Week 2 August 27-31, 2012

This week has bee crazy! First, I started taking over some of my host teacher's classes. She asks me what I would be comfortable with teaching, shows me her ideas, and we go from there. I find this way less stressful! My teacher's lesson plans are simply a chart of the week with each class and what she plans on doing in those classes for each day. They are very clear and easy to follow, without being ridiculously long! I have started to teach math first. This was a good place to start because she teaches the same class 1st and 3rd period and has her planning period 2nd. This allows me to teach 1st period (or watch her teacher) and then model her teaching during 3rd period. I have also started taking some of the responsibility for her English class, which I have really enjoyed. I am specializing in English, and her class seems like they will do excellent work when I assign them projects I want them to do!

The 6th grade teachers at my school have TEAM planning 8th period. This is when all the 6th grade teachers come together and discuss issues in the classroom, upcoming events, and anything else that will make their days go smoother. I didn't see anything like this in my home PDS, which is a shame. During this time I have learned so much about the students and what problems teachers face. A lot of time they discuss certain students, how these students behave in each other's classes, and what needs to be done to fix the problem. They discuss IEPs, SATs, and setting up meetings with parents. There is a ton of professional collaboration and feedback. I have enjoyed being apart of these meetings because I really feel like part of the staff! I hope the school I teach at in the future has something like this because all the teachers are a "team" and work together to meet the needs of each student. The best thing is, these meetings are everyday, which allows everyone to know what is going on at all times.

To meet a requirement on my rubric, I attended the school's cross country meet on 8/30. Having run cross country at Suncrest it brought back a lot of memories. The kids were all really excited to see me there too, I think it meant a lot to them. I was also able to tell them how I run cross country and track for WVU, which they thought was really cool. I liked being able to show my students that we have something in common and that a passion you have in middle school can be something you do all your life! I think making connections and showing students their interests is also one of yours is very important in forming a good relationship with them! It was great to see such a large number of students participating in an activity that keeps you so healthy!

To end my crazy week, there was a sub in room Thursday and Friday. Although I was a little nervous, I had no choice but to suck it up and make sure the kids had a great day. It was excellent practice for when I take over full time teaching! The subs didn't do much, they sat at the computer which meant I taught the whole day full time! It was fun and exciting! The students really relied on me for problems and questions. They all know my name now! The day went by super fast as well. This experience taught me how organized you must be if you have to call in a sub. My mentor teacher left great notes and I had no problems at all following what she needed done. It made me feel like I can actually do this! Having taught full time for 2 days, I have learned how hectic a day can be when you are the only teacher in the room. Sometimes there are 10 students asking different questions, but I learned that you just need to take a deep breathe and remember that you are their role model, the one they are looking to for help, and to me, that is the greatest job in the world! I am starting to really feel prepared to teach my students everyday very soon. I also believe the unexpectedness of having a sub 2 days in a row was a great thing for me to work through. I am such a planner and like to know what I am doing days before it happens. However, I learned that being a teacher and especially a sub, you will not know what you are getting yourself into. This experience showed me that I can show up and do what needs done, even without planning! Something I was worried about and didn't want to have to do was give students SRs. I finally had to today, I felt bad, but the student knew he needed to fill it out.

There is one particular students who has done no work for any classes. I wonder why she is like this? What can I do as a student teacher to help her complete work?

EDUC 600 Picture of Education

This picture represents how I view Education. The blue piece of paper represents the word with a boy and girl in the middle. These are our students. The red and yellow paper have the words explorer, problem-solver, independent, respectful, and responsible. All of these words are things we need to teach our students that are not necessarily in the curriculum. Not only do we need to teach our students math, science, social studies, and English but, we also need to teach them to be successful in the real world and to become a part of society. If students are able to master all of these things, they are on their way to be life long learners in the world.

Week 1 August 20- 24, 2012

I just ended my first week at Suncrest Middle School and I have already learned so much!  The past two years I have been placed at a Suncrest Primary school, which only serves pre-k to 3rd grade. This semester I am doing an 8/8 week spilt beginning with 6th grade. I was so nervous coming into this week, I wasn't sure what to expect from older students. I soon learned that there really isn't to much difference between the younger students and older students, besides the curriculum! The 6th graders are new to Suncrest as well, so they are still getting used to the middle school routines and expectations, such as not leaving their books in the desks when they switch classes. 6th graders still need very clear instructions, meaning, you can not expect them to read your mind and know what you want from there. I found this very similar to the young students I have worked with. Clear instruction is important know what grade level you are working with!

I have enjoyed watching my mentor teacher this week and learning from her style of teaching. She is very positive in everything she does. If a student, for one reason or another, is struggling with something, does not understand directions etc., she always points out something good about what they are doing. This can be something as simple as raising their hand if they are known for blurting out. She certainly makes each student feel good about themselves.

For the next 8 weeks I will be teaching 2 math classes, a reteach class, English class, and Read 180 class. I am not excited about the English class! I am looking forward to having them create some unique products. I am also excited about the Read 180 class because I would like to become a reading specialist. We have already tested the kids to see what level of reading they are on, so I am already becoming familiar with the program. I am a little nervous about the math classes because I am not a math person, but my mentor teacher has assured me I will be fine!

As far as research goes, I have done a little bit of thinking about my wonderings, but it is hard to pick a topic when I have not even met the students I will be working (I am doing my research during the second 8 weeks!) I am definitely wanting to do something with English, reading or vocabulary. Perhaps something with literature circles? I plan on contacting my mentor teacher at Suncrest Primary and ask her for some advice.