Asa Messer Elementary School

My placement is at Asa Messer Elementary School in Providence Rhode Island as a Reading buddy in a kindergarten and first grade classroom with three students in each grade. On my first visit to the school I just had training and learned about where all of the supplies that I needed would be located and which students I would be working with.  The school is an older brick building, that reminded me of my own elementary school, and even had the same feel as I walked through the doors with students running to class, artwork on the walls, and pictures everywhere.  The school has four classrooms on each floor and the kindergarten classrooms are on the first floor while the first grade classrooms are on the second floor.  Each classroom has a coat room next to it for all the students to put their backpacks and jackets in so they dont take up space and cause a trip hazard within the classroom.  The kindergarten classroom compared to the first grade classroom are completely different.  The Kindergarten classroom is fully of energy, color, and  the students are constantly different.  The teacher also allows for mor talking within the classroon during group work as long as it doesnt get out of control.  While in the first grade classroom there is limited color, and energy the students are very monotone and the teacher keeps the volume in the classroom so quiet it is almost silent.  I found the noise level in the classroom to be too quiet for an Elementary school where there are kids who need to express themselves and have there voices heard.  After completing our training with the Reading specialist I did a half hour observation in both the kindergarten and first grade classroom.  I am looking forward to my next visit to the school on Tuesday and actually being able to work with the students. 

Short Bio

I am Harley Mitchell, I am a Freshman in my second semester at Rhode Island College.  So far my semester is going pretty good, with three snow day. I am extremely sick of the snow and is so ready for spring to come.   When I am not in class I am either in my dorm hanging with friends listening to music, working selling shoes at the SEARS in Woonsocket, or playing volleybal for the college.