Domain VII: Communication
1:10:1:40 p.m.
Elaboration:
Last week was a rough week with many behavior problems. Because of this, I have begun to use my authority and have children clip strips. I have had to be much more firm with my expectations. Because of this, I have also had to start communicating with parents on these problems. Today I had one parent ask for a note about their child’s disobedience. So, I wrote a note in a planner to communicate what had happened. Also, Mrs. Brown told me that a parent called in asking about me, because his son had said that he was just getting in trouble because I didn’t like him. Mrs. Brown communicated to the parent that the child had been trying to test me all week, and I had allowed him more than enough chances to correct his behavior.
Analysis:
I have realized through these events that I must continue to keep record of certain actions and make sure that I provide parents with needed information. It is also important that I am careful to truly be justified in punishing children, not just making them do things because of my preferences. I hope that throughout the semester I can continue to communicate with parents about student behavior and work. I also hope to continue to communicate my expectations to the students and communicate what happens when they break those expectations. I want to make sure my students know that I care and I like them despite the fact that I must discipline them.
Monday, January 31, 2011
Friday, January 28, 2011
Domain III: Professional Development
1:40-2:30 p.m.
Elaboration:
Today I was a part of the grade level meeting. Today’s discussion was on adjusting the fluid groupings in the third grade. We talked about numbers, academics, and behavior in considering which children needed to stay or move rooms. We ended up switching just a few children. The main things that we talked about academically were recent STAR test scores and classroom achievement. There was even some opportunity for me to provide input on one of the children.
Analysis:
The meetings for the teachers are only monthly meetings. Every nine weeks they discuss the classes and whether they should be regrouped. I think that this is important because often time students are put in a specific group and then left there for the entire year. Many students grow throughout a year and may need more intervention or a more challenging atmosphere. I also thought that it was good that the teachers did not only use test scores to determine groupings. Some children do not test well, so classroom achievement is a better gauge. I am gaining one student into my class, so I have been thinking about what the best ways will be for me accommodate her. One other nice thing about being a part of this meeting was seeing how well the teachers work together. They were all willing to do their part and do what was best for the children.
1:40-2:30 p.m.
Elaboration:
Today I was a part of the grade level meeting. Today’s discussion was on adjusting the fluid groupings in the third grade. We talked about numbers, academics, and behavior in considering which children needed to stay or move rooms. We ended up switching just a few children. The main things that we talked about academically were recent STAR test scores and classroom achievement. There was even some opportunity for me to provide input on one of the children.
Analysis:
The meetings for the teachers are only monthly meetings. Every nine weeks they discuss the classes and whether they should be regrouped. I think that this is important because often time students are put in a specific group and then left there for the entire year. Many students grow throughout a year and may need more intervention or a more challenging atmosphere. I also thought that it was good that the teachers did not only use test scores to determine groupings. Some children do not test well, so classroom achievement is a better gauge. I am gaining one student into my class, so I have been thinking about what the best ways will be for me accommodate her. One other nice thing about being a part of this meeting was seeing how well the teachers work together. They were all willing to do their part and do what was best for the children.
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Domain V: Methodology
3:00 p.m.
Elaboration:
Today after school I was preparing for my lesson tomorrow. I had found a math game that I wanted to play to practice two digit subtraction with regrouping. The game involved number cubes. However, I realized today that I had been thinking dice, not number cubes. Dice do not go up high enough in numbers to play the game. So after school, I walked around and tried to find someone with number cubes. I finally found someone who had some dice with 1-9 that I could use. However, I am still not sure how to explain the rules of the game in such a way that the kids will be able to understand it because we have limited supplies and must modify the game slightly. Most likely, I will have to explain the game verbally and make a written set of rules for each set of partners.
Analysis.
I have realized more each day that there are always things that don’t go the way you have planned. You can plan an interactive game or practice that you know would be great for helping children learn a concept, but the kids may not get it, or you may not end up having the right supplies. I think the important thing is to be able to adapt the activities you have planned to your children and to the resources you have available. I realized later that if I put them into groups of three instead of two, I would have enough for each group to have two dice like the original game, so this may be the adaptation I have to make.
3:00 p.m.
Elaboration:
Today after school I was preparing for my lesson tomorrow. I had found a math game that I wanted to play to practice two digit subtraction with regrouping. The game involved number cubes. However, I realized today that I had been thinking dice, not number cubes. Dice do not go up high enough in numbers to play the game. So after school, I walked around and tried to find someone with number cubes. I finally found someone who had some dice with 1-9 that I could use. However, I am still not sure how to explain the rules of the game in such a way that the kids will be able to understand it because we have limited supplies and must modify the game slightly. Most likely, I will have to explain the game verbally and make a written set of rules for each set of partners.
Analysis.
I have realized more each day that there are always things that don’t go the way you have planned. You can plan an interactive game or practice that you know would be great for helping children learn a concept, but the kids may not get it, or you may not end up having the right supplies. I think the important thing is to be able to adapt the activities you have planned to your children and to the resources you have available. I realized later that if I put them into groups of three instead of two, I would have enough for each group to have two dice like the original game, so this may be the adaptation I have to make.
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Domain 8: Global and Multicultural Perspectives
11:00 a.m.
Elaboration:
Today during Language Arts class the students told us that one of my students had suddenly moved away. Later, I had the opportunity to talk to Mrs. Brown about it. She had gone and talked to one of the other teachers and found out that this girl had been moved suddenly because of a police situation. There was a situation with drugs and the parents were taken and the children were removed. This particular student is extremely bright and sweet, although frequently absent.
Analysis:
This was heavy on my heart today. I felt very sad to hear this story about this particular student. It was a good reminder that many of my students may be carrying burdens that are beyond what I can imagine. They are only children, but many of them have seen and experienced things that I might never experience. It breaks my heart to hear stories like this one. I will miss her greatly in my class. However, I have realized there are a few things I must remember. First of all, I must remember that they are in God's hands. I cannot protect them in the ways I wish I could, but he can. Second, I know that there is hope for her and other students in tough situations. She is bright and motivated, and hopefully, with the help of good teachers, other students can also be motivated to change their own future to something better than their parents' lives. This is a heavy journal entry in many ways, but it is reality. I know that there will be days when teaching does break my heart, but I must continue to find my strength from God and enjoy and utilize the time I have with each student.
11:00 a.m.
Elaboration:
Today during Language Arts class the students told us that one of my students had suddenly moved away. Later, I had the opportunity to talk to Mrs. Brown about it. She had gone and talked to one of the other teachers and found out that this girl had been moved suddenly because of a police situation. There was a situation with drugs and the parents were taken and the children were removed. This particular student is extremely bright and sweet, although frequently absent.
Analysis:
This was heavy on my heart today. I felt very sad to hear this story about this particular student. It was a good reminder that many of my students may be carrying burdens that are beyond what I can imagine. They are only children, but many of them have seen and experienced things that I might never experience. It breaks my heart to hear stories like this one. I will miss her greatly in my class. However, I have realized there are a few things I must remember. First of all, I must remember that they are in God's hands. I cannot protect them in the ways I wish I could, but he can. Second, I know that there is hope for her and other students in tough situations. She is bright and motivated, and hopefully, with the help of good teachers, other students can also be motivated to change their own future to something better than their parents' lives. This is a heavy journal entry in many ways, but it is reality. I know that there will be days when teaching does break my heart, but I must continue to find my strength from God and enjoy and utilize the time I have with each student.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Domain VII: Communication
1:10-1:40 p.m.
Elaboration:
Today during lunch duty I had several different opportunities to communicate with different students. Often times, this is one of the most difficult times of the day in managing behavior. I was in charge of taking our class to lunch because they were too noisy to leave when the rest of 3rd grade did. In the process, I had three boys who were not following directions or hallway procedures and were being very disrespectful in the process. I told them that they would all be clipping a strip when we returned from lunch. Also at lunch, one little girl was asked to leave a table because she kept tattling and saying that the girls at her table were being mean to her. She sat at another table by herself crying and not eating anything. I stopped and talked with her and tried to explain to her why Mrs. Brown had asked her to move. I talked to her for a while and then asked her if she could please eat her lunch for me, which she than did. I also talked with some of the boys later and explained why even though they later apologized, they had to serve their punishment.
Analysis:
I think sometimes teachers communicate with each other but forget to communicate with their students. Often times, the children do not know or understand why they are in trouble. Today when communicating with the boys, I told them what they did. They apologized for behaving that way before I even talked to them about it. I also communicated to them that I did not want to have to clip strips and punish them, but that this was necessary to help them realized that their behavior was wrong. Next time,they are supposed to think about making better choices before misbehaving. In the second situation, with the little girl, she had no idea why she was moved. I explained to her that instead of complaining that people are being mean to her, Mrs. Brown wanted her to choose better people to sit by. She said she could do that next time. Also, she told me that people are making fun of her for being short. I told her that she should just ignore them because everybody is different and she is special just the way she is. She responded very well to this and agreed to eat her lunch. I think in this situation, it was very important that I demonstrate care to the student and show that although some of the problem may be choosing where to sit, she is still important. Learning to brush aside silly comments is good, but it is a very difficult thing to do unless there is a truth to replace it.
1:10-1:40 p.m.
Elaboration:
Today during lunch duty I had several different opportunities to communicate with different students. Often times, this is one of the most difficult times of the day in managing behavior. I was in charge of taking our class to lunch because they were too noisy to leave when the rest of 3rd grade did. In the process, I had three boys who were not following directions or hallway procedures and were being very disrespectful in the process. I told them that they would all be clipping a strip when we returned from lunch. Also at lunch, one little girl was asked to leave a table because she kept tattling and saying that the girls at her table were being mean to her. She sat at another table by herself crying and not eating anything. I stopped and talked with her and tried to explain to her why Mrs. Brown had asked her to move. I talked to her for a while and then asked her if she could please eat her lunch for me, which she than did. I also talked with some of the boys later and explained why even though they later apologized, they had to serve their punishment.
Analysis:
I think sometimes teachers communicate with each other but forget to communicate with their students. Often times, the children do not know or understand why they are in trouble. Today when communicating with the boys, I told them what they did. They apologized for behaving that way before I even talked to them about it. I also communicated to them that I did not want to have to clip strips and punish them, but that this was necessary to help them realized that their behavior was wrong. Next time,they are supposed to think about making better choices before misbehaving. In the second situation, with the little girl, she had no idea why she was moved. I explained to her that instead of complaining that people are being mean to her, Mrs. Brown wanted her to choose better people to sit by. She said she could do that next time. Also, she told me that people are making fun of her for being short. I told her that she should just ignore them because everybody is different and she is special just the way she is. She responded very well to this and agreed to eat her lunch. I think in this situation, it was very important that I demonstrate care to the student and show that although some of the problem may be choosing where to sit, she is still important. Learning to brush aside silly comments is good, but it is a very difficult thing to do unless there is a truth to replace it.
Monday, January 24, 2011
Domain IV Rights and Responsibilities
1:10 p.m.- 1:40 p.m.
Elaboration:
Today I ate lunch with my teacher. She was talking to me about the new bills that congress would like to sign to do merit based pay for teachers. She was telling me that although she can see that many teachers aren’t doing what they are supposed to do, there are many good teachers who could also suffer as a result of this bill. Because it is strongly based on administrators and principals’ evaluations, this could become very biased. Also, she said that even now, if an administrator observes them, they are told exactly when they are coming to observe them.
Analysis:
There are many good and bad teachers in the world. Some teachers do very little to help their students, while other work very hard. It is very difficult to have an accurate picture of what a teacher does by just having one preplanned observation. I believe that it is the teacher’s responsibility to consistently teach developmentally appropriate material to children. I also believe teachers who do this should be protected, regardless of how their students perform on standardized testing. You can choose the most wonderful teacher in the world and you will still see a huge difference between gifted children and those who are at risk when they are tested. It doesn’t seem that this is a fair way to decide which teachers are truly doing their jobs.
1:10 p.m.- 1:40 p.m.
Elaboration:
Today I ate lunch with my teacher. She was talking to me about the new bills that congress would like to sign to do merit based pay for teachers. She was telling me that although she can see that many teachers aren’t doing what they are supposed to do, there are many good teachers who could also suffer as a result of this bill. Because it is strongly based on administrators and principals’ evaluations, this could become very biased. Also, she said that even now, if an administrator observes them, they are told exactly when they are coming to observe them.
Analysis:
There are many good and bad teachers in the world. Some teachers do very little to help their students, while other work very hard. It is very difficult to have an accurate picture of what a teacher does by just having one preplanned observation. I believe that it is the teacher’s responsibility to consistently teach developmentally appropriate material to children. I also believe teachers who do this should be protected, regardless of how their students perform on standardized testing. You can choose the most wonderful teacher in the world and you will still see a huge difference between gifted children and those who are at risk when they are tested. It doesn’t seem that this is a fair way to decide which teachers are truly doing their jobs.
Friday, January 21, 2011
Domain 1 Content/Subject Matter Expertise
1:40p.m.- 2:00 p.m.
Elaboration:
Today in the afternoon, as a special treat, I had my class watch a Bill Nye the Science guy video. It was a twenty-minute video about bones and muscles. We just finished the first part of our health unit on bones and muscles. The kids really enjoyed the movie and afterwards they were given an opportunity to share something new that they learned or a question that they had. During the video, many of the kids got excited when he would mention something that we studied and say “hey! we learned that!” After the video many of the kids had questions about things or realized things that they may not have gained from just hearing me talk about it. There are so many small random facts that are incorporated into the videos that the kids just love.
Analysis:
When I allowed the children to ask questions following the video, I was able to answer many of them. While I obviously don’t know why a sparrow has more bones in its neck than a giraffe, there are definitely some things that the kids wanted to know about that I could discuss with them. Learning about bones and how they were made of minerals got them asking questions about nutrition. I’ve learned that it is important to know things about what you’re teaching, but it also important to just allow questions and to be willing to say you don’t know. Perhaps another time we could use a video similar to this to come up with questions for research or an experiment. Allowing children to wonder is one of the most exciting things about science, or in this case health.
1:40p.m.- 2:00 p.m.
Elaboration:
Today in the afternoon, as a special treat, I had my class watch a Bill Nye the Science guy video. It was a twenty-minute video about bones and muscles. We just finished the first part of our health unit on bones and muscles. The kids really enjoyed the movie and afterwards they were given an opportunity to share something new that they learned or a question that they had. During the video, many of the kids got excited when he would mention something that we studied and say “hey! we learned that!” After the video many of the kids had questions about things or realized things that they may not have gained from just hearing me talk about it. There are so many small random facts that are incorporated into the videos that the kids just love.
Analysis:
When I allowed the children to ask questions following the video, I was able to answer many of them. While I obviously don’t know why a sparrow has more bones in its neck than a giraffe, there are definitely some things that the kids wanted to know about that I could discuss with them. Learning about bones and how they were made of minerals got them asking questions about nutrition. I’ve learned that it is important to know things about what you’re teaching, but it also important to just allow questions and to be willing to say you don’t know. Perhaps another time we could use a video similar to this to come up with questions for research or an experiment. Allowing children to wonder is one of the most exciting things about science, or in this case health.
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Domain III: Professional Development
3:00 p.m.-3:30 p.m.
Elaboration:
After school my teacher generally leaves before I do. When I work, I often stay in the room, but if I have any questions I usually go to the teacher across the hall. I’ve realized that a huge part of professional development is learning from other teachers. It has been really cool because we are able to share ideas and lessons with each other. Today I was asking Mrs. Meyers for help with a math lesson, and then I shared my health lesson with her from today. She was very excited about it and was very encouraging. There are so many things you can learn from others who are in the same place as you.
Analysis:
Professional development, in my opinion, is all about learning and growing. It is about accepting constructive criticism and using it to improve your teaching and student learning. Through this experience of team teaching, I feel as if I am getting input from not just one teacher, but four. I have already been learning so much from them about how to be realistic yet still be a good teacher. It will never be easy to figure out how to meet all the standards, yet still be a good teacher. However, I feel like most of the teachers I have been working with are wonderful models of this and I so excited too see how much I can learn this semester.
3:00 p.m.-3:30 p.m.
Elaboration:
After school my teacher generally leaves before I do. When I work, I often stay in the room, but if I have any questions I usually go to the teacher across the hall. I’ve realized that a huge part of professional development is learning from other teachers. It has been really cool because we are able to share ideas and lessons with each other. Today I was asking Mrs. Meyers for help with a math lesson, and then I shared my health lesson with her from today. She was very excited about it and was very encouraging. There are so many things you can learn from others who are in the same place as you.
Analysis:
Professional development, in my opinion, is all about learning and growing. It is about accepting constructive criticism and using it to improve your teaching and student learning. Through this experience of team teaching, I feel as if I am getting input from not just one teacher, but four. I have already been learning so much from them about how to be realistic yet still be a good teacher. It will never be easy to figure out how to meet all the standards, yet still be a good teacher. However, I feel like most of the teachers I have been working with are wonderful models of this and I so excited too see how much I can learn this semester.
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Domain VIII: Global and Multicultural Perspectives
1:00-1:10 p.m.
Elaboration:
Today I sat down with C for a while at lunch. He said he wanted to tell me some stories, so I listened to him tell me stories for about ten minutes. He told me stories about himself in the third person. In these stories, he was often fighting monsters or devils or something similar. He told me that these stories were real. Later, he told me he’s not sure if they are real or not. Most of the things he was saying did not make much sense. It seemed as if much of it came from television or movies, but there were also some things that came from his imagination.
Analysis:
C has been diagnosed as having a learning disability. However, I have noticed that he seems to be having a very difficult time distinguishing what reality is. Often, he will argue with other children about what is real and what is not. He believes that everything on TV is reality. I am not always sure how I should respond to his stories. I try to explain what reality is and what right and wrong are. Although I know it is not my job to be a parent to the children or to teach them religion, it is a part of my job to help children succeed in the world. There are traits that show good character. These are things that I can teach the children in my class. Sometimes I feel frustrated to not be able to share my beliefs, but by showing good character and expecting the students to act with integrity, honesty, and good values, I am teaching them what Jesus looks like.
Also, on a side note, today was my first two hour delay day. =) It was quite an adventure to try and figure out pacing with my students.
1:00-1:10 p.m.
Elaboration:
Today I sat down with C for a while at lunch. He said he wanted to tell me some stories, so I listened to him tell me stories for about ten minutes. He told me stories about himself in the third person. In these stories, he was often fighting monsters or devils or something similar. He told me that these stories were real. Later, he told me he’s not sure if they are real or not. Most of the things he was saying did not make much sense. It seemed as if much of it came from television or movies, but there were also some things that came from his imagination.
Analysis:
C has been diagnosed as having a learning disability. However, I have noticed that he seems to be having a very difficult time distinguishing what reality is. Often, he will argue with other children about what is real and what is not. He believes that everything on TV is reality. I am not always sure how I should respond to his stories. I try to explain what reality is and what right and wrong are. Although I know it is not my job to be a parent to the children or to teach them religion, it is a part of my job to help children succeed in the world. There are traits that show good character. These are things that I can teach the children in my class. Sometimes I feel frustrated to not be able to share my beliefs, but by showing good character and expecting the students to act with integrity, honesty, and good values, I am teaching them what Jesus looks like.
Also, on a side note, today was my first two hour delay day. =) It was quite an adventure to try and figure out pacing with my students.
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Domain VI: Management of Time, Classroom, and Behaviors
Elaboration:
This morning my teacher fell on a freshly mopped floor and injured her shoulder. She ended up having to leave about 5 minutes before school started. She called the principal and asked for a substitute, but I was left in charge of the children. The other third grade teachers said that they would check in on me and that I should get them if I needed anything. Except for one student, all of the students were pretty good and respectful. I felt that their behavior actually became worse once the substitute arrived.
Analysis:
I think that this was a prime example of learning to be flexible as a teacher. Although the substitute was there, I was still the main teacher. I still had a very difficult time keeping control of the class today. I was firm with my expectations with a few students; however, I didn’t clip any strips. I think that I need to work on making sure that my words are equally authoritative as the words of the other teachers. I want to continue to increase the amount of respect that I receive, but in order to do that I must enforce the things I say and at the same time respect my students. How do I continue to increase the respect I receive without becoming authoritarian?
Elaboration:
This morning my teacher fell on a freshly mopped floor and injured her shoulder. She ended up having to leave about 5 minutes before school started. She called the principal and asked for a substitute, but I was left in charge of the children. The other third grade teachers said that they would check in on me and that I should get them if I needed anything. Except for one student, all of the students were pretty good and respectful. I felt that their behavior actually became worse once the substitute arrived.
Analysis:
I think that this was a prime example of learning to be flexible as a teacher. Although the substitute was there, I was still the main teacher. I still had a very difficult time keeping control of the class today. I was firm with my expectations with a few students; however, I didn’t clip any strips. I think that I need to work on making sure that my words are equally authoritative as the words of the other teachers. I want to continue to increase the amount of respect that I receive, but in order to do that I must enforce the things I say and at the same time respect my students. How do I continue to increase the respect I receive without becoming authoritarian?
Friday, January 14, 2011
Domain VII: Communication
1:10-1:40 p.m.
Elaboration:
Today I had to keep several children from recess in order to finish assignments. One of the children did not finish his assignment because he was really struggling with it. So, I told him that next time he needs to at least try, but if he needs help he can ask me. I can even help him right now if he wants. He was very upset about doing homework, so I had to explain to him why he needed to finish homework, even though he didn’t like it. Another child who was missing recess was arguing with me. I had to talk with him several times and explain to him what the procedure was and how he broke it. He still argued with me giving me many excuses.
Analysis:
I have realized that especially when children are punished, it is essential that a teacher clearly communicate why. Many times, it seems as if the children do not really understand why they are doing something specific. My communication changes from child to child, depending upon their understanding things. One of the children who simply wasn’t doing things because he didn’t like them, is very seldom made to do anything that he doesn’t like. Although I am not his parent, I took this opportunity to communicate to him that sometimes we have to do things we don’t like. I told him that I don’t like to have to keep children out of recess. I like to have fun too. However, sometimes we have to choose our attitude even when things are not what we want. While I’m not sure that he got this, I realized that I have a great opportunity to teach children about values and character when I am in this role. He told me at that moment, “Ok, I will choose to be happy even though I don’t like it and try my best. “ Then a few seconds later he said, “But Miss Yoder, why do I still feel so sad?” While his next words were a bit humorous, I still hope he caught at least a little of the lesson.
1:10-1:40 p.m.
Elaboration:
Today I had to keep several children from recess in order to finish assignments. One of the children did not finish his assignment because he was really struggling with it. So, I told him that next time he needs to at least try, but if he needs help he can ask me. I can even help him right now if he wants. He was very upset about doing homework, so I had to explain to him why he needed to finish homework, even though he didn’t like it. Another child who was missing recess was arguing with me. I had to talk with him several times and explain to him what the procedure was and how he broke it. He still argued with me giving me many excuses.
Analysis:
I have realized that especially when children are punished, it is essential that a teacher clearly communicate why. Many times, it seems as if the children do not really understand why they are doing something specific. My communication changes from child to child, depending upon their understanding things. One of the children who simply wasn’t doing things because he didn’t like them, is very seldom made to do anything that he doesn’t like. Although I am not his parent, I took this opportunity to communicate to him that sometimes we have to do things we don’t like. I told him that I don’t like to have to keep children out of recess. I like to have fun too. However, sometimes we have to choose our attitude even when things are not what we want. While I’m not sure that he got this, I realized that I have a great opportunity to teach children about values and character when I am in this role. He told me at that moment, “Ok, I will choose to be happy even though I don’t like it and try my best. “ Then a few seconds later he said, “But Miss Yoder, why do I still feel so sad?” While his next words were a bit humorous, I still hope he caught at least a little of the lesson.
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Domain 2: Personal Development (Morals and Ethics)
9:40-10:30 a.m.
Elaboration:
Today I taught the same health lesson as yesterday to Mrs. Heurmann’s class. I have not had the opportunity to work with her class nearly as much, but the lesson still went fairly well. The children really seemed to like the lesson and enjoyed playing a game to name the different bones. I did ask one child to clip a strip after he was disruptive several times. After going over their homework, a majority of the children seemed to understand what we went over.
Analysis:
One of the things that is essential to me in combining my faith in teaching is making sure that I care about and have a strong relationship with my students. While many of the relationships I have formed with the children in my class have happened because I am in the room with them more often, I still believe that in general I have a stronger relationship with my class. In comparing the two lessons, I found that although my class is generally a bigger behavior problem than Mrs. Heurmann’s, they seemed to be more engaged and more obedient. I believe this is due to the relationship between my class and me. This is the first time that I have really seen a difference in something like that since I’ve been teaching. While I’m sure there will be days when my class will be less than attentive or obedient, I am a firm believer that caring about my students will encourage them to be better students.
9:40-10:30 a.m.
Elaboration:
Today I taught the same health lesson as yesterday to Mrs. Heurmann’s class. I have not had the opportunity to work with her class nearly as much, but the lesson still went fairly well. The children really seemed to like the lesson and enjoyed playing a game to name the different bones. I did ask one child to clip a strip after he was disruptive several times. After going over their homework, a majority of the children seemed to understand what we went over.
Analysis:
One of the things that is essential to me in combining my faith in teaching is making sure that I care about and have a strong relationship with my students. While many of the relationships I have formed with the children in my class have happened because I am in the room with them more often, I still believe that in general I have a stronger relationship with my class. In comparing the two lessons, I found that although my class is generally a bigger behavior problem than Mrs. Heurmann’s, they seemed to be more engaged and more obedient. I believe this is due to the relationship between my class and me. This is the first time that I have really seen a difference in something like that since I’ve been teaching. While I’m sure there will be days when my class will be less than attentive or obedient, I am a firm believer that caring about my students will encourage them to be better students.
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Domain V: Methodology
12:00-12:35 p.m.
Elaboration:
Today I taught my first actual lesson, a health lesson. Overall, I was pleased with how it went. I gave clear directions and broke things in the lesson down into small chunks. I also included a very kinesthetic activity with touching different parts of the body because we were learning the bones. All the children participated in what was going on. There were a few who I had to bring back with the group once or twice. However, there was one student who could not stay with the group.
Analysis:
It was my goal to be as active as possible because 16 of my 22 students are highly active 3rd grade boys. While this worked fairly well, I am struggling to know what to do with the one student who just is not engaged with the rest of the class. This is the case no matter who is teaching. Although this is the norm, I don’t want to just settle and not even try to get to him. Short of having someone right beside him at every moment, he is nearly impossible to keep on task. I reminded him verbally during the lesson several times and had him do specific actions with the rest of the class. I also helped him shortly during independent practice. What else can I do?
12:00-12:35 p.m.
Elaboration:
Today I taught my first actual lesson, a health lesson. Overall, I was pleased with how it went. I gave clear directions and broke things in the lesson down into small chunks. I also included a very kinesthetic activity with touching different parts of the body because we were learning the bones. All the children participated in what was going on. There were a few who I had to bring back with the group once or twice. However, there was one student who could not stay with the group.
Analysis:
It was my goal to be as active as possible because 16 of my 22 students are highly active 3rd grade boys. While this worked fairly well, I am struggling to know what to do with the one student who just is not engaged with the rest of the class. This is the case no matter who is teaching. Although this is the norm, I don’t want to just settle and not even try to get to him. Short of having someone right beside him at every moment, he is nearly impossible to keep on task. I reminded him verbally during the lesson several times and had him do specific actions with the rest of the class. I also helped him shortly during independent practice. What else can I do?
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Domain V: Methodology
11:50 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Elaboration:
Today during math, the students were working on fractions. Mrs. Brown used the marker board and had the children come up and write on it. At the beginning of math class they did a fact practice, then they moved on to the fractions. Mrs. Brown had the students raise their hands when they agreed or disagreed with something. She also asked the students for the reasoning behind their answers. They continued to go over the lesson until it seemed that the majority of students understood the difference between the numerator and denominator. After, they did the homework practice side A for Saxon as a class.
Analysis:
I think that in watching this particular math lesson, I was noticing the importance of formative assessment. So many times, when following a schedule it seems that teachers just move on whether the students are ready or not. I want to make sure as I go through this semester, especially with the Saxon program, that I don’t get ahead of the students for the sake of time. However, I know that you can’t continue to do the same lesson forever if there are just a few students not getting something. How do I know when to stop re-teaching something and move on when I don’t want to leave the students behind?
11:50 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Elaboration:
Today during math, the students were working on fractions. Mrs. Brown used the marker board and had the children come up and write on it. At the beginning of math class they did a fact practice, then they moved on to the fractions. Mrs. Brown had the students raise their hands when they agreed or disagreed with something. She also asked the students for the reasoning behind their answers. They continued to go over the lesson until it seemed that the majority of students understood the difference between the numerator and denominator. After, they did the homework practice side A for Saxon as a class.
Analysis:
I think that in watching this particular math lesson, I was noticing the importance of formative assessment. So many times, when following a schedule it seems that teachers just move on whether the students are ready or not. I want to make sure as I go through this semester, especially with the Saxon program, that I don’t get ahead of the students for the sake of time. However, I know that you can’t continue to do the same lesson forever if there are just a few students not getting something. How do I know when to stop re-teaching something and move on when I don’t want to leave the students behind?
Friday, January 7, 2011
Domain 3: Professional Development
Domain 6: Management of Time, Classroom, and Behaviors
3:00 p.m.
Elaboration:
Today Mrs. Brown and I sat down and talked about my lesson plans, as well as what classroom management will be like. We went over my unit plan and looked at two of the lessons that I had shown her earlier. We also discussed classroom management because Mrs. Brown will be teaching a class on classroom management to second year teachers, starting next week. In talking about classroom management, we talked about self-motivated or “big headed” children, “structurally at risk” children, and “go with the flow” children. She told me that often times your class acts as a teeter totter and the go with the flow children are the ones who tilt the class one way or another. We also talked about one of the best things for classroom management in my classroom is keeping the children busy. The children in this class cannot handle very much down time. Mrs. Brown encouraged me to come up with a list of activities that I can use whenever there is down time.
Analysis:
Mrs. Brown’s experience in classroom management and her looking at my lesson plans helped immensely in making me feel more confident. Also, I learned some new terminology in looking at classroom management. Thinking of the children in this way will help me with grouping, seating arrangements, and general instruction. Also, in thinking about ways to take up extra time, I decided I might use a “bucket of fun”. In this bucket, I will place pieces of paper with short educational and fun five-ten minute activities. Then, if there is down time, my students can draw an activity from the bucket.
Domain 6: Management of Time, Classroom, and Behaviors
3:00 p.m.
Elaboration:
Today Mrs. Brown and I sat down and talked about my lesson plans, as well as what classroom management will be like. We went over my unit plan and looked at two of the lessons that I had shown her earlier. We also discussed classroom management because Mrs. Brown will be teaching a class on classroom management to second year teachers, starting next week. In talking about classroom management, we talked about self-motivated or “big headed” children, “structurally at risk” children, and “go with the flow” children. She told me that often times your class acts as a teeter totter and the go with the flow children are the ones who tilt the class one way or another. We also talked about one of the best things for classroom management in my classroom is keeping the children busy. The children in this class cannot handle very much down time. Mrs. Brown encouraged me to come up with a list of activities that I can use whenever there is down time.
Analysis:
Mrs. Brown’s experience in classroom management and her looking at my lesson plans helped immensely in making me feel more confident. Also, I learned some new terminology in looking at classroom management. Thinking of the children in this way will help me with grouping, seating arrangements, and general instruction. Also, in thinking about ways to take up extra time, I decided I might use a “bucket of fun”. In this bucket, I will place pieces of paper with short educational and fun five-ten minute activities. Then, if there is down time, my students can draw an activity from the bucket.
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Domain 8: Global and Multicultural Perspectives
1:10- 1:40 p.m.
Elaboration:
Today during lunchtime my teacher was discussing one of the students who earlier this week was removed from the school. The reason was that his family had to move into a homeless shelter. Because of this move, both he and his sister were moved to a different school. However, in order to keep more order in their lives, they have been trying to arrange for transportation for the children. This school is not any further than the other, so it seems to be a suitable option. My teacher says that they also send food home to his family on the weekends. There are several other students in my class who come from situations similar to these. Many of them don’t see their parents, don’t have enough food to eat, and have trouble getting to school.
Analysis:
While I have had some experiences with students from lower income families before, this is the first time that I have really had to face these facts head on. I have to remember that most of these children have had an upbringing very different from my own. Many of them do not have two parents, or do not live with their birth parents. I will need to keep this in mind when teaching lessons. Some of them are lacking in experiences that many children have had. Also, I must remember that some of them may be struggling in school because their basic needs aren’t being met. Throughout this semester, I want to learn to see things through their eyes. I want to try and teach them things that will help them to be the most successful in life. I want to show them that I have hope for them. While I may be experiencing a bit of shock right now and I may see things differently as the semester progresses, I want to keep my heart soft. Structure will be needed when working with these children from a different background, but kindness and care will also go a long way.
1:10- 1:40 p.m.
Elaboration:
Today during lunchtime my teacher was discussing one of the students who earlier this week was removed from the school. The reason was that his family had to move into a homeless shelter. Because of this move, both he and his sister were moved to a different school. However, in order to keep more order in their lives, they have been trying to arrange for transportation for the children. This school is not any further than the other, so it seems to be a suitable option. My teacher says that they also send food home to his family on the weekends. There are several other students in my class who come from situations similar to these. Many of them don’t see their parents, don’t have enough food to eat, and have trouble getting to school.
Analysis:
While I have had some experiences with students from lower income families before, this is the first time that I have really had to face these facts head on. I have to remember that most of these children have had an upbringing very different from my own. Many of them do not have two parents, or do not live with their birth parents. I will need to keep this in mind when teaching lessons. Some of them are lacking in experiences that many children have had. Also, I must remember that some of them may be struggling in school because their basic needs aren’t being met. Throughout this semester, I want to learn to see things through their eyes. I want to try and teach them things that will help them to be the most successful in life. I want to show them that I have hope for them. While I may be experiencing a bit of shock right now and I may see things differently as the semester progresses, I want to keep my heart soft. Structure will be needed when working with these children from a different background, but kindness and care will also go a long way.
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Domain 2: Personal Development (morals and ethics)
1:00 p.m.
Episode:
Today I was once again helping in supervising indoor recess. I was only in my classroom, so both Mrs. Brown and I were in the room. The children were playing games and I went from one game or table to another, talking to the children and even playing some games with them. One of the students said to me, “I didn’t know teachers played games or talked with kids.” I smiled and told him, “As long as the students are doing what they are supposed to be doing I can stop and join in games or talk to you.” When it was time to clean up, I had the children clean and asked several of them to do specific jobs. I also told them to quiet down and get ready for their next class. The children seemed to respond well and listen when I gave them specific instructions.
Analysis:
Although this is an area in which teachers must be careful, I believe it is very important that teachers take time to relate to the kids and know them. Teachers are not meant to be a child’s best friend, but if I as a teacher learn to know and respect my students, they will also respect me. By understanding their interests and showing genuine care about their lives, I can better teach to their needs. Students recognize when adults want to be with them. While there are times when teachers must be strict, it is important that my students know each day that I want to be with them. When the time comes to be strict, I must show the students that I will not change my mind on things and that I expect them to follow my directions. I have seen so many teachers that seem to be either all caring or all business. I hope that through this experience I will continue to figure out what the proper balance is.
1:00 p.m.
Episode:
Today I was once again helping in supervising indoor recess. I was only in my classroom, so both Mrs. Brown and I were in the room. The children were playing games and I went from one game or table to another, talking to the children and even playing some games with them. One of the students said to me, “I didn’t know teachers played games or talked with kids.” I smiled and told him, “As long as the students are doing what they are supposed to be doing I can stop and join in games or talk to you.” When it was time to clean up, I had the children clean and asked several of them to do specific jobs. I also told them to quiet down and get ready for their next class. The children seemed to respond well and listen when I gave them specific instructions.
Analysis:
Although this is an area in which teachers must be careful, I believe it is very important that teachers take time to relate to the kids and know them. Teachers are not meant to be a child’s best friend, but if I as a teacher learn to know and respect my students, they will also respect me. By understanding their interests and showing genuine care about their lives, I can better teach to their needs. Students recognize when adults want to be with them. While there are times when teachers must be strict, it is important that my students know each day that I want to be with them. When the time comes to be strict, I must show the students that I will not change my mind on things and that I expect them to follow my directions. I have seen so many teachers that seem to be either all caring or all business. I hope that through this experience I will continue to figure out what the proper balance is.
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
January 4, 2011
Domain 4: Rights and Responsibilities
9:30 a.m.
There is one particular child in my class that frequently has behavior problems. Although he is very bright, he often throws fits, talks out of turn, and acts much younger than the other students in his class. His behavior is very unusual and the other children in his class often notice it. When talking to my cooperating teacher, she mentioned to me that they had had several case conferences for this child, but were unable to have any sort of conclusions because she had not had enough documentation. Also, because she takes care of behavior issues herself rather than sending children to the principal. When he was observed by another school personnel, it was only for half an hour and the child was aware of being observed. Because I have seen this behavior and I am spending a majority of my time observing this week, I offered to keep an anecdotal record of him over the next week. I have been documenting when he pays attention and when he doesn't, his outbursts, talking out of turn, being on task and off task, and really any other behavior.
I think this is an important aspect of teaching, while obviously I cannot keep detailed records of each of my students, I must learn to document unusual behavior or really any behavior that can be useful in better teaching my students. While I understand why schools cannot just place students under certain classifications without proof or testing, there is a lot required of teachers to help students who may desperately need it. I also think this will be helpful in my future planning for N, because I will hopefully be more aware of his behavior patterns and know how he responds best.
9:30 a.m.
There is one particular child in my class that frequently has behavior problems. Although he is very bright, he often throws fits, talks out of turn, and acts much younger than the other students in his class. His behavior is very unusual and the other children in his class often notice it. When talking to my cooperating teacher, she mentioned to me that they had had several case conferences for this child, but were unable to have any sort of conclusions because she had not had enough documentation. Also, because she takes care of behavior issues herself rather than sending children to the principal. When he was observed by another school personnel, it was only for half an hour and the child was aware of being observed. Because I have seen this behavior and I am spending a majority of my time observing this week, I offered to keep an anecdotal record of him over the next week. I have been documenting when he pays attention and when he doesn't, his outbursts, talking out of turn, being on task and off task, and really any other behavior.
I think this is an important aspect of teaching, while obviously I cannot keep detailed records of each of my students, I must learn to document unusual behavior or really any behavior that can be useful in better teaching my students. While I understand why schools cannot just place students under certain classifications without proof or testing, there is a lot required of teachers to help students who may desperately need it. I also think this will be helpful in my future planning for N, because I will hopefully be more aware of his behavior patterns and know how he responds best.
Student Teaching: A New Adventure Begins
Domain VII: Communication
7:25 a.m.- 3:35 p.m.
I am beginning a new adventure in my teaching journey, student teaching. Today was my first day in Mrs. Brown’s 3rd Grade class at Lafayette Park Elementary. We communicated throughout the school day about the coming semester. After school we met for about a half hour to talk about expectations for the semester. In speaking, Mrs. Brown made it clear that she thinks that I will do a great job and she doesn’t think the things she wanted to discuss will be a problem. She told me that she expects me to keep up with grading, always have lesson plans prepared, and to keep the kids as involved and active as possible. These are all things that I already plan to do, but it was good to discuss these matters with her. Also, I was able to tell her what I felt like some of my weaknesses are and she reminded me that I am a student teacher and it is ok for me to still be learning those things. She reassured me that she would be there if I needed any help with anything. Also, she teaches a class on classroom management, and considers that to be one of her strengths, which I think will be helpful to me.
I think this was significant because I am going to need to learn to communicate a lot with my teacher throughout the semester. She knows her students, and she is an experienced teacher. I have to remember that she is one of the best resources I have. I think it was good that she was able to clearly set up what she expects of me, even on the very first day. I hope that this will keep things out in the open and that we will be able to continue to communicate clearly. I am looking forward to learning from her and from my own experiences. I am excited to see what the semester holds after the experiences I had today.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
