Setting and Context
Culture and Community
The Lab School for Creative Learning is an elementary school located in Fort Collins, Colorado. The school teaches grades kindergarten through fifth grade. It is a school of choice that offers small classes of eighteen to twenty students. The Lab School is distinct from other schools in that grade levels are combined; there are two kindergarten/1st grade classrooms, two 2nd grade/3rd grade classes, and two 4th grade/5th grade classroom. This allows for differentiated classroom where older and younger students can work together to help one another become successful. The Lab School integrates field work into the curriculum meaning that the students are able to travel and learn outside of a school setting. This is known as expeditionary learning and is an important part of the school setting. Students are encouraged to link projects together, creating a more holistic learning experience. The projects completed require students to think deeply and use a variety of skills, the projects are created for real audiences and have compelling meanings.
The Lab School does not have a an Art Teacher working in the school, but Colorado State University students working in the Art Education Program come in every Friday and teach continuous art lessons to the students. It is also important to note that the Lab School shares the same building as the Polaris Middle and High School, make the school a k-12 building.
Support Structure
The Lab School is a school of choice meaning that there are no buses to transport students to the school. Parents/guardians that choose to send their students to the Lab School must have a way to drive their students to the school. This allows parents and guardians to become mor acquainted and part of the school community. There is also a site based management team that consist of parents, teachers and the principle with a monthl community comment. Parents may also become involved by participating in critical study teams where parents research best practices and report with recommendations. Students from different grades are also encouraged to support one another. There are weekly community meetings for 1st-7th grade, weekly student council for 1st-7th grade, multi-age buddies recesses and lunch and a community garden. The Lab School encourages parents, teachers, administration and students to all work together to create a positive learning experience.
Demographic Characteristics
The Lab School for Creative Learning is located in Poudre School District with a total enrollment of approximately 27, 500 students. Poudre School
District has a diverse population with the following enrollment: Asian 3.04%, Black/African American 1.36%, Hispanic Latino 17.29%, Native American 0.54%, Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander .12&, white 74.47% and two or more 2.62% (2011-2012). About 31.46% of students are participating in free/reduced lunch, and the drop out rate is at 1.33%. The graduation rate of the 2011-2012 school year was at 84% with graduates earning about $33 million in scholarships.
Classroom Environment and Students
The classroom that I am teaching in is a kindergarten/1st grade classroom. The lead teacher's name is Denise and she has been teaching for several years. The classroom has one large oval rug where the students often sit to listen to directions or discuss daily events. There are a total of five large tables with four chairs at each table. Each table has a caddy that includes pencils, glue sticks, crayons, and scissors for the students to use. In one corner of the room there is a large reading area with hundreds of books for students to look through and read. Towards the back of the classroom there are three glass tanks that house reptiles and insects. One of the tanks houses two snakes, the second houses an american toad, and the last houses hissing cockroaches. At the front of the classroom there is a smart boards and a board that has a calendar, dates and other important information that the students review everyday. The students are five to seven years old and are very enthusiastic.
Student 1: This student sometimes has a difficult time working on the task,
but once motivated is a very hard worker. He sometimes has a hard time keeping
his hands to himself but is very thoughtful with his comments and artwork.
Student 2: This student can appear to be lost sometimes or confused as to
what the project is but creates very meaningful pieces of art. This student is
quiet in large group settings but very talkative one-on-one.
Student 3: This student is a very hard worker and very encouraging to other
students. This student likes to become involved in artworks and is always trying
new materials to use in art pieces.
Student 4: This student is a hard and efficient worker but can sometimes
fall behind in class due to absences. She likes to work and talk to other
students about her work.
Student 5: This student likes to participate all through out class. He
always has several ideas to share and likes to walk around to discuss art pieces
with other classmates.
Student 6: This student is very knowledgable and has several skills when it
comes to making art. She is very helpful in the classroom and has great insight
to contribute to the classroom.
Student 7: This student has only attended a few classes but when he is in
class, he gets other students very excited about ideas and creating art.
Student 8: This student loves to sketch in his sketchbook and likes to
complete projects quickly in order to work in his sketchbook. When he gets an
idea, he gets very excited to draw his idea.
Student 9: This student loves to draw animals, in particular cats and dogs.
She seems to incorporate cats and dogs into all of her work and she has a
certain schema as to how she draws them.
Student 10: This student has several passions and likes to incorporate them
into her artwork. She works very well in groups and like to contribute to
converstations.
Student 11: This student likes to work with his friends and come up with
crazy and imaginative ideas. He likes to find new and different materials to use
in his artwork but also does not like to share his ideas/materials.
Student 12: This student loves to work with all of his friends and rarely
works with other groups of students. He is often fidgety in group conversations
and likes to particpate, but sometimes without raising his hand.
Student 13: This student is very quiet but has a lot of great ideas to
contribute to class. She likes to learn from the older students and has very
thoughtful conversations with other students.
Student 14: This student loves to
participate in class and works very diligently in class. He likes to add more
and more to his artworks in order get as much information in them as
possible.
Student 15: This student is often quiet but stays on task all class period.
He prefers one-on-one conversations opposed to group conversations.
Student 16: This student is very mature for her age and sets a great
example for the younger students. She likes to work with the girls in the
classroom.
Student 17: This student has very original and interesting ideas for her
sketches and projects. She always like to great the teachers in the
morning.
Student 18: This student always arrives early and gets ready to go fairly
quickly. He seems to be somewhat of a leader and likes to set examples for the
other boys in the classroom.
School-Wide Policies for Management, Safe Schools,
Conflict Resolution, and Students with Special Needs
A school wide policy that teachers are always implementing is the six P's which are prompt, prepared, polite, positive, participate, and produce. The
students are taught these in the younger grades and are encouraged to use them all throughout school. The students are introduced to each of the six p's and then they are reminded of them if they are not being exhibited in the classroom. Another policy used by the school are attending skills. Younger students are taught these using a hand so that if a student forgets, the teacher can raise a hand to remind the student to use the attending skills.
Safety of students and staff is very important to Poudre School District. Campus Security Officers (CSO's) and School Resource Officers (SRO's) are responsible in helping to ensure that the schools in Poudre School District are safe. The CSO's responsibilities include site security, vehicle, bike, and foot patrol, special event coverage, and crisis response and assistance. The SRO's are certified police officers that are placed in district middle and high schools. They help to maintain the school's safe learning environment and improve collaboration and relationships with the law enforcement officials.
Because the Lab School is a k-5 school, severe conflicts in the classroom are not a large problem, however, conflicts can occur. Students are encouraged to resolve conflicts and if the problem does persist, they should be separated from the issue, until they are able to make a positive choice. Most of the time, a short conversation with the co-operating teacher can help students re-focus.
There is no designated classroom for students with special needs. Students with special needs are incorporated into the classroom and may have
accommodations to help ensure they have a positive learning environment. In Denise's classroom some students have trouble sitting still or they may begin to bother a neighbor so they are given a square rug about 2 feet by 2 feet to sit on to remind them of personal space. Students may also use ear muffs in the corner in case they need a quiet moment to themselves.
The Lab School for Creative Learning is an elementary school located in Fort Collins, Colorado. The school teaches grades kindergarten through fifth grade. It is a school of choice that offers small classes of eighteen to twenty students. The Lab School is distinct from other schools in that grade levels are combined; there are two kindergarten/1st grade classrooms, two 2nd grade/3rd grade classes, and two 4th grade/5th grade classroom. This allows for differentiated classroom where older and younger students can work together to help one another become successful. The Lab School integrates field work into the curriculum meaning that the students are able to travel and learn outside of a school setting. This is known as expeditionary learning and is an important part of the school setting. Students are encouraged to link projects together, creating a more holistic learning experience. The projects completed require students to think deeply and use a variety of skills, the projects are created for real audiences and have compelling meanings.
The Lab School does not have a an Art Teacher working in the school, but Colorado State University students working in the Art Education Program come in every Friday and teach continuous art lessons to the students. It is also important to note that the Lab School shares the same building as the Polaris Middle and High School, make the school a k-12 building.
Support Structure
The Lab School is a school of choice meaning that there are no buses to transport students to the school. Parents/guardians that choose to send their students to the Lab School must have a way to drive their students to the school. This allows parents and guardians to become mor acquainted and part of the school community. There is also a site based management team that consist of parents, teachers and the principle with a monthl community comment. Parents may also become involved by participating in critical study teams where parents research best practices and report with recommendations. Students from different grades are also encouraged to support one another. There are weekly community meetings for 1st-7th grade, weekly student council for 1st-7th grade, multi-age buddies recesses and lunch and a community garden. The Lab School encourages parents, teachers, administration and students to all work together to create a positive learning experience.
Demographic Characteristics
The Lab School for Creative Learning is located in Poudre School District with a total enrollment of approximately 27, 500 students. Poudre School
District has a diverse population with the following enrollment: Asian 3.04%, Black/African American 1.36%, Hispanic Latino 17.29%, Native American 0.54%, Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander .12&, white 74.47% and two or more 2.62% (2011-2012). About 31.46% of students are participating in free/reduced lunch, and the drop out rate is at 1.33%. The graduation rate of the 2011-2012 school year was at 84% with graduates earning about $33 million in scholarships.
Classroom Environment and Students
The classroom that I am teaching in is a kindergarten/1st grade classroom. The lead teacher's name is Denise and she has been teaching for several years. The classroom has one large oval rug where the students often sit to listen to directions or discuss daily events. There are a total of five large tables with four chairs at each table. Each table has a caddy that includes pencils, glue sticks, crayons, and scissors for the students to use. In one corner of the room there is a large reading area with hundreds of books for students to look through and read. Towards the back of the classroom there are three glass tanks that house reptiles and insects. One of the tanks houses two snakes, the second houses an american toad, and the last houses hissing cockroaches. At the front of the classroom there is a smart boards and a board that has a calendar, dates and other important information that the students review everyday. The students are five to seven years old and are very enthusiastic.
Student 1: This student sometimes has a difficult time working on the task,
but once motivated is a very hard worker. He sometimes has a hard time keeping
his hands to himself but is very thoughtful with his comments and artwork.
Student 2: This student can appear to be lost sometimes or confused as to
what the project is but creates very meaningful pieces of art. This student is
quiet in large group settings but very talkative one-on-one.
Student 3: This student is a very hard worker and very encouraging to other
students. This student likes to become involved in artworks and is always trying
new materials to use in art pieces.
Student 4: This student is a hard and efficient worker but can sometimes
fall behind in class due to absences. She likes to work and talk to other
students about her work.
Student 5: This student likes to participate all through out class. He
always has several ideas to share and likes to walk around to discuss art pieces
with other classmates.
Student 6: This student is very knowledgable and has several skills when it
comes to making art. She is very helpful in the classroom and has great insight
to contribute to the classroom.
Student 7: This student has only attended a few classes but when he is in
class, he gets other students very excited about ideas and creating art.
Student 8: This student loves to sketch in his sketchbook and likes to
complete projects quickly in order to work in his sketchbook. When he gets an
idea, he gets very excited to draw his idea.
Student 9: This student loves to draw animals, in particular cats and dogs.
She seems to incorporate cats and dogs into all of her work and she has a
certain schema as to how she draws them.
Student 10: This student has several passions and likes to incorporate them
into her artwork. She works very well in groups and like to contribute to
converstations.
Student 11: This student likes to work with his friends and come up with
crazy and imaginative ideas. He likes to find new and different materials to use
in his artwork but also does not like to share his ideas/materials.
Student 12: This student loves to work with all of his friends and rarely
works with other groups of students. He is often fidgety in group conversations
and likes to particpate, but sometimes without raising his hand.
Student 13: This student is very quiet but has a lot of great ideas to
contribute to class. She likes to learn from the older students and has very
thoughtful conversations with other students.
Student 14: This student loves to
participate in class and works very diligently in class. He likes to add more
and more to his artworks in order get as much information in them as
possible.
Student 15: This student is often quiet but stays on task all class period.
He prefers one-on-one conversations opposed to group conversations.
Student 16: This student is very mature for her age and sets a great
example for the younger students. She likes to work with the girls in the
classroom.
Student 17: This student has very original and interesting ideas for her
sketches and projects. She always like to great the teachers in the
morning.
Student 18: This student always arrives early and gets ready to go fairly
quickly. He seems to be somewhat of a leader and likes to set examples for the
other boys in the classroom.
School-Wide Policies for Management, Safe Schools,
Conflict Resolution, and Students with Special Needs
A school wide policy that teachers are always implementing is the six P's which are prompt, prepared, polite, positive, participate, and produce. The
students are taught these in the younger grades and are encouraged to use them all throughout school. The students are introduced to each of the six p's and then they are reminded of them if they are not being exhibited in the classroom. Another policy used by the school are attending skills. Younger students are taught these using a hand so that if a student forgets, the teacher can raise a hand to remind the student to use the attending skills.
Safety of students and staff is very important to Poudre School District. Campus Security Officers (CSO's) and School Resource Officers (SRO's) are responsible in helping to ensure that the schools in Poudre School District are safe. The CSO's responsibilities include site security, vehicle, bike, and foot patrol, special event coverage, and crisis response and assistance. The SRO's are certified police officers that are placed in district middle and high schools. They help to maintain the school's safe learning environment and improve collaboration and relationships with the law enforcement officials.
Because the Lab School is a k-5 school, severe conflicts in the classroom are not a large problem, however, conflicts can occur. Students are encouraged to resolve conflicts and if the problem does persist, they should be separated from the issue, until they are able to make a positive choice. Most of the time, a short conversation with the co-operating teacher can help students re-focus.
There is no designated classroom for students with special needs. Students with special needs are incorporated into the classroom and may have
accommodations to help ensure they have a positive learning environment. In Denise's classroom some students have trouble sitting still or they may begin to bother a neighbor so they are given a square rug about 2 feet by 2 feet to sit on to remind them of personal space. Students may also use ear muffs in the corner in case they need a quiet moment to themselves.
