CLAFLIN UNIVERSITY

Knowing the Classroom

Stefon Bowman
Mrs.Saxon 2/7/2013

EDUC 421: Teaching Language Arts to Children

Knowing the Classroom

My field experience this semester is at Brookdale Elementary School located in Orangeburg, South Carolina. Brookdale Elementary has about three hundred forty-eight students and is made up predominantly of African Americans. Walking into Mr. Burgesss fifth grade classroom, I instantly saw things that I would like my future classroom to possess. The classroom was set up for the upcoming PASS test, yet the room was not cluttered and allowed ample space for interaction during learning. Mr. Burgesss class consists of twenty-eight students. The students in the class are all African American and they are more boys than girls (18 boys, 10 girls). In Mr. Burgesss classroom, he has most of his materials, equipment and resources that he needs in the back of the class and along the far side of the class. All his materials for the classroom like paper, markers, large paper stocks for writing, poster boards, crayons, scissors and other materials are all in his closet that is in the back of the classroom. The important materials like administrative papers, curriculum papers and other resources of that nature are all on or in his desk. I believe that his separation of key materials and materials students will need is important and smart. I say this because with his important documents and materials on his desk he does not have to worry about misplacing or losing them since students are not permitted to touch anything or around his desk. Students desks in Mr. Burgesss classroom have cubbies so that students can place materials in when they are not using them during class. These materials include extra paper, pencils, pens, notebooks for each subject, homework folders, and different textbooks for each subject. This is standard among most elementary classrooms. Like all classrooms at Brookdale Elementary School, there is a clock and a television set in the front of the classroom.

The seating in Mr. Burgesss classroom before the preparation for the PASS testing was implemented is similar to how I would like my classroom to be set up. Most classrooms now have at least thirty students and that number is appealing if you have your students grouped together as they were in Mr. Burgesss classroom. The students were in clusters of three to five. The teachers desk is located in the very back of the classroom. In the back of the class, storage and two extra tables (used during group projects) are utilized. This seating arrangement enhances the amount of student teaching that can happen within your classroom. With students teaching their classmates, it is known to increase learning. I like this seating arrangement because it makes the classroom centered on the students instead of the teacher. It gives students more independency and allows them to work together. The seating arrangement that Mr. Burgess has set in his class now is effective in preparing the students to be more independent while during their work. In some ways, it is a simulation of what will go on when the students actually have to take the PASS test later in the year. In Orangeburg School District Five, all schools have the same disciplinary rules and procedures (found on District website under Code of Conduct). In addition to these district wide rules and procedures, teachers have their own disciplinary actions. Mr. Burgess has his own set of rules but he does not have many disciplinary problems with his students. Occasionally he has to calm the students down for being talkative but the students normally stay on task. Within the classroom, students in Mr. Burgesss class have somewhat freedom to getting up but they do not abuse this privilege. You can see that the students respect him and want to act in a satisfactory way.

This is the Word Wall in Mr. Burgesss class. These are words that they have discussed and learned throughout the year. Mr. Burgess has made it easier for the kids to find these words by putting them in alphabetical order.

These are two bookshelves located in Mr. Burgesss classroom. The smaller one is full of books for the students to read during their assigned reading times and their free time throughout the class. The larger bookcase consists of different books and workbooks that help Mr. Burgess teach Language Arts, Social Studies, Math, and Science to his students.

This is the current seating arrangement in Mr. Burgess s classroom. As stated, this arrangement is to help the students prepare for PASS testing. Mr. Burgess has his students mock tests in this manner by having them use scantrons, take tests on the computers, or even by timing them.

Mr. Burgess has displayed this ELA standard chart in the front of his classroom. He also has a chart for each subject.