Blog Entry #1 Assignment

 The school I've chosen to do my service learning hours at is Franklin Elementary School in the Provo school district, because three of my children attend this school and I have a good relationship with the principle, office staff, and their teachers.

Franklin Elementary is a small, Title I (low-income) school, with 68% of the student population reported as economically disadvantaged. There are 3 kindergarten classes, 3 first grade classes, 3 second grade classes, 2 third grade classes, 2 fourth grade classes, 2 fifth grade classes, and 2 sixth grade classes for a total of 377 students. The school was originally built in 1901 and had only six rooms, but major additions were made in 1936 and 1957 to update the school to what it looks like today. While the school is older, it does not appear to be in disrepair in any sense of the word. It has been well cared for.

The school is surrounded with big, beautiful, mature trees and is nestled in an older, quaint neighborhood on the west side of Provo. There are several playgrounds, a basketball court, and a couple fields for the kids to spend time in outside, as well as a gymnasium, space lab, computer lab, art room, music room, wellness room, and library on the inside. There is only one bus for the entire school, which means that a good majority of the students walk to school each day. 

Over 70% of the students that attend Franklin are considered minorities, and the largest group of minorities is Hispanic at 55%. Just under 30% of the students are white. A majority of students receive free or reduced lunches, and the local Boys and Girls club send home snacks for the children every day and for over extended breaks from school. Many of the students speak Spanish as their first language, and some can only speak Spanish. Because of these low-income and high "English as a second language" factors, it was no surprise to learn that Franklin ranks quite low in both math and reading proficiency. 

However, the administration and staff at Franklin Elementary are top notch. The principle, Jason Benson, is so involved in what's going on in his school that's it's almost too hard to get ahold of him! He has fostered an environment within the walls of the school that keep teachers motivated, and make each individual child feel special. He knows every student's names, and even the names of their parents and other family members. These kids may not have a lot, but they have a place where they feel like they belong, and that is huge for so many of them.

Service Learning will allow me to be in a local learning environment, with people from my own community, observing teaching strategies and learning outcomes. It will give me a broader understanding of how socioeconomic factors affect a child's ability to learn and retain information, and how teachers adapt in order to help these students succeed. I will see first-hand what it takes to run a classroom, not only through organization and routines, but through classroom and behavior management. 

Service Learning will require being involved in the day-to-day workings of the class, like helping in small groups or with individual students, reading to or playing games with the class and helping with clerical or administrative tasks, while also modeling excitement for learning. I will be observing the teacher, their routines and behaviors, and how they connect with the students, and I will be observing how students respond to the different teaching techniques and methods.