RUNNING HEAD: CONTEXTUAL FACTORS

Contextual Factors
Elizabeth Clark
Murray State University

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Contextual Factors

According to the United States Census Bureau (2015), there are 149,176 people living in
Clarksville, TN. In Clarksville, there are twenty-four elementary schools. Of those
twenty-four elementary schools I plan to teach nutrition to Mrs. Rhonda Lewiss class at
Woodlawn Elementary in Clarksville, TN. Mrs. Lewis has a first grade class of nineteen
students. In this classroom there are eight girls and eleven boys, equating to 1.38 boys to
every girl. There are also three Hispanic children and sixteen Caucasian children in the
class. There are no African American children or other races in this classroom. According
to Clarksville Montgomery Country School System (CMCSS), Woodlawn elementary
school is located in the Northwest quadrant of Montgomery County. Having lived in
Montgomery County for nine years I am familiar with that area of the county. The
Woodlawn community is a rural part of Clarksville located near Ft. Campbell, KY, one of
the largest Army posts in the United States. The student population is mostly comprised
of children from military or farming/agriculture families. Mrs. Lewis stated that the
students who attend Woodlawn elementary indeed live in rural settings and many of them
receive free/reduced meals while at school. Mrs. Lewiss classroom is a homogeneously
grouped class meaning that the ability of students within her classroom varies. She states
that she has all types of learners (high, average, and low) in her classroom.
Concerning contextual factors, Mrs. Lewis states there are many factors that affect
her classroom. This not only affects her students ability to learn but also her ability to
reach her students. She says the temperature of the room is one contextual factor that
directly impacts the learning environment within her classroom. Since her classroom is
located in the original building, which was built fifty years ago, there are days when the

Contextual Factors

temperature is either very hot or very cold. This can affect her students since
temperature clearly affects the attention span of students (Healthy Schools, n.d.). She
stated that when the room is hot the students are usually more sleepy or tired, and when it
is cool, the students are not sleepy and concentrate better, although sometimes they will
complain of being cold. She also stated that her room has folding walls versus solid
walls, which additionally adversely affects the teaching environment. The noise from the
other classroom makes it difficult for some of her students who may have learning
disabilities (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder/ADHD) to concentrate. From my
interview with Mrs. Lewis, there are multiple contextual factors that I will need to take
into consideration while writing my lesson plan. The contextual factors that could affect
my teaching will be the folding walls, temperature of the class, and the backgrounds of
the children. For example, when considering class temperature, when writing my lesson
plan I need to make sure there are activities where the kids will be moving. If it is hot the
movement can help wake them up, and if it is to cold the movement will help warm them
up.
There is potential for instructor bias. I am not familiar with teaching a classroom
of school children. I have had experience playing with and creating activities for kids
ages 6-12 while working as a summer camp counselor with the YMCA. However, this
will be different because I will be creating curriculum to teach students in the classroom
for an hour. It will be a challenge for me, the instructor, because this is my first time
teaching a classroom of first graders. In order to diffuse potential instructor bias, I plan to
observe the teacher before my instruction day for one hour each on three different days
while she teaches her class. I plan to take notes and obtain advice from her on how to

Contextual Factors

teach her students. I believe this will help reduce my potential instructor bias. I will also
have to create a way to reach students with varying learning strengths and weaknesses
since the class is a homogenously grouped class. I realize that there are contextual factors
in this particular classroom that could affect my ability to teach and the students ability
to learn, so I plan to work to mitigate their negative influence. I will account for
contextual factors and find ways to help the children understand the knowledge I give
them, so the children are able to make healthy choices regarding nutrition.

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References

Clarksville Montgomery School System. (n.d.). Our Schools. Retrieved from

https://www.cmcss.net/
Healthy Schools. (n.d.). Healthy Schools as a Learning Tool. Retrieved from
http://healthyschools.cefpi.org/temperature.html
Woodlawn Elementary School. (n.d.). Bulldogs School History. Retrieved from
http://www.cmcss.net/Schools/schoolwebsites/ourschool.aspx?locid=WES
R. Lewis, personal communication, September 24, 2016.
United States Census Bureau. (2015). Clarksville, city Tennessee. Retrieved from
http://www.census.gov/quickfacts/table/PST045215/4715160/accessible