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 24 students and is composed of mostly sophomores and juniors with some freshman and seniors mixed in. The students, in general, all participate and work well together. There are a few students who are really quiet and do not seem to want to work with others in groups. They still manage to get their work done, but I find it important to encourage them to try to collaborate with their group members. There are also a few students who are very high achievers. They either already know the content, or they understand it very quickly and are ready to move on. Especially when presenting problems to the class, they think about the problems in new ways and can skip steps that are not as necessary as others. Sometimes I find it important to acknowledge their work but make sure to bring it back to a level where all of the other students, who are not as advanced, will be able to understand. On the other hand, there are a few students who concern me with their struggles in math. These students are having a lot of difficulty with basic concepts that we only go over very briefly in class. Thus, it is important for them to come in outside of class time to get extra help. Some are really good about asking for this help, but I have yet to see some of the other ones. Since they do not have a strong understanding of many of the basics, they are struggling when it comes to taking these ideas further and going into more complex topics.

The students are also very respectful of both myself and the teacher. They stay quiet and off their phones while we are talking, and they actively work on the problems and answer questions in class. On some days, it is obvious that students are tired and want to go home, but they still make sure to respond in class. Even more, the students want to succeed and do well in the course. We see many of them outside of class, and they are, for the most part, getting their homework done and making sure they understand it all. Also, attendance has been fantastic for this class. There is usually only 1 student absent each class, and there are hardly ever any tardy students.

Developmental Levels, Interests, Abilities, and Unique Needs:

This class spans a lot of different development levels. Some of the students are very high achievers and understand the math on a deep level, while others struggle quite a bit and are working hard just to try and keep up. While not true in every case, it seems like the really high achievers tend to be the ones who are freshman and sophomores, while the upper-classmen are having some more trouble.

The students in this class have so many interests. The majority of them are involved in multiple clubs and sports in and outside of school. A lot of them are involved in some kind of music, either a choir or a band, and many of them enjoy math. When they are working on homework or just have some free time, I try to walk around and get to know what their interests are a little better. I usually find something that I can relate to, or can at least ask more questions about if I do not know much about their hobbies. They all enjoy talking about their interests, and it is fun to get to know what they are like when they are not in math class.

On the first day of school, the students took an informal personality test where they had to pick what shape they were (square, rectangle, triangle, or circle) based on characteristics assigned to each shape. This was helpful because it showed me what makes them the most comfortable, how they like to build relationships, and in what environment they learn best. The class was pretty divided, but I found that many of them like organization and structure, a lot of them love building relationships, and there are a few who enjoy taking over and being in the lead. This is helpful to know when planning so that all the students get what they need out of the lesson, but it is also incredibly useful information to know when putting students into groups that will work well together.

Finally, this class is unique in that many of the students are trying to get college credit. It is important that we focus on the material that the same course at the college would cover. Thus, we need to be 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 us 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 fun and engaged. Since this is a 4^th period class, once we get into the last 30 minutes of class or so, the students are getting tired and ready to go home. Despite this, the students are really involved and keep working until they are dismissed. The majority of the students are also very involved in their groups. They work together and make sure they all understand the problems and procedures. Sometimes they start having off-topic conversations, but if reminded to get back on task, they will go back to work.

A very important part of this class is that students feel comfortable asking questions and speaking up when they are confused and need more clarification. Mrs. Pourbaix and I make it clear that we are happy to go over steps and explain ideas in as many ways as possible in order to make sure they understand, and I think this helps students feel comfortable to ask as many questions as they need. It also helps that students can feel free to either raise their hand or simply call out a question or answer. Whichever way they would like to communicate is what they can do. Finally, when working as a class, Mrs. Pourbaix and I usually just ask the class for an answer, or ask for volunteers. Rarely do we randomly call on students to put them on the spot, or if we do, they know that we are going to call on someone and they can work together with their group to find the answer. Since many kids are anxious about being called out in front of their peers, it helps calm their nerves and they can relax and focus more on the content rather than the fear of being called on.

Finally, students are asked not to have food or drinks as well as not use their cell phones and music players. The students are very respectful about this. If they have any food or drinks, they always set them on a side table and grab them when they leave. Also, while some of them sneakily use their phones, it is not too much of an issue. They are very considerate and are active participants in their learning.

Physical Environment:

The classroom is rather large, slightly wider and short. There are no windows in the room, and the temperature is pretty moderate, although I am told as it gets hotter outside, it gets much hotter inside the classroom. Mrs. Pourbaix has floor and desk lamps set up around the room so that we can turn off the fluorescent lights and have the lamps on instead. This makes for a calming environment since the overhead lights can be quite severe. Students always remark if we have to turn on the fluorescent lights. Mrs. Pourbaix also has a lot of posters of Audrey Hepburn as well as other pictures around the room. This adds a personal touch, and students always ask her why she likes her so much, or even who she is! It is nice for the students to see the personal touches of the teacher throughout the room.

There are three whiteboards in the room. One on the far wall of the room where students complete homework problems and two smaller ones at the front of the room with a Smart Board placed in between. The students are placed into groups of four, facing either the front of the room or either side of the room. This can make it difficult for them to see sometimes depending on which board we are using at the moment. Thus, students slightly move around their desks in order to view the boards better.

Context of the Learning Environment:

Content: College Algebra

Teacher: Stephanie Pourbaix

Student Mixture: Since this class has students from freshman year all the way through senior year, they are all at different stages of their lives. I overhear conversations of some planning for college while others are still getting used to high school. Since Mrs. Pourbaix chooses their seats, they are all mixed together. I think this helps the class from being separated off by grade level. Since they are all mixed, they get along and seem to have no problem working together despite their age differences. All of the students have different personalities, some are very quiet and keep to themselves while others enjoy being the center of attention. This makes the class very interesting, and I find it important to make sure I interact with all of my students, not just the ones who are grabbing my attention every day.

Demographics:

There are 24 students in this class, spread between 9^th-12^th graders. There are 12 girls and 12 boys. There are 20 Caucasian students, 2 Asian students, 1 Hispanic student, and 1 African American student. Most of these students are coming from middle class families, yet there are a few who come from lower income families. This class does not have any English Language Learners nor any special education students.

Diagram of the Classroom: