I hope you are doing well. This week, I had a great week. I would rate this week a 5! This week was a tough one outside of school because I was spending lots of time preparing for the end of the year things!
I was pleasantly surprised that I was able to get my video for my portfolio presentation finished. I am going to use my knowledge gained from observing other teachers next week to help me with close reading strategies. My short-term goal is to present my portfolio so that I can start my new job! I could have spent more time lesson planning, but I used my time to complete portfolio pieces. I was apprehensive to hand down a punishment to a student, but after I handed out the punishment, the student corrected her behavior, and we were able to come to a solution together. Next week I can make sure all my materials are together.
This week, I was able to analyze math small group data in order to plan for next weeks math small groups.
Standard 1: I showed leadership in my classroom by advocating for my students by going to vote this week!
Standard 2: I called a parent to let them know their child got sick at school and needed to come home.
Standard 3: We worked on our people skills this week during morning meeting.
Standard 4: Students were asked to critically think about how to make new polygons from their own power polygons.
Standard 5: I reflected on student math data in order to form new groups and help students attain standard mastery.
I have completed all parts of my portfolio. My clinical educator and I do not need any assistance at this time.
This week was a 4.5 out of 5. I was able to obtain my final checks during my 5th observation, and I know that now I am one step closer to attaining my goals. This week, I posed a purposeful share question to my students. "If you could, what would you change about our school?" My students had great answers with great reasons, so next week I will build upon this by revisiting it during morning meeting. My short term goal is to get everything together for my portfolio and video taken care of. My long term goal is graduation! I could have spent more time on Monday and Tuesday doing lesson plans. I was apprehensive during testing, so I was not sure of what my role was in that. Luckily, I was able to talk to my CE before testing began and she was able to clarify what I was able and not able to do as far as administering the check-in. For next week, I can make sure that I have all of my resources in my Monday through Friday organizer so that I will be able to start next week on the right foot.
We analyzed this weeks math quiz data and math graded papers data in order to make math small groups for next week.
North Carolina Professional Teaching Standards:
Standard 1: I continued to show standard one by keeping my classroom a safe and orderly environment even on Halloween Week!
Standard 2: I had a conference with a student's mom and continued to keep lines of communications open with
Standard 3: During morning meeting, we addressed what we would change about our school which is relevant to students. Standard 4: I was able to adapt resources for students so that I was meeting the needs of my students.
Standard 5: I analyzed math quiz data and math graded papers data in order to make math small groups for next week.
I have started to link my information in live binder so that I will be able to present my portfolio! I do not need any support at this time, and neither does my CE.
Oh, week 7! What a wonderful week it has been. I would rate this week a 5! I was able to achieve some things that I didn't think was possible. I accomplished passing EdTPA this week and having my fourth observation. I learned that the students in my class really respond well to having a new student come into their class. We did a couple team building activities which really helped this new student feel a part of our classroom family. I will continue to plan for specific times for students to share about themselves in order to build their classroom community. My sort term effort is to record more video and take more pictures to include in my video. My long term goal is to graduate! I could have spent more time finding enriching activities for my students this week. I was a little apprehensive when I went to my new school after school which caused me to be more reserved and not ask as many questions as I probably should have. For next week, I can have all my lessons and enriching activities ready to go so that students will be successful, and I will, too.
This week we analyzed student test data in math which has helped us plan our next week's instruction.
NCPTS
Standard 1: I was able to meet with other 4th grade teachers throughout Gaston county and talk with them about technology resources that we could use in upcoming curriculum.
Standard 2: In morning meeting we greeting one another in another language and created more of a nurturing and warm environment in morning meeting.
Standard 3: I was able to integrate global awareness into our science by showing students a map that "pinned" fossils around the world.
Standard 4: Students had to think critically about how they could make a square or a rectangle with an area of 12.
Standard 5: I was able to adapt instruction on Tuesday based on information given to me on Monday.
Portfolio
This week I was able to add more video and pictures to my library for my portfolio presentation. I was also able to link some of my things in livebinder! We have a few questions about end of the year forms which I will ask the next time I see my University Supervisor.
Overall, this week has been an okay week. I would say it was a 4. I was pleasantly surprised that I was offered a job this week. The principal contacted me and asked me to come in for an interview. This week, I learned that I can connect with students by remembering and asking about important parts of their lives that they have shared with me. This has been a successful week for building relationships. My short term goal is to write lesson plans that are differentiated well so that students are learning on their level. My long term goal is to pass student teaching and graduate. I could have spent more time planning with my grade level team, but we did not have very much time to do so this week. I was apprehensive about my job interview, but it turned out well. Next week, I can get all my lesson plans written by this Friday so that I am set up for success.
This week, I analyzed last weeks math small group data and differentiated this weeks groups so that students are able to better able to understand the material. I also analyzed their IREADY scores from their check in.
North Carolina Professional Teaching Standards
Standard 1b: This week I demonstrated leadership in my school by working at McTeachers night!
Standard 2 E: This week I discussed with a parent ways to help their student in vocabulary. This has been a conversation that will alleviate some stress to the student.
Standard 3c: This week I integrated literacy into content!
Standard 4b: This week I was able to meet some diverse needs in my classroom by asking students to draw comics with their vocabulary words. Some students struggle with words and adding these pictures was helpful to them.
Standard 5b:This week I participated in another PD to learn how to set up the classroom and tailor instruction and assessment to students with autism.
This week, I was able to take more video and pictures for my portfolio. I was also able to work on my website this week. I am trying to figure out exactly when I can complete my observations for the 5 after 10 week observations. I only have 3 Mondays that are available in the afternoon so I am trying to figure out when to do my other two observations in order to avoid missing class time. I also would like to know if I am allowed to go to other schools during this Monday time.
Overall this week was a 4.5 out of 5. I had an awesome learning week with my kids, but the week just got cut short. I was pleasantly surprised at how much I got done with these two teacher workdays. I am going to require more out of my students because they are capable of a lot more. They have proven this to me this week. My short term goal is to get my lesson plan binder filled with more tabs so that I am able to make proficient on my observations. My long term goal is to graduate student teaching, so my two goals are aligned. I could have spent more time with my students this week focusing on how to grow them, but we were very rushed for time with only a 3 day week. I am looking forward to more conferences with students next week. I wasn't apprehensive this week. Next week, I will make sure I have all of my lesson plan outlines printed on Sunday so that I am ready for the week. This week, I gave an assessment in math which I analyzed to make small groups for next week.
Standard 1b: This week I examined my school improvement plan and discussed ways that I have contributed with my CE and will continue to do so as the semester progresses.
Standard 2e: I collaborated with our EC specialist to help plan one of my students access the curriculum.
Standard 3c: This week I taught global awareness in social studies by talking with students about different types of government around the world.
Standard 4d: This week we integrated a green screen video so that students could utilize technology in their learning.
Standard 5a: This week, I gave an assessment in math which I analyzed to make small groups for next week.
I have started to complete portions of my portfolio such as my PDP, website, and videos for my portfolio presentation. I don't need any support at this time.
Hello, all! I would rate this week as a 4! There were a couple rough times this week. My husband's
grandmother was hospitalized with symptoms of a stroke. Another thing that made this week mighty
difficult was turning in EdTPA. I had no time to work on plans because I was constantly writing or
checking over my EdTPA. I was pleasantly surprised this week that my second observation went well. Thursday was a very hard day for my students. They were all very talkative and did not focus well. Next week on Thursday will be parent teacher conferences, so I won't get the chance to implement my strategy, but I will for the following Thursday. My plan is to have independent morning work, a calm morning meeting, and have them reflect on how we can have a focused day. My short term goal is to get all of my parents signed up for parent teacher conferences next week. This aligns with my long term goals of being able to build those relationships with parents and students. I couldn't have spent more time doing anything but EdTPA this week because it was due. I am so glad that is over with. I was apprehensive about calling a parent to talk with them about their child's behavior since it was the first "negative" phone call I have had to make this far. I called and it went well. For next week, I want to have all of my parent teacher conference stuff ready on Wednesday so that I will know everything is ready.
Data:
This week, we analyzed our math data in order to place them in groups for next week. After seeing their math scores
on their assessments, we have decided to switch groups and help them with targeted instruction in the area for which
they most need help.
Standards:
Standard 1a: This week I was able to empower a student to do his best in math by giving him the opportunity to teach
his peers about his strategy for math.
Standard 2e: I called the parent of a student who is frequently a behavior problem in my room and the conversation
went really well.
Standard 3d: This week we had a morning meeting about how to have accountability in our lives for our actions.
Standard 4d: This weeks students worked on a hyperdoc for fossils in order to integrate more technology tools in our
classroom.
Standard 5a:By analyzing the student learning from their math scores on their assessment and modifying my plan for
next week, I am showing this skill.
Porfolio:
This week I did not complete any more portfolio pieces because I was busy with EdTPA. I don't need any additional
This week was quite a challenging one for me. I had a lot going on in my personal life which made it very hard to focus on school. This week my laptop broke, I wasn't able to use my laptop for my EdTPA video editing, and my sweet grandmother was hospitalized with silent pneumonia. I was not 100% for my kids this week because of all this. I would rate my week as a 3.5. I was pleasantly surprised that my students were able to use math vocabulary in their replies to my questions this week. We talked about data, and my students were using their vocabulary such as outlier and clump of data to make general statements about the data. This week I learned that no matter what is going on in your personal life, school must go on! My short term goal is to accomplish EdTPA, and this aligns with my long term goal of being able to graduate from GWU. I honestly had to spend a lot of time awat from my computer this week because it was broken and because my family needed me. I could have spent more time doing lesson plans earlier in the week, but I find this hard when plans change often throughout the week at school causing the next weeks plans to vary and become irrelevant. This week I had a student approach me with a rash on his arm. I didn't quite know what to do since our nurse was not on site. I asked my CE what she would do, and she helped me figure out the situation. I haven't really had to deal with many medical situations like rashes, so I was unsure of the procedure for this. For next week, I need to complete all my lesson plans AND lesson plan outlines so that I will have them both printed and ready to go at the beginning of the week. I always have my lesson plans, but I typically print my outlines the night before. I want to do this so that I can have one less thing to worry about during the week.
Data:
I was able to analyze their IREADY data in our PLC in order to help us make groups and decide which students needed to be pulled for interventions.
NCTCS:
Standard 1a: This week, I was able to take the online portion of the CPI training. This is going to help me establish a safe and orderly environment by applying the learning from this training.
Standard 2d: This week, I went to a PD for differentiation for students with autism. I currently do not have any students with an autism diagnosis, but I will save this information for the future. This will help me differentiate for my students with autism.
Standard 3d: Our students participated in their second bank deposit this week after getting their first payday. They also had to pay rent for their desks. By doing this, they are learning 21st-century skills.
Standard 4b: After conferencing with my CE, and one of my students personal one- on- ones, we decided that one of our students needed more individualized instruction because he is not able to understand our fourth grade material, yet! He will use content on his level with his one on one.
Standard 5a: Throughout this week, I have been watching my EdTPA video and reviewing my teaching and my teaching practices.
Portfolio & Support:
This week I was able to update my PD log because I was able to attend a PD on teaching learners with Autism. I do not need any support from my supervisor at this time.
I have felt much better this week with my full time experience. I would rate my experience as a 4.5! I was pleasantly surprised that I was able to learn that I can be trained with my fellow staff members for Non -Violent Crisis Intervention Training. In my experience of full time teaching this week, I have learned so much about both my students and myself. I am going to build on the knowledge of how to correct student behavior in a positive manor giving feedback in such a way that I can help students realize that they should model their behavior like others who are doing things correctly. My short term goal this week is to get my EdTPA task two written. This is aligned of my ling term goal of finishing student teaching because this is a part of my requirements for student teaching. This week, I was very busy. I worked a lot on EdTPA and school related things for my students and it prevented me from keeping up with my one subject lesson set a day schedule. I could have spent more time during the week doing lesson plans, however; this week was mainly dedicated to EdTPA. I still sometimes look to my clinical educator for plans for curriculum which has affected what I am teaching in my classroom. I know there is not a lot I can do about this because the curriculum is pretty straightforward as far as what I am allowed to teach and when. As of right now, I am just trying to get through EdTPA. Once, I am done with EdTPA there will be a lot of mental clutter cleared.
Data Dive:
During PLC this week, we did a data dive into our IREADY scores. This was beneficial because it gave us an idea of what our students are struggling with and how we can best help them. During this time, we worked to make small groups for our math small groups.
NCPTS:
Standard 1b: This week, I was actively participating and discussing differentiation and data during my PLC with our instructional facilitator and principal.
Standard 2d: This week in my instruction during data and line plots, I varied my teaching so that my student with physical and mental delays would be able to participate. Instead of strictly using paper and pencil to do this activity, I instructed students to make a line plot with themselves.
Standard 3a: This week I Integrated literacy into my math standards when students had to read a graph, data, and information and graph it. They also had to explain and write about it.
Standard 4e: Students had to think critically during our math this week about how to read two sets of data, graph them on the same graph, and then talk about it.
Standard 5a: Throughout this week in our meetings together, my CE and I looked at our students learning and work to modify and change learning strategies to best fit their needs.
During this week, I have updated my PDP, professional development log, and my meeting log for pull out teachers. My clinical educator doesn't need any support as of right now. I don't have any further questions.
Hope you all have had a wonderful second week in your classrooms. I know I have learned a lot in this week about classroom management and working with my kids to attain a common goal.
I would rate this week a 4. I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know my kids, but I also felt tired. I was up late a lot during the week working on my lesson plans. I learned that I need to be firm with my students and direct when giving instructions. During one of my reading lessons, I received several questions about what they were supposed to do during independent reading time after I had given them an assignment. From this, I learned that I need to be very specific about the instructions that I give to my students whenever I send them off to complete a task independently. My short term goal is to complete learn more about MCLASS and how to help my transitional third grade students. In order to accomplish this, I will meet with my grade level to discuss ideas and strategies for supporting those students. My long term goal is to complete student teaching! I could have spent more time with my teammates discussing our data. Next week we will have a PLC for an hour which will allow us to discuss more data for our students. I was a little apprehensive this week of my time because I did not want to go over my lesson time and into Mrs. Wells's time. This may have made me miss some opportunities for those light bulb moments, but next week this won't be the case. For next week, the first logical step is to print any and all needed handouts for the next week. This will help me in preparation, so I know that I have exactly what I need.
Data:
This week I analyzed my data for EDTPA. I used a preassessment for their inferencing skills. I was able to also analyze math data with my CE. She was able to conference me and talk about the next steps that she would recommend for each student.
North Carolina Professional Teaching Standards
Standard 1: I participated in "College Colors Day" I was able to encourage students not only encourage students to graduate high school, but also I was able to encourage them to go to college! Of course, I represented GWU! Go DAWGS!
Standard 2: We started to read "Locomotion" this week. This is a culturally relevant book that counteracts stereotypes and encourages mutual respect for all people. This is also a book that gives students the opportunity to think about race in a safe space.
Standard 3: I integrated literacy in my planning this week to my science article. This was intentional in order to enhance student learning. The more that my students are able to read non-fiction text they will be better equipped for not only the EOG, but most importantly life.
Standard 4a: I have a student who has a 1 on 1 helper that stays with him all day. I conferenced with his one on one in order to have a better understanding of how to help this student. In order to help him learn his best, he will be given the choice to either join us on the carpet or sit at his desk. For this individual, giving him that option was the best thing intellectually for him.
Standard 5a: This week I was able to conference with my CE about student data. We looked over the math data in order to discuss next steps for our students.
Other:
I have set up my livebinder this week for my portfolio. This is still very much a work in progress and will be until the end of the semester, but it was an action that could be completed in this busy week. I don't have any questions for my university supervisor and neither does my CE.
There has been a lot to happen in my life since I last blogged. I got married, traveled out of the country for the first time, changed my name, and started student teaching. This semester is going to be a good one, and I am excited about all the incredible students that I have the privilege of working with. My week was overall a 4. There were some trying times with a new group of students, but I learned so much. I was pleasantly surprised that I was able to build so many new relationships during the first week of school. I knew that I would build some relationships, but they are being built more and more each day. Something that I learned from my work experiences is how to integrate procedures into lessons. Coming into the school mid-year last year, I was not able to see what the beginning really looked like. My cooperating teacher really showed me how to integrate procedures into lessons, walking down the hall, transitions, and more. I will build upon this next week during my lessons as well. Although I have not written a short or long term goal at this point, my short term goal is to successfully take over more lessons in the classroom next week. My long term goal is to continue making those lasting relationships with students. I could have spent less time worrying about what is coming next and taking it all one step at a time. I was a little apprehensive about taking over on the first week of school. I know that I could have incorporated more of the technology tools that I have learned about at Gardner-Webb, but I was a little hesitant with it being the first week. Next week, I want to incorporate plickers, kahoot, or another tool that I have learned about at GWU. Next week, I will begin teaching more substantial subjects. The logical steps that I have to take are preparing any and all materials, having ALL permission forms for video if possible, and conferencing with my CE to go over any last minute things that may arise.
DATA
Overall, I looked at EOG data, MCLASS data, and homework data that showed me where my students are. Although I did not teach a subject that was informed by test data this week, it helped me to prepare for next week as I was writing my lesson plans. I don't believe that my EOG scores define my students, because to me they're more than a test score. However, it does give me a starting point to point their learning (and my teaching) in the correct direction.
One Piece of Advice:
If I had any advice at all it would be to build relationships with your scholars as much as possible, and be yourself. It is okay for your students to get to know you and for you to be a little humorous.
North Carolina Professional Teaching Standards
Standard 1: I was able to exemplify leadership in my school by analyzing data with my clinical educator. I was able to also collaborate with school personnel in order to get students to their appropriate buses and homes.
Standard 2: In the days leading up to school, I worked really hard to make sure that my students would walk into a warm, welcoming environment, so that they would be able to feel more comfortable in our home. As the students have come into our classroom, I have intentionally built strong relationships, and I plan to continue this practice. This connects to standard 2:a!
Standard 3: Throughout the week, we have worked with our students to connect in our classroom economy. Each student has a job, pays rent for their desks, and has a bank account. This connects deeply with standard 3:D. We are giving students a chance to incorporate life skills in their learning.
Standard 4: During Math Small Groups, MSG, we are helping students to work in teams and develop leadership qualities. Each day students worked in partners or small groups to play an engaging math game. This aligns with Standard 4:F
Standard 5: I was not able to analyze a lot of student learning this week because there was not a lot of substantial evidence/ data for this, but I was able to reflect on my teaching on my lesson plans on the hard copy of my lesson plans which will help me with the plans in my future.
Portfolio:
I have taken all of my licensure tests in order to get that out of the way for this year. I have also taken care of my resume and gotten feedback from the wonderful people at the career development center.
Support:
My clinical educator currently does not have any questions for my university supervisor. I also don't have any questions for my university supervisor at this time.
I know it has been a while since we were together last, but I do have so much to share with you. Over at The Education Station, I have been learning so much. I have been fortunate enough to be able to take a two-week subbing job for one of the fourth-grade teachers. I have already learned more in the few days that I have been subbing than I have learned previously. Classroom management is the biggest take away I have learned in this short time. I wanted to be able to go into this sub position as a strong candidate for student teaching in the fall. I knew that I wanted to be strict, fair, and consistent with my classroom management. This has worked so far. There are some things that I have not quite figured out just yet. I need to make a system for organizing papers, checking homework, and being able to track missing work. As I have been teaching all day I have realized just how many papers I hand out to students. In my future classroom, I plan to utilize google docs and paperless ways to create assignments so that I do not have to deal with so much paperwork. Another system that I want to research is the best way to check homework. Is there an app for that? I am sure there is, but I just don't know about it yet. Another thing that I would like to focus on learning more about is how to keep track of missing work from absences and from students leaving class to go to tutoring, EC, speech, etc. If a student misses the instruction for that assignment, it doesn't seem quite fair to hold them responsible for it, but it is quite difficult to take grades when several students are consistently out of the room for large portions of the day.
For my outside learning and research, I have decided to look into one of my three reflective questions: what is the best way to check homework? After I have checked the homework, how much time should I spend dedicating to reviewing it?
Here is what I found:
Each teacher must find what works for both their students and themselves, but here is an idea I really like. DELEGATE! In my future classroom, I want to implement classroom economy and one of the jobs for the clerk to be to check to see if their table-mates have completed their homework or not. This way, I am not worried about it and students are able to have an interest in helping out in class.
Another thing that I struggled with this week is dedicating too much time to just going over homework and never having time for math small groups. This article suggested 5-8 minutes of going over homework as a whole group. I would like to try to implement group time to allow students to learn from their peers about their questions that they had.
Overall this month, I have conferenced with the guidance counselor about one of my students, connected with parents via email, and taught several times including several full days. Being able to step into another teachers role full time for two weeks speaks to my ability to fulfill NCTCS 1A: Teachers lead in their classrooms. Being able to communicate and step into the role of partnering with parents speaks to the NCTCS 2E: Teachers work collaboratively with the families.
Over this month, I have grown more as an educator than I could've ever believed. I can't believe where I will be when I am student teaching. I look forward to growing and strengthening myself as an educator. In my future classroom, I want to make every student feel valued and loved, but I cannot pour out love from an empty heart. I have realized over this month that sometimes you just have to shut the computer down, have dinner with your family, and take a brain break. In my future classroom, I also want to implement the art of reflecting. As an educator, I realize them importance of reflecting now more than ever. I want my students to experience this too.
I hope that you all have a wonderful rest of your semester. Hopefully my life will be less crazy soon, and I can be more focused on growing myself as a Daughter in Christ, soon to be wife, educator, and friend.
I am so glad to be back on the blog with you again. If you've made it to my blog, welcome I am glad you're here.
At the Education Station, we have been doing great things. I am so grateful for being able to be in this placement with my students. In my classroom, we have been working on accepting differences to become more like a family. My students are getting spring fever and are getting tired of working with one another on projects. One morning meeting activity that we did was to pair two very different students up and have them find three similarities and three differences between themselves. Students had to go beyond the physical descriptions of themselves. Students had to have meaningful conversations about their likes and dislikes, abilities, and more. Being able to hear those great conversations was absolutely wonderful. We watched the video below until the one minute mark. We had a discussion about how differences are wonderful, but we must learn how to accept them.
In my outside learning and research, I have been working on ways to increase classroom management. Dr. Nanney shared a powerpoint with us about classroom management. In this powerpoint, it talked about in order to manage a classroom we must first be in control of our emotions. I have found five resources that have helped me in my search for more classroom management techniques.
One thing that I am pondering is how to decrease the question, "what do I do when I am done?".
It is frustrating to hear that over and over especially if you just told the students what to do.
I also wanted to know what I could do to turn wait time into learning time. This came from a shop on Teachers Pay Teachers. Here is the link: If you have early finishers or AIG students in need of a brain workout check out her TPT shop for more of these brain workout activities.
In my clinical, I have had several opportunities to teach other teachers about new technology tools. I was able to help a teacher with google forms. I talked to her about the opportunities that she could get a quick and meaningful assessment through this tool. Another opportunity I had was to teach a 5th grade, teacher about infographics and the power of those for students. In this learning experience, I exemplified NCTCS standard 1B: Teachers lead in their schools.
In my future classroom, I will have high expectations for my students every day. I know that high expectations=High achievement. I want to have my students say to me every day, "I am somebody. I will be a better somebody when I leave. There is greatness inside me." While there are so many things that I want to learn about classroom management, the biggest takeaways that I have are that I must be consistent, fair, student-centered.
Happy blogging week. I truly have appreciated blogging more now that it is a once a month occurrence. It gives me time to gather MEANINGFUL information to talk about in the blog rather than filling it up with information just to check it off a list. Anyway, enough about why I love once-a-month blogs!
Learning Experiences (NCTCS)
In my classroom, I have been working on making positive parent contacts and putting brags in the brag box for every student. I love being able to make positive parent contacts because it allows me to build relationships with my students as well as their parents. My goal is to make at least one brag for every student before the end of the semester and send a positive note home with every student before the end of the semester. Our "brags" are read every morning during morning meeting. Being able to call a student out for doing something good is so much more powerful in creating a positive classroom culture than one might think.
In our PLC, we did deep data dives immediately after we got our scores back from the MOY benchmarks. It was an awesome experience to be a part of. The teachers looked at the scores, standards, and percentages in order to formulate a game plan for redirecting and reteaching. During our PLC, the teachers compared third grade standards to fourth grade standards in the lowest scoring sections of their MOY benchmark scores. They unpacked the standards in order to have a deeper understanding of where they needed to go with their teaching. This aligns with NCTPS Standard 5A: Teachers analyze student learning.
I tweeted about the google forms professional development that I went to on Wednesday. Although I knew a lot of what she was teaching (thanks, GWU), I did learn a few tricks! For example, if a student gets a question wrong, they can immediately be redirected to another question for reinforcement/further explanation. If a student gets the question correct, they would never know the redirection was on the google form. Can't wait to try that out as a differentiation tool.
Outside Learning and Research
At the Education Station, we believe in having students take responsibility for their actions. This is one of the things that HEAVILY contributes to each classroom culture which prompted me to start researching how classroom culture is made. I found the following websites very helpful in my research. I hope that they will help you, too. In our class, we have some very sparky personalities. By that, I mean that we have some students who do not get along very well. I wanted to continue to read up on this particular area because I want to be able to help solve some of these problems before they start. Are all conflicts avoidable? No. Can I greatly decrease the amount of conflict by creating a positive classroom culture? I'd like to think so.
In my future classroom, I am going to work to create a positive classroom culture with my students. I know that in my class currently, they are all so diverse not just physically, but emotionally, academically, and more. I love that I get to work with a variety of scholars, but they are often wary of the differences within their classmates. I will have a morning meeting every morning where students will get the chance to greet each other, learn about each other, and build positive relationships.
{Positivity}
Life is short, buy the book. Life is short, tell people you love them. Life is short, laugh at yourself.
Life is short, live it. Leave the world and the people around you better than you found them.
It has been a while since we were all blogging. We have gotten our clinical placements for student teaching, gone into the schools, and hoped to make a difference while there. For me, this has been one of the most positive experiences in a clinical that I have had while at Gardner-Webb. I have been assigned to 4th grade at an absolutely wonderful elementary school. I have experienced a lot in my short time there so far, but all of it has been a learning experience. In my clinical placement, the staff, administrators, and students have all been super welcoming and easy to work with. My CE(clinical educator) has been helpful in every way. On my first day, she helped me to knock out some of my clinical checklist items. For all my future blog posts, I will call my school, The Education Station. It is just a lot easier and less monotonous than saying my clinical placement 30 times :)
Twitter/Classroom
Twitter has been a source of encouragement for me as I have gone to a new school with a growth mindset. Before I entered The Education Station, I asked myself what I could bring to this school as a new face there. I reflected on my past experiences and thought that I could bring a positive attitude, new ideas, and a love for my new school and most importantly for my kids. What I was not expecting was what The Education Station brought to me. I found this tweet on twitter, and I quoted it. When I had spent some time in my new school, I quickly realized that all four of these 'non-negotiables' as Jeff Hiser quoted were exuberantly shown in this new environment that I found myself in. One example of the welcoming and warm environment is that at a staff meeting I attended, the principal called it a piece of good news she had to share before having my CE introduce me to everyone. Although I was embarrassed, I definitely felt welcomed. Another warm environment moment in the staff meeting was when the principal asked for positive things happening at our school so we could all celebrate together. That was how we ended our staff meeting which was uplifting and encouraging. The teamwork and encouragement that I witnessed at the staff meeting align with standard 4F of the NCTCS: Teachers help students work in teams and develop leadership qualities. During the staff meeting, the teachers were working in teams to talk about what the Education Station has to offer students and families. They also worked together to figure out solutions to problems. This has been exemplified time after time in my CE's classroom.
My CE has welcomed me into her classroom with open arms. I know that it is not easy taking on a student teacher, but she seems to be generally happy about me being there. She most definitely appreciates another set of hands in the room to help out. My students have really been the highlight of my days while being at my new school. They are quick, witty, and just downright lovable (most of the time). The math investigations lessons have been the biggest shock to me in my new classroom. The direct instruction piece of these math lessons is VERY short. The lesson is more like a discussion between the teacher and the students. The students then use what they know about numbers and number sense to answer the problems and work them out with a partner or a group. This was a big change for me because most of the math instructions I have seen have been direct instruction led. I look forward to seeing what I can learn from her and the students as we all "investigate" the math together.
Outside Learning and Research:
One day at the Education Station, we had a new student to come to the fourth grade. He only spoke Arabic. No teacher on the hall was able to communicate with him. About this time, I had a discussion with my CE about how to help students in this situation. She gave me a few ideas, but I wanted to know more. I focused my outside research on how to help students whose primary language is not English. This desire to help was even more focused whenever I found out that having a student who does not speak English happens often at the Education Station.
This resource gives strategies of how to help students who do not speak English. It also gives an overview of backgrounds and cultures that you could possibly encounter. The website offers this information about the Arabic community concerning education and work ethic:
"Grades are important to both parents and students. Elementary schools in the Middle East are composed of grades Kindergarten through seventh. Many schools provide bilingual programs in Arabic and either English or French. At the end of the seventh year, a national examination is given to all students to determine if they will enter junior high school or go to a vocational program. Work Ethic. The parents may have either one of two focuses regarding the work ethic. One is they want a good education that will lead their children into a professional career. They urge high aspirations and tell their children that if they succeed in school they will have a good job in the future. The second focus some parents have is to train the children to run a business. At an early age, children are encouraged to participate in the family-owned business in order to learn the value of work and receive the necessary training to carry on with the family business"
This is only a tiny portion of the information that is offered on the site. I encourage you to click the link above to learn more information.
I also knew that this student must feel pretty alone, so I thought I could try and learn some SIMPLE but welcoming phrases in Arabic so I could speak to him. This video helped me a lot!
In the future, I will continue to research how to help students who do not speak English as their primary language. I will try to learn about a new culture every week. Learning about new cultures every week is preparing me to fulfill Standard 2B of the NCTCS: Teachers embrace diversity in the school community and in the world. I know that the Education Station's population is quite diverse, so hopefully, this personal goal will benefit more than just one student.
My Future Classroom:
My time at the Education Station has already helped me learn so much, and I continue to look forward to going every week to see what new things I can learn. I know that I have been most impacted by the positive culture that is presented at this school and the diversity within it. In my future classroom, I will hold "Morning Meetings" which allow students to share out about their lives and encourages students to really get to know one another beyond just the surface level. Another challenge that I will take with me into my future classroom is one that crosses borders, literally. I will be working personally and professionally to learn more about cultures and languages so that I can effectively teach and love my students through the lens of their culture.
Words of Encouragement:
I typically end all blogs with a positive quote of some sort, and here is one for this month. Often we grow weary as the days seem long, but in due season we will reap a good harvest if we do not give up. Be that child's champion. Believe in them. Love them. The ones who need love the most often show it in the most unloving of ways. Keep on doing good, teacher. You will see the results. Maybe not today, next week, or next month, but keep the faith.
