Field Reflection

My experience at Westside Elementary School was so much fun. The teacher was so willing to work with us in whatever we needed to accomplish. The students were as close to perfect as you can get. I'm still pinching myself that I had that type of a classroom experience.

I had fun preparing and carrying out our creative arts lesson plans. One lesson plan was used as a Dance/Drama plan. I used the book, Most Loved In All The World . It is such a beautifully written and illustrated book. I used the theme of slavery and quilts to use for an arts and craft freedom quilt as well. I'll attach a picture of it.

We divided the class into groups and they danced the pages given. I had classic african american spiritual music playing in the background as well. The students had fun for the most part. I can tell that they were unfamiliar with this type of a lesson plan, but they were willing participants.

We also used "Role on the Wall" for the ending of the book. This part was actually my favorite. The students really searched their pages to find feeling and emotion to write on the body. AWESOME!! (See attached picture)

Our second creative plan was used during geometry. We used chinese jumpropes and a book called the Greedy Triangle. The students enjoyed making shapes with their chinese jumpropes and I'm excited to share our plan with you.

I learned so much about time management and modeling behavior expectations. It was a great experience. :)

Field Experience Summary

I was assigned to Westside Elementary School. It is a Title I school located in Springville, Utah. I was able to be mentored by Ms. Angie Paynter, a 5th grade teacher. The classroom was filled with 21 students which I still can’t believe. My children’s class sizes in the past several years have been very full – nearly 31 at times so it came as a surprise to me.
I could tell immediately that this was a “great” classroom. Teacher expectations had clearly been set high. The students knew what was expected and the flow of the classroom transitions was smooth. When the students arrived each morning, they immediately took out their math homework and planner page. Each student put it on the right side of the desk and then turned to the page where they’d find their morning work. Then, they would talk or head back outside until the morning bell rang. I walked around and marked their planner pages if their homework was out and finished. I also marked their planner if they had read the night before. After the morning bell rang, the students came in and immediately started on their workbook without the teacher saying a word.
Ms. Paynter was running a classroom community. She had a paper passer, table captain, line leader, etc. set up so that everyone had a responsibility. The students worked very well together.
The students in this class smiled and seemed happy to be there during the 3 weeks that I was there. It made me happy to know that their teacher is so good at what she does that the students are thriving and happy.
The management techniques used in her classroom worked well. If she was in a hurry, to get the students’ attention—she’d say “2,1.” They became quiet instantly. If she wanted them to wind down their activity and look at her—she’d say “5,4,3,2,1.” It worked like a charm.
When she was teaching a new concept she would ask partner A to tell partner B what was said and then the next time she would ask partner B to ask partner A. I liked this technique because it gave everyone a voice in a small, non-threatening way.
I enjoyed the guided reading groups and math instruction the most. It is clear that she loves books. Her guided reading was well planned and engaging activities to keep them involved in their reading. Her math lessons were great. She really knew how to break apart the lesson so the students would be successful with their homework. I also liked that she had the students write what she was teaching them in their math journals. She allowed them to use their journals if they had questions on their homework .
The technique that she used for answering questions was that the students needed to “ask three before me”. This meant they couldn’t ask her a question until they had asked 3 other students first. She said it is the only way to get to everybody with questions. She said the students usually figure it out before having to come and ask her because of the help from their classroom peers.
Overall, it was a wonderful learning experience. The students were well behaved and showed respect for me while I was there. The teacher was doing a great job and being in her classroom was an invaluable experience. I loved my field experience.