Mollie Metts

EDUC 450

Professor John Knight

September 18th, 2022

Setting and Context

Walking into Thompson Valley High School was a completely different experience for me. From

my perspective, I could tell there was a multitude of values, community, and spirit that this

school represents. Over the last few weeks, I got to explore what it means to be a part of the

Thompson Valley High School community.

School Community

The culture of Thompson Valley is a diverse yet, inclusive community where students try

to better themselves by striving to go above and beyond. In the sense that the school is diverse

and inclusive, there are several activities, programs, and resources for students. Thompson Valley

has a section in their block schedules called ELO (Extended Learning Opportunity). During

ELO, the students have the opportunity to go to other teachers' classrooms to try out clubs or any

other interest that they would like to explore. There are several clubs and interests like FCCLA,

Nerd Zone, Just Dance, Community Service, etc. The students that I have got to interact with or

observe in my classes are extremely passionate about their ELO.

Programs at Thompson Valley High School are fit to meet any student's needs. For

example, there is a class called AVID which all students take from freshman year to help them

build on the skills that they are learning in the classroom. However, this class also allows

students to get ready for college by using techniques to enrich deeper thinking. Other programs

like AP allow students to earn college credit. They also provide Credit Recovery to help students
get back on track if they fall behind and many more. Just like these programs they are also in my

book considered resources for students to use. The students at Thompson Valley High also have

access to a student resource officer, councilors, and other faculty for any advice or help. All of

these programs and activities provide and support students by allowing them to explore their

interests and prepare them for post-secondary work readiness. As well as letting students explore

careers through Family and Consumer Sciences courses and other interests through ELOs.

The parents in this particular high school community are involved. All parents have

access to communication with teachers and staff. The parents seem to be involved in

extracurricular activities. Parents and admin make time to meet with one another to discuss the

student to make sure they are on track to graduate.

Overall the climate of the school is inclusive and diverse. There is a spirit in the students

in the classes that I have visited. And students are very supportive of other activities like sports,

FCCLA, etc. I believe that all of the values and community I have seen have met their mission of

empowering students to learn, challenging them to achieve, and inspiring them to excel. The

school is made up of mostly Caucasian students and the rest of the majority is Hispanic students.

Students and Classroom

During my semester at Thompson Valley High School, I will be working with students

that are interested in Family and Consumer Sciences courses. There are several courses however,

the two I will be helping teach are Teen Choices and Child Development. Their developmental

levels vary depending on the class. In the Teen Choices class, all of the students are freshmen.

While in Child Development, there is a variety between freshmen to seniors. They all have the

same or similar interests by the fact that they chose the class. My mentors are good at gauging
the needs of the students and fitting all modifications or accommodations by making them feel

included in the class by not singling them out. Within each class, the class is majority females

However, there are a few males and non-binary students who are recognized as such. Both of my

mentors, help generate the climate of their classroom pretty well. They both create a safe

environment where students can ask any questions that they are genuinely curious about and are

always prompting students to voice their opinions. The students add to the climate by supporting

their peers by discussing topics that may be hard to talk about. Students also, use each other to

research topics or talk about personal experiences. Also, contributing to the climate each teacher

has a unique yet personalized setup that separates their classroom from other teachers. Each

classroom has dim lighting and certain areas that are decorated with their interests. They both

have class materials and CTSOs visible for students to know what they teach.

In my short time at Thompson Valley High School, I have learned so much about the

school and its students. I learned that because of the climate and culture of TVS that this is one

of the most inclusive and diverse schools. I also, want to say that this school shows me that no

matter where you teach it’s the students, community, and staff that make your experience the

best.