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.

Cooperative Learning

This week my class began a reading unit on the children’s novel Stone Fox by John Reynolds Gardiner. In my plans, I wanted them to cover one chapter daily. This would result in the completion of the unit within 2-3 weeks. Since this book was on a 3rd grade reading level, and I am in a 4th grade class, I felt this would be adequate time. Looking back, I definitely misread the situation!

The instructions were to introduce the book to the students, reading aloud the title and author. They would be given their chapter review, and told a few things to look for within the chapter. The review included 3-4 vocabulary words, and approximately five questions that would have them looking for main events, the order of events in the plot, and various comprehension questions. They would be partnered up, giving mixed-ability pairs, given time to ask questions, and turned loose to read!

In retrospect, one chapter daily was way too much for them. In fact, after getting about two days into the unit, they ended up covering about half of that material. This pushed the unit into a whole month, but gave them a little more time to absorb it. Previously, we had completed a whole-class unit on the book Winn-Dixie. In that first unit, the book was read to them aloud, and we covered several chapters daily. However, rather than being held accountable for independently making connections between what was asked and what was read, we held class discussions about that material. While I think having them read in pairs and discuss their “answers” before working independently helped with the actual reading of the text, I can’t say I was thrilled with how much it really helped their comprehension.

For some students, reading that novel alone would have taken twice as long. Some could have had it finished in half the time. By having the students read cooperatively, those rates were evened out a little more among the whole group. Still, for those slower readers, having someone to help read, but no one to help comprehend really put a kink in their ability to make connections to the text. Next time I do something like this, I feel it may be more beneficial to turn them loose one way or the other, consistently throughout the unit. In other words, I would have them read and work together, or read and work alone. Another solution I think may have been better for the students would have been to give them a small group (larger than pairs), or a classroom book discussion to talk with about what was read before moving on.

Parent-Teacher Conferences

Monday was my first parent-teacher conference night in this semester’s placement. Since it was an ISE day, parents were asked to schedule conferences throughout the afternoon and early evening hours. While all but a few of my twenty-two parents signed up, not all of them showed. As the other teachers predicted, the parents/families I was most interested in speaking with and meeting did not show up, even if they asked for a time-slot. While I cannot really say I was surprised, (that trend has been common throughout my placements) I was still hoping for a break in tradition.

Meeting the parents that did attend was a great experience, and I would not trade it for anything. Doing so really gave perspective into the students’ personalities, and sometimes tendencies. Not only did it provide a way for me to get to know the students better, it also gave me a chance to hear things from the students in the way they express them at home. For example, when directing comments like, “I will not repeat these directions again” to inattentive students, the attentive ones tend to hear it instead. Also, I figured out that those attentive students tend to pay more attention to the corrective comments than the ones those comments are directed toward. While I previously felt it was more considerate to make general comments than to point certain students out, I have now learned that may not always be the best way to handle certain situations. Along those same lines, attentive students need to feel certain they can ask for help when they need it without reprimand.

One of the biggest things I took home with me that night, was the reflection of how I interact with a certain student. After speaking with this student’s father during the conference, I wondered if I had been handling his behaviors correctly in the classroom. While I feel his disruptions in the classroom cannot be tolerated as they are, I also feel I may be too hard on him at times. With the child having a past I was not aware of, having him see me as “just another adult always on his back” is the last thing I want. This gives me a goal for the rest of the semester: Reach out to this child, while also decreasing his classroom disruptions. This also gave me a goal for the rest of my career: Get to know my students (especially those causing disruptions) better before allowing myself to get this far into the school year.

A Great Lesson

This week, I followed up the nouns from last week with a lesson on singular and plural nouns. This time, I had the students pass out the two-sided, dry-erase paddles, dry-erase markers, and paper towels. They were not permitted to have anything on their desks with the exception of those items, and a privacy folder. The sentences were displayed on the SmartBoard, and I used the “reveal” option to only show the part of the page I wished them to see.

This time, the class had averaged a 95% on their assignment! I think this was due to the fact that each of them was being held responsible for their participation in the lesson. While we did the activity as a whole group, I was able to assess their learning individually, because they had to provide individual answers. Not having anything else on their desk prevented them from being distracted by something else on the page in the text. If they did not have out pencil and paper, they could not begin to work ahead. The privacy folder made them give me their own answer, rather than their neighbor’s.

I felt really good about the lesson right after teaching it, but was nervous to “get my hopes up” after last week’s common/proper noun disaster. After grading their papers, I felt like I had a better handle on how to get their attention with language, even as abstract as it may be for them. Currently, I am trying to figure out other ways to teach those lessons in that style, but without the paddles. For now, the kids love them, but I fear there will come a time they will grow bored. This lesson has showed me that no matter what resources are used, the ultimate concern is how engaged each child is throughout the lesson, rather than how engaged one child is per problem.

Lesson Reflection

This past week was my first week at fifty percent. That means I took on reading, language, and spelling. Looking back, it is funny to think that language is the subject I was least worried about teaching. I worried about the reading unit on The Great Kapok Tree, and I worried about how the students would do with their spelling words, but I had not anticipated the problem being with language.

On Monday, we went over what a noun was. Most of the students did fairly to really well on their assignment. Therefore, on Wednesday, I moved on to common and proper nouns. The students seemed to do fine with the examples we did together as a class with the Mimio. Then, when I got their papers graded, I was amazed at how terrible the grades were. Friday, we looked at their grades and held a brief review on common and proper nouns. Again, I felt they did well in the whole-class review, but their grades were not good at all on the assignment.

Looking back, I wish I had done something that was interactive with the entire class, rather than one student at a time for the rest to watch. While the students did well with the one sentence they were assigned on the Mimio, they were missing the overall picture. Next time, I will take advantage of something that will involve each student for each problem. I think at that age level, language is somewhat abstract for the students, and that makes it a difficult thing for them to study. If they are not required to pay attention to every single example, they are only benefiting from the one example they are doing, rather than the twenty-one from the whole group.

Classroom Interruptions

This past week was different than any other week I have ever witnessed at my PDS. Not only was there one interruption like we usually experience, but this week seemed like one giant interruption in itself! I get the feeling the kids just got off to a rough start when Monday was topped off with an extra recess for thirty minutes. That was followed on Tuesday with computer lab in the morning. While this is a scheduled, weekly activity, I felt this week threw them off because the rest of the routine was irregular.

Thursday, the students had double-specials, followed by a substitute for the afternoon (my grade level had collaborative planning). Friday was an early release day and Constitution Day. While I do realize these activities were on our calendars, and we planned for things to be different, students do not always foresee changes like we do. I remember being in elementary and looking so forward to getting out of school early on a Friday. It seemed to be all I thought about the whole week, from Monday on. I have started to tell myself that things may not have changed so much in the past 14 years.

My teacher and I had planned to center all of our instruction around the constitution on Friday morning. We also left plans for the substitute to begin showing the video Thursday afternoon that would base our first discussions Friday morning. After things being so different all week, I think the students just could not focus like they may have had things been normal up to that point on Thursday. After all those various problems throughout the week, I noticed what would normally have been a fun and interesting Friday morning, turned into a near nightmare.

The students were unable to focus on any discussion topics, and normally my class is almost too cooperative during a class discussion. They also were unsure of how to complete the morning reading comprehension, even though they do so five days a week, every week of school. Therefore, I believe any interruptions can get students off-track. Whether they be larger interruptions, like extra recesses, substitutes, and early dismissals, or small ones such as announcements, they matter. Unfortunately, the only way we could think to get the kids back on track that week was to wait for the weekend and try again Monday.

I will definitely use this as a learning experience. Like I said, teachers often plan for and anticipate interruptions, but students rarely get that opportunity. I, for one, never thought to tell the kids ahead of time that things may be different. In hindsight, this may not have been the best idea. I think next time I know of interruptions coming, I will remind my students as they go, so they can prepare themselves as well. I predict this may have an impact on their behavior and learning in the next situation similar to the one this past week.

Unfortunately, I also predict that preparation for large changes like substitutes may impact student attendance rates. I have noticed that on half-days and odd days, less students tend to come to school. Hopefully that is also something that will decline after we get farther into the semester.

Inquiry, So Far...

As opposed to my previous action research projects, I feel particularly good about this year's. I have taken baseline data, found a couple articles, and plan to start the kids on their new activities tomorrow. My goal is to study how daily math fact activities can affect overall computation. All the times I have been in an upper-elementary classroom, none of the students I have observed were correct and fluent in their math facts. Therefore, they were hindered with respect to their computation abilities.

The activities will begin tomorrow through the implementation of math centers. The students will spend fifteen minutes per center, and go through two centers daily. One center daily will be electronically-based, and the other will be in the form of some sort of math game, or flash cards. Throughout the semester, they will practice with basic math facts revolving, using addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. We will be keeping track of their accuracy, as well as the changes in the baseline data throughout the course of this project.

So far, the only hang up I have experienced is the same problem I seem to have every time; I find it difficult to find proper literature. Since this is a common problem, I cannot help but believe that I may be searching using an inefficient method. I plan to continue to work on that, as well as seek help if needed. This project really interests me, and the results will undoubtedly improve my teaching practices.

A New School Year

As I stepped into my classroom the week before the students began school, I felt a little overwhelmed thinking about another school year, and nervous about the thoughts of meeting a new class again. My teacher and I began to discuss procedures and plans for the first days of school, leaving me feeling extremely anxious and concerned that I may not think of everything I need to think of when it's my turn to start from scratch.

However, that first day when we went to the bus room to pick up our class, those nerves went away, and I felt more calm than I ever had before. It seems odd to me how quickly all that anxiety can disappear, just by being in the classroom before the students. Normally, as a preservice teacher, we walk into an established classroom full of students with a known routine. Rather than watching those kids walk in, we walk in to find about fifty eyes staring at us! I have to completely agree that being at school that first day is a completely invaluable experience.

Now that we've been in school two weeks, I'm starting to put more into meeting deadlines, and making lessons interesting than being nervous around the students. Being in that classroom ahead of time really helped with having confidence in one's practice and relationship with students. Rather than being concerned with how much the students "like" me and whether or not they act bored when I teach, I am now concerned with ensuring they get what they need in an effective way. So far, I feel like this has been the best semester yet. I look forward to being in the classroom every day and feel certain this is what I want as a career.

In several ways, this semester is similar to semesters past. Not only am I back in a fourth grade classroom, like I was fall semester of tutor year and in many prior experiences in Huntington, but the students are old enough to foster more mature discussions and capable of further independence than those in the earlier grades. However, in many ways, this semester is beginning to shed some new light on the way I previously viewed classroom management on the fourth grade level.

Although last semester's classroom management class with Dr. Hayes was extremely beneficial and got me thinking about classroom management, watching my mentor teacher lead her class from Day 1 has been invaluable. She has a plan for everything, from their entry routine to turning in assignments. I also am learning that, at a certain age, it is acceptable (and possible!) to hold students accountable for certain things within in the classroom management spectrum.

As the students enter the room in the morning, we make sure to have morning work on their desks waiting for them. They know to unpack their bags, putting their snacks, 2 pencils, and folders in their desks. They also know to begin the day with both of those pencils sharpened, as well as the appropriate opportunities to re-sharpen. I have discovered that may be one of the most important parts of having the day running smoothly because it prevents students constantly leaving their seats during class time to use the sharpener. Unlike other classrooms I have seen, the students are not permitted to leave notes and things on the teacher's desk. Upon hearing their name during lunch count, they are given the opportunity to bring any papers, notes, etc. to the teacher's desk.

Students are also asked to keep any papers in their folder in the "Return to School" section if they are not being turned in immediately. This keeps them from rummaging through their desks while we are trying to teach, as well as their papers from being destroyed before we even get to see them. If work is finished early, students are provided with a handwriting book to practice their cursive, given they have finished their other assignments. Currently, we are trying to boost their transition timing; if a transition takes longer than 2-3 minutes (or the appropriate allotment), students will have that time removed from either recess, or a desirable activity. From what we have seen so far, it has worked fabulously! No one has lost time from anything.

Not only do the management methods being executed work well, but they are teaching me a lot about how to begin a school year. I feel confident in how the rest of this year will go, and look forward to continuing to learn about classroom management strategies.

The Practicum Plan in Retrospect

Starting a new semester is always difficult with schedules changing, and new opportunities arising. Personally, the best way to get comfortable with a new routine is to be organized enough to roll with the changes. Since I have always been this way, putting things down in a calendar and organizing several months at a time has never been a problem. Still, I tend to complete such tasks in a calendar format that can be carried with me everywhere I go (i.e. my planner). Therefore, filling in a practicum plan was a somewhat redundant process for me. While it was interesting to have a list to view of the assignments for the entire semester, it was a little abstract for me. Seeing the entire list was overwhelming in the beginning, since so many of the tasks cannot be worked on from the start. The learning goals were a fascinating part to grow on and look back at, but I am sincerely unsure of how much they actually pushed me to work on them. Setting the learning goals in writing was a great idea. Being able to see what I am concerned about on paper made things somewhat clearer in regards to my everyday intentions. However, looking at the learning goal activities later than when I set them was not so effective. In retrospect, the activities I set were probably not the most appropriate to address the topics I was intending to better myself on. Despite the choice of activity, I still feel that I have grown within those goals throughout the course of this semester. Altogether, the practicum is an excellent idea, especially for those who did not already organize their assignments, routines, etc. For myself, I would rather stick to my planner for dates and to-do lists. Writing the learning goals on paper was a very beneficial process, as it helped me focus in on what I felt I needed or wanted to work on. Still, planning the activities may be better when written at a later date in the semester. Checking things off any to-do list always seems to be a stress-reliever, but a variance in format or section due dates may be beneficial, taking so many students into consideration. As always, the planning and organization behind the scenes is half the battle!

Characteristics of the Novice Teacher, continued

With this post, I would like to talk about two characteristics in addition to those discussed in prior posts. The first of these is the third characteristic. Stating that the “novice teacher should recognize that teaching is a…moral…enterprise,” this attribute is meant to promote actions that show concern for others. At all times, educators must be aware of how their actions affect others. More importantly, they must help students understand how their actions can impact those around them, and help to shape positive behaviors. Often times, this means discussing appropriate behaviors with students, and taking advantage of the teachable moments outside of specifically planned character education.

For this trait, I have selected my character education lesson on respect. While respect is an abstract concept often times better explained by a list of examples, it is still among the most important character traits in society. When attempting to define this term to Kindergarten students, I have found several angles appropriate to complete the “large picture.” For my lesson, I read four books aloud, and had the students create their own classroom reference book. Through those texts, I was able to provide students with an array of examples of respectful behavior, and give them the opportunity to find good choices. The Crayon Box That Talked allowed me to introduce the topic generally by showing the students that the best results come when everyone works together. Respect and Take Care of Things allowed me to give examples of respecting people and objects to help narrow down the ways in which the students can work together. Do Unto Otters takes the lesson one step farther by forcing the students to think about “The Golden Rule.” Rabbit’s Habits was a great lead into the expansion phase of that lesson, because it asked the students to pick the good behavior out of a list of not-so-good actions. Finally, the students were given a prompt asking them to tell at least one way they can show respect at school.

I felt this lesson tied into the moral and ethical obligations of teaching through instilling a sense of community in the students based upon respect and treating others fairly. Since our actions as teachers affect so many people, it is up to us to pass that moral responsibility on to younger generations. Through this lesson, I was able to show my students that while there can be good results from the work of some, the best results come when everyone works together. This lesson also allowed me to show students the ways in which they can be respectful, and hold them accountable for their actions.

The second characteristic I would like to discuss is the sixth. The sixth characteristic requires that the “novice teacher have in-depth knowledge of content.” This trait says that before an educator can make sound decisions about the implementation of content, he or she must first familiarize themselves with the knowledge associated with that discipline. Without in-depth knowledge in varied content areas, teachers are less likely to organize appropriate parts, understand new, and decide what direction to continue the information in a proper manner.

The artifact I have chosen for this characteristic is my kindergarten learning cycle about habitats. To be taught over a span of two weeks, this unit involves whole- and small-group work, as well as individual tasks. Students will experience instruction through audio/video technology, interactive games, discussions, writing, illustrating, and building. Visual, auditory, and kinesthetic learning preferences are addressed through the varied tasks. Throughout this unit, students develop a definition of “habitat,” learn about various animal habitats, and relate their findings to their own habitats. As a summative evaluation, students will create and present dioramas to demonstrate their acquired knowledge of habitats.

This artifact fits the sixth characteristic well. Without my own knowledge of habitats, various examples of animal homes, and how humans live, I could not have planned such an extensive unit. Without the knowledge of the parts of habitats, I would not have been able to bring in as many details throughout the lessons. Most importantly, without a knowledge bank of my own, I would not have been able to guide my students’ learning through that two-week time. Of any of the characteristics, this one may be one of the most important just for that reason. How can we, as teachers, lead students to the information if we are unfamiliar with it ourselves?

My first learning goal for this semester was to better engage my students. I cannot help but feel I am making further progress with this goal. I have been observing student behaviors during lessons more closely to get a better understanding of how they receive the lesson. This has helped me better determine effective teaching strategies and encouraged me to try new ones. I also feel like I have been making a real effort to implement the conscious discipline system when working with the students. While it takes time to get used to what methods are included by that practice, it pays off throughout daily practices in the classroom. The students seem to respond to me well and hold themselves responsible for their actions.

As far as changes to my plan, I have not made any. I reference mine in calendar format, and attempt to stick to it as much as I can. Normally, changing a plan for me proves as a source of stress. I have always needed to organize myself and my schoolwork. Therefore, I really thought out the activities in the first place and attempt to stick to them as much as possible. It has helped having things organized in two places, rather than just my planner.

I would say I have accomplished everything necessary up to this point, just as scheduled. In relation to the activities planned around my learning goals, I am behind in some and ahead in others. A lot of those activities revolved around meetings with faculty, interns, etc, and with snow days, catching up on my required assignments has been challenge enough. Therefore, adding anything else has not been easy in respect to scheduling. All in all, it feels nice to look through the list of requirements and see progress.

Characteristics of the Novice Teacher

The characteristic I would like to discuss first is the seventh characteristic. The rubric states that “the novice teacher should effectively integrate content and pedagogy”. It is of the utmost importance to be extremely familiar with the content being taught, as well as how to teach it. Still, more importantly is the need to ensure the two are brought together to give students the appropriate content, using the proper methods. Integrating content and pedagogy successfully means developing lessons with the student in mind, and using various resources and strategies to cover appropriate standards.

Last semester I created literacy workstations for fourth graders, based on the novel Tuck Everlasting. The workstations cover a span of two weeks (ten school days), and cover many reading and writing CSOs. There are five reading groups, based on ability levels and baseline scores that will meet with the teacher at least once during the two weeks. For workstation activities, the students are in nine groups of varying abilities that cycle through one workstation daily, visiting all ten by the end of the two weeks. The plans also involve daily whole-group and small-group reading instruction.

I feel that my writing workstations show integration of content and pedagogy in several ways. I have carefully selected the CSOs to be covered, and the materials to be used to do so. Not only does the unit include the reading and writing content appropriate to fourth grade students, but I have carefully planned for strategies and techniques to reach all ability levels and a variety of interests. Since the students are to meet with the teacher often, that integrates content and pedagogy on an individual basis, really reaching for each student.

The next characteristic I would like to discuss is the second characteristic. It requires the novice teacher to be “an effective communicator.” This means that not only is one to send ideas, messages, or information, but receive them as well. This could be achieved through speaking, writing, or non-verbal forms. The most important thing to remember is keeping the communication lines open in both directions. While it is of highest priority to keep in touch with everyone involved in the school community, it is even more important to ensure they also have the opportunity to initiate communication.

Since I am an early childhood specialization, I took CI 410 in the fall of 2009. The course required the creation of a portfolio to celebrate the knowledge gained about the student studied throughout the semester. The professor gave the option to create that portfolio for the viewing of the parents. I created mine to be given to the parents; it was in scrapbook form including various pictures and notes about the observations made of their child over a couple of months. It was very colorful, and was introduced through a letter on the first page of the book. In that letter, I thanked the parents for allowing me to work with their child, explained the purpose of the book, and gave my contact information.

This portfolio fits the second characteristic extremely well. Everyone involved was brought together through that assignment; the student was highly involved in the creating process, but the classroom teacher, my professor, the owner of the daycare, and the parents were able to come together over the end result. After reading my letter, the parents requested to meet with me, and thanked me for the keepsake.