Date of Award

Summer 2020

Degree Type

Restricted to Claremont Colleges Dissertation

Degree Name

Education, MA

Program

School of Educational Studies

Subject Categories

Elementary Education

Abstract

This paper documents my year as a resident teacher in a multi-age classroom in a suburban city in Los Angeles County. Its purpose is to explore the multiple levels that affect a single classroom, including my positionality and motivations as a teacher, learning about students as individuals inside and outside of the classroom, the values and resources of the community, and the evaluation of the instructional strategies and practices I employed this academic year. In order to research these levels, I conducted an ethnographic study by conducting case studies of three individual students and researched my school site’s mission and core values. To receive a holistic view of each focus student, I consulted cumulative files, spoke to their past teachers, interviewed them, and conducted visits to their home. To learn more about my school site’s values I researched the community’s history, attended community events, and interviewed school personnel. Through this ethnographic study during my first year teaching, I was able to learn the importance of getting to know my students beyond the classroom and just how deeply personal and emotional teaching is.

DOI

10.5642/cguetd/158

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