Context for Learning Assignment

Context for Learning Assignment

“We’ve got a blind date with destiny… and it looks like she’s ordered the lobster.” – The Shoveller

            I have been assigned to do my observation (and hopefully student teaching) at a local high school.

            There are a few special features of the classroom I work in specifically. First and foremost the class I generally work with is a Social Studies class, and it is an elective in the school system so students have to choose to take it. This could suggest that it is a more motivated or mature student since it isn’t a required class. Furthermore, the course content is pretty sensitive, which allows the teacher to create an environment of respect that students are more likely to follow. This is interesting because the mix of personalities in the class is an incredible experience.

            The other feature that is important to note is that there is a pilot program that I work with in the afternoon. While initially only being a course to pilot a new textbook for a Global Studies class it has become a place for students joining midway through the quarter and non-native English speakers with little or no experience in English. This isn’t a bad thing, but it makes planning the course even more interesting because you have to find a way to reach all of the students while attempting to get the most out of each book that is being tested.

            The biggest effect of the district on how I plan in the classroom is the district policy is to make sure that each lesson is accompanied with an “I can,” “I will,” or “I am able to” statement. This is something that the district not only expects to be visible for each lesson, but also a main goal of each lesson. The district and the administration of school expect that students should not only know what they will be doing during each lesson and what they should take from each lesson. Luckily, I already believe in making sure that an itinerary of the lesson is given out each day whether it be verbal or written, so adapting to this system hasn’t been hard.

            I teach three periods of Social Studies, one period of 10^th grade English, one period of a 12^th grade writing class, and one period of global studies. Each of these courses goes fifty-five minutes with one day that has a block schedule of eighty-eight minutes. The courses here run on the semester system, so it is slightly different than our schedule at the University. Typically the easiest way to group students is by where they sit, however, ability grouping is used on certain rare situations when required, though much of the content is singular in nature. It affects the classes because it brings a range of ability levels and viewpoints to the table as students discuss, I am a firm believer that students will learn just as much from each other as they can from me. They have the ability to make things relevant to each other, a skill that is especially lacking as age separates students from teachers. The classes I spend the most time in actually don’t use a textbook. 

            There is a smart board, but it isn't used often.

            It is very hard to figure out how many students might be on free or reduced lunch without seeing the actual numbers. In some classes it can range from 0-10%, but in others I think that realistically it could be as high as 35%.