Samantha Esposito EDUG 858 School Placement Reflections

September 10, 2013

Over the course of these two days I have learned a tremendous amount already. The first day we focused on going over rules and guidelines to help the faculty and administration to run a smooth and successful school year. The principal also discussed the test scores achieved by the students the previous year. I was surprised to see how many low scores were received but reminded that it was the first time the new tests had been administered. The remainder of the day was left for the teachers to organize their classrooms, plan out their prep and planning periods and get ready for the first day of school. I did not realize how much goes in to preparing for the students arrival. The second day of Professional Development focused a lot more on the teachers as a whole. The principal discussed how the teachers were going to be evaluated and the procedures they need to follow on a daily basis. I was pleasantly surprised to see how much the administration attempted to help their teachers be successful. I hope that one day I am lucky enough to have an administration that is as caring and as helpful as they are. We spent the remainder of the day collaborating with the rest of the sixth grade team on how the first few days of school are going to pan out. Unfortunately, PS 19 has not received their books yet so the teachers are forced to improvise. I am glad to have experienced this unfortunate, yet realistic situation. While the school mission statement is not regularly discussed amongst the faculty and students, all are aware of the high expectations that they are responsible for. The administration

sets high goals and standards for not only the faculty but for the students as well. It is clear from day one what is expected from the school community as a whole. Since it is only the first week of school very little student work has been displayed on bulletin boards. While some teachers have displayed student art it does not show a deep connection to the common core learning standards. In my particular class there has been much talk over the next few days of a writing piece that the students will work on to be displayed within the upcoming week. Being in the sixth grade I travel between two classrooms. One classroom is the designated homeroom and where the students are also taught Math and Science in which Go Math is being implemented. The second classroom is where the students go for ELA and Social Studies in which they are using Ready Gen. Both classrooms are fortunate enough to have a smart board equipped with microphones and speakers throughout the room so it is easy for the students to hear. The teachers also each have their own Elmo which makes it easier to display other materials on the board. Over this first week much of the time has been spent trying to establish a routine and overall flow on the day. The day is broken up into periods. On certain days the students will attend a double period of math and a double period of ELA. In between those classes specials, enrichment classes and science or social studies are taught. For PS 19 the additional 37 minutes are added to the end of their class day on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Unfortunately, the program has been postponed this week for the students that are invited to stay for extended day. This year for their behavior modification plan the teachers have implemented a system using close pins. Each students name is labeled on an individual close pin and place on a six tiered chart. The students begin at good day depending on the childs behavior the student may

move up or down on the chart throughout the day. Excellent behavior could potentially result in a prize while poor behavior could lead to a phone call or note home. Once the teacher has enforced more significant routines for the students the plan will be better implemented.