The red and brown brick exterior of Lindsay Thurber Comprehensive High School loomed large in the distance. As I approached the parking lot I could hear the thumping beats of the latest offerings from Justin Bieber and Iggy Azalea, courtesy of a nearby group of students huddled at their vehicles, awaiting the first bell sounding the start of another school day. Although I was initially intimidated by the prospect of being around students nearly 20 years my junior, I soon realized that my fear was unfounded, as a girl with multi-colored hair and facial piercings held the front door open for me with a welcoming smile on her face.
Having successfully navigated the school grounds and parking lot, my next challenge was to locate the office to report for my observation. I managed to arrive at the office on time, and was soon assigned to the Language Arts classroom of Ms. Lisa Olesen.
Ms. Olesen's classroom was located in the farthest corner of the north-east corridor of the first floor. Upon entrance into the classroom, I was immediately greeted by a warm smile and firm handshake from Ms. Olesen, who promptly introduced me to the students, explained my presence, and implored the class to remain respectful and well-behaved for the duration of my visit. Observing the students assured me that such a reminder was unnecessary as all of the students were quietly seated, facing the teacher, and prepared to commence the warm-up activity I had briefly interrupted during my arrival.
The Grade 11 students began their nearly 80 minute class with a daily activity called "The Mug Shot". This activity required students to provide feedback on how to correct the errors in a sentence from a previous student's work (which was referred to as a "mug shot") that was projected onto the smart board. The offending mug shot of the day was of a run-on sentence. A sea of raised hands indicated that the students were confident in their understanding of various language arts concepts, including the run-on sentence. The activity further served to develop and improve the writing skills of students. The learning environment was one of positivity, respect and mutual affection between the students and their teacher.
Following the warm-up activity, students were instructed to gather into groups to continue their work on a project for a literary piece by Edgar Allan Poe, entitled "The Cask of Amontillado". Students were permitted to work in the classroom, or in adjacent hallways and the library, which suggested a high level of trust between the teacher and her students. Ms. Olesen periodically checked on the groups of students to answer questions about the short story and/or the assignment, which was a re-telling of the story from the perspective of various characters. The group project consumed the remaining 70 minutes of class.
The grade 11 class was followed by a 45 minute period known as "Flex Time". During this period students were permitted to catch up on homework, visit with teachers to receive assistant on assignments/course material, or simply relax. This was a relatively new addition to the high school schedule, and preliminary findings demonstrated a significant increase of high school completion rates and a decrease in student stress levels. I was thoroughly impressed by the initiative of the school to tackle the issues of high school drop-outs and student anxiety.
The final class of the morning was a grade 9 honors class. Ms. Olesen began the class by reviewing previously assigned homework . The rest of the class was devoted to the continuation of the movie-adaptation of the novel, "Stardust". The novel was chosen to explore the fantasy genre. The movie was intermittently paused to discuss the theme of the story and types of characters observed by students. The use of media to reinforce student learning and understanding is a tactic I plan on utilizing in my future classrooms, as I believe that it is an effective way to engage students and assist them in achieving their learning goals.
The ease with which Ms. Olesen managed her classroom was admirable and inspiring. While remaining professional at all times, Ms. Olesen conveyed warmth, passion and a sincere dedication to both her students and her subject matter. My observations of her classroom served to solidify my desire to one day become a high school Language Arts instructor.
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