So, second week! Crazy! It seems like I haven’t had classes in so long and that going to school has just been a routine. It’s getting a littttttle bit easier to wake up in the morning. My fifth graders have discovered the phrase, “That’s what she said.” My teacher let it slide for a little while and I couldn’t understand why she was not saying something to the few students who said it. Finally I walked over to one of the students and told them it was inappropriate. My teacher asked me later why I said something to the student who said that. So, in all sorts of awkwardness, I had to explain to my teacher what “that’s what she said” meant. Needless to say, the saying is now banned in the room. Speaking of things being banned .. Did anyone else’s school ban the silly bands? My school is getting pretty close to it. The kids in my class would just take them off of their wrists and play with them during the lesson. Also, there was a lot of trading going on and some parents were in an uproar. All in all, I am really enjoying my last week. The next couple days should be interesting as a lot of my students are out for band and chorus tomorrow, and Thursday afternoon will be taken up by a movie for finishing the PSSAs. I am hoping I will get more facetime with my students before I have to leave on Friday. However, I am excited and sad for the end of the semester.
Today was another good day at placement. I can't believe I only have three days left! I was very happy to have AC back in the classroom because over the weekend it was broke and it was nearly 80 degrees in the room yesterday. Miserable for everyone...
I played heads up 7 up today with the students today in school. The educational value in this? I don't know. :) However, it was a good break from teaching for me and learning for the students. I believe that my cooperating teacher does a good job of giving students breaks when she believes is necessary and lets the students be kids for a little bit during the day. Especially at the end of the year, I notice the students and teachers start to burn out. One day when I am a teacher, I hope to have the ability let my students go outside and play a few games a week to just let them be kids. I think that school sometimes takes childhood away from students when they are learning all day and have homework all night.
As far as the experience I have been getting in teaching, I continue to teach reading and mathematics every day. I have found that I have really enjoyed guided reading and working with students more one-on-one than teaching in the front of the class. I think that many students at my placement need the attention and help keeping them focused sometimes, so I find myself walking around the classroom a lot and sitting down with students to help with their assignments. I get to know each students strengths and weaknesses and I feel like I am really helping the students when they understand and can figure out problems and assignments on their own after I help them. This is when I feel accomplished as a teacher! I'm hoping the next three days of placement go as well as the last 7!
Let me just say that I am so pleased with my experience. I knonw it isn't over yet, but I am already upset that Friday is my last day. I am going to miss my co-op and students so much. I have become attached to them and I absolutely love seeing them everyday.
This week I am teaching a unit in social studies about Pennsylvania symbols to prepare students for their field trip to Harrisburg in a few weeks. Yesterday we talked about the state seal and today we learned about the different state symbols like the state bird, animal, flower, etc. Then I put students in different groups and they each made a poster representing their symbol. The students really enjoyed it and my lesson worked out extremely well.
Tomorrow we have an assembly, but it is a relativiely normal day except for that. Then on Thursday we have a busy day and I think that my co-op might have a little "gooodbye party" planned. She sent me out of the room a couple times to plan haha. I'm excited for that.Friday is wellness day, so that should be fun too. It is a day to learn about healthy eating, exercise and everything. I can't wait!!
We had another field trip today. The class takes 3 mini field trips a year, and I've been there for all of them! Which has been a lot of fun. These trips are to local businesses and are only a couple hours long. Today we went to A.C. Moore, a craft store. The kids made "dream boards" about what they want to be when they grow. They were really cute and it was interesting to see what all the kids made.
I've been teaching every subject except math, which I split with my co-op. She generally teaches the lesson and I check students' work and do one on one help. Other than that, I'm pretty much on my own teaching. It's not as overwhelming as I thought it would be! The first time I was on my own I realized how well I knew the schedule and routines of the class. It's been going really well so far and the kids have really started responding to me as a "real" teacher since I'm there everyday :)
I can't believe there's only 3 days left! It's always seemed so far off. I'm so sad thinking about leaving the kids and my co-op but I know I'm really going to enjoy these last few days.
Today we had a field trip to Hershey’s Zoo America. It was a fun and interesting day. I gained unique perspective into the students of my class. For example, some of the children I thought would be difficult to control were some of the best behaved on the trip. Others I thought would really enjoy a break from school did so, but they were more interested in playing with their friends and being a little rowdy than they were interested in the animals. Still others were completely thrilled with seeing the animals. The more visible the animals, the more they enjoyed them.
I really think a break from everyday routines can be beneficial for children and teachers. For the children, they have a day of fun and education, but the education is outdoors and they do not have to sit quietly all day and do written work. For teachers it means having to have eyes everywhere and the words” classroom management” take on a whole new meaning. My teacher and I are very serious about safety and holding the children accountable for their actions, so we both reminded them several times that they are expected to behave and listen just as they would on any normal day of school.
We did have a few parents on the trip as chaperones, so they helped with crowd control, bathroom breaks and lunchtime. I had not been to that zoo since I was a young child. It really is quite a special place, and I enjoyed it as much as the children. When we returned to the school, it was amazing how much simpler being aware of students seemed. The entire day was a giant learning experience. I think everyone had a great trip!
The students were continously singing songs throughout the day. The reason is that the 1st through 3rd grade chorus concert was today and tonight as well. The schedule was mixed up a bit. First students were pulled out of class for dress rehearsal. Then at 2 p.m was their first concert for the day. The theme was patriotic songs so students were encouraged to wear red, white, and blue. The students were excited all day but my co-op knew exactly how to handle their excitement. First she started the class out with math, then they worked on an art project to hang in the hallway for all the parents to see. They made bee's and flowers and put up characteristic traits. The students really enjoyed doing this so it went into their reading workshop time but that was fine with my co-op since it was such a busy day. She explained that it is better to have more things planned just so that you have a backup. Overall the students handled their excitement well.
I can't believe that tomorrow will be Wednesday and that there will only be 3 days left. I have really been enjoying my time in the classroom each day. I have developed a really good relationship with my co-op as well as my students. Today there was a string concert that the whole school went to so there was not much teaching time with my afternoon class. The exciting news for the kids this week is that the butterflys have come out of their chrysalis's :) They love coming in to look at them and write about them in their journals.
I have gotten in the flow of waking up and getting through each day. Time flies when I am teaching the lessons! It has just been a really fun week and a half and I'm not sure that I am ready for it to end!! :)
This week is flying by! I cannot believe that I have been in the classroom full time for about a week and a half! I am enjoying every minute of being in the classroom! The past two days have had crazy schedules due to band, orchestra, and chorus rehearsals. The orchestra and chorus was last night and the band concert took place tonight. There are so many students involved in these activities that we only had about four students in the class for about a half-an-hour. We had to alter the schedule because it would have been nearly impossible to teach because so many students would have missed new instruction. I have learned a lot about going with the flow and realizing that teaching can be very unpredictable. You have to learn to be flexible and work with the changing schedule.
Yesterday, I was able to check out Science. The students are learning about Mixtures and Solutions. It was a great experience to see the students in a different setting. They carried out experiments to solve for the mystery solution. They designed their own experiment, which was great to see how they organized their plans.
Tomorrow, the students will be attending a school-wide book fair in the afternoon. In addition, administrators will be coming to all the classrooms to administer the DIBELS to each student. I can't believe I only have three more days left. I am so sad that I will have to leave the students because I am enjoying every minute with them and I have enjoyed all of the experiences that I have gained. I am looking forward to tomorrow!
Yesterday I did a lot of the morning routine, and then math at the end. The day before my supervisor came to see me teach math at the end of the day... the schedule was switched around because of practice for the concert and the boys were not behaving well... I forgot to use the 'card system' that Mrs. Miller has set up. Today, two of the same boys were misbehaving during reading group, so after two warnings, I let them know that I wasn't afraid to use the cards. On of the boys had already had his green card taken away, so he tried to swipe it off of Mrs. Miller's desk so that he only had one offense for the day. That of course, got him into more trouble. Later on in the day they had to perform their 'patriotic' concert so we had an hour dedicated to that.
I'm really looking forward to Thursday- I will be in charge of the class for the whole day. And then Friday we have a substitute in who I really like and worked with last Friday morning. It's nice because I'm there everyday, know the routine and know the kids best so she consults me on things, and I consult with her. I feel very in-charge when she is there and I love it (though she IS really in charge.) Having a substitute helps me see a little bit more what I will be like with a class of my own : )
It's hard to believe that today's already Wednesday. I'm halfway through my 3rd to last day. However, tomorrow (Thursday) will be my last full day with my students because Mrs.Funck will be at a meeting all day and it turns out the PRINCIPAL of my school would rather me be with another teacher than see a sub. I have to admit I'm pretty disappointed I won't see my students Friday except for when I FINALLY teach my social studies lesson.
Whereas most people have been taking over the class, I've seen a drastic decrease in the amount of teaching I've been doing. Last week I taught math, reading and spelling. This week I have science and part of a reading group. Although, this week I've been doing a lot of odds and ends jobs. I've learned how to work the laminator and copier flawlessly.
I've also learned about flexibility. With the orchestra and band concerts this week we had students in and out of the classroom in the beginning of the week, leaving me with 4 students in the room at times. I also finally experienced the cause of the grudge toward the music program...yesterday during science some of my students were taken out of the classroom TO FOLD AND STAPLE PROGRAMS! I was floored that my students MISSED 45 minutes of instruction to FOLD PAPERS!!! So, during my prep period after lunch I was re-teaching the lesson to everyone who missed the lesson.
I'm looking forward to teaching my full day tomorrow. Lots of planning and preparation going on tonight, that's for sure...
I can't believe my placement is almost over!Each day I have been given more and more responsibility in the classroom. In the last two days, I have taught Reading and Writing, Math, and Science. It has been great for my experience. I now lead the kids when I take them to specials and lunch, as well as start the morning off everyday. Today, we had a substitute during the morning, and although we had a substitute, I lead the kids in the morning. It was great! We started a new unit in Reading and they enjoyed the song and the activities we completed. I also completed a science activity today, and it did not exactly work as planned, which is part of science as we learned with our discrepant events!
I am finally feeling at home in the classroom, and now we have to leave soon! It’s sad to think that Friday is our last day, but looking back on all the things I’ve learned from this experience, I know the memories will always stay with me. Today I was observed by Professor Wile and I did a Core Reading lesson which included vocabulary, teaching the skill of drawing conclusions, and reading in the basal, which was interesting. We also started writing letters to our moms about how much we appreciate them to accompany the gift of a potted plant that we’ve been growing them. At the end of the day, I got to teach a social studies lesson on life in the Middle Colonies, which included information on the many different religions and how people made a living. The students started an activity in which they have to create a short dialogue between a child colonist and his or her parents about becoming an apprentice. Students are using what they learned from the lesson about apprentice’s work and creating their dialogue which will be performed either tomorrow or Friday…which I’m very excited to see! All in all, I feel a lot more confident and I know my teacher feels the same way about me. It feels great to be a real teacher!
As others have already said I am really feeling so much more comfortable in my classroom and there are only two days left! I cannot wrap my head around the idea that this experience is almost over.
This week has been great, and has been flying by. I had my final observation on Tuesday (on suffixes). It went really well even though it was a hard concept for my first graders to grasp.
My school has just banned the silly bands. My students are OBSESSED with them and it has been really difficult to get them to pay attention to me when I am teaching and not to their silly bands. I am not going to be sad to see these bracelets go.
I have been doing a lot of teaching and I feel more confident as a teacher each day!
I can't believe placement is almost over already. Much like Tara said, I am finally feeling completely comfortable in the classroom and it's just about time to leave. This week has been very busy so I really haven't had time to just sit back and soak it all in. I am really going to miss both of my classes and it is going to be strange not seeing them come next week. So far this week I have been given a lot of responsibility in the classroom. Monday I did a word work lesson as well as a shared reading lesson. Yesterday I did the same as Monday except I added a writing lesson on top of that. Today was the best day of my experience so far since I had the opportunity to act as the substitute all day. There were parts of the day where I felt as thought he classroom was mine and I loved it. My workload will decrease for these last two days as I wind down my experience. Overall I couldn't be more pleased with this whole experience and I truly will miss it.
I absoultely love being in school all the time, even with the 6:15 wake up. I cant fathomn leaving my class and my coop this Friday. Ive grown so much closer to them during these past two weeks that part of me just wants to stay! Luckily, I am able to come back in June and be a chaperone for a field trip! One of my students started crying today when she realized this Friday would be my last day which broke my heart.
Lessons have been going pretty well, most of them anyway. Today I was teaching a math lesson on area and the kids just werent grasping it. The examples in the book were confusing which left my coop and myself confused so it was just a big blunder. Then all of the students started calling out and complaining so I got a bit frustrated to say the least. Although at the time I wanted to run out of the room screaming, it was a good experience to see that not all of the lessons I teach will be peachy keen.
Also, Ill be teacing a lesson using pentominoes and all of the materials that group put together in math, so thanks!!!
This week has been great. I am going to be sad to leave the kids, I have definitly become attatched. It is great knowing they look up to me and think of me as their teacher. I am enjoying teaching more and more lessons and am becoming so much more comfortable. I feel like I am able to think better on my toes and also tweak my lesson on the spot if need be. I have even been in charge of a couple classroom meetings which always end up in tons of girl drama! The kids seem to be having a fun time with my lessons also. On Cinco de Mayo we had a party and I brought in Taco dip. The kids LOVED it!! It makes me hpapy to know that they are having fun as well as me!
On Tuesday I had the opportunity to go observe in one of the special education classrooms for an hour. It was a great experience to see how different instruction is in this classroom. Everything was very organized and structured. The teacher was very clear in her expectations of the students and made sure she was consistent with her punishment for inappropriate behavior. There are three teachers in this classroom, and one of them was talking to me about how they try to include the students in the general education classrooms as much as possible. Many of the students in this class had behavior problems. The teacher expressed the importance for them to be out with their peers because within their own classroom, they feed off of each other and make each other more angry. They are also very big on giving everyone personal space. When walking in the hallways and out on the playground, they have certain areas where each student is allowed to play so they will not be interrupted by anyone else. I really enjoyed spending time in their class and seeing how everything works!
Today was my first time teaching ALL day. It was completely exhausting :) It was great to have plans and feel totally ready and together but it's definitely a long day. My teacher really let me work with the kids and do all transitions and teaching. It was amazing! I got to teach so much and the kids really responded well. I taught a lot of poetry topics as a famous poet is coming on Thursday. It was really wonderful. It's hard to motivate kids to do poetry sometimes and every lesson went really well. I had so much fun but I was definitely ready for bed.
So, second week! Crazy! It seems like I haven’t had classes in so long and that going to school has just been a routine. It’s getting a littttttle bit easier to wake up in the morning.
ReplyDeleteMy fifth graders have discovered the phrase, “That’s what she said.” My teacher let it slide for a little while and I couldn’t understand why she was not saying something to the few students who said it. Finally I walked over to one of the students and told them it was inappropriate. My teacher asked me later why I said something to the student who said that. So, in all sorts of awkwardness, I had to explain to my teacher what “that’s what she said” meant. Needless to say, the saying is now banned in the room.
Speaking of things being banned .. Did anyone else’s school ban the silly bands? My school is getting pretty close to it. The kids in my class would just take them off of their wrists and play with them during the lesson. Also, there was a lot of trading going on and some parents were in an uproar.
All in all, I am really enjoying my last week. The next couple days should be interesting as a lot of my students are out for band and chorus tomorrow, and Thursday afternoon will be taken up by a movie for finishing the PSSAs. I am hoping I will get more facetime with my students before I have to leave on Friday. However, I am excited and sad for the end of the semester.
Today was another good day at placement. I can't believe I only have three days left! I was very happy to have AC back in the classroom because over the weekend it was broke and it was nearly 80 degrees in the room yesterday. Miserable for everyone...
ReplyDeleteI played heads up 7 up today with the students today in school. The educational value in this? I don't know. :) However, it was a good break from teaching for me and learning for the students. I believe that my cooperating teacher does a good job of giving students breaks when she believes is necessary and lets the students be kids for a little bit during the day. Especially at the end of the year, I notice the students and teachers start to burn out. One day when I am a teacher, I hope to have the ability let my students go outside and play a few games a week to just let them be kids. I think that school sometimes takes childhood away from students when they are learning all day and have homework all night.
As far as the experience I have been getting in teaching, I continue to teach reading and mathematics every day. I have found that I have really enjoyed guided reading and working with students more one-on-one than teaching in the front of the class. I think that many students at my placement need the attention and help keeping them focused sometimes, so I find myself walking around the classroom a lot and sitting down with students to help with their assignments. I get to know each students strengths and weaknesses and I feel like I am really helping the students when they understand and can figure out problems and assignments on their own after I help them. This is when I feel accomplished as a teacher! I'm hoping the next three days of placement go as well as the last 7!
Let me just say that I am so pleased with my experience. I knonw it isn't over yet, but I am already upset that Friday is my last day. I am going to miss my co-op and students so much. I have become attached to them and I absolutely love seeing them everyday.
ReplyDeleteThis week I am teaching a unit in social studies about Pennsylvania symbols to prepare students for their field trip to Harrisburg in a few weeks. Yesterday we talked about the state seal and today we learned about the different state symbols like the state bird, animal, flower, etc. Then I put students in different groups and they each made a poster representing their symbol. The students really enjoyed it and my lesson worked out extremely well.
Tomorrow we have an assembly, but it is a relativiely normal day except for that. Then on Thursday we have a busy day and I think that my co-op might have a little "gooodbye party" planned. She sent me out of the room a couple times to plan haha. I'm excited for that.Friday is wellness day, so that should be fun too. It is a day to learn about healthy eating, exercise and everything. I can't wait!!
We had another field trip today. The class takes 3 mini field trips a year, and I've been there for all of them! Which has been a lot of fun. These trips are to local businesses and are only a couple hours long. Today we went to A.C. Moore, a craft store. The kids made "dream boards" about what they want to be when they grow. They were really cute and it was interesting to see what all the kids made.
ReplyDeleteI've been teaching every subject except math, which I split with my co-op. She generally teaches the lesson and I check students' work and do one on one help. Other than that, I'm pretty much on my own teaching. It's not as overwhelming as I thought it would be! The first time I was on my own I realized how well I knew the schedule and routines of the class. It's been going really well so far and the kids have really started responding to me as a "real" teacher since I'm there everyday :)
I can't believe there's only 3 days left! It's always seemed so far off. I'm so sad thinking about leaving the kids and my co-op but I know I'm really going to enjoy these last few days.
Today we had a field trip to Hershey’s Zoo America. It was a fun and interesting day. I gained unique perspective into the students of my class. For example, some of the children I thought would be difficult to control were some of the best behaved on the trip. Others I thought would really enjoy a break from school did so, but they were more interested in playing with their friends and being a little rowdy than they were interested in the animals. Still others were completely thrilled with seeing the animals. The more visible the animals, the more they enjoyed them.
ReplyDeleteI really think a break from everyday routines can be beneficial for children and teachers. For the children, they have a day of fun and education, but the education is outdoors and they do not have to sit quietly all day and do written work. For teachers it means having to have eyes everywhere and the words” classroom management” take on a whole new meaning. My teacher and I are very serious about safety and holding the children accountable for their actions, so we both reminded them several times that they are expected to behave and listen just as they would on any normal day of school.
We did have a few parents on the trip as chaperones, so they helped with crowd control, bathroom breaks and lunchtime. I had not been to that zoo since I was a young child. It really is quite a special place, and I enjoyed it as much as the children. When we returned to the school, it was amazing how much simpler being aware of students seemed. The entire day was a giant learning experience. I think everyone had a great trip!
The students were continously singing songs throughout the day. The reason is that the 1st through 3rd grade chorus concert was today and tonight as well. The schedule was mixed up a bit. First students were pulled out of class for dress rehearsal. Then at 2 p.m was their first concert for the day. The theme was patriotic songs so students were encouraged to wear red, white, and blue. The students were excited all day but my co-op knew exactly how to handle their excitement. First she started the class out with math, then they worked on an art project to hang in the hallway for all the parents to see. They made bee's and flowers and put up characteristic traits. The students really enjoyed doing this so it went into their reading workshop time but that was fine with my co-op since it was such a busy day. She explained that it is better to have more things planned just so that you have a backup. Overall the students handled their excitement well.
ReplyDeleteI can't believe that tomorrow will be Wednesday and that there will only be 3 days left. I have really been enjoying my time in the classroom each day. I have developed a really good relationship with my co-op as well as my students. Today there was a string concert that the whole school went to so there was not much teaching time with my afternoon class.
ReplyDeleteThe exciting news for the kids this week is that the butterflys have come out of their chrysalis's :) They love coming in to look at them and write about them in their journals.
I have gotten in the flow of waking up and getting through each day. Time flies when I am teaching the lessons! It has just been a really fun week and a half and I'm not sure that I am ready for it to end!! :)
This week is flying by! I cannot believe that I have been in the classroom full time for about a week and a half! I am enjoying every minute of being in the classroom! The past two days have had crazy schedules due to band, orchestra, and chorus rehearsals. The orchestra and chorus was last night and the band concert took place tonight. There are so many students involved in these activities that we only had about four students in the class for about a half-an-hour. We had to alter the schedule because it would have been nearly impossible to teach because so many students would have missed new instruction. I have learned a lot about going with the flow and realizing that teaching can be very unpredictable. You have to learn to be flexible and work with the changing schedule.
ReplyDeleteYesterday, I was able to check out Science. The students are learning about Mixtures and Solutions. It was a great experience to see the students in a different setting. They carried out experiments to solve for the mystery solution. They designed their own experiment, which was great to see how they organized their plans.
Tomorrow, the students will be attending a school-wide book fair in the afternoon. In addition, administrators will be coming to all the classrooms to administer the DIBELS to each student. I can't believe I only have three more days left. I am so sad that I will have to leave the students because I am enjoying every minute with them and I have enjoyed all of the experiences that I have gained. I am looking forward to tomorrow!
Yesterday I did a lot of the morning routine, and then math at the end. The day before my supervisor came to see me teach math at the end of the day... the schedule was switched around because of practice for the concert and the boys were not behaving well... I forgot to use the 'card system' that Mrs. Miller has set up. Today, two of the same boys were misbehaving during reading group, so after two warnings, I let them know that I wasn't afraid to use the cards. On of the boys had already had his green card taken away, so he tried to swipe it off of Mrs. Miller's desk so that he only had one offense for the day. That of course, got him into more trouble. Later on in the day they had to perform their 'patriotic' concert so we had an hour dedicated to that.
ReplyDeleteI'm really looking forward to Thursday- I will be in charge of the class for the whole day. And then Friday we have a substitute in who I really like and worked with last Friday morning. It's nice because I'm there everyday, know the routine and know the kids best so she consults me on things, and I consult with her. I feel very in-charge when she is there and I love it (though she IS really in charge.) Having a substitute helps me see a little bit more what I will be like with a class of my own : )
It's hard to believe that today's already Wednesday. I'm halfway through my 3rd to last day. However, tomorrow (Thursday) will be my last full day with my students because Mrs.Funck will be at a meeting all day and it turns out the PRINCIPAL of my school would rather me be with another teacher than see a sub. I have to admit I'm pretty disappointed I won't see my students Friday except for when I FINALLY teach my social studies lesson.
ReplyDeleteWhereas most people have been taking over the class, I've seen a drastic decrease in the amount of teaching I've been doing. Last week I taught math, reading and spelling. This week I have science and part of a reading group. Although, this week I've been doing a lot of odds and ends jobs. I've learned how to work the laminator and copier flawlessly.
I've also learned about flexibility. With the orchestra and band concerts this week we had students in and out of the classroom in the beginning of the week, leaving me with 4 students in the room at times. I also finally experienced the cause of the grudge toward the music program...yesterday during science some of my students were taken out of the classroom TO FOLD AND STAPLE PROGRAMS! I was floored that my students MISSED 45 minutes of instruction to FOLD PAPERS!!! So, during my prep period after lunch I was re-teaching the lesson to everyone who missed the lesson.
I'm looking forward to teaching my full day tomorrow. Lots of planning and preparation going on tonight, that's for sure...
I can't believe my placement is almost over!Each day I have been given more and more responsibility in the classroom. In the last two days, I have taught Reading and Writing, Math, and Science. It has been great for my experience. I now lead the kids when I take them to specials and lunch, as well as start the morning off everyday.
ReplyDeleteToday, we had a substitute during the morning, and although we had a substitute, I lead the kids in the morning. It was great! We started a new unit in Reading and they enjoyed the song and the activities we completed. I also completed a science activity today, and it did not exactly work as planned, which is part of science as we learned with our discrepant events!
I am finally feeling at home in the classroom, and now we have to leave soon! It’s sad to think that Friday is our last day, but looking back on all the things I’ve learned from this experience, I know the memories will always stay with me. Today I was observed by Professor Wile and I did a Core Reading lesson which included vocabulary, teaching the skill of drawing conclusions, and reading in the basal, which was interesting. We also started writing letters to our moms about how much we appreciate them to accompany the gift of a potted plant that we’ve been growing them. At the end of the day, I got to teach a social studies lesson on life in the Middle Colonies, which included information on the many different religions and how people made a living. The students started an activity in which they have to create a short dialogue between a child colonist and his or her parents about becoming an apprentice. Students are using what they learned from the lesson about apprentice’s work and creating their dialogue which will be performed either tomorrow or Friday…which I’m very excited to see! All in all, I feel a lot more confident and I know my teacher feels the same way about me. It feels great to be a real teacher!
ReplyDeleteAs others have already said I am really feeling so much more comfortable in my classroom and there are only two days left! I cannot wrap my head around the idea that this experience is almost over.
ReplyDeleteThis week has been great, and has been flying by. I had my final observation on Tuesday (on suffixes). It went really well even though it was a hard concept for my first graders to grasp.
My school has just banned the silly bands. My students are OBSESSED with them and it has been really difficult to get them to pay attention to me when I am teaching and not to their silly bands. I am not going to be sad to see these bracelets go.
I have been doing a lot of teaching and I feel more confident as a teacher each day!
I can't believe placement is almost over already. Much like Tara said, I am finally feeling completely comfortable in the classroom and it's just about time to leave. This week has been very busy so I really haven't had time to just sit back and soak it all in. I am really going to miss both of my classes and it is going to be strange not seeing them come next week. So far this week I have been given a lot of responsibility in the classroom. Monday I did a word work lesson as well as a shared reading lesson. Yesterday I did the same as Monday except I added a writing lesson on top of that. Today was the best day of my experience so far since I had the opportunity to act as the substitute all day. There were parts of the day where I felt as thought he classroom was mine and I loved it. My workload will decrease for these last two days as I wind down my experience. Overall I couldn't be more pleased with this whole experience and I truly will miss it.
ReplyDeleteI absoultely love being in school all the time, even with the 6:15 wake up. I cant fathomn leaving my class and my coop this Friday. Ive grown so much closer to them during these past two weeks that part of me just wants to stay! Luckily, I am able to come back in June and be a chaperone for a field trip! One of my students started crying today when she realized this Friday would be my last day which broke my heart.
ReplyDeleteLessons have been going pretty well, most of them anyway. Today I was teaching a math lesson on area and the kids just werent grasping it. The examples in the book were confusing which left my coop and myself confused so it was just a big blunder. Then all of the students started calling out and complaining so I got a bit frustrated to say the least. Although at the time I wanted to run out of the room screaming, it was a good experience to see that not all of the lessons I teach will be peachy keen.
Also, Ill be teacing a lesson using pentominoes and all of the materials that group put together in math, so thanks!!!
This week has been great. I am going to be sad to leave the kids, I have definitly become attatched. It is great knowing they look up to me and think of me as their teacher. I am enjoying teaching more and more lessons and am becoming so much more comfortable. I feel like I am able to think better on my toes and also tweak my lesson on the spot if need be. I have even been in charge of a couple classroom meetings which always end up in tons of girl drama! The kids seem to be having a fun time with my lessons also. On Cinco de Mayo we had a party and I brought in Taco dip. The kids LOVED it!! It makes me hpapy to know that they are having fun as well as me!
ReplyDeleteOn Tuesday I had the opportunity to go observe in one of the special education classrooms for an hour. It was a great experience to see how different instruction is in this classroom. Everything was very organized and structured. The teacher was very clear in her expectations of the students and made sure she was consistent with her punishment for inappropriate behavior. There are three teachers in this classroom, and one of them was talking to me about how they try to include the students in the general education classrooms as much as possible. Many of the students in this class had behavior problems. The teacher expressed the importance for them to be out with their peers because within their own classroom, they feed off of each other and make each other more angry. They are also very big on giving everyone personal space. When walking in the hallways and out on the playground, they have certain areas where each student is allowed to play so they will not be interrupted by anyone else. I really enjoyed spending time in their class and seeing how everything works!
ReplyDeleteToday was my first time teaching ALL day. It was completely exhausting :) It was great to have plans and feel totally ready and together but it's definitely a long day. My teacher really let me work with the kids and do all transitions and teaching. It was amazing! I got to teach so much and the kids really responded well. I taught a lot of poetry topics as a famous poet is coming on Thursday. It was really wonderful. It's hard to motivate kids to do poetry sometimes and every lesson went really well. I had so much fun but I was definitely ready for bed.
ReplyDelete