Raquel Mejia

LBS 300

Reflective Essay

While completing my early fieldwork assignment I was able to gain valuable

experience. I worked in Ms. Slowes 3rd grade classroom in Douglas MacArthur

Elementary School in Lakewood. Single-family homes and Del Valle Park surround the

school. During my time at MacArthur I was able to work with a number of students at

different levels and from different backgrounds. I was able to work with groups of

students when they were having discussions and I was able to help guide them in their

discussions. I also was able to work with a number of students who answered questions in

their homework incorrectly. When I worked with them I asked them to explain how they

got their answer, and I would then show them an example of how to solve the problem

correctly. After that I would ask them to solve their problem again. After they solved it

correctly I would ask them to point out their mistake. I think this really helped them

understand how to solve the problems correctly and to avoid making the same mistake

over. I worked closely with a student who was behind in their reading and comprehension

skills. The student would read a book to me and whenever the student didnt know a

word we would use phonics cards to help the student sound out the word. I saw the

improvement the student made during my time there. Towards the end of my time in the

classroom the student would not struggle as much as they did before when reading. I

enjoyed working with the students and seeing all the progress they made. MacArthur is

part of the Long Beach Unified School District. According to the 2013 STAR results,

26% of the 3rd grade students enrolled in MacArthur were proficient in English-Language

Arts. In mathematics, 63% of 3rd grade students were proficient. In 2012 MacArthurs
API score was 795. Their goal was to grow by 5 points in 2013. In MacArthur there were

63 students enrolled in the 3rd grade during the 2014-2015 school year. In the same

school year, there were 13.9% Black or African American, 0.0% American Indian or

Alaska Native, 7.6% Asian, 3.4% Filipino, 43.3% Hispanic or Latino, 1.0% Native

Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, 25.2% White, 2.1% Two or More Races, 53.0%

Socioeconomically Disadvantages, 9.7% English Learners, 14.4% Studens with

Disabilities and 1.6% Foster youth enrolled at MacArthur.

During my early fieldwork experience I learned a lot of valuable things that I will

carry with me and further develop as I continue my training as a teacher. In the time I

spent in the 3rd grade classroom I was assigned to I learned that being a teacher does not

only consist of teaching students, it also consists of dealing with outside factors that

affect what is going on in your classroom. In my previous experiences in an elementary

grade classroom I had never seen how much outside factors could affect what is

happening in the classrooms. It is important to keep that in mind when working with

students because things that are happing outside the classroom can affect them inside the

classroom. During my time in the 3rd grade classroom I also learned how difficult it can

be to find time to work with a student who is behind grade level. I saw that it is a big

challenge for a teacher to try to get a student who is behind caught up and at current

grade level. Another thing I learned was how important it is to have great communication

with students parents and the importance of creating a partnership with them. I learned

that it cannot always be like that for a number of reasons but when it is possible it is very

important to create that partnership. I think these are all valuable lessons that will help me

in the future when I have a classroom of my own.

 The time I spent in the classroom allowed me to see various techniques for certain

things. One of my favorite techniques was when the class was introduced to a new

assignment, the teacher would first demonstrate what the task was and

then let the students do the task on their own or in groups. If the teacher saw that the

students did not understand the assignment correctly she would go back and have the

students do the particular task with her. She would have them take notes on her

demonstration and the students would use that as a guide to continue their assignment.

This is one of my favorite techniques because it allows the students to see how the

assignment should be completed. A lot of students may be confused on how to complete

a task they have never done before so I find that this technique is of great benefit to the

students.

I was able to observe some strategies in the classroom that I would like to keep in

my training as a teacher. One of the strategies that I liked in particular was her morning

procedure. When the students came in the classroom in the morning the teacher would

have the students stand by their desks. She would then go over the calendar and agenda,

collect their homework, and then have each group of students go and get their chairs. I

feel that this created structure for the students. They knew what to expect every morning,

and I saw how this procedure helped start off the day smoothly. Another strategy that I

observed and would like to keep throughout my training as a teacher is the points system

used in the classroom. When all students in a group turned in their homework they were

rewarded with a certain amount of points. Each group received points for the completion

of different tasks, working quietly and following directions. At the end of each week, the

group with the most amount of points received a reward. I found that this was a great
incentive for the students to stay on task. They were really engaged in making sure that

they were on task so that they could receive points.

While working in the classroom I was able to see some of my strengths in

working with students. I discovered that I was able to engage students in the material we

were going over. I think this is very important because as a future teacher I want to make

sure I captivate my students and they are focused on the lesson and the material they are

learning. I also found that I was able to connect with students quickly, allowing them to

feel comfortable around me and willing to let me help them in areas they were struggling

in. I think this is very important because if a student is not comfortable around you then it

will be difficult to engage them in the lessons. Another strength that I discovered was that

if students were off task I was able to bring their attention back to their work. I thought

that bringing students back on task after they were distracted would be difficult for me

but I saw that I could bring their attention back to their assignments rather quickly. I feel

that establishing a connection with them early on really helped me be able to do this.

While completing my fieldwork I not only discovered strengths but also some

weaknesses in working with students that I need to strengthen. I realized that if a student

was misbehaving it was difficult for me to find a way to get the student to stop behaving

that way once I left the area where the student was sitting. I need to be firmer when

speaking to a student that is misbehaving. I think that was the source of the problem. To

strengthen this weakness I need to become comfortable being firm in a way that is also

fair. Another weakness in working with students that I noticed is that when I had to

address the entire class I spoke very softly. I need to be comfortable speaking loudly in

front of the class so that all the students can hear me. To strengthen this weakness I will
practice speaking at a higher volume when rehearsing a presentation or presenting

something in front of an audience.

While completing my fieldwork and being in LBS 300, I learned so much more

about what teaching really consists of. In my fieldwork I was able to see what happens in

a school setting. I also learned a lot from experiences that others have shared that have

worked or currently work at a school. In the LBS class I was exposed to a lot of situations

that occur in a school setting that I had never been exposed to. An example of that would

be child abuse and reporting it. Another example of something I had not been exposed to

was how difficult it can be for teachers to establish a partnership with parents. Within my

self-reflection journal I was able to take my prior experiences and knowledge and apply it

to current or future situations. While writing my self-reflections I learned a lot about how

I want to inspire and engage my students and ways I can do that. From that reflection I

learned that to engage my students in a lesson I have to be enthusiastic about it so that

they will be too. I was also able to think back on my own experiences in elementary

school and how I can use those experiences, good or bad, to construct a positive

environment in my classroom. I feel that I grew a lot from my experiences both in my

fieldwork site and the LBS 300 class and I will take these valuable experiences with me

as I continue my training to become a teacher.