Clinical Field Reflections

Clinical Field Experience Option B: School and Community Resources

Allocate a total of 6 hours to complete this clinical field experience.

Imagine you are a parent of an elementary-age student and you have recently moved to your neighborhood. Spend 6 hours investigating the following:

1. The nearest public, private, and charter elementary schools;
2. Before- and after-school activities offered for elementary-age students at the schools identified above;
3. How well these before- and after-school activities promote intellectual, social, emotional, and physical growth of elementary-age students;
4. Community resources that provide services to elementary-age students; and
5. How well these community resources promote intellectual, social, emotional, and physical growth of elementary-age students.

In 250-500-words, discuss your findings and reflect on your frames of reference (e.g., culture, gender, language, abilities and ways of knowing) and whether they changed or stayed the same during your investigation of the schools and community resources. What expectations did you have before this investigation? How have your frames of reference affected your expectations throughout this investigation? Based on your findings, reflect on any takeaways that would be well suited for teaching practices.