Central Falls high school has had a lot of negative speculation from
media and the school district; the rumors have spread to all of Rhode
Island. (Read more by clicking here) The rumors said that Central
Falls was dangerous, students were unwilling to learn and that the residents
lived in subpar living conditions. Being
a former student from Central Falls has allowed me to look past the bad
reputation that the school has and to look at what has been actually occurring
educationally.
Observing the classroom
management at Central Falls high school was interesting because I could compare
what the classroom was like before the school reform. I walked into room 240 where Ms. Desmarais was
teaching a tenth grade Geometry class. I
sat in the back where it was easy to see how the classroom was being
managed. An important aspect of
classroom management is how the classroom is set up. The back wall of the classroom was lined with
Dell computers and swivel chairs in which I sat in. The classroom was brightly lit with the
shades open. The desks were not in a
circle or in rows but they were organized in a movie theater or auditorium sort
of way. The classroom felt like it was
jam-packed probably due to the computers lining the back wall, which took up a
lot of space. The classroom walls were
lined with big post it notes and motivational posters. The white board was also packed with reminders,
the daily agenda and the objective.
Although the classroom was jam-packed it was somewhat organized and some
could say it even felt cozy. Through my
secondary education classes I have learned that the way the classroom is set up
has a direct link to how well students learn.
Students need to be able to see their objective and the daily agenda
clearly. Although this classroom was jam-packed
the daily agenda and objective were clearly written on the board for the
classroom to see.
The first aspect of Ms. Desmarais’s teaching that struck me was how she
was using a microphone to teach the class.
Later we were told that the voice-amplifiers were actually used to
reduce stress on the teacher’s voice.
These devices were not used when I was at Central Falls high
school. I can see why it would be an
advantage to use these in the classroom.
The first advantage could be that students would find it difficult to
have side conversations when the teacher’s voice is louder than theirs. The second advantage could be that now all
students in her classroom have a clear understanding of what she is saying no
matter where they sit in the room. I was
sitting in the back and her voice was as clear as if she was sitting right next
to me. The last advantage could be that
students with learning disabilities such as ADHD are more likely to keep their
attention on the teacher.
Also, I saw that the teacher had a newer version of overhead
projector. The overhead projector showed
the actual paper that she was going off of and it allowed for her to keep the
light on. Remembering back on when I was
in high school I can remember loving it when the teacher would dim the lights
because it was easier to daydream. I
think that being able to keep the lights on in the classroom is a big advantage
for Ms. Desmarais’s classroom not only will her students remain awake but they
will be able to learn a lot easier.
Ms. Desmarais asked many questions to her students while I was
observing. She asked questions like:
-
What
if this shape was a quadrilateral?
-
Do
you remember what a … is similar to? (I do not remember specifically what she
said)
Her questions were mainly knowledge based review questions but it did
allow the students room to analyze. I
could tell that her questions were working because hands would shoot up into
the air when she asked them. One of the
students asked if a circle could be a polygon and Ms. Desmarais answered with:
“Well, why can’t a circle be a polygon?”
The student thought and said that the circle could be a depressed or sad
square. Maybe the student was just
trying to be funny but through that bit of laughter I could tell that the
student was comfortable in the atmosphere that Ms. Desmarais created.
Throughout the observation I could tell that the whole class was engaged,
no heads were down, notes were being taken and everybody was paying
attention. I think that the atmosphere
in the classroom added to how engaged the students actually were. Her use of the microphone, projector, seating
arrangement and the posters all added to how well the class was learning.
Although the rumors that surround Central Falls are exaggerated there is
some truth behind them. The city being
made up of lower income families is true and I have had friends who have been
on welfare or did not have a car. The
school is located in a lower income community but I have never felt scared or
threatened to be in the school. Although
I can see why an “outsider” may feel scared or reluctant to enter Central Falls
especially due to the rumors of there being violence. The biggest rumor and lie is that the
students cannot learn or do not want to learn at Central Falls High
school. Through my observations I have
realized that teaching conditions have improved greatly at Central Falls High
school since I attended. I can clearly
see how the school is trying to re-vamp the way they educate the students. Through the observations in SED 406 I have
realized that student learning has a direct link to how they are taught. If the students are not learning it must be
the teacher who is not teaching.
Thankfully, Dr. Gallo and her cohorts have made drastic changes within
the school. Some of the obvious changes
were: parents being involved within the school; more up-to-date equipment;
clear objectives and agendas being presented; offering mentors for the newer
teachers and of course the partnership with Rhode Island College. Change occurs very slowly but I can already see
big changes occurring in the school.
Hopefully, when I have a job there in the future it will be an even
better learning community and that the partnership with Rhode Island College
grows.
