Leah Jones #10

The population of Rexburg, Idaho is about 28, 220 people. The population of Madison county is
38,270. The parents of the students largely work at the college, BYUI. This means a lot of them really
value education, and understand the importance of it. This means they are more willing to take time with
their children, and the children are getting a lot of encouragement at home. Burton Elementary School is
in the Madison county district. The schools in this district are, Madison High School, Central High
School, Madison Jr. High School, Madison Middle School, Adams Elementary School, Burton
Elementary School, Hibbard Elementary School, Kennedy Elementary School, Lincoln Elementary
School, and South Fork Elementary School, with 3,050 students. Madison county has higher graduation
rates than the average for Idaho and the US. Madison county also has higher rates of students with
learning disabilities than the state of Idaho and the US. Madison county also has an extremely low
retention rate.
Burton Elementary School was named after the town in which it resides, Burton, Idaho. Burton
Elementary School has 380 students enrolled in preschool through fourth grade. The population is not
very diversified, as 90% of the student body is caucasian. The next largest ethnic group is Hispanic,
which accounts for 5% of the school’s population, then 2.5% Black. The school is comprised of
Preschool, Kindergarten, First grade, Second grade, Third grade, and Fourth grade. They like to keep their
class sizes in the teens, but many reach about 20, the largest class having 23 students.
The school rule motto is “Respectful, Responsible, and Ready.” They follow basic rules, or as the
principal says, “Don’t be bad.” The school likes to keep the discipline within each classroom, so the
teachers are responsible for disciplining their students, unless a more severe violation occurs. Mr.
LeFevre, the principal, says that there are many components in the school’s uniqueness, one of which is
the special education population. The special education department has 7 teachers, and two speech
teachers, so they are very well equipped. They have district extended resources available to them as well.
The preschools are developmental preschools, and are developmentally appropriate. He also said that the
teachers had more tenure than the other schools in the district, which means there is a lot of experience at
that school.
The emergency procedures are all posted by every classroom door, so that everyone in the room
is aware of the plan. The procedure for lockdowns is to run, hide, and fight, though they practice hiding in
drills. During fire drills, students evacuate, and the lights are turned out and the door is shut. They
practice these drills often, so if disaster does occur, the students will know what to do in the situations.
My mentor teacher is Mrs. McCoy. Her email is mccoya@msd321.com, however she gave me
her number, as that is how she prefers to be contacted in case of emergency, since she really only checks
her email at school. The First grade class I am in has 12 boys and 9 girls, which makes up the 21 student
class. Three of the students have more difficulty reading than others, and need additional assistance.
There is another student that has a harder time than most focusing on the lesson, and understanding the
content. There is one student in a wheelchair, so activities need to be appropriate for him.
The building is brand new, and looks great. It has a lot of resources available like the technology,
the library, and the wheelchair accessible playground. The administrators are friendly and approachable
and really seem passionate about their jobs. The teachers all seem very qualified and have great ideas for
different aspects of their classes. They mostly all seem to have a lot of experience. While I can’t speak for
all of the teachers, Mrs. McCoy at least demands respect from her students, and gets it. The students are
eager to learn, and excited to be in school. They are sweet, and very talkative, and really like the company
of those in their classes. I am very excited to be working with Mrs. McCoy who has everything together,
and has so much experience and fantastic ideas. I am really excited about the students I am working with,
and can’t wait to get to know them better.
Technology is a blessing and a curse. Technology has overrun schools, homes, libraries, and our
children’s brains. I feel as though technology is overused. There are high schoolers that cannot read
because their technology can read out loud to them. There are children with shorter attention spans
because their parents use technology to entertain them. Children are becoming lazier as entertainment
becomes so readily available to them. THere is simply too much technology in children’s lives. That
being said, technology can be used for good. It is proven that technology can benefit a child IF there is an
adult to make that interaction more meaningful. Smart boards are really fantastic, but a simple projector
works too! Projectors are wonderful, as they gives kids examples you might not be able to bring into
class, like a picture of the horizon. Videos are really helpful for children (but can just as easily be a waste
of time). There are so many different apps and programs that can help a child learn, and practice what
they have learned, and that can be extremely useful. It is important children know how to work
technology, as their lives will be filled with it, and technology can be extremely helpful in giving the
children more experiences, and more interactive experiences, but it needs to be used in moderation.
Criteria Types/Models Number Other information you
may want to include

Computer lab in 1 lab 30 computers

school?

Types of device chromebooks 26 on a mobile lab

available

Types of computers in Computers, ipads, 4-5 computers

room chromebooks in 4th 5-6 ipads
grade 10 chromebooks (4th)

Summary of learning icestation

software

Internet access in room yes,yes

and lab

Mrs. McCoy has done a great job at the class setup. She has the children’s art hung on the wall so
they can see, and she has great tools like a number chart available during math time. I really like the kiva,
as it gives children a change of scenery, which means more and different experiences as a class. She has
small tables with small groups of children at each, which is a great way to learn. She has so many books
available, which I really think is important. There are computers for specific assignments and practice. I
really like how she has informational cards, or homework aids around the class, and students know where
they are if they need to use them.
I believe that Mrs. McCoy believes in large group learning, as well as small group, and individual
learning. I think she understands there is a time and a place for everything, and she uses so many different
teaching techniques, which is great for the children that all learn in different ways. She believes in
responsibility of the student, and gives them freedom to make their own choices and get up and take care
of themselves when they need to. She values accountability, and lets her students know that too. She
values reading a lot, and gives the children a lot of opportunities for that. She also values the children’s
work, when they truly put in the effort, and she has it hung so that they can see it and feel a sense of pride
in their work as well.
I feel as though I would have a class setup similar to Mrs. McCoy’s. I love having the kiva in the
room, and I love the small groups the children sit at to get other work done. I feel like I would have my
desk be a separate space from where the children work. I also feel as though I would have more of a
designated area for crafts, and more comfy seating for students to move around when they read. I also feel
as though I would incorporate music into the classroom. I love that she displays the student’s work, and
dedicates the room to their learning space, and I feel as though I would do the same.