Blog Post #1
Wednesday (9/29) was my first day at my field experience, I am at New Boston in a 4th grade classroom. It was so exciting to meet the kids that I am going to be with for my field experience. On Wednesday I was able to meet with the aid in the classroom and she was able to give me a lot of background information on each of the students. This was very valuable since it would have taken me several weeks or months to gather this kind of information. This week I got to take students to recess and be on duty during that time. It was awesome to see what the kids made of recess because they only had three footballs and they played on the concrete in the parking lot. During recess it is combined with 4th, 5th and 6th grade and it was awesome to see how the kids all played together and had a great time with only three footballs. This was a great experience because I was able to observe all the children in my class and see how they were interacting with other students. After recess I got to line the students up for lunch and dismiss them to the lunch room. Something I immediately noticed when entering the classroom was how they have the students desks set up in each of the classrooms. They have them in "pods" they are in groups of 4 and this allows the students to talk and discuss with their peers (chapter 5 UDL). During the two times I have been able to be in the classroom I notice how the students are usually creating their own learning materials such as flip books and math materials. This allows the student to be creative and design their work for how they will best understand the concepts being taught. Many students get discourage about math because they have had bad experiences in the past (learning barrier), but Mrs. Gosselin makes in very fun and interactive for the students to have a new mindset on math. Mrs. Gosselin has a lot of group discussions with the students and uses lots of manipulatives for the student to better grasp the concepts being taught. You can really tell the students enjoy being in her class and feel that they are in a safe and supportive environment. I am working with a students named Brayden he is a very sweet kid, but struggles with having positive peer interactions. When I was on recess duty I noticed that he mostly spent time walking around by himself. My goal is to have him have several positive peer interactions and to work with his peers during the school day (CEC 7.1). I believe that Brayden could benefit from support on his performances because I believe where he is a shy student that he often doesn't get very much attention and he will seek attention by telling on other students. Another UDL strategy that Brayden would greatly benefit from would be fostering collaboration and communication. If Brayden had to work in groups often in class I believe that he would be able to interacted with his peers and have some positive interactions and during the next opportunity he would repeat the positive interaction (CEC 6.1) . I believe that not just Brayden struggles with having positive peer interactions, there are several other students as well. Brayden would benefit a lot of his was taught how to express his feeling if a student hurts his feeling and how he should react (CEC 6.2) (coping skills and strategies). Next week I am going to start working alongside with Brayden to increase his peer interactions with his "pod" if need be I might try to switch his group to see if that would help him have peers that will interact and support him and that his reaction will be positive towards them.
Hi Gabby! I really enjoyed how I was able to imagine what it would look and feel like during your field experience. I saw various similarities between your observations and mine, although I was placed in a second-grade classroom. Like you, I also took time to interview my cooperating teacher and gain knowledge about the students from their strengths to weaknesses, especially my targeted student for the behavior management project. The desks in my placement classroom were also arranged in "pods" of four, allowing students to interact with each other as much as they could with clear screens around their desks (COVID protocols). In addition, my teacher fosters communication and collaboration by allowing students to engage in small groups during learning centers. Instead of math, I learned that some students have progressed slowly in reading, particularly with fluency and recognizing sight words, because of the recent pandemic and learning these specific skills virtually rather than in-person. However, the teacher made sure to create a safe and positive environment that supports the needs of all learners; I knew that the classroom community was very welcoming from the moment I arrived. Instrumental music was playing as I walked in and students actively completed their morning work with no complaints which set a calming atmosphere for the day. I hope you continue to have enjoyable experiences while at field, and I look forward to hearing about your intervention in helping Brayden become successful!
ReplyDeleteHey Gabby! I am glad I get to experience this field placement with you. There were a few things in your post that I seemed to leave out of my response (desks in pods, math learning barriers, etc.)- I am glad you noticed these as it is something I noted. I recall Dr. Dunham encouraging us to use Kagan strategies, one of which being arranging developmental appropriate seating. For students of this age, being able to socialize is a huge part of their life and development. It's great to see how Mr. Fitzpatrick and Mrs. Gosselin incorporate this into their classroom by the seating arrangements but also by allowing students to socialize, work in groups, etc.
ReplyDeleteAll good stuff!
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