Clara Barton Open School, Allison Rubin Forrester, 7/8th grade, 4 hrs
Franklin Middle School, Melodee Strong, 6/7/8th grade, 1.5 hrs
This week, I started my placement at Clara Barton Open School as an assistant to Allison Rubin Forrester, a math and dance teacher for middle schoolers. This was the first week back for the students, and their semester ends next week, so they are working on studying for tests and the like. I have found myself watching Allison as she engages with the classroom when she is working through homework or study guides on the projector, asking students questions about problems. I am very much intrigued by her responses to when the answer is not correct - instead of saying that it is “wrong”, a common phrase that I heard throughout my middle school education from teachers. Allison asks the student again if they are really sure of their answer, and walks them through how to solve it in the correct format. It feels like a more open, non-exposing method of teaching and instructing the student, and it also allows them to think about where they got lost.
The students sit at groups of 3-6 at tables in the classroom, and have time to work on homework or assignments in class and as a group (although I have noticed, not every middle schooler takes advantage of this learning time). Allison floats through the room, and answers any questions one may have; and when I am asked, I usually ask the student if they have asked their peers how they solved the problem, and work from there. I am becoming more interested in the idea of work as a group and using your peers as a resource, especially when they are in such close proximity.
This week I also met with Melodee Strong, an arts teacher at Franklin Middle School. I walked through the supplies she has for her classroom, saw several completed projects on view throughout the school, and some saved student work from previous classes. She also introduced me to some materials about graphing and tessellations that I may incorporate into my lesson for Allison’s class.