Class Overview based on observations and data

Use readings from the past to describe your class of students:

Taylor & Whittaker; Bridging Multiple Worlds; Delpit; Nieto; Understanding Culture Brief; Hoeksema; Petersen & Hittie; Pearson
202 book; Woolfolk Chap 2, 3, 5; Levine
Many, if not all, of the students appear to be raised on dominant white culture. I am familiar with the
surrounding East Grand Rapids, and the majority of the students are likely in two-parent homes, well
provided for, and are supported in their success intellectually, emotionally, and financially.
Culture
Mrs. Sayre told me that one of the students has a lot of home issues that affect his social and emotional
development at school; he is being raised by his grandmother
23 of the students are Caucasian, and one is African-American.
Race & Ethnicity

I am familiar with the surrounding East Grand Rapids, and the majority of the students are likely in
two-parent homes, well provided for, and are supported in their success intellectually, emotionally, and
financially.
Because of the schools population demographics, students likely have friends similar to them (similar
culture, similar family life, similar interests)

Social SystemsPeers & Family

One student in the class has trouble getting along with children on the big playground, so he plays on
the kindergarten playground. A 5th grade safety keeps his behavior in check with a reward system;
when he behaves well, he gets a star, and if he gets a certain number of stars, he gets a small prize.
On occasional school days, 2-3 parents will come in and lead an art project on terrific Tuesdays,
when students are split up into three groups and rotate between the science, cooking, and art stations.
8 family relatives volunteered to drive students on a field trip to the dairy farm
The teacher often needs to facilitate conversation to make sure everyones voice is heard because the
students often blurt out information whenever it comes to their mind and forget to consider that
someone else is talking. The majority of the class is still developing turn-taking skills in conversation
The students are encouraged to fill each others buckets; in other words, to respect not only the
teacher, but the rest of the class as well. Examples of filling buckets are being quiet when someone
else is talking, facing your body toward the person who is talking, and putting aside any other activity
while they are speaking, helping someone if they have a problem, etc. Examples of taking away from
buckets are interrupting, not following directions, facing your body/looking away from someone
while they are talking, distracting someone from learning, and saying hurtful words.

Moral, Spiritual, and

Faith Development

It is a public school, so spiritual development is not openly discussed, but moral development is. The
school-wide policy is to follow the Breton Bs: Be Kind, Be Caring, Be Respectful
The students have been educated by the school social worker that there are different kinds of learners,
and just because some learn in different ways than another, that doesnt mean their way is any better or
worse.

Attention & Memory

Mrs. Sayre has articulated that the students should be able to sit still and listen for ten minutes straight.
There are a few students who frequently zone out during class, especially when left to work
individually.
Students are able to remember facts they learned 3-4 days before.
As a whole, students are unable to remember a verbal list of instructions more than 3 points long.
There is one student in particular who sometimes is unable to follow 1 instruction. If they work

together, though, I have witnessed students remember verbal instruction with 4-5 points by asking
their partners, table mates, or neighboring tables.

All the students have English as their first language, and are all still learning to read and write.

Language

The levels of fluency vary widely among students; some are still learning how to form letters and
sound out words phonetically, others are able to form all letters correctly and neatly and read at a
steady pace.
Several students in the class fail to bump the lines when writing unless they are reminded.
Students often blurt out information whenever it comes to their mind.
The class is able to track when reading (follow along while reading and sing along; a few students
need to use their fingers to keep their place, but the majority of the students dont need to).

Motor &
Spatial/Sequential
Ordering

They are able to follow a list of written directions.

Students are able to navigate the physical space of the classroom without running into each other.
Students are able to mimic motions demonstrated by the teacher while singing.
When talking about owls, students are able to analyze facts theyve learned and give reasons for why
they might be true, i.e. the reason that owls are able to fly silently is because they have hollow bones,
looking at a food chain and figuring it out its meaning on their own, etc.
Students grade another persons story and their own story using a checklist.

Higher Order Thinking

As a class, students use a venn diagram to distinguish and sort facts about birds and bats.
In the past, students have rated their learning experience (how much they learned; selected , :/, or
)
Students read a poem together as part of the days warm-up and are asked to figure out what the
word pamper means based on the story line of the poem and the words around it.
One student has Aspergers Syndrome, and two students get pulled out of class for additional reading
instruction.

Ability & Disability

Three students failed a math test on subtraction. After doing additional subtraction practice with me,
two of the students passed. The thirds score improved, but he still did not pass.
One student expressed to me that his handwriting got worse since Kindergarten.