Widening the Circle, Essay Example

The staff as well as the student participation was very positive and inclusive. The teachers were very supportive of asking the students to ask questions and thoroughly answering all of their questions. This method fostered a positive and free learning environment for all students.  The students were very assertive with participation by raising their hands and waiting patiently for the teachers to call upon them. Tim Allyn and Mrs. Besio were the two teachers observed for the purpose of this experiment. The teachers readily went over homework assignments and made available extra tutoring for the slower kids. Flashcard sessions were made available to speed along the progress of the students. Sappon states, “regular interaction of teacher/student through proactive measure enables a productive learning environment.” (2007).

Mr. Allyn presented a social studies test on blue paper which is essential to calming the nerves of students whilst taking the tests. Schwartz (2006) shows that some children know the material but have trouble concentrating while taking tests due to the presence of extreme test pressures which are non-indicative of their true ability to learn. Students were given a study guide and flash cards to prepare for the test. Mrs. Besio and the aide gave a geography quiz later that morning consisting of maps and major cities. This assignment encouraged team work and effort and promoted question and answer time amongst the teachers, aides and students. Students appeared to do very well on both the test and the quiz under the conditions presented by the teachers. A positively structured learning environment nurtures a productive and effective learning environment.

Students worked on their literature assignments in the computer laboratory. There were many resources available to their disposal and further there was a speech pathologist, lab technician and regular teacher available to assist the students. Sapon states, “the available resource to a student promotes an eager and exemplary learning environment.” (2007). The children were able to test their knowledge of their readings online at the computer lab.

The English teacher was very demanding and loud which worked out for promoting students to learn by fear but was non-conducive to a pleasant and interactive learning environment. The speech pathologist was assertive and very helpful. The students did have a chance to exchange papers with each other and assist with editing of each others papers. This is extremely important with feedback recognition to enable the student to learn new creative and innovative means of writing papers. Mr. Allyn accompanied me with research on dyslexia because it was apparent that one of the students might be suffering from this condition and we wanted to help our fellow student. As stated by Schwartz, “learning in a positive yet aggressive environment is essential to a child’s intellectual growth, however aggressive means of teaching can infringe stimulation of a child’s learning and free will.” (2006). The overall experience was positive, assertive, productive, fun-loving and most of all respectful. The children loved their teachers and the teachers the same to the children. The mutual respect promoted a truly great learning discipline which is necessary to facilitate a great classroom of education and fun filled activities for the students. Twemlow states, “A violence free learning environment is mandatory for children to pragmatically grow.” (Twemlow, 2001).

References

Sapon-Shevin, M. (2007). Widening the circle: The power of inclusive classrooms. Boston, MA: Beacon Press.

Schwarz, P. (2006). From disability to possibility: The power of inclusive classrooms. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

Twemlow, S. (2001) Creating a Peaceful School Learning Environment: A Controlled Study of an Elementary School Intervention to Reduce Violence Retrieved November 30, 2009 from, http://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/cgi/content/full/158/5/808