Nathan Walters

Professor Terpstra
Internship School Context
October 2, 2016

The context of my classroom is extremely diverse. The year

started off with only 19 students, but due to a count day problem, the
class size grew to 28. It is a second grade classroom with almost all of
the students either 7 or 8 years old. However, there is one student who
repeated first grade last year so he is turning 9 this year. It is about 50
percent ratio of guy to girl. As far as race and ethnicities present in my
classroom the class consists of 65% Hispanic students and 35%
African-American students. My teacher has told me that nearly all the
learners are low to no income families who live in very close proximity
to the school. In my class there are two main languages spoke, Spanish
and English. I am aware of at least 7 students who speak Spanish
fluently along with English. In the classroom I am in everything is
taught in English, however I know of 4 students for sure who only
speak in Spanish at home. My students academic abilities vary across
the board as well. My teacher has noted though that according to
testing this is one of the lowest classes she has ever had. There is only
one student in the class who is at expected grade level reading levels
and even he was only 1 point above where he is supposed to be

according to the state. So overall the whole class is playing catch up as

far as the standards are concerned. My teacher credits this to them
having a really rough first grade behavioral wise and those teachers
not being able to get in everything they have planned. Family support
and structure varies in the class too. Overall my teacher has noted that
the parent support is very good and that they are very involved.
However, I know of four cases for sure that there are divorced parents
and single parent situations going on. In these families there is not a
lot of stability at home. The unit I will be teaching is on fables. It will be
taught in the morning in their literacy and reading section of the day.
The school as a whole is majority Hispanic. It is grade level K-5.
The total student count is 534. Out of these 534 students there are 432
students who are Hispanic, 66 who are African-American, 17 who are
Caucasian, 9 who are of Indian decent, 1 Asian, and 9 who are two or
more races according to the NCES. The average class size based off of
last years statistics is about 19 students to one teacher. It is a very
low-income school with a large breakfast and free lunch program. The
curriculum that they follow is the same as the whole Grand Rapids
Public School system and I know that it is common core.
Most of my students are from the local neighborhood that
surrounds the school. This neighborhood is a very tight nit community
and is very heavily Hispanic. As you walk around almost all the signs
are in English as well as Spanish. There is also a Hispanic Center in the

community that helps aide people with resources and information to be

successful. It is also interesting to note that many times the
neighborhood is busier on weekends than it is on weekdays as many of
the males live and work on farms in surrounding communities during
the week then come home for the weekends.
As far as the neighborhood goes with crime, according to the
Grand Rapids Police Department on their crime map it is a
neighborhood that they visit frequently. In the past week in the
surrounding blocks there has been three calls of assault, there has
been one case of larceny and theft, and there has been two drug and
alcohol violations.

(2016, November 6). Retrieved November 6, 2016, from

http://www.crimemapping.com/map/location/1205 Grandville Ave SW,
Grand Rapids, MI 49503?id=

(n.d.). Retrieved from

http://nces.ed.gov/ccd/districtsearch/district_detail.asp?
Search=2&details=1&DistrictID=2616440&ID2=2616440