Newark Arts High School

Well I have not blogged in a long time because I have a crazy life, but since last Thursday I have been wanting to say: I am so excited about doing my observations at Arts High School! It is such a good school, and I know it is a priviledge to be able to do our initial field experience there.
Prof. Goldstein said there are not enough teachers at AHS for all of us, and we will have to split between 2 schools. I really hope I get to go to the school I visited though because it was so nice! The building is really nice, and everything looks in good shape, organized and clean. And the most important thing is that the kids are great! I met two young girls who gave us a tour around their school, and they were really friendly, respectful, and helpful. I got to walk around the school and observe different classes in progress. Most of the teachers were friendly and invited us to come into their classrooms, observe what students were doing, and even ask questions. I was so happy to see that students are well behaved, and that they are corteous and respectful.
In regards to my inquiry project, I like the question me and my group are working on. We are going to observe foreign language courses. We want to find out what are students' reactions to learning a foreign language. Are they motivated about learning another language? And how do teachers engage students in class?
I even had the opportunity to see a Spanish class in progress, and the teacher (I think her nane is Ms. Perez) was so nice, and she answered a question for me. I asked her if her students are motivated to learn Spanish, and she said that at the beginning they were not, but she told them how practical it is, and they are now practicing Spanish outside the classroom, especially those students who have a job. That was something I had not though about. Maybe a majority of students learning Spanish have a job, and because Newark has a big Hispanic population, what a great reason for students to be interested in learning Spanish! I know that French is also taught at AHS, and I would love to observe that class as well.
I really enjoyed the AHS tour because in less than an hour I got a better picture of what the classes are like, and what the students are like. I feel less anxious now, and I am looking forward to doing my observations.
I felt so happy talking to those kids, and walking around the school. Although I am shy, and I thought I was going to feel intimidated by some students (especially because they are so tall next to me!) I felt comfortable around them, and interested in finding our more about them. It was an amazing experience!