Stephanie Gutierrez

Section 1: SETTING AND CONTEXT

The School Community: What culture do students learn in daily? What is the
overall learning climate? What is the mission of the school?
Rocky Mountain High School inspires, guides, and supports our students, faculty, and
staff to reach their maximum potential in a caring, challenging, and safe environment
(rmhs.psdschools.org). to achieve this, Rocky Mountain High School (RMHS) has a
culture centered around the Lobo Way. The Lobo Way is ingrained into students as
Freshmen through their class Lobo 101. In this class students learn to Live above the
line and do their best to exceed expectations they hold of themselves, as well as the
expectations RMHS teachers and staff hold them to. The Lobo Way encourages students
and staff to hold a pack mentality. This pack mentality helps to inspire, guide, and
support students and staff to reach their maximum potential in a caring, challenging,
and safe environment. The fun and friendly environment fostered by students and staff
creates an environment where students are free to engage in learning and personal
growth. Students and staff display mutual respect for one another. It is clear that the
environment and culture of RMHS allows for academic excellence as well as successful
and helpful relationships between students and staff.
The overall learning climate is one that aims to challenge students of all levels. Teachers
encourage students to push themselves academically. Students have also formed a
learning climate in their classroom where they feel comfortable discussing and learning
topics that are challenging and sometimes uncomfortable to talk about, and they are
more than willing to help each other out. I have seen many instances of students
helping out their peers if they do not understand or are struggling with a particular
concept in their class. The students of Rocky Mountain High School know what is
expected of them and behave accordingly. There are always a few exceptions, but for
the most part students know to behave and meet the expectations their teachers and
peers hold them to. This creates a climate where students are eager to learn and are
not afraid to push themselves even at the risk of being wrong. The learning climate at
Rocky Mountain High School is deeply driven by the Lobo Way that is adhered to by both
students and staff of RMHS.
What are the programs, resources and activities for students?
RMHS offers a multitude of programs, resources, and activities for students. Rocky offers
a large variety of AP and CU Succeed courses students can take for college credit.
Offering advanced classes where students can earn college credit will not only help
students be prepared for college, but also allow them to challenge themselves
academically to meet their learning needs. The Voyager program is geared toward
students that need more academic structure for core academic classes. The goal of this
program is to help students gain the skills and information they need to be successful to
continue their education through more scaffolding. Rocky also offers a fantastic Special
Education program. Their Special Education program has numerous staff members that
are not only qualified but passionate about helping students with disabilities be
successful in the classroom. They work hard to identify individual student strengths and
needs in order to best provide the least restrictive environment for each and every one
of their students. The Special Needs program of Rocky is exemplary and does an
excellent job of meeting the needs of their students.

Stephanie Gutierrez
At RMHS students also have access to many resources. The Wellness Center is one of
the most important resources available to students. The teachers and staff of RMHS see
the importance of student mental health and encourage students to utilize the
resources the Wellness Center provides. The Wellness Center provides a safe
environment where students can pop in and sort out their feelings in a healthy way.
There are weighted blankets, coloring pages, a silent room, an aggression room, and
staff members available to aid students with their emotional needs. Students at RMHS
also have full access to academic and personal counseling as needed. The counseling
services help students with planning their schedules, college planning, and career
planning. These resources are invaluable to students as they begin to figure out and
plan their future. Each and every staff member of Rocky Mountain High School is also a
resource, for each and every faculty member does their best to make themselves
available as a resource for students to give them any help they may need.
Rocky Mountain High School also offers many activities for students to get involved in.
Rocky participates in a wide range of sports for students interested in athletics. Staff
and students both encourage and show interest in the sporting activities of their
students and peers. RMHS is also home to an outstanding theater program students can
participate in. This semesters play, The Lord of the Flies, is an amazing display of
student work where students interested in theater are able to engage in their interest of
theater and production. Rocky Mountain High School also offers a wide range of clubs
for students to participate in based on the varying interests of students. These clubs are
both school and student initiated. Students create these clubs and meet with them
during lunch at least once a week. I have volunteered with Lobo Mess, the Civil War
Living History Club for about a year. It is amazing to see a school offer a large number of
clubs and activities that appeal to the many interests of students.
How are parents involved? What are the programs that support and
encourage appropriate student behaviors?
Parents can be as involved or uninvolved as they want to be. Parents can be involved in
their students grades through the Parent VUE gradebook system. This allows parents to
be actively involved and see their students academic progress in their classes. Parents
can also purchase Lobo gear to show their school pride at off campus events and
sporting events. There is also a parent tab on the RMHS website that gives parents
access to the school calendar, the student rights and code of conduct manual,
newsletters, and many more sources of information about events and information
regarding their students attendance at Rocky Mountain High School.
At Rocky Mountain High School students are expected to follow the Lobo Way and
behave accordingly. There is a Lobo of the Month chosen each month. The Lobo of the
Month is a way to recognize student excellence within Rocky Mountain High School in
each grade. There is also a recognition tab on the school website that details the
achievements of various students and what they have accomplished. The website also
has a Lobos in the News tab where students are recognized for news-worthy
accomplishments of current and former students. I have also seen Mr. Knierim recognize
students in his class that have been in the news for athletic or community service
achievements by just congratulating them as they walk into the classroom.
What are the demographics of the school?
According to US News 1,971 students attend Rocky Mountain High School. A majority of

Stephanie Gutierrez
the student population is white (76%). RMHS has a 24% minority population; 1% of
students are American Indian/Alaskan Native, 3% of students are Asian, 1% of students
are African American, 0.2% of students are Hawaiian Native/Pacific Islander, 15% of
students are Hispanic, and 4% of students report as being two or more races. Even
though Rocky Mountain High School has a larger white population there is a noticeable
appreciation of diversity in the school. US News also reports that 51% of the student
population is male and 49% of the student population is female. There is a relatively
equal distribution of male and female students that attend Rocky Mountain High School.
The percentage of economically disadvantaged students is the second lowest in the
district at 26% (Fossil Ridge is 9%, Fort Collins is 31%, and Poudre is 35%). Of the 26%,
21% receive free lunch and 6% receive reduced-price lunch.

Students and Classroom: Who are the specific students you will be directly
teaching? What are their developmental levels, their interests, their abilities,
their unique needs? What is the class culture? The physical environment? The
context of the learning environment (content, teacher and student mixture)?
What are the demographics in this classroom?
I am teaching eleventh grade AP United States History Students. All of my students are
at an advanced level of student achievement. Most of them are extremely interested in
history, and it shows through their enthusiasm and excitement in the classroom. They
are all extremely intelligent and blow me away with their ideas and ability to discuss
class content. The hardest part of teaching them is planning lessons that excite them
and challenges them since they are already high achieving students. They are all strong
historical writers and are able to communicate their historical ideas verbally. Mr.
Knierims students have an advanced understanding of history, for they are at a level
higher than most of the students that were in a survey level history class that I was the
TA for. Since all the students are in the same grade they all seem to know one another
well and have other classes with each other as well. Most of the students come from the
same socioeconomic background and most of the student population in the class is
white. There is a small number of students that would be included in the minority
population of Rocky Mountain High School, but it is evident that the students do not
think of their classmates in those terms. The entire class is inclusive of each other.
The culture in the classroom contributes immensely to the student achievement. The
atmosphere of Mr. Knierims classroom is extremely laid back and allows for students to
feel comfortable discussing content that can be difficult to talk about. All students
maintain a mutual respect for one another which allows for students to feel comfortable
talking with one another and expressing their thoughts and ideas. Mr. Knierim and the
students have great relationships with one another that allows for student success and
achievement. Students also know exactly what is expected of them. Class expectations
shape the culture of the classroom. Students know that when we are having discussions
they are supposed to contribute and actively participate. Students know exactly what
Mr. Knierim expects of them and they behave accordingly.
Mr.Knierims classroom is set up in a way so that there is no back of the classroom.
The student desks are arranged around the board in a way that allows for Mr. Knierim to
easily maneuver around the classroom while he circulates or needs to assist a student.
There are bins all along the side of the classroom too that contain Lobo Mess materials,
but they are not in the way of the students. Mr. Knierim also has his walls lined with
historical posters that are interesting and engaging. He also has a corner of the room

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where he has little figurines and bobble heads of various politicians throughout history.
There is also a storage bin where blankets are available for students to use in class
since his room gets so cold at different parts of the day. A large selection of books is
also on display in his classroom. His students are welcome to look at any that peak their
interest. The natural light provided by the windows also creates a welcoming and
relaxed atmosphere where students feel comfortable to engage in the lesson of the day.
Below is a diagram of his classroom set up.

Section 2: Modifications, Adaptations, Accommodations (10 points)

Consider: Who are your learners? What are their special needs?
Exceptionalities? Alternative ways of learning? Giftedness? What specific
ways have you included to make certain student learning needs are being
met? Multiple Intelligence activities? Learning style understanding? Special
seating? Special handouts? Etc.
My learners are 11th grade AP students. They already have a relatively strong
understanding of United States History and my task is to continue to challenge them.
They need work that is intellectually challenging and will make them stop and think
about what they learn. Mr. Knierim and I also like to teach them that it is okay for them
to guess and be wrong. Sometimes it is clear that the students are afraid of guessing
when we ask them to interpret information on their own. Our job is to make sure they
know that a lot of learning comes from being wrong, and learning from mistakes is
sometimes how we learn the most important lessons and information. They are all
already exceptional students and our job is to continue pushing them so they keep
improving. We strive to help them think about things in different perspectives from what
they already know.
In this class there are many different ways the students learn. Some can just listen to a
lecture and know the information, others can just read the assigned reading and know
what is going on and comprehend the information easily. Other students learn more
from the research process and need to engage in project-based learning. Mr. Knierim
and I both strive to bring in many different teaching techniques that cater to the many
different learning needs and styles within this classroom. We will use film and other
images as a way to cater to visual learners, in-class reading activities that cater toward
those that learn better from reading information, simulations for those that are more
hands-on, etc. Since many of the students in this class are gifted Mr. Knierim and I both
strive to continually challenge them. We try to come up with assignments that challenge
the students with an already advanced understanding of the material.

Stephanie Gutierrez
Include two specific examples of students (without using names) for whom
you provide modifications, adaptations and/or accommodations. Create 2
hypothetical examples if you do not have students who are labeled.
Student A has severe test anxiety. Many of the exams in this class are timed and include
a multiple choice examination paired with an in-class essay or a document based
question where the student needs to use a primary source as evidence for an argument.
The entire class has around an hour to complete this. If this is not enough time for
Student A then we would allow them to continue working on the exam in the hall while
we debrief the exam with the rest of the class and introduce the next unit.
Student B has a disability that makes it harder for them to learn from a lecture style
class. Many of the class lessons are taught through discussion and lecture of reading
materials. In order to aid Student Bs learning we would have a folder located in the
classroom where note sheets with more structure (fill in the blank, power point slides,
etc.) for the lesson are located. The student could easily go to the folder and grab the
note sheet for the day before class started so they could have it to help them take notes
and follow along during the lecture.