While observing at P.S 105 X in The Bronx, Mrs. Downs’s second grade classroom is a surprisingly calm, regular classroom with 25 students. The classroom was filled with the students, teacher and paraprofessional. Usually, there is another co-teacher in the classroom; however, she was on maternity leave. When entering the classroom, I could see on the other side of the room, against the windows the wall was filled with books, as well as bins in the back of the classroom. The wall is switched out each month with different books that go along with the unit. Above the window’s hung posters of student’s work relating to literacy essential questions. The opposite wall was a word wall filled with words from A-Z. As the students put away their belongings, their first task is to put away their books they took home with them and pick out two new ones, which they had a bag labeled “Book Buddy.” The students prepared for the first lesson of the day, which was reading.
The students have been learning about Fairytales, and currently were focusing on Hansel and Gretel. Mrs. Downs sets a purpose for reading by creating an AIM each day that the students need to accomplish. According to Mrs. Downs, she focuses on reading in the morning, because based on her assessment of the students during this time it is when they are engaged the most. While observing during this day, the lesson was focusing on …show more content…
Downs focuses on thematic literature units, where each week there is a theme and there are books associated with the theme. (Roe, B. D. & Smith, H. (2012)) The book choices give the students the opportunity to indulge in different genres and choose a book of interest. When students have the ability to choose, this provides motivation for the students to read. Mrs. Downs also uses visual representation, which facilitated through the poster boards on the wall. (Roe, B. D. & Smith, H. (2012)) There were pictures of the elements spoken throughout the book, along with student’s
The students have been learning about Fairytales, and currently were focusing on Hansel and Gretel. Mrs. Downs sets a purpose for reading by creating an AIM each day that the students need to accomplish. According to Mrs. Downs, she focuses on reading in the morning, because based on her assessment of the students during this time it is when they are engaged the most. While observing during this day, the lesson was focusing on …show more content…
Downs focuses on thematic literature units, where each week there is a theme and there are books associated with the theme. (Roe, B. D. & Smith, H. (2012)) The book choices give the students the opportunity to indulge in different genres and choose a book of interest. When students have the ability to choose, this provides motivation for the students to read. Mrs. Downs also uses visual representation, which facilitated through the poster boards on the wall. (Roe, B. D. & Smith, H. (2012)) There were pictures of the elements spoken throughout the book, along with student’s