Power School Observation

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Power School and Early Adolescents Sindy Pulido San Jose State University September 23, 2012 Power School is a non-profit organization that offers a healthy snack, support on homework and reading, academic enrichment, recreational time, and clubs. Students participating in the program live in low income homes, have low test scores, or are referred by their teachers; where majority are Hispanic participants. The after school program supports early adolescents, because the grade levels in the program range from Kindergarten to fifth grade. After the application process is complete then students are allowed to attend the after school program; according to their grade level. In each classroom there is a twenty-four to 1 ratio during the 3…show more content…
in Gilroy, Ca. The front of the school is clean, white with a little gray walls and brown boarding; with a parking lot surrounding the front and sides of the building. The grounds of the school are cement with gray carpet indoors. The walls at Antonio Del Buono are clean and have been kept clean since they first opened. One of the rules at the school is that students are not allowed to touch the walls; which includes writing on them. Although, in the hallways teachers are allowed to put up in class work on the walls, I believe to show the different creativity students have. In the classroom during homework time there is music playing, and while they are doing outside activities you could hear other students but no cars really. Antonio Del Buono is a performing arts school so there are a variety of posters that describe the different type of programs offered at the school; at the entrance there is a trophy shelf where medals and pictures are posted to show their accomplishments. In the classroom the five class rules are posted on the wall. These rules go as follows “Rule #1: Follow directions quickly, rule #2: raise your hand for permission to speak, rule #3: respect your school, others, and yourself, rule #4: make smart choices, and rule #5: keep your dear teacher happy!” The rooms are also decorated with student class work and motivational posters.…show more content…
While using the five class rules, students learn to show empathy to others by not being disruptive to others or by taking turns. For example, “Rule #2: Raise your hands for permission to speak,” in this rule they can relate by putting themselves in someone else’s shoes. They wouldn’t appreciate someone interrupting them if they were talking. Or “Rule #3: respect your school, others, and yourself,” students learn to be more careful of what they, how they present themselves, and how they approach certain situations. All in all, learning to respect and treat “others just like you would want to be treated.” According to Laurence Steinberg (2011) she would describe this as “mutual role taking- In Selma’s theory, the stage of social perspective taking during which the young adolescent can be an objective third party and can see how the thoughts or actions of one person can affect those of another” (p. 79). Students are engaging in peer interactions during snack time, recreational time, and homework time, which supports the social domain. Steinberg (2011) states that “according to these theorists, adolescents learn how to behave not simply by being reinforced and punished by forces in the environment but also by watching and imitating those around them”
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