Entry 4 (Blog 7/ Final Reflection)-

This semester was a mix of emotions. It was the semester after ring figure, so my brother rats and I were calming down from the culmination and realizing that we have to make our grades better. Then COVID-19 struct and sent us all home for the rest of the semester, so this has been a confusing time but has impacted me with an abundance of learning and knowledge. In ERH 411 particularly I learned a lot about collaborating over an online environment and learning how to make an in person interaction with the kids in our class and change that to an online interaction. After class on Tuesday and Thursday I would create a Zoom meeting for Sam, Matthew, and I to complete any work we needed to. This allowed us to work on assignments and ask each other questions. The collaborative working and Zoom meetings allowed us to finish assignments even quicker because we were working on shared documents and would assign parts of the assignment to eachother and work on it to finish it quicker.

Cadets are used to a rigid structure and not used to working on class work from home in a distance learning structure. It has been a struggle to create my own structure and schedule once I got home. I have never done this, and I just figured out what works best for me to complete assignments and study at school. So I had to start from square one and add more items to my schedule, like chores. It took me a while, but I got a routine figured out. I would wake up in the morning around 0800 and get my coffee then I would make a list of the assignments I had to complete that day, then I would begin working on them and have them finished around lunch time or a little after that. Then the rest of the day I would work on chores or any other responsibilities I had that day. In some cases I would save time after dinner to work on bigger assignments like papers, speeches, etc. I was able to succeed this semester due to the discipline and maturity I have gained at VMI. This was a trying time, but I was able to figure it out in the long run.

Final Reflection

May 1st 2020

My time in Maury River Middle school within the realm of Mrs. Dowless 6th grade classroom was short lived. Even though it was short lived, I believe that through the semester I learned a lot of valuable things and it has shaped me into the man I am today. I believe that through the course when I first enrolled, I had a very small conception of Rockbridge schools systems. I believed that the school system was primarily filled with well upstanding students of the upper echelon. But after arriving and finally seeing MRS. Dowless class I was relieved. They had students that resemble the same background as me, Coming from all works of life. I was nervous about how the kids would react to me being from VMI. They gladly welcomed my partner (Tyren) and I with welcome arms. I arrived there at the school to show and observe PBL learning activities displayed by all Virginia schools especially here in Rockbridge County.  I really didn’t think much of the experience but in the short amount of time that I have spent with the students has been very critical. I enjoyed my time in Mrs. Dowless classroom. I never though that I would grow and attach the students that I was accustomed to seeing almost every week. My partner and I were very lucky. We were fortune enough to able to have more in class visits then the rest of the students in my respected class. The students taught me a multitude of things whether they know it or not. The things that they taught me will forever remain with me. I also would like to thank Mrs. Dowless for allowing us to enter her classroom and be apart of this wonderful experience. I would also like to thank MAJ. Hodde for giving me the opportunity for taking the class. The experience that I have had in the class has been memorable.

As a student anticipating my own classes and clawing through the everyday struggles of my cadetship, I didn’t imagine that I would be teaching a class. It surprised me even more when I was switched from middle school to high school. Mrs. Diette’s 8th grade English was entirely different from Mrs. Leadbetter’s 10th grade English and we had to adjust our observations and work direction for the circumstances. As I got to know the kids in Mrs. Leadbetter’s class a little more, I saw the brightness and intelligence that the kids possessed.
Mrs. Leadbetter’s class was structured around repetition and information being presented unchronological. So, I believe it was to our advantage that we only visited one time a week. My partner and I, during our time with the class, was advised by Mrs. Leadbetter that the students needed assistance in research writing. We mutually agreed that research would be a great topic to pursue. This was going to be our way to help the students. This added value to our presentation because research writing is required in almost all fields you choose to go into. In a way, we would be helping to establish the basics for the rest of their careers. This was our way of achieving our own goal, and impacting the student’s lives.
The world pandemic, COVID-19, put our efforts into a heartbreaking halt. We were unable to present our information due to the circumstances of the current Rockbridge High School. Mrs. Leadbetter explained to us that students there started to grow disinterest in assignments because they wouldn’t be graded. She felt that our project wouldn’t be worth presenting because the capabilities to see it were limited. Our news, although nerve racking, was understandable. I just hope that we can influence another’s project along the way.

Blog 6:
Outside:
The Rockbridge County High School is primarily composed of students from both the Lylburn Downing Middle School (city) and the Maury River Middle School (county) due to how the Rockbridge County High School serves both Lexington and Rockbridge County areas. The school, according to the VDOE’s school quality profile, exhibits a satisfactory performance in all areas of assessment except when it comes to students with learning disabilities who are struggling with math. Moreover, the graduation rate rests at 91.5%, which is not far off from the state’s overall graduation rate of 92%. The school quality profile does, however, also reveal one of the biggest challenges that the school’s students face – economic issues. In the Rockbridge Community Profile, prepared by Jennifer Borman and Daniela Leon it states that “According to the 2013 U.S. Census, median household incomes in the Rockbridge area were significantly lower than the rest of Virginia… and the United States.” They assert that “the area is not immune from poverty” and that “poverty in Rockbridge is compounded by isolation and relative invisibility.” The Rockbridge County High School, however, as evidenced through me and my partner’s personal experience and through the statistics reviewed from the VDOE, does an excellent job at providing adequate assistance to students so as to create a conducive learning environment for everyone.

Inside:
Mr. Simms’s and Ms. Trombetta’s classroom most certainly exhibited the same uplifting energy that permeated throughout most of the school. Upon arrival to their classroom, the students were chatting excitedly with one another, Mr. Simms, and Ms. Trombetta. This particular class certainly maintained a positive classroom culture. Moreover, the classroom definitely reflected PBL and EL principles. This was evident to me as soon as I saw the students work on the walls and, moreover, when Mr. Simms remarked to me that he allowed and encouraged his students to assist him with curating the course’s content. This amplification of student choice and voice and Mr. Simms’s practice of identifying and discussing with his students “real-world issues and problems students want to address” certainly reflect the principles of PBL and EL education. Aside from the students holding discussions with Mr. Simms, Ms. Trombetta also heavily encouraged the students to participate in class discussion and collaboration. When I inquired about how she thought it would be best to conduct a class discussion, the first thing she wrote to me was that “it’s important to let students voice their opinions while also respecting their classmates.” Sometimes you could feel the energy of the classroom shift throughout the class. There was one moment where they did an activity on the board and everyone was excited for it, but once they sat back down it slightly turned into a lecture that the students didn’t necessarily feed into. All in all, the class could reap the benefits of PBL further down the line.

Classroom Portrait

Outside:

The Rockbridge County High School is primarily composed of students from both the Harrington Waddell Elementary School and the Maury River Middle School due to how the Rockbridge County High School serves both Lexington and Rockbridge County areas. The school, according to the VDOE’s school quality profile, exhibits a satisfactory performance in all areas of assessment except when it comes to students with learning disabilities who are struggling with math. Moreover, the graduation rate rests at 91.5%, which is not far off from the state’s overall graduation rate of 92%. The school quality profile does, however, also reveal one of the biggest challenges that the school’s students face – economic issues. In the Rockbridge Community Profile, prepared by Jennifer Borman and Daniela Leon it states that “According to the 2013 U.S. Census, median household incomes in the Rockbridge area were significantly lower than the rest of Virginia… and the United States.” They assert that “the area is not immune from poverty” and that “poverty in Rockbridge is compounded by isolation and relative invisibility.” The Rockbridge County High School, however, as evidenced through me and my partner’s personal experience and through the statistics reviewed from the VDOE, does an excellent job at providing adequate assistance to students so as to create a conducive learning environment for everyone 

Inside: 

Mr. Simms’s and Ms. Trombetta’s classroom most certainly exhibited the same uplifting energy that permeated throughout most of the school. Upon arrival to their classroom, the students were chatting excitedly with one another, Mr. Simms, and Ms. Trombetta. This particular class certainly maintained a positive classroom culture. Moreover, the classroom definitely reflected PBL and EL principles. This was evident to me as soon as I saw the students work on the walls and, moreover, when Mr. Simms remarked to me that he allowed and encouraged his students to assist him with curating the course’s content. This amplification of student choice and voice and Mr. Simms’s practice of identifying and discussing with his students “real-world issues and problems students want to address” certainly reflect the principles of PBL and EL education. Aside from the students holding discussions with Mr. Simms, Ms. Trombetta also heavily encouraged the students to participate in class discussion and collaboration. When I inquired about how she thought it would be best to conduct a class discussion, the first thing she wrote to me was that “it’s important to let students voice their opinions while also respecting their classmates.”  Sometimes you could feel the energy of the classroom shift throughout the class. There was one moment where they did an activity on the board and everyone was excited for it, but once they sat back down it slightly turned into a lecture that the students didn’t necessarily feed into. All in all, the class could reap the benefits of PBL further down the line.

Are we already at the end of the semester? After a remarkable and eye opening journey I’ve had the opportunity to embark on, it brings me joy that I’ve been able to learn the importance of education, and sadness that I won’t be able to be seated with the same fine cadets that I was able to embark on this journey with! As a leader, partner, and student, expeditionary learning consistently drove me to be the best version of me. Educational standards are only increasing and the need to prepare young students for academic hurdles to come is ever expanding. To bring anything less than my best for my classmates and the students of Mrs. Holton’s 9th grade class would have been a disservice to everyone involved. Major Hodde set the bar high and my dear partner Mr. Marchant was always there to hold me accountable in times of challenge. My greatest takeaway will be the civic responsibility I have taken on to be an inspiration to the youth of this country. As I saw the passion and eagerness within the eyes of the students I was blessed to interact with, my breath was taken away at the idea that it was me that they were feeding off of! Passion for education is contagious and if I am able to walk in and show students that as someone closely removed from the situation they are in I care about their success, they are more likely to apply themselves to succeed! One of the beautiful aspects of Fieldwork 411 is that Covid-19 didn’t change a thing about the class. As hard as it tried, education is a constant, thus a class based upon it wasn’t going to budge! Consistent class meetings, sending assignments to our collaboration teacher, and documenting our journey were all elements that remained the same while we continued to thrive at home. Regarding course reading material, I always felt that I understood the readings best when we had the opportunity to apply what we’d read shortly there after. An article that stook out to me was one we read early in the semester addressing that no two students learn in the same manner. It is the life experiences of students that shape how they receive instruction and learn, so a teacher that is aware of this is going to thrive. This is why Casey and I took it upon ourselves to set up a curriculum with a multitude of teaching strategies to include visual, audio, and class discussion. This contributes to the shepherd mentality that I know posses regarding education. I see each student as a sheep who are there to absorb knowledge and progress on their journey of becoming equipped citizens of the real world. If I leave one behind, I’ve failed, so I now take it upon myself to do everything I can do to place students I interact with in a position to succeed. Before class I had not always had this perspective, and that is one of the larger lessons I’d attribute to my time spent within Fieldwork 411.

 This course was an interesting one to say the least. It was filled with headache, long nights, and a lot of emails but it was worth it. It gave me the opportunity to analyze and reflect on my education system growing up and what i realized is that the State of Virginia has and is continuing to fail its students and teachers by requiring the same broad, general, and shallow information to be taught throughout the years. I also discovered that Expeditionary Learning is an interesting tool to use to connect with students. For it to work fully, it must be introduced at a younger age to avoid resentment. For instance, in my observation of Mr. Simms 10th grade class at Rock Bridge High School, the students did not always partake in the open discussions. Leaving the teacher to lead the class in the discussion and slowly turning the open discussion into a lecture. Another way to reach the students rather than starting the Expeditionary Learning process earlier, is to step outside the comfort box as an educator and try to form a deep connection to each student. For example, I was watching “Freedom Writers” and Mrs. Gruwell, or Mrs. G, began to take an initiative to connect with her students on a deeper level than the general teacher would. She gave them notebooks and told them to write whatever they are feeling in them and if they wanted her to read it to leave it in the room storage closet for her to read. This seems so minuscule and small, but it led to the students responding and respecting her as a teacher because she went out of her way to connect with each student. Going off of that, some EL principles I will continue to spread and embody are “Diversity and Inclusion” and “Empathy and Caring” not because I want to see the world become a better place, but because these are the basic principles to live by. I am not just focusing on color diversity either, but diversity in the mind as well. If we could focus more on these two core principles our education system could change.

Thank you.

Going into the field work class I did not know what to expect. All I knew was that there would be trips to local schools and partnerships with the teachers there. What I did not know was what it took to create a lesson plan. In the academic sense, this learning experience has given me a newfound respect for teaching modules. As a group at the Eco-Council, we were able to create a purpose driven lesson that we believe would be able to drive students towards environmental stewardship. This one lesson plan was the culmination of a semester’s process in which trips to the school and discussions with the teachers lead to our final project. On one hand our groups initial challenge at Maury River was made more difficult in that our students already had a topic lined up, but on the hand our group was fortunate in that it was such an important topic. In a broader sense, I was better able to appreciate our students much more as learners and members of the community. I remember the first day my group and I went to meet them and were amazed at their desire to better their communities and desire to learn. We assumed that they must have been the brightest at the school only to find out each one of them struggled with reading. They had been put in remedial classes to no affect until they created the Eagle Academy where they began to flourish. This showed us that even though we all may struggle with something that everyone around us is not, that there is still a place for us in the community.  What this showed to me as a learner and an instructor is that we get so caught up in what we think certain metrics of success are that we forget to look at the individual and what they can bring to the table. After my time at the Eagle Academy I was left struck by what students who were driving and passionate about an issue could achieve, from defying the school’s expectations of them the NEST Fest, it amazed me.

I never wanted to be a teacher.

With this class, it confirmed that feeling that I do not want to be a teacher due to some of the responsibilities that these men and women hold for shaping the future generation into well-rounded members of society. However, it also confirmed that there is, in fact, a future for the progression of teaching coming for those that feel that the current educational practices are still behind the curve of societal needs for workers. From my visits to the classroom and seeing some of the practices already implemented that I would have loved to had in my time in high school, such as the usage of technology, an open-floor like class, and things being nearly 100% paperless during our visits through the use of Google Classroom, it seemed like these progressions are fitting in perfectly in the schools. The students looked happy and were having as much fun as the teacher was when they were roleplaying their therapy sessions or participating in open discussions.

However, there were still a few things that I didn’t agree with throughout the course. One of these such things was the calling back to the ideas of John Dewey for the foundations of what we were going to be doing at the beginning of the semester. Yes, he is the father of public education, but shouldn’t we have been focusing on ideas from someone that setting the framework for the induction of modern educational practices, such as EL and PBL? Looking at these things, it allowed for me to go out and find where there needed to be change in our current educational system (in which my state still is with Common Core) and see where it fits into everything that students need to learn to be successful.