Service Learning Reflection for Amy Schoenlaub
7 Hrs.

September 28, 2007

Morning work for this first grade class consists of a math problem, a sentence to be written in their journal and a worksheet if time allows. Students place their homework and parent/teacher communication folders in a designated basket, hang up their backpacks and get started on their morning work. The noise level is surprisingly low. The teacher takes attendance on the computer and the announcements begin. The announcements are given over the television by the principal and selected students. I noticed that the children continued doing their morning work and didn’t pay much attention to the announcements. After announcements the students gather on the carpet for calendar time. The students all had things they wanted to share about something that happened to them, etc. After calendar time each of the first grade teachers starts their reading block.
During reading block all of the first graders are grouped by skill level and split up into different classrooms; so there were many new faces coming in. The teacher I am working with takes the intermediate class. They start the reading block with a really cute song and dance sort of thing called, “I’m Ready to Read.” They reviewed some of the concepts they had learned that week and put up “walls” around their desktop (cardboard), to prepare for the reading and spelling test they were about to have. She allowed me to give them the spelling test and I noticed that some of the ESOL students in the class needed more time for their words. I confirmed that the teacher would allow them extra time at the end. At the end I repeated the words to these students. I found out that this teacher has 4 ESOL students.
After the test the students start literacy centers. The centers covered the “Fab 5” mentioned in RED 3012. She doesn’t do guided reading groups on Fridays as her own center but told me she would do one the following Friday so I could see it in action. A student comes in late during center time and the teacher asks if I would like to give him the reading and spelling test. After carefully looking over the reading test I really think it is a tricky assessment. It was a reading/comprehension test taken from the basal reading program. There were questions that, in my opinion, weren’t trying to determine what a child knew. Instead, it just seemed some of these questions were trying to trick them. Some of the fill in the blank questions look less like comprehension questions and more like a CLOZE activity. The student I was working with did very well on both tests and was very sweet. I went to tell the teacher how well he had done and she informed me that just last week that same little boy got in serious trouble. She said he threatened to bring a knife to school and cut another student. Days later the administration informed her that this boy’s father had been arrested for domestic violence. I think it is so important to always understand that children don’t just come up with these sorts of behaviors on their own.

October 5, 2007

Today I worked in the same classroom as last week and a similar routine took place. During the reading block, however, I was able to see the teacher run her own guided reading group center. Groups of three students would come in and read a story with the teacher, to each other, and then do an activity based on the book. The teacher informed me that all of the supplies she is using for her guided reading activities are provided by Literacy First. I am pretty sure she said that her school uses Title I money to pay for this program. Four teachers share these materials and, so far, she has been the only teacher using them.
Today I also found out, from the teacher, that four of the students in this teacher’s class live in a shelter. She also said, “The parents are yet to be located.” I was confused about this but didn’t want to press her for an answer knowing that it would probably sadden me further. She mentioned, also, that she is writing a grant to get money so that her class can make things for these students to have over the holidays (books, puppets, etc.).
I thought it was really interesting that after seven hours of working with these students only one student had his “card moved” to another color for behavior but that this has been the only behavioral problem I have seen thus far. I also noticed that during transitions from one activity to another the teacher ask questions about rules, models behaviors, and explains what will be happening next. I think this really helps them to understand the expectations clearly. I think it is important to review certain rules as often as possible. These students seem to know what is expected of them at all times and do very well with her strategy.