Personal Narrative: My Visit To Macafee Elementary School

First field journal

On Friday October 10, 2014 I visited MacAfee Elementary school. The Guide counselor Bonnie Kudwitt, who takes place of the principle when he’s not in the building; she took me and other classmate a trip to show us the whole school. The school was very small it held 400 students from PR-K through fourth grade; from inside it’s like a U shape with a tale. One side it had the third and fourth grade and the other side had PR-K, first and second and the tale it was the gym and the cafeteria. At 8:50 we waited outside the school with Mrs. Bonnie to great the students and get them in the building. I really like what Mrs. Bonnie does every morning she has smile and her face and she know most of the student’s name.

I was placed

in Mrs. Schnure third grade class. As soon I walked into the class the door had Halloween decoration on it. This classroom also had enough supplies and tools to work with. There were many posters and charts on the walls, as well. There were number charts, alphabet and vowel cards, schedule of the day for the students to see, a poster of how to line up properly, poems, songs, punctuation rules, class rules, check your work , grammar charts, little flags has comment on be friendly, be polite, be considerate and be responsibility. Board wall which has the entire alphabet and under each letter it has the words. Another board wall has poster “How am I doing today?” this poster has each student name on it and four color cards green, orange, yellow and red. Each student at the beginning of the day get a green card and during the day if a student misbehaved they get to the next color and if the student reach the red it means he/she will get a punishment. Toward the windows Mrs. Schnure has a cloth line which she hanged on each student All about Me poster witch had a picture of the students and something about them. There was a sink on left side by the door and it had fountain for student to drink in- stand going out in the hallway and get a drink. In the back of the classroom there was a closet for students to put there jackets and their bags. Mrs. Schnure desk was in front of the door entrance and beside it she has a book shelf for the students. Mrs. Schnure has a mailbox for the absent students next the door entrance on the right side she leaves all the work that the students miss. I think that is a great idea so when a student comes back they already know what they have to do since they took a day off.
When I walked in the class Mrs. Schnure there was 18 students, they were sitting in their own desk within group of five, but only one student was sitting by himself and when I asked Mrs Schnure why is that boy sitting by himself she said “he’s in time out because he distrabe another students but he will go back soon” I really like what she did because she’s trying to make all the student focus in class and understand the materials. If she had put that student in the group and not moved him he will probably talk to other students and not pay attention.
When I entered the class Mrs.

Schnure was teaching Math and when she was going over the math problems she was asking the student for the answers and making them to share it with their groups. Each student was participating in class. I like how she’s getting the class to work, I remember when I was in elementary school teachers did not ask us questions they just teach and go on with the lesson. After 30 minutes it was testing evolution time, she gave each student a test and she makes them take it in a provide folder meaning each student open a folder in front of them and work on their own test. That was a really good idea she’s trying to make the students work on their own and not look at others and cheat. After they took the test it was time for narrative writing, she called every student by name to hand back their writings paper so they can work on. While they were working on their writings Mrs. Schnure was grading other work for them, After 15 minutes it was their snack time, Mrs Schnure made every table got up to get their snack box, and they ate while they were working on their writing.

After they finished with the writing it was science time Mrs. Schnure called the library student to get the books out and the group leader give them out to his/her group. I think that is a nice idea in-stand everybody gets up and get the books and wait for the other to move and go back to their seat. She knows how to keep the class organized and not waste

time.
I observed many effective teaching practices that complimented our reading in Ways of Studying Children, by Almy and Genishi. According to Almy and Genishi, “Teachers need to know how to set up an environment appropriate for learning, to organize a day with a balance between individual and group, strenuous and quiet activities, to engage a child’s attention when necessary, to ask good questions”. All these aspects were met in this classroom by Ms. Schnure
After the first day, I could tell this would be a good classroom to observe. All of the students really seemed to like their teacher and they also seemed to be learning a lot. Everyone was involved in all the lessons, and everyone participated. If anyone didn’t understand what was going on, the teacher would make sure to make time to help that student. I felt that the students were all learning to the best of their potential. The teachers and students really manage and work well with the well-organized classroom.