Dommerich Elementary SchoolMrs. Virginia Joseph, 1st Grade Teacher

Introduction to the Teaching ProfessionEducational PortfolioElizabeth Stephens

Dommerich Elementary

Picture #1—This mural was created by Dommerich students in 2004. Quick Facts

• Dommerich is a neighborhood, suburban school, with approximately 647 students and 40 teachers.

• The Dommerich school building is relatively new, having just been built in 2008. The former building was built in 1964, and demolished in 2008, when the new building was complete. The former building was a traditional brick structure. This new one is large, open and airy.

• • With the new school building came new technology.

Each classroom is equipped with Promethean smart boards, phones, projectors and document cameras.

• The population of Dommerich is:• 75% white, 18% African American, and 7%

Hispanic/Other.

• Dommerich’s School Motto:• “I believe I can learn, I can learn, I will learn.”

Many years ago, Dommerich created a “Dommerich Standard”. This standard is what the staff and students strive for daily. This standard is posted in strategic areas around the school. Every week, one standard is picked and the staff and students all work on

that standard for the week.

Artifact #1The Dommerich Standard

1. Do the right thing, even if no one is looking.2. Follow and respect the rules wherever you are.3. Learn as much as you can every day.4. Use your time wisely.5. Be kind in your words and in your actions.6. Take care of possessions.

Communication at DommerichPicture #2--The Dommerich Marquee is a form of communication for the community. Forms of Communication

• Dommerich communicates about the curriculum, assessment, and activities. There is a newsletter which goes out to families, called “Smoke Signals”. The school also uses a website, email blasts, and phone calls to communicate. Most classroom teachers send home newsletters, and there is a newsletter provided to all teachers and staff members weekly, called “The Dommerich Tom Tom”.

Dommerich Community Challenges• Dommerich may seem like the perfect

neighborhood school, but it does face challenges. Since the downturn of the economy in 2007, they have had their share of changes. Before 2007, the Dommerich community was full of professional families where the majority of the mothers were able to stay home and raise their children. Since 2007, many mothers have returned to work, and other families have had to move from the area due to the poor real estate market. In turn, the teachers have noticed slight changes in the amount of time and money families are able to contribute.

• Thankfully, Dommerich has a very strong PTA , and they have stepped up to help out. The PTA has been able to give each teacher a check to use for classroom materials. The PTA also coordinates volunteers to help in the classrooms and other school areas, and to go on field trips. One of the strongest incentives that the Dommerich PTA has started is their “Community Support Team”. This team was founded to help those in any kind of need, including financial. In December 2011, the team was able to collect funds to help 31 families, which included and impacted 70 children (12% of the school population). The team raised $5000, and they were able to furnish these families with gifts and food for the holiday season.

PIE (Partners in Education) at Dommerich• Picture #3—A “Partner in Education” member

delivers plants for Dommerich’s community garden.

Healthy Living at Dommerich• Picture #4—The PTA and School work to promote Healthy Living. In this picture, the

principal, participates with students in the “Running Club”.

The Arts at Dommerich• Picture #5—This Mosaic was created by Dommerich

students, teachers, and parent volunteers to beautify the new school.

Dommerich’s Academic Challenges• Academically, Dommerich has had some

challenges with writing instruction. On the day that I observed, Ginger was on her way to an afternoon meeting to discuss these challenges, and potential ways to improve the instruction.

• In the past few years, there has also been an increase of students needing reading intervention. The grade levels met and discussed ways to help. Each grade level has taken on a skill, appropriate to their age of students, and they have implemented intervention methods. For example, in 1st grade, the teachers work on reading ability; and in 2nd grade, the teachers are working on reading fluency. The entire school has designated 30 minutes a day, from 9:00am to 9:30am, as Reading Intervention time. Each teacher has loosely grouped their students by reading ability. At 9am, there is a big change, while children needing help or enrichment are sent to other teachers on their grade level. At the time I was there, 3 children left Mrs. Joseph’s classroom, and 5 more came in. Ginger spent the time on a fast paced reading instruction time with a small group of students. The other students worked with parent helpers, read independently, read with a peer, or worked on the computers. It was an individualized instruction time.

Curriculum and Assessment• I am also a substitute at Dommerich so I have

been able to observe the curriculum at the different grade levels. In every classroom, I noticed that the students were learning with a variety of materials and in a variety of ways. In one 4th grade classroom, students broke up into groups to research and create a timeline of Florida history. In a 2nd grade classroom, the students’ assignment was to look at a picture and write a story about what they thought was going on. We brainstormed ideas, and then they went on to write some amazing stories!

• I was also able to talk with the group of teachers about their lesson plans. For the most part, each teacher creates their lesson plans on a computer. They must include what standards are being met with each objective and activity.

• Academic performance is assessed in a variety of ways. There are paper and pencil tests, observation checklists, and other testing procedures used. These include: FCAT, FAIR, Benchmark, and more.

• Dommerich communicates about the curriculum, assessment, and activities. There is a newsletter which goes out to families, called “Smoke Signals”. The school also uses a website, email blasts, and phone calls to communicate. Most classroom teachers send home newsletters, and there is a newsletter provided to all teachers and staff members weekly, called “The Dommerich Tom Tom”.

Artifact #2Classroom Rules

“Our Class Promise”

Mrs. Joseph sets high expectations for her 1st graders. Students are expected to behave, in order to reach their highest level of learning.

The school motto and school standards are often referred to throughout the day. Incentives vary from intrinsic, such as just a good feeling from following the rules, motto, and standards; to extrinsic, such as an announcement to celebrate an accomplishment of a student or class.

On the first day of school, the students established the “rules” with Mrs. Joseph. As a class, they decided to make the rules into a Class Promise. As this artifact shows, instead of creating a black and white printed poster of the rules, Mrs. Joseph wrote the Class Promise in a bright color. To show ownership of the Class Promise, the students each drew a picture of themselves, which were then placed around the Class Promise.

Artifact #3Class Newsletter

Teacher InterviewMrs. Virginia Joseph, 1st Grade

1. Do you think that the school culture is different at the elementary level versus the middle or high school level? If so, how?

Yes, the culture is different at elementary, middle and high school levels. At Dommerich, there are just a few neighborhoods and surrounding areas from which the students come. When they get to Maitland Middle School, there are many other elementary schools feeding into the one middle school. The culture changes due to this.

2. What challenges do you face as an elementary school teacher?

My biggest challenge is lack of time. With new standards, I have to continue to plan, and set up learning goals. The intended outcome is for each teacher to post learning goals for each lesson taught every day. This is difficult when you have a class full of students working at varying levels. The school has also started some special intervention strategies, which I know are very good, but those take more time too. In addition, there are teacher observations, conferences, and meetings.

3. What forms of communication do you use with your parents?

I send a class newsletter every other week. I also call parents on the phone. I do email individual parents sometimes, but I find the phone calls to be much more personable.

4. What effective teaching strategies are used at the elementary level?

In my 17 years of teaching, I continue to go back to using strategies that are age appropriate. I also have to make sure the strategies fit my style, and my students’ style. I love to meet my students at the beginning of the school year and to figure out what is going to work best for them.

5. What forms of incentives do you utilize with your students in the classroom to enhance extrinsic motivation?

I am not a big believer of many rewards. I like to let the students know, daily, what is expected of them. I use a lot of positive reinforcement. I work hard on transition times, always thinking of what will be the best for the children. I include a lot of movement throughout the day. I also redirect inappropriate behavior.

Sample Lesson Planfrom

Mrs. Joseph’s Class•Florida Department of Education Sunshine State Standards Addressed in the Language Arts Section, to show standards for accommodations as the children worked in small groups.•LA 1.1.4.2 This benchmark belongs to: Phonics an Word Analysis.The student will identify the sounds of vowels and consonant digraphs in printed words.•LA.1.1.6.2 This benchmark belongs to: Vocabulary DevelopmentThe student will listen to, read and discuss both familiar and conceptually challenging text.•LA.1.1.6.6 This benchmark belongs to: Vocabulary DevelopmentThe student will identify and sort common words into conceptual categories.

Verification Form7 hours on 1/26, 6 hours on 2/8, 2 hours on 1/13

15 hours total