Observation Program in Elemental Schools - Assignment Example

?After my first visit to Charles Cadman Elementary School, my second observation was to Phoebe Hearst Elementary, in San Diego, CA. While the programat Cadman is a preschool program, this is an afterschool program. The program here is also sponsored by the SAY San Diego agency and runs from 15 minutes after school [2:30 on normal days and 12:30 on minimum days] to 6:00 in the evening. In contrast to the Cadman program, the program at Phoebe does not have any requirements with regards to minimum hours or days of attendance. Hence, participation can fluctuate over a period of time. The program has a total of 90 children and usually around 85 show up at roll call. These children are aged from kindergarten to the fifth grade and are hence divided accordingly into three different groups, (kindergarten and first, second and third, and the fourth and fifth grades). Both the school and the program is largely white, with one of the larger Jewish populations in San Diego being represented. As reported before, the program, unlike the one at Cadman is not structured with a formalistic rigor and hence children can leave at their convenience, and not at the end of the day. In fact, over the duration of my visit, there was a constant stream of parents arriving to pick up their children. As there are three different age groups to deal with, the program tries to use distinct areas within the school for each of the groups. The school auditorium is used as the homework area for the first group [K/1], whereas the cafeteria and school library serve as the homework rooms for the second [2/3] and third [4/5] groups respectively. Besides, the auditorium also serves as the main activity and meeting room for the entire program, and access to the library’s computers are provided during library and club activity time. Other outside activities are conducted in the school’s playground. As these resources are shared, the rooms do not feel as much a part of the program, in comparison to the classroom at Cadman, which was tailored to the use of the preschoolers. The typical day at the Phoebe program starts with a group meeting where the day’s schedule is announced alongwith other relevant information. This includes information for the children, along with information that is to be passed on to their parents. Next, the groups split and are lead out for different fitness activities, which typically last for about half an hour. The emphasis here seems to be on teamwork, but I perceived that it involved a lot of standing around, especially when the children had to wait their turn at certain games. This could be eliminated by increasing the number of games or by decreasing the size of the groups. In case of a difficulty in doing either, the time allotted to the different groups could differ based on their age differences. After the fitness workouts, the children prepare for snack. Preparation entails a proper cleaning of hands. All snacks are provided by SAY, and are healthy choices that consist of a full serving from at least two of the food groups. After snack, the children prepare for homework time, which seems to be the main focus of the program. Every child in the program is guaranteed thirty minutes of homework time, with a minimum of two teachers present to help tutor each group. The schedule provides for an hour of homework time, especially for students with tough or lengthy assignments. Children who have finished their homework are allowed to have free play time on the school playground. This is done to ensure that children with difficult or longer assignments get adequate attention. The ratio for the program entails a maximum of 14 students to each supervising teacher. This ratio is not much different from the maximum of 12 in the Cadman program. Considering that the Cadman program requires more guidance and observation, the ratio is very good at Phoebe. As mentioned earlier, the children leave at different times. Hence, after the scheduled homework hour, children still attending the program will work on an art program. This is usually based on the season or forthcoming holidays. This is designed to spur creativity in the children. This is a good idea, and could perhaps also include other activities like music, so as not to make the program monotonous. Afterwards, children play inside usually with board games, or if the number is small enough, a group game. This session is called ‘free inside play’ and is reserved for the last half hour. It is clear that this program has a very different focus in comparison to the one at Cadman. The most obvious one is with regards to the level of control, and this is an expected one, given the difference in age between the two groups. The staff at Phoebe was much more relaxed in their enforcement of discipline. This did not mean that the children were unruly or out of control, simply that there seems to be a greater degree of leniency and the children are aware of their extended boundaries. They seemed to know that they could cross the line without getting censured. This could easily be attributed to the age level of the children, which is higher in Phoebe and the bigger size of the group, which is the likely cause. However, it could also possibly be a reflection of the differing abilities of the two sets of staff. It has to be said that in a limited amount of time, the program does try and multiply its benefits. It has an educational component in the form of homework and tutoring, physical aspects of a nutritious snack and fitness alongwith a focus on creative aspects and group dynamics such as teamwork. Further, with regards to the guidance in coursework, there is an emphasis on letting the children work out the answers on their own rather than just telling them the correct answers. This allows them to understand the methods and thus apply them in future scenarios. Further, I thought the diverse age group and large size provided the children with enough friends and there was varied interaction within the groups and sometimes among children of different groups as well. This provided for invaluable social capital and these children seemed to be much closer to each other than the rest of the students on campus. Further, I was told, that at different times of the year, the older kids are asked to help mentor the younger kids. This seems to be a smart approach as this instills a sense of responsibility in the older kids as well. The children generally look happy, and there was nothing to indicate that they were not properly cared for. It is clear that the children would rather be home with parents, but this afterschool service is used by parents for whom it is not possible to look after their children during the day due to their working schedules. However, it did not look like the children were particularly close to the staff. The staff strength varies between 7 to 8 depending upon the day, and the staff is highly encouraged to have a minimum of four early childhood education classes. Besides, many of the teachers have their degrees in various childhood health or education related disciplines. However, I found out that the program has a new staff this year. This was in contrast to the previous staff who had worked for two years and the supervisor who had worked for the previous five years. I believe this major change is seen in the observation as well. The staff is not as cohesive as the one at Cadman. Neither do they seem close to the students. The same could be said of the parents as well, who have definitely not had much interaction with the current staff. Perhaps this could also be the reason why they were not willing to censure the children in comparison to the control at Cadman. However, this seems to be a function of time and the same can definitely be improved. This can be gauged by the dedication of the staff, who seemed highly motivated in taking care of the children in their program. Overall, I believe that this is a good program, especially keeping in mind their constrained resources. The children are friendly with each other and have created social bonds. The staff despite being new seems to be on the process of gaining the children’s trust and creating a more engaging environment. The routine is not as consistently structured as it could have been, but that provides for a variation that would be welcome from the tedium of scheduled school hours. Further, the staff also seemed concerned about the safety aspects, especially during fitness time. However, it is necessary that proper guidance be provided to students who finish their homework and are playing at the school playground to minimise any playground accidents. Furthermore, it is necessary that the staff gain the children’s trust and also try and create a difference every day. This is necessary so that the students do not look at the afterschool as a compulsion but rather as an enjoyable part of their daily schedule. Read More