Field Experience Portfolio

Thomas Jefferson Elementary School – 2nd Grade Classroom

Washington Township High

Olivia Barnes School Mr. Loiacono
 Table of Contents

Philosophy of Education…………………..…………..…. Pgs. 1-2

Field Experience Profiles…………………..………….…. Pgs. 3-4

Interview with Cooperating Teacher…………..……..…. Pgs. 5-8

Letter Home………………………………………..…..……… Pg. 9

Rules & Procedures……………………………………...… Pgs. 10

Lesson Plan…………………………………….....…..... Pgs. 11-14

Self-Reflection of Lesson Plan……………......………. Pgs. 15-16

Formal Cooperating Teacher Observation………..…. Pgs. 17-19

Visual Display……………………………………..……..…. Pgs. 20

Field Experience Reflection…………………...……..... Pgs. 21-22

High/Low…………………………………..……..……….. Pg. 23-24

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 My Philosophy of Education

My philosophy of education is that teachers must be open to giving their

students a chance to explore their own learning style. Students will not be able

to truly learn if they are not allowed to differentiate from the traditional ways

lessons have been taught. It is my responsibility, as a teacher, to make sure I

am hitting on every student’s learning style. I will make sure to switch things up

often and make my lessons fun in order to keep the children engaged.

Something I value as a teacher is the importance of social-emotional learning.

Major factors of education include managing one’s emotions, the ability to set

and achieve positive goals, expressing empathy for others, and maintaining

positive relationships. I think that an individual’s mental health is a top priority

and as children grows, social-emotional learning will help them adapt and

handle situations occuring in the real world.

A teaching environment must be ideal for both the teacher and the

students to thrive. My ideal teaching environment includes flexible seating, use

of bright colors, and a large variety of supplies. I think seating plays an important

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role in educating a child. I will make sure that every student has a clear view of

the board and that the desks are arranged in a way that supports teamwork and

socialization. By making everything in my classroom colorful, such as posters

and decorations, children will feel welcomed and ready to learn. A large variety

of artistic and school supplies will give my students plenty of options to express

themselves and promote their individuality. I hope this reinforcement of one’s

individuality will help improve the children’s social lives inside and outside of

school.

To conclude, I believe that stressing the importance of children’s

individuality in learning styles and creativity is immensely important for engaged

learning and participation in a classroom. With mental health being a top priority

in life, I believe that my classroom should reflect this importance. By giving my

students a chance to explore their emotions at such a young age, I hope to give

them the tools to utilize these skills in their future.

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 Field Experience Profiles

Classroom
Number of Students: 20

Age: 7/8 years old

Grade/Type of Classroom: 2nd Grade/General Education

Number of Students with Language Diversity:

Gender: 7 boys/13 girls

Special Needs: BSI Reading

Learning Levels:

Climate of the Classroom: The overall climate of Mr.

Loiacono’s classroom can be described as safe, welcoming,
respectful, and supportive. Mr. L makes sure to cater his
teachings to each individual student to ensure that they feel
comfortable and have a positive outlook. His classroom is filled
with posters and pictures that make his students feel embraced

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as soon as they walk in the room each morning. The classroom
is exceptionally light and open.

School
Academic Levels: K-5

Language Diversity: English – 99.8%

Other – 0.2%

School Enrollment Number: 569

Ethnic/Racial Diversity: White – 72.4% Asian – 4.9%

Hispanic – 7.4% Black – 10.9%

2 or More Races – 4.4%

Special Needs Population: 22.3%

Socioeconomic Status: 28.3% Economically Disadvantaged

Language Arts & Mathematics Standardized Test Trends: ELA =

Below State Av. 43.4% Math = Met State Av. 46.6%

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 Interview with Cooperating Teacher
INTRO

Mr. Loiacono is a second-grade general education teacher at Thomas Jefferson

Elementary School. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Rutgers University. He has
taught elementary school students for 14 years. Mr. Loiacono spent two years teaching fifth
grade in Woodlynne Public School, three years teaching fourth grade at Whitman
Elementary School, and he is entering his ninth year at Thomas Jefferson Elementary
School. Mr. Loiacono hopes that his students will achieve a higher level of responsibility,
respectfulness, and understanding before they leave him at the end of the year.

Q&A

What grading procedures do you use?

We use district grading procedures. Kindergarten through second receive B-

beginning, D-developing, and S-secure. They are based off assessments and
benchmarks.

Are there any English Language Learners in the class?

Not in my classroom

Are there any students who have special needs I should be aware of?

I have BSI students. They receive extra help from other teachers who come into my
classroom as well as others who leave for reading club for supplemental reading
help.

What are some ways you differentiate instruction?

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 Mostly differentiate by placing kids in small groups and work on needs of kids based
on their group. Kids are at different reading levels in each group and are working on
different math computations in each group. Most kids have similar academic needs
in each group.

Will you please explain your philosophy concerning classroom discipline? What behaviors
do you discourage and encourage?

I go over my rules in beginning of year. My biggest rule is being respectful towards

each other. These kids are still learning correct social behavior in school. I am loud
and big, so I do not have too many behavior problems in class. Majority of incidents
happen on playground/ lunchtime when there is less structure. Usually a kid will stay
in my room during next recess to talk about what happened and see if we can
discuss another way to handle the incident. What I discourage most is making fun of
each other. Kids are young and do not always understand empathy towards another
person. Again, that is something that I try to teach in class, but it must also be
practiced at home.

How do you maintain active communications with parents?

I talk to my parents via Remind every day. They get a recap of our day and any
events coming up. I also speak with them through email and call them on the
telephone.

What techniques do you use to motivate students?

We have movie days, pizza day, slime party, pj day as some activities they can earn
throughout a marking period. Everyday motivation is extra recess time at end of the
day.

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What are the special challenges of teaching this grade level?

Keeping kids focused and on task. Keeping them interested in the material and trying
to help them understand why school is important. Also, having parental support at
home.

How would you describe your school’s culture/climate?

It is an incredibly happy school with male and female teachers who care deeply
about their students. Kids often come back to visit many of their old teachers after
they leave TJ.

How important are standardized test scores in your school?

N/A for me in second grade. We do not have standardized test in this grade. I do
know it has important for upper grades, which is why I left 5th. Never got into
teaching to teach kids how to take a test.

Do you have an afternoon routine after the students leave to go home or is it different every
day?

Sort of routine. Send parents a Remind, grade papers, check email, get ready for
next day by reviewing next lessons for each subject.

How would you make a boring topic fun for the students to learn?

That is a hard question because some of the material is boring for second graders.
For example, branches of government. Best way is I look on internet and talk to
colleagues about any material I can find on subject to make it fun. Often, I create a
game on Kahoot.

How does the setup of your classroom purposefully benefit the students?

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 I try to make everything accessible for the kids. I try to change seating when
possible, but certain students cannot sit next to each other because they will talk.

Do you ever have to stay after school to give a student extra help or instruction?

I have for my 5th graders, but not for 2nd grade.

What is your favorite part of being a teacher?

Hands down the kids. They become an important part of your life. Watching kids
grow academically and socially from beginning to end of year is amazing. Watching
their confidence grow and learn that making mistakes are okay is something
amazing to witness. When I see that, I know I was able to reach my students.

ANALYSIS

A few things that stood out to me was that I realized that Mr. Loiacono also loves
being a teacher mostly because of the students. It was great to hear Mr. L say exactly what
I was thinking, because my main reason is also to impact my future students. I also found
his philosophy of education incredibly interesting. He emphasizes respect in the classroom
and ensures that no one makes fun of another student, because he realizes at such a
young age, they might not understand the concept of empathy for others. I have seen him
firsthand talk to students to uphold his philosophy, and make sure his students are always
happy and safe with him. I found it also important that he keeps in constant contact with the
parents of every child. The fact that he sends a Remind out every day about what they did
that day and reminders about future events shows his dedication to making sure there is
communication with not only his students, but with their caregivers as well.

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 Letter Home
Dear Parents,

Hello! I am your child’s teacher for the upcoming school year! I am looking forward to
getting to know your child and help them have a successful year. My name is Olivia
Barnes and I am a graduate of Washington Township High School. I am looking to
study at Rider University for the next four years, majoring in Elementary Education
and Multidisciplinary Studies. I plan on getting my certification in ESL (English Second
Language) and Special Education. I chose education because I am passionate about
advancing young minds and I care deeply about the next generation. An interesting
hobby of mine is that I have a black belt in mixed martial arts. It has taught me
determination and discipline, two important qualities I hope to bestow upon my
students. I put great effort into my classroom management. All students are to feel
safe and welcome as soon as they step into the room. I make sure to let my students
know that they can talk to me about anything, and I encourage them to do so. It is
important to me that they are happy and comfortable during the year that I have them.
My goals for this year include focusing on the importance of reading and the
imagination, beginning mathematic skills, and connecting the lessons in classroom to
our outside world. Please contact me if you have any questions or concerns and let
me know if there is anything that I should know about your child. I am extremely
excited to get to know them this year!

Sincerely,

Ms. Barnes
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 Rules & Procedures
A positive classroom environment is obtained by ensuring appropriate
behavior. A set of rules is important to have to ensure the students’
investment. Below is a list of ten classroom rules that I would set for my
future students in order to obtain the best learning environment.

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 Lesson Plan
Olivia Barnes Math (Subtraction)

20 students Date/time of lesson

Learning Targets:

o Retain information from the previous day and apply it to new material
o Set up subtraction problems with complex numbers
o Understand and use the borrowing method

Materials Needed:

- Math Bins (Math books, white boards, erasers, markers)

- Pencils
- Erasers
- Projector
- Dry Erase Markers
- Number Charts

Teaching/Instructional Practice

Anticipatory Set:

I will start off with introducing the topic for the day. I will put a few math problems
on the board and call up a few students to solve them. These problems will
reflect what they learned yesterday. After they solve the problems first at their

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desk, and then at the board, I will ask the students who came up to explain what
they did to solve the problem.

Process:

1. Introduction- Ask them to take out their tools, sharpen pencils, and wait for
directions.
2. Begin by asking them questions pertaining to the material learned the day
before. For example: “If I were to give you two numbers, 100 and 50 for
instance, which number would you start with in your subtraction problem?”
3. After reviewing the previous lesson, connect it to the new information. For
example: “Yesterday we started off with numbers that ended in 0 or 5.
Today we are going to start using other numbers, making it a bit more
difficult.”
4. Ask one of the students to read the information at the top of the page.
Then I will explain in simpler terms what we will do.
5. On the board with the projection of their math book, solve and explain the
first problem step by step. Make sure they are all following along and
writing it in their own books.
6. Do the same with the next two problems. Solve problems that are quite
different from each other, so they know how to do a variety of subtraction
problems.
7. Next, take a moment and make sure every student is on the same page.
Encourage them to raise their hands and ask questions.

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8. After ensuring everyone is up to date in their books, give them three
problems to start with. Each problem will be a little bit different in format
then the other in order to see if they understand the different methods.
9. As a transition, tell them they can turn to a partner and check their
answers. This will only be allowed after they have both finished.
10. After everyone is done, go over the problems and ask if anyone got
different answers. If they got a different answer, first personally check on
the answer key to ensure it is right, and then look to see the difference in
their answer to see where they went wrong.
11. Next, test to see if they can solve a few problems on their own on
their personal whiteboards.
12. Tell them to take out their white boards, markers, and erasers.
13. Write out one problem at a time on the main white board and have
them solve it on their own. Have them hold their boards up as soon as
they are done.
14. Looking around at their boards, tell them to put it down if they are
correct or come to them and help fix their math if they got it wrong. This
gives time to help the individual students who may be struggling.
15. After doing this with two more problems, have a general idea of who
needs help and who does not. Make sure to note who needs a little extra
help for the next day.
16. Conclusion- Ask if they had a harder time with the previous lesson
or the recent lesson. Have them all stand up and stretch and move around

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 a bit, so their hands do not get cramped up. Then have them put all of
their math bins away and to clear their desk.

Closing: Ask them what method of subtraction they used. Also, what differs from
the recent lesson from the previous lesson. Then have them clean up and get
ready for the next lesson and subject.

Assessment:

Formative: Their assessment will be in the format of writing subtraction problems

on their white boards. I will check them by having them hold the boards up, and I
will walk around. This will let me know if they met my learning targets set for the
day.

Summative: At the end of the unit I will have them take a test. This test will show
me their overall retainage of the unit and allow me to evaluate what they
learned. If most of the students have trouble on this test, I will go back and
explain things differently and hopefully clear up any confusion.

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 Self-Reflection of Lesson Plan
1. What went well in the lesson? Explain.
I believe that my lesson would have went smoothly. The students really
liked when I would read to them and teach them because it was different
then their norm. I think they would have been excited if I were to teach
them a full lesson and I would have found it interesting to see their
responses.

2. As I reflect on the lesson, to what extent were the students productively

engaged in the work? How do I know?
I would hope most of the students would have tried to pay full attention to
my lesson. I would think they would because they all listened to me when I
read the Lorax to them.

3. Preparation and research – Was I well prepared? What could I have done
differently?
I think I would have been well prepared because it is important to have
everything set up before teaching a lesson. It relieves the stress of trying
to set up while explaining the activity.

4. How was your pacing/timing?

I usually plan too much and must take out a few things while teaching
because I take longer explaining things then what I usually expect. I just
have to figure out what is essential to my lesson and what I can exclude
from it.

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5. Assessment – Does my method of assessment measure what I want?
How did the class do? What should I change for next time?
I would hope that my method of assessment would have measured their
retainment of the lesson. I think that having them solve the three problems
on their white boards and holding them up for me to see would allow me
to know which students understood it and which need extra direction. Next
time, I might have them work in partners for the first two questions, and
then have them work individually for the last one. I think the collaboration
will help them stay more connected with the lesson and get them all to
participate.

6. Did you meet all your objectives? How do you know?

I believe I would have met all my objectives because I would make sure
not to move on before every single student looks like they were
comfortable with the material. I would encourage asking me as many
questions as they seem fit.

7. If anything, what would you do differently? Explain.

I would make sure to plan transition activities to ensure that the students
are occupied and doing something at all times. This would have consisted
of either independent reading or working on homework they may have that
is due the next day.

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 Formal Cooperative Teacher Observation
I wrote a few notes on the first day of student teaching with Mr.
Loiacono and his class. Since it was the first day, I did not know any of the
kids’ names. I associated something with them to help me reference them
in my notes and remember them. For instance, this one boy, which I now
know is named Joseph, talked to me about his love for sharks and snakes. I
jokingly called him Shark Boy in my notes and eventually when I learned his
name, it helped me remember it. One of the first things I noted about their
classroom was how welcoming it was. The students were not harshly or
unrightfully disciplined and it felt like a free and open space. This girl named
Nina would repeatedly tell Mr. L that she loved him, and I thought that was
the sweetest thing ever. Every single student had respect for him. When he
had to speak up every once in a while about their behavior, they would
automatically listen.

One of the lessons that stuck out to me was when he had to teach
them about the government. With a more complex topic like this I thought
that Mr. Loiacono handled it very well. He acknowledged that the kids
would be exhausted since their social studies was at the end of the day. He
told me before he started that he wanted to make this lesson as painless as
possible, but it was hard to make it fun because of the topic. Young kids do
not tend to need to know about the government, so he knew they were not
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going to pay full attention. The vocabulary associated with the lesson was
also intense and the words were big and harder to pronounce, such as
judicial. He sounded out every word that he knew would be harder to
verbalize and he used repetition as a technique to help them remember the
terms. He had a PowerPoint up on the board and instead of reading it all
himself, he split it up into sections and called on the kids to read it. They get
excited to participate and read so it helped them stay involved in the lesson.
They were all sitting comfortable on the rug, instead of having to sit at their
desk. Before letting them leave to go back up their belongings, he had
every child answer a question. These questions would consist of things
such as “What is the name of someone who runs our country?”. The
student would have to answer, “the president”. If they got it wrong, he
corrected them and eventually came back to them and gave them a
different question. The students got the hang of it and it was obvious they
learned what they were supposed to at the end of the lesson.

On the full day observation, I was able to observe other subjects. I

also got to see their transitions between different rooms, such as the
cafeteria. When walking to another room, Mr. L had them answer math
problems at every corner. If the student guessed wrong, he would have
them go to the back of the line and eventually they would get another
problem to figure out. These problems were usually addition and
subtraction equations with one number missing from them. For example,
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one would say 6+_=11, and the student would have to say 5. Two boys I
was walking with, Bradley and Yousef, kept pushing me to answer one, so I
caved, and Mr. L gave me one. I got it right thank god and I made the two
boys laugh. Mr. Loiacono made simple things like walking in the hallway fun
and educational. This is an activity that I would find myself using when I
become a teacher.

Every lesson he taught he catered it to his individual students to

ensure that they were able to comprehend the material. He knows the
different levels at which each child is at and he makes sure he can get them
all in a place where they are comfortable. Students he knows have a harder
time with certain subjects, he told me to help them and walk through the
problems a little bit more. On the other hand, he knew which students were
advanced. He would catch a few of the kids tricking me into helping them,
even though they knew exactly what to do. I had no idea where each kid
was at so I tried to help them all as best I could. As soon as Mr. L called
this one girl out about playing me, she smiled knowingly. I found this very
funny and it shows how important it is to know the students and their
academic abilities.

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 Visual Display

Visuals in the classroom

help create a positive
learning environment. This
visual is displayed on the
main classroom door located
outside of the room. I helped
my cooperating teacher
decorate their door in
celebration of the scholastic
book fair. The theme for
their hallway was Star Wars.
I drew and cut out the picture of Baby Yoda reading a book. I
helped put up the black paper and I decorated the background
with stars. The children loved it, especially since Baby Yoda has
become popular lately.

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 Field Experience Reflection
Student teaching at Thomas Jefferson Elementary with Mr. L and his 2 nd grade class
has been one of the best experiences I have ever had. Walking into this without knowing
much about assisting second grades frightened me, but as soon as my first day way over I
knew I was exactly where I was supposed to be. I was welcomed with open arms and I felt
like a part of their family. I was able to learn so much about each individual student and I
became their friend and mentor. At 1:30 every day I would walk in and be greeted by 20
enthusiastic students and many warm hugs. Not only did this perspective give me a chance
to learn what is it like educating eight and nine-year olds, I learned what it was like to be
able to impact the children’s lives in the short time I was there. It gave me a chance to
improve my social skills along with how I talk to younger kids.

Mr. Loiacono made it easy to fall in line with their daily schedule and without his
support I am sure my experience would not have gone as perfectly as it did. He provided
me with a class list so I could learn their names and his phone number so I could contact
him with any questions I may have had. He also gave me important information about
specific students, so I knew what to pay attention to and look out for. Coming in half-way
through the school year, they all knew each other very well. Mr. L wanted to make sure I
was able to assimilate into their classroom and their schedule. I was not expecting such
amazing support and comfort from my cooperating teacher and the class. I had known him
previously because he was my fifth-grade teacher when I attended Thomas Jefferson
Elementary School, so I did know how amazing already was. His teaching styles and
techniques still stick out to me seven years later. That is why, when I had to choose a
classroom to observe, I thought of him immediately, and I was not disappointed.

There is not much I would change about my experience. One of my main grievances
was that my time was cut short, because all schools were closed due to the coronavirus.

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With such an unexpected turn, I was not able to say goodbye to my students or realize that
my last day may be my last day seeing them. I would have done things differently that day if
I knew that previously. I plan on making a video for Mr. L to send to them, so they know I
am still thinking about them during a time like this. I also plan on giving them my email so
they can contact me if they so please. I do hope I get a chance to see them one more time,
all I can do is hope.

These children have left a lasting impact on my life and I know that I will never forget
them or this amazing experience. Certain things they have said and done have been etched
in my brain. I think about these memories when I am not feeling my best and they always
put a smile on my face. Not only did I make memories during their school day, I also stayed
after when Mr. Loiacono had mindfulness club and I got to participate with different
students. I thought this club was amazing because it gave a few hand selected kids a place
where they can learn how to express their emotions healthily. Mr. L and another elementary
teacher taught them ways to cope with their anger and stress. They made it fun for the kids
and had them do crafts and activities to help build their social skills. I would use these
techniques in my future classroom because I saw how helpful they were.

Overall, I would not have traded this experience for anything in the world and it
enforced my passion to become a teacher. It gave me so many things to look forward too
and it helped me begin my process into becoming the best educator I can be. I hope I will
be able to impact future students the way Mr. Loiacono impacts his students every year. I
want to be able to give children a place where they can feel loved and supported. It’s
important to have an outlet where they can express their true selves and feel comforted by
others. Mr. L’s class showed me that this can exist for both students and teachers and it
gives me hope for the future to come.

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 High/Low
Best experience- The best experience I had student teaching at Thomas Jefferson was
when I was able to do the full day field experience. This opportunity gave me a real insight
into what a normal day in a second-grade classroom would feel like. It gave me the chance
to really get to know the kids and how they act throughout the day. Students act differently
in the morning versus the afternoon, so I got to see that discrepancy. They were so excited
that I was going to spend the whole day with them. I had to keep moving around because
they all wanted to spend time with me, whether that be by reading to me or talking to me
about their interests. This especially happened at lunch, which I spent with them in the
cafeteria. They were split into four tables, so I had to make a system, staying at each table
for five minutes each. I left my bag at the first table I sat at when I moved to the second
table because I did not want to have to keep carrying with me. While I was sitting at the
second table I was this boy, Bradley, run up to the table were my bag was and grabbed it
and ran off. He took it so I would have to sit with him, and his table and I called to him to
come back and give it to me. I could not help but crack up, but I was nervous because I did
not want to disturb the lunch staff and get them in trouble. Eventually I got the bag back and
told Bradley to wait a few minutes for me to sit with them. After those few minutes of talking
to the girls at the table, I moved to the boys table and sat down next to Joseph. Yousef was
across from me, and I started to eat the pepperoni I ate for lunch. Then Yousef and I were
talking, and he told me he was allergic to pepperoni! I quickly ate it and put hand sanitizer
on. I laughed and asked him how he ate pizza because his father owns a few pizza places.
He told me his mom gets a special kind and I thought that was the cutest thing. When they
had recess, I pushed Yousef, a girl named Davin, and another girl named Joseline on the
swings. They were so happy, seeing them laugh and smile so much made my day. That day
was one of the most fun experiences I have ever had.

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Worst experience- The worst experience I had student teaching at Thomas Jefferson was
when I was observing one of their specials, and the teacher was very strict with the children.
This teacher talked down to them and had them do exactly what she said, making them act
somewhat like robots. I could tell the teacher did not have enough respect for them and it
hurt me to see them being treated this way. She gave them no second chances, used a
very harsh tone directed towards them, and was very unforgiving when it came to things
such as talking. This teacher made them sit up straight, fold their hands, and not move.
While I understand the intension behind this, I feel like there are better ways to handle
situations like these. I do not see why they did not allow the students to make their own
decisions. The teacher denied them rights such as using the bathroom or getting a drink,
which is a bit extreme. They did not know any of the names of the children and called them
things such as “twin” or by their last name depending on the child. I found this pretty rude
and I think that if I were having a hard time remembering names of my students, I would
have them make name tags. Also, this teacher drilled these two boys about their home life,
and it made me, and I am sure the students, very uncomfortable. She did this multiple
times, which I found very unprofessional. She even talked down to me and made me feel
like I was a child. Although this was a negative experience, I learned a lot from it. I realized
all the qualities that I do not want to possess as a teacher. I plan on being forgiving,
understanding, respectful, and open with my future students.

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