Directly adjacent to the gated entrance of Pineapple* Elementary School is a low-income housing development. I must admit that this first impression shook my nerves and made the experience of my first visit to an urban public school a tension filled one. After pushing my nerves aside I was delighted to enter a clean, brightly painted elementary school lounge smelling of fish sticks, the special of the day. The empty hallways suggested a controlled environment with little allowance for aimlessly wandering students. The few faces I came across, both young and adult, were friendly and responsive to my warm “hello!”s.
Upon entering the classroom of the district’s Literary Coach, Ms. Apple*, I was greeted by the positive sounds of one of my favorite dub reggae artists, King Tubby. Ms. Apple was in the middle of a meeting with a few of her colleagues and was playing the music quietly. I immediately felt more at ease, a feeling that grew as soon as she introduced herself to us (several other VIPS volunteers had also met in her room) with a big smile. Her enthusiasm and gratitude about our participation in the Reading Buddies program showed me that she truly cares about the education of the students she helps.
During Ms. Apple’s brief explanation of the Reading Buddies program, the principal of the school dropped by and also expressed gratitude at our volunteer work, which further affirmed my idea that this school was invested in the intellectual growth and success of their students.
Once I was introduced to the teacher and classroom I would be working with, (Mrs. Banana’s* 2nd grade class) I sat back and observed the group reading/singing activity they were doing. The students sat, legs folded, in rows on a carpet and followed along with a large book and sang the words accompanied by an audio tape. I noticed that the students sitting towards the front of the carpet, closest to the teacher and the book, were most attentive and actually sang along, while the students in the back barely sang and began to lose interest. Mrs. Banana asserted authority when the kids got rowdy by positively reinforcing the behavior of the students who were seated calmly. “I love how nicely Joey* is sitting quietly and I didn’t even have to ask him” she would say, which quickly prompted several other students to follow suit.
Throughout the rest of my first day (which involved mostly observation) I noticed that Mrs. Banana continually went back to commenting on the behavior of certain well behaved students when she wanted others to quiet down. She sometimes resorted to warnings of recess being removed, but most often her positive reinforcement alone led to the improved behavior of the rest of the classroom. I can tell that Mrs. Banana values order and wants her students to remained focused so that she can effectively teach her lessons. After speaking privately with Mrs. Banana about the specific intellectual hurdles some of her students face, it is clear that she has passion and is genuinely interested in helping her students’ progress. Her reluctance to have her students split up into other classrooms (based on their reading level) for the Reading Buddies program reaffirms her sincere affection for her students and her concern for their development. I am lucky and thrilled to be placed in a classroom with an enthusiastic and caring role model.
*names have been changed in order to ensure privacy
