MERCER ELEMENTARY OBSERVATION #5: Wednesday April 23rd, 2014

On the last day of my observations at Mercer Elementary, I was so happy to walk into a history class! The students were given memorabilia and antiques from the American Civil war that their teacher gave to them, had to observe them carefully in groups of two, and write a paragraph about what they thought they were observing. It could be a picture of Abraham Lincoln or General Lee, or a Union battle cap, or a letter from a soldier who fought in a battle etc. After they were done they were supposed to stand up in front of the class and read what they wrote, and why they thought of a specific historical event or person when they were analyzing each object. I even intervened in some cases when I saw that students were struggling, because I always enjoyed studying about US Civil War history and wanted to help them. After this project was done, the students headed down to the computer lab to do online math exercises. Ms. Rashid told me that they do online math exercises once a week, using a new IB program designed specifically for elementary students, combining math work with games and fun. I could tell the kids liked it as they were quiet for the whole forty five minutes it lasted. While they were doing their work, Ms. Rashid and I engaged in conversation about how students relocate so often, that it is hard for them to follow along and get used to a new school environment. She says it’s the worst thing in the world when students keep changing schools, and when a teacher strives to help a student for months and then he/she leaves. It’s also hard on the student to make new friends and get used to a new school, as she said, school is home away from home for many kids. And she said some parents don’t even care or are aware of the damage this can cause to their children; that upsets her more than anything. The hardest thing is that many of them refuse to hear it, or completely neglect the advice that the teacher gives or some of the actions she takes.

After the students were done with their math work we all headed up to class. At this time I asked Ms. Rashid if I could talk to the students a little bit since it was my last observation and I never really had the chance to talk to them a little bit about me. So I stood up in front of class and talked to them about my Greek background, the fact that I went to school in Greece and my parents still live there, that I am a college student now at John Carroll and how much I love soccer. They were fascinated by the fact that I was raised abroad and specifically that I was from Greece, as Ms. Rashid had told me that they were learning about Ancient Greek history and mythology. They asked me questions about the Gods of Olympus, the Trojan War and Achilles, and if I had ever been to Thermopylae were King Leonidas stood against the Persians with his army of three hundred.  Then I told them about how my elementary school in Greece was similar and different to theirs, and how there is homework in college as well and tests and quizzes. It was nice to finally be able to get to address their questions and give them a little information about myself, as most of the time I was just observing and they never had the chance to really get to know me.  At the end of my mini-lecture, I thanked everybody for their help and assistance, promising to visit them again soon, and departed from Mercer Elementary with the best impressions and an excellent amount of knowledge that I would have never been familiar with had I not had this unique opportunity.

MERCER ELEMENTARY OBSERVATION #4: Tuesday April 22nd, 2014

My observation of Ms. Rashid’s class on Tuesday was fascinating, as for the first time I got to actually observe a Chinese class from start to end. The students were learning about the Chinese vowels and the four different ways to pronounce each one. Luckily, I got to the classroom before the teacher got there and was able to see the students stand up, and greet her in Mandarin. The class began with the Chinese teacher writing down the vowels on the board and pronouncing them one by one. The students knew that they needed to pronounce every vowel after her, in the same exact way. This language class was a lot about students pronouncing words or sounds either individually or as a whole class. Sometimes they would take turns pronouncing the vowels they saw on the board and that the teacher instructed them to, other times they would pronounce them together in groups of two, or as a whole class. Ms. Rashid, who was also in the class during the Chinese lesson, was also pronouncing the vowels as instructed by the Chinese teacher, and it seemed as if some students who were initially either too lazy to pronounce words, or embarrassed or afraid of making a mistake, once they saw their teacher join in, suddenly got motivated. It was an interesting observation. After the students became familiar with how to pronounce each vowel, and managed to understand the difference in sound each vowel can make (four different sounds in total), they began incorporating the vowels into actual words. So from writing down simply vowels or letters, she started writing down words in Mandarin that incorporated these vowels. Interestingly enough, it was now easier for the students to pronounce the words than it was to learn to pronounce the individual vowels. It is all about patience and order. Step by step, as long as you make sure they learn the basics well it will be easier for them to learn the more complicated things down the road. After pronunciation was over, the Chinese teacher played the remainder of the documentary from last class (about 15 minutes). The documentary was about everyday life in rural China, and the students said they wanted to see it since they hadn't finished it last time. The teacher had to explain what was going on in some parts as the documentary was in mandarin. After that was done, they stood up, thanked their teacher in Mandarin very respectfully and she departed. They had their snack break shortly after.

The second part of class was math again, but this time Ms. Rashid did it in a different way. What she did was, and this was really interesting and the kids loved it, was take small pieces of paper, each of them with a math problem written on it (from what they did in last class), crumble them up, put them in a hat, and every student got to choose one. When they opened the paper, they had to solve the problem in 5 minutes and then one by one, present the method they followed to the rest of their classmates. If they didn't know the answer they used the “buddy system”, where they could call a friend from class to stand up and help them. Most of the kids were able to solve their problems and show how they did it to the rest of the class. However, the kids that had trouble and had to call a buddy to help them eventually succeeded as well. It was great to see two students helping each other solve a math problem, and succeeding in doing so without the teacher’s interference.  This method not only cultivates a relationship of support and trust among students in a class, showing them how to work as team, but also giving them the opportunity to be teachers and use their abilities to help their classmates learn something. 

MERCER ELEMENTARY OBSERVATION #3: Thursday April 17th, 2014

Upon my arrival to Mercer Elementary the students were preparing a very interesting project that Ms. Rashid told me they do once a week, every week. They come up with ideas of things to sell during recess to the rest of the students at school. This time they had all bought lollipops which they would sell for $1.50 each during recess. The money that they get from their sales, goes towards something they would like to use in their class. With the money for example of their last sale they bought a large map of the world that they hung on one of the classroom walls for their geography class. Activities like these, she said enhance their “teamwork spirit”. They work as a class, all together very cooperatively for a common goal. They all contribute one way or another and that is very important. While they were doing that, I sat next to one of the teacher’s assistants in the classroom. He told me how it is he works with the students that have some kind of learning disability. There are a total of three children in the class that have learning problems and he is the one in charge of making sure they pay as much attention as possible to the class activities and do not disturb the teacher while she is teaching, as many can be on occasion rather loud and noisy. He said that one of the most important tasks is making sure that the parents are informed about their children’s’ progress in class as often as possible. That doesn’t only mean the students with the learning problems but the whole classroom as well. Both Ms. Rashid and her assistants monitor student behavior, success, difficulties, issues, progress through a list that they update every day at the end of class and also with a series of notes that they take while class is in progress. Obviously, the assistants have a much longer, detailed list since the students they work with face different kinds of issues and difficulties every day that the parents must be aware of, so they update it as soon as they see something interesting or different. The assistant teacher told me that the objective of working with these kids is not to make sure that they learn everything the teacher instructs in class, or memorize the materials or ace their test and quiz scores. It is more about teaching them how to properly function within a school environment, how to get used to working with others and how to develop skills of communication and cooperation. He told me that the secret of working with children who face problems is to find that something in them that gets them motivated. Sometimes he said that he will, for example, ask one of the kids who cannot stand still in class, or who is easily distracted or is causing trouble to help him, or go take some papers to the principal’s office or go to the library and choose a boom to read at home for pleasure. Something that will get that student motivated, whatever it may be, even a small snack break if necessary. He explained to me that it is not one specific thing that you have to look for in students facing learning disabilities in order to keep them motivated, but multiple things that you have to “play with” on a daily basis to see what works best in a specific period of time. He said it is hard work, and can be stressful at times but it pays back when you see that the kids are putting effort into it and get to learn something that they will remember.

After I was done talking to the assistant and the class was done with their sales project of decorating the lollipops they were going to sell during recess, a Chinese teacher entered the classroom and showed the students a documentary on her homeland and how agriculture in rural areas helps strengthen the economy. Mercer Elementary is an I.B. (International Baccalaureate School) meaning that the children participate in activities that many of their peers participate in around the world. It is a “global” school, with a specific curriculum set up in Geneva Switzerland that a limited number of schools around the world offer. I myself was an IB student, as my high school in Greece offered the program, and I think that it is fascinating, as students are more globally aware. The students are expected to learn different languages, get enhanced with different cultures and traditions and interact with kids from all over the world sharing experiences and ideas. I was fascinated to see how many of them were able to respond to their teacher in Cantonese words. They also must have studied some of China’s geography and history. While they were watching the documentary they were asking rather in depth questions about what they were watching and to me it seemed as if they were already familiar with the culture. Ms. Rashid and the Chinese teacher were asking them questions about the flora and fauna in China, about the way people build their homes, cultivate the land, the differences between life in the US and China, the differences in life between life in a Chinese city compared to that in a rural town or village etc. I feel that I was lucky to have been able to experience this portion of the class. I feel that Mercer Elementary school is doing a wonderful job in helping its students build on the IB model, and get to know something different other than the society they are raised in. It opens their eyes to new things at a young age, and brings them in contact with people from all over the world. I loved the IB program at my school, benefited greatly from it and am glad to see that younger students are doing the same here in Cleveland. 

MERCER ELEMENTARY OBSERVATION #2: Monday April 14th, 2014

Today, on my second visit to Mercer Elementary school, I arrived to the classroom at 11 am. At this time the students had already started doing their math exercises from their workbooks with the help of their teacher Ms. Rashid. They were talking about geometrical shapes today. It fascinated me how quiet they were while doing their exercises while the teacher spoke from the head of the classroom simultaneously solving problems on the smart board. Like I said in my previous observation post, I feel that the way the classroom is set up, plays a role in the attention the students show their teacher, and the fact that they rarely interrupt conversation. Ms. Rashid would go around the classroom and help individual students whenever they needed her help, so there is a lot of individual attention in the classroom which I believe is very important. After the math work was completed and Ms. Rashid had checked everyone’s workbook, making sure that they had done their work, they had their snack break which has a duration of five minutes. In these five minutes, and while eating, the students are not allowed to play or run around as if it is recess. They are supposed to sit in the seats and go over the work they did earlier in class with the help of their friends. Ms. Rashid told me that the five minute snack break is motivating to them, and when they are doing work while eating a snack or enjoying a beverage, it seems more exciting to them, not actual “class” work. So she uses this method for every hour of class every day, or at times when she can see the students are getting distracted, tired, or bored. A small five minute break can motivate them tremendously and get them back on track. The first period of class (after the snack break) ended with a “current affairs” conversation. The students, every other day, raise an important global topic that they might have heard of in the news, or heard their parents talk about or read in a magazine or newspaper and discuss it in class. This time one student talked about the missing Malaysia Airlines plane and how countries from all over the world were sending ships and research crews to try to find it. Suddenly, the conversation sparked the interest of almost every single child in the classroom. They all had something to say that they heard about at home about what was going on in this situation. I feel that it is wonderful that Ms. Rashid extends their knowledge and makes them familiar with global affairs. Also, the fact that this is an IB school I think necessitates that. Students are supposed to have a perception of what is going on in the world, and not simply limit their knowledge to what is going on in their country. 

            The second period (from 12 pm-12:45 pm) was gym. I am glad that I chose to visit Mercer Elementary from 11 am to 1 pm, as this time always includes another special class, other than that being done in the classroom. I get to experience the facilities of the school, but also the way different classes work and different teachers as well (for example music class and gym). Gym class was interesting. It took part in the school’s indoor gym and throughout the class there was music playing in the background. The gym teacher told me that music motivates the students. He had a microphone while giving instructions, and told me that at this age, students need noise to get them excited. They began with body exercises like stretching, jumping jacks etc. and then played a game were they needed to run around the gym and tag each other. They were split into teams.  At this whole time, as I previously mentioned, music was being played in the background, so the students were also encouraged to dance! And of course the gym teacher did not stop giving instructions by speaking into his microphone. Another important technique used by the teacher, was that before every exercise, or before the game, the gym teacher explained how everything they do in class helps their body in one way or another. So there was a little bit of “lecture” before each activity, which I believe is very important and the students seemed to appreciate, as when I asked them after class why they did what they were doing, they explained every exercise and how it helped a specific part of their body. 

MERCER ELEMENTARY OBSERVATION #1: Friday April 11th, 2014

On my first visit to Mercer Elementary I was assigned to Ms. Rashid’s 4^th grade class. I was cordially greeted by the school principal, the teacher and the students. I honestly feel that, (and this was probably the main factor that made me want to choose Mercer Elementary to conduct my observations) the professionalism and willingness of the staff here is detrimental to the success of the students. From the first moment I contacted the school, and asked to visit in order to observe, they were more than willing to assist me, especially Ms. Rashid. Upon my arrival in the classroom, the students were doing 4^th grade mathematics exercises. The class environment is very well set up and I am sure enhances the students’ interest in learning. It is a very colorful classroom, with posters and artwork of the students hanging from the walls. They also have their own small “library”, a couple of bookshelves with numerous books, that the students will either be using in class, for projects like book reports or allowed to take out in order to read at home for leisure or practice. The students sit in a U-shaped desk setting, so that they are always facing each other, but also the teacher at the front of the room who is easily able to move around, checking the students’ work, and constantly be able to maintain a visual of them. From my previous experiences, and observations this semester from different schools, I feel that this is the perfect setting for a classroom, as there is no interference between teachers/students, as long as the teacher is constantly moving around, like Ms. Rashid was. The other thing I thought was excellent was the teacher’s assistance. For the duration of my two hour observation, Ms. Rashid had two assistants in class, who, from what I was told, help her with students who face learning disabilities and require individual attention. There are two students in Ms. Rashid’s class who have learning disabilities, and each one has his own personal support. I think that is excellent and should be implemented in every school possible.

As previously mentioned, the first hour of my observation was a math class, which Ms. Rashid taught with a combination of notes from the board, but also worksheets that that students were working on. I actually had the chance to help some students. It was interesting as the students seemed to know exactly what they needed to do, and the teacher was not constantly being bombarded with questions as in other cases I witnessed. They were talking about the different types of measurements: feet vs. meters, kilos vs. pounds, miles vs kilometers etc. The teacher was bringing in every day examples to help the students understand the differences, but also used visual examples, like posters on the wall or pictures from the internet in order to show them for example what the difference is between a liter of water and a gallon of water. There is a lot of communication in the class. At the end of the first period the students were able to enjoy a five minute snack break and then they headed out to music class. The music teacher, Ms. Kaiser, had the students sit on the carpet, and together they practiced their songs for their upcoming closing school ceremony in May. They have to learn a total of four songs, which they must have been practicing for a good amount of time, as they weren’t struggling with them. The teacher was either singing along with the students, or playing the piano while the students were singing their songs. Both teachers seemed to be thoroughly enjoying what they do and the students seem to love their enthusiasm! Overall a wonderful first observation of Mercer Elementary!  

"This I Believe"- Final Paper Proposal

In my paper, I plan on addressing the issue of public education vs private education in the United States. My main goal will be to provide an accurate analysis of the way the educational system functions in this country, in order to show that public schooling is being undermined and neglected, while also failing to reach the standards of certain private educational foundations. This, in turn creates a huge gap in the educational opportunities given to the American youth. Public schools are seen as "second class" schools compared to most private ones. The students, whose families are able to afford sending them to private schools, are provided with everything they need at an abundance; in order to succeed in their academic career, compared to those students who attend public schools. The economy, the history behind the American educational system and how it has been established and organized in recent years, but also multiple other societal factors that impact education, are some of the main reasons for which one can see such an immense gap between private and public education. In order to successfully address this issue, that is highly controversial, as, from the limited research I have conducted thus far, I have noticed that public opinion varies to a great extent, I will have to dig deeper within the intricacies of the educational system in the United States. My sources so far have proven to be very effective in helping me: a) develop an accurate argument against this inequality but also b) becoming more and more familiar with this specific topic.

The reason why I chose to address this is because of the first-hand experience that I have had since I came to the United States. I think it is clear that the more money one has the better education he can get and will usually get. The private (and in some cases even public!) schools in wealthy upper class neighborhoods, outweigh the public schools in the inner cities to a huge extent. The government is failing to provide its schools with the necessary funds, in order for them to be able to reach a specific educational standard that can make them competitive. Also, the fact that in the US, education has become somewhat of an "economic market", does not help the situation at all. It seems as if, businesses have managed to infiltrate American schools, pouring millions into the ones they want to and could see benefiting from. Sadly, other schools don't have that luxury and solely depend on limited governmental funding and support. Whole communities across the country are desperately trying to stop this and reverse the situation in favor of their schools, but the importance of economic benefit for the few constantly seems to put their efforts down. In Cleveland, I have met and become friends with individuals who attended high schools in impoverished neighborhoods, middle class neighborhoods, and upper class neighborhoods, both public and private. The differences that they have described are so immense, it is as if these schools are located in different countries. On the one hand, schools with extraordinary facilities,modern technological equipment, multiple extra-curricular activities etc. and on the other hand I have heard of schools not being able to get enough desks or blackboards for a classroom or not being able to get their fifty year old library renovated. In our ED 100 class this semester we talked a lot about inequalities and the major issues that have negatively affected schooling, and I personally think this is one of the biggest ones. I also plan on comparing the US educational system with the European one (the one most prevalent in the countries if the European Union). By comparing and contrasting the two systems (since I myself have a first-hand experience of what it is like to attend a public and private school abroad, their differences there compared to here), I might be able to come up with some solutions, that I believe could eventually solve this issue and slowly but effectively gap public and private education so that all students, no matter their economic or societal background are able to enjoy the same educational opportunities. 

The grand finale-Summing it all up!

While going over my blogs, I managed to make a significant assessment of the many different things we managed to accomplish, as a class in our introduction to education class this semester with Dr. Shutkin. I feel that it is necessary to mention, that everything I learned this semester, was achieved due to the teamwork within our class. The in class conversations we had, the field trips we took and generally the cooperation between myself and my classmates in a multitude of different projects was what contributed to this attained knowledge of mine. Had I worked alone, I wouldn't have been able to achieve as much as I have in this class. 

In my blogs I specifically focused on referring back to the readings and in class conversations on specific educational topics, while also introducing certain  personal experiences throughout my schooling. I felt that it was necessary to include my own personal experiences from school back in Greece but also here in the United States for two specific reasons: 1) because by analyzing my own experiences and looking back into the past, it was much easier for me to grasp the full meaning of the material covered in class and 2) so that my fellow classmates, and anyone else who would be interested in reading my blogs, could have a better understanding of my educational background, of my position on certain topics and also my personal ideology when it comes to certain aspects or factors connected to the educational world. I wanted people to understand where I came from, and how the views I may have, that could be differentiated from theirs are directly connected to my past experiences. 

The blogs my classmates and I posted, were a great opportunity to reflect on everyday class activities, but also show how well we understood either an assigned reading, our daily lectures, or generally the way things work in modern day education. I was truly shocked to find out how many different elements and different views and opinions characterize modern day education, from the way students are taught, to the way teachers teach, schools are set up, and the way society has managed, over the years, to either effectively or ineffectively impact the educational world. Topics like the banking concept of education were completely new to me ( I had never heard of it before), however I managed to learn a lot about it and the effect it can have on students. I talked about the detrimental effects of racism in schools, bullying, and how societies play a great role in contributing for the betterment of their schools. Negative and positive factors, were all mentioned in my blogs, and I would argue for or against them in almost every blog. I managed to visit numerous American schools (Elementary, high school) and I tried, as best I could, to point out what I liked and disliked from these observations, the similarities and differences between these schools and the schools I attended back in Greece, or the educational systems in general. I won't lie, some of the topics we analyzed seemed rather boring, others extremely interesting, however looking back at my blogs now, I see that all of these topics we read about in our books or analyzed via our in class conversations were mandatory in shaping our character, and preparing us as possible future teachers.

Being a part-time teacher myself, I know that I will eventually look back to the blogs I posted in order to get information, and I think that's the most important thing. That these blogs contain significant general information but also personal information and experiences that are connected to each other, and helped me understand what education is really about, and how I, as an individual will be able to tackle certain topics or situations that will rise in my career.