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Pros: Well run, clean school, assistance programs, mixed demographic of kids, focus on ecology, nice array of extracurricular groups/clubs that focused on sports as well as other non-sport activities, my particular class of kids was well behaved and seemed genuinely happy to see us there.
Cons: Teacher (in my classroom) seemed to have somewhat of an old school approach, could have been more non-sport activities.
This was a great visit. The staff were inviting and pleasant to be around, the school was well kept, and the general vibe emanating from the place and it's inhabitants was mellow yet focused. The early morning announcements were new to me as I have never experienced them before this visit. The inclusion of student participation (with club announcements and weather report) was warming and made it seem like the students were part of the school instead of just inhabiting it for a few hours a day. It was great to see that the school had a X-country running clubs and track and field meets organized. What was also great was that while these clubs were a focus of the school; that focus was not limited to sports. The school had a reading club, chess club, stamp club, and other no-sport related clubs available to the students. It was nice to see the recognition that not all children will be interested in sports activities. Another great thing to see was the institution of ecological sustainability in the school. The previous day had been a garbage-less lunch that the students helped to organize and were encouraged to participate in. The only negative thing I have to comment on about is the slightly old-school concepts that our classroom teacher employed. There were a lot of "No's" being slung around as well as the (student) nerve-wracking selection process of the teacher singling students out by picking them to answer questions (even though they may not have their hands raised). More than once, I saw a student flush and stumble as they grasped for the eventually wrong answer when they were surprisingly selected to answer. More bothering was the teachers reaction to the student failing to answer correctly. The teacher only said that everyone should be ready because anyone can be picked regardless of whether or not their hand is up. Another instance that sparked my attention was a moment where the teacher specifically addressed a student as being weak in math as they were not in the excel group (the class had a choice to do more difficult questions or easier ones depending on their aptitude). I felt that this limited the student without even offering the assistance that they may have needed to push past a certain hurdle. Later on I found, after helping that student with their math problems, had a better mental calculation process than most adult I know. They were able to add several four-digit numbers together (in their head) without using paper and pencil. The only problem came when they had to transfer those numbers to paper and number placement got switched. After a couple of minutes and a few little tricks to help them keep numbers in their proper places, the student was able to figure out the problem in their head or on paper with very little trouble. It was amazing to see the shine in their eyes as they discovered something new and that they were the ones figuring it out when previously they were told that they could not do it. All they needed was a non-judgmental helper no condescension. Other than those two circumstances, the class was great. Students had no problems asking us for help and seemed genuinely excited that there was someone new there. It is visits and experiences like this visit that spark my enthusiasm and make me glad that I will (eventually) chose teaching as a career path. | 