Reflection Three: Brandy Meyer

This semester, I am spending my classroom hours in Ms. Gartz’s fourth grade classroom at Underwood Elementary school. Underwood is an academically gifted magnet school, located in the Five Points area of Raleigh. With only about 450 students currently enrolled, Underwood is a relatively small school. This has helped them in building a sense of school community. Within the school walls, students are treated equally across grade level. They are given the same behavioral expectations and presented with the same moral code which encourages students to respect each other and the school. With these common expectations, students move around the school knowing how the act as part of the school’s community. For instance, when all of the school’s children switch classes to go to their elective courses, the students know to walk on the right side of the hallway quietly while keeping their hands to themselves. They simply know what how to act in order to make the community function smoothly and efficiently. They know how to work together.
Another way in which Underwood encourages community is by providing common symbols for the students and common means of group communication. Among the symbols the students associate with are the school mascots, the Unicorn and super-heroes. Throughout the halls are posters representing these symbols. The school tee-shirts have these images on them. By providing students with these common images, students have something as a group to identify with. They are not only kindergarteners or fifth graders. Students know that they are all the Unicorns and that learning is super important. The daily media communication helps to further support this idea of the school as one community. Each morning, teachers turn their T.V.’s on to channel three where the video announcements begin to play. Special daily news is presented, the lunch menu is reviewed, birthdays are celebrated, and classroom achievements are honored. All students are given this opportunity to be informed, regardless of age or diverse needs. Each student is included in the community’s meeting and thus made to feel like a crucial member of the school society.
Underwood further builds community by encouraging parent partnerships. Several times a year, the school sponsors family activities, such as the Unicorn Trot, a sponsored two and a half hour walk around the schools track in order to raise money for school improvement. Underwood also asks parents to volunteer, eat lunch with their children, and share their unique knowledge with the classes. By promoting parent involvement, Underwood helps to bridge the school and home communities for its students. This not only helps students to feel comfortable and safe while at school, but it helps students to relate what is learned to home life and community. This extends the school community off of school grounds and into surrounding neighborhoods and cities. Underwood works to support a continually growing school connection.
Within this school wide community, Ms. Gartz has worked to build a community for her own twenty-two students. Much like the school, she encourages her parents to participate by sharing their cultures with the class, volunteering, and chaperoning on field trips. This widens her classroom scope drastically. Within her class, she builds community in several ways. First, she starts each day by greeting each student with a smile and a personal welcome as he or she comes through the door. This helps her to set a positive tone for the day. After giving the students time to adjust to the room, she conducts a morning meeting with the students in which they go over the days schedule, share what is new in their lives, stretch, and greet each other in other languages or silly voices. Immediately after, the students go to elective. This morning meeting is thus crucial in order to connect the students to one another and the classroom before they part ways. During the remainder of the day, Ms. Gartz builds community by encouraging group work and discussion, sitting her students at groups of desks, providing her students with equally high expectations, and treating her students with respect. These activities have helped Ms. Gartz to build a cohesive classroom made of teammates, as opposed to a class made of individual students. The students want to help each other, want to learn from each other. This increases the effectiveness of instructional time.
Overall, Ms. Gartz and the rest of Underwood have succeeded in their goal of building school and classroom community. By simply walking down the school’s halls, you can tell the students are connected and ready to learn. I plan to take what I have seen at Underwood and incorporate it as I one day try to build my own classroom community. To build community is to grow your learners.

Chelby Pittman- RFE #3

At Underwood Elementary, the office staff is very friendly and inviting. Every time we come in the receptionist always makes sure to tell us "Good morning" and asks, "How are you?". She also does this with students and parents. The other faculty and staff members are also very nice and always greet me with a smile. I think Underwood Elementary has done a good job of making visitors feel welcomed, which creates a positive atmosphere and community because it makes everyone feel comfortable. The staff has also been very helpful and informative when I have had questions, and the librarian has even made sure we know that the library is open to us for whatever we need. I feel that all the teachers and staff at Underwood are very friendly towards one another. I believe this is why Underwood seems to have a close community where every faculty member is included and respected. I also think having electives has helped in creating a school-wide community. The students get to choose the electives they want to take. Each teacher must teach one elective and this gives the students a chance to know other teachers at the school. It also gives the teachers a chance to develop relationships with students in other grades. These are the ways that I have seen evidence of a strong school community. 

My SBTE acknowledges almost all of her students as they come into the classroom in the morning. This lets each student know she cares about them by recognizing their presence. She also gives students an opportunity to make any announcements they have in the morning. This gives the students a chance to be involved in the classroom. My SBTE always takes the time to make sure her students are okay and if one has seemed to have a rough morning, she takes the time to talk to them or comfort them. I remember one time when a girl hadn't gotten any binders for the school year yet, and it was obviously already after Christmas. My SBTE bought some binders for her and sat on the floor and organized them with her. I believe my SBTE is very good at making her students know she cares, which definitely builds classroom community. The students also help each other out when they get stuck on questions. I think this shows great community because they rely on another. There are also classroom jobs that students get each week. The jobs get them actively involved in the classroom community. I think my SBTE has done a good job of creating a classroom community with her students. 

Underwood Elementary and my SBTE have created a positive atmosphere where students and visitors feel welcomed. I think is important for the community because everyone wants to work together. I know personally, as a visitor, I have appreciated their welcoming and willingness to help. 

Hannah Hedgecock - RFE 3

Underwood Elementary and its faculty and staff work hard to create a sense of community. Students at this school feel like they are welcome and an integral part of making the school a success. Since Underwood is a magnet school, students are given options of which electives they want to take. I feel like this creates a sense of community because students feel like they have a say in what they learn. If students are allowed to pursue their own interests, they will be more devoted to their learning. Everyone at Underwood also seems to be very welcoming and friendly. The office staff has spoken to me each time I have entered the building. This is different from the partnership school where I was placed last semester. I feel like I am appreciated at Underwood, and I feel like the students must feel the same way. I have noticed that the student council at Underwood is very active. At many elementary schools, the student council does not really do anything to help. I have seen several projects put on by the student council in my short time at Underwood Elementary. They headed up a project where you could buy valentines for your friend, and the money raised went to a charity organization. The student council makes efforts to truly represent the rest of the student body, and they try to include the student body as a whole in their projects. The student council members also function as tour guides for visiting families. These students are given an opportunity to represent their school. I have never seen this done at an elementary school, but I feel like it makes the students feel that they really matter. They feel needed to make the school run smoothly. The principal is also very approachable and supportive. She requested that each of us come talk to her personally. I feel that this creates a sense of community because I know that she is busy, but she is taking the time out of her day to talk to future teachers. The school creates a warm environment with the lively colors that are displayed. Student artwork is also displayed throughout the halls. This shows students that their work is important and appreciated. Students feel a sense of pride to see their work displayed for others to see.
I also feel that there is a sense of community within the classroom that I observe, but I feel like my SBTE uses unconventional methods for establishing classroom community. It is suggested in most textbooks that teachers stand at the door of the classroom to greet students as they enter the room. My teacher does not do this, and he even told me that he feels like that is silly. He creates a sense of classroom community through individualized and small group instruction. Through this type of instruction, he is able to work closely with students and cater to their individual learning needs. I feel that this enables my SBTE to monitor what his students know and do not know. I would guess that there are probably very few students who are lost in the class without the SBTE knowing it. Students are often paired up for their morning work. Each student reads about a different topic, and they share what they have learned with each other. The SBTE then calls students to the front of the room to share what they learned with from their partner. I think this creates a sense of community because the partner knows that what they shared was listened to and valued.
Overall, I feel that my classroom and Underwood as a whole have made sufficient efforts to establish classroom community. Students are made to feel welcome and that they are part of the group. This group functions much like a family in that each person has responsibilities and a role to play.

Tori- RFE 3

I am in a 5th grade class at my partnership school, Aversboro Elementary. I think my teacher, Mrs. Sposato has a created a great classroom community in her classroom. In the mornings, I see the children come up to her desk and ask her questions because they feel comfortable talking to her and they trust her. They don’t just ask school related questions, they also ask personal questions about their home life or advice with friends and family. Also, there is a list of rules on the wall that Mrs. Sposato and her class created together. This way the students were able to participate in making the rules that they have to follow and were able to give their input. Mrs. Sposato’s class changes classes with two other 5th grade classes for different subjects. Because of this, Mrs. Sposato’s class, Mr. Berwanger’s class, and Mr. Mauro’s class all have their own little community. The teachers know all the students and the students feel comfortable with all three teachers. At the end of the day, they also have an hour block where students go to one of the three teachers classroom whose subject they need extra help in. So the students have other students in their classroom that aren’t normally there. They are very welcoming to other students and the other students always feel comfortable in another classroom. I have seen a great sense of community between the classmates. They are always willing to help their peers around them who are struggling with their work. The students respect their teachers and classmates and they receive respect in return. The classroom is an environment where everyone feels safe and trusting and this builds their classroom community.
Aversboro also has a good sense of school community. I am only at Aversboro once per week, but everytime I am there the principal comes into one of the classrooms I am in to observe the teacher. I think this is a great practice because the students become more familiar and comfortable with the principal and the teachers do as well. By making himself available to students and teachers, the principal is creating great school community. Also, every morning the school has announcements that provide the school with reminders of upcoming events, the lunch menu, and the Pledge of Allegiance. By having this morning ritual and doing the Pledge of Allegiance together I think that shows school community. All of the teachers are very polite and respectful to one another and I think this shows a lot about their school and their strong sense of community as well.

Maggie K - RFE #3

My partnership school, Underwood, seems to have created a strong sense of community among its faculty and students. The first thing I noticed with relation to the feeling of community was how warm and welcoming the office staff is. The front desk receptionist seems to know, or at least recognize, all of the staff or students that enter the office and continues to greet them with a helping attitude. As we go to Underwood more often she also seems to recognize us better. She asks us how things are going or tells us to have a good weekend as we leave for the day. I have had the privilege to meet lots of the staff members at Underwood and they seem to really enjoy each other and respect one another. On our first day at the school Ms Walker introduced me to the librarian and she was very welcoming to us and told us we were welcome to use any of the resources in the library. I feel Underwood creates this sense of community because they help one another and are conversing with one another. Some schools can isolate regular classroom teachers from office staff or from special area teachers. Underwood keeps all of the staff “in the loop” with what each department is going through or accomplishing. An example of this was one day the principal came on the intercom to inform all staff and students that the school had received an award of excellence from the magnet program. Throughout the day staff was talking about this and congratulating the Magnet Program Coordinator for all of her work. This example exemplifies how the staff stays in communication and works together to create their sense of community.

Underwood as a whole has accomplished this sense of community and my partnership classroom has done so as well. Ms Walker has a very unusual relationship with her students because she is able to balance a friendship feeling with an authority role very gracefully. Ms Walker knows what is going on with her students not only academically but socially as well. There have numerous examples of this thus far in the semester but the one that sticks out to me was regarding a little girl in the classroom. She walked into the classroom one day with tears streaming down her face. Ms Walker took her aside and spoke with her and found out she was upset about Kiss-O-Grams, which she was in charge of collecting. She was upset because the staff member who was supposed to supply them with the Kiss-O-Grams had not given them to her so she had not sold any. Ms Walker took the time out of her lunch time, which is 20 minutes, to find the Kiss-O-Grams and give them to the little girl. I feel this contributes to the community of the classroom because by doing little things like taking time out of her schedule to help her students she shows she cares. With small acts of kindness Ms Walker does not have to “overdo” the friendship-ness and she can focus on being the teacher or authoritator during instructional time.

Underwood as a whole and Ms Walker’s class have both accomplished the sense of community most schools and teachers long for. I feel a strong sense of community is best reached by working together and have relationships with all students or staff. Most outsiders can feel if a school or classroom has a sense of community upon arrival. Since Underwood is a magnet school and prospective parents are always wondering through the hallways, this sense must always be present and so far I have witnessed it day in and day out throughout the school and in my classroom.

Reflection #3

In my classroom, there are several things that create a sense of classroom community. The class and the teacher came up with “beliefs” together. They brainstormed several and the teacher wrote them on the board. They then did something called a “consensogram” where the teacher gives each person three sticky notes. Each student then goes to the board and places each sticky note on a different belief and they choose their top three choices. After all of the students finished doing this, the teacher found the top six beliefs that were chosen and those made up the classroom beliefs. They included: listen to the speaker, strive for peaceful solutions, treat others like you would like to be treated, respect the way others think, follow the fuller 4 (respectful, safe, responsible, productive), and be kind to all and smile.
Another way that a classroom community is created is the teacher gives the students a time at the beginning of the day to share announcements. During this time the students may share what they did during the weekend or yesterday afternoon, or what they are looking forward to, etc. It gives the other students a chance to get to know their classmates better. In my classroom, there are also job duties posted and students get to rotate having a duty such as line leader, recycler, errand runner, etc.
My teacher also does something called “Mystery Motivator” where she targets a behavior that the students are struggling with such as talking too much and has a contest between the student and the teacher. If the students get 80% then they receive a mystery motivator prize of their choice.
The school that I am at also creates a sense of community by having “Fuller Family Night” where the school serves dinner to the parents and then the children go and do activities while the parents go to informational sessions that the teachers present. The school also has Fun Friday where the students are rewarded for having good behavior all week. Lastly, the school has the “SAY” program. This is where NCSU sends mentors to do activities with the children from needy backgrounds.

Reflection #3

Classroom community is well developed within Mrs. Jenness’ classroom; however, community within the actual school is not as obvious. Mrs. Jenness does extremely well with holding her class to a “community standard”. She has a sense of control over her classroom which does not seem to be a hard control but more of a respect standard. Each student within this classroom will take, up to a certain point of course, responsibility for their fellow students. Amongst the school, however, there is less of a community setting. One reason could be the school is a brand new building and the grades are still getting adjusted to the change of setting.

Mrs. Jenness’ classroom involves all of her students. She makes points to include in child in every conversation and discussion. She has rules on her wall that the students developed and agreed to at the beginning of the year. She says the children don’t have any problems going by these rules and she likes to refer to them as classroom standards that their classmates will remind other classmates of. Respect is obvious and well defined amongst these children. They know how to approach Mrs. Jenness and how not to approach Mrs. Jenness. Yes ma’am and no ma’am are commonly heard of a day to day basis. Classroom achievement is displayed on the walls. The latest achievement talk is the Ice Cream Sunday each child gets to build on after mastering a multiplication number fact. The students in this classroom are extremely well behaved and do a good job of learning what works in this classroom setting and what does not work. Mrs. Jenness is also very caring and considerate towards her students. She displays every piece of artwork any student in that classroom has ever made her that year. She shares stories of praise when good praise of students is to be shared. These kids are so happy and pleased with the classroom and classmates they have, their favorite reward is “Pick a Friend and Have Lunch with Mrs. Jenness”!

The school community however is a different story. The principal, although well liked by the teachers, rarely shows his face in the classroom. The children of each class keep to themselves more than anything else. The only school wide activity I have seen since attending this school, is a box top competition between each classroom. One good thing about the morning announcements is each week and different classroom gets to pick five students to do announcements each day of the week, so at least the students get to hear different students’ voices.