There are three ways to learn something: to read about it, to watch it, or to actually do it. This is the watching part of me becoming a teacher. The closest I can come to teaching, as a college student without an actual degree, is my field experience. This is where I observe a teacher and learn everything from how effectively teach to how to handle conflict in the classroom efficiently.
The school I am observing at is located in a conservative northeast Ohio town. Walking into the school for the first time I became highly aware of my surroundings. Each hall was labeled and said precisely how many rooms were down the hallway. The architectural aspects of the building, such as the ceiling, floor tiles and lockers gave off a very modern vibe. Even the style of the unique green chairs gave off a sense of contemporary design. To me everything was shinny and sparkling. The lights are bright and the paint on the bricks is fresh. When I got to the gym, the first thing I noticed was the almost new floor. The next thing that stuck out was the bleachers. They are dark green and plastic, not the old wooden kinds like most gyms have.
The eighth grade students were piling into the gym in clumps of three or four kids at a time. They all went directly into their respected locker rooms and knew exactly what to do without question. They had clearly been previously taught a routine. The teacher greeted a select few and without stopping they responded. Within a few minutes they all made their way out of the locker room and sat against the gym wall. Boys on one end, girls on the other. The female teacher was with the girls and the male teacher with the boys. They each took row call and then class began.
A few key points I found intriguing:
Instead of being told to run around the gym so many laps, the teachers play popular, upbeat music while the kids run, skip, and dance while moving to the rhythm.
Also, on the second day I was informed that none of the kids in this school district are taught Sex Education. (More to come on the thoughts of no sex education)
This school also has one of the ingenious things I’ve ever seen. They have a volleyball net that is suspended from poles and ropes hanging from the ceiling. Meaning, no poles in the floor to set up the nets. To help visualize, the net is on the same type of contraption as a suspended basketball hoop.
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This building sounds really nice, and well put together. One thing I found interesting about this was that the boys and girls did not sit together in the gym and that the teachers were put with students because of gender, not just by random selection. I am very interested to see why that is the way it is. I also would like to know why the students are not taught any form of sexual education! I can't wait for your next post!
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like you are at a very nice school with a lot of new technology incorporated into it. I also like how the staff keeps the school so well maintained by keeping it clean and tidy. I think it is interesting how the boys and girls are kept separate. I understand why they are kept separate at the beginning of the gym class, but are they kept separate for the whole class time? I also like how there is a female and male teacher. I think that if there are separate teachers for the class, the students are more likely to participate because they feel less intimidated. I cannot believe the students are not provided with a sexual education class! I’m interested to see your future post about this topic.
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