1. Elementary School Portfolio
Elementary Level Field Observation Reflection
Dommerich Elementary is an Elementary Public School in Maitland, Florida. I contacted
the principal, (Chapter 14, page 459) Dr. Junella Handley, and was assigned to observe in the 1st
grade classroom of Mrs. Joseph.
My daughters have all attended Dommerich, so I knew some things about the school, but
I learned more. The school culture (Chapter 2, page 33) at Dommerich is positive and
professional (Chapter 8, page 246). The Dommerich PTA (Chapter 11, page 373) is active and
supportive. The administration, faculty and staff are all heavily involved with the school and the
community (Chapter 8, page 263). Together, the PTA and the school stay on top of many
cognitive, emotional, social and mental issues. An example would be the existence of both a
fulltime counselor and a fulltime nurse, which are both partially supported by the PTA.
Ginger Joseph has been teaching at Dommerich for 17 years. She has taught
Kindergarten, 1st grade, and 2nd grade. Her favorite grade to teach is 1st grade, due to the growth
that she sees in each child every year. As I observed, I noticed that she is the classroom leader,
teacher and facilitator (Chapter 7, page 199). She has equipped the students with the knowledge
and skills they need to keep the classroom operating so as to provide the best instruction for
every child. Mrs. Joseph is pleased to be working within a positive, supportive environment
where “Children come first”.
The classroom consisted of 19 students—9 boys and 10 girls. They call themselves a
“School Family”. 15 of the students are white, 4 are African American. In Mrs. Joseph’s class,
there is one little girl who is currently fighting brain cancer, and has many diverse needs
(Chapter 3, page 58). She was diagnosed when she was 3 years old. “Susan” has had surgery
2. and many cancer treatments. I was right away impressed by how the teacher and students care
for “Susan” and incorporate her into the classroom.
In Mrs. Joseph’s Class, the daily objectives are posted for all to see. They are in the form
of a question: “What strategies help you count to subtract?”. Below that, the learning goal is
posted for the math lesson of the day: “I will be able to draw a picture and write a number
sentence.” Mrs. Joseph pointed out these goals and objectives throughout the day.
I observed many things in Mrs. Joseph’s Classroom. During one math lesson, Mrs.
Joseph gathered the students on the floor. She started out the lesson by pointing out the learning
objective. She used a Promethean board. Students were given opportunities to work on the
Promethean board. Then, they returned to their seats and used cubes to solve problems. Mrs.
Joseph rotated around the classroom, helping as needed. To conclude the lesson, the students
were called up to show answers on the document cameras. All of the involvement in technology
(Chapter 7, page 205) was very motivating to the students!
During this lesson, assessment (Chapter 5, page 138) was taking place. At the beginning
of the lesson, Mrs. Joseph reminded the students of this assessment they are to keep in mind as
they work. A scale is posted in the classroom:
1—I don’t understand the learning goal and I need your help.
2—I am starting to understand the learning goal and with help I can get the right answer.
3—I understand the learning goal and I can work by myself.
4—I understand the learning goal and I can teach it to a friend.
Dommerich is my neighborhood school, and I was thrilled to observe and learn more
about the school. After a few days with Mrs. Joseph and her students, I was reminded of the
intrinsic rewards (Chapter 1, page 4) associated with teaching.
