Reflection on Service Learning Project | Ivy Tech Community College

Joshua McWhorter
EDUC 101
12/09/14

Reflection on Service Learning Project | Ivy Tech Community College

Over the course of four volunteer days, I learned a lot about classrooms and
classroom management when it comes to elementary students that I hadn't considered
before staring the service learning project. During my time in school, I had the
opportunity to visit at least five different classes of various grade levels, observing
each teachers approach to education and the various challenges they face, on a day to
day bases, when it comes to handling the learning styles of their students' and each
students individual level of development.
Signs of planning were very evident in the classrooms that I visited: calenders of
daily events were clearly posted, assignments were prepared ahead of time and
organized so that they could easily be accessed when needed, and the students day to
day activities were well structured to ensure that they reached each milestone as best
as possible (InTASC 7).
I also clearly viewed a teacher evaluating one of her students' achievement scores
and jotting down notes about what skill areas her students had shown little or no signs
of improvement in, noting assignments that may help with improvement in this regard
this was being done in real-time as her students finished up a computer based test
(InTASC 6).
In more than one classroom, I viewed additional teachers and 3rd party observers
entering the learning environment for a variety of reasons: including assessment and
collaboration. Students would come and go from the traditional class setting at what
appeared to be pre-defined points in the day. I came to understand that these students
were being moved into and out of specialized classes. Tutors often entered the class to

Reflection on Service Learning Project | Ivy Tech Community College

help kids at the back of the room, usually as the rest of the class was working on
another assignment. I noticed that in most cases these students were behind in the
subject matter. I also witnessed a teacher enter the room and engage the attending
instructor with questions about activities, students, and upcoming events: crosscoordinating with her to make sure they were on the same page (InTASC 8, 10).
From a classroom management standpoint, I witnessed a variety of techniques
that were used to modify student behavior throughout the day. These techniques
included reward based systems that used stars and/or stickers, that were designed to
incentivize good behavior and punish students for bad behavior. I also witnessed
disruptive students being removed from their seats and separated from the rest of the
class. One teacher used a timer, eventually resorting to writing sentences on a piece of
paper(InTASC 3).
Much of the time, I noticed that most teachers relied on an organized schedule
and a carefully planned system of activities to keep students calm and focused, rather
than relying on reward/punishment type programssometimes it worked, sometimes
it did notwhich is often when they switched to their chosen method of managing
classroom behavior. One of the most efficient methods I witness was the use of loud
clapping. The teacher had trained her students to clap in response to her clap, she did
this when they got too loud for her to manage. It was surprisingly effective, the
students would stop what they were doing, turn around and start clapping with the
teacherit was almost an automated responsewhich increased the students level of
focus, affording her a window of opportunity to get the class back on task(InTASC 3).

Reflection on Service Learning Project | Ivy Tech Community College

During my time at the school, one of the most common teaching methods I
witnessed was one where the teacher passed around a work sheet with questions in it.
These questions corresponded with the content in a storybook. The teacher would then
start off by reading from one of the stories, followed by asking various students to
read passages from where she left off. As the class progressed through the book, the
teacher would ask the students questions and have them fill out the work sheet. This
type of engaged learning seemed effective at keep the majority of kids on track. It also
seemed like a good way to evaluate the students knowledge and understanding of the
material in real time (InTASC 8).
In reflection, I don't see myself in an elementary school teaching position. When I
consider what type of teaching career I want to pursue, I generally think of teaching
adults and those that want to be in an educational setting. Kids are great, but I don't
think that primary school is my forte. I learned a lot about classrooms and classroom
management that I hadn't really considered before hand. I got my feet wet, so to say,
but I don't see myself in that type of chaotic environment on a daily basis. I see
myself helping adults and later teens develop work and language skills, so that they
can go on to improve their own lives. Sometimes people slip through the cracks and
we as a society often overlook these people, writing them off before their journey is
done. As a future educator, I want to focus on this group in society. And the truth is, if
I become a formal educator, it will be when I find an opportunity that I feel meets this
criterion. Until then, I will keep focusing on building up my level of education and
meeting those personal goals that are most important to myself and my family.