Domain 2 Personal Development
Elaboration:
We had another field trip this morning and a party this afternoon. It was more of a fun day and I really enjoyed spending time with the children. I was able to sit with them on the bus and during the concert. I also played with them at recess today. The children were really excited when I was participating.

Analysis:
I think being involved in these activities helps build a relationship with the children. They see you as someone they can trust and children also have a great sense of whether or not you actually want to be with them. I love being with the children, whether teaching them or just hearing what they have to say. As I've gotten further along in student teaching, I've had to find lines between friend and teacher. Also, I've had to make sure that my participation in something like recess is not going to cause a bigger problem for the other teachers.

Domain 1: Content/Subject Matter Expertise
8:30= 10:15 a.m.
Elaboration:
One of the things that I have realized is that besides planning a variety of lessons with different strategies, it is also important to plan a variety of assessments. During the reading of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, I had decided that we were going to use weekly reading quizzes instead of having a test at the end. Instead I had a final project. These past few days have been dedicated to working on the final project. During their final project work time, I also have been holding conferences with the students. I allow them to tell me about their favorite parts and give me an overview of the book. I also used this opportunity to let them choose a passage they liked and read it aloud to me. I tracked their fluency, self correction, and oral expression during reading on the sheet. Afterwords, I had the students talk about what they liked or didn't like about the unit. Asking them if I taught this again to a new group of children, what should I change or leave the same?

Analysis:
I love the final projects that they are working on and the conferences have been awesome to assess in several different areas. I can see not only whether children have comprehended the story, but whether they see the whole picture or the small picture, or even whether they understand literary terms such as setting or problem and solution. I can provide cues for those who don't and see where they are at in their comprehension skills. It also has provided an opportunity for self-improvement. While there may be things that the children hate that are necessary, I do not want the children to hate learning. It is important for me to figure out what exactly these children need.

Domain 5 Methodology

Elaboration:
Spring break is approaching. This means that the students are restless and the teachers are nearing their breaking points. I myself am very ready for a break. One of the temptations during these times is to let go of the things that are needed to make good teaching. It seems as if movies are popping out everywhere and there are worksheets galore all over the building. Today during Social Studies my students were being restless and complaining that they would rather do a different activity then the one I was doing with them. I informed them that I didn't want to hear any complaining. I was trying my best to come up with fun ways to learn things. While this may not be playing computer games like they might like to, this is much better than copying worksheets out of the textbook. I said it would be easier for me to give them worksheets, but I wanted to do something more interactive.

Analysis:
I think there are two different things I realized today in thinking about Methodology. First of all there is a balance when it comes to times like these (right before breaks). The children are also tired and need a break. It is ok to plan a movie as a reward or allow for activities that are a bit more relaxed. However, this isn't an excuse to stop learning all together. Second, I've realized that kids really do appreciate the extra things that meet their needs. Even though they complained at first, after I talked to the children, they were all very grateful that we weren't doing worksheets. Some of them even asked for the website we had used so that they could look at more things about the government at home. Worksheets aren't all bad. But they definitely don't need to be the main thing that is associated with Social Studies. So many of my children hate Social Studies, I think this is the main reason why. I hope with a little change in methodology, I might change some of their minds.

Domain 4: Rights and Responsibilities
7:35- 8:10

Elaboration:
Every morning, my teacher is always extremely willing to help me get things ready for the day. Because of carpooling, I often don't have quite as much time as I would like in the mornings and afternoons. I get as much done as I can while I am at school, but often I need some help. Teachers have a lot of paperwork to keep up with during their teaching and these tasks can quickly take over. I am so grateful that I have been able to utilize the help that I have in my classroom.

Analysis:
I very much appreciate the fact that my teacher is willing to share responsibilities in these areas with me. By helping me copy things or even grading papers sometimes, I am able to concentrate more on my lesson planning. While I know that I may not always have an adult in the classroom, I think that it is important that I learn to do things with help and independently. Too often we make things harder for ourselves because we do not allow others to help us. I always want share my ideas with others and to collaborate in order to share responsibility, even if it isn't in the same way I have been able to this semester.

Domain 1 Content Subject Matter Expertise
3:00 p.m.
Elaboration:
I am getting ready to begin a new unit for Social studies on government. This is my first time teaching social studies for student teaching. After school today I was working on my lesson for next week and I was looking things up online. Not only does this provide me with the information so that I can accurately teach the children, but it also gives me great new ideas for ways to engage the students.

Analysis:
I have learned that there are a lot of details about many subject areas that are important to teach. I have found that textbooks and the internet can provide great resources for these lessons. Also, many times I might not know an answer right away for a question that the children ask. I have found in these situations, I can't know everything, I have to look it up. I think it has been beneficial for me and my students to be able to admit when I don't know an answer.

Domain 1 Content Subject Matter Expertise
8:50-11:15
Elaboration:
Today we went on a field trip in the morning. We went to the Sieberling Mansion in Kokomo. It is a museum that has been maintained by the Kokomo historical society. Since third graders learn about communities, this was a great way for the students to be involved in their own community and learn more about it. Also, it was neat to see the children being so interested in the history of the mansion and Howard county. If we had just talked about this content in the classroom, they would not have been nearly as interested.

Analysis:
Students love field trips. While they involve organization and cost, they are memorable for the students. Experiencing something, especially in relation to Social Studies or Science, is such an effective way for students to learn. These subjects are often thought of as "boring" and any experience students can have with them is great. Sometimes field trips won't be available, but special guests, realia, and hands on activities are extremely engaging.

Domain 5: Methodology
8:30-10:15
Elaboration:
Stations can be a great way to provide a different type of instruction for language arts. The kids are always excited when they see a chart is up on the board for stations. While the movement of the stations went well today the students were not doing a very good job at being on task. I've been trying to find ways to have the students be self motivated. I have been trying to encourage them to use their time wisely so that they don't end up with homework.
Analysis:
I think that one of the things that will help my students is to continue to provide a balance between new activities and using old ones with new concepts. I have recognized that they frequently do better if they have something that does not transfer into homework. They like to be able to see the end result while they are still in class. Games usually go well, however, writing is often hard for them to accomplish. I have been trying to figure out when this is because the children are not doing what they are supposed to do and when it is too much for the time.

Domain 8: Global and Multicultural Perspectives
8:30-10:15 a.m.
Elaboration:
In Language Arts class this morning, one of my students was continually falling asleep during reading time. Some students were reading aloud, others were reading independently. When I asked him why he was so tired, he said he didn't know. He said he just wasn't sleeping. I had him sit up and join me and him and I took turns reading together. Finally he sat up and paid attention for the rest of the classtime. I also gave my students a challenge today to go one hour without watching TV or playing video games. I told them that tomorrow they would write about it. They all complained wildly saying that they would not have anything to do. The children said that they range between 2 and 7 hours of video games and television a night.

Analysis:
Many of the parents of my students have different ideals and guidelines for their children than I would, or than I did. The children in my class are much more plugged into technology than I ever was. I think it is important that I incorporate some of their world into my teaching, but it is also crucial that I show them other ways to do things. I encouraged them to play a game or go outside. It is hard to know what the line is in some of these areas. Where is the line for me as a teacher in teaching them how to live? Where is the line between learning to engage them with what they know and teaching them how to be engaged in other things?

Domain 4 Rights and Responsibilities
Elaboration:
Today we had parent teacher conferences. These conferences were students led and lasted for most of the day. For the most part it was a positive experience. Not quite all of the students in our class had their parents come, but a large majority did. I got to speak with some of the parents about things that had been going on and problems they had been having. Most all of the parents seemed very supportive and wanted to fix any of the problems we had. I got to speak with some of the parents, however, a majority of them wanted to speak to the regular classroom teachers.

Analysis:
It was difficult for me to realize that most of the parents do not view me as their child's teacher. Although this makes sense, I feel like the teacher because I am the one who is interacting with them. I think the responsibility teachers have to parents is a huge one. It becomes much scarier when you have to back up the things you're doing to the parents. However, I think that I was able to communicate well with the parents, letting them know that I was also looking out for their child's best interest.

Domain 2 Personal Development
Elaboration:
Today after school I received an email from a school that I had applied to offering me a job as a fifth grade teacher! It is for an international school in Honduras! I feel very excited. I feel scared because I am not sure if I know what to do to teach fifth graders. However, looking back today, I realized how much I have already learned and grown this semester. I am excited to see how I will continue to learn and grow.

Analysis:
I think that teaching is a great job because it provides so many opportunities for growth. I can see the many ways that I have been prepared for this moment. I think the challenge now will be to continue to focus on my current students, teaching them and loving them for all the time I have left with them.

Domain 5 Methodology
8:30=9:30
Elaboration:
Challenging your students yet not skipping the lines of developmentally appropriate practice is sometimes difficult. In teaching the advanced Language Arts group, I have been given a lot of freedom to try things with the students. These students have great capabilities. However, I have realized that they raise to the expectations that you give them. On occasion, I have given them something that was very challenging for them. For example, I may use one station to provide a little extra challenge. I encourage them to try their best, just because they may not be able to get everything right, doesn't mean they shouldn't try. Today when I gave them an assignment, most of them tried to do as little as possible to get it done, even the good students. I believe this typical of this group in many circumstances.
Analysis:
The first thing that I've been working on is simply planning activities that engage my students. Most of the time, if they are truly interested in the assignment they will work really hard for me. I also must remember that I have been a student and I was definitely a student who did what I had to and then stopped in most circumstances. It is vital that I continue to challenge them. I have found that by saying I want 5 sentences instead of I want 3-5 sentences, will produce more work. It's not always about the quantity but some of them simply stop at good enough.

Domain 2: Personal Development (Morals and Ethics)
8:30- 10:15 a.m.

Elaboration:
In Language Arts, I had a word work day with a variety of spelling and vocabulary stations. It was a lot of fun to see the kids enjoy themselves in a variety of games and activities. Mrs. Brown and I walked around and joined in different games when it was possible. Participating in games and activities like this help build a classroom community and lets the kids know that I enjoy being with them. Also, while playing games I had several instances where students were being cruel to another student or doing something inappropriate. In these times, I corrected the behavior and talked to them about how they should treat others, even if they are not present in the classroom. Since my class has a lot of boys, I also talked with them about how important it is to respect females.

Analysis:
One of the things I love about this job is that there is an opportunity to really get to know kids, be involved in their lives, and teach them how they should live. I am able to teach them how to be moral and how to treat other people with respect, by what I say and what I do. As this week has gone on, I have realized how much I enjoy being around them, especially at moments when they are really engaged and don't even realize they're learning.

Domain 8: Global and Multicultural Perspectives
10:30-11:10
Elaboration:
For health, I invited a friend of mine who is a nursing student to come in and talk with my children about how to wash their hands. We also talked about germs. I taught part of the lesson and she taught part of it. This was a great way to involve someone from the community, even if it is my own community. The students listened well and were intrigued by our visitor.

Analysis:
By allowing students to meet and hear from people who have different jobs in the community, students can gain a better understanding of how they can take their place in the community. They can also understand what community members can help them with certain things. School is only one of the places that we learn. Students can gain a broader perspective of their community and the world through learning experiences such as this one.

Domain 6 Management of Time, Classroom, and Behavior
10:30-11:10 a.m.
Elaboration:
Today during math I tried a few new things. I tried to walk around more during the lesson and also had the children work back on the carpet for a part of the lesson. I think having them move around and utilizing the full classroom helped them stay on task and more engaged. I also had students help pass things out and kept moving. The kids were learning a new concept that was a bit tricky, but I think because we did a little less during the lesson helped as well. I also walked around throughout the lesson more than usual to monitor.
Analysis:
Seeing the difference these things made, I will continue to implement these things into my math lessons so that I can more carefully monitor what my students are learning. By planning a little less, I have more time to monitor. Students who are struggling get help and if I checked the more advanced students' work they were allowed to move on instead of wait. Although some students finished almost everything, I think it still worked better. I may have some tools for practicing multiplication facts of another form of enrichment available for those kids.

Domain 7: Communication
9:30 a.m.- 10:15 a.m.

Elaboration:
Today in Language Arts we watched videos that we had made last week. I told the kids that we were going to be respectful of each other while watching the movies. I explained that we don't make fun of people and after the video we all clap for everyone else. The kids responded very positively and were very respectful. They really enjoyed watching it.

Analysis:
Setting a good example and standard of positive communication is really important with students. Some of them may not have the common sense or the tact to come up with certain conclusions on their own. I think that setting these expectations communicated a positive and supportive environment to the children. This helps them feel comfortable in the classroom and allows them to build confidence in sharing.

Domain 4: Rights and Responsibilities
2:30 p.m.

Elaboration:
Today at the end of the day, the students were watching a movie for thrilling Thursday. Students who still had homework to make up had to come to the work room. I was in the work room with several students. One of my math students came in with another teacher who called his dad because he was up to a detention. This "tough" boy who is often disrespectful started to cry. He was very angry and crying really hard. He picked up his math papers and sat down at his desk. He sat there refusing to make eye contact with anyone and crying. The other teachers left to supervise the movie room. I pulled up a chair beside his desk and told him if he needed any help with his homework he should let me know.
After sitting there and watching him cry for about a minute, I said, "I'm not sure what's going on. I don't know if you're just upset because you're in trouble or if something else is bothering you. I want you to know that even though I want you to get your math homework done, I care about you more. So, if you want to talk about what's going on we can talk about that and worry about your math homework later." After sitting in silence for about five minutes, I asked him to nod his head if he wanted to do his math. He shook his head. He finally told me that the reason he was crying is because he was scared to go home. He told me that when he gets in trouble at school his dad hurts him. I stayed calm and listened to him a bit longer. When he became silent again I went and talked to my teacher who was in the hallway. She ended up talking to the Vice Principal and tried to find the school social worker. After talking to the homeroom teacher, they said there has been some suspicion before. They did not send him home after school.

Analysis:
This is one of the more sobering things I have encountered. This child struggles a lot with anger issues, is often disrespectful, and almost never gets things done at home. However, it seems that he has a lot going on underneath the surface. It breaks my heart to know that this child is going through so much. I feel glad that he trusted me enough to tell me. I am a little concerned about whether or not he will actually get any help. This is one of those areas in teaching where teachers are held to a high responsibility. There is a possibility they may ask me more questions. I'm not exactly sure how to cope with all of this, but I know that I must trust it will be taken care of and so will the student.

Domain 7: Communication

Elaboration:
Yesterday, after school one of the students whom I had given a consequence for was very angry at me. However, one of the things that I have discovered with third graders is that they usually forget things that happened by the next day. This morning, he came in and was still very angry at me. He was rude and disrespectful and tried to ignore me. He told me that he wasn't going to listen to me because I didn't care about him anymore. I told him that I did care about him, but that didn't mean he wasn't going to receive consequences. He has continually been telling me what things are and aren't my job. I have been trying to remind him of what his job is as a student.

Analysis:
I think I may try making a behavior contract with this particular student. He often talks about "my job" or "his job". I think writing them out in a concrete way and having some form of visual to represent that would be good. I think I will write it up and then use some sort of check mark system to gain some type of reward. I think that an agreement like this would work well and communicate to him more positively than a clip strip. I will give him check marks for staying on task, following procedures, and completing assignments.

Domain 6: Management of Time, Classroom, and Behaviors
10:20-11:10 a.m.

Elaboration:
Today I was working on making sure that I communicated my expectations and followed through with them. During health, I warned them and told them what I would be looking for. I said that if I heard any of them shouting things out or messing around they would have to miss out on the activity and clip a strip. It was a strong expectation but they had been clearly warned. I had to clip several strips during class. However, I had to remind myself that I had communicated to them clearly on the expectations, now it was my job to follow through.

Analysis:
I think sometimes my communication as far as expectations can be a bit rough. Not because I don't tell them the expectations, but because I have trouble following through with them. However, this is sending a message that I don't really mean what I say. I don't want the children to think that, so I want to make it my goal to reinforce what I say with actions, even if it means punishment. I have been talking with my teacher, and this is one area she wants me to continue to work on.

Domain 6: Management of Time, Classroom, and Behavior
10:20-11:10 a.m.

Elaboration:
Today during math today I was having a really hard time getting the students to listen. We were going over how to do their homework. I felt not a single student was listening. So I stopped what I was doing and I told them that I was not up here doing this for my own practice, it was to help them on their homework. If they didn't want to listen, I wasn't going to teach. I went to the side of the room and after a few seconds of being shocked, most of the students stopped talking and faced forward. One student raised his hand and asked if I would please come back and try again. I then finished the lesson and almost all of the students followed along carefully.

Analysis:
While this is not a method I would always use to gain my students attention, I did find it effective. I felt it might have been slightly manipulative, however, I also think students often fail to understand that teachers are there to help them. I am not doing these lessons because I want to, it is because I want to help my students. I think I may try doing a different saying or something with my math class to get their attention. I also am going to start a new behavior management plan with my homeroom because they just moved into table groups. Hopefully, I will be able to find more positive ways to keep encouraging my classes to stay on task and listen.

Domain 2: Personal Development

Elaboration:
Lately, I have been spending a lot of time thinking about how I can better understand my students and demonstrate care to them, even the ones who sometimes annoy me. Today I took the time to stop and just listen to the students in my class. At lunch today, I sat for a few minutes with one students and listened to him talk about his toys. He also told my about how he didn't feel like he had any friends. I talked with him for a while about what it means to be a friend and how to have friends. I have discovered as I go along that even though I have been rougher on some of my students, they really want that for themselves and appreciate when I take the time to listen to them.

Analysis:
I think that as I have been here longer, it becomes easier to simply think I know my students. However, many of them have social things going on or just want someone who will give them attention. Many of them are such great children that no one notices. I want to notice those who get in trouble and those who fly under the radar. The ones who receive little attention need it. I want to build their confidence and make a difference in their lives. It's days like today that I feel overwhelmed in a good way. I feel overwhelmed by how much these children need me and want me in their lives.

Domain 5 Methodology
8:30 a.m.- 9:30 a.m.

Elaboration:
I have been trying to do a large variety of projects with my children who are in my language arts class. They are very creative and a lot of fun. Their project for today was recording their pretend news cast. They had to interview one of the characters from the book. As my students were doing this, they suddenly became very "shy". However, I think many of them enjoyed it. It was fun to see some of the kids talents really come out. Even though it may have been out of some of the students' comfort zones, there were definitely some who really benefited from it.

Analysis:
I have continually been realizing how some children really are talented in so many different ways. One of my students is especially good with drama. However, he frequently uses it in the wrong ways. He has been having trouble in Language Arts class lately, so I hope that a project like this helped pull him back in. He was very excited about being involved in the project. I want to continue to find more ways to help some of the students who may not be as inclined towards writing participate in the Language Arts class and connect with the novel.

Domain 1: Content/Subject Matter Expertise
11:50-12:30p.m.
Elaboration:
Today the health lesson went very well. I got to use our interactive tablet and a flip chart for the first time. The kids loved it and were very excited to participate. Many of them have never spent much time thinking about nutrients or what was good for them. I can definitely tell the ones who have.

Analysis:
Health is often looked at as an extra and non important subject. However, I have realized that the content of it is very applicable to the students' lives. For example many of them may not be told to eat healthy foods at home. They don't understand what is good for them and what isn't. Or, they may simply not know how to make choices accordingly. I have decided that I will try to make this chapter as applicable as possible to their lives, so that they can truly be healthier. I also want to continue to look at the other subjects I am teaching and find the content that is relevant to my students' futures.

Domain 6: Management of Time, Classroom, and Behaviors

Elaboration:
Today during health class I had a lot of trouble with the kids. They did not seem to want to listen, not matter how many times I stopped the lesson and reminded them of what they were supposed to be doing. Some of them just kept talking the entire time and did not want to work at all. They had a lot of trouble following directions.

Analysis:
Looking back, I think a part of this was that they had just finished ISTEP testing. Although we were doing something a bit more fun, I think that they had just had too much sitting. Afterward, they had P.E. which helped a little bit. I think the next time they have a difficult morning, I will try and and provide a different sort of activity. I think one of the things with management, is putting myself in their place. I often forget what it is like to sit and do things for long amounts of time. Learning can be hard work. I think I expect things of them that I don't expect of myself, then I don't understand why they are having trouble. Also, I must make sure that I continue to reinforce expectations. It does become difficult when it seems as if everyone is breaking them. I always feel like it would be ridiculous to have the entire class clip a strip.