Howard Webb

Context and Setting

Education 450

Trish Engelhardt

March 25, 2018

In the short time that I have spent in the classroom, and with students in other settings at Rocky
Mountain High School (RMHS), many things have impressed me as being extraordinary. None so much
as the culture that is pervasive in every setting that I have been able to observe. There is a significant
level of positivity that I have never witnessed among students before. The students that I have
encountered are generally accepting and supportive of their peers and respectful and polite with adults.
That atmosphere seems to give the students license to be themselves and to extend themselves openly
and freely. This interpersonal environment is complimented by attention to quality education that
emphasizes personal responsibility and academic achievement. I know full well that there are students
at Rocky that do not fit neatly within this description. Even so, I think that every student benefits from
that culture in significant ways. I am grateful for this opportunity to be at RMHS, in part, because I feel I
now know what is possible in this regard.

There are many resources available to students at RMHS and I am afraid that I have a poor
understanding of them at this point. I know that there is a great deal of attention paid to student
physical and emotional wellbeing, and that they have programs and facilities for that purpose including
a wellness center. The school sponsors and hosts a wide variety of sports, activities, and organizations
that seems to be meant to ensure that every student can find at least one group of peers to identify
with and who share a common interest. There seems to be a variety of resources that address student
behavior and academic issues preemptively and through positive reinforcement. Though I have not had
the opportunity to see how parents are included in this process, these measures seem to be a
coordinated effort. The school offers students who are differently abled the opportunity to participate
in academic classes and a number of unified activities and events. The school has excellent resources in
the classroom and available to students that support learning and personal interests. I feel like the
resources available to students through RMHS provide each student with an opportunity to learn and to
explore possibilities through education.
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I am just learning about the students with whom I am currently working. In fact, I spent an extra
morning in the classroom this Friday in order hasten my understanding of the group, to work on
developing relationships with individuals, and to better understand the content of the course. Until the
end of the previous semester, I had been working with a small group of Jay Dukart’s (Duke) drawing
students. This semester, he is teaching an Advanced Photography/Creative Photography class. My
understanding is that the class is composed of twenty-four, 9-12 grade students. Nine of the students
are male and fifteen are female. The fact that this is an advanced course, means that each student has
already completed at least one prerequisite photography class. Most of the students that I have spoken
with at length have indicated a significant interest in the visual or performing arts. I have the sense that
each student in this class is there by his or her choice and motivation. That fact alone makes the class
significantly different from other classrooms in which I have worked.

I do not think that I have enough information at this point to form an assessment regarding the
development levels of most of the students in this class. I spoke with one student who is taking this class
for the second time. I did not press her as to why she is repeating the class, but she seems to have
retained knowledge from her previous classes. I have been able to see some work that students
produced in their first photography class in the form of a class portfolio. I have heard a few individuals
express a level of apprehension about their own level of proficiency. In some instances, students have
apparently not worked in the darkroom or taken photographs using film for a class for several years. As I
myself have not taken a photography class for nearly three decades, I am inclined to believe that they
have a reasonable level of development in this content area.

I have not had the opportunity to speak with Duke about individual student needs. In the time that I
have spent in either of his classrooms, there have only been a few moments when we were not in the
presence of students. Even between classes, students generally visit the class to discuss personal and
school related issues. I have been able to observe that each student in the classroom is at least
functionally literate. I did work with a student on a project who described, and exhibited, a physical
challenge that affects the dexterity and stability of his hands. He completed his work independently
despite his difficulty. He did accept and implement a suggestion to use a straight edge and cutting
surface to assist his work. At least one student seems to display an elevated level of anxiety, but it does
not seem to be significantly impeding his participation.

The classroom culture is interesting to observe, and I am eager to find my place within it in this new
setting. There is an informality and egalitarianism in Jay Dukart’s classroom that seems to relate closely
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to the culture. The students are respectful yet obviously comfortable engaging in good natured repartee
with each other and their teachers. Duke has evidently cultured a good relationship with most of the
students through prior contact. He frequently engages them in conversation about different aspects of
their lives and he refers to many of them by nicknames or their last names. I see him try to coax those
few, who do not seem as comfortable expressing themselves, into the overall culture. The classroom
culture is also indicative of the overall atmosphere at Rocky Mountain High School. There is an
observable sense of acceptance and inclusion. I find the classroom environment to be conducive to
authentic learning and self-expression.

The physical classroom is unusual in some ways. One such feature is that there is no position from which
every student in the class may see the teacher without turning around in their seats. In most classes, this
would be problematic. However, it causes no significant issue in this case. The students sit along the
sides of three rows of tables arranged end to end with a small walking gap between each. I am unaware
of any designated seating. However, in each of the classes that I have observed, the students sit in the
same places. The teacher’s desk faces the wall along the North wall of the classroom and perpendicular
to the student tables. Duke sits at his desk primarily to use the computer. Otherwise, he mills around
the classroom.

The classroom includes a darkroom, which I have not seen at this point. The darkroom is accessed by a
rotating door that does not allow light to enter the room when the door is used. The classroom itself is
somewhat cluttered. Examples of student work, funny little projects and handmade thankyou cards
given to Duke and the other department teachers by students occupy shelves and wall space along with
a poster and life-size cardboard cutout of Michael Jackson. The physical environment suggests a place
for creativity and individuality. It also interestingly strikes a nice balance between the exemplary and the
borderline creative failure. I think this might be something to consider in my own classroom.

“Rocky Mountain High School inspires, guides, and supports our students, faculty and staff to reach their
maximum potential in a caring, challenging and safe environment” It is not often that you read a mission
statement that so closely describes the reality of the organization. I look forward to having my own
classroom and making my own decisions about how to teach and work with my students. I know from
experience that every school, classroom, and student have their own character and challenges.
Regardless of where I land professionally, I believe that I will always seek to recreate some of what I am
taking away from Rocky.
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