Setting and Context
1. Culture and Community Context:
The Lab school or Creative Learning is located in Fort Collins, Colorado and is a part of the Poudre School District. It resides in a residential area just blocks away form Colorado State University. The Lab school has a unique culture, different form most schools. They have what is called expeditionary learning that connects disciplines and helps them go more in depth in learning. Expeditionary Learning is defined as, “A comprehensive school model that encompasses learning expeditions, active pedagogy, and the building of character and culture.” They go on many field trips and often do field work that is integrated into their curriculum. At the Lab school, teachers are partners in learning and are addressed by their first names. There are also multi-ages classrooms that encompass two different age groups, including: kindergarten and first, second and third, and fourth and fifth grade classrooms. With this type of learning student stay with the same teacher for 2 years. There are 18 students a most per classroom enabling them to be able to create a strong community. The school’s mission is: “Empowering individuals to build: Knowledge of self, knowledge of others which is knowledge for life!”
2. Support Structure:
The Lab School is a choice school; this means that the students that attend are not determined by the neighborhood in which they live. Families apply to go to this school and some come from different towns other than Fort Collins. There is no bussing system so parents have to drive their students to and from school.
Colorado State University has partnered with the Lab school in the art and music programs. The Lab school does not have a art teacher on location for the elementary students therefore students studying art education at CSU come to the school and teach art every Friday.
3. Demographic Characteristics:
The following demographics was gathered from The Poudre School District website.
▪ Asian: 3.06%
▪ Black/African American: 1.37%
▪ Hispanic/Latino: 17.93%
▪ Native American: 0.53%
▪ Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander: 0.13%
▪ White: 74.31%
▪ Two or More: 3.15%
▪ Participating in Free/Reduced Lunch: 30.79%
▪ Special Education Programs: 8.03%
▪ Gifted and Talented Programs: 11.57%
▪ English Language Learner Programs: 7.55%
4. Classroom Environment and Students:
I have the pleasure to work with a class of 2nd and 3rd grade students in Brittany’s class at the Lab school. I teach them Friday mornings for an hour and 15 minutes every week for the first semester of the year. There are a total of 17 students in the class. They sit in “color groups” at 5 different tables of 3 to 4 students. There is a smart board in the front of the room adjacent to a reading corner with pillows and many books. There is a sink off to the left side of the room, which is convenient for art. The floors are carpeted and there is a large rug in the center where the students sit in the morning to greet each other and discuss the day’s schedule before beginning the lesson. The students are always excited for art on Fridays and there is often a lot of energy in the room. At times their energy can become too much but can also add to their creativity and creations. Each student is different and adds to the community of the class culture. Below is a description of each student:
5. School-wide Policies for Management, Safe Schools, Conflict Resolution and Student with Special Needs:
This school has a refocus system to handle management. There are a few different steps that are followed in this system. The first refocus given is a warning and comment to help the student’s realize their behavior. The second refocus addresses the issue and states the desires behavior. The third is a hall conference between the students and the teacher explaining behavior and consequences. If the problem continues, the student has to fill out a problem-solving contract in another teacher’s classroom. For the last step, if it comes to it, the student is referred to the office. In Brittany’s classroom there is a management system and class expectations set in place. The students are expected to follow what they called the 6 P’s. They include Prompt, Prepared, Polite, Positive mental attitude, Participate, and Produce. They also have 5 attending skills they are expected to use. These include: be in the moment, body language, eye contact, appropriate feedback and questions and comments.
All schools in the Poudre School District have campus security officers on site to ensure safety. The Security Department conducts Safe Environment Assessments each year on all schools to find solutions for any school safety concerns.
In an elementary school large conflicts are rare but can happen. In response to a conflict, students are encourages resolving it the best way they can. Teachers may step in and help them reach a resolution or separate them from the conflict. Often times a conversation between students and eh teacher can resolve the problem.
Special needs students are included in the classrooms, rather than being placed in a separate class. They do not have a special education teacher therefore; they may have other staff members assist them when needed. Students may have accommodations in the classroom to help them have a positive and successful learning environment.
The Lab school or Creative Learning is located in Fort Collins, Colorado and is a part of the Poudre School District. It resides in a residential area just blocks away form Colorado State University. The Lab school has a unique culture, different form most schools. They have what is called expeditionary learning that connects disciplines and helps them go more in depth in learning. Expeditionary Learning is defined as, “A comprehensive school model that encompasses learning expeditions, active pedagogy, and the building of character and culture.” They go on many field trips and often do field work that is integrated into their curriculum. At the Lab school, teachers are partners in learning and are addressed by their first names. There are also multi-ages classrooms that encompass two different age groups, including: kindergarten and first, second and third, and fourth and fifth grade classrooms. With this type of learning student stay with the same teacher for 2 years. There are 18 students a most per classroom enabling them to be able to create a strong community. The school’s mission is: “Empowering individuals to build: Knowledge of self, knowledge of others which is knowledge for life!”
2. Support Structure:
The Lab School is a choice school; this means that the students that attend are not determined by the neighborhood in which they live. Families apply to go to this school and some come from different towns other than Fort Collins. There is no bussing system so parents have to drive their students to and from school.
Colorado State University has partnered with the Lab school in the art and music programs. The Lab school does not have a art teacher on location for the elementary students therefore students studying art education at CSU come to the school and teach art every Friday.
3. Demographic Characteristics:
The following demographics was gathered from The Poudre School District website.
▪ Asian: 3.06%
▪ Black/African American: 1.37%
▪ Hispanic/Latino: 17.93%
▪ Native American: 0.53%
▪ Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander: 0.13%
▪ White: 74.31%
▪ Two or More: 3.15%
▪ Participating in Free/Reduced Lunch: 30.79%
▪ Special Education Programs: 8.03%
▪ Gifted and Talented Programs: 11.57%
▪ English Language Learner Programs: 7.55%
4. Classroom Environment and Students:
I have the pleasure to work with a class of 2nd and 3rd grade students in Brittany’s class at the Lab school. I teach them Friday mornings for an hour and 15 minutes every week for the first semester of the year. There are a total of 17 students in the class. They sit in “color groups” at 5 different tables of 3 to 4 students. There is a smart board in the front of the room adjacent to a reading corner with pillows and many books. There is a sink off to the left side of the room, which is convenient for art. The floors are carpeted and there is a large rug in the center where the students sit in the morning to greet each other and discuss the day’s schedule before beginning the lesson. The students are always excited for art on Fridays and there is often a lot of energy in the room. At times their energy can become too much but can also add to their creativity and creations. Each student is different and adds to the community of the class culture. Below is a description of each student:
- Student 1: Always performs the task she is given. She sometimes participates in class discussions depending on topic but listen and shows that she understands and uses what was learned in her work.
- Student 2: He has very many original ideas that he expresses in his work. He often gets distracted when working with others.
- Student 3: She is great at focusing on what she is working once she has an idea that she likes. She gets frustrated with her classmates at times but handles it pretty well.
- Student 4: He likes to work with other people and collaborate. He has a big imagination and enjoys combining ideas.
- Student 5: She has trouble following directions, often because she wants to keep working. She likes to try to work with friends when she needs to be working individually. She likes to share her opinions and knowledge of the topic at hand.
- Student 6: He rarely participates in class discussions. He enjoys discussing ideas with his friends and working together.
- Student 7: He enjoys participating in discussions but has a hard time following directions. He can get off task and sometimes have behavioral issues.
- Student 8: She keeps to herself mostly and is a good listener in group settings.
- Student 9: He is enthusiastic about his work and likes to participate when questioned. He enjoys working with others.
- Student 10: She has a distinct drawing style and works best individually. She likes to address many aspects of what she is working on.
- Student 11: He gets his work done but is often distracted by others and begins to walk around the room at times he should be working. He listens well in group settings and can follow directions with reminders.
- Student 12: He usually comes in excited to have art class. He often participates in group settings and enjoys sharing his opinions.
- Student 13: She rarely participates in large groups but works well and discusses ideas in small groups. She has lots of energy and likes to express her interests in her work.
- Student 14: He is very creative and always has a positive attitude. He enjoys working collaboratively and sharing ideas.
- Student 15: She is often pushing things further and is able to problem solve well. She is often a leader and enjoys helping other when they are struggling with a process.
- Student 16: She has high drawing skills and really likes to incorporate cats into her drawings and projects. She often does not participate unless addressed.
- Student 17: He always participates in discussion but has a hard time putting a lot of effort and time into his work. He often gets his work done quickly.
5. School-wide Policies for Management, Safe Schools, Conflict Resolution and Student with Special Needs:
This school has a refocus system to handle management. There are a few different steps that are followed in this system. The first refocus given is a warning and comment to help the student’s realize their behavior. The second refocus addresses the issue and states the desires behavior. The third is a hall conference between the students and the teacher explaining behavior and consequences. If the problem continues, the student has to fill out a problem-solving contract in another teacher’s classroom. For the last step, if it comes to it, the student is referred to the office. In Brittany’s classroom there is a management system and class expectations set in place. The students are expected to follow what they called the 6 P’s. They include Prompt, Prepared, Polite, Positive mental attitude, Participate, and Produce. They also have 5 attending skills they are expected to use. These include: be in the moment, body language, eye contact, appropriate feedback and questions and comments.
All schools in the Poudre School District have campus security officers on site to ensure safety. The Security Department conducts Safe Environment Assessments each year on all schools to find solutions for any school safety concerns.
In an elementary school large conflicts are rare but can happen. In response to a conflict, students are encourages resolving it the best way they can. Teachers may step in and help them reach a resolution or separate them from the conflict. Often times a conversation between students and eh teacher can resolve the problem.
Special needs students are included in the classrooms, rather than being placed in a separate class. They do not have a special education teacher therefore; they may have other staff members assist them when needed. Students may have accommodations in the classroom to help them have a positive and successful learning environment.