CLASSROOM ARRANGEMENT

Mrs. Salinas classroom is very well organized, and spacious for students mobility. Her desk is well organized with all her activities and worksheets planned for that day's lesson. Students desks are in rows all facing the board or overhead, which are clear of anything covering them for students visiblity.There are several file cabinets, bookshelves, either empty or closed up. Being that is summer there is not much decoration or bulletin boards for display for students but the couple she does have are neat.

MENTOR TEACHER

I was placed in Mrs. Salinas 8th grade classroom, with about 15 students. Mrs. Salinas has been a teacher for 26yrs; for the first twenty years she was a math teacher and then decided to change to a Spanish teacher. For this summer though she was asked to help students in math. Her reason for being a teacher was because it was already in the family. Yet the person that pushed her even more so to pursuit her desire was her 4th grade teacher. Her reward as a teacher have been the moments when she sees her students being successful. Her most challenging aspect as a teacher is trying to make students that are unwilling to learn, be successful. Her advice to coming new teachers is DISCIPLINE; discipline is the key to being successful as a teacher and not lose control. Being consistent with it would support it, and it will pay off.

SCHOOL

Going into Garza Middle School I was terrified, knowing that I was going to be experiencing already the feel of being a middle school teacher. Although entering and speaking to the 8th grade Principal Mr. Gonzales made me feel more at ease. The environment was neat, positive for the most part, students were not being scolded at, but in turn were respected, and they were given their space. Observing their cafeteria I noticed that the school has a handful of positive posters for the students to admire. As well outside the library I did notice that they had all the flags of the universities here in the United States. To me that exhibits their promotion of education to their students and they want them to be successful, basically showing them that they have all those universities to choose from. Being inside the classroom doing our observations, I didn't get to see what other programs are being offered. Although after summer school students' lunch was over I did notice students coming out from the gym dressed in athletic gear.