Nastasha Green

Contextual Factors
Classroom Factors
When I entered Ninety-Six Elementary, I was greeted with familiar smiling faces. I was
so happy to walk back into this school because it feels like home. The staff and students are so
nice and friendly, and the school is small, yet comfortable. As I made my way down to Mrs.
Bledsoes fifth grade classroom, there were student artwork, poems, stories, and more hanging
on the wall. After reading some of the stories the students wrote, I could tell that the students
were very creative and different. They expressed themselves very well and had great ideas for
the future. When I walked into the classroom, I found that it was very spacious. The desk were
spread out and placed in groups of twos and threes. The majority of the boys are placed in the
first two rows and the girls are spread out amongst them. Mrs. Bledsoe separated all of the
students that are best friends in order to keep the students on task. Mrs. Bledsoes desk is to the
right of the students, in a corner next to the Promethean board. The Promethean board is used to
display the morning warm-ups, the morning show, math book, and PowerPoints that the students
need to know. The students desks are facing the front of the classroom toward the whiteboard.
The date, lunch choices for that day, and homework for the next day are written in the top right
corner of the whiteboard. The remaining space is used throughout the day to go over work and
lessons. To the right of the whiteboard, are a recycling bin, school calendar, lion loots and the
daily schedule. Lion loots are different priced paper that allows the students to buy items from
the school store during lunch or at the beginning of the day. In order for the students to receive
lion loot, they must behave, show respect, or be helpful. Hanging above the whiteboard is the
American flag, and next to that is the television. Under the television are the reading table and a
window. Mrs. Bledsoe uses this table for running records and guided, shared, and independent
reading. To the left of the reading table are two bookshelves, a board games cart, a bulletin board

with the names of each student, and an emergency exit window. Students are allowed to go to the
bookshelves before class or when they are finished with an independent activity. Above the
second window is the South Carolina flag. At the back of the classroom are three computers,
cabinets, and a sink with a water fountain. These cabinets contain extra materials such as glue,
paper, and scissors for the students to use when necessary. The computers are not used very often
because there is not enough for everyone and they are relatively old. When the students do get on
the computers, they used them for research, accelerated reader test, and educational games
during free time. Beside the Promethean board, the computers are the only type of technology
used in the classroom. The overall atmosphere of the classroom is positive and relaxing for both
the teacher and students.
When the students enter the classroom, they must take their homework folders and signed
agendas out and write their homework down. Once they are finished writing down their
homework and upcoming events, they place their agendas on the corner of their desks. The
students then place their book bags on the back of their chairs since they do not have cubbies.
Next, students start their daily warm-ups that consist of three review questions. Students are
given about five minutes to complete their warm-ups. During this time, Mrs. Bledsoe checks
homework, takes attendance, and marks lunch choices. When that is completed, Mrs. Bledsoe
reviews the warm-ups as a whole class. Then, the students go over their homework from the
previous night and answer any questions. Next, the students start learning. The first subject that
is taught is math, then English, and social studies. The students go to recess and lunch from
12:00 p.m. to 12:55 p.m. After recess and lunch, the class heads back to the classroom and starts
a science lesson. After science, the students start packing their book bags and pulling their
agendas out for Mrs. Bledsoe to sign. Mrs. Bledsoe keeps in contact with the students parents
through the agendas. She writes notes on behavior, share information about meetings that might

need to take place, and answers questions. The students must get their agendas signed every
night to make sure their parents are seeing what Mrs. Bledsoe is writing. Once that is completed,
the students line up for their related arts. The related arts consist of Spanish, music, computer
lab, physical education, and art. When related arts are over, the students come back to the
classroom, stack their chairs on their desk, and wait to be dismissed.
The overall classroom management is fun, yet serious. Mrs. Bledsoe believes in having
fun, but when it is time to learn, she expects the students to listen and pay attention. The
students, as well as Mrs. Bledsoe, act as if they are family. They are all very helpful towards one
another and get along. Although the students are talkative and active, the classroom feels safe
and homey.
Student Characteristics
In this fifth grade classroom, there are twenty three students ranging between the ages of
ten and twelve. There are twelve boys and eleven girls. The class consists of sixteen Caucasian
students, eight girls and eight boys, and seven African American students, three girls and four
boys. Four of the students come from upper middle class families and either pay for lunch or
bring it. Sixteen students come from middle class families and receive free or reduced lunch. The
three remaining students come from lower income families and receive free lunch. Majority of
the students live in two parent homes or, with an original parent and a step parent. The parents
are very active in commutation and helping their childs learning development. Parents are able
to contact Mrs. Bledsoe by phone, email, or parent/teacher conference. As for academics, I
reviewed the students quarter grades on their report cards to determine where they stood in
language arts and math. The report cards have a grading scale stating that a student would
receive an A if he or she made between a 93-100, a B if they made between a 85-92, a C if they
had 77-84, a D if they received anything between 70-76, and an F if they had a grade of 69 or
below. After the first quarter, two students received an F on their report card for math, six

students received a C, eight received a B, and six received an A. In language arts, one student
had an F, two received Ds, nine had Cs, seven students had Bs and three students received As.
Two of the students, the one who received an F and the other who received a D in math, gets
pulled out for math intervention once a day. For reading, there is one student who is pulled out of
class during the day. The student who is below grade level in reading is also one of the students
pulled out for math. This student receives math and reading intervention twice a day. Sometimes
these two students are not required to participate in class activities because they get pulled out
around that time. These two students do not actively participate in class discussion and tend to
doubt themselves. They do require accommodations such as small group assignments, extended
time for tests, reduced content and pre-written notes. This class also has two students who made
perfect scores on the Palmetto Assessment of State Standards test. One scored exemplary on
reading and the other on math. These two students have the highest grades in the classroom and
are two of the four students who are in PLUS. PLUS is the gifted and talented program at Ninety
Six. These students go to PLUS once every week to work at new material that is above their
grade level.
The majority of the lessons aim towards visual and auditory learners, but after helping
some students one on one, I believe many would benefit from the kinesthetic learning style. The
students truly work hard in class and seem to grasp the concepts of different lessons. The
students in this class are very boisterous and opinionated. The girls and boys are always
competing or forming ideas and answering questions together. They love to express their ideas
through talking; yet they are still respectful toward Mrs. Bledsoe and their fellow classmates.
The students are interested in games, drawing, reading, entertaining, and helping one another. I
performed a survey in class dealing with what the students were interested in and the results
showed that their favorite and least favorite subjects are math and social studies. They believe

these subjects are difficult and boring. They tend to become distracted easily or change the
subject when the lesson is boring or if they are sitting too long. I have also noticed that the
students do not respond well when a teacher yells at them. They like to feel respected and in turn,
will show respect. As fifth graders, they are stuck between being a kid and maturing. They love
to joke around but are not disrespectful. The have become a family and are very passionate
individuals.
Instructional Implications
After evaluating and observing this classroom, there will be many factors that influence
the way I will interact and teach the students this semester. These students have great ideas and
are socially aware of the people around them. They enjoy learning information that is relevant
and interesting to them. My goal for this semester is to teach lessons in a fun and interactive way,
while making real life connections. The students stated that they are not interested in math and
social studies; so I want to make these subjects as fun and interesting as possible. They view
these subjects as tedious and insignificant. They do not see the importance of these subjects
because they are not appealing to their eyes. For math, I notice that many of students get
confused on what steps to take during a word problem, and simply use any number to try to
figure an answer out. I want the students to become confident in the material they have learned
and know the proper steps to take. I would write down the different methods that could be used
during problem solving for the two students that receive intervention for math, and place them in
groups with students that already understand how to solve problems. I believe that students are
able to explain information clearer to one another that will help with understanding.
When I teach social studies, I want the students to feel as if they are from that time
period. I will implement a readers theatre using props and clothing so that students will get the
feel of what it was like back then. I believe the students will enjoy an activity like this because it
allows them to be creative and makes the information interesting.

I want the students to understand that learning can be fun and easy if they are willing to
try. These students want something different, and I want to make sure I can provide them with
that change. I will be sure to include the students that are pulled out in lessons by simplifying
what I am teaching so that they can fully understand it. I will provide them with notes to follow
along and extra activities that appeal to them. If the students can continue to be respectful and
work hard, I know that group work will be the best teaching strategy to use. It allows the students
to be active and gives them time to express themselves. I look forward to working with this
group of students and believe that I can teach great knowledge in a more relevant way.
School and Community Factors
Ninety Six Elementary is located in Ninety Six, South Carolina. The school is run by principal
Charlene Louden and staffs twenty-three teachers. There are 371 students enrolled in this
elementary school ranging from third to fifth grade. This school has a poverty rate of 49.63% and
a majority of the students receive free or reduced lunch. 11.2% of the students have a disability,
and 21.9% of students are in the talented and gifted program. Ninety Six Elementary has
received an A from the report of Principal and School Improvement Council, and has earned
the Palmetto Gold Award for General Performance multiple times. In 2012, the Pass Testing
results showed that third grade had 87% of students who met or scored exemplary in language
arts, math, and social studies and 70% in science. Fourth grade had 82% in language arts, 87% in
math and science, and 91% in social studies. As for fifth grade, the results showed that 90% of
the students met or exceed the standard in language arts, 80% in math and social studies, and
85% in science and writing. The school did a great job on their Pass testing and was slightly
above elementary schools statewide.
The town of Ninety Six is a historic site for the Revolutionary War and has the battle field at Star
Fort. The towns population of 1,936 people, and 560 families that currently reside there. The
town consist of 76.5% Caucasians, 22.7% African American, and .8% of other races. The

average income for a household is $33,423and many of the families are supported by the Fiji
Plant. The Fiji Plant is a manufacturing company that supplies Ninety Six with income and tax
revenue. The town is a small, well knit community in which people support and help one another
out.
After reviewing the school and community factors, this information allows me to become
a part of the students lives. I believe it is important for me to see the aspects of the community,
and to continue to teach the students how to work together and support one another. One of the
main factors that I believe I will benefit from is Star Fort. Star Fort allows me to introduce the
students to history that they can actually relate to because of their town. I want them to know that
Ninety Six is not just a small town, but a place that played an important role in the American
Revolution. As for academics, I know that the students have great potential. I want to push my
them so that they want to learn more about the world and the subjects that I will be teaching.
This school is inquiry based; so, it pushes students to think outside of the book. By doing so, I
believe it prepares the students for the future. I am excited about what this semester will hold for
the students, and I look forward to challenging them and allowing them to explore education.