Contextual Factors: Community, School, Classroom & Students
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Community Salem is the second largest city in Oregon after Portland. There are 156,690 people living in Salem with the Salem Metro areas having a population of 383,100. According to city-data.com, the median income for Salem was $43,430 in 2008 as compared to $50,169 for the State of Oregon. The median income falling well below the state average could be a factor in being a teacher in the Salem-Keizer School District. The average price of a new home was $233,459 in January of 2009. In 2008 the percentage of people in Salem living in poverty was 17.0%. This high rate of poverty is a concern. Students that come from an impoverished family may not be getting their nutritional needs met. They also may be homeless. Often poor families are ashamed of their situations, so it will be important for me to form relationships with students where they feel like they can let me know what is going on and ask for any help they may need. The community is a fairly diverse population. The ethnic make-up of the city is represented by the following list:
With the high Hispanic population there may be a higher rate of ELL students. This would be something that I would need to be aware of in a classroom; I would need to make appropriate accommodations to my lesson plans. The diverse population may also increase ethnic tensions in a school setting. This is another possibility that I would have to be aware of in my classroom. It is interesting to note that there are many high-income homes and also many apartment complexes in the area around Sprague High School. There are also many houses that have been turned into offices. Kaiser Permanente has a large office complex near the high school. Just up the road from the school there are vineyards and agricultural farms. The feel of the community at large is one of business. This is not the case for the community immediately surrounding the school. The feel in the community around Sprague High School is one of suburbia. With the exception of Kaiser Permanente, the area is mainly single family dwellings and small businesses. I believe the suburban feel affects the school community in a positive way. In general, parents who move to suburban areas are very involved in the learning of their children. With the high-income homes located around Sprague High School I believe this will be the case. If this generality holds true, this should make it easier to teach students because education is valued in their lives. Parents’ active participation in their students’ education will translate to higher expectations of both the students and the teachers. This will mean I may need to spend extra time speaking with parents about their students. It may also mean that students will feel more stress because of their parents’ high expectations.
It is interesting to note that since several Salem High Schools did not pass the AYP criteria the population has changed. The hope is that this will not affect the AYP standings for Sprague. In theory this should have the opposite effect because the students that are motivated are the ones making the effort to get across town to go to Sprague. If a student in this situation does not perform academically or is a behavioral problem the administration has the option of disallowing or revoking their admission status. When we spoke of this, my supervising teacher was very matter of fact about it. I think teachers at Sprague have high expectations of all students and this will not affect that. Sprague High School was opened in 1972. The facilities are well equipped, with most classrooms utilizing a SMARTboard. The classroom I am assigned to is equipped with a Smartboard, document camera, and two computers. As a teacher it is exciting yet intimidating to learn how to best utilize this technology, but I believe it will make it easier to stay organized and maintain the flow of the lessons. The staff in general has been very accepting of me. The office staff has been extremely helpful. Although I was unable to find any information about support staff at Sprague I have seen many students with one-on-one aids. One student has a full-time sign language interpreter. There are also two campus monitors that patrol the hallway and school grounds. The other day I almost had to stop a fight. When I went out in the hallway to see what was going on, I realized a member of the staff had taken care of the problem. After she left, the students started up again but I was able to intervene. Although the students stopped immediately, I monitored the hallway for several minutes. I was pleased that the students were respectful of me; they didn’t say anything disrespectful. This goes a long way with me and attests to the feel of the school. Sprague has a very impressive music program with the bands and choirs. This shows me that ALL education is important to the staff and community. This creates an atmosphere that allows more students to succeed in different areas of education. At a school where these extracurricular activities are not valued the students that enjoy these activities may be bullied more. It is also interesting to look through the catalog of available classes. There are classes like orchestra, ASL 1, 2 and 3 and architecture. There are many classes available that other schools do not have the funding to provide. The make-up of Sprague is unique and interesting. With so many students doing well on the OAKS Tests I thought that most of the classes offered would be higher level classes. The class that I will be teaching is Algebra 1. This is a class that is a low level class for a high school. There are all grade levels in this class. My supervising teacher teaches all lower level classes, although Algebra 1 is his highest level class. He teaches one Foundations of Algebra class and two Math lab classes as well as three Algebra 1 classes. Many other math teachers are also teaching these classes. There are also many AP classes in each of the content areas. As a teacher it is inspiring to work with other teachers and staff who have had such a positive influence on the students at Sprague High School. The low dropout rate and high OAKS scores are encouraging because Sprague is doing such a great job educating students; there are many schools where this is not the case. I don’t believe that the ethnic make-up of the school plays a big part in these statistics. The sizable arts programs and other extra-curricular activities like the Debate Team show that students at Sprague High School are interested in furthering their education in all ways. These factors influence me in several ways. The students at Sprague, in general, are high achievers who will need to be challenged. This should make my job easier because the students want to learn. Although this is true for many of the students at Sprague, I am not sure this will carry through to the class that I am supposed to teach. I am going into this experience with a positive attitude that will take me far and a supervising teacher that will help me to succeed. Classroom The classroom where I will be teaching is fairly large. As you walk into the class there is a storage cabinet directly to your right. Three steps beyond that are two tables that hold the electric pencil sharpener and the baskets where students turn in their assignments. Students are often unprepared for class with pencils sharpened and ready to go; when the electric pencil sharpener is used it is distractingly loud. This classroom at one time was used as a science class and still holds artifacts of that fact. To the far left behind the small partition there is a sink. On the far left and far right, although the gas line has been shut off, the counters still have the spouts for air and gas. On at least one occasion there was a student turning the air spout on. This is something that, as a teacher, I would have to address at the beginning of each new semester. If I did not address my expectations this could cause classroom management problems. There are 17 2-person desks and one single desk. Without students in the room it seems like there is plenty of room to navigate the room. This is not the case when students and their backpacks are in the room. Students put their books, backpacks and other belongings on the floor to either side of the desks. This concerns me because this is a dangerous situation. There is more than enough room for all the students, as the biggest class my supervising teacher teaches has 32 students. The 2-person desks pose a problem; often students have side conversations. I will have to wait patiently for students to stop their conversations or I stand the chance of a classroom management nightmare. All of the desks face the front of the room. There is a large whiteboard that is broken up with a SMARTboard. Having a small whiteboard on either side of the SMARTboard causes some difficulties that I will have to be aware of when teaching in this classroom. When writing out instructions or equations using the whiteboard, I must make sure that all the students can see. The whiteboard is my preference when working through problems, but I will have to get used to working with the SMARTboard. The counter area on the far right side of the room has a computer and document camera for the teachers use. This makes it easy to keep things moving smoothly in the class in regards to the SMARTboard. The counter area is also where the math manipulatives are stored as well as class worksheets. This makes it easy for students to access things they need. Having this area where students can get what they need will make it easier because students know where to get materials for class. This area also causes a management problem because it becomes a bottleneck area. I will have to keep this in mind when giving instructions to the class about getting needed materials. At the back of the room there is a large desk area for the teacher where he has a computer and printer. This makes it easy to input grades into the grading system or check grades for students. There is also another desk that is used for student aids or individual assistants. This is also the area where I will be working. This classroom has a welcoming feel. There are two bulletin boards at the front of the room. One of these has newspaper clippings about the schools’ sports activities. The other has an area to post grades. Behind the teacher’s desk there are pictures of the men’s basketball team; the teacher is the head coach. Hung above the desk I will be using there are ten motivational and inspirational posters. I think this is a great idea. Without knowing it, students see these, and on some level internalize the positivity. It is interesting to note that there are no math posters. I would love to incorporate a number line on the wall directly above the whiteboard where all students could see it.
Students My supervising teacher teaches all lower level math classes. He teaches one Foundations of Algebra that is a preparatory class for Algebra 1 and two Math lab classes that students take at the same time as the Algebra 1 class. He teaches three Algebra 1 classes as well. The class that I will be teaching is Algebra 1. This is a class that is a low level class for a high school. Although most of the students are freshman, all grade levels are present in this class. In a block schedule like the one at Sprague, I will see the students a total of 8 days, 88 minutes each time. This makes it a challenge to get to know the students very well, or even get all their names memorized. This poses a possible classroom management concern; creating relationships with students helps them to be more invested in the class. This is something that I will have to be conscious of. Although there are no students that are designated as Talented and Gifted or ELL, there are several exceptional students in this class. The Individualized Educational Plans have three different themes. There are 5 students with some form of either transitioning skills deficits and/or behavioral skills problems. I am using collaborative techniques as a teaching strategy; for these students I will have to be aware of how well they are transitioning between collaborative work and direct instruction. The last area of concern in the IEP’s is for a student with a hearing disability. She has an interpreter who sits at the front right side of the room. According to the interpreter she has cochlear implants that help her to hear fairly well. My main concern is that it is difficult to look at the interpreter and the board at the same time. This is a problem in math where the explanation corresponds directly with the board work. I am looking into using a microphone that would make it easier for her to connect the board work with the words that I am saying. Another concern is that my belief in using collaborative work may cause her to fall further behind; the interpreter leaves when the collaborative work begins. In this class, as with all classes, it is imperative for me to be aware of how smoothly transitions are going. For all students to be successful, I will have to be mindful of how each student is performing in my class.
References Greatschools website.Retrieved October 15, 2010, from http://www.greatschools.org/modperl/achievement/or/1074#from..HeaderLink Sprague high school website. Retrieved October 15, 2010, from http://www.salkeiz.k12.or.us/system/files/sprague-state-report-card-08-09.pdf Zillow website.Retrieved October 15, 2010, from http://www.zillow.com/school/OR-Salem/Salem-Keizer-Sd-24J-14084/Sprague-High-School-74598/
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Exceptional Students
Dori Podrabsky
In my experience, every child has their own personality, quirks, learning styles and educational needs. All students deserve an education, yet “education” doesn’t look the same for each child.
When I subbed for three months in an Autism Spectrum Disorder classroom in a middle school, I was assigned to two boys who were each ready for general education classes. Each boy was labeled as having Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) although they were individuals with different personalities, experiences and needs.
Jason is a very smart young man who could do grade level work by himself; we mainly worked on his social skills. In PE he had many difficulties. The other students didn’t understand why he would act out or react the way he did. During a softball unit there was a general education student that was having difficulty working with students that were less skilled than he was. Jason and this other student had often had difficulties during PE. The teacher and I decided that an intervention was necessary for both boys. I talked to the general education student and gave him the job of helping Jason in class. He understood that this was a big responsibility. It was amazing how well both boys did with the experience; they each learned valuable lessons about each other and about interacting with others.
Although Larry is also bright boy, his needs were very different from Jason’s. Although he could also do grade level work, he required more prodding to get the job done. Larry has anxiety issues and is very manipulative. We worked on social skills and appropriate anger management skills. The first time I met Larry he was sitting at a computer getting started on an OAKS math test. I turned to ask the facilitator a question and when I turned back to check on Larry he was flailing on the ground. I thought he was having a seizure. Apparently this was one of his many tactics of getting out of work. These tactics became less of a problem the longer that I worked with Larry. One of the days nearing the end of my time at the school, Larry was working on some math homework in the ASD classroom. As he was getting started I asked him if he wanted help. His response was, “No. I can do it myself.” The Special Education teacher and I exchanged amazed looks. This was the first time he had shown us that he would do the work without extrinsic motivation. This was my defining moment; I knew that I had to become a teacher.
These and other experiences with special needs students have given me an appreciation of all students’ needs. All students are on a continuum of developmental growth. Students with exceptionalities are either behind or ahead of the average student in their growth. Examples of this could be a student with Autism having developmentally fewer social skills than the average student, a deaf student having a disability that causes her not to be able to hear like other students, or a student that is Talented and Gifted in the area of reading being ahead of the average student.
In 1975 new federal education legislation was adopted. Public Law 101-476 The Individual with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) made it a law to ensure that students and their parents are protected. One of the major features of this law ensures that students will receive a free and appropriate education. According to Robin’s handout “Section II,” Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) will be at no cost to the parent, will be in accordance to the individualized education plan (IEP) for the student, will be provided at public expense by the school district the student would have attended, and will help the student “receive educational benefits” from kindergarten through graduation from high school or until the student reaches the age of 21.
As I shared above in my personal stories of working with exceptional learners, there were adaptations in place for these students. Having an assistant was one of the many accommodations made. In my story, the Special Education teacher made accommodations to assignments that were given by the general education teachers. This is not necessarily how it works in other schools or school districts.
As each student will need different accommodations depending on many factors, I will give an example of an accommodation that I would make for a student with a hearing disability. Hopefully there would be an interpreter for the student. If this was not the case, I would approach the IEP coordinator at my school about getting a microphone device for the student. I would place the student in direct line of sight of the Smartboard or white board. In my class I would maintain a website or blog where I would post any outlines, notes or presentation slides that I used for the day. If the student was having more difficulties with the coursework I would take the extra time to work individually with the student. This would be the case for all students.
My “dream classroom” is one where each student feels safe, respected and able to learn to their fullest capability. I would have contact with all of the students’ parents/guardians as to their student’s education. All students would have the chance to learn in the way that fits them best. This would be illustrated by differentiated instruction for each student based on their educational, social and learning style needs. I would also work with faculty to implement cross curriculum instruction. This would increase understanding through connections which helps cement learning for all students.
It is important to remember that all students have different needs in a classroom. As a teacher I am interested in increasing the knowledge of each student in whatever way is needed. Each student should expect and receive an education that will benefit them on their journey through life. It is my pleasure to be able to assist them on their way.
References
Handouts the instructor, Robin Fromherz, provided to the class, including excerpts from Salem-Keizer School District.
To many, literacy is reading. To others it is vocabulary. To me, literacy involves much more than reading and vocabulary. Literacy is meaning making, comprehension, challenging beliefs, interpreting, and concluding. It is imperative for students to be literate in every area of education.
At the beginning of the semester, it was difficult for me to see how literacy related to math. Now I see how literacy impacts all parts of education. Students need to be able to understand the vocabulary of each content area. Words that students think they can define may have a different meaning depending on the subject matter. An example of this is the word per, which in everyday language means each, but in story problems in math it means “divided by.” In the content area of math there are so many symbols to decode and comprehend that students must be taught what it means to be literate in math. They need to learn an entirely new language. Without the correct understanding of the vocabulary and symbols, math literacy will be lost.
Students are not accustomed to working on literacy skills while in a math class. My plan is to do a daily journal that will include things like vocabulary and theorems. I will teach the students how to do two-column note taking. This will help the students in many areas of literacy, such as the meaning-making and comprehension process. They will be able to look back at the notes in their journals and have it as a reference during tests. I will also integrate an exit survey so students can ask questions of me. Defining what they are struggling with so they can relay that to me will help increase literacy. Students will be pushed to summarize their questions and put the words down on paper.
Teachers are not in a school to just teach their content area. I believe I am required to be more; to teach more than just Pythagorean’s Theorem. I should help my students be well-rounded, educated people. This speaks to my desire to be a teacher of math, literacy, geography, history, etc. It is important to me to teach across content areas whenever possible. This will help me make my content area more relevant to students who are maybe not the best at math, or are just afraid of math.
As a teacher I am excited to help students learn and become more that they were when they entered my classroom. Incorporating literacy into my content area will help me be the best teacher that I can be.
Objective: Students will demonstrate moving directly from one representation to another (comprehension)
Objective: Students will identify the points of intersection (comprehension)
Objective: SWBAT apply their understanding of growth, Figure 0, and connections between multiple representations when given disparate pieces of information and must generate a complete pattern (application)
Objective: SWBAT apply their understanding of growth and Figure 0 to new contexts in order to generate complete representations (application)
Objective: SWBAT apply their knowledge of m as growth factor and b as Figure 0 or starting value of a pattern without using an XàY Table.
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