Thursday, Februrary 8th (4-6)
All staff and students have pseudonyms.
3:50pm
As I walk into CCHS on Thursday February 8th, I see about 5 students waiting in the lobby of the school. Since this is my first visit, I try to go to the front office; after explaining that I'm a tutor for Foothills, the receptionist unlocks one of the glass doors to the hallway for me. I go to the door labeled "Foothills;" the woman that I met last week is inside. I remind her about who I am, and she allows me to sign in with the notebook that contains a sheet for each tutor. After completing that, she tells me that I'm early, and that Mr. Dodd., one of the Foothills English teachers, will be here shortly; I wait standing in the hall, unsure what to do. In a few moments, a man in a button-down and khakis comes to the little office. The woman introduces us; this is Mr. Dodd. We head to a classroom down the hallway.
We enter one of CCHS's math classrooms located not too far from the office; it is decked out with big post-it notes displaying graphs written by students on the dry-erase board, huge math posters explaining various concepts on the wall, and computers. The computers occupy the front and side walls of the room; there are 5 tables with enough chairs at each for 4 people. A tall woman with black hair, glasses around her neck, and black clothes comes in the room with papers, a bag, and a laptop. Mr. Dodd. introduces me to her; her name is Dr. Meyer. We all side down at a table together. Dr. Dodd asks me about my major, what class this service learning is for, and what classes I am currently taking. He says he knows some of my professors. As I talk to him and Dr. Meyer, students come in.
4pm
There are 5 students that are here. One student sits at the table with myself, Dr. Meyer, and Mr. Meyer. Dr. Meyer gives her one of the three Chromebooks she has with her.
"Some students like to use the Chromebooks, especially Deanna [student seated at the table]. She doesn't like to sit with the boys." Dr. Meyer explains to me as Deanna laughs.
Deanna takes out a composition notebook that has pages of handwritten notes. She opens the Chromebook and logs onto the Foothills website. Dr. Meyer goes around the room and turns on most of the computers along the walls. The other four students that are here are seated at the desktop computers and are logging in. Dr. Meyer explains that Mr. Dodd and herself are there to monitor the students, help when they are needed, and enter a password that the students need to take a quiz or test. She shows me on a computer what the students see when they are on the Foothills program and what the teachers see. The teachers can see all of the students in the system, their grades, and what classes they are currently working on. She gives me the code needed to start quizzes or tests; she informs me that they will ask for it and I am to pick up the keyboard, so that the student doesn't see the code. Dr. Meyer tells me that the students must make an 80% or higher for the quiz or test to count. If students don't make an 80 or higher, Dr. Dodd or herself go over the quiz or test with them orally; she explains that some students work better this way. They are then allowed to retake the quiz or test after Mr. Dodd or Dr. Meyer puts in a special code. Dr. Meyer shows me a thick folder labeled "IEPS" laying on the table closest to us; she tells me that I can look at this anytime I'm helping a student to see if they need any accommodations. I look through it and see various kinds of accommodations such as "read questions aloud," or "allow 70% or higher on tests."
Mr. Dodd tells me that there are usually 12 students here in the beginning, although there are only 5 here now. There is a student sitting at the desktop computer closest to the door; another student using the computer closest to the door on the adjacent wall; two students sitting together in the very corner of the classroom at computers, and one student, Deanna , sitting with us.
Dr. Dodd has his own laptop that he opens and logs onto; by this time, the students are working on their classes. The teachers and I are at our table; I anxiously look around the room, hoping a student would raise their hand for assistance. No one does. The room is filled with the sound of typing and the ticking of the wall clock. Deanna is busy writing notes from the lesson she's working on. I get up and walk around. The students are doing various lessons at their own pace; some of them are even working on different classes such as ecology or American history. Looking over one of the students' shoulder, I watch as he clicks answers and moves on.
4:30pm
I am at the table with Dr. Meyer and Mr. Dodd. Since I am taking some notes for my blog, I occupy my time with observing the students working on the computers. Mr. Dodd begins talking about a student.
"I wonder where [student's name I didn't catch] has been. We haven't seen him for a few weeks." Mr. Dodd says to Dr. Meyer.
"I know he got a new job, but hopefully we'll see him soon. Maybe I can talk to [director's name] about him, to see if he's heard anything." Dr. Meyer replies.
It hits me. Some of the students work during the day, making this nontraditional opportunity to get their high school diploma very important to them. Maybe some of them don't click with the way normal school works as Mr. Dodd said earlier. Maybe there are less distractions for some students here, left to work on their classes on a computer in a classroom with only a few students doing the same. Maybe some students like the extra one-on-one time available to them with a teacher, instead of being in a classroom with one teacher and 24 peers.
Occasionally, I walk around in room; I don't want to just sit there and do nothing. I want the students to know that they can ask me a question if they need help. No one does though.
5pm
Another student comes in and automatically sits at the computer. Mr. Dodd says welcomes him and says hello.
The director of Foothills comes in with a student; he informs the teachers that the student needs to take the "US Georgia Assessment." Dr. Meyer gives the student one of the Chromebooks, and the student sits at the table next to ours to begin the test. She asks him if he was in the Foothills program at another school; he replies with the names of two other schools where he attended Foothills. Since he already has a login for the program, he begins quickly and Dr. Meyer sits down.
A student breaks the silence that follows the last scene by asking for access to a test. Dr. Meyer asks if I want to do it, and I rush to the opportunity to help. After putting in the code, I sit back down.
Dr. Meyer gets out a tiny bag of Cheez-Its, and Mr. Dodd has a zip-lock bag of a orange slices that he begins eating. I immediately wish I had a snack too. Other students have brought drinks with them, including Deanna.
There are now 10 students in the classroom. After making less than the required score on a quiz, a student comes over to Dr. Meyer for help. She asks him to come to the table with the Chromebook that he's working on, and she gives me access to take it again. She reads the questions aloud, and asks the questions in her own words. The student gets every answer right, now given the chance to talk the questions out. Dr. Meyer encourages him and jokingly asks why he didn't do this the first time since he clearly knew the answers. The student laughs, says "I don't know," and thanks her for helping him.
Deanna, sitting beside me, continues writing extensive notes. She uses highlighters to emphasize certain points or lines. Her handwriting is big on the tiny notebook, and she writes pretty fast.
I give more students access to tests and quizzes upon request; other than that, I spend my time observing the students, and the reactions of the teachers of the students.
5:30pm
Two more students come in; as I look around, I realize that some students have left without my notice. According to Mr. Dodd, students can come and go as they choose.
Another student asks me to unlock a test for him; I do it. He introduces himself to me; this is the first time I've really spoken to another student other than Deanna. It feels good to be acknowledged. His name is Phil.
A student comes in and asks Dr. Meyer for a Chromebook. She gives him the remaining one, and he immediately heads for the door. Dr. Meyer calls after him and asks why doesn't he stay in here to do work. The student says that he wants to be in another room.
Mr. Dodd informs me that the students are given a break at 6pm, where they are given snacks. He says, "They are given a lot of incentives [to stay and work]."
Deanna, finished with her note-taking, asks if I will put in the code for her test; I do. She says that she's going to work through the break. Deanna takes out a bag of chips, and begins her test. She tells me that initially she thought I was a student too. I laugh and say, "I'm a college student, so you're not completely wrong."
Mr. Deanna walks around the room; he stands in the doorway of the classroom. He talks to some students in the hallway. I can tell the students are getting anxious for the break. They talk more than they have all afternoon. Mr. Dodd comes back in the room and heads towards a group of three male students sitting one-by-one at the computers; they are talking loudly and laughing. He tries to push them to work more; he brings up the break that will take place in a few short minutes. He uses a casual tone, making the prompting funny. The students joke back, and Mr. Dodd asks them about sports, something the students seem to enjoy in their free time.
Dr. Meyer is busy trying to get a student that just arrived logged onto the system. The student, who attended Foothills at other school, keeps getting denied; Dr. Meyer looks her up on Foothills. It takes a few minutes for the student to successfully log in.
The student who came in earlier, asked for the Chromebook to use, and then left comes back in and sits down at a table in the back. I wonder why he decided to come back in.
It is 6pm, and Mr. Dodd announces the break. I take the break as a good time to end my first visit to CCHS.
Reflection:
I have never been in the kind of learning setting like Foothills; honestly, I've never given it much thought since I am a future middle or high school teacher. I didn't know what to expect. In the beginning, I did not like it; as a teacher candidate, I felt helpless that a student didn't ask me for help with a question. Instead they worked on their own. I couldn't understand how the students were learning, or why they would rather be at school in the late afternoon and night. From my past experiences in schools, I'm accustomed to being approached with a question or for help. Students have carried on conversations with me and wanted to know who this strange person was in their classroom.
However, Mr. Dodd's wonderings about a particular student put things into perspective for me. Some of these students may have to work jobs in order to help their families. For some, I'm sure, going to high school during regular hours may seem like a luxury to them. I realized that I was making it all about me as the tutor; it is really about the students and what they are comfortable with. I am happy to assist them of course, but maybe it's a good thing that they don't rely on their teachers and tutors. These students exhibit independence that some of the students from my other service learning experiences didn't have. Maybe their lives makes them more independent; maybe they've learned to not rely on adults too much. Perhaps they like doing things on their own, only asking for help when it is absolutely necessary.
Since this was my first time, I was a little nervous because I did not know what to expect. I think my next visits will be easier, because I will have a sense of what normal is like there and I will hopefully be more comfortable with the silent working of the Foothills students.
3:50pm
As I walk into CCHS on Thursday February 8th, I see about 5 students waiting in the lobby of the school. Since this is my first visit, I try to go to the front office; after explaining that I'm a tutor for Foothills, the receptionist unlocks one of the glass doors to the hallway for me. I go to the door labeled "Foothills;" the woman that I met last week is inside. I remind her about who I am, and she allows me to sign in with the notebook that contains a sheet for each tutor. After completing that, she tells me that I'm early, and that Mr. Dodd., one of the Foothills English teachers, will be here shortly; I wait standing in the hall, unsure what to do. In a few moments, a man in a button-down and khakis comes to the little office. The woman introduces us; this is Mr. Dodd. We head to a classroom down the hallway.
We enter one of CCHS's math classrooms located not too far from the office; it is decked out with big post-it notes displaying graphs written by students on the dry-erase board, huge math posters explaining various concepts on the wall, and computers. The computers occupy the front and side walls of the room; there are 5 tables with enough chairs at each for 4 people. A tall woman with black hair, glasses around her neck, and black clothes comes in the room with papers, a bag, and a laptop. Mr. Dodd. introduces me to her; her name is Dr. Meyer. We all side down at a table together. Dr. Dodd asks me about my major, what class this service learning is for, and what classes I am currently taking. He says he knows some of my professors. As I talk to him and Dr. Meyer, students come in.
4pm
There are 5 students that are here. One student sits at the table with myself, Dr. Meyer, and Mr. Meyer. Dr. Meyer gives her one of the three Chromebooks she has with her.
"Some students like to use the Chromebooks, especially Deanna [student seated at the table]. She doesn't like to sit with the boys." Dr. Meyer explains to me as Deanna laughs.
Deanna takes out a composition notebook that has pages of handwritten notes. She opens the Chromebook and logs onto the Foothills website. Dr. Meyer goes around the room and turns on most of the computers along the walls. The other four students that are here are seated at the desktop computers and are logging in. Dr. Meyer explains that Mr. Dodd and herself are there to monitor the students, help when they are needed, and enter a password that the students need to take a quiz or test. She shows me on a computer what the students see when they are on the Foothills program and what the teachers see. The teachers can see all of the students in the system, their grades, and what classes they are currently working on. She gives me the code needed to start quizzes or tests; she informs me that they will ask for it and I am to pick up the keyboard, so that the student doesn't see the code. Dr. Meyer tells me that the students must make an 80% or higher for the quiz or test to count. If students don't make an 80 or higher, Dr. Dodd or herself go over the quiz or test with them orally; she explains that some students work better this way. They are then allowed to retake the quiz or test after Mr. Dodd or Dr. Meyer puts in a special code. Dr. Meyer shows me a thick folder labeled "IEPS" laying on the table closest to us; she tells me that I can look at this anytime I'm helping a student to see if they need any accommodations. I look through it and see various kinds of accommodations such as "read questions aloud," or "allow 70% or higher on tests."
Mr. Dodd tells me that there are usually 12 students here in the beginning, although there are only 5 here now. There is a student sitting at the desktop computer closest to the door; another student using the computer closest to the door on the adjacent wall; two students sitting together in the very corner of the classroom at computers, and one student, Deanna , sitting with us.
Dr. Dodd has his own laptop that he opens and logs onto; by this time, the students are working on their classes. The teachers and I are at our table; I anxiously look around the room, hoping a student would raise their hand for assistance. No one does. The room is filled with the sound of typing and the ticking of the wall clock. Deanna is busy writing notes from the lesson she's working on. I get up and walk around. The students are doing various lessons at their own pace; some of them are even working on different classes such as ecology or American history. Looking over one of the students' shoulder, I watch as he clicks answers and moves on.
4:30pm
I am at the table with Dr. Meyer and Mr. Dodd. Since I am taking some notes for my blog, I occupy my time with observing the students working on the computers. Mr. Dodd begins talking about a student.
"I wonder where [student's name I didn't catch] has been. We haven't seen him for a few weeks." Mr. Dodd says to Dr. Meyer.
"I know he got a new job, but hopefully we'll see him soon. Maybe I can talk to [director's name] about him, to see if he's heard anything." Dr. Meyer replies.
It hits me. Some of the students work during the day, making this nontraditional opportunity to get their high school diploma very important to them. Maybe some of them don't click with the way normal school works as Mr. Dodd said earlier. Maybe there are less distractions for some students here, left to work on their classes on a computer in a classroom with only a few students doing the same. Maybe some students like the extra one-on-one time available to them with a teacher, instead of being in a classroom with one teacher and 24 peers.
Occasionally, I walk around in room; I don't want to just sit there and do nothing. I want the students to know that they can ask me a question if they need help. No one does though.
5pm
Another student comes in and automatically sits at the computer. Mr. Dodd says welcomes him and says hello.
The director of Foothills comes in with a student; he informs the teachers that the student needs to take the "US Georgia Assessment." Dr. Meyer gives the student one of the Chromebooks, and the student sits at the table next to ours to begin the test. She asks him if he was in the Foothills program at another school; he replies with the names of two other schools where he attended Foothills. Since he already has a login for the program, he begins quickly and Dr. Meyer sits down.
A student breaks the silence that follows the last scene by asking for access to a test. Dr. Meyer asks if I want to do it, and I rush to the opportunity to help. After putting in the code, I sit back down.
Dr. Meyer gets out a tiny bag of Cheez-Its, and Mr. Dodd has a zip-lock bag of a orange slices that he begins eating. I immediately wish I had a snack too. Other students have brought drinks with them, including Deanna.
There are now 10 students in the classroom. After making less than the required score on a quiz, a student comes over to Dr. Meyer for help. She asks him to come to the table with the Chromebook that he's working on, and she gives me access to take it again. She reads the questions aloud, and asks the questions in her own words. The student gets every answer right, now given the chance to talk the questions out. Dr. Meyer encourages him and jokingly asks why he didn't do this the first time since he clearly knew the answers. The student laughs, says "I don't know," and thanks her for helping him.
Deanna, sitting beside me, continues writing extensive notes. She uses highlighters to emphasize certain points or lines. Her handwriting is big on the tiny notebook, and she writes pretty fast.
I give more students access to tests and quizzes upon request; other than that, I spend my time observing the students, and the reactions of the teachers of the students.
5:30pm
Two more students come in; as I look around, I realize that some students have left without my notice. According to Mr. Dodd, students can come and go as they choose.
Another student asks me to unlock a test for him; I do it. He introduces himself to me; this is the first time I've really spoken to another student other than Deanna. It feels good to be acknowledged. His name is Phil.
A student comes in and asks Dr. Meyer for a Chromebook. She gives him the remaining one, and he immediately heads for the door. Dr. Meyer calls after him and asks why doesn't he stay in here to do work. The student says that he wants to be in another room.
Mr. Dodd informs me that the students are given a break at 6pm, where they are given snacks. He says, "They are given a lot of incentives [to stay and work]."
Deanna, finished with her note-taking, asks if I will put in the code for her test; I do. She says that she's going to work through the break. Deanna takes out a bag of chips, and begins her test. She tells me that initially she thought I was a student too. I laugh and say, "I'm a college student, so you're not completely wrong."
Mr. Deanna walks around the room; he stands in the doorway of the classroom. He talks to some students in the hallway. I can tell the students are getting anxious for the break. They talk more than they have all afternoon. Mr. Dodd comes back in the room and heads towards a group of three male students sitting one-by-one at the computers; they are talking loudly and laughing. He tries to push them to work more; he brings up the break that will take place in a few short minutes. He uses a casual tone, making the prompting funny. The students joke back, and Mr. Dodd asks them about sports, something the students seem to enjoy in their free time.
Dr. Meyer is busy trying to get a student that just arrived logged onto the system. The student, who attended Foothills at other school, keeps getting denied; Dr. Meyer looks her up on Foothills. It takes a few minutes for the student to successfully log in.
The student who came in earlier, asked for the Chromebook to use, and then left comes back in and sits down at a table in the back. I wonder why he decided to come back in.
It is 6pm, and Mr. Dodd announces the break. I take the break as a good time to end my first visit to CCHS.
Reflection:
I have never been in the kind of learning setting like Foothills; honestly, I've never given it much thought since I am a future middle or high school teacher. I didn't know what to expect. In the beginning, I did not like it; as a teacher candidate, I felt helpless that a student didn't ask me for help with a question. Instead they worked on their own. I couldn't understand how the students were learning, or why they would rather be at school in the late afternoon and night. From my past experiences in schools, I'm accustomed to being approached with a question or for help. Students have carried on conversations with me and wanted to know who this strange person was in their classroom.
However, Mr. Dodd's wonderings about a particular student put things into perspective for me. Some of these students may have to work jobs in order to help their families. For some, I'm sure, going to high school during regular hours may seem like a luxury to them. I realized that I was making it all about me as the tutor; it is really about the students and what they are comfortable with. I am happy to assist them of course, but maybe it's a good thing that they don't rely on their teachers and tutors. These students exhibit independence that some of the students from my other service learning experiences didn't have. Maybe their lives makes them more independent; maybe they've learned to not rely on adults too much. Perhaps they like doing things on their own, only asking for help when it is absolutely necessary.
Since this was my first time, I was a little nervous because I did not know what to expect. I think my next visits will be easier, because I will have a sense of what normal is like there and I will hopefully be more comfortable with the silent working of the Foothills students.
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