We can all picture it: Walking to the bus stop with our iPod shuffles (or iPod Touches, if you were really keeping up with the times), blasting some song we heard at the school dance last weekend, where our best friend finally danced with that kid he or she really likes. The Sims games are still popular, there's a DCOM marathon on television later this week, and for once you're actually enjoying your homework readings (let's say The Giver, or The Outsiders). For me, this was sometime between 2009 and 2012, a terribly awkward time that most of us could compare to a personal revival of the Dark Ages. On a less dramatic note, I just described the average morning my friends and I shared on the way to our middle school.
At the beginning of this past week (Monday, 9/17), I walked through the doors of Essex Middle School, humming the tune to a song I had just heard on the radio. The weight of the books in my backpack was a physical reminder of all the reading I still had to do for classes on Tuesday, and I knew I probably wouldn't be able to watch Outlander until the end of the semester (so, no viewing marathon for me). Things had certainly changed since the last time I was in a middle school, but I was excited to be there all the same.
My excitement only grew when I met Mr. J. (a pseudonym, for confidentiality), one of the amazing 7th and 8th grade humanities teachers at EMS. A St. Mike's graduate, he was pumped to have someone from his alma mater observing his classroom. Luckily for me, the entire team of teachers Mr. J works with were excited to meet me, and are hoping to have me in their own classrooms at some point during the next nine weeks of my placement. Currently, Mr. J., along with the science and math teachers on his team, are working with half of the Essex seventh graders, who they will have again next year for eighth grade. Although I have only spent two, three hour days with Mr. J., my findings and experience are nothing but positive thus far.
EMS has an incredible technology program that allows for a 1:1 students to technology ratio, and Mr. J. uses a variety of apps and websites as entrance and exit tickets for his classes. He is also an avid user of Google Classroom, but he is sure to have a balance between online and hard-copy assignments. Along with the great tech program, EMS also encourages students to read actual books, implementing a school-wide silent reading block for 20 minutes after every lunch period. Almost every teacher I saw was reading along with the students, and even I brought a book on my second day of placement. On day one, Mr. J. was eager to show me the school library, which was far larger than most of the school libraries I have seen since studying at St. Mike's. The school itself had about a dozen student made murals on the walls. Everyone was friendly, and Mr. J. was enthusiastic about having me jump right in to working with his students.
While I did get some great experience helping students with different mapping activities this week (they are learning about latitude and longitude), I find my first impressions of the school much more note worthy. Along with the technology and reading initiatives, I found myself most impressed with the school's "Take A Break," or TAB, classroom management system. When a student is in some way disrupting their class, they are asked to "take a break" in the classroom next door, where a designated desk has a worksheet to fill out for reflection on behavior. Once the student completes the worksheet, they return it to their teacher and discuss the motivations of and possible improvements for their behavior in class. I was amazed at how well the TAB program worked for both students and staff, offering students the opportunity to remove themselves from a busy environment and open communication up between student and teacher. Mr. J. is by far one of the best teachers I have shadowed when it comes to classroom management, and I think the TAB system has a lot to do with his great command of the classroom. His students are engaged, respectful, and curious; which are characteristics every teacher strives for in their classes, and I hope to learn more about the aspects of teaching beyond content delivery in the coming weeks. More updates on my placement with Mr. J. at EMS to come, so keep in touch!
At the beginning of this past week (Monday, 9/17), I walked through the doors of Essex Middle School, humming the tune to a song I had just heard on the radio. The weight of the books in my backpack was a physical reminder of all the reading I still had to do for classes on Tuesday, and I knew I probably wouldn't be able to watch Outlander until the end of the semester (so, no viewing marathon for me). Things had certainly changed since the last time I was in a middle school, but I was excited to be there all the same.
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| Source: http://clipartmag.com/images/school-clipart-15.jpg |
My excitement only grew when I met Mr. J. (a pseudonym, for confidentiality), one of the amazing 7th and 8th grade humanities teachers at EMS. A St. Mike's graduate, he was pumped to have someone from his alma mater observing his classroom. Luckily for me, the entire team of teachers Mr. J works with were excited to meet me, and are hoping to have me in their own classrooms at some point during the next nine weeks of my placement. Currently, Mr. J., along with the science and math teachers on his team, are working with half of the Essex seventh graders, who they will have again next year for eighth grade. Although I have only spent two, three hour days with Mr. J., my findings and experience are nothing but positive thus far.
EMS has an incredible technology program that allows for a 1:1 students to technology ratio, and Mr. J. uses a variety of apps and websites as entrance and exit tickets for his classes. He is also an avid user of Google Classroom, but he is sure to have a balance between online and hard-copy assignments. Along with the great tech program, EMS also encourages students to read actual books, implementing a school-wide silent reading block for 20 minutes after every lunch period. Almost every teacher I saw was reading along with the students, and even I brought a book on my second day of placement. On day one, Mr. J. was eager to show me the school library, which was far larger than most of the school libraries I have seen since studying at St. Mike's. The school itself had about a dozen student made murals on the walls. Everyone was friendly, and Mr. J. was enthusiastic about having me jump right in to working with his students.
While I did get some great experience helping students with different mapping activities this week (they are learning about latitude and longitude), I find my first impressions of the school much more note worthy. Along with the technology and reading initiatives, I found myself most impressed with the school's "Take A Break," or TAB, classroom management system. When a student is in some way disrupting their class, they are asked to "take a break" in the classroom next door, where a designated desk has a worksheet to fill out for reflection on behavior. Once the student completes the worksheet, they return it to their teacher and discuss the motivations of and possible improvements for their behavior in class. I was amazed at how well the TAB program worked for both students and staff, offering students the opportunity to remove themselves from a busy environment and open communication up between student and teacher. Mr. J. is by far one of the best teachers I have shadowed when it comes to classroom management, and I think the TAB system has a lot to do with his great command of the classroom. His students are engaged, respectful, and curious; which are characteristics every teacher strives for in their classes, and I hope to learn more about the aspects of teaching beyond content delivery in the coming weeks. More updates on my placement with Mr. J. at EMS to come, so keep in touch!
I am so glad you decided to use this blog to reflect on your placement, and I am thrilled that you are enjoying it so far. I appreciate your observations--if you continue to observe and think in this way, you will learn so much. I also think using this blog for reflection, even when it is not assigned is a great idea.
ReplyDeleteAllie, you are hilarious and I love your writing style. Really easy to read and super well written!
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