January 29

Classroom Context
Rashad Paige

2014
Dr. B.Hicks EDUC 450

Mellichamp Elementary School is located in Orangeburg, South Carolina. The principal of this Grade A school is Mr. Hayward Jean. During the 2011- 2012 school year Mellichamp received a 31.5 (F) on the federal accountability report card. However, with the hard work of dedicated teachers, students, and administrators, along with the phenomenal instructional leadership support of the district and school board leaders, Mellichamp earned a 94.5 (A) on the federal accountability report during the 2012-2013 school year. Mellichamp recognizes that there is still much more work to be done in order for 100% of the students to reach academic success.

My assigned class for my student teaching at Mellichamp is with Mrs. Kimberly Farmer fifth grade class. Within the classroom, there is a total amount of thirty-three students. Eighty- eight percent of the students are African American, and twelve percent are Hispanic. In Mrs. Farmers class, there are seventeen boys and sixteen girls. Consistently, the class demonstrates behavior that needs to be monitored constantly by both teachers. They are mostly talkative and the class has a select few who need extra accommodations for learning. Overall, they are an intelligent group led by an experienced teacher who has a solid classroom management plan.

Classroom Materials and Resources Data Wall Smartboard/Whiteboard Morning Procedure List Anchor Charts Pencil Sharpener Crayons Pencils Computer Paper Books Computers

Mrs. Farmer has anchor charts posted inside her classroom where all students can see them. The anchor charts enhances students learning by reinforcing previous learned concepts. There are a lot of charts I could of took a picture of, but I chose to focus on the anchor chart which covered the rules on capitalization. I chose to highlight this anchor chart to demonstrate the innovative

way in which my teacher used the rules of capitalization.

This picture depicts the classroom environment, in the picture are students desk, anchor charts, the class Smartboard, the teachers desk, etc... The Smartboard, is used during instruction to display activities, PowerPoints, and other instructional materials for students. Also pictured is the whiteboard that Mrs. Farmer uses to write directions. Above these boards, Mrs. Farmer has Math posters as well as ELA posters above the boards to add to her learning environment.

Mrs. Farmer is a strong advocate for students being accountable for their learning; her bulletin board in the back of the class displays students names and where they rank in the data system. The data is consistent with the results of students benchmark tests. After conferencing with Mrs. Farmer she explained the strategy behind displaying students academic statuses in the classroom. She started using this strategy last year a two months before PASS testing began. She explained that last year students when they found out where their academic performance stood some were upset and some became motivated to do better. The results were that last years fifth

grade class had over eighty percent proficient in ELA. It is her hopes that the same thing happens this year with this group of fifth graders.

This is a picture of one of the word walls located in Mrs. Farmers class. Before starting the lesson the teacher has students participate in a vocabulary activity. The teacher says a definition of a word from the wall and it is the students role to say the word he or she defines. This particular word wall covers words from the Science content.

Displayed on this part of the white board, Mrs. Farmer has a space where she displays the standards that are being taught week by week. She has the standards for Math, Science, Social Studies, and ELA posted. Mrs. Farmer also has the classroom jobs for the week displayed, students are chosen based on behavior from the previous week.

Mrs. Farmer has her classroom has her morning procedures posted on the right corner wall inside her classroom where all students can see them. The procedures let students know protocol to ensure that classroom disruptions and confusion do not happen in the class to begin the day. It describes what to do when entering the classroom, what to have out to be checked by the teacher, what activity to do to start the day, and what to do next.