Thursday, September 3

4. Notice the culture of the classroom. What is its impact on student learning?

It is only the second day of school. The students have spent a lot of time rehearsing and practicing daily routines. They will line up and walk to music. If they are too loud, they will practice a couple times. When the students come in from recess, if they are too loud they will be made to practice again. When the children arrive in the morning, if they don’t put their stuff neatly away, they will be made to practice coming in again.

At times the children seem to get a little frustrated with having to practice. After the practice though, the students seem more calm and collected because they clearly know what is expected of them. So far, they seem to be pushing boundaries less than other sixth grade classes. This is likely due to the continuous practice of expectations. The students are starting to clearly understand what is expected of them.