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!