Before visting the first classroom the professor asked us to think about the following questions as we interacted with the teachers and students.

Question: What assumptions do you have about urban classrooms?

Answer: I assumed that the majority of students would be black and hispanic or latino. I also assumed that they would be sitting in their seats faced forward and so quiet that you could hear a pin drop. I assumed that the teacher would be frustrated. I assumed that the class size would be unbelievably large.

Question: How was the classroom experience different from your assumptions?

Answer: In the classroom, majority of the students was a total of 17 students–1 White, 3 Asian and Pacific Islanders, and 13 Black students. The children spoke upmounst themselves as they ate their lunch and even welcomed the vistors into their conversations. The teacher was very calm and relaxed. She acknowledged students for following directions, “Thank you for making good choices,” which encouraged other students who were not following directions to the necessary changes to their own behavior.

Question: What is something interesting about the classroom observation?

Answer: In Ms. Robb’s class there was a little girl from Myanmar who could not speak English. She came to Idlewood two weeks ago. During these two weeks, the young girl has learned each of the other student’s names and the teacher’s name. During fresh air time, the young girl played with the other children with no problems. They were chasing one another. Some students were monsters while others were the prey. Her interaction with the other students was simply awesome.

This was a very encouraging experience and gave me a sense of hope. I felt welcomed by the student