Impact

Dispatch from The Philadelphia Urban Seminar: Day 1

Editor's Note: Rachel Mountz just completed her freshman year at Penn State University Park, studying elementary education. This summer, she is one of roughly four dozen Penn State students taking Curriculum and Instruction 295 A, Philadelphia Urban Seminar, with Dan Thompson, assistant professor of education in the College of Education. Thompson's students have joined hundreds of students from universities throughout Pennsylvania at LaSalle University in north Philadelphia for a two-week, intensive experience observing and teaching in urban schools. Mountz is chronicling her experiences for Penn State Live and the Newswires.

Monday, Day One in the schools

The last 24 hours have been so hectic. Since there are so many people on the seminar this year, getting everyone organized was a little more difficult than in past years. Or so I've heard. There was some confusion early on and I wasn't actually assigned to a school like everyone else was. But I was able to talk to my professor and he got me into a school by the end of the night.

We are taking vans to and from the schools so that we can all stay together, and this morning was also very hectic with everyone trying to find their van and leave for the schools. But I knew that all the craziness would be worth it once I got into the schools and into my classroom.

I arrived at Fairhill Elementary shortly after 8:30 a.m. Urban Seminar Tip #1: Get plenty of rest each night -- early mornings aren't always easy and yawning in class doesn't set a very good example for the students. We got a quick tour of the school (which is pretty big, grade levels K-6 are all in one building) and then I met the teacher I had been assigned to work with, Ms. Morris. I could tell right away that we would get along. She seemed like the type of teacher that could take control the room with a snap. As the day went on, I found that she was a lot like me when it came to running a classroom. We both are tough and have high expectations, but that's only because we know the kids need to be pushed so that they will succeed.

The first thing that Ms. Morris had me do was to staple student work to a bulletin board in the hallway. That was cool because I got to see what kind of work the students do. They are just finishing up a unit on China, so they had a lot of writing and crafts on that. When I got back into the classroom, there were some kids doing math or other activities on the computers and others were reading books in pairs. I liked that she had them reading in pairs because it was fun to see the kids help each other out and work as a team.

I noticed that two of the boys were having trouble getting focused, so I asked them if they would read a book to me. They got out Shel Silverstein's Where The Sidewalk Ends and helped each other read the funniest poems from it while I stood by, listening and helping them when they needed it.

Ms. Morris then gathered all the kids back up into one big group and did an activity with hula hoops to show Venn Diagrams.

I sat in the back of the class and observed the lesson, taking notes on what I liked about it. Urban Seminar Tip #2: If you are thinking about becoming a teacher, try to work as much as you can with other teachers. Observe how they teach and find your own style. I really liked that Ms. Morris would tell the class that she was looking for a Prize Person. She'd say she sees a lot of "super kids" but that she's looking for "the best."

I loved my first day in the urban schools. They were different in many ways from the suburban schools that I'm used to being in, but there also were a lot of similarities. One difference is that almost the entire population of the school I am in is African-American or Hispanic. All the closet doors are locked and you even need a key to get into the teacher bathrooms. The classrooms are smaller than what I'm used to and they also are a lot louder. But it's still a school. There is teaching going on and there is learning going on. Not all schools are the same, but I'm glad I get to be on this urban experience if only for two weeks. Urban Seminar Tip #3: Keep an open mind. Nothing good can come from a closed mind, but with an open mind you never know what you'll experience.

For the full series, visit http://live.psu.edu/story/30949 online. For photos, visit http://live.psu.edu/stilllife/1707 online.

For more photos from Rachel Mountz's experience with the Philadelphia Urban Seminar, click on her picture above. Credit: Penn StateCreative Commons

Last Updated January 12, 2011