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.