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Contextual Factors

Classroom Factors
Physical Features and Resources
Springfield Elementary is a welcoming and inviting school. The school has nice very facilities and a
wide variety of resources for teachers and students. Springfield Elementary is considered a Title One
school located in Greenwood, South Carolina. Classes are arranged by pods that branch off each
hallway. The pods help create a sense of community among classes. The classroom is a warm and
welcoming environment with vibrant colors and decorations. The classroom has a restroom and two
sinks located on opposite sides of the room. There is a back counter that contains two aquariums with
the classroom pets. The desks are arranged by groups of four, facing the front of the classroom. At the
front of the room, there is a carpet surrounded by the classroom library. This is where the majority of
whole group instruction takes place.

Availability of Technology
There is a variety of technology implemented into this classroom. Located in the front of the
classroom is a smart board that is used daily. There is a class set of I-pads that are also used almost
daily for various assignments and work station centers. Students have their own website pages linked
through the school website that they publish work on. For certain assignments, students complete
assignments on their I-pads and airdrop them to the teachers I-pad. An example of this is a new
progress monitoring program called Dream Box. Students work at their own level and progress
reports can be sent to the teacher.

Parental involvement
The majority of parents are actively involved and communicates with the teacher regularly. Students
work is kept in file folders that are sent home and signed by parents weekly. Important updates and
behavior reports are also sent home weekly. This serves as one of the main methods of
communication between parents and the teacher. There is a parent volunteer that comes one day a
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week to assist the teacher and help in the classroom. There is also a PTO grade level parent that
assists all of the second grade classes.

Rules
Springfield has a motto that describes the school as a place where all children can shine each day.
This goes along with the schools PBIS system that emphasizes the importance of maintaining a safe
learning environment where everyone can learn and grow. This system uses the concept of sunny
money, a positive reinforcement strategy to reward students for appropriate behaviors. This system is
applied in every classroom. The expectations and rewards system is located on a wall that is visible to
all students. The expectations are outlined in the acronym SHINE. Shine stands for self-control,
honesty, independence, neatness, and engagement.

Classroom Routine and schedule
Each morning, students unpack and eat a free breakfast provided by the school. Designated helpers
are responsible for getting the breakfast and the clean up process. This is the morning routine, and the
teacher takes attendance and lunch count at this time. During morning routine, students watch the
morning news show, say the pledge, and have a moment of silence. After breakfast, students engage
in morning meeting which flows into readers workshop. Following this, students usually work
independently during writing workshop while the teacher conferences with individual students. This
marks the first half of the day before students go to related arts activity. After related arts students
attend lunch and recess. Following recess the class engages in math, and alternates between science
and social studies. At the end of the day, students pack up and are dismissed by bus and car riders.

Student Demographics & Characteristics
Demographics
This is a self-contained class of twenty-three students; ten girls and thirteen boys. The ages of students
range from seven to eight years old. Eleven of the students are African American, Nine are Caucasian,
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and three are Hispanic. The students represent diverse socioeconomic backgrounds. According to
student interest surveys, most students are interested in a variety of things such as sports and
extracurricular events outside of school. A majority of the students also expressed that their favorite
subjects in school consist of math and working with the I-pads.

Skill Levels
Four students qualify for RTI intervention in reading and have been placed on a Tier I level. Two of
these students have also been placed on a Tier I level for math RTI. One student does receive speech
therapy at school. Three students are considered ESOL, but are not pulled out of the classroom for
ESOL instruction. The MAP data shows that fourteen students are considered to be on grade level for
reading and math according to RIT scores. Four students are considered emergent learners and are
working at a higher skill level. The majority of the class is in the concrete operational stage of
development, showing the need for hands on learning. The learning styles of students are primarily
kinesthetic and tactical, usually requiring an active hands-on approach to teaching.

Instructional Implications
A. These contextual factors have implications for instructional planning. With the majority of the
class being in the concrete operational stage of development it is very important that the class
engages in hands-on learning. Students work best with the use of manipulatives in all subjects,
especially math. It is important that students are active which aids the majority of the class
being kinesthetic and tactile learners. Other modalities such as visual and auditory learning
styles will also be addressed during instruction to aid all learners. To meet the diverse needs of
students, a variety of assessments and instructional strategies will be used. Students are seated
in groups of four and they benefit from collaborative learning in groups. A variety of cultural
resources will used in the class to reach all students from different backgrounds. I plan to use
culturally relevant books and I-pad software to implement an aspect of multiculturalism.

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B. Students that qualify for RTI require individualized or small group instruction. I plan to work
with these students individually or in a small group setting as much as possible. There are
several students considered emergent learners that may also require small group instruction
that works towards a higher rigor of learning.
Reading: During reading instruction, I will work with small guided reading groups as the
teacher also pulls groups. Students that receive RTI services will also receive more
individualized reading instruction. I will use a variety of reading instructional strategies to aid
these learners. I will assess student progress by conducting running records and comparing
data.
Math: During math instruction, manipulatives will continue to be used and struggling students
will receive individualized help. There are several technological resources available on the I-
pads that aid in math instruction. The Dream Box program is one method that can be used to
asses student progress in math. I plan to work with the two students that qualify for RTI
together or separately with more individualized instruction. I will also work with a small group
of students that require more challenging instruction. These students work at a faster pace and
will need to move ahead with the curriculum.
C. While students are engaged in learning, I will walk around to observe student progress. Several
students have ADD/ADHD and I will ensure that all students are staying on task and
completing their work by walking around and monitoring students. I plan to create mini
lessons that are brief and focused to keep students attentive and engaged. The needs of all
learners will be met in the classroom to ensure the most beneficial education for every student.