Normal is Nice

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!