Elementary Classroom Observation
I am conducting my service learning hours at Palm Springs North Elementary School, which teaches grades between pre-kindergarten and 5th grade. This school is located in Palm Springs North, Florida. This elementary school has a total enrollment of 966 students most living within the Palm Springs North and Miami Lakes area. The student demographic consist of 87% Hispanic, 7% White, 5% Black, 1% Asian and 0% other. Currently the school has one principal, three vice-principals and approximately 65 full time teachers. It has a student to teacher ratio of about 15 students per teacher. The average student-teacher ratio for Miami-Dade County is 16 to 1.
I am observing the classroom of Mrs. Yessenia Prieto. She teaches 3rd grade language arts. Mrs. Prieto earned her degree in Education for grades K-5. She has only taught elementary and has been a teacher now for close to 10 years. Her average class size is about 30 students. 60% of her students are boys and 40% are girls. There is a small group of Esol students in her class which need to be taught in the Spanish language. Even though most of the schools demographics is Hispanic during my observations hours I have noticed that there are many subcultures within the student body. A subculture is described as a social group with shared characteristics that distinguish It in some way from the larger group in which it is embedded (Cushner, McClelland, and Safford; 2007).
The set up of this classroom is different from the traditional classroom. It is located on the second floor of the main building. It is a large open space which is separated by dividers which shape the different classrooms. The students have small individual desk which are grouped in fives. The teachers desk is located in the back of the classroom and surprisingly it does not have a computer. There is a flat panel television on the wall which is turned on in the morning to give the morning school news and sing the national anthem. At times this television
I am observing the classroom of Mrs. Yessenia Prieto. She teaches 3rd grade language arts. Mrs. Prieto earned her degree in Education for grades K-5. She has only taught elementary and has been a teacher now for close to 10 years. Her average class size is about 30 students. 60% of her students are boys and 40% are girls. There is a small group of Esol students in her class which need to be taught in the Spanish language. Even though most of the schools demographics is Hispanic during my observations hours I have noticed that there are many subcultures within the student body. A subculture is described as a social group with shared characteristics that distinguish It in some way from the larger group in which it is embedded (Cushner, McClelland, and Safford; 2007).
The set up of this classroom is different from the traditional classroom. It is located on the second floor of the main building. It is a large open space which is separated by dividers which shape the different classrooms. The students have small individual desk which are grouped in fives. The teachers desk is located in the back of the classroom and surprisingly it does not have a computer. There is a flat panel television on the wall which is turned on in the morning to give the morning school news and sing the national anthem. At times this television