Teachers in ActionFruitland Park Posse

Kimberly Ethingtonkethington@knights.ucf.edu

April 19,2010EEX4070

ESOL Accommodations 4, 12

Early PerceptionsIn the beginning we met with the ESE coordinator at Fruitland Park Elementary School

for our Teachers in Action experience. We then split up into small groups and was assigned a teacher. The ESE coordinator went over any and all concerns we may have working with ESE students. Our groups goal was to facilitate students in the area of test taking skills and learning strategies. The ESE coordinator also gave us a list of suggested activities she found in her book of differentiated learning strategies. I was really excited about my new challenge!

Introduction To The SettingFruitland Park Elementary School

304 West Fountain St. Fruitland Park Florida

Personal DemographicsMy name is Kimberly Ethington. I am a junior at UCF in the Elementary Education program. I am a wife of 7 yrs and a mother of a 6 yr old little girl, named Emma. I am very much involved in my community, and church and love being a participant for Relay for Life. I am a substitute teacher and real estate agent for Exit Realty Tri County. I look forward to graduating in the Spring of 2011 and becoming a teacher, so I can make a difference in the lives of young children.

Site/Community Demographics

Engagement ActivitiesWhile at Fruitland Park Elementary School, I used many

activities with the students as ice breakers. Some of the activities we did were the Tooty-Ta, Hula Hoop Game, untying knots, and the Direction Game. The students really enjoyed these, and it got them relaxed before we began talking about different learning and test taking strategies.

Participant Demographics There were 19 students in this inclusion 5th grade

class.The ages are two-10 yr olds, ten-11 yr olds, and

seven-12yr olds.There are 8 boys and 11 girls in this classroom.The ethnic background is 12 white, 6 African

Americans, and 1 Hispanic.The linguistic heritage of the class is 18 English

speakers, and 1 Spanish Speaker.Exceptionalities are as follows: 5 SLD, 1 LD, 2

Speech, 1 Gifted and 3 ADHD.

Reflection of ExperienceI really enjoyed this assignment and my time

at Fruitland Park Elementary. It really gave me an insight into what a teacher goes through everyday. It also gave me an insight that not all students come from the same background or learn the same way. Participating in this classroom with multiple learning disabilities really made me realize that each student is an individual, and I as a teacher need to take into account that children are children, and they all want to feel accepted and loved.