TCC Field Experience Form

Trinity Christian College Field Experience Form

Context for Learning

Description of School and Students

About the School Where You Are Observing or doing Field Experience

School Name and City: West Side Christian School, Grand Rapids MI

Type of School: Elementary school, Middle School, High School, or Other:  Elementary

Setting: Urban, Suburban, or Rural: Suburban

Write your responses to the three questions below in paragraph form.

1.    List any special features of the school or classroom setting (e.g., themed magnet, classroom aide, bilingual, co-taught with a special education teacher, pull-out program).

In this fifth grade classroom, there are four students that are pulled-out for reading and math to spend time in the "learning lab" or resource room. In addition to this, there is a student with autism and an IEP. In this classroom, there is also a part-time aide. She is there to help these four students for a couple of hours throughout the day. She makes sure they are on task and she pulls them out for extra help on math and reading. Last, this classroom is filled with Bible verses and posters.

2.    Describe any district, school, or cooperating teacher requirements or expectations that affects the planning or delivery of instruction, such as required curricula, pacing plan, use of specific instructional strategies, or standardized tests.

The only thing that my cooperating teacher mentioned was an RTI program that is being used from early grades on. There is one standardized test that is required each year and she plans her curricula around it.

3.    For special education only: List any educators with specialized expertise in the school/district (e.g., specific disabilities, subject-specific pedagogy, English language development, speech therapists).

About the Students in this Class [Excited about learning!]

1.    Estimated percentage of students eligible for free/reduced lunch: 1 (they do not have free/reduced lunch at this school, but the teacher makes sure to pack extra on certain days)

2.    Grade level(s): 2nd-5th

3.    Number of

a.    students in the class: 21

b.    males: 9

females: 12

c.     English language learners: 0

d.    students identified as gifted and talented: 0

e.    students with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) or 504 plans: 1

4.    Complete the chart below to summarize required accommodations or modifications for students receiving special education services and/or students who are gifted and talented as they will affect instruction. As needed, consult with your cooperating teacher to complete the chart. The first row has been completed in italics as an example. Use as many rows as you need.

Special Education Category	Number of Students	Accommodations, Modifications, and/or Pertinent IEP Goals
Example: Learning Disability	Example: 4	Example: Close monitoring, follow up, and Resource Room
autism	1	individual aide, resource room, IEP, monitoring, modifications and accommodations
problems with reading and math	4	resource room, monitoring

About the Class You Observed

1.    How much time is devoted each day to instruction in the classroom? Describe the class periods (if applicable)? Choose a content area of your specialty or major. How much time is devoted to teaching that subject?

About half of the time the teacher is instructing the class and the other half is time where the students are doing individual work and learning. The class periods consist of the teacher teaching, the students doing more research on their own, and group work. I specifically am interested in special education, and there is around 2 periods of the day where the students who need help are given it in the resource room. They are given help with speech and other specific subjects.

2.    Is there any ability grouping or tracking? If so, please describe how it affects your class.

There are five students being tracked. Four of these five are being tracked specifically on reading and math. During reading and math time, these four students are pulled out to work on it in the resource room with the aide. The fifth student has autism. He is 15 years old and is at a second grade level in the fifth grade. He has his own aide and is pulled out for a majority of the day. 

3.    Identify any textbook or instructional program you primarily use for instruction. If a textbook, please provide the title, publisher, and date of publication.

RTI is the main program that is being used for instruction at this school. 

4.    List other resources (e.g., SMARTBoard, manipulatives, online resources) used for instruction in this class.

Some outside resources being used in this classroom are TV, Oregon trail game, computer lab, and power points.

5. What do you know about what your students know, what can they do, and what are they learning to do? What do you know about your students’ everyday experiences, cultural backgrounds and practices, and interests?

  

The students in this classroom know a lot about the history of the United States, they also know a lot about the different systems of the body, and they know about animals, seasons, and plants. The students have been tracking a certain area outside through all of the seasons. They have observed the plants, animals, and have learned vocabulary and more to go along with it. The students have made body posters about the different body systems. Last, they have been learning about the Oregon Trail and have done several projects with this subject. The majority of these students come from white-middle class homes. Most are interested in school, sports, and their church. 

6. Describe one teaching event. What best practices in teaching were used?

One teaching event I really enjoyed was Outdoor Math Measurements. This was an activity where the teacher reviewed all they had learned about measurements in math and how to find the area and perimeter in class. Once the instruction was done, the students were able to pick a friend and go outside and try to complete a worksheet. This worksheet had the students estimating the perimeter around the school in feet and then having them actually calculate it. Also, it had them measuring parking spaces and finding the area and perimeter of them. This was awesome! It gave the students the freedom to choose where to go and what to measure. It was hands-on and was fun! It also helped them work together to solve problems like how to change the yards into feet and the feet into inches. It was a great way to be outside and make learning fun.