1. The room I am in for most of the day is a portable. It's kind of...different being pushed off, away from the rest of the school, especially since I never went to a school with portables as a kid. The teachers in the portables have a slightly different culture than those in the main building. They don't usually eat lunch by themselves, they have to lock their rooms up with a key every time they go somewhere, and they have to have a special badge to get into the main building. Even when the kids have to go to the bathroom, the hall pass has to have a tag on it, so that the students can unlock the door to the school. Even though the teachers in portables don't seem to be all special education teacher (I think the subjects taught in the portables are pretty much equal), all of the students going to those classes can't help but feel a little isolated, as I do.
Apart from that, the school is what I would consider a typical middle school. The cute little posters and student artwork that used to line the walls of the elementary schools is replaced with blank walls and the occasional drug-free poster. But that's what the kids are used to--it's what they expect. And since the kids are more mature, I can understand why the halls are a little less fun, and a little more cold. It's just a big difference from elementary school.
The halls are crowed as soon as the bell rings, but that's to be expected. I feel like the kids are no worse behaved during the passing periods than when I was in middle school, so I feel like the students have a pretty good idea of what it expected of them.
2. I haven't been able to observe my teacher during math yet, or the students. But from what she has told me, her resource math students are very talkative during the period I will be teaching them. She told me it was a struggle to get to all of the students because there are so many in her class, to the extent that when I asked if I could help her, she was ecstatic. Many of the teachers in my school are overwhelmed with the increasing class sizes and (in the case of the special ed teachers) increased caseloads. They are learning fractions, decimals and percents in their classes right now, and are working at about a 5th grade level. I will be working with them on their computational and problem solving skills in these areas.
3. I haven't been able to work too closely with my math teacher yet, but I feel like her beliefs regarding mathematics is to help her students succeed in the real world. The class I will be working in uses calculators to help them with their work, with the focus more on how to get the answer than computing the numbers. I do agree that the students should focus on problem solving, but sometimes I feel that computation still has some part in the classroom. Calculators are not always available, and knowing some basic facts are still essential in everyday life, I feel. But the decision to set the class up that way was less my teacher's idea than the districts, so I'm not sure that I agree or disagree with *her* beliefs.
4. In terms of my own teacher identity, I am a little worried about being able to incorporate my own teaching style into such a rigid lesson plan (that we are required to implement in our internship). I am excited, however, to be able to work with a small group of students this semester
I completely understand how it feels to be isolated in a portable, away from the main building. This makes the students and the teachers feel like the outsiders, whichever class is out there (gen ed, special ed, specials, etc.). I had a math class in a portable during my 6th grade year and I didn't like this feeling. I understand that the number of students grow quicker than the actual building can grow, and I don't know all of the politics of education, but I hope that this "portable" business gets better.
ReplyDeleteI like how you have investigated your teacher even though you haven't had the opportunity to observe her in action. Way to advocate for yourself!!!
ReplyDeleteI too hate being in the portable. If for no other reason than the fact that the bathrooms are forever long away! On a serious note, I feel that others bring the negative connotation of the portables to life. People always say "Oh i have to go all the way out ttttthhhhheeerrreee>>???" It's like please don't make it such a big deal!!! It's so much more discouraging.
This was a really interesting post, Kate! I think many of us can relate to your experiences being in a portable. No matter the decorations, the positive attitude of the teacher, or the interest of the students in the subject area being taught, learning in a portable is an isolating experience! It seems that something as simple as the frequent communication and contact that students and teachers engage in in the halls of a school really serves an important function in terms of giving a school a “culture.” When thinking of the “culture” of a school, it was really interesting to read your description of the security measures in place at your school and the austere décor. I realize students get accustomed to learning in environments designed to keep them and their peers in check at all times, but I wonder why we as teachers so often assume that students in middle and high school don’t want or need learning environments that are welcoming and interesting to look at. When I think of where I feel most comfortable learning, I picture attractive spaces with fun activities and engaging discussions, and I think the need for these types of learning environments doesn’t go away as students age. I look forward to hearing more about your placement this semester!
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading this posting, Kate. I can't wait to see more images of the classroom as things get moving along over the summer.
ReplyDeleteI can definitely feel the discouragement of being in a portable building, and the rigid, cold feeling of the middle-school walls. When I first started teaching in the middle schools, I remember asking as assistant principle why the hallway walls were so bare. He told me they had a big problem with kids lighting things on fire! (I never believed it though, and over time, I saw that these sorts of attitudes are sometimes self-fulfilling prophecies!)
Don't worry that you won't have a chance to flex your own teaching style and identity within this experience. Even in structured lessons in which you don't have much room to work, you will still constantly be re-thinking and re-examining everything you believe about how students learn math.