Mr. Smiths classroom is set up as a traditional science classroom.

He has four
rows of tables that seat two students each with posters of the human anatomy and
geologic processes on the walls. In total his classroom could hold 28 students. The class
sizes are 21, 27 and 28 and according to Mr. Smith this is normal throughout his years at
Excel. The classroom has a whiteboard at the front and a Smart board that is connected to
his computer. This classroom doesnt use textbooks and Mr. Smith has his own website
with materials and notes, as required for all teachers.
The classes that I observe are 7th and 8th grade general science classes so the
students are between the ages of 12 and 14. The students in Mr. Smiths class are overall
energetic and kind hearted students. They are also an inquisitive group that loves to ask
hypothetical and far out there questions. It is important to always be prepared for the
students to take the discussion somewhere it wasnt meant to be taken. However
sometimes it is good to let their creativity and interest in the area of science take the class
a little bit off course.
The students routinely play games and goof around before the home room section
begins. Mr. Smiths students begin each class by saying what their good news is for the
day. One thing that I have learned from this is that most of the students enjoy roller
skating or are involved in an after school sport. Overall I think I have a very positive
relationship with all of the students in Mr. Smiths classes. One area I have noticed that
Mr. Smiths students generally struggle with is their spelling. This I theorized was due to
a spelling a grammar theory created by Lucy Calkins. Excel used this program when
these students were in 2nd and 3rd grade and it doesnt emphasize teaching grammar or
spelling. In the 2013-2014 school year 67% of students met the target growth goals in

language usage, 72% for Math, and 63% for Reading (Excel Annual Education Report,
2014).
Excel is a kindergarten through 8th grade public charter school run by the National
Heritage Academy (NHA). The school is split into sections K-2nd in one wing, 3rd-5th
grade in another wing and then there is a middle school wing. The NHA uses the Grade
Level Content Expectations for Michigan as the guideline for content. In total student
population is somewhere between 700 and 750. The school as a whole is pretty similar to
Mr. Smiths classroom. The school is high on diversity. As of the 2012-2013 forty-six
percent of students identified themselves as some ethnicity other than Caucasian
(National Center for Education Statistics, 2013). According to Mr. Smith the students
come from a wide variety of socio-economic backgrounds. Some students come from
upper class familys that live in East Grand Rapids while others come from middle class
or low class families. Forty-three percent of students receive free or reduced lunch
according to Mr. Smith.
The students and staff of Excel are all friendly and helpful. Between leading open
gym before school starts and walking around the hallway I have met almost all of the 8th
grade class. The students will sometimes just walk up give me a handshake and introduce
themselves or ask why I leave before their class with Mr. Smith. The school often has
dress up days such as spirit week and dress as your favorite literary character day. This
along with quarterly competitions between classes to see who get the most Eagle tickets
help build a relaxed and fun school environment.
I think there are two reasons that the students are so pleasant. First is because the
staff is even more so kind and outgoing, always having a smile on their face and

something nice to say. Mr. Bartels and Mr. Winter, the principal and dean of the middle
school respectively, have made me feel welcomed by always saying encouraging
comments whenever we run into each other. The other reason is the stress put on good
morals. Each month there is a moral of the month and all grades in the school participate
in learning how to apply that in the school atmosphere. The morals include Wisdom,
Respect, Gratitude, Self-Control, Encouragement, Courage, Perseverance, Compassion,
and Integrity. At the end of the month, awards are given to students who have shown that
months moral.
Excel is located on Breton Street in between East Grand Rapids and Kentwood.
The school is surrounded mainly by residential neighborhoods. A little farther down
Breton on the corner of Breton and 44th street there are many different businesses,
supermarkets and restaurants. In the other direction down Breton there is a Methodist
church and a day care center. As mentioned earlier however the majority of the students
do not come from the surrounding neighborhood. Few students live within walking
distance.
There are not many educational opportunities in the area outside of Excel itself.
MVP sports complex is in somewhat close proximity and Mr. Smith said he knows some
kids go to the Kroc Center. The last extracurricular activity that Mr. Smith mentioned was
the West Michigan Cultural Center. Although there does not appear to be a great number
of outside of school educational opportunities most of the students do not live in the
surrounding area.

Bibliography
Excel Annual Education Report 2013-2014 FINAL. (2014). Retrieved April 16, 2015,
from http://www.nhaschools.com/schools/excel/Lists/School%20Operations
%20Documents/2014-15%20Excel%20SIP.pdf
National Center for Education Statistics. (2013). Retrieved April 21, 2015, from
http://nces.ed.gov/ccd/schoolsearch/school_detail.asp?ID=260009300597
Smith, A. (2015, March 24). [Personal interview].