#9 - Final Thoughts

After completing this course and doing the Service Learning, I decided that I officially want to become a professional teacher. It is the right career path for me. I love interacting with kids. It is always fun and interesting to hear what they have to say. They're fun to watch and to teach. Every student is unique so I always felt like each day was a new, original day and not just the same routine.

Service Learning influenced my decision because it confirmed that I wanted to be a teacher. Before this class, the only teaching experience I had was teaching kids how to play the piano. From teaching piano lessons, I knew I enjoyed interacting with kids but I still wasn't sure as to what extent. It was the Service Learning that really reaffirmed my decision. It showed me that I love doing new and different things with students as they learn and progress.

My next step is to continue taking college courses that are needed in order to get my bachelors degree for teaching. I have already met with the counselor and know what classes I will be taking for the next three years. All I need to do is continue working toward my goal and do well in my classes so that I can graduate. I am really excited about my future.

#8 Making Connections

I am making connections between course topics and Service Learning. These blog posts have helped me realize all of the things I am learning. I like how I can go observe and notice different things we've talked about in class. It has helped me further understand what successfully teaching a class requires. 

I have been able to articulate my own learning and understanding. Many of the assignments we have done have given me this opportunity. I have also been able to use my own learning and understanding inside the classroom during my Service Learning. It has been a great experience.

The process of blogging has helped me to think about and notice things in my Service Learning. Each blog post requires me to answer certain questions and because of this I have been able to pinpoint certain things I have learned. I have to actually think about how I have benefited from observing classrooms. It has given me a sense of direction throughout this course.  

I have noticed that it has become easier for me to write these blog posts the more I do them. The first blog post was the hardest because I wasn't exactly sure what to include and I had a hard time thinking about how the course topics and Service Learning were related to each other. Simply put, I didn't know exactly what to look for at first when I did Service Learning. Now that I have done it a few times, I have become accustomed to it and know what is expected.

#7 Standards

There are several different standards that I have noticed inside of the first grade classroom. The most important standard that the teachers address is reading. At the beginning of the year they did bench marking to determine what the students already knew coming into first grade. With that information they were better able to teach the class what they need to know and they also occasionally take students out one at a time to help them. They have focused on learning the names of letters, the sounds letters make, sounding out words, etc. 

I have not seen any science or history being addressed in the classroom. I have seen a smidgen of math and art but that's really it. They mostly focus on reading so that they can get their sight words down. I think the teachers choose to do little or no science and history because they feel that it is more critical for the students to learn how to read. 

My cooperating teachers seem to think that the standards and standardized testing is beneficial in schools. Reading is such a critical skill to have so it makes sense why the students are held to a certain standard of learning. Having standards will help prepare them for second grade in the future. 

#6 Diversity

Inside the classroom I have noticed that each of the kids is unique and diverse in their own way. The kids are different races, many speak differently, wear different clothing, etc. The teacher has made sure to treat every student as an equal. I have never heard her ever make a prejudice comment toward a student. And when a student demonstrates that he/she needs extra help, she offers help without making the student feel embarrassed.

One specific example I have noticed is that one particular little boy seems to have social issues and so the teacher is always extra kind to him. She never makes him do things in front of the class that would make him feel uncomfortable. She makes the classroom a safe learning environment to be in. He also struggles in reading and she always exhibits patience when she gives him extra help. This is just one example of how a teacher can help a student without making him or her feel embarrassed, disadvantaged, or awkward about the circumstances.

#5 Historical Events and Important Laws

One law of major importance was the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Section 504 of it is all about making accommodations for children with disabilities. This act is important because everyone child deserves to learn and every child can learn if the circumstances are right for them. The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 is also a historical event of great importance. While it does have some flaws, it is beneficial because it holds schools accountable for teaching all of their students and bringing every student up to a certain level of intelligence.

While doing Service Learning hours I have not seen any examples of English learners getting support but I have seen my cooperative teacher deal with one challenging student multiple times. He has an extremely short attention span, loves to talk, doesn't listen well, and has a difficult time concentrating on his work. In order to help him, the teacher has separated his desk from other students. He isn't so far that he feels ostracized from his peers, but he is far enough that he is better able to concentrate on his work. And when he still gets distracted from time to time he is gently reminded to work on his homework. This may not seem like a big deal, but it is still a good example of a teacher making sure that no child is left behind. It is important that teachers are able to notice and understand when their students need a little bit of extra attention or help in order to be successful.

It's also important to note how much of a difference IDEA has made for students in schools. According to the linked article Twenty-Five Years of Progress in Educating Children with Disabilities Through IDEA, "Before IDEA, many children...were denied access to education and opportunities to learn. For example, in 1970, U.S. schools educated only one in five children with disabilities, and many states had laws excluding certain students, including children who were deaf, blind, emotionally disturbed, or mentally retarded." That is concerning and so it is good to know that times have changed and effort has been put forth in order to teach children with disabilities. Sometimes children with disabilities are the most important to teach so that they can be successful and benefit today's society. Every child deserves attention, love, and a good education.

#4 Engaged Learning

From doing my service learning hours I have noticed that the teacher incorporates many engaged learning strategies. Due to the students being first graders, the teacher uses physical movement a lot. During their morning routine the students review vowels. As the students said them, they did actions that went along with the activity so that they remembered them better. It made the activity more fun and held the students' attention better.

While it may not seem as fun as movement, the teacher also enforced her classroom rules. The students always knew what was expected of them and so when they did something wrong, it was easily corrected. When everyone followed the rules the students learned better because no one's learning got interrupted. It also created a good environment where the students were able to learn safely.

The teacher also involved all of the students. When they did a fun number activity she made sure every student participated at least a little bit. Even though some students wouldn't raise their hands, she would call on them so that everyone shared at least one thought about the activity. This created a fun environment where the students were engaged and supportive of one another. 

One instance where the lesson was not particularly engaging was when a few of the students wouldn't go to the rug to participate in the activity. The teacher could have made this situation better by telling the kids to come to the rug for the activity and then finish what they were doing at their desk if there was extra time after. This way the lesson wouldn't be interrupted and every student would have been participating. Having all the students come to the rug would also show the kids that their participation is important because they themselves are important. 

#3 Safety, Love, Positivity, and Relationships

My cooperative teacher has made the students feel loved and safe because she is a friend to her students. While she does maintain authority over the classroom so that class can run smoothly, she will talk to them on their level and she supports them in what they are doing. She is always smiling and encouraging the kids to do their best.

Going along with this, being a friend to everyone encourages a positive classroom community. Students feel valued and important. Everyone knows that everyone has something to contribute whether it be big or small. And even when a student answers a question incorrectly, the teacher still validates part of their statement and then leads them in the right direction. The cooperative teacher does her best to never make anyone feel foolish and she's always happy.

Making the students feel loved and safe also builds a positive relationship between the teacher and each student. The positive atmosphere also adds to this relationship. The teacher offers each student support when they need it, and she'll praise them on things they do well. She also talks to each individual student as an equal. The students know that the teacher is someone they can always trust.

#2 Learning Theories, Learning Strategies, and Development Levels

Yesterday was my first day doing service-learning in the first grade classrooms at East Meadows Elementary. All of the first grade teachers were doing bench marking so I wasn't able to fully observe how a normal classroom was run but I still got a taste of it. One at a time I gave the students a pretest on their sight words. While doing this I was still able to observe some of the classroom's activity and the learning theory that I noticed being used the most was cognitivism. The teacher started her lesson with a hook that got the students super excited for the day. They started to talk and the teacher had to have them settle down again so she could continue with the lesson. When she continued her lesson, I noticed that she repeated a lot of what she said in various ways so that each child was given an opportunity to comprehend and understand it.

I thought it was nice that she repeated much of what she said. The teacher did it casually in a way that the students wouldn't get annoyed with the repetition but they would still be able to take away the most important objective from the lesson. She also addressed different developmental levels by rewording things when students had questions. She was always sure to clarify and never belittled a student for not understanding. When I left, the class had started doing an activity that addressed the kinesthetic learning style of some kids. Overall, it was an enjoyable first day and I can't wait to go back next week.

#1 - East Meadows Elementary

East Meadows Elementary is located in Spanish Fork, Utah and has almost 900 students. The school looks clean and inviting. There are two playgrounds, a large field, and games like four square on the asphalt. This is nice because it accommodates the amount of students who are at the school. The school's layout is fairly simple to navigate because each hallway is one specific grade. It also has a welcoming atmosphere.

The school is surrounded by several neighborhoods that are safe and friendly. Many of the homes look like they belong to middle class families. A vast majority of students who go to East Meadows Elementary are Mormon. Most of the students are white but there are other races too. The ratio between male and female students is almost equal with there being slightly more males at the school. The average number of students to teachers is 25:1. Class sizes like this are nice because students are able to socialize and have fun with peers but can also get extra one on one help from their teacher when needed.

In the course "Introduction to Education" we learn different skills that would benefit us as teachers. Service Learning is where we can actually go to a school to observe and interact with students. College students are able to see first hand what being an elementary teacher is like. It helps individuals determine whether or not they really want to become a teacher.