The Narrative

Setting and Context

The School Community:

Daily Culture:

Every school day, except for Wednesday, most students start their first period class at 7:30 a.m. Some students attend a zero period class before the start of the “standard” school day. Students continue through their day, going straight from first period to second period. Then, all students attend a common 50 minute lunch. This allows for clubs and other organizations to meet during this common lunch period. Students are allowed to eat in classrooms, the common areas, or go off campus to local lunch places during this time. After this time, students come back to campus and attend their third and fourth period classes, where their final class ends at 2:50 p.m. On Wednesdays, students have a late start because the morning is designated by the district as a collaboration and professional development period. Thus, students start Wednesdays at 8:45 a.m. and have 70 minute class periods.

Throughout the day, students are allowed to work in one of the many study/common areas. They are throughout the school and offer tables and chairs for students to sit and do their homework. Students are allowed to be in these areas throughout the day, for example if they have a study period or if a teacher has students working on group projects.

Overall, it appears that the students and teachers have a great, trusting relationship. Students seem to enjoy their classes for the most part and they have good interactions with their peers and teachers on a daily basis. The school is in great condition and allows for students to focus on their learning and their community. Everyone seems proud to be a lobo, which is a fantastic community to be a part of.

Programs, Resources, and Activities:

Rocky Mountain High School is a comprehensive high school. This means that the school offers a broad scope of classes in all subject areas. For example, in math, there are courses from Algebra I extension to AP Calculus. Students of all abilities are able to find courses in every subject that allow them to develop and learn. Also, students have access to take part in the AP program. Rocky Mountain offers 17 AP courses available to 10^th-12^th graders who have the prerequisites. These courses range from AP Art Studio to AP Human Geography to AP French or German and everything in between. Students can also take CU Credited Courses or other credited courses in order to take courses in high school that qualify them to receive college credit. Another course that Rocky Mountain offers is Lobo 101. This is a quarter long course for freshman students. It explains to students how to succeed in high school and be the best student they can be.

There are also many resources that students can take advantage of. There are seven guidance counselors at the school, as well as a college/career counselor in the counseling center. There are also many tutoring groups that meet during lunch so that students can get help on their homework. For example, there is a group of students who have passed through math courses who are available to provide peer tutoring. Along this same line, there are peer counselors to talk with students and help them deal with problems, both academic and social. Another great resource that students have is their laptops. All freshman through juniors have been given access to a personal laptop that they can take home and bring to class. This allows them to gain technological skills as well as do research, homework assignments, and check their grades all on their computer. Finally, wellness is incredibly important at Rocky Mountain High School. Students have access to a weight/work-out room with weight equipment and exercise machines.

There is an incredible amount of activities for students to participate in. There are over 50 clubs and organizations as well as sports in the fall, winter, and spring. Students can participate in student government, music, theater, multiple service committees, tutoring organizations, academic clubs, as well as sports like football, volleyball, soccer, gymnastics, cross country, and basketball. The great thing about the clubs is that many of them meet during the common lunch period, thus more students can participate since they are already on campus. Students can still participate even if they have to get straight home after school. Finally, there are two activities run by students with special needs: the Rock Stop and the Lobo Bistro. These are two of my favorite activities that Rocky Mountain has to offer because it allows students to learn life skills they can use in the future. The Rock Stop is similar to a convenience store where the students learn to sell items, receive cash, and give change. At the end of the day, students can see how much money the store made. I think this is a fantastic opportunity for these students, and it allows for interactions between all of the students at Rocky Mountain.

Parent Involvement:

There are multiple resources on the Rocky Mountain High School website that allow parents to help their students through their high school experience. There is a section entitled “Parent Literature” where parents can look at articles written that help parents understand the needs of their student and how to support them as they are growing up. Also, since grades are posted in an online gradebook, parents can monitor their student’s progress as well see if students are missing any assignments. Along these lines, there are also Parent-Teacher conferences at the beginning of each semester. Parents can come and talk to each of their student’s teachers and see how their student is doing in each class. Finally, Poudre School District allows for volunteers to come into the classrooms to help out. Parents have the opportunity to come and help out in their student’s school and see what the experience is like.

Programs that Support and Encourage Student Behavior:

The counseling department at the school helps students stay on track both academically and socially. If students are having any difficulties with their classes or in their personal life, the counselors can provide them resources to get the help they need.

Another program that encourages students to do their best in school is the honor roll. Students are rewarded for maintaining good grades in their courses. This encouragement gives them the motivation to continue to do well in all of their classes.

Overall Learning Climate:

Students are on a “block” schedule for all of their classes. There are four 90 minute periods a day, and students attend these blocks five days a week. Thus, students are able to complete a year’s worth of material in one semester. Students can take either quarter-long or semester-long classes, depending on the class. For example, P.E. can be a quarter class, while college algebra is a semester long class.

In each academic class, there are approximately 32 students. Since these classes are fairly large, it is helpful for teachers to have a student teacher or a class aid in order to make sure that all students are obtaining an understanding of the material.

Demographics:

Rocky Mountain High School, run by the principal Craig Woodall, currently has 2036 students enrolled in grades 9-12. Approximately 78% of the students are White, 14% are Hispanic, 2% are Asian, 2% are Black, 2% are two or more races, and 1% are American Indian/Alaska Native. Of all the students, 23% are eligible for the free or reduced lunch program.

Furthermore, there are 126 staff members, 72% of which hold advanced degrees above their Bachelor’s degree. This allows students to be taught from teachers who have a great understanding of their content area. Another interesting fact about the staff is that at least 20 members of the staff attended Rocky Mountain High School. This shows that the staff appreciate the culture and learning environment that this school has to offer its students, and the teachers want to give back to the students.

Mission of the School:

The mission statement of Rocky Mountain High School is, as follows:

“Rocky Mountain High School inspires, guides, and supports our students, faculty and staff to reach their maximum potential in a caring, challenging and safe environment. In accordance with the tradition of the "Lobo Way," we, the Rocky Mountain High School community, believe:

• in the value and dignity of each individual

• in the development of intellectual and creative skills

• in the importance of self-discovery

• in equal opportunity for learning

• in preparation for life's work and lifelong learning

• in a safe environment

• in opportunities for service to society

• that all members are empowered through participation

• that education thrives in a democratic environment”.

Students and Classroom:

Specific Students:

This class has 29 students and is composed of about equal amounts of 10^th, 11^th, and 12^th graders. There are a few very outspoken students who raise their hands to any questions the teacher asks, and there are some students who never talk. All the students are very respectful of the teacher when he is talking, and once they are working on their own work in groups, they get quite noisy and enjoy working with one another. There are only a few students who keep to themselves and like working alone. One student in particular is a high achiever and seems to not want to be slowed down by working with others, while another student seems very quiet and prefers to simply not talk to others. I try to make sure to talk to them as I walk around to make sure they know what to do and are doing well. The students, for the most part, are hard workers and seem interested in doing well and getting good grades. They seem to put great importance on studying for tests and ask a lot of questions to make sure they fully understand the material. Also, the attendance for this class is great. There are never more than one or two students absent; there is one girl on the role who I have never seen, but she has left this class. The students are committed to getting the material and performing to the best of their ability. On the whole, this is a very engaged and fun class to teach.

Developmental Levels, Interests, Abilities, and Unique Needs:

The students are all at different levels since they do span three grades, so some students have more math experience than others. There are some students, two in particular, who always answer questions and are often correct. They are very advanced while other students need quite a bit more instruction and help. The students seem to have a variety of interests, many of them involved in sports and enjoy listening to music. Thus, in order to relate back to their interests and keep students focused on math, it is great when examples of applications are related back to their interests. Even more, while students are working during class, Mr. Mierzwa plays music in the background so they have some entertainment while completing assignments.

Furthermore, the students, for the most part, seem to be visual learners. With math, it is always difficult to understand what the teacher is talking about without them writing it down and showing their steps. Thus, I think it is critical for a math teacher, and especially for this particular class, to use a lot of visuals and step-by-step processes to help the students learn the material.

Finally, many students in this class are getting college credit by completing this course. It is important that the teacher focuses on the material that the same course at a college would cover. Thus, this class is somewhat unique in that the teacher needs to focus on making sure the class is living up to the standards of a college level course. All of the students enrolled in this course are capable of getting through the material, it will just take extra effort by the teacher to make sure the students are succeeding yet not overwhelmed by the fact they are taking a college level course in high school.

Class Culture:

This class is very welcoming and interested, especially considering this is a first period course. Since Mr. Mierzwa lets the students choose their seats, they seem more comfortable talking to each other and asking questions. This can also be a problem though since students sometimes get off track and just want to talk to their friends. Another aspect of this class is that students are not required or told to take notes. Many of the students do take notes, but there are also quite a few that choose not to. He knows that some students do not need notes in order to learn, and in my opinion, this flexibility allows students to learn in the way that is best for them. Since some students simply watch and listen to his instruction, it is important to make sure they are paying attention instead of zoning out, but I think Mr. Mierzwa does a good job of getting the class involved and participating.

The students are also very friendly to one another. Since they do span three grades, it could easily be a very closed off class, but they all get along. When they need to, they work together and do not seem to be turned off by their age difference.

Also, the class has a very calm atmosphere. Students make themselves comfortable, one student takes off his shoes, students are not afraid to ask questions, or they joke right back when Mr. Mierzwa jokes around with them. Students seem like they can be themselves and learn in a welcoming and relaxed environment.

Physical Environment:

The classroom is very large with no windows. At the start of the school year it was very hot and multiple fans were needed to keep the temperature at a comfortable level. As the semester has progressed though, the temperature has been more moderate. In the classroom there are three whiteboards, two smaller ones at the front and a large one on the side wall. There is also a smartboard in the front of the room that is used quite a bit. The desks are arranged in five rows with a pathway down the center. This allows students access to see both the front and side boards as well as work with their peers all around them. Furthermore, the classroom has a lot of art and posters, all relating to math. Some is student work and some are cool ideas that show that math is more than numbers, like a poster about the real world findings of the Fibonacci sequence. On the other hand, one drawback of the room is an unfortunately placed column. It is on the front side of the room, and as the teacher, when you are standing at the front, you cannot see the clock. This makes it difficult to pace yourself and to know how much time remains of class. Overall though, the classroom is very welcoming and allows students to focus on their learning

Context of the Learning Environment:

Content: College Algebra

Teacher: Brian Mierzwa

Student Mixture: The mixture of students is quite diverse. Since this class has 10^th-12^th graders, the students are at different stages of their lives. Some are planning college while some are just getting their driving permits. The class, overall, gets along quite well, and works together, but I can see some separation between students of different grade levels. The students have, generally, physically separated by grade level, where many of the older students sit in the back and on the right hand side of the classroom, while many of the 10^th graders are at the front. They all get along, but they do not always have the opportunities to work together and learn from one another. Generally, the class has many personalities and maturity levels that add a nice dimension to the class. There are all types of students and together, they create a great atmosphere for the class.

Demographics:

The 29 students in this class are aged 15-18. There are 16 girls and 13 boys. The majority of the students are white, with two Hispanic students. Since the surrounding area is middle class, I would believe that most of these students come from middle class families. There are not any English Language Learners nor students in special education that are a part of this classroom.

Diagram of the Classroom:

Front of the Classroom