Classroom Contextual Analysis

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Instructional planning is not simply based upon the content you are teaching. There are many contextual factors one must consider before planning lessons and units because each student brings his/her own experiences into a classroom that shape not only who they are, but how they learn as well. In this essay, I will describe the following contextual factors related to my class: environmental, classroom, and students. I will also discuss the instructional implications these factors will have on the development of my unit. Community, District, School factors Acton Middle School is located in Hood County, Granbury, which is approximately 40 minutes south of the major city Fort Worth. It is right off Highway 377 but not close to the main town…show more content…
One poster reads “Mistakes are proof that you are trying” and another has the rules of the classroom listed on it. Next to one of the white boards, there is a tall bookshelf with the students Brain Spirals and Journals. At the back of the classroom there is a big cabinet that has the students’ calculators and supplies in it. Desks in the classroom are arranged in five rows and seven columns, with each desk facing forward. The teacher’s desk is located at the back of all these desks and next to it, there are eight empty chairs for when the classroom combines with another math class for a lesson. At the front of the class there is big Smart Board with the projector mounted on the ceiling. There are also two desktop computers at the back of the classroom, however, students prefer to use the brand new laptops located in a small cabinet next to the Smart Board. In addition to these, there is also a television hanging from the ceiling in the back corner which displays the current date and time. Moreover, almost all of the students’ parents have met with the teacher and told her that they expect their child to be respectful and hardworking in school. The teacher also has a website setup through the school which she uses to keep all parents up-to-date on current assignments, homework, tests, and…show more content…
The majority of them are White (10) while the remaining are Hispanic (5) and there is one Native American. All students identified themselves as American and said they primarily speak English at home. Also, four of these students are labelled as Section 504 and two are “At Risk.” The second part of the survey data helped me see what the students enjoyed, both academically and outside of the classroom. When asked what their most liked subject in school is, the majority of the class listed some other subject than math as their favorite. For example, seven students stated that they enjoyed history and art, three stated that they liked science and athletics, and only one stated that he/she enjoyed math. Moreover, almost every student said they enjoy some sort of physical outdoor activity and sport, such as swimming, biking, running, and hunting. The last section of the survey data told me how these students learn best. I discovered that most of the students like sitting in a desk, listening to music, and looking at pictures while studying. Therefore, the majority of the class is composed of visual and auditory

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