Journals 7-9

Journal 7: Community Observation

Description of the Community
I am student teaching at Washington Elementary School in Wyandotte, MI. The
community is predominately white. Many of the parents are younger and the members of
the community know each other well. Many people live in brick homes (single
residence). I did not see many apartment buildings. I saw many doctors offices and signs
that proclaimed the city the home of hockey champions. The doctors offices varied from
family practices to specialized doctors (i.e. geriatric and orthopedic). These offices are
conveniently close and are located in small buildings. There is a hospital that is a part of
the Henry Ford Health system.
I did not see any support for specific diverse populations. I did see many
restaurants that sold polish food. I saw many schools and churches. The schools were
smaller than ones I have seen and the buildings were older. The churches were named
after Saints. I didnt see a library near the school where I am student teaching. I saw
many restaurants (polish delis and pizzerias) and gas stations. The grocery stores were
small, family owned and located near the schools. I have seen busses but no taxis. There
are many parks and playgrounds near the school and in the community. Many of the
students at the school participate in sports after school. The community also has a golf
course and a community garden. They have a police department and a fire station. Police
cars are seen throughout the community. The billboards I have seen have been in regards
to sports. I have seen billboards proclaiming the city home of the hockey champions and
supporters of the Red Wings. I have also seen signs for worker unions and family stores.
The community seems very close knit and proud of its sports teams. I did not see any
environmental factors that affect learning at my school. The traffic flow at the beginning
and end of school can get hectic but once school starts, it does not affect learning. There
are many museums on Biddle Ave (Wyandotte) that are historical homes. Students can
visit these homes to see many of the architecture that was created decades ago.
Analysis and Implications
The community is very close knit. They have many resources, such as libraries
and museums that are near their schools. They have a great sports program and they are
proud of it. The clinics and hospitals in this community are abundant and close to their
clientele. The restaurants show the culture of the community and many are family owned.
These are all assets in this community.
Some issues that I think the school should address deal with support for diverse
populations and the traffic flows near the schools. I didnt really see any diversity in the
community or diverse groups represented in the businesses. I think it would be nice to
introduce diversity lessons to students at school and teach students about diverse cultures.
Another issue is the traffic flow near the school (before and after school). There is a
driveway in front of the school and it could get a little dangerous when parents pick up
students. Also, the speed limit isnt always enforced near the school so it would be great
to have cops patrol near the school at arrival and dismissal.
Reflection Narrative

I have learned many things about the community that will impact my teaching. I
learned that the community is very welcoming and many people know each other. Many
of these families care about their childs education and are active in their childs learning.
I can use what I know about the area to plan educational field trips for students to the
various museums and libraries. I will also be active in helping create a safe environment
during arrival and dismissal, now that I know how heavy the traffic is around the school.
I will also incorporate diversity lessons to teach students about diverse populations and
cultures.
I can use the assets of the community in various ways to support teaching. I could
teach students about the history of the city and the native tribes the city was named after.
I could take students to the museums located in the area and discuss historical aspects. I
could also introduce students to the library system and show them the resources available
at the library (books, and computers). I could ask various businesses to contribute to my
classroom through fundraisers or free resources that can be used in the classroom. My
role as a teacher could be to connect students with the resources available to them. I
could teach students about diversity (since I wear a scarf and look different than many of
the people who live in the community).
I will aim to get to know my students families. I will ask students to share
information about themselves and bring in pictures of their families. I will also have a
show and tell where students can bring in their favorite things and talk about them to their
classmates. I will always ask them to write about their hobbies, weekend plans, and
things they like, in order to get to know them better. I will send newsletters to family
members every week and tell parents that I have an open door policy. I will invite parents
to come in at the beginning of the school year (on a specific day), so that I could meet
them and introduce myself in person. I will make sure parents have my contact
information so that they can get a hold of me with questions, comments, or concerns. I
will use what I have observed to create a positive relationship with my students and their
families. I will keep in mind that many families in this community care about their childs
education and I will keep communication open with parents so that they know what their
child is doing in the classroom (through progress reports and behavior cards).
I could go to the citys website to learn more about this community. I could join
various committees and be active in the schools events in order to get to know parents
and establish a positive relationship. I could also tour the community and go to various
libraries and museums to see what they offer. I could also ask community members about
the citys history, culture, and recreational programs. From what I have seen of this
community so far, I am excited to student teach here and look forward to learning more
about the community as the year progresses.
Journal 8
Journal 2: District Curriculum Analysis
Introduction
-Include the following: a brief description of your school/district including AYP
(adequate yearly progress) status, and any other related information.

Washington Elementary School is located in Wyandotte, MI. It is a K-5 school.

There are 20 teachers and various other support staff in the building. Many of the
students at the school are White (96%). Washington Elementary is one of the top schools
in the district. Its Adequate Yearly Progress status was met for reading and math. The
school has 48% of students who receive free or reduced lunch. According to the statistics
on the school website, the 2013 MEAP combined results (for 3rd-5th grade) was
approximately 60% for reading. The school is a Title I school.
Tell whether the curriculum you are analyzing is used at the district, school and/or
classroom level.
The curriculum I am analyzing is used at the school level. The district is trying
out a new reading program for Washington Elementary. The program is on a trial basis
and it is aligned with Common Core State Standards for reading, writing, and language
arts. I decided to focus on the reading program for 1st grade.
Goals
What appear to be the goals and objectives of your classroom curriculum?
The goals and objectives of the classroom curriculum align with the common core
standards. My cooperating teacher uses these standards to create lessons that meet the
goals of the state. The school curriculum splits the standards by marking period. The
goals start out basic and get more complex as the year progresses. For reading, there are
three major units: foundational skills, informational text, and literature. The units are
covered in five parts. The five sections are based on a common theme that students
analyze throughout each specific section. The sections are: animals tame and wild,
communities, changes, treasures, and great ideas. The stories vary from informational text
to fantasy, and literature. Students learn foundational skills all year round, literature in the
middle of the year and informational text towards the end of first grade. The goal at this
point of the year is to help students gain skills to identify various parts of a story and be
able to develop their reading stamina. The most important goal is that students should be
able to read at grade level (or higher than grade level) by the end of the year.
How are the curriculums goals and objectives similar to or different from the state
standards?
The curriculums goals and objectives are based off of the state standards. The
curriculum uses the standards as a guide for what should be taught during each card
marking period. For reading, the common core standards are used instead of the GLCEs.
The common core standards are very detailed and each standard gives a goal students
should achieve by the end of each marking period. For example, first grade students
should be able to ask and answer questions about key details in a text (RL 1.1). I noticed
that the common core standards combined various reading GLCEs under one standard.
My cooperating teacher primarily focuses on the common core standards (strategies and
skills) for first grade.
Content

What should students know or be able to do after successful completion of the class
curriculum?
First grade students focus on three units in reading: foundational skills,
informational text, and literature. For foundational skills, students should be able to
distinguish long from short vowel sounds in single-syllable words, decode regularly
spelled one-syllable words, read with inflectional endings, and use context clues to figure
out the meaning of unknown words. Students are able to reach these goals by reading and
reflecting on their reading. My cooperating teacher and I give students vocabulary words
and sight words every week that come from various texts they are reading in class. We
also encourage students to read at home and give them time to read in class as well.
For informational text, students should be able to do various tasks. They should
be able to pinpoint the main idea and retell the important details. Students should be able
to identify the difference between informational and narrative text (the structures of
both). Students would also be able to describe the authors purpose and use the pictures in
the book to further their understanding of the topic. Students will also learn about cause
and effect relationships and how to compare and contrast factual information.
Informational text includes science and social studies text.
For literature, students should be able to read various genres. Students should also
be able to recount stories from various cultures and be able to describe the theme/lesson
learned. Furthermore, students should know how to describe various characters in a story,
compare and contrast text written by the same author, and identify phrases in stories that
suggest feelings or appeal to the senses. The students in my class are focusing on this unit
right now. Students are reading various texts with the same theme (changes) and
comparing the theme, setting, and characters from each book.
How do the class outcomes compare to the state expectations?
The classroom outcomes are very similar to the state expectations. The curriculum
directly aligns with the state outcomes. Teachers use these outcomes to help guide their
instruction. It also allows teachers to make sure their assessments reflect student learning
and growth. The state expectations do not give a specific timeline while the outcomes on
the schools curriculum clearly state when each standard/unit should be covered. There
are three card marking periods in the year and once each unit begins, it spans through the
entire school year. Teachers can begin a unit during the first card marking period and
revisit the unit throughout the year.
Assessment
How does the curriculum provide for a variety of assessment strategies?
The curriculum gives teachers the goals that must be met. This helps guide
educators towards effective assessments they can use to determine if these standards are
being met. It also allows for differentiated assessments based on a students reading level.
My cooperating teacher uses various reading strategies in the classroom that align with
the standards. She uses guided reading, tests, journals, and observations made during
small group discussions. The curriculum guide I have does not give specific assessments
and I noticed that my cooperating teacher comes up with her own assessments based on
what they are covering in class.

How does the teacher assess student learning in your classroom?

My cooperating teacher assesses student learning in different ways. Ive watched
her assess each students reading level by using a running log and CAP test. She gives the
CAP test to students who are struggling to read. The CAP test assesses how a student
handles a book. It looks at whether or not a student knows where they are supposed to
start reading from and various grammar concepts (capitalization, and punctuation). The
running record helps the teacher see how many words a student gets correct as they read a
leveled book. The record gives the teacher an idea of the childs reading level. My
cooperating teacher has done a running record for each student and has determined his or
her reading level. This helped her give them books that they can read at home.
Mrs. Matulonis also uses other assessments for reading. She has students write
journal entries based on the books they are reading independently. She asks them to keep
track of the plot, the characters, and the setting. She also asks questions about the books
they read in class and they write their answers on a classroom chart. The chart includes
the setting, characters, problem, solution, authors purpose, and theme. This helps
students keep track of what they are reading as a class. It also gives them an example of
what they should be doing in their journals for each book they read independently. Mrs.
Matulonis collects their journals every week and assesses their reading and writing skills.
How does the assessment of student learning in your classroom compare with the state
assessments?
The assessments done in class and the state assessments are similar in that they
test students knowledge of the content mentioned in the standards. The classroom
assessments also use terms that may be seen in the state assessments. Mrs. Matulonis
wants students to be familiar with the language of the state tests and so she incorporates
some of that language in her assessments. The state assessments will ask for main idea,
plot, setting and the meaning of various words. The classroom assessments prepare
students for the state tests and it allows them to practice their reading skills. The
difference between the assessments is that the state assessment is created for a specific
grade level and is not differentiated based on the childs ability/needs. The classroom
assessment can be differentiated based on a childs reading level and ability.
Conclusion
This information helps me understand what teachers use to guide instruction and
assessment. In order to become a successful and reflective educator, I need to be able to
understand the standards and know how to implement them in my lessons. By seeing how
these standards are covered in the classroom, I am able to see what works and what
doesnt. I am also able to reflect on what I could do to improve my teaching. These
standards are the ones that I will need to know, so I think it is important that I am familiar
with them before I step into my own classroom.
In terms of teacher accountability, this curriculum gives teachers a guide they
should follow in order to reach reading fluency. It is the teachers responsibility to know
the curriculum and the standards. As educators, we need to know how to teach this
material in the given amount of time and make sure that students understand the
concepts. Teachers are held accountable for what students know and what they do not
know, so it is important that we make it a priority to teach the material to the best of our

ability. Schools receive funding based on state assessments so making sure students know
the material is crucial to getting the funds they need to have a quality education. This
information will really help me create effective lesson plans and assessments. This
information is crucial for every teacher and it gives me an outline of what I need to cover
during the school year. I will use this information to be the best teacher I can be and to
create lessons that are fun and educational.
Journal 9: Analysis of Classroom Management Plan
Teaching full time in the classroom has been a great experience. It has allowed me
to analyze my classroom management plan and see what works and what does not. In my
classroom management plan, I discussed the importance of discipline, procedures, and
routines. I think that is very important, especially in the lower elementary grades. I
always remind students about what they should be doing and the rules. I talked about
having a behavior card chart for students that will reinforce the rules of the classroom.
After working with first grade students, I realized that I need to modify the behavior chart
for lower elementary grades. Students would have the chance to improve their behavior
and are able to go back to green if they do well the rest of the day. I realized that when
younger children flip their color, they begin to misbehave the rest of the day, so I am
giving them a chance to redeem themselves and do better.
Along with using green tickets as a reward for students, I also found using
coupons can really motivate students to remain on green all week long. These coupons
would be for fun things students could do and they can cash them in whenever they want
throughout the week. They receive these coupons if they are on green all week long and I
will put their names into a basket and chose 10 students. There will be ten coupons and
students could either: bring something in for show and tell, wear a hat, bring a stuffed
animal, sit in the teachers chair, extend recess by 15 minutes, use the Ipad instead of
doing bellwork, take their shoes off for the day, use the teachers supplies box, sit by a
friend, and move their spot in line. These coupons are a fun reward for students and it
helps to motivate students to do their best all week.
Another aspect I would modify in my management plan is the classroom layout. I
would change the tables from round tables to individual desks. Students would each have
their own desks but I would organize the desks into groups of four or five students. I want
students to be able to have a personal space where they can store their school supplies
and classroom work. They would still be able to work together and communicate ideas
easily. This layout would help keep students organized and allow students to help each
other learn.
In my original plan, I did not discuss giving students roles in the classroom. I did
mention that the students role is to learn, participate, follow the rules, and try their best,
but I didnt really talk about giving them jobs they can do in the classroom. Working
with first grade has allowed me to see the importance of giving students jobs they can be
responsible for. It teaches them how to be active in keeping the classroom running
effectively and it allows them to gain the skills they need to be responsible citizens. I
would give students jobs like erasing the board, being line leader, being paper passer,
pledge leader, classroom librarian, and paper collector. Giving students roles they can be
responsible for allows them to learn these skills at a young age.

Overall, I believe with these modifications my classroom management plan will

be a great guide for me as a new teacher. It will help me create a classroom that is safe,
positive, fun, and interactive. As I gain more experience in the classroom, I will be able to
modify my plan to fit my students and my teaching style.