ERM Final Reflection

Hayley McNamara

Prof. Huntley

Elementary Reading Methods

November 29, 2010

Final Reflection

            For my Elementary Reading Method’s practicum I was placed at McAuliffe Elementary in a second grade classroom. My cooperating teacher was Jessica Afeld, an Oral Roberts University graduate who is in her third year of teaching. I enjoyed this practicum very much and learned a great deal of information and gained practical knowledge about the teaching profession.

            My interpretation of student learning varied from child to child. Because they were all different, I felt their learning differed in many ways. I saw the students who were naturally curious learners exceeding in so many ways. They were excited to read and over the course of 11 weeks I saw much improvement in the children’s reading skills and fluency. There were several Spanish-speaking students, and I felt they were struggling in the classroom, but toward the end of my practicum, even these children were beginning to ask me to read with them. The class was improving in their academic achievement. Overall there was a positive learning environment. Mrs. Afeld fostered a caring community of learners and did an excellent job of incorporating each child into the learning process. The teacher had some basic learning goals that students would pay attention during class, obey classroom rules, and that they would be inquisitive learners so that they were able to grasp the concepts being taught. Some barriers the teacher faced were different learning levels, different learning styles, and some moments where disciplinary measures had to be used to handle children who did not follow the classroom rules. The teacher used respectful methods to handle individual needs and to keep her classroom well managed and safe so all students felt safe to take risks in learning.

            Mrs. Afeld made her instruction purposeful and prefaced each lesson with why they were doing what they were doing. I feel this type of instructional method strategy motivated the children to learn. They saw a purpose in what they were doing and wanted to learn. The classroom was set up in a way that was comfortable and aesthetically pleasing. The different reading centers with incandescent lights and comfy beanbags/pillows were welcoming to help students feel at home while reading. The children seemed to enjoy being at school and found purpose in their work. They were taught to be respectful, responsible and safe. These rules helped the students monitor their actions, which made the classroom, flow smoothly.

            Mrs. Afeld used formal and informal assessments to monitor/determine student progress. She has the class divided into reading groups and each day she meets with a different group. During this time she is able to listen for phonemic awareness, decoding skills, fluency, and comprehension. Many of her readers are at different levels, and by spending this time with them in small groups allows her to see what areas students are progressing, and in what areas she needs to work with them to improve. She also assesses them informally through meaningful discussions and thought provoking questions. Formally the students are assessed through their written work and tests, which are graded from a key. The formal and informal assessment line up with the classroom goals because they give purpose and meaning to the students lives and the learning process.

            Because this is a public school, evidence of a Christian Worldview in the learning community was not blatantly evident. Mrs. Afeld is a Christian and showed God’s love everyday through her caring actions. She also encourages others to be kind to one another and treat others with love and respect. Her classroom felt like a big family, they were respectful of one another and felt safe to be themselves. They were treated fairly and when they were disciplined it was out of love not anger. They were made aware of why they were in trouble, disciplined, then forgiven and welcomed back into whatever they were doing. It was a healthy and loving correction of wrong, not in a hateful and angry way. I think I would incorporate my Christian worldview in the same way. Showing God’s love and genuinely caring for your students are the best ways to share God with others. Actions speak louder than words.

            I feel that this classroom was pretty successful in fostering the children’s learning. I would try to be more direct in dealing with students who were not doing well on written assessments for future learning opportunity. I graded some math and spelling papers and noticed that some students had extremely low grades. I know that there are ELL and students with disabilities in her classroom, but others I think just may not be getting it. To help with future instruction, I would try and modify and differentiate instruction the best I could to ensure that all students were learning according to their learning styles.

            After being in this classroom, I would like to learn more about student learning styles, transitions between activities, and classroom management. I saw the importance of these areas in the classroom I was in and would like to develop these areas more. Being a part of this classroom helped me develop professionally and caused me to deepen my understanding and strengthen my thinking.