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Kendra Rambo
ED 221: Urban Field Experience
Reflection Theodore Potter Elementary School #74
December 2, 2012
On Wednesday afternoon, November 7, 2012, I visited Theodore Potter Elementary
School #74 located in Indianapolis, IN at its temporary housing location with my fellow Saint
Mary-of-the-Woods College teacher candidates. This magnet school is best known for its 50/50
Spanish immersion program. This experience proved to be very interesting, as it was my first
time observing students receive instruction in both English and Spanish. From this experience I
was able to identify the community needs of this school, competencies that teachers must have,
and instructional strategies for diverse learners. In addition, I was able to expand my thinking as
related to urban education.
Before experiencing the immersion program in the classrooms, the principal took us
downstairs to the library in order to give us a short introduction to the school. The principal
discussed what kind of school they are, what students do while they are there, and how prepared
they are for life. He also went into detail about the immersion program and what students get out
of a bilingual education. I was really interested in seeing how this all played out in a classroom
setting.
After the presentation concluded, we were allowed to visit various classrooms within the
school. I tried to visit as many classrooms as I could, and I made an effort to go to every grade
level so I could see if there were any noticeable differences. The first classroom I visited was
second grade. In this classroom, there were many Spanish decorations hung up around the room.
It was very colorful and also a very stimulating learning environment. This teachers instruction

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was all in Spanish. She would often point in addition to speaking, and this greatly helped the
students. I noticed many instances where the students would respond in English instead of in
Spanish like they were supposed to. I was unsure if this was because they did not know how to or
if it was by choice.
The second classroom I visited was a fourth grade classroom. The students were split into
three groups. At one of the groups, the students were with a teacher learning about shapes in
English. At another group, the students were with a student teacher doing math problems in
Spanish. Finally, the last group was with another student teacher working with shapes in Spanish.
These students seemed to be more involved with the lesson and would respond only in Spanish
as they were supposed to do. The groups rotated after about ten minutes of instruction.
Next, I observed in a fourth grade language arts classroom. The principal had mentioned
prior that math and science were the only two subjects taught in Spanish because they were
universal. However, the language arts classes are taught in English only. The students in this
classroom were busy reading in groups. I noticed that one group was really focused on their
reading while two of the other groups were not focused, despite being with student teachers. In
my opinion, a lot of instructional time was being wasted.
The final classroom that I went into was a second grade language arts classroom. The
students split into groups and I was left to watch a student teacher from IUPUI teach a lesson
about similes. Compared to all of the other student teachers, I was astounded. This student
teacher had the students engaged in what they were learning and made the activity exciting. I
was really impressed, and it gave me something to think about when I start my student teaching
in a couple of years.

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Once our observations were completed, we reconvened in the library for a debriefing
session. The principal answered more of our questions and explained some events/activities that
they have going on at the school. Finally, we were given some interview tips. I will be taking
some of these with me and save them for future use.
Based on my observations, I concluded that this school does have some crucial
community needs. First, they need more support in incorporating Spanish outside of school so
that students may make more connections with what they are learning in school. The principal
told us that many parents at home do not know Spanish so students may have problems
completing their homework. If parents/guardians at home took more of an interest in using
Spanish outside of school, there is a possibility that these students would be better Spanish
speakers in school. They also need more cultural events for families. The more culture students
are able to experience, the better off their learning is. Unfortunately, the price of gas and living
distance plays a pivotal role in the number of families that show up for events.
In my community, our needs are more basic. There needs to be a larger focus on college
readiness. For many students, they are not prepared. Students need support and information from
school staff in order to believe that they can go to college and make something of themselves.
Theodore Potter had a college readiness focus, which was evident throughout their hallways.
Schools in my community should make this more of a priority. Also, our schools need more
events, especially those that are cultural. Students in my community need to be introduced to
other cultures different from their own. This provides a great learning experience and builds a
firm foundation for their futures out in the real world.
There are some competencies that teachers need to possess, especially when working in
an urban school with a 50/50 Spanish immersion program. Most importantly, teachers need to

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either know more than one language so that they can relate to their students or be dedicated to
learning a new language. With the Hispanic population on the rise, it will be more and more
important for people to know the Spanish language. It is also important to have cooperation
skills. In this school, the teachers work in teams; therefore, being able to cooperate and
communicate effectively is the key to success. Teachers must also be close with the families of
their students and give them the support that they need to help their child succeed.
As for instructional strategies to reach diverse learners, there are several that I observed
in the urban education classroom at Theodore Potter. The basics must be taught to students first.
It is important to scaffold their knowledge and form the foundation before building more
knowledge onto that. Next, incorporating movement into instruction is beneficial for student
understanding. For example, in the second grade classroom, the teacher used her hands to
elaborate what she was saying in Spanish. That way, students who did not understand what she
was saying might be able to understand better with her movement. Finally, teachers must teach to
all learning styles and ultimately be a role model for their students.
My thinking did change as a result of this experience. As the principal was explaining
how the immersion program worked, I thought it was going to be this really amazing thing.
However, once I got into some of the classrooms, I began to change my tune. I saw the benefits
to this type of education, but I personally did not like how they implemented the program in their
school. I personally felt that there was no strong connection between the instruction in English
and the instruction in Spanish. I will say though that I was amazed by the few students that I did
see actually conversing in Spanish. For some students, the program at Theodore Potter worked
really well for them while it did not for others.

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After visiting this school and completing my observations, I have realized how important
it is becoming to know more than one language. I am in Spanish right now at SMWC and I do
not take it for granted. For all I know, I may need to know Spanish once I am completed with
college and have my own classroom. In addition, I learned that teachers have to know their
students and how they are being dealt with at home. If students are not receiving extra help at
home, it is important to make up for that in lessons taught during the school day. As a teacher, it
is important to put your best foot forward each day in order to make a difference in the lives of
the students you teach. I am truly looking forward to other experiences that are as eye opening as
this one.