Community Factors

Wiscasset is a town in and the seat of Lincoln County, Maine. Wiscasset is a thriving

community with unique assets and a fantastic infrastructure for a town its size. Visitors can shop

for anything from antiques to organic food, dine on the waterfront, visit nationally significant

historical places, stay in first-class accommodations, and choose from myriad recreation and

other activities if they come to visit. Living and working in Wiscasset embodies all of what life

along the Maine coast is like. Wiscasset boasts one of the State’s most vibrant working

waterfronts, buzzing with the summertime activities of lobster fishing, sport fishing, and clam

and worm digging (National Geographic proclaimed Wiscasset the “Worm capital of the World.”

in 2004). Both the community and the surrounding area are rich in heritage and home to thriving

arts and artisan communities. Nearby are theaters, white sand beaches, world-renowned shopping

centers, major concert venues, and sports arenas. Wiscasset is home to Red’s Eats restaurant,

considered one of the best places to get fresh Maine lobster rolls.

The town has a mix of suburban-rural living, with many residents owning their own

homes. Many young professionals and retirees live in Wiscasset, and residents tend to lean

conservative. The town's population is approximately 1,318, with a median age of 43. Of this,

51% are males, and 48% are females. US-born citizens comprise 95.9% of the resident pool in

Wiscasset, while non-US-born citizens account for 3.17%. The occupational breakdown for

Wiscasset differs somewhat from that of the County and State. Approximately 29.4% of

Wiscasset residents were employed in management, professional and related occupations

compared to County and State figures (31.7% and 31.5%, respectively). The percentage of

Wiscasset residents employed in sales and office occupations (21.9%) was just about the same as

the County figure (21.7%) but was less than the State figure (25.9%). Wiscasset had a greater
percentage of its residents employed in Construction, extraction, and maintenance (15.9%) than

Lincoln County (12.8%) and Maine 10.3%). White-collar workers make up over half of the

working population in Wiscasset, while blue-collar employees account for a decent chunk. With

Bath Ironworks being a huge employer, you will find many families who work there.

(http://wiscasset.org/departments/planning-and-development/economic-data)

Wiscasset as a town is a low-income area, so many of the students face that issue at home

and in the schools. Roughly 22% of the population falls under the poverty status. This statistic is

higher than the national average of around 13%. The town of Wiscasset does not have a large,

diverse population. (https://datausa.io/profile/geo/wiscasset-me/)

Roughly 98% of the population is made up of white people. Such a low percentage of POC

creates some issues with ignorance and intolerance. This type of behavior can be seen in small

amounts with the students attending Wiscasset middle-high school.

Figure 1 from Data USA. Race of residents in Wiscasset during the year 2020.
School Factors:

The two primary schools within Wiscasset are the Wiscasset Elementary School and

Wiscasset Middle/High school. Both schools are part of Rsu 12 and are open to the public.

Wiscasset Middle-Highschooll has a student population of 574, according to the National Center

for Education Statistics (2021-2022).

With around 27 teachers and one full-time counselor, the student-to-teacher ratio is

relatively low, at roughly 8.98. A low student-to-teacher ratio allows teachers to give students

more individualized instruction. This is critical right now as the academic gaps between students

of the same grade are growing. Having smaller class sizes ensures that each student receives the

support they need. Out of the 5 different blocks we teach, we are fortunate to have our largest

class size at 17 and our smallest at 6. With the small classes, we, as teachers, are also able to

build greater relationships with students. Having been in the school community for several weeks

now, I know the impacts of small class sizes are evident. And this is an incredible asset for a

school community to have during the lingering effects of a global pandemic. A unique aspect of

the school is that it is a combined middle and high school that serves grades 6-12. The school is

separated into two different wings/hallways; one is for middle schoolers, and the other for high

schoolers. There are a few special cases in which the middle schools have a class in the high

school wing. For example, one of our classes is 8th graders, and we are located on the second

floor. Even though this group comes into the high school section, they are still expected to follow

the slightly different rules of middle school. This is a different opportunity for this group because

they get to have early exposure to what high school will be like.

The student population is split relatively evenly between male and female students.

Around 51% of the students are female, and 49% male. In my time at Wiscasset, I have not seen
any issues regarding gender equality. The male and female students get along quite nicely from

what is observed.

Figure B. Gender distribution in the Wiscasset Middle-High school.

Another exciting factor about this school is the small community. Most of these students

have been going to school together since they were in kindergarten. Elementary school teachers

can inform those at the high school level about the incoming group of students. This is a huge

advantage for upper-level teachers because we can know the incoming students' overall attitude.

We are aware if they are a hyperactive group, if they have a tendency to act out, if they are quiet,

and many other core traits.

As mentioned previously, the diversity in Wiscasset is very low. This is also the case

within the elementary school and at the secondary level. According to U.S News, almost 95% of

students in the 2020-2021 academic year were White (U.S News). The lack of racial diversity is

another factor that may affect the learning of students who are underrepresented in school. All

students gain from learning about the subject matter via a number of different perspectives when
the student body is more varied. This school system places a lot of emphasis on providing

inclusive teaching for all pupils. We have seen numerous issues regarding students' sensitivity

towards other races. Wiscasset recently had an issue with a student having highly insensitive and

disturbing content on his designated laptop. The administration at the school had to wipe all of

the anti-everything from said students' laptops. We have this particular student in one of our

classes, and we keep a relatively close eye on him regarding the racist issues he has shown. In

addition, I have heard some highly inappropriate words from a few different students in our

classes. These cases do not occur in our classroom during instruction, but it has been said outside

of our academic period within the closet of our room. It is unsettling to hear our white, male

students use the N-word, period. To my knowledge, it has not been used against or referring to

the few students of color we have in our school. However, I have heard one of our African

American students use it himself. Their sensitivity to and understanding of individuals who are

different from themselves are negatively impacted by the severe lack of diversity young children

are exposed to in Wiscasset. Considering that many of the topics we now teach are on foreign

cultures, it is even more depressing to state this.

 Figure C. Race of students at the Wiscasset Middle-High School in the academic year of
2020-2021.

When looking at economic status, roughly 32% of the students at Wiscasset face

economic disadvantages. Wiscasset has a 51% Free and 8% Reduced Lunch Percentage. The

percentage of Wiscasset Middle High School students on free and reduced lunch assistance

(58.2%) is higher than the state average of 42.5%. This indicates that the area has a higher level

of poverty than the state average). Coming from a low-income home will impact the leaming of

those students. Many opportunities cost money, even if it is something as simple as paying

admission to a school dance. It is obvious that these pupils are at a disadvantage in terms of

academic motivation and peer engagement. The school does provide free breakfast for all

students, regardless if they are part of the free or reduced lunch program. As you are welcomed

into the school during the morning hours, there is a small table or cart filled with different easy

options for students. There is usually an assortment of pastries, bagged items, juice, or water that

are free to take. The school also has a laptop program where every student is assigned a

Macbook for their entire secondary schooling experience. At the end of their senior year, the

student is allowed to purchase that laptop for $50.

Figure D. Number of students that are free or reduced-price lunch eligible at Wiscasset Middle-
High School during the 2020-2021 academic year.

Test scores at the Wiscasset Middle-High School fall below the state average. The school

has an average math proficiency score of 22% and a reading proficiency score of 47%. This

suggests that most students at this school may not perform at grade level. Many of the students in

this school are struggling academically. It can be seen not only in SAT averages but also in the

work given to students in the classroom. We are far behind where we wanted to be in our initial

academic planning for the school year. As a class, playing a large amount of ‘catch up’ was

necessary to meet where students were expected to be.

Figure E from U.S. News. Average SAT proficiency scores in Wiscasset versus the state of
Maine.

Classroom Factors:

The physical environment in a classroom is just as crucial to a student's education as is

the teacher's instructions and lessons. If a classroom is welcoming and comfortable for all

students, they are more likely to engage in instruction. This may be accomplished in a variety of

ways, such as by offering adaptable seating arrangements, suitable lighting, or practical tools in

the classroom, such as subject-related maps and posters. Since our current classroom used to be

an old science room, it is a little different from a traditional social studies classroom. As

mentioned before, we have a large closet in the back of the classroom containing a sink. We also

have another set of sinks towards the back side, and one of those sinks has an eyewash station.

We do have two separate whiteboards in the front of the room and one SmartBoard or equivalent.
The desks in the room hold two students who are set up facing one of the whiteboards. We have

had concerns about the desk arrangement within the room, but we have found it challenging to

find a more appropriate way to arrange how the classroom is set up. Our classroom is a safe and

welcoming place for all our students, even those who are not in our classes. It is very common

for a specific group of boys to come in and spend much of their time in the closet. Recently, one

of these boys took it upon himself to clean out the closet and re-organize it in a way that he liked

and was better for the teachers. We do have an issue with people skipping out on their other

classes and spending that time within this closet. If granted permission from their other teachers

and the special educators within our school, they may spend time doing their work in the closet.

There was an instant in the past when some of the students were actually getting into the ceiling

by knocking down a few of the panels on the roof. We have since resolved this issue, and the

students are no longer getting into the ceiling, which can be disgusting and dangerous. We are

also struggling with a few students taking advantage of our kindness and vaping in the room. We

are currently trying to resolve this issue and work out an appropriate solution.
Strength/Needs Analysis & Student Characteristics:

Sadly, I could not obtain any of the NWEA tests for our eighth graders. Because of this, I have

collected different samples of their work, talked with their teachers regarding where they are, and

given them an interest survey along with a multiple intelligence survey.

Figure F. Multiple intelligence survey data and corresponding graph. This shows the different
learning styles of our 8th-grade students.

The data shows a diverse mix of students with different learning styles. This is wonderful

to know because, as educators, we can now understand and plan lessons that can reach a broader

range of our students. The interest surveys asked a few questions regarding their feelings and

learning styles surrounding education. Many of the students were confused when it came to a

question asking how they learned best. There were numerous answers of “I am not sure” or

“IDK.” However, they did answer what subjects in school were challenging for them and why.

Many of the answers I received discussed how ELA was hard for them because they struggle
with reading and writing. While this survey didn’t provide me with the information I wanted

regarding how they learned, I was able to learn a lot about the students themselves and some of

the issues they face outside of the classroom. The students had enough trust in me to honestly

answer one question about their home lives. This allowed me to see if some students were safe at

home or were having difficulties. I did get a few responses that informed me that home was not

always safe, but their family was trying to get out of this situation. Knowing this information

allows me to interact with these students differently and more constructively in regard to

behavior. Another thing the data shows me is that there is one common factor that the students

share (one score was a 40, but that is still relevant). Kinesthetic would be the one trait that scored

high on every student list, even if it was not everyone's highest score overall. Being a kinesthetic

learner means that children experience learning best through activity. Games, movement, and

hands-on tasks work best for more kinesthetic students.

There is a noticeable difference in where the students are academically. Students 5, 6, 12,

8, 7, 10, and 17 are what is expected of a student at that grade level. They are able to read, write,

and demonstrate their work at grade level. They noticeably have better handwriting and spelling

as well, which is an issue for some other students. Students 2, 4, 11, 13, and 9 struggle with

legible handwriting and spelling. Student 13 is very intelligent; they often participate the most in

class and answer all the questions. We have prominent groups who are more talkative, not only

during lessons but also causing issues with being off-topic and interrupting. These are students 2,

3, 4, 9, 11, and occasionally 13. They need a bit more guidance and redirecting during lessons.

Students 15 and 14 have an issue with not doing the work assigned to them. 14 will often

whisper to their desk partner 6 during the entirety of class. My mentor and I frequently have to

redirect 14’s attention and try to get them on task. It is interesting because even with the
distraction, student 6 is able to produce exceptional work. 15 is one of our quietest students who

prefers to draw during class. They also have an issue with turning in assignments. They have

been given the option to draw something relent to the topics being taught and have that count

towards some of their work. For some reason, they have not taken this as an option and have

chosen to push back. Aside from students 5, 16, 17, 12, 1, and 8, they need more motivation to

reach their potential.

None of the students have been observed having an issue with another student. They all

have a good relationship with one another, some being closer than others. It is refreshing to see

how comfortable they are sharing things about themselves and being silly during class. We allow

for moments where the students are off-topic or goofing off because it creates a more welcoming

and relaxed environment.

Conclusion:

Our classroom has a diverse mix of students. After working with them for nearly a

month, performing an interest survey, and a multiple intelligence survey, it is clear they are all

very different students with varying strengths and needs. It is crucial for educators working with

these students to tailor their instruction for all students. At times it might be challenging, but an

educator should work to accomplish this. Motivation is an issue that many of these students face,

but through flexibility and multiple resources, we, as educators, are working to make learning

something they can enjoy. It is important to remember that these students depend on educators

to keep their morale up and remain diligent throughout all the struggles. This remains possible in

an engaging and inclusive classroom.

Sources:

https://datausa.io/profile/geo/wiscasset-me/#:~:text=In%202020%2C%20Wiscasset%2C%20ME
%20had%20a%20population%20of,grew%20from%20%2428%2C828%20to%20%2455%2C13
1%2C%20a%2091.2%25%20increase.

https://www.wiscassetnewspaper.com/culture

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wiscasset,_Maine

https://core-docs.s3.amazonaws.com/documents/asset/uploaded_file/616/Wiscasset_School_D
epartment/2373638/2022-2023_School_Calendar_Updated_8_17_2022.pdf

https://www.usnews.com/education/k12/maine/wiscasset-middle-high-school-200098

http://wiscasset.org/

https://nces.ed.gov/ccd/schoolsearch/school_detail.asp?Search=1&Miles=10&Zip=04578&ID=2
31398023146