Contextual Information

1. Knowledge of characteristics of students

Use the spaces provided below to address indicated characteristics of your students
Age-Range, Gender, Total number of students
o Mrs. Bynums second period and third period class has a range of thirteen to
fifteen year old students. Each class is very different in the number of students and
how the class runs. Second period is comprised of twenty-two students. There are
nine girls and thirteen boys. While the class is majority boys, the girls play a big
role in the leadership while in the classroom. Third period has a total of twenty-six
students. There are sixteen girls and ten boys. In this class, the majority is girls, but
the males play an equal role in leadership in the classroom.
Achievement Levels (Remedial, Average, Advanced/ Accelerated, or specify range in
percentiles or grade-equivalent)
o Lafayette Middle School is an average performing school. The students in Mrs.
Bynums second period class have a wide range of achievement levels. There are
three students that are deemed inclusion students. Although those students perform
average socially, their achievement level is quiet under the average level. The
students often make failing grades on individual assignments. I feel as if they
know the information, but they are not good at showing their understanding on
paper. The rest of the second period class is on an average level. They all perform
at different ranges, but they have not been deemed inclusion. There are no
specified advanced students in second period, but I do believe many of the students
do function at an accelerated level. Mrs. Bynums third period is also made up of
students that function at a wide range of achievement levels. The majority of the
third period class performs average. There are six students that have been deemed
advanced. These students spend time in an accelerated classroom for one period of
the day. There are no students that have been deemed remedial in the classroom by
the school, but there are some students that do not perform average on most
assignments.
Socio-Economic Description
o Lafayette Middle School is made up of a range of socio-economic levels. Some
families hold high positions in the community including lawyers, doctors, and
professors at the University of Mississippi. Other families hold blue collar jobs that
allow for a low class economic description. Mrs. Bynums second and third period
class have the same make up as the school as a whole. The students can be seen
wearing very expensive clothing including brands like the Northface, Drake, Nike,
Ugg, etc. Although these brands can be found, many of the students do not wear
name-brand clothing. The students wear a mixture of jeans, sweats, t-shirts, and
polos. Some students take pride in dressing very well for school. Many of the
males wear boots and carhart pants. The females often carry name brand handbags
and backpacks. Sixty-two percent of the district is on free or reduced lunch.

 Typical Demeanor of Students

o The Students in Mrs. Bynums second and third period classes emulate many traits
of typical teenagers. The students engage in conversation and socializing
throughout the period. However, Mrs. Bynum does not encourage this behavior if
it becomes too loud. The students like to be with their friends during group
activities, and Mrs. Bynum often lets them pick who they want to work with. Mrs.
Bynum often gives lecture notes, and the students do not engage in group work
often. The students in Mrs. Bynums first period have a range of high self-esteem
students to lower self-esteem students.
Typical Interest and Involvement of Students
o Many of the students in Mrs. Bynums second and third period classes are involved
in extracurricular activities like sports, band, hunting, etc. Both the male and
female students take part in these activities. The students participate in sports
programs including baseball, basketball, football, soccer, and cheerleading. There
are multiple students who talk about their hunting activities on the weekend.
2. Knowledge of students varied approaches to learning (Include information from
learning styles inventory)
o Most of the students in Mrs. Bynums second and third period classes enjoy
working in groups. Although the students do not get in groups often, they seem to
connect with the information when they are allowed to work in groups. The
majority of the class identifies themselves as kinesthetic learners, while only a few
say they are visual learners. None of the students prefer auditory styles of learning.
The students explain that listening to the teacher talk all day bores them.
3. Knowledge of students skills and prior learning
o The students in Mrs. Bynums first period U.S. History class have not had any of
this material before. Because there is a lack of social studies instruction in
elementary, students often learn U.S. History for the first time in the eighth grade.
The students do not seem to struggle, but some background knowledge could be
useful in understanding certain subjects.

4. Knowledge of community and school district (Include a description of the community

and school district)
o Lafayette Middle school is located in Oxford, Mississippi. It is the country school
for the area. The county seat is Oxford, Mississippi. According to the 2013 census,
Lafayette country has a total of 47,351 residents. The labor force in Lafayette
County is made up of 23,118 residents. The country is made up of 49.28% male
and 50.72% female. The racial make-up is majority white. White residents make
up 70.5% of the population while blacks make up 24.1%. There are a small
number of Asian and Hispanic residents as well. The household median income is
$43,328, and the unemployment rate is 5.4%. 37.2% of Lafayette countys
population holds a bachelor degree or higher. Lafayette Country School District is
made up of Lafayette Country upper and lower elementary, middle school, and
high school. There are a about 2,693 students throughout the school district. The
district is 68.7% white, 29.7% black, and 1.5% Hispanic. There are also a small
percentage of other racial make-ups. The school district offers opportunities
including pre-kindergarten, athletics and extracurricular activities, ESL, gifted
class for second through seventh grades, advanced placement high school courses,
and gifted drama and music. There are 197 certified staff members. Forty-nine
percent hold advanced degrees and fourteen percent hold National Board
Certification. The Lafayette Country School District has an 88% graduation rate
and a 38.5% special education graduation rate. The school districts mission is to
educate the whole child. They believe that all children can succeed, and they
hold high expectations for their students. Although there is another school district
within Oxford, Mississippi. The Lafayette Country School District is active within
the community. There are many fund-raisers held by local businesses for the
district as well as the individual schools. The students are accustomed to the large
population of college students that come every year, and the district uses these
students to their advantage for volunteer work within the school system.
http://www.gocommodores.org/?pID=8725
http://economic.oxfordms.com/lafayette-county-msinformation/demographics/