Field Notes compiled

Christine Calderon

02/12/13

Field Post #4

Notes for first visit Feb. Friday 8th, 2013:

Today I walked in and the special education teacher was talking about tea with Ms. Teller. The students where lined up against the wall again waiting to get the signal to come into the classroom and start their morning routine. After this I walked around to see if anyone needed help with their math problem. There was a student from the ELL class I was in last year that was awarded a prize for reading a certain amount of books. The teacher then announced other students that could go downstairs to enjoy the reading event. There where 4 or 5 students that stayed behind. The teacher then told the students that even if they at least one they would’ve been able to go and have fun.  Some of the students began to trickle in. I was assigned with three other students who were working on their vocabulary and spelling words.  These three students where still in the process of learning English they had their own cards and vocabulary words to study. These three students are as follows:

Miguel- Knows some English is really excited about learning English. When asked about who helps him study he mentioned his uncle who worked in a restaurant.

Ali- doesn’t know any English and cannot read in English but can read and write in Spanish

Joe- knows some English and is a bit more advanced than Miguel. When asked about who helps him out he mentioned his father and his brother help him and they know some English from

I spoke in Spanish to them and translated some words so they would have an easier time learning them.

After that activity the students came back upstairs and where told by the teacher to move into groups to work on their readings and their group writing work. A student who knew English was helping another student out. The student being helped out couldn’t really explain what he needed help on in English so he spoke in Spanish and the teacher came by and told the student to not speak in Spanish that he knew English.

Christine Calderon

02/14/13

Field Post #5

Notes for first visit Feb. Friday 14th, 2013:

Today I went in knowing before hand that the students were testing. They were doing a sort of pre test for the actual tests. The atmosphere was different from the teachers to the students. The students where extra well behaved and the teachers gave more detailed instructions. Today was the last testing of specifically math. They only had 2 and a half hours allotted for the last section. There were students pulled out to test in smaller groups. The class was left with around 8 students. There was one student with one teacher in the back table. 5 students went with the special education teacher that usually is in the classroom when I’m there. 4 students who weren’t fluent in English went with the ELL assistant teacher I worked with quickly last semester. And 2 students who seemed to be more behind on the testing due to absences went with another teacher. After the two hours, a lot of students finished early and where allowed to make valentines with construction paper or write stories on the worksheet provided by the teacher.

Something that caught my attention when I was observing one of the students, Carrie, went over to Ana’s desk and went on to see what Ana had created, Carrie then preceded to try and read Ana’s valentine. She was rather successful in reading it although it was in Spanish. However, the teacher told Carrie to sit down, be quiet and stay in her seat. She said that other students where still testing. But from what I saw everyone in the classroom was done testing and she wasn’t reading loud enough to disturb anyone.  I do not know if there where previous misconduct by Carrie. After they created their valentines they where going to have a party to exchange valentines and to celebrate the end of testing.

Christine Calderon

02/15/13

Field Post #6

Notes for first visit Feb. Friday 15th, 2013:

Today the students and the teachers where recovering from the previous testing. They ended up working on a worksheet for fun and then went on to watch a movie that had to do with the stories they had just read for Black history month…