RUNNING HEAD: OBSERVING THE CLASSROOM

Service Learning Reflection: Observing the Classroom

Katie Jeffries
Ivy Tech Community College
Education 101

OBSERVING THE CLASSROOM

Standard #1: Learner Development

The teacher understands how learners grow and develop, recognizing that
patterns of learning and development vary individually within and across the
cognitive, linguistic, social, emotional, and physical areas, and designs and
implements developmentally appropriate and challenging learning experiences.

Name of Artifact: Service Learning Reflection

Date: October 2015-November 2015
Course: EDUC 101: Introduction to Education
Brief Description:
This was an onsite Service Learning project in which I observed a first
grade teacher and her students for sixteen hours. This helped me to further my
understanding of the instructional skills and classroom management skills that
are needed to become a teacher. I was also able to reflect upon what I observed
and how I will fit them into my personal educational theory.

Rationale:
To document my understanding of how learners grow and develop, I have
selected to include my service learning project. By participating in 16 hours of
classroom time with an experienced teacher, I was able to recognize how the
patterns of learning and development vary individually. This led to a greater
understanding of the knowledge, skills, and dispositions I will need to employ in
the classroom.

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Service Learning Reflection: Observing the Classroom
This semester in Education 101 we, as aspiring educators, were required to
complete a service learning assignment at the school of our choice. The school I chose
to do my service learning at was, James Russell Lowell or Indianapolis Public School
51, which is located within the Brightwood Community. According to the 2015-2016
Indianapolis School Guide this is a D state-rated school that has approximately 602
students in grades Pre-K through 6. The school is made up of a somewhat diverse
minority culture of students; 97% of the school identifies as Black or Hispanic.
(Indianapolis Public School Guide, 2015-2016) I was placed with a first -grade teacher
named Ms. Renzi, who has been an educator within Indiana for 25 years. (Renzi, 2015).
Upon entering this first grade hallway, I was unsure of what to expect of the classroom,
teacher, and students. As I entered Ms. Renzis classroom, there was a great energy
about the atmosphere. I was greeted with smiles from the students who were excited
just to see a new face and by Ms. Renzi, who promptly gave me instructions for the day.
I was given the opportunity to work with a small groups of students on their reading
skills. I started with a group of students that were kind of struggling to keep up with their
class, but not quite remedial readers and the second group I worked with were the
average readers. From this I could assess some of the reading abilities within this age
group and this classroom in particular. The more I worked with these children one on
one and observed them in the classroom and at play, the more I realized how much
they all were effected and influenced by their environment and the diversity around
them.

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Though this classroom was made up of only Hispanic and Black children, I
believe that the culture was prevalent and differences were embraced amongst all
students and teachers alike. Ms. Renzi and her classroom promotes a multicultural
education environment (Teaching for the Uniqueness of Diversity: James Banks' Model,
2004). I also found, that the way the students communicated and the language that
they used, to be diverse. I think the largest element of diversity that affected these
children and their general accomplishments were their socioeconomic status. Most of
these children come from families living in impoverished neighborhoods that have very
little access to healthy foods. 91% of this entire school receives free or reduced lunch
because of this. It also offers a food bank to their students and families in need. I
learned that children cannot focus on school and reading if they are hungry. This was
made all too real to me the morning a little boy began crying because he was late for
school and didnt get to eat breakfast before class. The boy tried to do his work and wait
for lunch, but at this point he was so hungry that he was in pain. I could see the concern
for this child on Ms. Renzis face, without a second thought, she handed him a banana
from her own lunch and the child was more than pleased. It seemed that the children
who had parents that were able to be involved with their education did better in the
classroom as well.
In my observations of this classroom I found a lot of things that I will accept,
refine, and reject into my own strategy of teaching. What I accepted the most was this
teachers style of teaching. Ms. Renzi did a fantastic job of implementing multiple
intelligences or different ways of learning into instruction time and into the students free
time within the class room. (Garner, 1999) I will refine this with my own theories for
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education which align more with social constructivism. (Cohen, 1999) I also loved the
set-up of the classroom and how it was centered on group work. There were many
ideas to accept and refine, with that being said, there were also a few observations that
I made that I would reject all together. One of ideas that I would reject that I observed
was some of her ways of disciplining the students. I observed a sort of gender shaming
like threatening boys that they would have to wear pink as a form of discipline and I
didnt agree with that at all. I would add more choices to gender based activities e.g. if
they were using a template to create a picture of themselves; I would add templates of
girls with short hair and pants and boys with long hair and kilts. These are just based on
some of my experiences in my 6 weeks of observation. I almost fully accept and/or
refine everything else I gained in this experience. It was an amazing feeling when you
could actually get through to a student and help them to better understand and in a way
that best fits their learning style.
After this experience I feel confident in moving forward in my education degree. I
was happy to be placed within the public school system because I think I would like to
work with students in urban areas. I feel as if I have the personality and most
importantly, the heart to be within this field. I think that I am capable of learning the
techniques that are needed to teach general education. I also decided that I would like
to get a job working as a tutor or teachers aide sometime in the near future because I
found that I really enjoyed working one on one with students. One of my weaknesses
that I have found thus far was that I took the stress of working with students home with
me at night. One day in particular I was unable to sleep until I notified Ms. Renzi of what
a student had said to me and offering to do anything I could to help this student. I felt
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like once this student had shared with me what she did I needed to help her. An area I
would like to grow in, is my communication skills or should I say lack thereof. I feel like I
lack the skills to communicate what I need to students and even other adults in the most
effective manner. Once I was finished with my hours I didnt want to quit going back. I
had started to bond with a few of the students. It was almost as if it was over before it
ever began and that I was just starting to learn things. I felt inspired by Ms. Renzi and
her strengths as a teacher and the compassion that she showed to her students. I am
extremely grateful to have had this opportunity this semester.

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References:
Cohen, L. (1999). PHILOSOPHICAL PERSPECTIVES IN EDUCATION. Retrieved
December 13, 2015, from http://oregonstate.edu/instruct/ed416/PP3.html
Education and Leadership. (June, 2011). Retrieved December 14, 2015, from http://edlead.blogspot.com/2011/06/elements-of-diversity_21.html
Gardner, H. (1999.). Howard Gardners Theory of Multiple Intelligences. Retrieved
December 14, 2015, from
http://www.niu.edu/facdev/resources/guide/learning/howard_gardner_theory_mult
iple_intelligences.pdf
Indianapolis School Guide 2015-2016. (2015). Retrieved December 16, 2015, from
http://www.greatschools.org/catalog/pdf/Indianapolis_School_Guide_English_060
815.pdf
Renzi, M. (2015, October 1). Teacher Interview [Personal interview].
Teaching for the Uniqueness of Diversity: James Banks' Model. (2004.). Retrieved
December 14, 2015, from
http://sitemaker.umich.edu/356.berman/james_banks__model