Tuesday, March 27th (4-6)
All staff and students have pseudonyms
3:50pm
I walk into CCHS and sign in at the Foothills office. The woman inside asks me if I need to go to English and reminds me that the classroom I need to be in for English says Smith above the door. Before I leave she says that she doesn't know if Mr. Dodd, the instructor I worked with before, is here today. I thank her and walk to the first classroom down the hall on the left.
I walk into the math classroom, and the only person in there is Mrs. Smith, the math teacher during the regular school hours of CCHS. She is busy gathering papers, binders, and other items she wants to take home. We exchange hellos as I sit down at a table, the view in front of me the classroom.
A woman with a binder and a cup comes in the classroom. She is a Foothills teacher that I have not met yet. She says hello to Ms. Smith and sets her things at a desktop computer situated in the back corner of the room adjacent to the other 15 computers that are against the walls.
She doesn't pay me any attention, not even looking in my direction while I watch her settle in. "Hi, my name is Taylor McLeroy, and I'm at a tutor from UGA." I stand up and introduce myself. She tells me that her name is Ms. Mills.
She walks to a gray filing cabinet located on the opposite side of the classroom and takes out a big white binder filled with papers that I recognize as the students' IEPs. While she takes out the binder and looks through it, she asks me if I have been here before. I tell her that I have and she asks what is my major. I tell her English Education and she welcomes me. Instead of placing it on a table like the teacher did the last time I was here, she takes it to the desktop computer she's working at.
"Sometimes it's a little quiet, sometimes we have more conversation." She tells me as she places loose-leaf paper and pencils on the table closest to the door. Ms. Mills goes around to every computer and turns them on for the expected students.
A student comes in and looks at me and asks, "What subject this is?"
"English." I tell her and she looks satisfied. The student goes over to the farthest computer in the corner of the room and sits down. She asks for help. Ms. Mills walks across the room and the student tells her that this is her first time here. Ms. Mills asks if she has been a part of Foothills before; the student says "yes," so she tells her to log in like normal. Ms. Mills walks back to her computer.
4:00pm
Another student comes in the room, looks at some computers in contemplation, and takes a piece of blank paper from the stack on the table. He sits down at a computer. He asks Ms. Mills for help with the website.
Another student comes in and immediately sits down at the computer closest to the door. Yet another student walks in and then leaves again. One of the newly-arrived students asks Ms. Mills, "how do you log in?" She assists.
At this point in the hour, there are 4 students in the classroom working. Ms. Mills is back at the computer. Another student comes in the room.
Dr. Meyer, one of the teachers I worked with last time, comes in the classroom. She carries a bag, two Chromebooks, and papers. When she sees me, she says hello and sits down at the table in the seat left of where I am sitting. She unpacks her things which includes her laptop, a binder, a pen, and some papers. She asks me to move because a student who normally comes sits here. They use a Chromebook and needs the wall outlet for the charger. As I move, Dr. Meyer starts talking to Ms. Mills. They discuss the issue that happened last Thursday: there was no one here to help Ms. Mills. She was the only teacher in the room although there were people in the hallway. She tells Dr. Meyer that she had to ask one of them to let her take a break.
A student asks for a reset on a quiz. Ms. Mills tells him to wait as she is doing something else right now; she instructs him to review his notes while he waits on her. There are now 8 students in the room.
The classroom is silent now, everyone is working on their computers. Ms. Mills tells the student that asked for the reset that she just did it. He thanks her.
Ms. Mills asks a student if he is using his notes for his quiz; he tells her that he doesn't have notes. She tells him that for next time, he needs to write better notes for the literary analysis. He says okay.
Dr. Meyer gets up from the table we are sitting at ands walks over to Ms. Mills to talk about the standards that Foothills has been emailing them about. Dr. Meyer comments that Foothills is starting to feel like Clarke County High.
4:30pm
Some students need resets on their quizzes and Ms. Mills works on that from her desktop computer.
Ms. Mills gets up after she has completed that task and walks around the room; she stops behind a student and asks him, "where are your notes?". He says that he doesn't have them but that he's been looking over the lesson instead. She tells him that he needs to take notes for the quizzes and tests. She keeps walking behind the students, looking at their computers. She stops behind one student and tells her that she cannot have her phone out during a post-test.
Dr. Meyer passes out a handout that she made with tips on note-taking. She sits back down in front of her computer and mumbles, "...he made a 60."
Ms. Mills gets up and walks over to a student listening to music on his earphones. She tells him that he needs to "turn it down because it's too loud," because she can hear it from her seat. She sits back down. She asks Dr. Meyer about an excused post test in the system. Dr. Meyer tells her that she was giving him more time to go on to the next lesson because he "works 40 hours a week."
Two more students come in the classroom as the teachers continue talking about this particular student. Dr. Meyer says that they should be able to go back in and let him take it the next time he can.
5 pm
Ms. Mills asks me if I would like to go over a quiz with a student that made a failing grade on it. I happily accept. She tells me that sometimes it helps students more to read sentences aloud versus reading it aloud in their heads. As we go back over the quiz together, the student and I both read the sentences; I give him time to think and give the answer he thinks. If it is not the correct answer, I read the sentence aloud emphasizing and pausing so that he can hear where the colons and semicolons need placing. I explain anything that questions him. He makes a 100 after this retake; he is very happy about it. He thanks me, and I am glad I worked with him. After telling Ms. Mills his grade, she suggests that he go back in the lesson and take notes on the tips he might want to remember about semicolons and colons for the test.
Dr. Meyer gives a student a handout about literary analysis after he asks a question about it.
There are 12 students in the classroom and every desktop computer is occupied.
Another teacher comes in the room and asks what subject is in this classroom; Dr. Meyer tells her English.
5:30pm
3:50pm
I walk into CCHS and sign in at the Foothills office. The woman inside asks me if I need to go to English and reminds me that the classroom I need to be in for English says Smith above the door. Before I leave she says that she doesn't know if Mr. Dodd, the instructor I worked with before, is here today. I thank her and walk to the first classroom down the hall on the left.
I walk into the math classroom, and the only person in there is Mrs. Smith, the math teacher during the regular school hours of CCHS. She is busy gathering papers, binders, and other items she wants to take home. We exchange hellos as I sit down at a table, the view in front of me the classroom.
A woman with a binder and a cup comes in the classroom. She is a Foothills teacher that I have not met yet. She says hello to Ms. Smith and sets her things at a desktop computer situated in the back corner of the room adjacent to the other 15 computers that are against the walls.
She doesn't pay me any attention, not even looking in my direction while I watch her settle in. "Hi, my name is Taylor McLeroy, and I'm at a tutor from UGA." I stand up and introduce myself. She tells me that her name is Ms. Mills.
She walks to a gray filing cabinet located on the opposite side of the classroom and takes out a big white binder filled with papers that I recognize as the students' IEPs. While she takes out the binder and looks through it, she asks me if I have been here before. I tell her that I have and she asks what is my major. I tell her English Education and she welcomes me. Instead of placing it on a table like the teacher did the last time I was here, she takes it to the desktop computer she's working at.
"Sometimes it's a little quiet, sometimes we have more conversation." She tells me as she places loose-leaf paper and pencils on the table closest to the door. Ms. Mills goes around to every computer and turns them on for the expected students.
A student comes in and looks at me and asks, "What subject this is?"
"English." I tell her and she looks satisfied. The student goes over to the farthest computer in the corner of the room and sits down. She asks for help. Ms. Mills walks across the room and the student tells her that this is her first time here. Ms. Mills asks if she has been a part of Foothills before; the student says "yes," so she tells her to log in like normal. Ms. Mills walks back to her computer.
4:00pm
Another student comes in the room, looks at some computers in contemplation, and takes a piece of blank paper from the stack on the table. He sits down at a computer. He asks Ms. Mills for help with the website.
Another student comes in and immediately sits down at the computer closest to the door. Yet another student walks in and then leaves again. One of the newly-arrived students asks Ms. Mills, "how do you log in?" She assists.
At this point in the hour, there are 4 students in the classroom working. Ms. Mills is back at the computer. Another student comes in the room.
Dr. Meyer, one of the teachers I worked with last time, comes in the classroom. She carries a bag, two Chromebooks, and papers. When she sees me, she says hello and sits down at the table in the seat left of where I am sitting. She unpacks her things which includes her laptop, a binder, a pen, and some papers. She asks me to move because a student who normally comes sits here. They use a Chromebook and needs the wall outlet for the charger. As I move, Dr. Meyer starts talking to Ms. Mills. They discuss the issue that happened last Thursday: there was no one here to help Ms. Mills. She was the only teacher in the room although there were people in the hallway. She tells Dr. Meyer that she had to ask one of them to let her take a break.
A student asks for a reset on a quiz. Ms. Mills tells him to wait as she is doing something else right now; she instructs him to review his notes while he waits on her. There are now 8 students in the room.
The classroom is silent now, everyone is working on their computers. Ms. Mills tells the student that asked for the reset that she just did it. He thanks her.
Ms. Mills asks a student if he is using his notes for his quiz; he tells her that he doesn't have notes. She tells him that for next time, he needs to write better notes for the literary analysis. He says okay.
Dr. Meyer gets up from the table we are sitting at ands walks over to Ms. Mills to talk about the standards that Foothills has been emailing them about. Dr. Meyer comments that Foothills is starting to feel like Clarke County High.
A student raises her hand and says, "I need help." Both teachers ask her if she has notes; she says no. They tell her that she needs notes. The student replies with an attitude that she doesn't have notes because she just started this class. They tell her to go to the lesson and take them.
Dr. Meyer goes out of the room to get more spiral notebooks for students after she notices that their supply is running low.
One of the students walks over to Ms. Mills and tells her that his quiz submitted in the middle of his taking it. She says that she was trying to send him a message to get off of the music app on the computer. He says, "Well there shouldn't be a music app if I'm not supposed to use it". He tells her that he isn't going to stop using it either.
There are 9 students in the classroom working on computers. I can hear music coming from some of the students' earphones. Dr. Meyer and Ms. Mills are sitting at their computers.
4:30pm
Some students need resets on their quizzes and Ms. Mills works on that from her desktop computer.
Ms. Mills gets up after she has completed that task and walks around the room; she stops behind a student and asks him, "where are your notes?". He says that he doesn't have them but that he's been looking over the lesson instead. She tells him that he needs to take notes for the quizzes and tests. She keeps walking behind the students, looking at their computers. She stops behind one student and tells her that she cannot have her phone out during a post-test.
Dr. Meyer passes out a handout that she made with tips on note-taking. She sits back down in front of her computer and mumbles, "...he made a 60."
Ms. Mills gets up and walks over to a student listening to music on his earphones. She tells him that he needs to "turn it down because it's too loud," because she can hear it from her seat. She sits back down. She asks Dr. Meyer about an excused post test in the system. Dr. Meyer tells her that she was giving him more time to go on to the next lesson because he "works 40 hours a week."
Two more students come in the classroom as the teachers continue talking about this particular student. Dr. Meyer says that they should be able to go back in and let him take it the next time he can.
5 pm
Ms. Mills asks me if I would like to go over a quiz with a student that made a failing grade on it. I happily accept. She tells me that sometimes it helps students more to read sentences aloud versus reading it aloud in their heads. As we go back over the quiz together, the student and I both read the sentences; I give him time to think and give the answer he thinks. If it is not the correct answer, I read the sentence aloud emphasizing and pausing so that he can hear where the colons and semicolons need placing. I explain anything that questions him. He makes a 100 after this retake; he is very happy about it. He thanks me, and I am glad I worked with him. After telling Ms. Mills his grade, she suggests that he go back in the lesson and take notes on the tips he might want to remember about semicolons and colons for the test.
Dr. Meyer gives a student a handout about literary analysis after he asks a question about it.
There are 12 students in the classroom and every desktop computer is occupied.
Another teacher comes in the room and asks what subject is in this classroom; Dr. Meyer tells her English.
5:30pm
Another teacher comes in the room and asks a student if he is working on a test. He tells her no and she asks him to come with her out of the room for a moment. They leave. A couple students are talking to each other and the teachers are typing on their computers. I hear footsteps from the hallway and the student and teacher come back in. She asks another student to go with her.
The classroom is mostly silent, except for the sound of typing and the quiet conversation of the two students. No one has asked for help or needed assistance for a few minutes. Ms. Mills gets up and makes her rounds around the room. She reminds a student that he doesn't need to be on his phone. The teacher that asks which subject comes back to the room with a laptop and sits down at one of the round tables in the back.
Dr. Meyer asks a student to come sit with her and go over his quiz, after discovering that he did not do good on it. He goes over to her. A student says loudly, "I need help," and the teacher I haven't met goes over to her to help. Dr. Meyer continues going over the quiz with the student; she reads the questions aloud and asks him comprehension questions to help him think. After they finish with the quiz, Dr. Meyer writes a note on his quiz explaining the change of grade: he was able to answer the questions correctly orally. She asks the student why he did not do that while he was taking it alone. The student answers that sometimes he reads the questions wrong in his head. Dr. Meyer tells him that the next time he takes a quiz or test, to tell her so he can take it with her. He seems reluctant in wanting to do this.
A student comes in wanting help with a book report. Ms. Mills asks her if she would be willing to wait until after the break; she says yes and sits down at a table. There is more talk in the room and a new student comes in. All of the desktop computers are taken so she sits down as the table with Dr. Meyer to work on a Chromebook.
As Ms. Mills announces the break at 6:00 and the students start leaving the room, I say goodbye to the teachers and leave for the evening.
Reflection:
The comment about the student who works 40 hours a week really made me think. How many more students were working tirelessly during the day to here for their online classes? I could not be sure of course, but I think there certainly are more than him that do this. As a current teacher candidate, I have never encountered a situation like in schools. The students that I have worked with before didn't have this issue, and if they did, they didn't talk about it. I like that in this environment, students feel like they can be open with their teachers. They seem to understand that they will help them if they need it, whereas in a traditional school this may not be as acceptable or feasible to work around. As teachers, I think this same mentality should enter into traditional schools- or at least individual classrooms. As for me, my eyes have been opened to the problems that students may be facing outside of school, and this could be the reason if a student is falling behind on their work. I think that when I teach, I will make sure to be aware of this possibility and ensure my students understand that I am here to help, that they can come to me with this information, and that I will try my best to work with them. To help all of my students succeed, I think this is something that must happen in the classroom.
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