Prompt #7

This experience over the last ten weeks has really shown me that teaching has both positive and negative outcomes. It has taught me that every student is different and really do have their own stories, not one is exactly the same. Some have single parents, some are taken care of by other guardians for one reason or another, some have more money than others and some students live in a home where English is never spoken or understood.

One girl named Erin, in particular really taught me about caring and going that one extra step further to help the students. It’s not that they don’t want to learn or understand they just aren’t familiar with how to. I would try and change up how I was teaching certain activities/lessons really helped her, and a number of other students understand better. I can finally see her picking up on things little by little, and putting all the pieces together. She has improved so much in the short amount of time I’ve been going to Joseph L. Smith Elementary School.

This other student named Steven also helped me a lot in forming the beginning of my teacher’s identity. He is five years old like most of the other children in the class but mentally is at a three year old level. They school councilor is having a hard time trying to figure out what is the exact problem behind it all, and has expected Mrs. Blue on a number of occasions to put forth all attention to this one boy. Yes he needs help but so does every other student in the classroom. So Mrs. Blue has showed me a very successful way of trying to keep Steven on track and understanding what is going on while making sure none of the other students are losing out. When I work with Steven one on one he has taught me how to be patient while trying to get him to understand the necessary information, also by thinking outside the box to try and come up with ways to get him to understand. It isn’t his fault he was placed in this class were he obviously is behind, so why should he be left to suffer.

Many of the other students with their different backgrounds have also helped me realize that children need us. Not only to teach them, but to really allow them to grow and learn as much as they can for a successful future, also to feel important because not everyone of them will get it within their homes, unfortunately. They need us to really enjoy what we are doing, to care, to understand, to support and to encourage them. I always had assumptions of what I thought a teacher needed to be like but now I have such a better understanding. Not all teachers feel the same way though, and there are plenty out there that just don’t care. I don’t want to be one of them, and these students really showed me that I can’t be, it’s not fair to them.

I can also say that Mrs. Blue has truly showed me what a “good” teacher is like. She always goes that extra mile sometimes even spending her own money, even though she doesn’t have to, just so her students can receive a better experience while learning. She understands that everyone doesn’t have the same home life and works to do her best to try and supply them with the necessary things to take home with them, such as books and math activities. I’ve talked to another individual helping out within the same elementary school but with the other kindergarten teacher. He said she was nothing like mine, I got extremely lucky. It was a very positive experience that has shown me the teacher I want and need to be to benefit the students for their whole lives, not just while they are with me for a year.

This experience has really changed me for the better and I have come out of it with so much. It reminds me of the Joseph Kahne and Joel Westheimer’s article: In the Service of What? The Politics of Service Learning. I didn’t just end up going to the school to go there as a form of charity and to receive the credit for the hours I needed for the service learing section of this class. I went because I was gaining something from it while I was helping the students who needed it. Each one of the kids I have assisted in the time I have been there has improved so much it’s amazing to me. They have also helped me start forming my teaching identity. Everyone of us benefited from this experience.

Prompt #1

Driving up into the area is very different than the surroundings I am used to encountering. Joseph L. Smith Elementary School is placed right in the middle of the streets just like a house would be. There is just enough parking availible too, so all visitors are left to find a spot on the roads. In result, the school has two floors with a basement, compared to the one floor spread out elementary schools I’m used to seeing. Also, every person going into the building has to ring a buzzer, where there is a camera that's connected to the main office so they can see who it is before they let an individual into the building. More times than not, there are two classes at once in a small lunchroom participating in physical education, with two different teachers. Causing so many distractions, I don't know how they expect students to pay attention.


One of the first artifacts everyone sees when they walk in is a bulletin board. The board has a painting of a child with the quote “Children should be seen, heard, and believed.” It brings up the idea of rupturing boarders, that not every student has the same experiences as the next, or the same form of family up-bringing. Just like in Dennis Carlson’s’ Gayness, Multicultural Education, and Community article portrays within his five principles of democratic, multicultural pedagogy. These teachers in this elementary school and especially my teacher Mrs. Blue realize that every students voice needs to be heard and protected. Their imaginations are going wild at such young ages and teachers need to let them speak and get involved with discussions. They don’t hold the children responsible for what they can’t change, they are there to help and teach. Mrs. Blue doesn't consider one gender or race to be superior to any other individual in the class. Mrs. Blue also takes it upon herself to supplies every student in her class with two bags; a math one and a reading one. The students get to take them home for the week so if there is a situation where a parent or guardian can’t afford to buy books, the students are not losing out. She was in a way rupturing the borders like Carlson's third principle, she was allowing everyone to be equal and on the same level. Even if people had more at home she gave them books and math activities too so no one knew the difference. Everyone was on the same level and felt equal to one another within the classroom. She is honestly there for her students and will do whatever extra she can to help them succeed.


As I finally make it into Mrs. Blue’s classroom, one can see that she has things set up in all different areas, but it works for her. She favors bringing the students to the rug and going over the material there and then having them go back to their assigned seats to finish the work as she walks around and helps anyone that needs it. She also has an assistant in the room helping her out at all times, in hope that no student loses out during any activity. (Refer back to the picture at the top, I couldn't figure out how to get it to show up after this paragraph)

The schools positive behavior plan; which they call the “Smith Fabulous Four,” is Respect, Responsibility, Achievement, and Safety. Every teacher strongly believes in following and having the students follow this plan too. Mrs. Blue actually has a bulletin board dedicated to the Smith Fabulous Four right in her classroom, allowing students to see it every day. So no one can say they did not know what the schools behavior plan was. If these rules, or terms are followed and teachers witness these acts they can hand out “Smith Cash.” The cash can also be taken away if students are not following the rules. For example, when a teacher is walking in the hall or happens to be looking out the door and sees students walking quietly, respecting the fact that teaching is going on, they can receive Smith Cash. The opposite can take place too, money can be taken away if students are running through the halls and being loud. Then once a month the school store comes around to every class and the students can buy things with this money. So it is essentially free! It only takes a little good behavior. The students love it; it gives them something to work for. Or in the teachers eyes a form of rewards in hope to get the students that act up to behave.