Mrs. Wells' Kindergarten Class
Abbi Meadows
Teaching and Learning Environment
The environment in this classroom was very relaxed. The students were allowed to get up when they wanted without asking to use the bathroom or get a drink as there was a bathroom and sink in the classroom. I feel Mrs. Wells classroom was set up in a great way. She had 3 big chairs for her around the room, and generally had the students sit on the floor as they focus better sitting on the floor. She got the students as involved in teaching as she could. Two students every morning would read off the helpers for the day, and two different students would make post on the board what the weather was like. I feel pulling the students into the teaching like this creates a better learning environment for the kids. There were various charts and graphs all over the walls, as well as some artwork the students had created, making Mrs. Wells classroom extremely inviting.
Student-Teacher and Student-Student Interactions
I found this class to be rather vicious towards each other. Mrs. Wells told me she had to be very careful when making seating arrangements, because this girl would make this girl cry, and just various different situations like that. I found this to be interesting, because I didn't think this begun until later in life. I also noticed that Mrs. Wells was like a second mom to her class. Someone was always asking her to tie their shoe, or look at what I made last night, etc. I found this to be comforting, because her class is comfortable enough with her to share things with her.
School Atmosphere
Maize South Elementary has a very inviting atmosphere. There are 6 main hallways, and each hallway has a specific grade in it. Within the hallways are artwork from the students, and paintings above each water fountain made by students as well. They have their school goals and values placed all around the school, and each morning they sing the school song and recite their values. All of their staff (or the ones I met) were incredibly kind and generous.
Interesting Experiences
I found that how mean the children are to each other (mainly the girls) to be very interesting. I had imagined that all 6 year olds could get along, but it seems they do not. There was a little boy who stuck to me, and he was the cutest thing. Instead of coloring or playing like the other students, he always wanted to read. I found that refreshing. All of the students seemed to struggle in one subject or another, and a few of them really struggled with paying attention and staying on task, but overall this was a great experience watching the kindergarten class.