Observation #5

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.

First Semester Reflection (extra credit blog)

As I finish my first semester in pursuit of my future as an educator I'm left with a lot to reflect on. It's been challenging and has completely redefined what it means to me to be a good instructor. There are several issues, such as the difference between an achievement gap and an educational debt, that I'd never even considered. There truly are a lot of ways to see the world,  and education is no different.

The biggest thing I take away from this first part of my journey is how much more there is to education than just teaching content. The content is not nearly as important as the skills that are developed, and impact that the classroom experience has on the student.

My first set of courses have helped me focus my efforts by giving me the tools to figure out and define my own personal educational philosophy, along with lead me to opportunities to meet like minded students and professionals.

There are so many challenges that the education world faces, from bureaucracies to outdated models, to public perception and more. Being successful as a teacher isn't just about being a facilitator for students but by being an active member in the community, and tuning into the changes that need to occur. Without people innovating and pushing forward and rethinking systems that have been in place for more than 120 years, I don't think there would be a place for me in education today. I'm very grateful to be entering this field when I am, on the cusp of change and new things, things that I know I would have loved to experience as a student, and things that I truly believe will cultivate and guide students to be prepared for the future.

So now it's time to go on to part two, the second semester of my education at MCTC. As I do so I do so with a whole new set of tools and ideas, a whole new sense of focus and purpose, and a whole new list of goals and ambitions. There's no way for me to have imagined when I started this journey where I would be right now, and that makes me so excited to see where I'll be in another 4 months.  

Observation #4

So far I’ve completed a total of 27 hours observing at FAIR elementary school. My primary role has included helping students work on assignments, helping students stay focused, helping students during reading time, giving students make up spelling tests, observing students during music and art time, and a few other tasks.

FAIR Elementary is a school that has a 49% black and a 38% white student body. This is drastically different than my personal first grade experience where the vast majority of students were white.

Students are very aware of their skin color, and I think in particular in regards to their teachers and adults. At one point I had a student tell me I was white. It was almost as if she wanted to see how I would respond being confronted with that information. I’ve never heard the teacher address the racial differences. She’s a white teacher with 90% black students, and it doesn’t appear that she is connecting with their cultures outside of what she’s familiar with. There are times that it feels like she is trying to conform the students, but on a few occasions I have noticed her trying to connect in ways that they are more used to. For example, one of the sing along counting videos that the students enjoy is a kid friendly rap song that the students enjoy singing along to. It’s very clear that the students enjoy rap, because I’ve heard them singing rap songs like “Hot Cheetos and Takis” in class on several occasions. They’ve also danced in a hip hop style during times that encourage dancing. I find this interesting because the rap song the teacher plays is very basic and flashes through different images, but one is a spray painted image in the video of a white male with gold chains and baggy clothes.

Every friday there is a 3rd grade black student that comes to help students by doing a math lesson. The lessons are pretty basic, such as figuring out how many days there are until Christmas. The teacher told me that sometimes she feels like the students respect this third grade student more than they respect her. I noticed this too. He’ll wait for them to be quiet, and they’ll quiet down much quicker when he’s leading the discussion. I think skin color and being closer to their age makes him feel more relatable to the students, and as a result they look up to him and follow his instructions more consistently.

I remember one instance of a first grade romance I experienced where I noticed two students sitting next to each other often and even holding hands. They were teased often for ‘liking each other’ but it was all very innocent. As far as sexuality and gender goes, the students are all very young so this was the only thing I ever noticed relating to the issue. As with race and culture, the teacher either didn’t seem to notice or simply didn’t acknowledge it whatsoever.

I think there are subtle messages that the students are taking home from some of this unfortunately. They seem to act as though they can get away with more when there are white females in charge. I haven’t seen any white male teachers by comparison, so it’s difficult for me to comment on whether it’s race or gender specifically, but the students did obey the black woman much more than their white music instructor, as I talked about in my previous blog.

Observation #3

At this point I've completed 19 observation hours at the FAIR Elementary school in downtown Minneapolis. My role has included helping students complete assignments and giving behavioral direction in the classroom along with assignments and observing lessons and activities.

The first time I went to the music class the room was a scene of chaos. Students were playing with equipment that was off limits, running around, and the tape on the ground which marked their spots was being totally ignored. The students even climbed over stacked up chairs and equipment to find the drumsticks so they could bang the drums which the music teacher had pushed back against the wall to keep away from the children. There were also students scooting the chairs that were stacked at the front of the room all around. I noticed students have a break area where they’re allowed to sit or stand against the side of the wall away from everyone else if they don’t feel like participating. There was one student that had a very difficult time doing any class activities and I later found out that she opted to use this break area every single day. She'll even encourage other students to join her. 

My second experience in that room went very differently. At the front of the room stood a large black woman who was there for the sole purpose of enforcing order. Somehow, these students that showed no interest in following direction respected and obeyed her every word. She had a very loud strong voice and spoke in a way that I imagine is very similar to the way that the student's parents might speak to them. They clearly respected her more than they respected the music teacher. Upon seeing this I realized just how important cultural influences and the way a teacher presents themselves is to student engagement. I began to think about what will happen when it comes time to lead my own classroom, and what I can do to better my chances at receiving that respect.

I specifically was able to see some testing for common core standards, particularly in reading and math lessons. The testing at this school appears to be pretty frequent. Spelling tests occur every single Friday - along with a pre-test for the next week just to gauge how familiar the students are with the upcoming spelling words. Math tests also occur every week to determine the effectiveness of that weeks learning. I'm not certain how frequently this happens, but I did witness the teacher testing students individually on their reading levels as well. I think testing at this age is essential but I also think application of the skills they’re learning is important. I think the teacher does a good job of incorporating both. I think for this class of students in particular classroom management is a huge part of what the teacher spends a lot of her time doing but I also have noticed that she can’t constantly be managing every student. I’ve observed students copying each others work a lot and struggling with some of the basic concepts they’re learning. I think the key to them succeeding at mastering the common core skills is practicing but it seems hard to do so when students don’t listen and cause distractions for those that are trying to practice.

Observation #2

For my observation hours, I’ve began helping out in a first grade classroom at FAIR elementary school in downtown Minneapolis. So far I’ve observed a total of 14 and half hours; my role as an observer has included gaining a feel for the structure and schedule of the school day as well as helping students work on assignments. I was also able to follow the students to music class and observe the teacher in that setting.

The teacher seems to be taking on the philosophy of Essentialism. When you first walk into the classroom you’ll immediately notice that the walls are covered. Some of these things contain classroom creations, but among them are lists, goals, and rules. “Treat others the way you want to be treated” is an obvious classic example. Among these guidelines for structure you’ll also find tools like a classroom calendar, a tool hung up that teaches students how to count money, and one giant sheet of paper that, every single day, has a note from the teacher and a goal for the students to accomplish.

The classroom is very open. The ceilings are very tall and there’s no doors in the classroom, instead there’s a large opening on one side of the classroom that opens up into the student’s cubby area, and on the other side of the room the opening leads into another first grade classroom. It’s orderly at the start of the day, but you’d hardly recognize it an hour later by the time the student’s are finished working on an assignment. There are round tables throughout the middle of the room and each student has an assigned seat, three to four to a table facing the whiteboard. At the front of the room, immediately in front of that whiteboard is an alphabet rug we’d probably all recognize from our younger years, which serves as the strict border that constitutes the “Story time zone.” as well as the main gathering space for the students to receive assignments and go over lessons as a group. In addition to the open feel of the classroom, there’s a ton of organized structure. Every single thing in the classroom has a place and a purpose, and not only does the instructor know it, the students know it. It’s all part of a well thought out attempt at order.

The relationship between the instructor and her students feels very formal. At times it can even come off as parental, particularly when a student needs to be disciplined. The subjects that are covered are organized by blocks throughout the day, that typically take place at the same time day after day. Routine and order seem like key tools at keeping the children focused on their learning.

When it’s time for students to read, for example, students are sometimes allowed to choose what method they use such as reading to themselves, reading out loud to a partner, and listening to a read-a-long book on their iPad. The large majority of the time, however, the teacher assigns the method based on what she feels the students need. Reading time lasts 30 minutes, at which point the students are expected to put their book boxes exactly where they belong, return to their desks and prepare for lunch.

The entire day follows the same sort of routine, which stays mostly the same day after day, depending on the needs of the class.There is a very clear goal or expectation that she wants her students to reach when it comes to essential skills, and while she takes a more personalized approach to reaching these goals, the philosophy is very clearly based on the classic essential skills. I think teaching in the philosophy style of essentialism is incredibly important for first grade students. I think students at the early ages need to be taught the basics before they can tie it to a bigger picture. I think it can be hard for students at an early stage to grasp the importance of learning the essential basic skills that we all need to thrive in our society and although I do think freedom of choice is incredibly important for all students to have, I can understand why this teacher is choosing a more structured route. The first day I observed in the classroom there was plenty of back talk, messes being made, and more than a few tears shed. I immediately get the feeling just from my few days observing in the classroom that classroom management is a big obstacle.

Observation #1

In preparation for my observation hours at FAIR elementary school in downtown Minneapolis, I met with the assistant principal and explored the neighborhood for a few hours. Upon first arriving for my meeting, I noticed immediately that the doors that are facing Hennepin avenue, one of the busiest traffic avenues downtown, were not the entrance doors. They appeared to be emergency exit doors, but I’m still not sure. I had to walk down the right hand side of the school for about a third of a block before I hit the entrance, which was not just the entrance for FAIR school but just a general entrance to a building that serves a large variety of people. The entrance I went in wasn’t busy when I first entered, and it wasn’t busy when I passed through a couple times later in my exploration of the building. Instead of a ton of traffic when you walk in the large entrance what you’ll actually be hit with is a set of stairs and escalator positioned straight in front of the entrance. On the left hand side of the stairs is main entrance to FAIR and on the right hand side is the counseling offices for St. Thomas university.

My meeting with the assistant principal was short. We went on a mini tour of the school and after telling her I was interested in teaching first grade one day, she introduced me to some of the first grade teachers. The assistant principal told one of the teachers that I would be starting Monday and that I was there to observe as an MCTC student but that I could also help out as needed as long as there was another teacher present. The teacher seemed eager for the help, and I noticed what I think was an associate educator looking overwhelmed and asked to talk to the assistant principal about student behavior after school. These interactions were short as we were only in that first grade classroom for a minute but I could understand where the vibe that I was experiencing was coming from. The room looked torn apart and students were standing and moving about the room freely while talking and shouting to one another.

Another key point of my meeting was the immediate open feel of the school. I quickly noticed that this was a theme throughout the entire school, as it was present on the entire tour, even in the sign-in lobby area, the large stairwell that overlooks downtown Minneapolis, and the 1st grade classrooms that have high ceilings and open doorways.

After the meeting I begun my exploration outside the school’s main doors. I followed the escalator upstairs that led me through a doorway, past some vending machines, and down a hallway. In less than a minute I was in the hallways of the skyway and quickly was able to make it past many offices, restaurants, and stores. I immediately wondered how this could benefit the high school students at FAIR school, and  also wondering if this was a big challenge for teachers when it came to students skipping class.

I think the school being located in the heart of downtown Minneapolis is one of the main contributions to the urban theme that the school embraces. On the outside of the building are messages encouraging, success, diversity, and the fine arts. There’s also sign on the front side of the school facing the busy city traffic, that lists all the different suburbs and towns surrounding Minneapolis that students at FAIR elementary school come from. As for the urban surroundings of the school, not only were the skyways and corporate business world within easy access but also many bus routes pick up right outside of the school. There’s also clubs, fancy dining restaurants, theaters, offices, and convenient stores all within a block of walking distance. On the left hand side of the school there’s an alleyway that I noticed was reserved for delivery drop offs in the day and school bus drop off and pick up. It’s a large alley way so the buses are able to line up nicely and it keeps students out of the way of the main downtown traffic.

The very first thing you see on their website is their mission statement and photos of the children and their work. There is a link at the top that brings you to the main page for the Minneapolis Public School system . Clocking around some of the sections are vaguely labelled (such as “Be in the Know) and there are several broken image links that don’t display properly. Overall I would say the site is really basic. There are several general information pages which can be helpful, but not much that goes very in depth. It feels a bit like an inexpensive sales page that was created for the school .

I wasn’t able to find any data on the Minnesota school report card but I did search the school on Youtube and the very first result is a news report about the school’s turmoil, which resulted from several instances of misconduct from the administration.

Art and Skin Tones

After reading an article about different activities and experiments that were done to test and familiarize students with different skin tones I was really struck by the use of art to reach these goals.

I read about a series of experiments that were observed in art class, most notably one that involved children selecting photographs of people from different cultures with vastly different skin tones and creating two hand prints. They would create one that was left in a color close to their skin tone and another in a skin tone that was very different from their own.

The result that really struck me was that this lead to students not only noticing and talking about skin color in a very engaged and curious way, it lead to them more frequently using different brown tones that they previously found unattractive. They'd create rainbows with peach, caramel and cocoa colors, and refer to these shades as beautiful, while also discussing how everyone has a slightly different skin tone  - a trait they apparently hadn't otherwise noticed.

I think this is a very very important step when engaging children in conversations about race, because it gets to the very primal, immediate core of a lot of prejudice. The very first indication that someone is from a different ethnic background than yours is the color of their skin, and racial prejudices can run so deep that it happens almost instantly.  For kids to see these different skin tones and think and talk about them in a way that truly engages their interest, they begin to learn about that specific trait without any of the politics or outside beliefs being factored into it. There is no discussion of slavery, or racism, or the 'colorblind' approach where we talk about everyone as if there are no differences. It's a simple exploration of the colors themselves.

The one question I would want to discuss with the author is: "What is the youngest possible age to begin this exploration?" I think since children learn so much of their behavior at developing stages, it would be beneficial if there were a way to introduce this to children at the earliest possible stage.

I would also want to hear from current instructors who breach the subject with their classrooms, and learn not only how they do it, but when. I'm really curious if instructors of a certain age range are finding that students have a relatively low awareness when coming to the classroom, or if they have an opinion about what age these concepts should be introduced.  Race is obviously a factor in the classroom and will effect the way students interact with each other on some level, so I think it would be great to get a real understanding of how those issues are coming to the surface (or not) in different age groups, and different geographical areas and demographics.