Strengths and Weaknesses

My last day teaching was Friday, December 9, and it is hard to believe how fast time has gone. It just seems like I started planning yesterday! Now that I have come to the end, it becomes easier to reflect back to my strengths and weaknesses. As far as strong points, I feel I have gotten better at working in technology for various content areas, as well as judging how to plan time-efficient lessons. I also feel that one of the biggest areas I have improved in is classroom management. Before this semester, I would get nervous about dealing with student behaviors when my mentor teacher was out of the room. After this semester, I do not feel nervous any longer. In fact, I now feel more confident in my abilities to manage classroom behaviors.

This semester, I had a student from my tutor year when I was placed in a second grade classroom. While I remember family-based issues coming up this child’s second grade year, I do not recall the same misbehaviors I experienced this semester. Talking out of turn, yelling, arguing, defiance, and a sheer refusal to be productive were some examples, just to name a few. Looking back on the semester, I am unsure of how I dealt with that child’s behaviors on a daily basis. While it drove me crazy most days, and sent me home in tears on others, I think it may have actually benefitted me.

Before having this child in class, most of the students were generally well-behaved, and rarely required me saying or doing much of anything to correct them. This child was a constant struggle for me; every content area and every day. Whole-group or small-group learning. Independent, partner, or group assignments. Using computers or pencil-and-paper, reading from a textbook or having a discussion. Nothing seemed to change his behaviors. By the end of the semester, his behaviors were not necessarily managed, only documented. He did not just keep or lose his sticker; he got tallies in the daily boxes on his sticker chart.

In many ways, such behaviors really impaired the rest of the classroom’s learning, along with my teaching. However, there was a positive effect. I now feel confident in my abilities to “run” a classroom while still teaching. I have heard from veteran teachers that it is not an annual experience to have a child like that one. Therefore, I feel that I can manage what comes along. Mainly, I learned that despite one child’s behaviors, the students are there to learn. With that being said, I learned that my job is not necessarily to deal with that child’s behaviors all day, but to make sure the ones behaving properly are getting a proper education.

Something I still need to work on is finding appropriate ways to hold my students accountable for the day’s learning. While it is sometimes appropriate to take things for a grade, it is also acceptable to have days in which nothing is assigned. I feel I have a hard time finding the balance between the two. As a student myself, I hate to have students put effort into anything they do not receive credit for. However, as a teacher, I found it extremely difficult to find the time to grade each and every little assignment. As the years go, I hope to work on finding a better balance between those two areas.

If I Had it To Do Over...

We are finishing up a unit on the 13 colonies in Social Studies. Today’s lesson was on the Breadbasket (or Middle Atlantic) Colonies. Unlike any previous lesson this semester, I had not assigned anything out of the workbook associated with the social studies textbook. With this lesson, the students used their textbook first for the class discussion and then had to complete a page in the workbook. The workbook page required that the students use what they read and talked about in class to match up an event with a place on the given map. The question at the end of the matching portion had asked the students “Why were the Middle Atlantic Colonies called the “breadbasket colonies”?”

Throughout the lesson, the students were to look at the titles that began each section within the lesson. After reading those titles, we discussed as a class why the section could be titled that way. We also used the “review” question from each of those sections to discuss important facts about those colonies. While I try really hard to make sure the students are getting a good overall understanding of these parts of history, I sometimes fail to bring in enough details. For example, the students could understand why they were called the breadbasket colonies, but not why certain people should be matched with certain states.

After looking over their assignment again, I should have specifically gone over those 12 details so they would see the answers coming. Since I did not do a great job with that, I feel they will struggle with the assignment. If I had it to do over, I would turn them loose in the beginning with the workbook page, and give them time to work on it first. The last ten minutes or so, I would attempt to either discuss all the answers, or give the students “hints” as to what to be watching for. Expecting them to look that much stuff up may not have been the best use of judgement on my behalf.

Math Success!

As early into elementary as I can remember, and even now, I enjoy math. I enjoy doing it, teaching it, or watching students do it. Variety was the main driving force behind my choosing early childhood for my specialization, as opposed to math. I’ve yet to be placed in a classroom here where math has intimidated me. Most teachers have a preference as to what they enjoy to teach. Most teachers I’ve had say science, reading, or social studies. I haven’t had one say yet that they enjoy teaching math.

However, this semester, my mentor loves math, and actually did not want to hand it over. Not only does she enjoy it, but she’s really, really good at teaching it. The students are always engaged, and her lessons are extremely creative for the subject matter. We’ve joked throughout the semester saying I had “math anxiety,” but I was nervous that I could not even come close to being as good at teaching math as she is. I’ll have to admit, during my full-time teaching, some of my lessons could have gone better. Still, I felt I had a great unit this week.

The next topic in the county curriculum mapper took us from two-digit by two-digit multiplication into the use of variables and expressions. I was nervous before every lesson, but I had planned to somewhat stick to the way the book chose to introduce the lessons. I read through everyone more thoroughly than normal, and even made myself a few minor notes to ensure my not running back to the manual during the lesson. I was being observed Thursday, and I was very careful to plan out exactly what I wanted to do to prevent nervousness for either reason.

I used the document camera to display an index card with the introductory problem. As the students began their bathroom breaks leading up to math, I drew my chart on the blackboard. The students worked on the problem as they came in and out of the classroom to the restroom. After everyone was settled, I took a deep breath and began. Turns out, everything I planned to do went as smooth as silk. Even though I felt the students would not be able to grasp that material, they ended up doing a really good job with it. Had I not planned so meticulously, I may have thrown off what they picked up on. Since I knew where I was going next within the lesson, road blocks became speed bumps. What normally may have thrown my instruction off, became something I expected.

The Science Project

This week, we finished up the solar system unit we had been working on. Last week, I assigned the students a solar system model project; they were given 7 days to complete the project at home. I specifically went over examples with them, took questions, and gave ideas for solutions to problems they had run into already. Several students shared ideas for what they planned to do, and the overall class seemed to have some creative ideas for their models. Throughout this discussion, I had one student say several times, “My Mom says I don’t have to do it.” When asked why not, JP simply replied that they couldn’t afford the “stuff I told him to buy.” At first, this made me angry for several reasons. One of those reasons being that the directions specifically said it could be any materials, and should be things they already had at home. The biggest reason this bothered me was because his thoughts of not having to do homework were coming from home.

Throughout the entire week, I asked questions everyday about how far the students had gotten, and what they still had left to do. I also offered to take questions, or help come up with solutions if they were running into problems. All the rest of the week, the other class members commented on the ways they planned to make parts of their models. JP continued to comment that he did not have to do the work. Wednesday came, and the models were due. Everyone brought one, or had a family member bring it for them. Still, JP was under the impression that he didn’t have to do it, because he couldn’t buy “the stuff.”

During study hall that afternoon, I pulled JP aside in the hallway. I asked him if he realized that this project was for a grade. I also asked if he realized that not turning it in would earn him a zero in the grade book. By the look on his face, I don’t think he had previously considered those parts of “not having to do it.” I asked him if he had any ideas about how we could make the model without buying “stuff.” He said he could use some paper, scissors, and crayons for the planets. I gave him a piece of paper and some crayons and sent him to Study Hall. He stopped to ask for a text book; I also gave him that. Not only did he start making the planets, but he continued to work on that project until he was dismissed an hour later for late bus hall. I had yet to see that initiative in him. On his way out the door, he showed me his progress, and I told him how good his paper planets had looked.

The next morning, JP walked in with a model. Now, I should back up first to say that most of my other students used a kit they admitted buying at A.C. Moore. I also had several parents accidentally admit to doing the project for the student. I did have a handful of students really try to get creative and use things from home, but even most of them admitted to their parents doing the work. When asked how he made his, JP told me that he had his dad cut the bottom out of an old pizza box from the trash. He glued his paper planets from the previous school day as close to the order he could get them without the textbook, and tried to label everything the way it should be.

While not everything was correct according to the rubric, and JP ultimately scored close to a 75%, I still found it touching that he was one of the only ones in the class to complete the project without a kit or parental assistance (or both). When the other students carried theirs in, I didn’t see much excitement or pride in the work. However, JP walked in with his pizza box bottom, stained with pizza grease, and scarred with lines from a pizza cutter, proud as a peacock. His planets weren’t real circles, they were labeled somewhat incorrectly, and glued down in the wrong order, but they were there, and I was amazed. He told everyone that walked by that was his project, and he did it himself. If anyone deserved bragging rights, he’d be the one this time! I can’t help but feel I made an impact on him this week, academically.

My School Community

On October third, I experienced my first parent-teacher conference of the year. Last week, our coordinator took us on a tour of the school. This week marked the end of my third week full-time teaching. By now, I feel confident that I have an accurate idea of the community my students are coming from. Oddly enough, I am reminded in many ways of my hometown. Many times, situations are quite similar to ones myself or those around me have experienced. Just as when I was in school, not all parents came to conferences. For many, work schedules conflict with after-school events. For others, childcare options may interfere, and for some, there simply may not be a concern with relation to their child’s schoolwork.

On the tour, I again was reminded of home. There are many farms, and a variety of economic situations and living arrangements. If you’ve ever heard the phrase “if you blink, you’ll miss it,” that’s a good way to explain how small the town is. Since I live four hours away, it was good to see something that reminded me of being back there. Mrs. Michael pointed out to us students’ houses she could see from where the roads we were on, as well as various businesses or landmarks the kids are familiar with and talk about.

As fall comes to a close, and hunting season quickly approaches, I have noticed more and more conversations between students about their hunting plans. I used to do these things with my family when I was younger so this is another way I can relate to my students. As we approach further topics in Social Studies, it also has occurred to me how many historical places I have traveled to. Therefore, I tend to reference these places when talking with the students about them. When these topics come up, everyone is interested, but rarely have the students been to these same places. Until I got older, vacations were not as common in our family. Often times, talking with and watching my students is like watching my classmates and I all over again.

While there are many ways I feel this town is similar to my hometown, there are ways it differs. Most students eat hot lunch the majority of the time, because that is either free, or the rate is reduced. In many cases, the family cannot afford for the children to pack a cold lunch on a regular basis. Parent communication is generally done through notes in folders, or spur-of-the-moment conversations when an issue arises. I have been using a newsletter to reach the parents. Although there is edline (an internet site used for home-school communication), parents rarely use it. In some cases, internet is not available; it is not uncommon for parents simply not check the site. Based upon the rate of homework that is turned in and completed with effort, the reinforcement I often got as a child is not being given to my students. Sometimes, as teacher, it’s easy to get annoyed when students don’t turn in work, turn in wrong work, or parents fail to communicate. However, I have to remind myself that these things can be out of student control, even if it does put a unit or chapter a week behind schedule. I also have to remind myself that the home situation is not always evident, and things may be going on that aren’t being shared at school.

Student Motivation and Learner Differences

One of my favorite activities this week was one in which the students focused on orbits in relation to the solar system. With as hands-on as the lesson was, i also got the feeling the students thoroughly enjoyed it, as well! While I’d love to say I thought of this activity on my own, I cannot take credit. The activity came from Callella and Marks’ Integrating Science with Reading Instruction, a book full of third and fourth grade science units that involve reading comprehension strategies. I began a unit on the solar system, and wanted students to understand how orbits affect the various planets in our solar system, as well as their relationship to the sun.

This activity had the students tying a piece of string to a chalkboard eraser, and twirling it in the air to see what an orbit looks like. With the use of a ball rolling, it allowed students to see inertia (the force that keeps the planets spinning). It also demonstrated the force of gravity through having them hold a book for exactly one minute, with one hand. Aside from the hands-on activities in this lesson, we discussed (as a whole-group) each element the students were to become familiar with. I was nervous beforehand about only having 7 erasers and one kickball for 22 students. The lesson called for materials for each student, and a tennis ball, specifically. Therefore, I was anxious about having to put the students in small groups.

Turns out, because the students were able to test these things out in small groups, rather than independently, this may have been my best science lesson the entire semester. The elements this really illustrated were 4.1, 5.1, and 5.3, which all had to do with different approaches to learning, and group motivation. Although I was nervous about grouping the students, I am aware that many of my students learn best that way. While there are a few that learn best independently, they were also reached through the opportunity that every child received to conduct each part of the experiment. Visual learners were able to see gravity and inertia in action, kinesthetic learners could make those things happen, and auditory learners could benefit from the discussions following each experiment. Since students were able to start the lesson with what they knew, watch me conduct the experiment, and then build up to connecting that with new concepts, their thought processes really developed.

That was evident in their written and oral responses throughout the unit. As far as group motivation, students were required in the first few weeks of school to sign a “Science Conduct Contract.” That contract stated that inappropriate behaviors would not be tolerated, and result in the student being removed from the lesson, and given an alternate assignment. The students also agreed to complete “less-fun” work, along with all the fun activities held in class. Therefore, between students’ desire to remain in the classroom and participate in the lesson, being able to roll a ball off the desks, and the opportunity to throw an eraser across the room, I never felt as if the students were not engaged. I wish I had taped that lesson!

Teacher-Made Tests

Last week I began a unit on Stone Fox, in which I used a variety of assessment techniques. When planning the unit, I was given the materials my host teacher had used in the past. Between all the various questions/worksheets/activities found in those materials, I decided to use parts of each of them to “create” my own sheets. My reviews included the use of context clues to understand the definition of vocabulary words, as well as a variety of questions with regards to the main events in the story, sequencing, inferring, and recalling details. After the first five chapters, they were given a vocabulary matching test.

Upon grading that test, I realized that I had made a mistake. I felt it was good to test their vocabulary, specifically, aside from their comprehension and ability to recall details. While the testing was not necessarily the problem, I couldn’t help but feel I’d made a mistake in creating my own test, rather than listening to their invented definitions. Looking back, I should have had the students agree on a definition for each word, writing that definition on the board, and possibly doing some classroom activities to help the students better grasp those concepts. Instead, I just used definitions from the classroom set of Merriam-Webster Elementary Dictionaries to create my matching tests. While it would be good for students to be able to relate the two definitions, this was not a consistent measurement of their learning for that book. While they were told not to use the dictionaries, that’s exactly what I did, and that wasn’t fair. Next time, I will keep this in mind when creating my own assessments.