Classroom Factors

TWS 1
Contextual Factors

Karisma Cruell
February 12, 2014

Physical Features:
The classroom is very spacious, neat and clean. The cubby area is very neat and they are
encouraged to put their coats/jackets inside their backpacks so that the area is not cluttered.
They are encouraged to keep their work area (desks) clean and neat and the floor around them
neat as well.
Availability of Technology:
The school has a computer lab that is open for all of the students. Also, the library has iPad
tablets that can be checked out per class. There is technology used inside the classroom as well;
promethean board, television, and the teachers computer.
Equipment:
Like any traditional classroom, the classroom has desks and chairs (for the students and
teacher), there is a white board, promethean board, television, VCR, storage cabinet, cubbies
and shelves, and a printer/copier. The classroom has a variety of school equipment but not an
overload of things; it is typically the traditional classroom.
Learning Environment:
The classroom scheduled is very swift so they do not have much time to spend time on every
subject in-depth every day. They do not read very much (individually) and they do not do group
work.
Overall, the students have good behavior while learning and are not very disruptive. They are
expected to pay attention and complete the assigned material.
Resources:
They use the basal reading system (which most schools do not use much anymore). It is a
textbook that includes many stories that pertain to what they are talking about in class. It
sometimes ties other subjects in with the reading.
All of the lessons are standard based. The school uses the IB unit and they include some
common core standards in with their curriculum. The IB unit breaks down into six parts:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

The central idea (assessment).

Inquiry.
How might we know what we have learned?
How best might we learn?
What resources need to be gathered?
What extent did we achieve our purpose?

Parent Involvement:
Most of the parents of the students in the classroom are very involved and supportive and work
with them at home. There are only a few that are uninterested and are not involved.

Classroom Rules and Routines:

TWS 1
Contextual Factors

Karisma Cruell
February 12, 2014

The school uses a variety of discipline strategies and the name of their rules is ROAR, which
stands for:
1.
2.
3.
4.

Respectful
On Task
Always Prepared
Responsible

There is a different list of rules for the classrooms, restrooms, hallways, and cafeteria. The rules
and routines for the classroom are as follows:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.

Use inside voice

Raise hand to speak
Listen to speaker
Follow directions
Complete assignments
Use time wisely
Bring materials
Rested & ready
Honor personal space
Use materials correctly
Keep work place neat & clean

Grouping Patterns:
The students are all mixed; their seating arrangement is random. There are, however, two
students that are separated; although their desks are separated from the others, they are still a
part of the group. Seating arrangements in the classroom change periodically so that every
student has different experiences of sitting near other students.
Scheduling:
Monday is the only day of the week where everything is different. They use Mondays for review
and introduction of new things (that they will be learning that week). They go over spelling
words for that week and learn other new concepts that they will be taught that week. The daily
schedule (Other than Mondays) starts at 8:00am and ends at 3:00pm and is as follows:
8:00am 8:30am
8:35am 9:20am
9:30am 10:15am
10:20am 11:00am
11:00am 11:15am
11:20am 12:00pm
12:00pm 1:00pm
1:00pm 1:20pm
1:20pm 2:50pm
2:50pm 3:oopm

Morning show/ Attendance/ Lunch Count

Related Arts
Whole Group Reading Instruction
ELA/ Science/ Social Studies
Bathroom break
Lunch
Math
Recess
ELA/ Science/ Social Studies/ Writing/ Finish
Math
Dismissal

Classroom Arrangement:

Karisma Cruell
February 12, 2014

TWS 1
Contextual Factors

The classroom arrangement is fairly simple. On one wall there are shelves that include things
that are used during center time. On the back wall there are backpack racks and cubby shelves
and the teacher work area is in the far corner. On the far wall there are shelves for storage and
the promethean board and the television and VCR are mounted in the far corner. The front wall
includes a table, used to work with small groups, with an average-sized chair for the teacher on
one side of the table and six small chairs around the table. The white board is mounted to the
wall and the sink is in one corner and the storage cabinet is in the far corner near the door. The
students desks are set up in the middle of the classroom between the teachers desk and the
walls with racks and shelves. The reading carpet is in front of the promethean board and there is
also a rocking chair used when the teacher reads aloud.
As mentioned before, the classroom is very neat and clean and it is not cluttered; it is also a
fairly nice size.
Student Demographics and Characteristics

Description
Number of
Children

First Grade Class

Ninety Six Primary
Spring 2014
Female
13

Male
9

Total
22

Age

Six years
Seven years

8
7

2
5

10
12

Race/
Ethnicity

AfricanAmerican
Latino
Caucasian

1
5

0
7

1
12

IEP/ Special
Needs

First graders at Ninety Six Primary are usually tested once at the beginning of the year and once
in the middle of the year to track their progress. It was easy for teachers to have it done this way
because, if a student was not making adequate progress by the middle of the year, it gave the
parents and teachers time to work with that student and prevent the student from repeating first
grade.
They are tested by MAP testing and this year was different because they only tested the students
once (at the beginning of the year) so the teachers are just waiting to see how it works out.
There are three groups of, almost equal, performance levels (low, average, and high).

TWS 1
Contextual Factors

Karisma Cruell
February 12, 2014

Instructional Implications

A. Contextual information is very important because they are helpful when making lesson
plans and addressing different learning styles of all students in the classroom.
Everything that goes on in the classroom (classroom factors), in the students lives
(demographics), and every characteristic of every student all contribute to the
development of the children in that classroom. It is important to consider every factor
because everything around the students impacts their learning.
B. There is one little girl in the classroom who is Latino. Because she is the only student in
the class who is Latino, we can read a book that makes her feel included and relates to
other cultures of the classroom.
1) Create a lesson plan based off of the read aloud of the multicultural book,
Abuela (Which is about a Hispanic family and the little girl is telling stories of
the different things she likes to do with her grandmother).
2) Before we read the book in class we will have a class discussion on the different
things students do when they spend time with their family members.
3) That night the parents would receive a letter, about the new book we are
preparing to read, asking them to have a discussion with their children about
recognizing that everyone is different.
4) After reading the book, the students would have some blank paper where they
can draw the important things they think of when they think about the memories
they have with their families.
5) Last, allow them share, aloud, their memories and the different things they do
with their families and we would hang them up around the room.
These things would help address the different cultures in the classroom and will also involve the
parents and make them feel more included as well.