Week 10 October 22-26, 2012

I just finished my 2^nd week at my PDS. Wow, time is really flying by, I only have 6 weeks left! This week at my PDS, I took notice of the collaboration among the teachers. Our PDS has new principal this year, and she has changed the whole schedule of the 2^nd grade. I thought since I had been with my mentor teacher before that this would be a piece of cake mainly because I already knew the schedule of the day. Well, everything has been changed!! We now have reading stations in the morning and math and more reading stations in the afternoon. This means there is over 5 new stations for math and reading each week! This is a ton of stuff to prepare for. Luckily, my mentor teacher said she would definitely help me when I start full time teaching because even she gets confused about the weird rotations we now have. There is only one other 2^nd grade classroom at my PDS. Since both 2^nd grade classrooms now have this new schedule, the two teachers really try to share resources and bounce ides off of one another, because let’s face it, there is a ton more planning to do now compared to the last time I was with the 2^nd grade! Collaboration makes their lives so much easier because they get to share their stations. I wouldn’t mind working with or even being a collaboration teacher. I worked with one at the middle school and my mentor teacher and I did a lot of co-teaching. The collaboration I see at the elementary school is different though, I se more of sharing resources than I do actual collaboration teachers, which I don’t think our school even has.

I also began my research study this week. It’s a lot more work than I thought it would be. I found it really difficult to fit in my vocabulary lessons for my research and all the other lessons we need to teach during the day. Luckily my mentor teacher is really flexible and allows me enough time to finish what I need to. I decided to look at 6 student’s work for my study. 3 girls, and 3 boys. I picked one boy and one girl each from the 3 reading groups; on level, above level, and below level. Unfortunately the girl student I picked from the at level reading group was absent from class during day 2 and day 3 of the this week’s vocabulary words. With this being the case, she missed the actual vocabulary lesson on Tuesday. I was out of town this week Thursday and Friday for a cross country meet, so my mentor teacher implemented my activities these days. I sent home day 1 and 2 activities with the student so she would still be able to complete them, I just may not use these in my data analysis and if I do I will make sure to note her activities were completed at home. I don’t have much to analyze yet because I have only conducted each activity one time and I am looking for comparisons among the activities.

One day this week we had a sub. This sub was no help at me all and it makes me feel bad for the students when there is a sub because their whole day is completely messed up. Even the students told my mentor teacher that the sub didn’t do anything all day. I ended up teaching the whole day, which was fine because I need and enjoy the experience, but the students definitely tried to see how far they could push my buttons. They were so chatty all day and it was really hard for me to get them to calm down. Turing the lights off didn’t work, giving them laps to walk at recess didn’t work, giving them slips didn’t work. Nothing. This is something I am going to talk to my mentor teacher about because it was very frustrating for me as a new teacher. My mentor teacher has told me many times that that class is very immature for 2^nd graders, and I definitely saw that when I was teaching the whole day. I had one student who cried 4 times throughout the day. One time because the gym teacher didn’t let the boys come into the building first. It was a very tiring day and at the end of the day I questioned if this was something I wanted to do all my life. I told myself that next year I will have my own classroom and I will be seen as the real teacher and hopefully my students will find more respect for me. The next day at school my mentor teacher told me that she noticed a huge difference with how the students approached me. She said she saw them coming to me instead of her and asking for my self and guidance. She said this was because I was the boss yesterday and they were starting to look at me like they look at her. This made me feel really good and that I actually did teach and make an impact on the students the day before. My mentor teacher also told me that the principal at our school complimented me on what a great a job I did with the students while Mrs. Wilson was away, so this was really good news!

Next week I begin week two of my research study and start teaching more math and reading, which I am really excited about. All my math lessons this week went very well and I am definitely more confident teaching the younger students now than I was when I was teaching the 2^nd grade last Spring!

Week 9 October 22- 26, 2012

 I just finished my first week back at my home PDS, Suncrest Primary. I really missed being in the familiar setting. However, I started to miss the 6^th grade students and the daily routine I had established with them. I like the structure of the middle school with 45 minute classes and the students rotating throughout the day. But, I have already begun to learn about each of my 19 2^nd graders. The one thing I like most about the elementary setting is that I have the same students each day all day, so I definitely get to know them better. I feel more physically exhausted at the end of the day because we are always changing something or doing something different.

I experienced one of the most frightening things in my life this week. My mentor teacher and I had lunch duty; this rotates throughout the 2^nd and 3^rd grade teachers. Anyways, a student started to choke! The little girl across from him raised her hand, I was totally focused on what she needed and then when she calmly pointed at him and said, “he’s choking,” I panicked. Luckily, Mrs. Wilson was within reach and by the time we both got to him, he had coughed up the food that was trapped in his throat. I almost cried watching him, but it was all-ok, and he started to eat again. This showed me how ANYTHING can happen, especially with little kids. We had the nurse come in and talk with the students about the lunch room and if you see someone choking, do not raise your hand, it is ok to get out of your seat! This made me think, I am first-aid and CPR certified because I work at a day care over the summer, but my teacher education program does not make us take courses or be certified. I think this is something I am going to bring up to my program because had I not been certified and I was the only teacher in the room at the time, I would have not known what to do.  It was very scary.

I started to take over the calendar time in the morning. This was nothing new for me because I did this with the same mentor teacher last year, so I know the drill pretty well! This coming week, I will start the morning math. Two times a day, we have reading stations, where one group works with my mentor teacher and a few students who need intervention work with the interventionist and the other student’s work independently. For the most part, the stations rotate nicely. Each group is at that station for 30 minutes and this rotates among 4 days of the week. There are reading and math stations in the afternoon that are 30 minutes each as well.

This week I also am beginning my research study. My mentor teacher helped me pick out 6 students, a boy and a girl from each of the above level, on level, and below level reading groups. We decided that we would dedicate time in the morning to do the vocabulary activities as a group, this way I am sure to get some useable data! My mentor teacher says this is one of the most immature group of students she has had in awhile, so everything with them needs to be done step by step and as a group if possible. So, I am excited to get my study started! I feel like I have done so much preparation for this point it almost seems unreal that I am actually starting it and will have some data to analyze at the end of this week. Unfortunately, I leave for Texas for a cross country meet this Thursday and will miss two days of my research, but my mentor teacher said she will make sure everything gets done. I am really luckily to be placed with her again because she really wants me to be involved with the class and she really trusts me with her students.

As I mentioned before, the maturity level of this group of students is very low. I student taught with 2^nd graders last spring and they were so mature! I know that these students are a lot younger than the students I worked with in the spring because it is still early in the year. I am hoping that when I come back in the spring to do some contract hours that the maturity level of this group increases. They are a great group of kids, they are just so needy. The biggest thing I have noticed with them is that they cannot stay in their seat and they talk a lot! They talk to themselves for the most part! This was funny at first, but after a day of it, I was about to go crazy! If they need something they always come up and start pecking on my shoulder, so we are really working with them about raising their hands if they need something. I really like this group and can’t wait to start teaching them more. They are a really energetic group and seem really eager to learn!

Week 8 October 8-12, 2012

This was my last week at my middle school placement this semester. I wasn’t expecting on being so sad, but once all the students started saying good-bye to me and my mentor teacher and other 6^th grade teachers wished me well, it hit me. I didn’t realize that spending only 8 weeks in the classroom would have such an impact on the students, and that they would have such an impact on me! When the students told me they would miss me, it really made me think about the impact I had on them and how much they really looked up to me. It was probably one of the best feelings I have had while teaching. 8 short weeks proved to be enough to gain the respect of my students and have them look at me like a “real” teacher. I will really miss each and every one of them. My mentor teacher and the other 6^th grade teachers really opened their classes up to me and made me feel like apart of their team. I hope that the school I teach in has a staff that is so close and works so well together. They asked for my opinions and really taught me how to deal with all the stresses that come along with teaching.

On my Monday of this week, we had an ISE day. There were no students, but the teachers had to report, including myself. The first two hours of the day was spent doing parent conferences. My mentor teacher was not able to make it into school that day, so it was my responsibility to fill her position and actually take part in all 3 meetings we had with students that day. Mrs. Atkinson and myself act as one of the student’s homeroom teacher, so I didn’t have much to share other than her SR and ABC record. I had to show the parents her chart and tell them what she had received an SR/ABC for.  The second student was in my math class. I had to give my opinion on how he behaved in class because this particular student has an issue with talking back to teachers. I had experienced this before with this student so I was able to tell his mom what I saw from him in the classroom. The third student is also in one of my math classes. As his teacher, I didn’t see the many behavior problems like some of the other teachers have seen. He is respectful for the most part, the only issue we had with him in our classroom is his inability to sit down and raise his hand when he needs something. He had trouble getting his homework in at the beginning of the year, but this has improved. Since he has had so much trouble in school, with suspension and fighting, his meeting was really long. This was good for me because I was able to see how the other teachers dealt with the parents and all the parents! I was so nervous during the meetings because I have been with the students all year up to this point so it was my responsibility to tell them how their children have been doing in my class since I was the teacher in charge for a few weeks. Talk about stressful!! After the parent meetings, we had Faculty Senate meeting with all the entire staff. They discussed issues in the school and other items that were happening in each of the grade levels.  It was nice to see the whole staff working together to make the school a better place for them and the students! I was glad I was able to be apart of this ISE day.

My mentor teacher and I, along with a SPED teacher, collaboratively taught a math class this semester. I really like collaborate teaching and I think all classrooms should have this regardless of if there are students who need assistance in the classroom. Mrs. Atkinson and I worked really together, which shows me you need to be compatible with the collaborative teacher if you are going to teacher successfully together. Collaborative teaching is something I am fully open to and would like to do in the future! It was so nice having 3 teachers in the classroom; this helped all the students in the class, not just those who needed the special educator. We were all 3 able to bounce ideas off each other and add things to lessons that may help different students in different ways.

I was so hesitant to be teaching 6^th grade, but I quickly learned that 6^th grade is definitely a level I would be willing to teach! I like the structure and schedule of middle school. Although, I found it hard to make lessons new and exciting, compared to the fun arts and crafts you get to do in the elementary grades all the time. The one thing I liked about 6^th grade is that I can take what I have learned in all my English courses in college and apply them where as this is harder to do in the primary grades. I actually really like this age group. For the most part, many of them are still excited to learn and want to do well! It may have been that I had an awesome mentor teacher and literally, all the students LOVE her, which made my experience so grade, but I also had great students to work with as well! My experience in the 6^th grade has been invaluable to me. I am glad that I was able to broaden the grade levels I have student taught in, this makes me confident to apply for middle school positions in the future. 

On Monday I will take on the 2nd grade as the final step in my internship, I am excited to work with my mentor teacher and also start my research study!! 

Week 7 October 1-5, 2012

This week was my final week of full time teaching in my 6^th grade class. I have one more week left in this placement before I return to my home PDS. I have learned so much these past few weeks of full time teaching. The biggest things I have learned is how to get through changes and be able to switch plans at any moment. Monday morning I began teaching 1^st period math and noticed right away during their individual 5 minute check that many students did not understand the lesson that was taught on Friday. Based on this assessment, I decided to reteach the entire lesson, so this put my math lessons behind a whole day for the entire week! So much for detailed lesson plans when everything can change at any moment! Luckily, my mentor teacher is so flexible and understands changes in the schedule that she agreed with me that we needed to reteach the lesson.

My mentor teacher noticed that I have taken a lot more control of the classroom over the past few weeks as well. She told me my improvements have made lessons go smoother and the students also realize that I am a teacher too and in control of the classroom. I no longer stay in my corner of the classroom; I am walking around the entire time and showing that I am in control. I am definitely being more assertive when it comes to behavior in the classroom, I ask them to raise their hands if they need something instead of blurting out loud during instruction; this is something some students are still working on! I have made big improvements with the amount of questions that are being asked during my 5^th period English class. I think now they understand that if they are going to ask me if their answer is right o wrong, they better not ask it! I am giving them clearer and more step-by-step instructions so I think this helps them not get so confused during the period. I still have a lot of little hands going up in the air during this class, but it is definitely getting better. If there are questions before we begin an activity, I make sure to tell them to listen closely because I will not answer the same question twice. I’m not sure if this is a good strategy or not, but for students whom I know ask questions just for the sake of asking them, I will ignore them and see if they put their hands down or keep them up. For the most part, they put their hands down and move on. We were spending SO much class time answering questions like, “is it ok if I have a blue pencil instead of a dark blue?” or “she didn’t dot her “i” is that ok?” that we were not having time to do anything else and that needed to change!

Mrs. Atkinson also showed me how to record the SR’s and ABC’s. This is so time consuming especially if you have students who get a lot of them! It is good for documentation though. During a conference with a student’s parents, we were able to show the improvements of number of SR’s and ABC’s based on the record we keep. The first week of school their line of reminders was really high and as the weeks went on, you could see a decrease in the height of the line. Even though this is good documentation, it still takes up so much time and you have to remember to do it everyday or you will get behind and have so much recording to do!

Another thing my mentor teacher noticed that I am doing a good job with is calling on students during lessons that are off task. Doing this gets them to see they need to pay attention during lessons. It also shows my mentor teacher and myself that I am multitasking, I am teaching a lesson and watching all the students at the same time and noticing what they are doing. This skill takes practice, but I also think it is a good classroom management strategy because I am watching the students’ behaviors and if one student is off task, I can see it and get them back on task by asking them a question they should know.

On Friday there was a sub in my classroom which meant I was teaching and doing everything all day! I have done this before so it wasn’t a big deal, it just shows me how much needs to get done and be done by the end of the day! I was the teacher the students went to if they needed anything and at times that meant I had 5 students at my side! It can be overwhelming, but it is invaluable experience that I will be glad I had once I am able to sub and have my own classroom. Being able to be the head teacher towards the end of my time here has shown me how much the students look up to me. They respect me and follow what I ask them to do. Very rarely did I have students who were acting up because there was a sub in the classroom. This makes me feel really good and shows me that I can have control of the classroom and have respect from the students. They know that I follow Mrs. Atkinson’s classroom rules, so they need to follow them even when she is not in the classroom.

Next week I will slowly start to give Mrs. Atkinson control of the classroom and teaching. I am really sad to go and will miss the students a lot. 6^th grade is definitely not what I thought it would be! Next week I will teach a few lessons and prepare to move on to my home PDS.