First Field visit to Mrs. Elliot's

The first time I walked into Gesu, I got very excited due to the school reminding me of my own childhood. There were many little kids in uniforms of skirts and navy blue dress pants roaming the halls. I was very curious about what Mrs. Elliott’s class would be like and what children I would get to learn about.

Mrs. Elliott is a very sweet and calm teacher who never raises her voice or yells at her students. As I walked in, she had the whole entire agenda on the board that was color coated to each subject. The class felt bright and inviting. Throughout each area of the room, there was a place for everything. There was a math section where many math posters hung, an area where books about God laid, and even an area with stuffed giraffes. I was very surprised how much was in the room without it feeling cluttered or unorganized.
The lesson that she was teaching was a reading lesson. She calmly had each group of students to get a bathroom break before they went over what they had read the night before. The desks were arranged in small sections and rows in which each student had a small group of two to three to talk to. The reading was about a Japanese boy who came to live in America with another family. As the students talked about what they read, Mrs.Elliott put critical reading questions up on the smart board for all students to see. Whenever the students had the wrong answer she never denied their answers or said they were wrong. Instead, she would say "not quite" or "okay we are getting closer". At the end of the reading she asked students what the overall message the author was trying to tell his readers. I was very surprised how many kids had gotten this question right. The main message is that it is always important to treat others how you want to be treated, and the importance of being a good friend to someone. Many of the kids went around and shared the qualities that would make up a good friend such as being honest, kind, and giving. I could not believe how smart these fourth graders were!
As a whole, I found that I really do enjoy being in the presence of an elementary school, and think all the kids are amazing.