Field Blog-The Agnon School

     Going into Agnon School, I was really exited. It was a private, lower school which is exactly what I want to teach. I want to teach first or second grade, and I was placed to observe in a first grade classroom. Before we went into the school, we were told that the students refer to the teachers and all of the staff by their first names. At first, I wasn't really sure what to think about this. It could be seen in a couple of different ways; some people may think that it is disrespectful to their teachers, their superiors or some may view it as a sign of comfort. At my high school, I would sometimes call my teachers by their first names but not often. It never really felt right to me; I feel like it should be Mrs. or Mr. so and so. The students were very comfortable with their teachers, which is a very good thing. They share a bond and the students are able to be themselves around them and trust them.

     In the first grade classroom I sat in on, there weren't very many students in a class; there were maybe 15 or so. I think that smaller class sizes work much better for both the students and the teachers, especially for the students at a young age. Each week, the students will take home their "homeschool journal" and write a note to their parents about what they are doing in school. When they take it home, their parents will then write a note back to them, responding to their message. I love this idea. I think it is a great way to keep the parents informed on what their children are doing in school and also helping the students practice their writing skills. 

     In this first grade classroom, the students seemed pretty responsible. If they had a question, they first have to go to three of their friends or a different group for help before they go to their teacher. I think this is a very good and effective rule. It teaches the students to try things on their own first and if they can't figure it out that way, then go to their friends for help; they don't have to immediately go to their teacher when they're stuck. The students are often placed in groups, teaching them to work together. The teacher placed two students in a group to work on their packets, one of a higher reading level and one of a lower reading level. This way, the students were ensured of finishing the packet. It helps the lower reader learn to follow along with the higher reader, and the higher reader is able to help teacher the lower reader. While groups are working together, the teacher will pull aside one group and meet with them individually. She goes over their packets with them and instructs them on what else they need to do and what they can do differently. When she meets with the groups individually, she meets them at their individual needs, giving them different work than other groups sometimes. Some of the students are held at higher standards and are given higher levels of readings then the others. One thing that stood out to me was the "whisper phone". This phone has a hole by the mouth and one by the ear -- it ejects the sound from their mouth back into their ear so they can hear exactly how they sound. I think this is such a cool method of learning for the students.