The community of Oakhurst

(left) The view on my morning commute.
Have you ever been to Oakhurst? Or, perhaps a better question would be, have you ever driven through Oakhurst? Millions of people have, and do, every day, on their way to America's favorite National Park; Yosemite. People from all over the world drive through Oakhurst every year, but if you were to ask them what they saw there, the answer would probably be, "We stopped at McDonalds for dinner," or "We went to the Raley's to stock up on supplies." For me, and the majority of other non-Oakhurstians, this town has been nothing more than a long strip of fast food joints and gas stations on Hwy. 41, the main artery from southern California to Yosemite.

In the past two months my perspective has changed dramatically. Rather than driving through, I have driven into the heart of Oakhurst every day and interacted with the residents as a teacher at the only elementary school in town. I realize that a pillar of conducting action research is understanding the context in which you are teaching, so I am devoting this post to documenting the community of Oakhurst.

When my principal was recruiting me, she told me, "We may look a little shabby on the outside, but we are fabulous on the inside." I would heartily agree with this statement. Below are pictures of the front of our campus and my lovely classroom.
As you can see, our campus is very old and falling apart. They have been working on a plan to rebuild for several years now, so no improvements are being made to the school. This is similar to town of Oakhurst (which is not technically a town.) It looks like one long strip mall. BUT, on the inside I have found a wealth of culture, diversity, and a caring community.

The major employers are Yosemite and Chuckchansi (the local casino.) Additionally, I have many blue collar families, employed as tatoo artists, car detailers, laudramat operators etc... Sports are a unifying force in community; from youth soccer to high school football, it seems that everyone participates in some way. There is also a thriving artist community, with may small studios and a local bookstore that sponsors poetry readings. As I have gotten to know people, I find that everyone stops to talk to one another. Even in the massive Raley's, I find that I always know someone to say hello to.

This sense of community amonst the residents transfers to the school. The teachers regularily get together after work and on weekends for hikes and excursions. The families all know one another, and all help out. There seems to always be a festival, car wash, bake sale, or other community event going on at the local park. AND I have discovered a biking and walking trail that connects our school to the local library, park, high school and natural creek.

All of this information will inform, and in some ways direct, my instruction. Inside my classroom I use music (see guitar below) and group projects (like my group magazine posters) to create the same sense of community. This is critical to my action research project because I want all students to feel comfortable to take risks in my classroom. The blue papers on my bulletin board below are notes that students have written me about how they are feeling in the classroom. I will also use those to continue to create a community of positive human relations and social justice.

A Whole New Year

Yesterday I introduced my first Reader's Theater. We are reading Charlotte's Web and I have taken a scene and adapted it for Reader's Theater. My smaller group of 14 fourth graders squealed and then gasped when they realized that someone would have to play the pig, and another the goose. I became quickly impatient with their concern over parts.
"You need to be happy with the part you are given and enjoy taking on each character." I said, or something to that effect. The squeals and commotion continued until I had distributed all of the roles and set them to practicing their lines quietly to themselves. Then I took a deep breath.

I have been researching a studying Reader's Theater and it's infinite possibilities for the past six months. As a former drama student myself, I love to bring drama to the classroom, and I see how it energizes a reading program. As I did further research into the topic, I also realized how critical this activity is in developing oral fluency and increasing student confidence in reading.

However, I have not been in a position to actually DO Reader's Theater in a classroom until now. Last year my husband and I moved to the Sierra Foothills, and I left my job as a second grade teacher. I did not have a job, and took a last minute long term sub job as a high school science teacher. Therefore, for the past year there has been somewhat of a rift between what I was researching for my MAT project and what I was doing on a daily basis in the classroom.

This year, however, my dreams came true and I became a fourth grade teacher. Now I could actually practice what I have been scheming for so long. I decided to ease myself into it by working with a smaller group during our intensive reading instruction time. Our school has a pull-out system, which divides up the class into three leveled reading groups for 45 minutes a day. Twelve of my students go to intensive reading instruction, and I am left with the 15 who are considered at grade level. So Reader's Theater should be no problem, right? Only 15 students, and those who are not struggling? Well, after my first day I am reminded that "teaching in theory" is veeeeery different than "teaching in practice."