Donelda Rudd
Professor Eastman
April 1, 2009
Article Critiques # 2
Study Says Most 1st Grade Classes Not High Quality
When you think of which grade level you received the warm
friendly and academically stimulating classroom experience you
think of first grade. Research has found that only twenty-three
percent of the eight hundred and twenty classrooms studied were
that of high quality in all areas. “In some sense, the glass is
half empty and half full” said Robert C. Pianta, (Viadero, 2009)
Another 31 percent of the classrooms showed that they had a high
level of positive emotional levels, but did poorly in academic.
These results could be due to the environment of the students in
the classroom, based on the ability of the teachers. Also the
students could be dealing with a poor family life. Teachers find
themselves spending much of their day helping them deal with
home life issues and unable to give adequate time to their
lessons. Starting next year a preschool version will launch for
Head Start programs for disadvantage preschoolers.
When I first read the title of this article it caught my
attention right away. I reflected back on my first grade
classroom, which was filled with love, fun and learning. When I
learned that many classrooms were not of high quality I was sad.
Many of the students are coming from backgrounds that are not
always pleasant and are not getting the education they need and
deserve. As early educators we cannot have a cold or harsh
environment for our students, if we want them to succeed. Even
classrooms having academically driven classrooms without a
balanced emotional environment will not guarantee quality
learning. It is imperative to find the happy medium and balance
in education. My main goal as a teacher is to have a warm yet
academically strong classroom. My students will leave with the
foundation they need to succeed in further education and life. I
plan to work in the rural area of Phoenix for a few years and
many of my future students will be new to this country and speak
very little English. As their teacher I will have many
challenges in which to meet their educational needs. There will
be a strong need for the balance of their emotional and academic
requirements. My classroom will be filled with fun ways to learn
and a constant support for their educational challenges. It is
up to the educators to improve and strengthen the quality of our
classrooms.
References
Viadero, D. (2009, March 4). Study Says Most 1st Grade Classes
Not High Quality. Education Week, 28(23), 11-11. Retrieved March
31, 2009, from Academic Search Premier database