Randi Rhodes

1
Contextual Factors TWS 1

Classroom Factors
Physical Features
The kindergarten classroom theme appears to be Disney World because
there are Disney character cutouts hanging on the wall and placed
throughout the classroom. Beside the Smartboard there is a bulletin board
covered with calendar information containing the month, date, and year. The
bulletin board also has a place for the daily schedule to go. There are posters
on the cabinets that portray the reward system. The classroom has cubbies
that contain the students book bags and daily work. There are shelves
throughout the classroom that holds books, center material, and group
learning material. The classroom also has a kitchen center that the students
can choose to play with along with benches and tables that are appropriate
to the students size. Placed specifically through the classroom are rod
stands that hold each students bag with their reading workshop books in it.
Availability of Technology
There are four computers in the classroom that the students can get on
during their group time and center time. The Smartboard is in the center of
the classroom where the students watch learning videos, brain breaks, and
the morning message. There is a classroom iPad that is used during center
and group time as well. Students get to pick from several apps that the iPad
has ranging from letter recognition to story reading. The school allows the
teacher to check out the iPad cart that has up to 27 mini iPads that students
can use to explore or research subjects.
Equipment
Each student has a basket on their table that contains crayons, a pair of
scissors, a glue stick, and a pen. The teacher has individual white boards and
markers for students when they have group time. There is also magnetic
letters, trays, foam shapes, big books, sandpaper letters, building blocks,
counting material and much more that are accessible for the students.
Learning Environment
The students usually come to the carpet for whole class lessons and
instructions. The teacher then goes through the whole assignment and
shows the students what they are expected to do. There are a lot of visuals
that are used throughout the day. For example, videos are shown on the
Smartboard that sing the alphabet, shapes, and numbers. While the students
are doing their individual work there is usually calming music playing in the
background. There seems to be good structure throughout the day and high
expectations set for the students. Students are constantly moving and
singing to help retain information that is given to them.

Randi Rhodes

Resources
Students have a classroom library that they go to once a week and change
out approximately 5 books to put in their reading workshop bag. In math, the
students are beginning to use My Math workbooks that have three sections
in each lesson: explore, students do it on their own, and homework. There
are about 12 lessons in each chapter. As I have stated before there are
learning materials such as magnetic letters that the students have explored
with to write their name. One resource that I have noticed is a little garden
on the playground that the students will observe when they get to the plant
life unit. I have not seen any other resources for science or social studies
beside read aloud books. A lot of the students individual work comes from
worksheets that have been collected over the years.
Parent Involvement
During the first week or two of school, there were a few parents that walked
their child to class everyday. During open house, there was 15 out of 23
students parent that attended and looked through the classroom. Six out of
the fifteen parents asked the teacher or me how their child was doing in
class and asked about their reading and math levels. There have been a few
conversations between some of the parents and the teacher regarding
testing and doctor visits. One mother has come into the classroom during the
day to observe her childs behavior. A mother of one of my students is the art
teacher at the same school. For the most part, the parents of the classroom
have been thoroughly involved in their childs education. One hundred
percent of the parents attended the end of the first nine weeks conference
with the teacher.
Classroom rules and routines
As the students come in the classroom in the mornings they immediately go
to their cubby and unpack their book bag, make their lunch choice, and go
sit on the carpet to watch a video that is playing. When everyone arrives,
three students go to the lunchroom to get their breakfast and bring it to the
classroom. Students then go through the line, get their breakfast, and go to
their table to eat it. When they are done they throw away their trash and go
sit on the carpet. As a class they go through and write the morning message
on the Smartboard, which is usually Today is (day of the week), the number
they are practicing, the weather, and a color. The students are instructed to
go back to their table and complete the worksheet and morning message. As
students finish their work, they can pick a center to go to. When the class is
finished or when time is up students go back to the carpet and participate in
a brain break, such as Shake your sillies out, and then go through the
expectations of reading workshop time. Students are called to their table and
immediately start reading individually until time to turn to their partner to
share their book. Students then divide up into their groups and go to their
first station of group learning. When the teacher says, rotate the students
move to their next station. Station one is group learning with the teacher,

Randi Rhodes

station two is group learning with the teachers assistant, station three is
poem journals on the carpet by themselves, and station four is playing
educational games on the computer or iPad. After all four groups attend each
station they line up and go to lunch. They have about ten minutes when they
get back from lunch before they go to a related arts class. When they return
to the classroom they start going over science and math elements as a
whole class and then individually at their tables. When the class has
completed their work, students back up their book bags and put them on the
back of their chair and go out for recess for about 20 minutes. When they
come back in from recess they go to the carpet to watch a calming video
and then get dismissed by buses, vans, and car riders.
My cooperating teacher implements the time to teach system in her
classroom. If students are not doing what they are supposed to be doing then
they are sent to the refocus chair where they are supposed to think about
what got them there and how they can do better. My teacher wants the
students to be able to take responsibility for their wrong doings and also
their accomplishments. As any kindergarten class would have, there are
rules such as keep your hands to yourself and treat others as you would want
to be treated. When the students are on the carpet they have to give 5
which is sitting crisscross applesauce, hands in your lap, eyes looking
forward, mouths quiet, and ears listening. There are rules that the students
are expected to follow in the hallway. For example, the students need to walk
on the black line, looking forward, mouths quiet, and hands behind their
back. In the classroom, students have to raise their hand and ask to go to the
bathroom when they are at their tables and they are not allowed to go during
related arts and lunch. Any other time they need to get up quietly and go use
the bathroom by themselves.
Grouping patterns
Students are divided up among four groups depending on their skill level
during group learning time. The first group is called the Mickey Mouse
group and there are 6 students in that group. This group is our advanced
group and work on more challenging material. The second group is called the
Donald Duck group, which is our higher middle group and has 6 students in
it. The third group is the Goofy group and they are the lower middle group,
which has 5 students in that group. The last group is called the Stitch
group, they are our lowest leveled students, and there are 7 students in that
one. The names of the groups have no reference to the skill levels. His or her
running records determined the skill level of each student. The reading
workshop partners are determined by just who sits beside them at their
table. The students have specific places at their tables where they sit all the
time. The teacher, her assistant, and I came up with the seating chart at the
beginning of the year based on their behavior and their ability to stay on
task. We tried to put the ones that were more mature with the less mature
ones in hopes that they would set a good example for those students.

Randi Rhodes

Scheduling
Everyday the students go to a different related arts class at the same time
during the day. On Mondays the students go to music and on Tuesdays they
go to the library where they hear a read a loud and then do an activity and
check out a book for the week. On Wednesdays they go to P.E., on
Thursdays the students go to computer lab where they go to the Starfall
program to play educational games, and on Fridays they go to art.
Classroom Arrangement
As soon as you walk in the door the bathroom is on the right and the counter
with the four computers are to the left. A little bit further, there is a
classroom kitchenette with two sinks and a refrigerator to the right. There
are three tables in front of the kitchenette, two of which the students use as
their desk. If you are looking at the front of the classroom, there is a
Smartboard with the calendar bulletin board to the right of the board and to
the left there is a word wall and storage cabinets. In front of the Smartboard
is the carpet and then behind the carpet are two more tables that sit 6 or 7
students each. To the left of the carpet and in front of the computers is
another table for the students. Right beside that table and in front of the
word wall is two little benches and a table for the reading center. To the right
of the carpet is another table that the students sit at. To the right of that
table are some of the cubbies that students use to hang their book bags on.
The kitchen center is behind and to the right of that same table. In the back
right corner of the classroom are the rest of the cubbies followed by the
classroom snake, Sylvester and his cage. Right beside the cubbies and
snake is the teachers round desk where students meet to do group learning
with her. The door to the playground is to the right of the teachers desk and
to the left of it is a door leading to more storage. There is a countertop and
shelves that separate the walkway from the teachers desk to the
kitchenette.
Student Demographics and Characteristics
Kindergarten Class Merrywood Elementary
2014 - 2015
Description
Nos. of
children
Race/Ethnic
ity

AfricanAmerican
White
Hispanic
Asian

Female

Male

Total

12

12

24

10

4
0
1

5
1
0

9
1
1

Randi Rhodes

Age

Disabilities

5
Bi-racial
International

2
1

0
0

2
1
24

5 year olds
6 year olds

8
4

10
2

18
6
24

0
1
0

1
2
1

1
3
1

Resource
(Math and
ELA)
Speech
Tier ll
Tier ll B

There are three other males that the teacher has concerns about and will be
tested in the near future. Two males were just tested and diagnosed with
ADHD and were prescribed medication. The one male that has an IEP goes
out for extra help in math and reading at the end of the day when the class
goes out for recess. There is one male that is pulled out in the morning to
work on his speech impairment and there is one female and two males that
are on a tier two plan along with one male that is on a tier two b plan. The
teacher, the aid, or I pull these students throughout the day to receive extra
instructional time.
Almost all of the kindergarten students in the class are really interested in
our pet snake, Sylvester. They love observing how he moves and eats. A
few of the students play soccer or t-ball at the YMCA. Three or four of the
students also participate in gymnastics and dance. I have noticed many of
the students are more focused and attentive right after a brain break activity
where they get to use up some of their energy.
Skill Levels in Reading and Math
Kindergarten Merrywood Elementary
First Nine Weeks
Female
DRA Reading Level
Level 3
Level 2
Level 1
A
Pre-A

2
3
1
1
5

Male
0
5
4
0
3

Randi Rhodes

Number Identity
(10 total)
100%
87.5%
75%
50%
37.5%
0%

Female

Male

7
1
1
1
1
1

9
0
0
1
0
2

Second Nine Weeks

Male

DRA Reading Level

1
3
2
1
5
0

0
1
4
5
1
1

Recognizes
Numbers
(21 total)
100% - 90%
89% - 80%
79% - 70%
69% - 60%
59% - 50%
49% - 40%
39% - 30%
0.04% - 0%

4
2
1
2
1
1
1
0

6
1
1
0
0
1
0
2

Instructional Implications:
This kindergarten classroom has many learning manipulatives placed
throughout the classroom and even more in storage, therefore the students
would be receiving a lot of hands on experience when working with them.
Having a lot of material can be a positive aspect for the children, however it
can also be a negative aspect as well. The room seems to be cluttered and
that may distract some of the students. The disciplinary system we use in
the classroom known as time to teach prepares young students for higher
grades when they have to take full responsibilities for their actions. This
system also allows the teacher to handle a bad behavior without disturbing
the classroom because the teacher simply tells the student to go to the
refocus chair to think about their actions. When the teacher is finished with
whole group instruction then she goes over there to the student and asks

Randi Rhodes

him/her what they did to get there and what they can do differently. This
structure allows for instructional time to increase and continue smoothly. I
could use the technology in the classroom as a visual aid in a lesson and I
could also find and download apps to go on the iPad for the students to
practice during group time. There is a wide variety of skill levels so I would
have to make accommodations in my lesson plans that meet the needs of
the higher level students that will more than likely finish early and the lower
level students that may need extra help.
One contextual factor that I have mentioned is manipulatives. For example,
there are three full large containers of foam shapes of different shapes and
colors. I could give each student a handful of these shapes and have the
students explore and discover things with them. I would give them ideas of
what they could do with them such as categorize them by shapes or color or
they could build something with them. This would get them interested and
practicing with shapes before or during the stage of learning about each
shape. The second contextual factor is the learning environment. I described
the learning environment to be active at times and also soothing at times as
well. I could continue this factor by having a lesson where the students have
to move. For example, I could have the students go outside to look at leaves
instead of just showing a picture of a leaf on the board. After the students
have moved about and explored they could go back to their tables and work
with calming music in the background. This would be helpful because the
students are already familiar to this routine, and I believe that movement
helps students retain the information and increase interest.

School and Community Factors:

Randi Rhodes

Description
Total # of children

Results
537

Total # of teachers

36

Ratings

SC PASS
Performance
Grades 3 5

Absolute Rating
Growth Rating

Good
Average

Student Retention Rate

1.7%
96.6%
8.4%
12.8%
75%
93.5%
16 days

ELA Mean

644.8

Math Mean

649.6

Science Mean

621.6

Social Studies Mean

641.7

Explanation:
I collected the above information from the Merrywood Elementary
School 2014 Annual Report Card. There were no records of the student
demographics of the school on neither the report card or the school website.
The information I did gain from the report card consisted of total number of
students enrolled in Merrywood, total number of teachers employed, a
variety of ratings, and the most recent mean SC PASS scores in grades three
through five. The areas identified above can help develop my future lessons
by letting my know the average student - teacher ratio, which is 22.4 to 1,
the number of students that I may teach that have either a disability or is
apart of the gifted and talented program, and which content area may need
more instruction time based on SC PASS scores. Based on the data above the

Randi Rhodes
lowest scoring content area is science so that may indicate that I need to
spend a few extra minutes on science each day to help my students gain a
better understanding of the material for future testing. Even though
kindergarten is not tested and recorded in the school documents I am
preparing them ahead of time in order for them to be successful in grades
that they are tested in.