Mrs. Grigg's Second Grade Class Contextual Info

My practicum is located at Cedar Ridge Elementary School in the Union District. I am placed in Mrs. Grigg's Second Grade class.

A. Class/Classroom Information
Grade levels in class: 2nd
Ages in class: 7-8
Number of students enrolled in class: 21
Number of students typically present: 21
Time available each day to teach all students: 5 hours
How would you rate the overall socioeconomic status represented in the classroom: Middle Class
Ethnicities represented:

• African American (3)
• Hispanic (4)
• Caucasian (14)

Gender Make-up:

• Males: 12
• Females: 9

Number of students who perform at the following levels:

• Below grade level: 7
• At grade level: 9
• Above grade level: 5

Teaching interruptions: few

B. Resources (equipment and supplies) available for this class.

Overhead projector (X)

Number of computer(s) (3)

Video projector (X)

Phone/Intercom (X)

Other: whiteboard, smartboard, Horshoe table and chairs

C. Personnel resources available to you:

• Parent volunteers
• Resource teachers

D. Individual Differences

Number of ESL students in class: 1

Number of non-English speakers: 0

Number of students in class with IEP's: 0

Number of identified 504 students: 0

E. Number of students in pull-out or supplementary programs

Title I: 2

Gifted: 0

Other: 9 in a different pull-out program

F. Please briefly describe the school's immediate community:
Population: 591,982
Please list major industries: energy, business, oil, and gas
Please list major employers: American Airlines, Tulsa Public Schools, City of Tulsa, St. Francis Hospital, St. John Medical Center
Students in classroom mostly from: Suburban areas
Describe school district:

• Elementary schools (13)
• Middle schools (2)
• High schools (3)

Are there any of the following in your community?

• Community Colleges (X)
• Career Technology Schools (X)
• Colleges (X)
• Universities (X)

G. Narrative

For this classroom, there are several implications that will require flexibility of instruction. Since there is one ELL in the class, I need to make sure that my instructions and teaching is clear for him to understand. If I give him a math worksheet, and I know he can answer the questions, but he does not understand the question, I have not given him my best so that he can do his best. To assess him, it is probably easier to assess him orally instead of written assessment. So, for a test, I would test him individually later in the day.

The fact that one third of the class is below grade level means that my teaching methods need to still challenge those on grade level and above grade level, while those below grade level understand everything and are learning without becoming frustrated and burnt out. My instruction needs to be differentiated to hit every level. Shared Reading and Interactive Writing are two instructional methods that do this.
One problem I saw when I was observing this semester was that when the students in the supplementary programs went to those programs, they missed a important chunk of teaching time. This may be inevitable in some circumstances, but I would rather do my read-aloud when they are there, because I can differentiate instruction to help them learn, and have them go during a time that may be downtime for the rest of the class, such as recess, or have it be like one of their centers. But I do recognize that the times do not always overlap. If the students do miss part of the class that is foundational, it is important to pull them aside sometime during the day and give them instruction, or do a minilesson with them.
When I do activities with the students, it is important to keep in mind their ethnicities and backgrounds. I would not want to do anything that would make them uncomfortable, such as round robin reading, because that obliterates the feeling of community. Round robin reading is an individualist technique that would make my hispanic students nervous because they are used to doing things together and being in a community, not being singled out.
In all of these situations, it is important for me to be respectful and understanding in my teaching methods, assessment, activities, and instructions.