post 1 prompt: 1

George West Elementary is located off of Mt. Pleasant Ave. The neighborhood seems quiet during school hours, but around the time school starts and ends there is a lot of traffic. It’s located right down the street from Mt. Pleasant high school and Rhode Island College.
The school building is very large and has a good size recess area. Inside the school is very nice and it’s well maintained but the lighting is kind if dim. The classrooms are a good size as well. The halls were aligned with lockers for the students and the library had a mural that contained encouraging words.
The class that I volunteered in was very nice and organized. There were about five rows of desk facing the board, there was a reading area with a nice rug and a large variety of books to choose from and there was a D.I area that had chairs so that the students could read together and correct work in groups.
To me it felt like I was going to my old elementary school, except for the lockers. I think it’s a little unnecessary for students so young to have lockers. In the class, the teacher decorated the room and had cute little curtains on the door so it felt a little homely. Walking into the school I felt that it was more like a school for older students. The only part that made it seem like an elementary school was the mural in front of the library. In the class I had a very different feeling from being in the hallway. When I was in the class I knew I was in an elementary school. There were visuals for students to look at for help and the reminders.
Mrs. Gagnon, the second grade teacher was a very nice teacher and made sure that her students were always doing what they were suppose to and kept a constant reminder of where they were and why they were there. She was very well organized and always had the class in control. When students got loud she raised her voice and the students immediately settled down and got to work. She made sure that students were on the level of which they were working on and didn’t pretend that the students knew what they were doing when they didn’t know.
The students were very respectful to the teacher as they knew she didn’t mess around. They did their work when they were told and made sure they had what they needed to be done in time for D.I.
Education is mostly valued in this school and is especially in the class room. Knowing that education is very valuable, students are pushed to their limit so they can get the most out of their education. I can tell education is valued because of its strict manner in order to have students on task. Students are pushed to the most of their potential. As an example not all students in D.I groups are from the same grade. There are students from all grade levels above and below, so that they are getting the proper education and that they are not falling behind or not being challenged enough.