Classroom

Contextual Factors


In Mrs. Us 1st grade class at the elementary school there are 23 total students
in the class. Of the 23 students, 13 are males and 10 are females.

Figure 1.1
25

20

15
Girls
Boys
Total

10

0
Girls

Boys

Total

In our class there are 0 English Language Learners. We have 3 students that
go to imagine learning, but are not considered ELL students. We have some students

with different ethnic backgrounds. From the 23 students in our class, 2 are half
Polynesian, 3 are Hispanic and the rest are Caucasian.




Half Polynesian, 2

Hispanic, 3

Caucasian, 18

Figure 1.2

Figure 1.2 shows the ethnicity of the classroom. In the classroom, there are
18 students that are Caucasian, 2 students who come from a part Polynesian
families and 3 students.
Academic Knowledge

The only academic knowledge that was available was attendance. Our class

has very good attendance at school. The students come prepared and ready to learn.
They are true leaders of our classroom and want to do well. There is only 1 student
who has issues with attendance. This students mother has had a baby, and this has
taken this student sometimes out of school for a whole week at a time. Sometimes

this student will show up around 11:30, or sometimes even later. This is something
that is being worked on through communication with the parents.
Exceptionalities and subgroups

At this point in the year students are just beginning testing to be considered a

gifted and talented (GATE) student. There are 2 students currently that are being
tested right now to see if they will be GATE students. We have different groups that
are taken out for different pullouts everyday. A group of 5 students are taken out
three days a week to go to a higher reading level. This group is called the Soar
group and the highest of the class. There are 3 students that are taken out for
reading interventions every morning as well. One student is taken out multiple
times during the day for speech and reading interventions. An individualized
educational plan (IEP) is in the process for this student. Figure 1.3 below shows the
exceptionalities of our classroom.
Figure 1.3

Exceptionalities
Soar Group, 5

No
Exceptionalities ,
14

LLI Interventions,
3

Speech, 1
Borderline GATE,
2

This chart shows the different numbers of students with exceptionalities. (Note: The
Purple groups are students that come from the Blue Soar group that are currently being
tested for GATE).

Although this classroom doesnt have a lot of ELL students or students with
very individualized needs, there is still diversity in our classroom. Each student has
their own background from which I as the teacher needed to show that I was
culturally responsive and meet the needs of all my students. During the lesson I
made sure that all the needs were even the high ones had things to learn and
wouldnt be sitting bored during lessons. There was a lot of material to cover in the
week that I taught, and a lot was learned.
Policies and Procedures

I have loved the policies and procedures that have been put into place by my

mentor teacher. She has been such a great example and has really showed me what
great teaching looks like. We have become dear friends during this process and I
know that I will do things similar to what she is doing because they are great
policies that work. One in particular that works well for her is the chopping
system. She has a green paper where the students start everyday. She mixes with
behavior and academic items to have the students either chop up, or chop down.
Above green are the colors blue, purple and the highest color which is pink. Below
green there is yellow, orange and the lowest color, which is red. This helps the
students take accountability for their actions in the class. Its also a reminder that
good things and bad things can happen during the day, and the students are able to
get back to where they need to be. It is a small visual for them to fix or continue
what they are doing.