Health & Wellness

Date of School Visit: November 6th, 2015

Grade level(s) visited: 3

Subject(s) observed: Language Arts

 

School

The second institution I observed was Sandiland’s Primary School on Bernard Rd, Fox Hill. The school is situated in the North Eastern District and is ranked as a Grade B school. From briefly surveying the campus, the campus is safe and persons aren’t able to enter to campus easily and the school has a security checkpoint. The buildings are two stories building that are in good condition. As the school is considered a Grade B school there are approximately 800 students attending the school. The school’s atmosphere is established as a learning setting and the students follow the guidelines. The mission of Sandiland’s Primary is to provide optimum opportunities for all students, to acquire a well rounded education that will equip them with the necessary skills, knowledge and beliefs for living. Each student will be able to think critically and develop values such as respect for self and others, friendship, honesty and self-esteem. Sandiland’s Primary School’s motto is ‘Success through Labor and Prayer’.

 

Administration

The philosophy of Sandiland’s Primary School states ‘We believe that each child is special and different, and should be given opportunities to reach his/her maximum potentials in academics, physical activities, culture etc.  Therefore, we strive to provide opportunities to meet these needs”. The administrators were dressed professionally and appropriately. As a perspective teacher, I was treated with respected from the administrators in the office. When it came to the attitude towards and treatment of the student were authoritative. The administrators are making sure to instill manners and respect.

 

Staff

The roles and responsibility of the institution’s staff is to provide a safe learning environment for each student. The staff ensures the students are receiving. Teachers that were seen during my observation were dressed professionally and appropriately. The attitude displayed toward administration was equal levels of respect, towards the students were also respectful and they helped the students when he or she needed it. As a perspective teacher there was no hostility displayed to me from any staff members. The staff was effective in helping me as an observer when I wanted to know more about the school. When it came down to the attitude toward and treatment of the students, they were authoritative as they want the student to practice having manners.

 

Classroom

The classroom I observed was a grade 3 Language Arts class. The classroom is large enough to accommodate sufficient cupboards, desks and chairs. The Physical Arrangement of the classroom is very colorful and eye-catching. All around the classroom were Despicable Me characters such as Gru, little girl and especially the Minions. Along the wall were pictures of Minions showing the days of the week, months of the year, colors, the alphabet and various types of shapes. The teaching resources are whiteboards and projector along with other resources that were in the back of the classroom. The classroom is a good learning environment for grade 3 students as they would be excited to enter the classroom each day. The values I’ve observed were the message the Minions display which said ‘Help clean up’ ‘Walk quietly’ etc. A ritual noticed was the students must pray before they leave the classroom for, the students must sit to their designated seats and each person has cleaning duties.

 

Teachers

The role and responsibility of the teacher is giving each student a chance to reach for full potential in academics. The belief of a teacher is that one must be willing to take the time out to teach with a purpose. As it is calling for some persons, one must be passionate in wanting to guide the younger generation in the right direction. In the classroom I observed the teacher used a projector to teach her lesson. She used the projector to play songs related to lesson, a well prepared exercise for classroom to participate and work on and the play music or when it’s time to play a game. As for disciplinary measures, the teacher has control of her classroom. By using gestures such as asking the class to clap if they could hear voice to raising her hand the classroom is quiet. The teacher is dressed appropriately for the classroom and seems to have a good relationship with her students. When one of the students got one of the answers wrong during the in class exercises she stayed with students to encourage them and place the right answer. The teacher also gets the students involved in praising a fellow classmate for getting the right answer. The teacher’s way of teaching effective for her students to remember the information as the use of the projector and mini games kept the children in a learning mode.

 

Students in the classroom

The responsibilities of the students are to reach their full potential in their studies. There were about twenty four (24) students in the classroom during the lesson and when it came to the diversity of the classroom it was a mixed group. For the students to be prepared for the class, the teachers carried out a series of exercises to get the classroom settled down. The students were dressed accordingly in their school uniform and some were dressed their pe attire. Everyone participated during the lesson of the class as each group had an opportunity to answer a question on the board. When it came to their thinking skills, the students were quick on their feet to questions and even bragged that they had the right answer before anyone else had a chance to answer. Socially each student got along with everyone and spoke with the students that sat with them. The students were cooperative with what teaching told them and were able to work in groups without any huge disagreements.

 

Overall Impression of the School

I felt comfortable when I was observing the school. I understand that it is more challenging to get the classroom settle as they are little children but I must commend the teacher for keeping order of the classroom. I learned that in order to get students especially at that young age to engage in the lesson of the class is to play games and sing songs. I liked the teacher’s use of the projector on the board as it is easier to use and there aren’t much stuff to clean up and also very innovative. There wasn’t anything I didn’t dislike about the classroom but I was surprised that every student participated in the lesson. No student was left behind during the lesson and they had fun.