Portrait of a Classroom Assumptions

In thinking about my own ‘ideal’ classroom, it is hard to know exactly what will and will not work in creating a successful classroom.  However, I am hoping that I will be able to include many of the techniques that I have observed in my classrooms. 

In creating and structuring my classroom, I believe that a set of class rules is essential.   Although I believe that teachers earn respect, and that class rules should be discussed in class, I am very certain that I do not want my class rules to be up for discussion; however, I will accept submissions from students of what they expect from me as their teacher.  I plan on implementing a class rules handout that can be referenced by students throughout the year (this was done in my 9^th grade classroom).  I would like to take this a step farther in my own classroom by requiring my students to review the rules with their parent/s, having both sign it, as though it were a ‘real life’ contract, and having them return it to me as though it were a homework assignment.  It is important to note here, that it is not only rules and expectations of my students that will be on the rules handout, but also their expectations of me as their teacher. It is my assumption that creating an air of accountability for actions taken by students is extremely important for students to learn as soon as the school year begins.  One rule that I have seen in operation, that I would like to use in my own classroom, is that of a borrowing system for forgotten materials. By making the students leave something in exchange for borrowing classroom materials builds upon the accountability skills needed both in the classroom and in life.  Ideally, there would be a way to transition the borrowing system into one that does not need an exchange to take place. 

From my discussions with my co-operating teachers, as well as my own experiences in the classroom, I would very much like to be part of a CTT classroom environment.   It has become clear to me that team teaching allows the teachers in the classroom to truly, and effectively, reach every single student in the classroom, even those who would otherwise need pull out or after school programs to help them fully understand the information being taught in the classroom.  Furthermore, having a second teacher in the room, a second teacher to plan lessons with, allows both teachers to formulate a dynamic and well-scaffolded plan with special education students specifically in mind.  I believe that this type of classroom is very beneficial for all students in the classroom, not only those students classified as having special education needs.  Every student can benefit from having a second instructor in the classroom to answer questions and help drive the lesson objectives home to each student.   It allows the students to recruit one of the teachers in the classroom to help them one on one while the other teacher is given the chance to move on with the lesson for those who are on track with their understanding of the lesson objectives. It is my assumption that the move to CTT classrooms will become the norm in most, if not all, public classrooms in the future.

I believe that displaying student work is uniquely important for students.  The public nature of displayed work provides the student with a bigger incentive for creating the best work possible.  This could not be more important.  In my own high school days, I can remember the pride I felt when my work was displayed in class or even around the school building.   I would like to have room in my classroom to portray examples of the best student work in my class.  It is my assumption that by giving the lower students in my classes examples of what the best work they can do looks like, I will be able to instill a drive within the student to achieve more than ever before.  Just as peer tutoring is most effective for true learning by a student, seeing peer work is likely to be more effective than seeing examples of “best” work created by the teacher. 

Furthering the technique of displaying the ‘best’ examples of student work, is displaying important terminology and language that is used in lessons for continual student learning.  In the classroom I am currently in, posters for key literary terminology (e.g. irony, characterization, simile etc.) are hung as each term is discussed in class.  By doing this, students are able to reference these posters whenever they need reinforcement in a specific term or idea.  Its is my assumption, that resources of this nature are invaluable to the students as it gives them access to these words at all times as it provides autonomy for the students to show they are in charge of their academic lives.

I am hopeful that in my first year of teaching I will lose my (clearly unnecessary) fear of group work.  It has become clear to me that successful group work can be very beneficial for both the students and for me as a teacher.  The students can benefit from group work due to the fact that peer tutoring can be very effective in helping students learn the information that is being given to them.  I very much like the idea of changing the set up of the room depending on the activity being conducted on that particular day.  I would like to be able to use ‘Socratic seminar’ to teach certain works of literature.  In order to do this, it is important for me as a teacher to understand the group and social dynamics in my classroom. I believe it is good to have structure in the classroom, but it is also good to “mix it up” so to speak to keep the students involved.

Good class dynamics are very important to me.  It is my assumption, from what I have read, what I have observed, and what I have learned, that knowing how to situate your students within the classroom is very important.  Although as a student I hated having assigned seats, I can see the benefits to both the students and the teacher of being able to specifically separate certain students.  I assume, from what I have seen and learned from my teachers that the best way to set up assigned seating in my classroom is to allow the students time to settle into their social groups.  This way, when assigning seats I, as the teacher, can rearrange the room in the most effective way to create a well rounded and distraction free learning environment.   In setting up my classroom, I am hopeful that the class sizes I am given are within a manageable range in which I can set my classroom up in the shape of a horseshoe.  I want to be the center of attention in my classroom.  I want to be able to see every child’s face, and have each child be able to see the faces of their peers.  I believe that the set up of my room will add to my effectiveness as a teacher, as well as to help cut down on classroom misbehavior.

Portrait of a Classroom

I thought we were uploading this to Dropbox.. oops!

These past few weeks I have been observing teachers and students at The Center School, a 5^th through 8^th grade middle school on the Upper West Side. This school is very different than most other middle schools in that most of the classes—except math, Latin, and literature—are ungraded, meaning there is a mixture of 5^th, 6^th, 7^th, and 8^th graders in all classes. According to the school’s administration this is an effective means of learning because it creates a true community of learners and does not alienate any students. Although the Center School is a public school, students must apply and be selected in order to attend; therefore, only the best students are enrolled (of course, it doesn’t hurt if a sibling went there too). The school is an even split between boys and girls and predominately white, however, African American and Latino populations are well represented. Students travel from all over the city to attend the Center School; one girl commutes all the way from New Jersey to go to school every day! I have not encountered any special education students, and very few are considered struggling learners. I believe in many other schools these students would be considered ‘normal learners,’ but the Center School does their best to identify a student in need of help in any subject and offers one-on-one enrichment sessions with a teacher built into the student’s schedule.

Located on the third floor of PS 9, the Center School occupies half of the floor and has about 20 classrooms, which two teachers occupy. This makes it a little difficult for a teacher to make their classroom uniquely theirs, but most “roommates” work together to create a suitable learning environment. My cooperating teacher’s room is fun—most of the tables are put together to create one big table for students to sit at, which I think, at times, can lead to a lot of disruptions. The room is bright and decorated with student work. I think this classroom is a good learning environment for the students.

My ideal classroom is fun and welcoming. I would probably arrange desks in small groups and have big colorful maps on the walls. I would also like to have a lot of bookshelves because and as much natural light as possible. I also think a clean and well-organized classroom is essential in a good learning environment. Lastly, I think an ideal classroom should have a running list of rules and a regularly updated agenda clearly displayed.

Portrait of a Classroom

The Urban Assembly School for Design and Construction (SDC) is a college preparatory school and is open to all students. The focus of the school is on architecture and engineering, but the core classes do not focus on architecture and engineering. Students are required to do community service in order to graduate. Also, all students take Advanced Placement ELA in their senior year regardless of whether or not their future plans include college. The goal is for the students to be prepared for college if they decide to attend. SDC is located in Hell’s Kitchen on West 50th Street in Manhattan; it is on the fourth floor of The Park West High School building.

The classroom I am focusing on is an advanced placement 12th grade English class. There are 32 students in the class. Of these students, 25% are female and 75% are male. The following demographics are estimated guesses: 63% are Hispanic, 22% are black, 9% are Indian, and 6% are Caucasian. I found it difficult to break down the socioeconomic status of the students through observation. A number of the students have designer name glasses, such as Coach and Dolce & Gabbana, and relatively expensive backpacks, such as North Face; however, I know this may not be representative of their socioeconomic status.

The class begins and ends with the chairs lined in rows facing the front of the room where there is a laptop and projector. The teacher’s desk is in the back corner of the room, but she is usually sitting at the front of the room at the laptop. Throughout class time, the students work in groups and move their desks accordingly. Additionally, the students have Socratic Seminars on Tuesdays and Thursdays. During Socratic Seminars, the fishbowl strategy is used; the students move their desks into an inner circle and an outer circle and only the inner circle is allowed to discuss the topic. After a set amount of time, the students sitting in the inner circle switch to the outer circle and vice versa. The second group in the inner circle is not allowed to discuss anything that the first group discussed; this forces the students to pay attention even while they are sitting in the outer circle. There are learning targets posted on the wall. There are three small whiteboards leaning on the board that say: “Where are we going?”, “How will we get there?”, and “How will we know we’ve arrived?”. In the corner there is a library for the students to choose their independent reading books. On top of one of the bookshelves is a board game a former student created based on J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye. Near the door, there are three boxes that create a table with multiple levels. Handouts are placed on the top box for students to take as the enter the room. There are two lower levels of the table; one has an inbox for the homework and the other has a box that contains a stapler, a box of bandaids, tissues, and post it notes.

The students are extremely interesting. Some of them have a difficult time concentrating, but are brought back to reality by the teacher’s change in pace throughout the class period. The students in this particular class follow the rules for the most part. More often than not, the rule most of them break is the dress code by untucking their shirts the moment they are sitting at their desks. There are times when the students whisper to each other and call out instead of raising their hands. During group work, most of the students are genuinely engaged in the task for most of the allotted time. Sometimes the groups do not start the assignment right away or they believe they answered all of the questions in the first two minutes. In these cases, the teacher has to talk to the group to see why they are not doing what they are supposed to be doing. Last week, it seemed as though the students were unsure of how to work in groups and some would work individually while sitting within the group; it seems like they now have a better understanding of working together, but there are still some students who either wish to read the assignment on their own or choose to answer the questions without waiting for group members to catch up. There are always a few students who do not participate, but the teacher usually calls on them and has them answer some type of a question that way everyone is involved.

The teacher uses standards based assessment rather than completion based assessment which means the students do not get credit for just handing in the assignment. They have to prove to the teacher that they have mastered the learning target. The students are provided a rubric so they always know what they are being assessed on and can properly prepare. At the beginning of the class, there is a Do Now on the board. This usually reminds students to hand in their homework, pick up any handouts that are near the door, and to write down the homework. The students work independently and in groups throughout the class; they do not spend more than 15 minutes on the same task. Usually the teacher models what the students will be doing in groups before giving them the task. The class usually does one example together with the teacher leading before working in smaller groups. The students usually understand what the task is once they get into groups because of the teacher’s explanation at the beginning of the class. A few examples of the techniques the teacher uses includes Cold Call, No Opt Out, Do Now, and Tight Transactions. The teacher holds the students to high expectations. She is firm and has amazing classroom management skills.

Portrait of a Classroom

I am describing a classroom at The Center School on the Upper West Side. This school works under the philosophy that how a student learns is just as important as what they learn. They believe that all grades (5-8) should be combined in the classroom. This way a community of students is created rather than the 8th graders picking on the 5th graders and the 5th graders being afraid of all the older kids. That said, classroom management is very different at The Center School as compared to any other school I have ever attended or sat in on.

The class is made up of about 45% males and 55% female. 35% 5th graders, 30% 6th graders, 20% 7th graders and 15% 8th graders. The 5th grade class is the largest class Center School has ever admitted and as the years progress, the grades get smaller. The classroom is very diverse with regards to heritage. Students are caucasian, african american, South American, Caribbean, European, Asian, American Indian as well as students who have so many different backgrounds the "don't really know", as I have been told by one of my students.

While we as student teachers have been told that there are several students with ELL's and IEPs, they are intergraded within the student body. Those falling behind in class, or unable to fully grasp the material are invited to speak freely to a teacher and spend one-on-one time to fully understand the subject matter. Each student takes a variety of classes, many unconventional, so their academics are well rounded and they are taught to relate the subject matter from one class to another, even if those classes are Latin and Math.

For such an unconventional school, the classrooms are set up like any other classroom. The large tables that seat 5 students are arranged so every student is able to see the chalkboard. While the classrooms do not have desks, the tables further express the community feeling of the school. The teacher stands up at the front of the room facing the class. They write their notes on the board when key points are discussed so the students know what material needs to be written down, but they are unable to look ahead in the reading to find out what the next activity is.

In the beginning of every class, the teacher tells the student what they will be doing for the day and then begins a warm up exercise. This is usually quickly going over the homework or simply asking questions about what was discussed the pervious class. This is good for the students for many reasons. They are able to get their mind back on class after a rowdy hall break, it reinforces what they learned in their homework, and for those who failed to do the homework, they can still keep up with the rest of the class, though it is obvious to the teacher that they did not do the work. Class continues usually with the daily lesson and then an activity to further reinforce the material.

I have noticed that with the students at Center School, they rarely have to be retold the rules of the classroom. They know that when the teacher or another student is talking, they are to listen. Occasionally a student speaks out of turn, or is distracting to the rest of the class. On those occasions the student is reminded to be quiet and the lesson continues. If the problem continues, the student is moved to another table with a group of students who are much more focused. That typically ends the issue and I have never seen a problem escalate further.

Overall the students at the Center School are very well educated, have good manners, listen to and respect their peers and teachers and are very diverse. They all get along and, because of the ungraded system, they all work well together 5th through 8th grade.

Lessons From A Guru

So, as most of you know, Meghan and I have been teaching at the Center School, which is a 5-8 middle school on the Upper West Side. When we had the meet and greet with the SDC teachers I asked a lot of questions about their experiences and what I should know about a new teacher. Most of them said to be prepared to make mistakes, and that it is a long learning process--each year I will learn something new and I wont be the best teacher right off the bat. I feel that there is a lot more to be learned from the SDC high school teachers, but because I only got to talk to them for a little while I couldn't really get a lot from them.

On the other hand, I've been getting a lot of advice from all the teachers at the Center School. The Center School is a very non-traditional school in that all of the classes are ungraded (meaning that students in grades 5, 6, 7, and 8 are all in one class together) except for Latin and math. Each student teacher at CS is assigned two cooperating teachers- on for our subject (social studies, in my case) and one in literature. Ms. Hand, who is my cooperating social studies teacher, told me again, to "be prepared to make mistakes. You've been a student for all of your life and now you're on the other side of the desk. You're not a master, but you will be. Don't be afraid to ask for help. It's the most humbling thing and there will always be someone there for you to answer your questions and to give you support. Embrace your mistakes." I think that is a lesson I must take away from this experience- don't be afraid to ask for help. I'm a pretty stubborn person so I think this is something I need to work on. But even if you can readily admit you need help its kind of scary to ask.

Another great piece of advice I got was from my cooperating literacy teacher, Mrs. Fier. I've sat in one class with her but I can already tell that she is a very strong person and may not be the easiest to get along with--which I think will teach me how to deal with a similar situation in the future. Anyways, Mrs. Fier told me that if you are bored, or disinterested in a subject, you won't teach it well. Although she did suggest I observe classes not in my content area, teaching something that I don't enjoy learning about will be that much harder for a student to enjoy learning.

I hope these little tidbits of information help us all to become the best teachers we can be!

Quick Bio

Hey everyone! Sorry I'm kind of late on posting all of this stuff- apparently Google doesn't want me to be apart of our Think Tank!

Anyways, I'm from Setauket, NY on Long Island but spent the last four years in Schenectady, NY at Union College where I received a BA in American History with a minor in Classical studies. I just recently moved into the city to begin our program at Fordham. This past year I taught at an after school program for elementary through junior high-aged girls. Although I learned a lot through this experience, I still have many questions left unanswered. I am excited to get to know you all and go through this experience together. I think this blog will help us get to know each other not only as educators, but also as people.

Meghan Schuster's Quick Bio

Hey All!

My name is Meghan Schuster and I am in the Adolescent Social Studies program at GSE. I am originally from Chesterfield Missouri, 20 minutes outside St. Louis. I went to Stonehill College in Boston MA. At Stonehill I was a cheerleader, rode horses, tutored kids, played field hockey and member of the Spirit Committee as well as majored in US History with a minor in Irish Studies. I have been to Ireland once and would LOVE to go to other places in Europe one day! I started classes at Fordham July 5th (the same day I moved to the city) and have been loving every day being in New York. In my free time (though I am starting to not get enough of it) I like reading, watch tv, hang out with friends and see my family! I also am a competitive equestrian and try to get back up to Boston as often as possible to ride my horse.

I knew I wanted to be a teacher for a while. I have been a counselor at a riding camp at my barn for many summers. I was also a nanny for a little girl for 4 years. I was sad to say goodbye to her but I get to see her and check in on her whenever I am home. I have no "teaching" experience but I love working with kids, especially adolescents. I hope to be a middle school social studies teacher either in New York or Boston upon graduation from Fordham GSE. I am very excited to continue observations at The Center School as well as student teaching next semester. So far I love my kids I am working with and am excited to get to know each of them a little bit better as we continue.

What I Learned from My Teaching Guru

I am very new to "blogger" so I hope this post works correctly. :)

I have been having conversations with teachers all my life. My mother is a Kindergarden teacher as are all of her friends I have met. My sister went to school to become a teacher but changed her mind (she didn't get nearly as far as I have, and today she regrets making that decision to not follow through). I have talked to them all about what it's like to be a teacher, and if they like their jobs. I have asked them what their favorite part of teaching is, and what they wish they could change. I felt like I knew what to expect when I get accepted to Fordham and began thinking about my student teaching and observation. It was not until I met with my Teaching Guru last wednesday that I realized I have never asked the real tough questions. My question that I asked my Guru, as well as two of the other teachers at my lunch table was "What is the one thing you had known before becoming a teacher?" It was a very interesting question, one that I had never thought to ask the people around me, and I am glad that I had. I got three, very different yet very important answers.

I am VERY bad with names, and forgot to write them down when I met with the teachers that day, so you will have to excuse me. The first teacher told me that camaraderie with other teachers is the most important thing to establish your first few years. If you have someone to fall back on, or someone to support you, it will make your first year x1000 better and more enjoyable. Friends and family can support you and listen to your problems, but the other teachers are the ones who probably know what you are going through and know exactly what you are talking about. They are also a great resource. they can answer your questions about teaching, the school, the students, the lesson or anything else. At the Center School, it seems like all the teachers depend on each other and is almost a small family. That is what I like so much about the school.

The second piece of advice I got from my guru was that the first 5 years will be the hardest. The first year you are doing everything, the second year you have the lesson plans and can change them up a little, but still developing your teaching style. The nest three years, new experiences are being thrown at you. By the 6th year, you will feel like you could teach in any environment. I think that this is important to know because teaching might be frustrating, and it might be scary, and we might not like it, but after that 5th year, it should be as great as everyone I know told me it would be. Each year will get easier and they will go by very quickly.

The 3rd piece of advice I got was that, yes the 1st year will be though but it all depends on the students. Some groups of students are better than others and if you are lucky enough to get great students than your first year will be much more pleasurable. This teacher said that it is always good to get those bad experiences; they make you a better teacher. But, they are very hard when you are going through them, especially when you are a first year teacher.

Being a teacher is a very hard profession, but as I continue to spend time at The Center School, I look more towards it every day!

My conversation with a Teaching Guru. (NL)

In my conversation with my cooperating teacher at SDC, Rebekah Shoaf, I learned that first day attitudes change the way students form opinions of a teacher, that it is important to realize when to take a break from thinking about school and students in order to revitalize yourself and your teaching, and that, as in anything, there will be good years and bad years. Rebekah explained to me that she is harder on the students at the beginning of the year in order to set the tone for the classroom. I was able to see her in action on Thursday and I am impressed by her skill of setting a no nonsense tone right at the doorway as students enter the room. She says as the year goes on she will allow the students more autonomy, but as for the beginning of the year, her students have to write in-class essays and do independent work before she will allow them to work in groups; the students have to prove themselves before they are allowed more independence in the classroom. I think this is a great idea and, throughout my years in high school, never had a teacher with this type of attitude. Before Wednesday, I never imagined myself as the teacher who gives an essay on the first day of school; however, after listening to Rebekah’s explanation on why she gives the students this assignment, I may consider this strategy (for an older class such as English 12- I don’t know how this would work out with eighth or ninth graders).

Rebekah told me she wished she had an ‘off’ button. She said learning how to turn her mind off and away from the students is something she wished someone told her when she first started teaching. It is a difficult task and she has yet to accomplish it. She said there are times when she wakes up in the middle of the night thinking about a specific student. The profession of being a teacher is obviously focused on the students and it is difficult to go home and leave all thoughts of the students at school; however, Rebekah said it is necessary to free your mind in order to accomplish other things. 

Similar to Kristen’s statement about teaching being a profession in which one must give it three years before giving up or quitting, Rebekah warned me that there will be horrible years, but also amazing years of teaching. She shared an experience with me about a time when she had the worst year and felt as though she did not want to be a teacher anymore, but then the next year was one of the best years she had. Remembering past good years and being optimistic about the years to come is the best way to persevere through the bad years. I am glad both Kristen and Rebekah shared these experiences as I know I will find myself in this situation and it is comforting to know that it is normal and that other teachers have been in the same situation. 

Nicole Liuzzo's Introduction

I am in my first full semester at Fordham in the M.S.T. Adolescence English program. I received my bachelor’s degree in English from the University at Albany in May and began summer courses at Fordham in July. I am originally from upstate New York and recently moved to Queens. I do not have any experience in the classroom yet and am excited to begin this journey. In my spare time I enjoy reading as often as possible and exploring my new neighborhood.

What Did You Learn From Your Teaching Guru? (LS)

Itis always very interesting to speak with someone about their craft, especially when they are giving a novice advice.  The over arching theme of our first day discussion was to be a firm but flexible teacher.  “Nothing ever goes as planned” I was told, “you have to be able to roll with the punches”.  First days for anything can be beyond nerve wracking, and as a potential teacher, the thought of the first day of school is both exhilarating and terrifying.  When I asked my cooperating and visiting teachers what they believed was the best way to start off the school year they told me that the first days should be about introductions and logistics.  By doing this, we allow our students to acclimate to the way we run our classrooms – something that is very important if we are going to have a successful school year.  Finally, as an aspiring English teacher, I was curious about the literature that is being studied in high schools today.  My experience, as I mentioned to my cooperating teachers, is with canonical literature – the classics if you will.  Although I am actively trying to become more fully versed in young adult literature, it is not currently my area of expertise.  My cooperating teachers explained the value of using young adult literature, not in place of, but as a supplement to the canonical literature, as it helps struggling readers, even simply uninterested readers, to become more fully immersed in both the literature and the lesson.

Laura Smith's Introduction

I graduated from Boston University in 2008 with dual degrees in English Literature and Comparative Religions.  After graduation I moved to Marietta Georgia to work with autistic children through equestrian therapy.  Working with these brave children, left me wanting to make a bigger impact on the lives of all children.  My love of all things words and writing made the selection of teaching English a natural one.  I believe that strong writing and reading skills build the foundation that all children need in order to excel in life.  It is my desire to become the most effective teacher I can be – so I may be able to show my students how to immerse themselves fully in the literature and to dive in head first to dissect it.  This will be my first experience teaching in the classroom setting.