RFE 3: Fuller

This semester I'm interning in Fuller Elementary, a magnet school just outside of downtown Raleigh. The first day I walked through the halls I was put at ease by how friendly everyone was, and I was glad to be greeted with smiles and waves on my way to the class. The school itself is a welcoming place with student projects plastering the colorful walls. It definitely fits its role as a superior place of learning, and the community sets itself up for success each day. During the morning announcements you'll usually hear the principal reminding the students of the "Fuller Four": be responsible, respectful, safe, and productive. All the students are aware of these admonitions, and it shows! It's a safe and unique place of learning.

It's interesting to see how the classroom community plays out in my school because my teacher is really responsible for two classrooms of students each day. My teacher handles math and science while the teacher next door is in charge of language arts and social studies. However, my teacher does refer to the students he has at the start of the day as his "homeroom." I think this is the biggest evidence of classroom community I saw. His homeroom is a very diverse group of learners. He has students at every achievement level, students from many racial and ethnic backgrounds, and students that could be set apart from the others in a different setting. Everyone seems very at ease though, and it's heartwarming to see how he has the same open attitude towards all of his students. I really enjoyed watching my teacher lead his homeroom through a Time Kids magazine. They ended up discussing Barack Obama's recent inauguration, and the conversation the students had was great to listen in on. The students discussed how racial issues have changed since Martin Luther King's time, and it really seemed like they weren't afraid to talk openly about the issue of race. From an observer's perspective I would say the students felt comfortable enough with each other to talk about the issue of race which could have been taboo in a class this diverse. My teacher seems to build repoire with his students by being genuinely interested in what goes on in their lives. He knows the names of some students' siblings, and he even knows his students' favorite sports teams! It was funny to see him joke with a young boy after a big rivalry basketball game. He is very down to earth with his students, and this results in a comfortable and respectful classroom. I would say this is an important aspect of his interactions with the students that aren't from his homeroom that come to him for math and science instruction. I would have thought it would be hard to build a community with a classroom that's in constant flux, but his friendly and respectful attitude results in a classroom that is always under control. Other little things he does that I took note of include greeting his students at the door each morning and getting the kids excited about sports during recess. I noticed that some teachers are very distant during recess, but my teacher stands by and watched the boys play football. He even stepped in as quarterback when they asked. That extra bit of effort seems like an important part of his teaching style. His students look up to him in the classroom, but they know he is a friendly person they can be real with as well.

The most unique thing about Fuller is the fact that students aren't tied down to their homeroom. They switch classes, go on fieldtrips, and every day they have the opportunity to visit an elective they choose. Each student isn't just a member of their classroom community, they're a part of the school community as a whole. Many teachers and faculty members know different students by name, and this results in a great learning community! I would love to work at a school that gives elective opportunities and that utilizes block schedules. I'm very impressed with the way Fuller works.

I really like what Nichole said about her school because I grew up in a school with a small community and I know that I made many long lasting friendships with not only my classmates, but also with my teachers and administrators. In her paper she mentioned that the classes are her school are smaller based and she can see the community being built everyday! Even thought I agree with her I don't think that the only way to have a good and close community is through small classes or schools, even though I do think it helps to have a smaller class. This goes along with college classes because many times when you are in a lecture hall typically you don't form a close relationship with your teacher like you do when you are in a class of about thirty students or so!

Response to Kat

I am also at Fuller with Kat and I like the school and feel like it has a good sense of school community, however all the switching of classes is not really to my liking either. I think the concept of a magnet school is very interesting and will benefit many of the students at Fuller. However, when I become a teacher I want to have my own classroom with my same students most of the day. I feel like at Fuller you are teaching so many different children it is hard to become well connected with your home room class. While my classroom does have a sense of community, I think if my SBTE had more time with her home room class there would be a higher level of classroom and school community. I am really glad that my partner school is Fuller Elementary this semester because it is an entirely new experience for me. However, I do not know if this would be the right school environment for me to teach in.

Classroom Community- Aversboro Elem.

This semester, I am an observing fifth grade faculty and their classrooms at Aversboro Elementary School. My SBTE, Mr. Berwanger is a fifth grade student teacher; however he only teaches the student math. The other two teachers he coincides with during the semester is the language arts teacher, Mrs. Sposato and the science and social studies teacher Mr. Mauro. Seeing that in this school the fifth grade students switch classes, there is a great sense of classroom community. All of the student’s know each other and are comfortable when it comes time to working together. In the afternoon, the students mingle within the other classes, for team time. During this time they practice language arts but even then I can tell that the students are very interactive with each other. The students are so engaged with the different topics and are on the tips of their chairs wanting to know.

Before seeing Aversboro for myself, I heard a lot of negative characteristics about the school. When I first walked into the hall way, I said to myself “These walls were beautiful and there was no way that they had ever been here.” Everywhere I looked the wall was a different color. The students meet us to the door and were gentleman and knew how to say please and thank you. At Aversboro, the faculty constantly reminds the students how to act while in public and what good little boys act or how ladies sit in a seat. As you walk down the halls or to the front office, everyone greets you with a smile and hello. Even though it’s a stranger their warm smile makes you feel as if you have known them forever. I haven’t had too many encounters thus far with the principal, but from what I have seen of him he seems to be very nice. On the other hand, even though he is the principal I he would be a little more outgoing when it comes to meeting people who are constantly in his classroom.

In all of the classes the students are readily participating and always wanting to share their ideas. I think this shows that the teachers have created a sense of classroom community seeing that everyone is comfortable enough to say and answer to the questions even though it made be wrong. I can remember being in elementary school and wanting to raise my hand and say they answer to specific questions but I was too scared. If my teachers would have created a more comfortable environment then maybe I would’ve gone to them to let them know exactly how I was feeling. Aversboro tries to instill in the students that they should always help each other and be respectful of their peers.

In the morning, Mr. Berwanger greets every child and talks to them and sees how their morning is going. He asks them if they need anything if they have eaten their breakfast. At this school they really try to take care of the students and make sure they have what they need before going home. The students really love that attention seeing that some don’t get the attention they need on a regular basis.

RFE#3- Nicole Stewart

I am currently completing my internship this semester at Underwood Elementary in Ms. Gartz’s fourth grade classroom. Located off of Glenwood Avenue in Raleigh, Underwood Elementary is a Gifted and Talented Magnet school. Underwood Elementary offers its students, of all grades, integrated learning activities including dance, drama, music, French, Spanish, Technology, journalism and others. Ms. Gartz’s class is small and it complied of twenty-two students. Underwood Elementary has a moderately small population as a whole, with approximately five hundred students attending. I feel that having small classroom population, and a small school enrollment, helps to make the sense of community to be more easily built.

Underwood Elementary recognizes that character is an important part of a person. From kindergarten to fifth grade, students enrolled are made aware of the importance of good character traits and their practice. The students are taught to do what is expected, and are made aware that everyone from the principal to teachers, faculty, and staff, expects nothing less than the best from everyone at all times. Students at Underwood Elementary know that their attitude contributes and affects the classroom and school communities. Whether a student is walking down the hall, quietly, with a hall pass, or eating their lunch maturely in the cafeteria, they clearly demonstrate their knowledge of what is expected of them.

By having the students participate in the electives, with grades third through fifth being intertwined, a stronger sense of community is further established. Students are able to form relationships with one another, despite being in different grades. Ms. Gartz is in charge of the Unicorn Times, which is the Underwood Elementary School newspaper. The school mascot is the Unicorn, and can be seen throughout the school. It is common to see at least one student daily wearing the Underwood Elementary t-shirt that has the mascot on it. The students also have folders to keep their work in that has the school logo and unicorn mascot on the front cover. The television also hosts ‘Unicorn’ announcements throughout the day. The mascot is very important to the students, and is a great way for the school as a whole to embrace the sense of community. The announcements vary from the lunch menu to birthday and late buses to schedule changes. The school further creates a community by assigning faculty to greet every student as they enter the school each morning. I have also watched the principle also walks around throughout the day and greets each student she encounters personally.

The sense of a community is further spread upon entering Ms. Gartz’s classroom. As each student enters her classroom in the morning, Ms Gartz greets the child by name. The students then place their backpack and other belongings in their cubby and begin their daily routine. The students then go to their desk and complete morning work. The school bell rings and the students stand behind their desk and say the Pledge with Ms. Gartz then do stretches, deep breathing and share any interesting news with the class. Ms. Gartz told my partner and I that she read studies and reports on how deep breathing helps children to transition from home life to their school career, as well as help oxygen get to the brain to make students feel more relaxed and adapt to learning subjects being presented to them. Throughout the day, Ms. Gartz has her students to work together in groups, and pairs students who typically do not work with one another together. When I observed her class on Tuesday, she publicly told her students that she wanted them to be sure to work with someone new when they played their math game to better their classroom community.

The benefits that are encompassed when the sense of community is established, extends from a teacher and her classroom to the school as a whole and the surrounding community, itself. Classroom communities help students to improve academic and social skills that will impact them throughout their life. As a future teacher, I am expected to teach students so that the can learn and it is my responsibility to create a classroom community that invites students to learn and feel nurtured.

RFE #3

This semester, my partnership school is Fuller Elementary. Fuller is magnet school and this is a concept I am not use to. The school is set in an area of downtown Raleigh that I would not put a school of such high integrity and ability. The individuals who make up the school are vastly different as well; differences include socio economic statuses, race, and culture. After coming from Briarcliff Elementary, I immediately received a culture shock. Some students drive from over an hour away just to attend the school. School community is shown through and through despite the differences. All are cordial to one another and try to help each other wherever they can. There is also a motto that the school exemplifies that supports school community, the Fuller Four: respect, responsibility, productivity, and safety. Whenever there is guest in the school, the students impress them with modeling these behaviors. It seems that Fuller not only wants student’s character to grow, but also their confidence and academic abilities. The walls are beaming with students artwork and classroom work. Most pieces are complimented frequently on and they are beautiful. It is great to see that a school backs their students as well as Fuller does. The entire staff and faculty support learning and a community environment as well by have welcoming smiles on their faces and are able to always lend a helping hand. The principal models all behaviors as well. He gives the morning announcements every morning and encourages students to give their all and to be kind.

This semester I am in a fifth grade classroom. It is much different from the Kindergarten class I observed last semester. My teacher Ms. Tucker is one who is on top of all her students and plays an active role in students learning. She is a teacher who truly cares for her students and also encourages them further to do their best. Managing her classroom is a breeze because she has set up the proper expectations long ago. Her students are polite and respectful. Her classroom is not set up to my liking, but it works for her and the students. She teaches math and science, and is the only certified AG teacher in the fifth grade. She is able to give work that fits all learning levels and makes differentiating seem easy than it is. The students always seem to be calm and organize and I think that this is largely due to her classroom management skills. She greets everyone with a hello and a how are you today when they enter the classroom. She has a schedule posted and if they are any changes within the day she has that visible as well.

At Fuller, there is a lot of switching classes within the fifth grade too much for my liking. I find it hard to keep up with kids and if they are absent of not. Some of the children even travel to Ligon Middle School to take level appropriate math classes. The two fifth grade math teachers are constantly trying to modify their teaching to make math more fun and enjoyable in order to keep motivation high and promote engagement. They have weekly meeting to discuss blue diamond testing and what they can do or say to the students to score better. Overall, I think that there is an incredible sense of school and classroom community at Fuller Elementary School. I am glad to be a part of such a strong school .Hopefully, I can use some of the ideas I have gathered in my own Elementary school.