place in the classroom or school.

Another aspect that ensures that the students are enjoying their learning is the fact that there are a wide variety of materials that are used to teach them. The computer lab is used almost weekly to complete projects on the ability level of kindergarteners, as well as using the computer as a learning tool by watching videos, using interactive websites, and playing educational games online. Many adults stationed in the school take pride in being able to help all students when they need it. From the librarians in the library to the unified arts teachers; each is willing to use the resources provided to them to help the students learn to their full potential. The students use ‘Bridges’ for math and many strategies and books for reading and writing. A popular choice for teachers is Lucy Calkins ‘Writer’s Workshop’ books. 

The classrooms in my school are set-up in a way that makes students feel comfortable. Many of the classrooms, including mine, are open-air classrooms, meaning that there are no doors to the classrooms. Because my classroom is a kindergarten classroom, everything in the room is accessible for the students. Everything from the bookshelves, to the pencil sharpeners, are at the students level in order to make things available for the students to use. There are many resources in my classroom that the students are able to use, some of these include, a library, computer station, writing center, dramatic play area, blocks, and manipulatives. The accessibility and variety of materials in the classroom make it a welcoming place for students to come and thrive. There is a large meeting area where the students can comfortably gather without feeling squished or unwelcome.

Another vital piece of the classroom setup is the way in which the tone is set for the students. In my classroom, we emphasize the fact that we are all friends and that we all work together to learn. We talk about learning from each other and making mistakes is often times a great learning opportunity. We foster creativity within each of our students and let students run with their ideas because we value their opinions and imaginations.

Not only is the academic and social piece of the classroom important to student learning, the management systems that teachers use are very important teaching tools. With a solid management system in place, learning takes the front seat and more material can be covered. If there is not a workable management system in place, students are often off task and are unsure what is expected of them. In order to assert my authority in the classroom and be respected by the students, I put into place my own behavior management system. This system was called ‘Blue Ribbon Behavior.’ A chart was posted in the classroom and each students name was fastened to the chart with Velcro. If a student was off task, there were a set of three reminders before I would remove their name from the chart. If at the end of each day all the names were still on the chart, the students would earn a day. I would set a goal for the number of days the students would have to earn before a reward was given. The students loved this system because they were not only learning more and engaged in activities more, they were earning rewards as well. I typically wouldn’t use a reward system in the classroom because rewarding students for expected and appropriate behavior shouldn’t be necessary, but I made sure to make the rewards were educational and connected to our current themes in the classroom. Some rewards included a mock camping trip after doing a skill builder on planning a camping trip, and watching Wall-E after a unit on reducing, reusing, and recycling.

Because the classroom climate has been set up in a manner that welcomes positive interactions, the students are all friendly with one another and often times work out problems on their own. They are not afraid to try new things and many times branch out of their usual groups to play with other students. Working in groups is something that comes naturally to the students. During my complex instruction rotation, the students learned from one another, built new friendships, and gained valuable life skills, all by working together. Much the same is true about the student and teacher relationships. Since the environment created is so comfortable and relaxed, the students feel comfortable coming to a teacher and sharing an idea or a problem that they are facing. A classroom in which the students can feel as though they are friends with the teacher, but still respect them as an authority figure is crucial; which is exactly the case in my room. Just as important as the teacher and student relationships are the relationships that you build with their parents. Which is why in the first few weeks of my student teaching I began a blog to keep the parents up to date with what was happening in the classroom. (See link below.) I also sent letters home to the parents, notifying them of my presence in the classroom as well as for important upcoming events, such as pajama day, field trips, and the beginning of my solo weeks. Keeping in touch with the parents is so critical because it helps the parents feel comfortable coming to you with questions about their students and since the lines of communication are always open, addressing issues becomes easier.

Throughout my student teaching experience, I tried to get involved with the community as much as possible. During a science unit of reducing, reusing, and recycling, I, along with the intern in the other Kindergarten classroom, went to the local grocery store, borrowed some bags and had the students decorate them with ‘Earth Day’ messages for the members of the community. With the set-up of the blog, I gave the community access to all the wonderful happening of our classroom, giving them the opportunity to give feedback and ask questions.

In any given school environment, there will be factors that both help and hinder the learning of students. In my placement, there were more factors that facilitated student learning than those factors that took away from student learning. Coming from a wealthy school district, it is understood that there are more resources available to the students. There is never a worry about having enough paper to last until the end of the year, or if the pencils will sustain the amount of writing that needs to get done. Rather, it is worried whether or not the copy machine will run out of salmon colored paper to run off ten extra copies of that worksheet you wanted for next year. Simply, material things are not worried about in this school; the students have what they need when they need it, and ten times more. For art class and art within the classroom, there are more than enough creative supplies for the students to work with.

Not only are there an abundance of supplies for the students to work with, there is a lot of parent involvement and support. Each month, three parents from the class come into the classroom and provide science learning. This program is called ‘Hands-on-Nature’ and the students enjoy the hands-on aspect of the activities provided to them. Parent volunteers also come in to read with select students almost every day of the week. All parents are timely with responses to e-mails, permission slips, and always provide materials when asked to do so.

Because class size is small, in comparison to other Vermont and nationwide schools, students benefit greatly from the personal relationships that they create with their teachers. Often times, these relationships will outlast the time in the classroom and students return for those special hugs or tips and advice year after year, all the way through high school.

The resources provided to the students, materially and emotionally, give the students the best possible chance for success. When the students know and understand that there are multiple people that care about them, and are helping their academic well being, they are able to take more pride in the work that they do and they understand the importance and value of education. Each student knows that they are special and because of the amount of time spent working with them, both by their teachers and parent volunteers.

Through this field placement, I have learned a lot about how the whole child is taught. I see how the Responsive Classroom approach connects so nicely to Maslow's hierarchy of needs. Because the teachers create such a positive learning environment for the students, their needs are being met on a deeper level than just what is needed for survival. With these higher emotional needs being met, the students have a sense of safety, belonging, love, and self-esteem, which are all aspects of the hierarchy of needs.

Another aspect of Responsive Classroom is the motivation that students use. By fostering such a positive energy within the students, they are able to use intrinsic motivation because they know that they can do anything they set their minds to. Based upon the foundation that the teachers create, the students feel comfortable and safe believing in themselves for motivation. By creating such a positive community in the classroom, the teachers are also promoting extrinsic motivation for the students to access.

The learning that I have gained in respect to grouping has allowed me to see how the students can work with a variety of other students, and how the teachers promote a positive relationship between all students with these grouping strategies. I have seen ability groups with reading groups, I have seen interest groups within math stations and writer's workshop, I have seen randomly assigned groups with my CI rotation and within their table groups.

All aspects of grouping, promoting team work, fostering positive working relationships between students and with students and teacher all lend themselves to building the classroom community, which is called for in Responsive Classroom.

The needs of all the students are met not only through the use of differentiation in lesson planning, but by the fact that my mentor teacher and I take the time to really get to know the students and show our concern for their well being. We are able to show that we care about each student, from head to toe, academic to social. By building that relationship with students, we are giving them an added sense of significance. For those students who need extra help, we provide one-on-one aids when we are given the chance. A few students are also pulled out during the day to receive additional services that are not provided in the normal classroom setting. Six students in my class are progress monitored for their reading abilities each week. These students are provided with additional help in reading as needed.

The most effective way to ensure that all the needs of your students are being met is getting to know them as learners and as people, that way, you know the whole child and can therefore, can instruct the whole child.

Most of what goes on in the classroom is conducive to student learning. Because there is a sense of community within the classroom, students feel at home while in the classroom and can do their best work. The environment created helps the students to focus all of their energy on the material being taught rather than outside stresses. We try our best to make sure that each student feels like they belong to the classroom and that they feel important and significant in the overall scheme of things.  Another key element to the conductivity of my classroom is the abundance of resources. When students are asked to complete a project or activity, they have everything that they could ever need right at their fingertips. This allows for their imaginations to take over and use a wide variety of materials to build their mastery of concepts.

Over the semester, I have found only a few things that could interfere with student learning. One is the fact that the classrooms are so open. At times, the fact that there are no doors gets a bit overwhelming. If a class next door is being noisy as you are trying to conduct a quiet lesson, it makes things difficult. Open-air classrooms also allow for students to cut through your classroom at all times of the day. At any given moment, either another teacher or a student could walk through your class in the middle of a lesson and disrupt the learning going on. Even if only for a second, some students find it difficult to refocus their attention on the work to be done.

Another thing that I found has interfered with student learning is the fact that sometimes students are pulled out for additional services. I understand the necessity of these services and I am grateful for the availability of these services, but often times students are pulled out during significant lessons or work periods. For these students, it is hard to get focused and do the work that is missed, when others have moved on to something else or are three steps ahead. Fortunately, a lot of these services can be provided in the classroom, and often use the materials that we are working on in the classroom. I find this to be more relevant to the students; they are able to gain a better understanding of why they are doing these extra things.

When I first stepped into the classroom, I was skeptical about the open-air classrooms. I didn’t know how the students would ever focus when people are constantly walking through or by the classroom. I was sure that the noise level from other classrooms would affect the teaching in my classroom, but I was pleasantly surprised. I have found that the openness of the classrooms makes the students more comfortable. They are exposed to a variety of people; therefore they are conditioned from day one to be receptive of others and not shy. The openness also provides a convenient excuse for teachers to keep their noise levels down. I have found that I have talked to the students about their noise level and how we don’t want to interrupt the other classes next to us.

I was also nervous going into a teaching situation knowing that my mentor and her teaching partner did so much instruction together. At times, it was very challenging, but overall it was a rewarding experience because I gained valuable insight into how I would work in a teaming situation in the future.

In creating an effective learning environment, I have learned that all good things take time. I have learned that the management systems, transitions, classroom climate, respect, and academic learning, are all processes that take time to develop. From the smallest of things, like walking down the hall quietly in a line, to larger things like the value of group work, takes time to teach the students. I have learned the value of working together and how by collaborating with colleagues, you can make the environment ten times better for your students. I have learned that creating an effective environment also requires constant change; while maintaining some sort of routine. Students need new things introduced sometimes in order to keep them interested and on their toes; but a balance needs to be struck because a routine is also important for the stability of the students in your classroom.

Diversity is such an important part of the functionality of any classroom. Being different makes each person unique and I think it is important to celebrate the differences in each learner. I think that in my classroom I will take every opportunity to teach about differences and how differences allow us to learn; because without these differences, we would all be the same and learn the same way. Noticing and learning about differences makes us well-rounded individuals and better people. I think that as a teacher I would address discrimination in my classroom in a way that promotes these differences rather than talking about them in a negative light. By addressing the differences positively, it empowers the students to learn about these differences and embrace each other for being different. By starting at a young age, realizing the differences in people, students are more likely to be accepting of others for the fact that they are not the same. In the older grades, I think that it is important to show the students, rather than telling them, that each person, despite their race, creed, color, sex, etc, each has their own special abilities, which makes them special.

I believe that the most proactive step to providing equitable learning to all of my students would be to learn about them prior to them coming into your classroom and taking every opportunity after that to get to know them. If you as a teacher know your students well, it gives you a better chance of teaching them equally. If you know their strengths and weaknesses, you are more apt to know how to teach them. Differentiation also plays into this quite nicely. As we have learned for four years, differentiation is the backbone of teaching your students equally. If you know your students, you in turn know how to differentiate for them. If you differentiate for them, you begin to provide all of your students with equitable learning opportunities in your classroom. This is a large element of social justice teaching. In a district such as this, it is difficult to equitable teach when student arrive in the higher grades due to the large disparity of socio-economic status. As stated in the article by Brigitte Knudson, " Very often, it is the low SES students who populate the remedial and special education classes, while their counterparts schedule college preparatory classes. To say that every child has the same educational opportunities may be correct on paper, but this is not a reality." By starting early, and providing equal opportunities in the younger grades, we have a better chance of mediating this problem by the time students reach the high school level. 

In any differentiated lesson there are many challenges, such as where do you draw the line at the amount of differentiation placed into the lesson? I believe that my biggest challenge in this aspect is finding the right balance of the differentiation. I tend to differentiate more for each student and in a way sometimes create mini-lessons for each type of learner. Where does this become too much work for me and what is too confusing for the students? It is difficult for me to see where to draw that line so that the activities are seamless and the students can understand each facet, without creating too much work for myself. I believe that my strength is the fact that I have been doing this for many years. I have been working with my aunt, who owns her own school for students with learning disabilities, to develop lessons that all of the students can participate in, as well as making it easy for each student to be working at their level. Because this school is K-12, it is a challenge to differentiate for different grade levels as well as different learning challenges. After doing this for so many years, I believe that it comes naturally at this point to see a lesson from many different angles and see which students will benefit from seeing it and participating in it from those different angles.