Nikki HarrisonLiz Ferry

TE407

Our mission is to ensure a safe learning community where students are challenged to expand their intellectual, emotional, and social capacities to become global citizens. We will guide students toward this goal by expecting students to be respectful, hard-working and active participants to become life long learners. All members of our school community will be responsible for modeling positive behavior, supporting one another, and committing themselves to doing “Whatever It Takes” to succeed.

Carpet Some posters & student work on hall walls Different shades of blue, some brick, some

beige (walls) Common area with large plants, lots of

sunlight Benches in some halls Large lockers (shared by two students) Small upstairs area

Average cafeteria Library with plenty of computers Gym Pool Auditorium

Guidance counselors At risk counselor: deals with students with SES issues Truancy counselor Intern: works with assigned groups Discipline handled in different office

Spanish, German, French: all full-year programs (HJH is on a trimester schedule)

Encourage foreign language classes, although not yet a requirement at the junior high level

Not enough room for all students in FL classes (especially Spanish)

7th graders must achieve a “C” or better in Keyboarding before taking FL class

For new students, counselors review their former English grades to determine possible FL potential before encouraging them to enroll in FL class

933 students: 453 8th graders, 480 7th graders

Drop-out rate/percentage attending college unknown (as it is the junior high level)

RACE White Black Asian Hispanic

# of Students

705 114 17 66

Percentage 75.6% 12.2% 2% 7%

RACE Hawaiian Pacific Islander

American Indian/Alaskan Native

Other TOTAL

# of Students

2 1 28 933

Percentage >1% >1% 3%

Free lunches

Reduced lunches

Free & Reduced lunches

241 students

81 students

332 students

≈ 26% ≈ 9% ≈36%

Organized to facilitate student learning◦ Desks are placed in curved rows facing the front of

the classroom. ◦ Seating chart! Made by the teacher and is designed

so that seats are boy-girl-boy-girl. This creates less chatting among boys and girls.

◦ Wall/bulletin decor emphasizes and enhances learning.

◦ Clean!!!

Classroom is very warm and fun!◦ Posters on the walls (cultural, the alphabet,

phrases)◦ Maps of Spanish speaking countries.◦ Bulletin Boards filled with color.◦ World Flags hung from the ceiling.

Technology◦ ELMO◦ SMART BOARD◦ TELEVISION

Stephanie Barish, 8th grade Spanish I Why she is an FL teacher: because it is

different and she can show students something they have not seen before

Travel experience: Backpacking through Europe and the Yucatan Peninsula (Mexico); Barcelona, Spain during the time of the 1992 Olympic Games, trip with students to Yucatan Peninsula

Does she teach the same way she was taught?

Yes; her classes were interesting, with a lot of group work and hands-on experiences

How has her teaching changed over the years?

It hasn’t much; she has fine-tuned her teaching, adding some more of the communicative approach. Some years are better than others for this.

Teaching style and skills emphasized

Role = facilitator

Emphasizes all four language skills: listening, speaking, reading, and writing