Reaction Paper 3b6s2r

Reaction Paper A. Landry

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There are so many things about the real world that we will never be taught in class. We learn about the different subjects that we will be teaching. We even learn the psychology behind learning. But no one ever really tells us “this is how you teach.” Which is why, in my opinion, field experiences such as this are so important, not only showing us what real elementary classrooms will be like. But providing a situation, where we, as a future professional, can learn and grow in our ability. And tutoring at Brusly Elementary School for the past three months taught me so much. Stucture. Structure. Structure. How many times have you (Ms. Rice) made us repeat that mantra in class? Having a plan and being prepared for the lesson you are teaching is so important, not only for effective communication, but for the overall educational success of the child. I actually attended a meeting recently, where there was a of three young women – an elementary school teacher, an upper middle/high-school teacher, and a special education teacher – all in their first or second year of teaching. And when asked what they thought was the most important thing to do on the first day of school, they all immediately answered the same thing: establish the procedures you want for your classroom. I saw this need evident with my own kids during our weekly tutoring sessions. Even from the beginning, when I really had no idea whatsoever what I was supposed to be doing with them:

Do I just drill flashcards? Or maybe we should use the whiteboards? These colored dinosaurs look fun! Maybe they’ll want to play a card game? Forty-five minutes is a really long time, maybe I’ll just bring everything to the table…

Reaction Paper A. Landry

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Bad idea. It didn’t take me long to figure out that the more stuff I had on the table distracting them, the harder is was to keep their focus on one task at a time, rather than wondering what we were going to do or play next. As the weeks went on I began to have less items on the table for us to focus on, and even began implementing more structural elements – such as creating a schedule for the afternoon, and letting the kids know what the goal of the day was. Subtraction. All four of my kids hated subtraction. But, just a little bit each week, we would work together slowly building their ability to create, comprehend, and manipulate a subtraction sentence. One really great technique that worked well with my kids was to model the subtraction sentence with manipulatives (i.e. fruit, dinosaurs, colored blocks), allowing them to physically take away or remove the pieces from the center of the table as we worked through the problem together. I found that a technique such as this, not only allowed them to play with something they liked, but added a level of kinesthetic learning to a worksheet dominated curriculum. Both of my classroom observations were conducted at the same school I tutored at – Brusly Elementary School. And both professionals I observed, I believe were great examples of what it means to be an intentional teacher. In the inclusive classroom, the general education teacher – Mrs. Rills – used various techniques which we discussed in class as being essential elements of a universally designed classroom. Such techniques included engaging the class both verbally and visually, presenting various types of materials, allowing for different levels of students response and reinforcement, and maintaining excitement and motivation throughout the lesson. In the self-contained classroom, the special education teacher – Ms. LeJeune – made sure to provide certain accommodations and educational approaches necessary for the success of the

Reaction Paper A. Landry

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children in her classroom. She made use of available assistive technology, made sure to reinforce positive behavior when appropriate, and even used the set up of her classroom to create a safe and less distracting environment (e.g., dimmed lights, orientation towards board, less clutter and clear rules and instructions). I don't really know how much my kids learned from this semester. But what I do know, because I saw it slowly appearing in our afternoons together, is that these sweet young kids grew in their confidence and ability to approach a problem – and even though it might scare or confuse them – understand that they are capable of figuring out the answer on their own. Part of what really made this semester such an educational experience for me personally, was participating in your (Ms. Rice) pilot study. Not only was I able to learn new ways to demonstrate and explain problems, but I also learned the importance of correcting a child when they are wrong, and effective techniques of how to go about doing so. Knowing also that I was filming myself, and wanting to grow in my own way, there was also an added level of ability. And for that I am grateful.