FieldBlog 1 Beachwood Middle School

Beachwood Middle School

Language Arts and Math Classrooms

When I walked in, I immediately saw the schedule on the board and that the desks were arranged in rows. As the students filed into the room they all picked seats but it looked like they were able to sit wherever they wanted as long as they were able to pay attention to the class. The teacher walked in and let the students calm down and finish their train of thought before bringing the class to session by asking a question about the story they had read yesterday. The teacher gave us a copy of the War of the Wall and Hearts of Hands so that we could understand the points the students were making. They had been asked yesterday to pick five people that they would put on their own wall. The teacher made a point to ask several of them who they chose and why. This helped the students feel that their choices were important. 

The teacher transitioned into talking about the story Hearts of Hands and the vocabulary they needed to know from the book. Instead of writing the answers she had one of the students who had had more trouble with the homework do it in order to make sure that she had the right answers and she has other students give the answers they though were correct and why in order for the class to understand why the answer was what it was. I could tell that as a teacher she really understood the importance of student involvement and student participation in a classroom and for students to learn. For each vocabulary word they had, besides the definition, the teacher gave a funny short story the students could reference to remind them of the word. 

I was very interested as a visual learner myself by what was on the walls and around of the classroom. Teachers need to understand that students learn in different ways and from someone who is a visual learner if there is to much clutter on the walls I cannot pay attention as much but if there is nothing on the walls I have the same problem for the opposite reason. Teachers need to find a balance. Desks can also effect the feel of the room. For a language arts classroom maybe having the desks in rows isn’t the best option. The teacher countered this by letting the students sit wherever they wanted but maybe the desks could have been set up in a U-shaped instead so that everyone can see everyone at all times and no one is in the front or back of the room. 

Since we were in a language arts classroom the teacher had created a comprehension check list for the students which discussed main characters, setting and important dates from the story. She would ask a question but never called on a student if they hadn’t raised their hand. If no one raised their hand she’d add some information from the story to peak their memory and then let them finish the thought. By not putting any of her students on the spot she took away that sense of fear some students can get when they know there’s the possibility of them having to answer a question even if they have no idea how to answer it. By pushing them towards the right answer by adding information she let the students come to the conclusion without any added pressure. She also made sure to praise students for their different ideas that they brought up. This is key to their learning because if a student doesn't feel they will have the “correct” answer they will be less likely to suggest answers or solutions in the future. You learn from your mistakes but that includes how you are responded to with your answers that are always completely on point. 

There was a section of the class dedicated to something the teacher called, “Paired Response” which was a magazine comparison, book, and or a short video combination. While I was observing they read an article titled “Call of Duty” and they watched a video on Dogs in the Military. It created a comparison for the students that they could relate to. The majority of the students had a dog or some other pet so they could relate to the soldiers creating connections with these animals and forming bonds that lasted forever. 

The teacher Finished the class by giving them time to go online to their root-word games. The school “rents” laptops to the students for the school year in order to create activities that interact technology with learning. Each grade has a website set up for the entire “team” for the seventh grade they are split into 7A, 7B, 7C, and 7D. These teacher then include all their contact information on the website as well as the homework and any helpful activities the students can use to practice or study for the class. In this class the teacher gave specific time at the end of class in order to end on a relaxed note, and to let them study for their root-test in a fun way. 

I could immediately tell the difference between math and a language arts classroom. They completely different classes which you have to take into account. But even though the structure of the classes are different, these are still middle school aged students so some of the ideas can be transferred from one class to another. 

One thing i picked up right away on was that the teacher felt the need to repeat herself five times and then continue to say the same thing again and again as if the more she said it the faster it would sink into the students brains. She also struggled with finding a happy medium between keeping a fun but at the same time focused atmosphere. She would make a silly face or say something that would make the kids laugh but if they started to giggle about something five minutes later she would get mad because they weren't paying attention. She even told two girls that if they weren't going to pay attention they could just leave and it was almost immediately after she had made a joke so they were still laughing at it. As a teacher you need to make a decision on what the atmosphere of your room is going to be and you need to understand that your students aren’t robots so they can’t turn off their reactions and emotions at the drop of a hat.

In this math class they were reviewing for a test next week. Thy had learned GCF, LCM, Square Numbers, Equivalent Fractions, and Prime Factors. The students were expected to be quiet and take notes, which was a little confusing because the teacher was trying to create a comfortable environment but she was struggling with how to create it. The desks were actually long tables that were shaped in a giant upside-down ‘’U’’ facing the whiteboard and then a smaller square inside that. The students had assigned seats which made it easier for the teacher to take role quickly and begin the review. 

As the class progressed the teacher kept emphasizing the importance of good notes and how this was their guide to the test next week. She would walk around the classroom and ask student for the definition of each topic. This made sure that the students were actively involved in the lesson and each important topic was defined in a way that they could easily understand. She also went through at least three examples and let the students find the solutions. If the student didn't get the correct answer she wouldn't embarrass them, but she would patiently guide them toward the right answer. 

She also created clues for each topic. She would present all the possible ways the students could get the answer and never moved on if someone was still struggling. She also only called on those who were confident enough in themselves that they would raise their hand to solve the problem and expected everyone else to do it in their notes so that if they were struggling she was there to help them find the answer. 

I know I sometimes struggled with understanding how solving some math applied to real life and therefore wasn't motivated to really put the effort in. The teacher seemed to understand this and made an effort to give “real-life” examples of why a math problem was the answer it was and why it was important to learn and understand. I know personally if I understand the importance of something I’m more likely to put solid time and effort into it. 
As a teacher you need to understand that each student is an individual and everyone learns in their own way. I’m happy that she seemed to understand this because she made sure that the students knew that there were many ways to do the same equation. As a teacher it is so important to know that students are unique. If you look at students as objects or as a whole and not individually then you take away a huge part of what makes each student unique. Each person brings themselves to the table. This means they’re bringing all of their past experience, their thoughts, their ideas, and their creativity to the situation if you take away what makes them an individual you take away the possibility for them to reach their full potential and thrive to their fullest. At the basis of all teaching, it is fundamental that teachers see each student individually and not as a whole. 

This was a wonderful experience, even though neither times was I in a classroom in the subject of my focus, social studies. I knew I wasn't equipped to be a middle school teacher because I don’t have the patience and I commend these men and women who have taken on this difficult stage of child development. I got to observe two very different teachers who, by observing them say that, at their core understood the importance of the individuality of a student.