School and Classroom Context

School and Classroom Context

Community Description:

The community in which I am teaching is of medium size, located in the Willamette Valley of Oregon. The town is home to a state university which has become the county’s largest employer, providing a large economic base for the community. In addition to the university, the economy is also reliant on timber and agricultural products, as well as two large high-tech employers. At the time of the last census, the median family income was fairly high; in 2000 it was $53,000. The educational background of the community is very high, with 93% of residents aged 25 or older having earned a high school diploma. The percentage of residents with a bachelor’s degree or higher was 53.1%. The population of the town is 85% White, 8% Hispanic, 4% Asian, and 3% of other racial/ethnic background.

The community is blessed to have many beautiful natural areas within a close distance. The town is located on the eastern foothills of the coast range and is a brief 50 minute drive from the coast. The town itself is home to many parks donated in order to preserve natural areas. An 11,250 acre forest was donated to the University for educational and research purposes. Much of this land is open for public recreation and enjoyment; trails are open for hiking, biking, and horseback riding. Adjacent to the school building in which I am student teaching is a large and popular aquatic center. Swim meets, lessons, and recreational swim time are all accommodated through this center. Many students from the school attend events and enjoy the aquatic center facilities.

School Description:

LPM is a school near the center of the city. Bus transportation is provided to students within the defined area of the school. The school building itself is new, built in 2003. The new building is U-shaped with two levels. There is an elevator to accommodate those who cannot use stairs. The 6th grade lockers and most classes are located in the lower west wing of the school, known as the 6th grade hall. The 7th grade lockers and classes are in the upper west wing, referred to as the 7th grade hall. The 8th grade lockers and classes are in the upper east wing, referred to as the 8th grade hall. There is some intermingling of the grades within the building, mostly where the gym and ESL rooms are located. There is an office near the entry of the school. Within the school there is also a large auditorium and a cafeteria commons area. Other facilities the school has include two computer labs that each fit one average sized class, two gymnasiums, a track and playing field, a climbing wall, and a band and orchestra room.

The school has 706 students in the 6th, 7th, and 8th grades. There are 237 students in the 6th grade, with 122 girls and 125 boys. There are 222 students in the 7th grade, with 104 girls and 118 boys. There are 247 students in the 8th grade, with 116 girls and 131 boys. Of these students in the school, 165 are designated as TAG, 93 are on an IEP, 69 are ELL, and 18 have a 504. There are eight known languages spoken in the school. These eight languages are English, Spanish, Hebrew, Vietnamese, Tagalong, Russian, Chinese, and Arabic. The economic demographics of LPM are reflected by the number of free and reduced lunches provided, which is for about 46% of the student body. This is a relatively high number compared to other schools in the surrounding area.

Classroom Description:

The classroom is designated for science due to its size and amenities. Unlike many laboratory classrooms the tables are moveable and are not equipped with electric outlets, sinks, air, or gas valves. However the room does have three sinks, three gas sources (not at the tables), and a science storage room that is kept locked at all times. It is the largest classroom in the school, with the space to accommodate about 40 students. Tables are positioned in eight groups with four to six students seated at each table group. The teacher has a large table at the front of the classroom on which to set a laptop computer and other classroom supplies. There is also a teacher desk at the west side of the classroom and a table for the student teacher. A wall of large windows lines the west side of the classroom. A fish tank, many plants, and examples of student work are present in the classroom. The room is also equipped with a whiteboard, a TV and DVD player, a Smart Board, a PRS (personal response system) set-up, a visualizer (digital overhead), and a printer. There is also a set of laptop computers available to check out for classroom use. Two stream tables are available as instructional tools and are used frequently by students during a unit on weathering and erosion as part of the state required work sample.

I am teaching a unit on weather in this 8th grade Earth Science classroom. There are twenty-eight students in this class, 13 females and 15 males. Seven students are designated as talented and gifted (TAG). Two students are on IEP’s and have been identified as having autism spectrum disorder and reading/writing comprehension difficulty.

English, Spanish, and Vietnamese are languages spoken in the classroom. Two students have been identified as ELL. One ELL student is at the intermediate level in terms of state testing for ELL students. The intermediate designation indicates the student has been in US schools for one to three years and demonstrates good comprehension of general meaning; this student is at the social language stage. The second ELL student has tested as advanced, indicating he has the ability to comprehend academic language and has been in the US school system for five to seven years.

While SES levels are known for the community and the school (see community and school sections), they are not available for the classroom. I was able to view records for the numbers of students in the school who are on free and reduced lunch, but was not granted access to actual names of students who qualify for this.

Accommodations:

In order to accommodate students on IEP’s the recommendations set forth in their educational plans are adhered to. Examples of accommodations include: homework deadline extensions, print-outs of notes and PowerPoint presentations, clarification of instructions, and separation of large projects into smaller more manageable tasks.

Accommodations for ELL students may include the inclusion of an ELL teacher in the classroom, printed notes and PowerPoint presentations, clarification of instructions, and avoidance of slang English terminology.

Students identified as TAG will be given relevant extensions to activities and assignments as needed. These extensions will not be simply additional work, but will be given in order to provide challenge and motivation to the students.