In the Classroom!

Today, I observed Lauren teach in her 5^th grade classroom at Maupin Elementary School. Maupin is an inner-city, Title 1 school in the west side of Louisville. Breakfast must be served every morning, as mandated by the district. Throughout my field experience during college, I was never placed in an inner-city school, so this observation provided me with a different perspective on teaching and the education system in general.

Lauren had mentioned to the students that I would be visiting, so they were expecting me to come in sometime this week. When they saw me, I could see the curiosity on their faces to find out who I was.

During Sharing Time, we all sat in a circle and listened to a few students share interesting things about their weekend. This was a great way for me to get an idea of what student life was like outside of the classroom, but it was also a way for the students to talk and express their feelings. When it was my turn to talk about my weekend, all I could say was that I went to a baseball game and the questions began spilling out. “What’s your favorite baseball team!” “Who’s your favorite player!” “Are you really from Chicago?!” I had to break the news to them that I wasn't a big baseball fan, but that I like basketball and I watch NBA games as well as Indiana Basketball. Apparently, that was a great answer, because I was bombarded with even more questions related to basketball. Of course, I said the Chicago Bulls is my favorite NBA team and that I want Derrick Rose to come back. I was surprised to see how much these kids knew about Chicago basketball and the NBA in general! It was a great way for me to connect with them and allowed them to feel comfortable around me.

After Sharing Time, Lauren went through literacy and reading. The students were preparing for K-PREP, which is the standardized test for Kentucky, so most of the information was review. I admired the way Lauren was able to take control of the classroom and made sure that all her students were paying attention to her and the material at all times. It seemed difficult, but she built that relationship with her students in a way that they showed her the respect that she deserved. She made it look so easy to do what she did, but I know that it took a lot of time and effort to get to the point she is at with her students.

One of the great parts of the day was recess. The kids asked me to play kickball with them. I was wearing dress pants and flats, but hey, they asked me, so why not? I ran all the way to second base until one of the kids outran me and got me out. At that point, I began talking with one of the Cuban students in Lauren’s class… in SPANISH. Lauren told him that he couldn't speak to me unless it was in Spanish, just so I could practice my conversation skills. It was a great way to practice because this student was fluent and asked me different questions in Spanish. I was surprised to see that I could hold a conversation with him and understand him! I look forward to doing the same thing while I’m in Ecuador, while conversing with my host family and in the classroom. Due to confidentiality, I was unable to take pictures of/with students.

The day went by so quickly and smoothly! I was also able to see a math and social studies lesson before we left to go back to Lauren’s place. After school, Lauren, Jeremy, and I went to dinner at the Bluegrass Brewing Company, where I had some chicken wings! We left the BBC and took Zoe for a walk at Seneca Park… talk about an exercise! After the walk, we came back to the house and spent the night watching The Voice. Can’t wait to watch the eliminations tomorrow night! #TeamAdam