During the Beachwood Middle School visit, I was placed in a 8th grade language arts class and a 6th grade classroom. Upon entering the classroom, I could immediately tell the difference between the early childhood classroom and the middle school classroom which is to be expected. The one item that grabbed my attention was the weekly calendar that was on the dry erase board along with the calendar of "important dates". I thought this was a helpful aid that benefits the students in case they forget about an assignment or forget to write it down.
The teacher, who is a John Carroll graduate, I believed had a good handle of his class. I remember being in junior high and the class would get out of hand often. The teacher was able to have a fun, upbeat approach to learning but he had the respect of his students. The balance of being fun, yet serious at the same time I think is important in the classroom setting.
Another aspect of the teacher I liked was that he gave participation points for students that simply raised their hand in attempt to answer questions. After he announced that to the class the incentive for kids to answer questions seemed to rise. The teacher also did not believe in testing vocabulary words. I was not sure if I agreed with this aspect of teaching or not. He believed that vocabulary is not meant to be tested. He would rather see the vocabulary being used in everyday conversation or in essays. Although this makes sense, How does the teacher know if these kids are learning their material?
The teacher talked a lot about high school to the 8th graders. I think they enjoyed hearing this because it gave them something to look forward to. Rather it be a teachers teaching style they may encounter, or a possible book, the kids seemed excited to learn about the rings they may be learning in the near future.
Giving extra time for assignments in the first quarter is another aspect of teaching I did not know how I felt about. Junior high, a new school year, and a new teacher is a lot to get used to. If kids are aware they have extra time to turn in assignments if they are not done by the due date in the first quarter, will students take advantage of this? Will they continue to do this throughout the whole year? Although the teacher made it clear this only is allowed in the first quarter, I believe it is setting up a bad habit.
The second classroom I went in was a 6th grade classroom. Right off the bat, the students came in and started working on their assignments immediately. The teacher observed and went around the classroom talking to the various students. Compared to the experience I had in the elementary classrooms, I was surprised the teacher did not give an introduction to the day and its plans. The teacher did have a word of the day which I think helped the students get into an academic mind frame as soon as they walked into the classroom. I liked that the teacher gave the students the option to work solo or as a group for projects. Although, I liked that this option was given, I think it is important for students to be able to work in groups. Working in groups will help for a variety of reasons. As a student you have to be able to solve disagreements, see others view points, and learn to split-up the responsibility and realize that people are depending on you.
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