At this point I have completed 40 observation hours at the FAIR Elementary school in Downtown Minneapolis. I've assisted students in their assignments, assisted the teacher in keeping students focused and on track with assignments and observed the students participate in recess, music class, and art class.
The school campus is right downtown It's very easy to identify from a distance and hard to miss. There are signs not only to identify the school, but also signs that explain it's purpose of bringing students from all communities together. They even list every town and suburb that they bring students from. For the purpose of exploring the campus I decided to take an escalator that I'd kind of assumed was off limits. I didn't know where it went, and I assumed it was an area of the school I didn't have access to. It turns out it was just a completely unlabeled sky way access escalator. Aside from that anomaly, the school was fairly easy to navigate. It can be difficult to find the main entrance, but once you are inside I don't believe any parent should have trouble navigating their way to the administration office, as the door to that office is the first thing you see, and they can direct you wherever you need to go. There's also a parking ramp attached to the building so parents don't have to worry about finding a parking spot downtown.
There was only one instance when I saw a parent in the classroom, and it was to pick up their child who was misbehaving earlier in the day. The teacer took the time to speak with the parent about the behavioral issues that lead up to that point, so it appears that family members are welcome and kept informed. The instructors main form of communication is e-mail or print outs that she sends home every single week . I like the idea of this form of communication, especially sending home a weekly letter to families that contain information that the parent might ask the child after school, such as "Do you have any homework?" With a consistent letter going home on the same day every week parents are able to hold their kid accountable for any assignments that might be due, or activities that need to be completed. It severely reduces the risk of a child lying about any homework they might have.
Family engagement is extremely important, and it's been shown that a household that engages and participates in the child's learning process will help develop a stronger student. I think if there's that expected weekly letter, student's can't hide or throw away the letter without the parents knowing. Also setting a specific day of the week to send home info keeps parents from guessing what's coming.
It was overall a difficult classroom to observe the teacher try to get through lessons and teach when there's frequent distractions ,but the teacher does a very good job at keeping routine. The students know where they are supposed to go and what's expected of them, even if they choose to ignore it a lot of the time.
Another strength was the dedication to determining where each student was at even when so many were struggling. Each week I noticed the teacher taking time with each student. Either in small groups or individually. She really would focus on helping them grasp the common core standards. The teacher would also have small lunch groups with students and get to know them and talk to them during that time. It was clearly very important to the teacher to give them individual attention.
My last day observing was really great. I was a bit surprised how drastically different the students were behaving. They were extremely polite to me and seemed sad that I wouldn't be back. Despite the chaotic nature of the classroom, despite the behavior issues that I witness on a nearly daily basis, the consistency and unwavering nature of the instructions had instilled some sense of important community. It made me realize that despite things not going according to plan, despite dealing with difficult students and tough days, you need to consistently be there for your students. Whether or not you realize it, they are counting on you. If I were to go back and ask a question it would be "What do you think the parents could be doing to help the kids behavior in class? Is there anything we could do to engage those parents?" The kids at this school respond immediately to one threat: Telling the parents. They don't want their parents upset at them. I can't say for sure if it's always out of respect of their parent vs. fear, but it's clear that there is a strong opportunity for motivation there, and if they could tap into engaging the parents more in the classroom I think it would go a long way towards improving behavior.
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