Wow! It feels like I'm finally spending quality time in my classroom. This was my first full week since the very beginning of January and while it was still very hectic, it was a much needed week of normalcy. I really feel like my students benefitted greatly from being in the classroom. On a scale of 1 to 5, this week would probably be a four since it was both hectic but productive.
One thing that I feel very accomplished with was my observations that happened throughout the week. On Monday I was able to observe my students go through DIBELS testing. This reading test is something that is administered throughout elementary school and tests many different aspects of reading such as comprehension and fluency. It was very informative to get to observe my students do this. It was also very encouraging to look at the data with my CE and see several students who have made remarkable growth throughout the year! I know in the following weeks I will begin to delve deeper into data as my students continue with testing. With all of the testing that takes place in third grade, it is a little nerve wracking knowing my students have Eogs coming up in several months. It really puts into perspective just how important it is for me as the teacher to know what I am teaching them but also to make it relevant for my students. I hope that as I continue teaching my kids, I can really find what clicks for all of them.
I was also able to lead several guided reading centers this week while my CE was out doing more testing. It was really cool to have control of the classroom and I feel like it really prepared me for next week as a I start student teaching full time. One thing that has been an adjustment for both me and my students this week is me taking over that leadership role in the classroom. I have been observing my CE and watching how she handles things in the classroom and hopefully as I continue to become a leader, my students can adjust easily. I think as my confidence builds, I can continue this. As I am teaching more, I am also starting to reflect on my lessons. It is sometimes difficult to remember this aspect of student teaching after a long day in the classroom so I hope to spend more time next week on this task since it is so important for teachers to reflect on their practice.
On Thursday, my CE was out the whole day for testing so it was my first opportunity to see what teaching a full day was like and WOW! It was exhausting but I feel that I learned a lot about myself and about my CE in the time that I had. It was a messy, chaotic day with some parts that weren’t too great, but it was also very enriching. Getting to be the person to create the safe and comforting environment for my students was a wonderful learning experience.
As EdTPA draws near, I am beginning to have some nerves as I'm sure everyone else is too. One thing I have really been trying to work on is getting as familiar as possible with the content I will be teaching. I know the more knowledge I have on the standards I am teaching, the better prepared I will be when it comes to EdTPA. As I continue to work on my portfolio, I am trying to learn how to integrate technology more effectively for my students. As one of my goals for this semester, I hope to be able to introduce my students to some new, fun ways to learn that is able to integrate technology at the same time! If anyone has any suggestions it would be greatly appreciated!
Right now, my CE and I feel confident as we move forward. Hopefully this continues throughout the semester! As we all begin to delve into full time teaching very very soon, I encourage everyone to keep their goals in mind and remember the young lives that we are positively shaping! Good luck to everyone next week!
Friday, January 26, 2018
Friday, January 19, 2018
Snow Days Galore
It's pretty hard to give this week a rating. In all honesty it probably ranks a 1 because I haven't been in my classroom. I'm also really disappointed to postpone full time student teaching next week because of all the crazy schedules we've had. I really feel prepared and ready to take on the classroom full time!
Monday we were out for MLK Jr day. Then Tuesday and Wednesday were both supposed to be teacher workdays but Wednesday everyone got snowed in! That snow carried on to Thursday and Friday so I haven't seen my kids in a week now! I'm really starting to miss all of my crazy little kiddos!
Next week, my main goal is to get my students back in the swing of things. They have had such a long break that I know having a full week of school next week is going to be a struggle not only for them but me as well. Hopefully, I can make my lessons that I have been planning fun and exciting and help ease them back into our daily routine.
As I mentioned earlier, I have spent practically no time in my classroom so it is a little hard to connect to the NCTCS. I did get to see my PLC put standard 3 into place. During their weekly meeting, they were planning what they were going to do next week. They were aligning their plans to the standard course of study and they were also able to interconnect different standards really well. I look forward to the day when I can do it as well as they do! We have also had to really adapt to the changing schedules. It is no doubt that the career we are going into is a complex environment and these past weeks have shown how crazy it can sometimes be. It is important as teachers to be able to respond well to change in order to help our students do the same. I have really seen that exemplified in my school lately.
Even though I did not get to see my students or get to teach anything, I was able to get some work done on EdTPA and my portfolio. With our upcoming meeting this Saturday on EdTPA, I am ready to get started and get it over with! One goal that I have for next week is to spend more time working on EdTPA so when it comes time to teach, I am fully confident with what I teach. I was also able to complete my classroom website except for the technology requirements. Overall, I felt that I was productive this week, but I also feel like it was a lot of lost time because my students really need to be in school. I know next week is going to be a lot catching up. But the best advice I can give to all my fellow student teachers is to just go with the flow! Eventually, we will get some normalcy in our classrooms!
Monday we were out for MLK Jr day. Then Tuesday and Wednesday were both supposed to be teacher workdays but Wednesday everyone got snowed in! That snow carried on to Thursday and Friday so I haven't seen my kids in a week now! I'm really starting to miss all of my crazy little kiddos!
Next week, my main goal is to get my students back in the swing of things. They have had such a long break that I know having a full week of school next week is going to be a struggle not only for them but me as well. Hopefully, I can make my lessons that I have been planning fun and exciting and help ease them back into our daily routine.
As I mentioned earlier, I have spent practically no time in my classroom so it is a little hard to connect to the NCTCS. I did get to see my PLC put standard 3 into place. During their weekly meeting, they were planning what they were going to do next week. They were aligning their plans to the standard course of study and they were also able to interconnect different standards really well. I look forward to the day when I can do it as well as they do! We have also had to really adapt to the changing schedules. It is no doubt that the career we are going into is a complex environment and these past weeks have shown how crazy it can sometimes be. It is important as teachers to be able to respond well to change in order to help our students do the same. I have really seen that exemplified in my school lately.
Even though I did not get to see my students or get to teach anything, I was able to get some work done on EdTPA and my portfolio. With our upcoming meeting this Saturday on EdTPA, I am ready to get started and get it over with! One goal that I have for next week is to spend more time working on EdTPA so when it comes time to teach, I am fully confident with what I teach. I was also able to complete my classroom website except for the technology requirements. Overall, I felt that I was productive this week, but I also feel like it was a lot of lost time because my students really need to be in school. I know next week is going to be a lot catching up. But the best advice I can give to all my fellow student teachers is to just go with the flow! Eventually, we will get some normalcy in our classrooms!
Friday, January 12, 2018
What's a Normal Day?
Let me start off this post by saying that while last week was crazy, this week was the true definition of chaotic! This week I really got to see all of the staff at school exemplify NCTCS 5C. We had to adapt quickly to unscheduled changes and function effectively in our environment.
It all began on Monday when our principal came across the loudspeaker at 8:30 and announced that due to possible bad weather, we were going to dismiss at 10:00. As I am sure you could guess, my students were THRILLED to get out of school early and didn't really care too much about doing any work until dismissal. But, we pushed through and I got to lead my very first guided reading center. I began by doing a short lesson on figurative language and my students really got a kick out of listening to different idioms. Then, I was able to work with my students in small groups as we began reading nonfiction texts.
Tuesday was lesson planning day for me. The students were out of school due to ice on the roads, but we had a workday. I got to sit in on my very first PBIS meeting. PBIS stands for Positive Behavioral Interventions and Support and it is what Washington uses as a way to monitor and reinforce positive behavior in the students. This system really helps us provide a positive and nurturing environment for each student. Instead of focusing on negative behavior, we are rewarding students for positive behavior. It was really neat to get to hear some of the ideas that the staff had for rewards this upcoming semester.
Wednesday we were FINALLY back to normal and on schedule again, but we called it "ketchup day" since there was so much to get caught up on! I got to continue my guided reading groups and having these guided reading groups really helped me understand how to plan instruction that was appropriate for my students. I did completely different things with my groups depending on what their reading level was. Having these groups was a great way for me to see differentiation and really begin to get comfortable with doing it on my own. It was also very rewarding to see my students come up to me and tell me a new fact they learned about the animal they have been reading about because it showed me that they were excited to continue learning.
Thursday we had a PBIS field trip. I have been on one field trip with my students before so I really enjoyed getting to have another one. We went to watch Inside Out. This was a reward for students who have done really well and earned at least 85% of their Dojo Points. It was so exciting that all of my students got to go on this trip.
Friday we had yet ANOTHER crazy day because it was an early dismissal day where the students got out at 1:00. Because of this, we had to shorten our schedules a good bit. I got to complete my guided reading centers though and it was exciting to go through the whole week reading through the books. I feel that my students really learned a lot from spending a whole week working on the books. As I continue to do guided reading groups in the future, I plan to reflect on what my groups did this week so that I can make my lessons more effective for my students. As I move into next week, I want to continue planning guided reading centers that are meaningful for my students. My next step in this is to begin some professional development by looking at how other teachers do their guided reading centers.
Since this week has given me more free time than I am used to, I have really dived into making headway on my portfolio. I have my behavior management plan figured out and beginning next week, I am going to start collecting data. I have also gotten my resume completed and all I need now is to get it approved. Finally, I have created my class website and am beginning to look at technology tools to include. Overall, it has been a very productive week and I have made a lot of progress which will help once I begin student teaching in two weeks. Right now, my CE and I are both feeling confident about the weeks to come and we don't need support in one particular area. Going in to next week, I feel prepared and ready to go! I hope everyone else can feel the same!
It all began on Monday when our principal came across the loudspeaker at 8:30 and announced that due to possible bad weather, we were going to dismiss at 10:00. As I am sure you could guess, my students were THRILLED to get out of school early and didn't really care too much about doing any work until dismissal. But, we pushed through and I got to lead my very first guided reading center. I began by doing a short lesson on figurative language and my students really got a kick out of listening to different idioms. Then, I was able to work with my students in small groups as we began reading nonfiction texts.
Tuesday was lesson planning day for me. The students were out of school due to ice on the roads, but we had a workday. I got to sit in on my very first PBIS meeting. PBIS stands for Positive Behavioral Interventions and Support and it is what Washington uses as a way to monitor and reinforce positive behavior in the students. This system really helps us provide a positive and nurturing environment for each student. Instead of focusing on negative behavior, we are rewarding students for positive behavior. It was really neat to get to hear some of the ideas that the staff had for rewards this upcoming semester.
Wednesday we were FINALLY back to normal and on schedule again, but we called it "ketchup day" since there was so much to get caught up on! I got to continue my guided reading groups and having these guided reading groups really helped me understand how to plan instruction that was appropriate for my students. I did completely different things with my groups depending on what their reading level was. Having these groups was a great way for me to see differentiation and really begin to get comfortable with doing it on my own. It was also very rewarding to see my students come up to me and tell me a new fact they learned about the animal they have been reading about because it showed me that they were excited to continue learning.
Thursday we had a PBIS field trip. I have been on one field trip with my students before so I really enjoyed getting to have another one. We went to watch Inside Out. This was a reward for students who have done really well and earned at least 85% of their Dojo Points. It was so exciting that all of my students got to go on this trip.
Friday we had yet ANOTHER crazy day because it was an early dismissal day where the students got out at 1:00. Because of this, we had to shorten our schedules a good bit. I got to complete my guided reading centers though and it was exciting to go through the whole week reading through the books. I feel that my students really learned a lot from spending a whole week working on the books. As I continue to do guided reading groups in the future, I plan to reflect on what my groups did this week so that I can make my lessons more effective for my students. As I move into next week, I want to continue planning guided reading centers that are meaningful for my students. My next step in this is to begin some professional development by looking at how other teachers do their guided reading centers.
Since this week has given me more free time than I am used to, I have really dived into making headway on my portfolio. I have my behavior management plan figured out and beginning next week, I am going to start collecting data. I have also gotten my resume completed and all I need now is to get it approved. Finally, I have created my class website and am beginning to look at technology tools to include. Overall, it has been a very productive week and I have made a lot of progress which will help once I begin student teaching in two weeks. Right now, my CE and I are both feeling confident about the weeks to come and we don't need support in one particular area. Going in to next week, I feel prepared and ready to go! I hope everyone else can feel the same!
Saturday, January 6, 2018
Week 1 of Student Teaching
Wow! This was my first week of student teaching and it was great! Being able to be in the school all week long from start to finish was a wonderful experience and although I am absolutely exhausted now, I feel that I have really learned a lot from observing so much.
This week I got to experience what a two hour delay schedule looked like for the first time and it was interesting to see how students react to a sudden change in their every day schedule. It was definitely hectic at times!
As I am beginning this journey, one lesson I learned this week was just how much planning my teacher does every week. While it has been no surprise to me that she does a lot of planning for her own classroom, it was interesting to see just how much is interconnected between all three third grade teachers. I hope that next week I can continue to understand each teacher's responsibilities and duties, and not just my clinical educator's. I also would like to make it a goal of mine to get more involved with my PLC.
Since it is the beginning of the semester, I have been very focused solely on student teaching and it has been great not having any distractions! It has really helped me get more connected with my students. I do still have some apprehension about being the main teacher to my class simply because my students don’t respond well to change, but I am hoping that beginning to assist the teaching next week will help with that change in the following weeks! With that being said, I am so excited to have my own guided reading center next week and have small group experiences with my students. I think it will really help with getting to know how my students learn. I have already learned so much this week about my students and as I begin planning my guided reading groups, I am really trying to differentiate for every student because all of my students are so unique! I am trying to create my guided reading groups in a way that facilitates learning and helps each student feel comfortable reading with me and their peers, as well as learn the concepts being taught.
I am beginning to have more of a leadership role inside of my classroom. I am getting to take on more responsibilities such as picking up teaching when my CE is called out of the room, and contributing more to PLC meetings. As a result, my students are beginning to see me as more of a teacher and not just a Gardner Webb student.
I am so excited to see what these weeks have in store for me!
This week I got to experience what a two hour delay schedule looked like for the first time and it was interesting to see how students react to a sudden change in their every day schedule. It was definitely hectic at times!
As I am beginning this journey, one lesson I learned this week was just how much planning my teacher does every week. While it has been no surprise to me that she does a lot of planning for her own classroom, it was interesting to see just how much is interconnected between all three third grade teachers. I hope that next week I can continue to understand each teacher's responsibilities and duties, and not just my clinical educator's. I also would like to make it a goal of mine to get more involved with my PLC.
Since it is the beginning of the semester, I have been very focused solely on student teaching and it has been great not having any distractions! It has really helped me get more connected with my students. I do still have some apprehension about being the main teacher to my class simply because my students don’t respond well to change, but I am hoping that beginning to assist the teaching next week will help with that change in the following weeks! With that being said, I am so excited to have my own guided reading center next week and have small group experiences with my students. I think it will really help with getting to know how my students learn. I have already learned so much this week about my students and as I begin planning my guided reading groups, I am really trying to differentiate for every student because all of my students are so unique! I am trying to create my guided reading groups in a way that facilitates learning and helps each student feel comfortable reading with me and their peers, as well as learn the concepts being taught.
I am beginning to have more of a leadership role inside of my classroom. I am getting to take on more responsibilities such as picking up teaching when my CE is called out of the room, and contributing more to PLC meetings. As a result, my students are beginning to see me as more of a teacher and not just a Gardner Webb student.
I am so excited to see what these weeks have in store for me!
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