On the way to the school, I couldn’t help but notice how much different this neighborhood is compared to what I am used to. All the buildings looked a bit run-down and there weren’t a lot of yards or area for kids to play around. As I was driving down the different streets, I must have hit at least five huge potholes. You could say I was a bit out of my element.
When I arrived at the school, I was very confused as to where to park and where the front door was. There were no signs anywhere and the school kind of sat at a random location between two side streets. At first, I was even contemplating whether or not I was at the right place because to be honest, the building looked nothing like a school. But after finding a place to park, my friend and I got out and started walking around the building to find the front door. This took us about five minutes. The door was at the corner of the building with a little sign next to it with an arrow that said “Main Office”. Not exactly helpful for first time visitors like us.
The first two or three weeks, I was not assigned to a specific classroom. But then I got assigned to a second grade room, and I must say, I really love it. The classroom is a bit cluttered, but not in a bad way. The room is separated into specific areas: the students’ desks, the teacher’s desk and the rug area. The desks for the students are put into groups of four. This works out well because when they do their work, they always ask each other for help, like how to spell something. It is very colorful and as soon as I walked in for the first time, I relaxed a little. There are posters covering almost every space on the walls. Some talk about writing skills, some about math, and some I recognized having to do with different reading skills that we learned about in our class in the beginning of the semester.
The first time I met the teacher, I loved her. She was extremely welcoming and truly excited that I was there. You can tell just by talking to her and watching her teach, that she loves what she does. She always takes the time to go over directions or help a student when they ask. The students are very sweet. Every time when I leave, they always give me a hug and make sure I’m coming back next week.
In the classroom, there is a very good feeling. The students act out once in a while, but the teacher knows how to take control when needed. I can tell the teacher actually values the students and wants them to learn everything they can. Her passion for teaching is very noticeable.
The school, however, has more of an uneasy feeling. Many of the other people I have met, some of the other teachers and the secretaries, don’t have the best attitudes. Just by looking at them or having a small conversation with them, I can just tell they don’t want to be there. But the school does have some good values overall. Like the classroom I am in, they all value the students and the hard work that they do. Students get rewarded for good work and there is some motivation to help them get to that point.
2 comments:
as i was reading your blog i felt kinda the same way that you felt about the attitudes of some of the people that worked there such as the secretaries. i felt like i was in the same boat as you were while walking into the school. also i felt that our classrooms had the same type of atmosphere where they were very welcoming and the children could have fun but also if they act out in the classroom they teacher knew how to handle it right away. i felt that we have the same type of experience's when we were at our different schools.
Hi Sam,
You describe the space beautifully. What does that tell you about what is valued? You mention that the teacher's passion for teaching is noticeable. Follow up with specific examples.
Your enthusiasm is evident. Specific stories will make your enthusiasm contagious!
Keep me posted,
Dr. August
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