Wednesday February 22, 2012 (2.5hrs)
This was my first day of observations at Von Steuben Middle School in Peoria with Mr. Del Pozo. I will be observing classes comprised of 5th -8th grade students with English proficiency levels ranging from beginner to intermediate. Mr. Del Pozo's classes are comprised of two grade levels and last for 2 regular periods; 5th and 6th grade are combined and 7th and 8th grade are combined. All students are from a Latino background and most speak Spanish at home. The students are mostly from low-income and/or single-parent households.
The ESL classes use two different programs: Compass Learning and Scholastic Read 180. Both programs emphasize a classroom based on rotating stations which exposes students to a variety of learning styles and techniques. They have whole classroom work/discussions (20 minutes), small group rotations (60 minutes; 20 minute intervals) - small group instruction, instructional software, and independent reading- and whole class wrap-up (10 minutes). This instructional method gives students multiple opportunities to engage in learning.
Since today was a half-day for the students (due to ISAT preparation meetings for teachers), I did not have a chance to observe much of the classroom dynamic, student-teacher interaction, or actual teaching methodology.
Friday February 24, 2012 (5.5hrs)
This was my first full day at Von Steuben. I used today to continue my general observations and get a better feel for the school and individual classroom dynamics. My day began with 3rd and 4th hours which consist of the 5th and 6th grade students. The students in all grades are working on a short story unit and are finishing the story, Louisa, Please Come Home by Shirley Jackson. This short story is a part of the Read 180 program and works to incorporate small group activities and instructional software. Mr. Del Pozo asked the students to turn in their study guides at the beginning of class and take out a piece of paper to begin their "test" on the unit. Instead of quizzing the students, Mr. Del Pozo assigned each student to create 10 multiple choice test questions about the story and be prepared to trade "tests" on Monday. After explaining the assignment, and reviewing the different types of questions, students where then allowed to go to their appropriate stations for rotation #2. Students were working in small groups to come up with questions and answers, working on the computer learning modules, and independently reading. Class ended with a small wrap-up and review.
For the most part, students were required to speak in English, however, there was still a lot of student talk in Spanish. I think that this might also be encouraged by the fact that Mr. Del Pozo is a native Spanish speaker from Spain. He can communicate with the students and understand student requests/questions in Spanish, so students are not forced to speak English. When they talk to me, English language use is at around 75-85% because I am not fluent in Spanish/have a very limited vocabulary.
This same format/lesson was used in the 7th and 8th grade class during 5th and 7th hour (6th hour is lunch) and the second 5th and 6th grade class during 8th and 9th hour.
This Friday, there was an assembly to honor Black History Month during 9th hour. It was really interesting to see the the entire school dynamic. It is a fairly small school, with mostly minority students. There aren't many teachers, so it is obvious that they all know each other and work closely with one another. The assembly included an African American speaker and a powerpoint about important African Americans in history. At the end, Principal Simmons handed out prizes from students who had been pulled from the Viking Vouchers drawing. Viking Vouchers are given to students who are displaying good behavior.
During 3rd and 4th hour, Mr. Del Pozo had been called down to the office to help translate for a student who needed to register for classes but spoke very little to no English. I had already been working one-on-one with students and leading some small group instruction, so he asked me to watch the class and make sure that they stayed on class/rotated when appropriate. I was working individually with a student, Mario*, to create questions in English about the short story. Mario has a very low proficiency rate; he is one of the students who is struggling the most in English language acquisition. Another student who was working on the computers with the instructional software had raised his hand and asked for help. I told Mario to complete the question we had been working on and I would be right back to check his progress. I then proceeded to help the student on the computer, but noticed that Mario was not completing his work like instructed. When prompted to get back to work, Mario muttered something in Spanish under his breath. The only audible word was "puta" which I know is a very vulgar word in Spanish. Mario did not think that I could understand what he was saying (since he was talking in Spanish) and was quite shocked when I stopped class and sent him down to the principal's for his inappropriate language/disrespect for me as an authority figure in the class. I then proceeded to tell the class that inappropriate language in English or Spanish would not be tolerated, and, although I am not a native speaker, I do know some Spanish.
I feel as though my observations today taught me a lot about classroom management and gaining the respect of my (future) students. It is very intimidating walking into a classroom where every student fluently speaks another language. It is almost like I am the 'outsider' and the one at a disadvantage. Although the students are learning in English, they are mostly communicating to each other in Spanish which leaves me out of the loop. It is very difficult to find my place in the classroom as well, because I am not sure whether or not to take an active role yet or to continue with my passive observations. Today was definitely an experience!
*Students' names have been changed for privacy.
