Nucleusstudy 2015

UPR Humacao English Pedagogy Program Nucleus Study Pedro Rivera Molina School

ANGEL HUERTAS nucleus Study PRACTICE OBSERVER MARITZA REYES january/TWENTYSEcond/TWO-THOUSAND FIFTEEN.

UPR Humacao English Pedagogy Program Nucleus Study Pedro Rivera Molina School

TABLE OF CONTENTS Pages I. Background Information.......................................................................

II. A. Content............................................................................................

II. B. Areas of Observation.......................................................................

III.Reaction.............................................................................................. ..

UPR Humacao English Pedagogy Program Nucleus Study Pedro Rivera Molina School

IV. Conclusion...........................................................................................

I. Background Information As of January of the year 2015 of our Lord, I have been assigned a school located in between the municipalities of Gurabo, Juncos & San Lorenzo. Technically the school is within the Juncos jurisdiction. Every morning from Monday through Friday I shall be driving to Juncos via Expressway Chayanne. Luckily I scored a school relatively close since I live in Gurabo.

UPR Humacao English Pedagogy Program Nucleus Study Pedro Rivera Molina School Pedro Rivera Molina School is found on the 182 Route. This school belongs to the Humacao Region & the Las Piedras School District. Ivette Trujillo is Humacao's Region Supervisor. The previously referred region's Superintendent's name is Julio Díaz. My cooperating teacher's name is Joretssie Viera. She seems very creative & as I've noticed, she seems to be a student magnet. Her classroom is usually packed with students. Even in her free hours. Though she's not even been a full year in the school, she's well known and a well respected “pedagogist”. The current director of the school's name is Yadira Torres. In the few days I've been here I haven't had the chance to meet her. I've been to the office with my cooperating teacher to experience such encounter, & still, no avail.

This school is quite colorful as far as ages go. There will be students running around from Kindergarten to puberty inflamed 9th graders. It sets for an odd mix of students.

I have been officially assigned the 7-3 group. I've only been here a full week & I have not met all 19 of them. So far I've seen 14 at most in a given day. They seem rather shy, as far as interacting with me. I have a feeling however, that's not going to last long.

II. A. Content In this pamphlet you'll find all types of information concerning the Pedro Rivera Molina School. You'll find information about it's staff, both teachers & personnel, students, organizations, & infrastructure. The data obtained was gathered by observations & meetings with my cooperating teacher, which provided me with most of the information. Some extra information & data was obtained through Maribel Hernández (Oficinista/Registrer). It wasn't a lengthy process. Most of the information my cooperating teacher already had. In one of her free periods I sat down with her & obtained a good amount of information. In knowledge there's power. By knowing the school a bit more, I have the power to engage better with it &

UPR Humacao English Pedagogy Program Nucleus Study Pedro Rivera Molina School know what the school dynamic is like & what resources I have at my disposition.

II. B. Areas of Observation The curriculum of the school contains the following subjects: English, Math, Science, Social Studies, Health, Dance, Spanish, Family Life, Music, & Technological Exploration. The 7-3 group I attend to has the following schedule:

Facilities The Pedro Rivera Molina School has 40 classrooms, 6 bathrooms, one technology exploration laboratory, one cafeteria, one Coop shop where they sell food as well, there's one basketball court, an inside school & outside school parking lot, a library, one main office, & an a small inside school patio.

The school has almost 800 students & in my opinion the facilities are significantly small

Sports Programs The school currently has Volleyball, Basketball & Baseball teams. There are respective Seasons for which this become active & at times travel outside the school in order to participate in competitions & tournaments.

Personnel

Teachers Kindergarten--- Sonia Reyes First Grade--- Liz Torres Yamiliz Solis Second Grade- Lilybell Marie RubMary Third Grade---- Migdalia Martinez

UPR Humacao English Pedagogy Program Nucleus Study Pedro Rivera Molina School Johanna Nieves Fourth Grade--- Madeline Telles Luis Cruz Fifth Grade------ Jose Cruz Nancy Goyco Yolanda Díaz Sixth Grade------ Yeniz Oquendo Eyda Galarza Yazmín Quiñones Seventh Grade---- Wendy Díaz Joyliz Gonzalez Carmen Gonzalez Lissette Rodriguez Joretssie Viera Eighth Grade-------Joretssie Viera Ivonne Diaz Nancy Lopez Ninth Grade---------Lymarí Hernandez Yazmin Bonilla Marisol Flores Music----------------- Pedro Nieves Dance------------------Abigail Pabón Health Middle School- Jannette Perez Health Elementary-----Yarimar Rivera Phys. Education K-3—Felix Rodriguez Phys. Education 4-6----José Ortíz

UPR Humacao English Pedagogy Program Nucleus Study Pedro Rivera Molina School Phys. Education7-9-----José Santiago Family Life---------------Lynette Díaz Exploration Tech--------- Giovan Figueroa & Nirma Perez Special Ed------------Maribel Flores Vannessa Ojeda Evi León Iris Díaz Emmanuel Casillas Zayda Cotto English K-3-------------Sonia De La Rosa The school counts with a predominantly female teaching staff. This is no newsflash. The teaching profession is mainly pursued by the female gender. There's a good number of teachers, however I'm thinking is a small number considering the large scale of enrolled students in the school.

Custodians: Elena Perez, Jose Miguel Dones, Carmen Flores & Ramón Matos.

Librarian: Marilyn Baez Clerk/Oficinista: Maribel Hernandez Counselor: Noemí Velazquez Social Workers: Natanael Hernandez & Luz Rojas.

School Enrollment The school currently has 733 students enrolled. That list has students that are mainly living in Las Piedras, Juncos, San Lorenzo & Gurabo. Those are the nearby municipalities. In some rare cases you might have students from Humacao as well.

The student enrollment is divided amongst its grades as follows: “Salón Contenido”: 9 Kindergarten: 48

UPR Humacao English Pedagogy Program Nucleus Study Pedro Rivera Molina School First Grade: 52 Second Grade: 58 Third Grace: 54 Fourth Grade: 60 Fifth Grade: 77 Sixth Grade: 82 Seventh Grade: 103 Eighth Grade: 99 Ninth Grade: 91

III. Reaction The school has a distinguished program in Science and Technology. They have a program of Robotics that is linked with NASA. Some amazing professors of highly regarded recognition have either helped or are teaching & involved in this program. During my first day of class there was a Skype Video Conference call that was being transmitted via South Pole.

It was an extensive experiment that could explain the very origins of the Universe. One of the teachers from Pedro Rivera Molina was one of the main exponents of this project. It was an interesting experience to be connected to the South Pole via Video Call. That was my first taste of the distinguishable Science program the School has.

The School has a relatively spacious facility, but for almost 800 students- I think it's a bit small. The Science program I think is one of the school's biggest strength.

In my opinion the school has a good number of weaknesses. Starting with the geographic placement. The school is off the main 182 road, & it creates traffic. It's not the safest place to have a school in.

The school has scarce parking space. It lacks playground areas for the kids. The kids are usually playing in risky hill-type areas that lead to the parking lot & where there can be inside-school- car flow. The library is very small. For the amount of students it has, the library should be at least 5 times its size. There's an incredible lacking in books as well. The internet is

UPR Humacao English Pedagogy Program Nucleus Study Pedro Rivera Molina School highly firewalled so there is almost nothing teachers can do to access relevant information for the “Live” Classroom experience.

Overall the school observed at a glance does not count with the best physical facilities for the amount of students it has.

IV. Conclusion All the negatives I've pointed out aside. My classroom experience & the daily interaction with the students & my cooperating teacher are what will be significantly transforming my experience there. Just the fact that I had never been to that area (or at least-that I can remember) that in itself is a stretching & learning experience. Nothing is insignificant.

Everything is a bit of a piece in the humongous life-mosaic piece we are putting together.

When I first got there, my first official day there I had a bad experience. As I was walking out to leave, I realize someone parked in front of my car. I was blocked. I thought, well this is a confined space so it'll be a matter of minutes before the find who's car this belongs to. I went to the main office & I asked around. It turns out the car belonged to one of the teachers. They went out looking for her. They told me she probably left for lunch in another car(with peers), that's when my thoughts of ease started fading away. I was starting to get slightly frustrated. Few minutes later I saw the lady that was initially looking for that teacher, she was in the hallway talking to a lady that seemed to be a school teacher. The school teacher was infuriated and started swaying her arms, manifesting anger. She exclaimed: “I ain't moving nothing.” That's when I realized the meaning of the situation. I knew this teacher will forever “X” me off as the guy who took her parking space. Sure enough, as she finally went out to the parking lot (where I was waiting), I saw her directing herself to the car. I asked nicely & attempting to approach her apologetically & asked “is this your car?” She simply nodded with reluctance & a stubborn vibration. I immediately sensed it, so I apologized & told her it was my first day there. She gestured a “ask me if I care” type of look, moved her car & I was finally out of that awkward situation & “successfully finished” my first day of school.

Looking back on that experience, now, after a couple days in school, I can say the experience has been somewhat redeemed.

UPR Humacao English Pedagogy Program Nucleus Study Pedro Rivera Molina School Partly is because I haven't seen that teacher again. But, mainly my classroom observation experience has been very gratifying. The students “shyishly” approach me & curiously ask me questions. Only a handful of them. Some of the rest, simply observe me. I can understand this as I am the “New Guy” in town.

The teacher has been very friendly, kind, & helpful. I was a little bit nervous as to what my relationship with my teacher was going to be like. I was dreading being assigned to a very strict, stubborn, closed minded teacher. With great relief I'm realizing that's not the case. My cooperating teacher has some interesting specs about her. She is religious to some extent, but her main fervent & passionate religion is politics. She is devoted to the PNP party of Puerto Rico. She humorously leaks it into the classes from time to time. I haven't had much problem with it as in praxis she remains quite open & encourages critical thinking. The students are constantly challenged by her to develop that sense of uniqueness. Although at times it seems unnatural & contradictory. A realm of utopia just doesn't exist among us. The classroom setting isn't the exception.

I really hope that for the next 5 months I can experience a classroom full of creativity & imagination. I hope to engage in the fullest sense with everyone of the students. I hope they can have an everlasting impression on me as I have on them. All in the best sense of the expression. May it be a perfect imperfect experience.