week 1 of my clinical experience

In the first week of my clinical experience at Gesu, I really did not know what to expect. Gesu is a Catholic private school right outside John Carroll. I'm glad I was put at Gesu because I grew up in a public school back in New York. I got to experience and contiuning to experience the difference between public schools and private schools and how that effects their teaching. 

In week one, I experienced a lot of group work and station work. The students were always moving which is great for young kids because research has shown that movement while learning is the best way to learn. The format of the classroom is very interesting and I like it a lot. There are 3 sections of desks, all clustered into groups. Then there is a carpet located in the back where students sit on when they are sharing stories and reading books. 

The part that really struck me was before the students even came into the classroom. The teacher that I am observing told me to come in early before the students arrived and just talk. While we were talking, she shared with me that before she came to Gesu, she was was teaching in an urban public setting for 20 years. She explained to me that she had to leave because she needed something new. When I heard this, I became sort of upset because the children in the urban setting deserve just as much attention as the private suburban kids. Of course, change is good for some but I think that teaching any child is a privilege. I feel like this is a reoccurring theme in a lot of schools lately. Teachers are getting frustrated with urban settings due to lack of money, resources and even motivation. This is a serious problem in today's society and it needs to be addresses ASAP.