AM Visit
What evidence of student learning and engagement did you observe throughout the day?
I observed students being engaged through the day, as teachers made their classes a fun and comforting place to be. For example, I noticed a lot of activities were played. The school day started off with an “Assembly Area.” The teachers I was with had their students play a game in which they were to politely wish each other a good morning, rolling a giant dice to determine who their partner would be. Another game I observed was “Here 's my rhythm, Now check my beat.” I believe this game was meant as an energizer.
The learning environment was nice as well. In many classes, students’ desks had bungee cords attached to the bottom. …show more content…
When the students were practising cursive, they were also working on their phonics. Every time they wrote a letter, they practiced the sound the letter makes. Alternatively, they pretended to write letters in the air with their fingers when practicing phonics. Everyone was always doing something.
Describe the academic and social-emotional support teachers provided students to promote child development and learning.
To support student learning and development, Assets works to support students’ individual needs. Encouragement and specific praise are freely given and the teachers were quick to smile and laugh along with their students, acting silly at times, but stern when it was necessary. The school has an 8-1 ratio of students to teachers. Most of the classrooms I visited has co-teachers, usually ones who specialized in different areas. This allowed the teachers to take turns and work off of each other. Teachers used a variety of learning styles to teach children (visual, auditory, kinesthetic, etc.)
Students are given private individual counseling to find out if anything is bothering them. Teachers try to help if they can, but if the problem is serious, students are taken to see the counselors. One strategy to soothe upset students was by taking them to see Munchies, the friendly campus …show more content…
I really liked Assets’ “Point-Out,” system and I would seriously consider using it as a strategy when I start in my own classroom. Oftentimes, to discipline a student, a teacher will have to focus all of his/her attention of that student. This can take away valuable class time. Furthermore, the teacher normally tell the students what they did wrong and asks them not to do it again. In point-out, students reflect on what they did wrong, which I imagine would be considerably more effective.
In the first classroom I was placed at, a ball was thrown during instruction. One of the teachers sent a student to point-out. Immediately, another student stood up, admitted responsibility, and volunteered to go to point-out as well. I do not think I have ever seen students willingly admit to the teacher that they were in the wrong when they were not caught. Point-out is not a punishment, so students are more open to taking responsibility for their