Classroom Context

January 29

2014Rashad Paige Dr. B.Hicks EDUC 450

Mellichamp Elementary School is located in Orangeburg, South Carolina. The principal of this

Grade A school is Mr. Hayward Jean. During the 2011- 2012 school year Mellichamp received a

31.5 (F) on the federal accountability report card. However, with the hard work of dedicated

teachers, students, and administrators, along with the phenomenal instructional leadership

support of the district and school board leaders, Mellichamp earned a 94.5 (A) on the federal

accountability report during the 2012-2013 school year. Mellichamp recognizes that there is still

much more work to be done in order for 100% of the students to reach academic success.

My assigned class for my student teaching at Mellichamp is with Mrs. Kimberly Farmer fifth

grade class. Within the classroom, there is a total amount of thirty-three students. Eighty- eight

percent of the students are African American, and twelve percent are Hispanic. In Mrs. Farmer’s

class, there are seventeen boys and sixteen girls. Consistently, the class demonstrates behavior

that needs to be monitored constantly by both teachers. They are mostly talkative and the class

has a select few who need extra accommodations for learning. Overall, they are an intelligent

group led by an experienced teacher who has a solid classroom management plan.

Classroom Materials and Resources

Data Wall

Smartboard/Whiteboard

Morning Procedure List

Anchor Charts

Pencil Sharpener

Crayons

Pencils

Computer Paper

Books

Computers

Mrs. Farmer has anchor charts posted inside her classroom where all students can see them. The

anchor charts enhances students learning by reinforcing previous learned concepts. There are a

lot of charts I could of took a picture of, but I chose to focus on the anchor chart which covered

the rules on capitalization. I chose to highlight this anchor chart to demonstrate the innovative

way in which my teacher used the rules of capitalization.

This picture depicts the classroom environment, in the picture are students’ desk, anchor charts,

the class Smartboard, the teacher’s desk, etc... The Smartboard, is used during instruction to

display activities, PowerPoints, and other instructional materials for students. Also pictured is the

whiteboard that Mrs. Farmer uses to write directions. Above these boards, Mrs. Farmer has Math

posters as well as ELA posters above the boards to add to her learning environment.

Mrs. Farmer is a strong advocate for students being accountable for their learning; her bulletin

board in the back of the class displays students’ names and where they rank in the data system.

The data is consistent with the results of students’ benchmark tests. After conferencing with Mrs.

Farmer she explained the strategy behind displaying students’ academic statuses in the

classroom. She started using this strategy last year a two months before PASS testing began. She

explained that last year students when they found out where their academic performance stood

some were upset and some became motivated to do better. The results were that last year’s fifth

grade class had over eighty percent proficient in ELA. It is her hopes that the same thing happens

this year with this group of fifth graders.

This is a picture of one of the word walls located in Mrs. Farmer’s class.

Before starting the lesson the teacher has students participate in a vocabulary activity. The

teacher says a definition of a word from the wall and it is the student’s role to say the word he or

she defines. This particular word wall covers words from the Science content.

Displayed on this part of the white board, Mrs. Farmer has a space where she displays the

standards that are being taught week by week. She has the standards for Math, Science, Social

Studies, and ELA posted. Mrs. Farmer also has the classroom jobs for the week displayed,

students are chosen based on behavior from the previous week.

Mrs. Farmer has her classroom has her morning procedures posted on the right corner

wall inside her classroom where all students can see them. The procedures let students know

protocol to ensure that classroom disruptions and confusion do not happen in the class to begin

the day. It describes what to do when entering the classroom, what to have out to be checked by

the teacher, what activity to do to start the day, and what to do next.