Week 10 of Student Teaching

I would rate this week at a 4, I am having so much fun teaching! Also, This is my tenth full week of student teaching!

• Observe: I am becoming very comfortable with teaching everyday. I can really tell that my connections with students are paying off. My fear for this semester was that I was going to teach and my students were not going to learn anything.
• Reflect: This week all of our math lessons have focused on monetary value, using different coins to make the same amount of money, and how to give change. I put memory sheets on the students desk to help remind the the value of each coin. Today, a prime example of a student not understanding what I was teaching occurred when they were completing their problem set. While the students were doing their work I pulled the student that was struggling to the back table, and pulled out plastic coins that he could use to help him find the answers. We worked on each problem together to create a combination of coins two ways that represented one amount. As we working through the problems it was as if a lightbulb was going off in his head and was able to demonstrate mastery with the skill.
• Focus:  My goals are still aligned I am trying to smoothly integrate global awareness in my lessons. I have been able to do this much easier because of my literacy lesson based on tales around the world.
• Be Productive: I could spend more time on helping students grasp the concept of money. Students are struggling with identifying coins and their value. I am planning on having some type of activity in the classroom that has them use money.
• Have Courage:  I still have apprehension with being too stern with my students. Classroom management has improved greatly in my classroom but that is based upon my continual praise for the students that are displaying positive behavior, when students do not react to the positive praise about another student, then I have purposed on having the students face consequences.
• Begin Anew: I am going to have to integrate more mathematic activities based on the value, and total value of coins that are represented from a given group.

What were some data you analyzed this week and how did it help guide your decisions?

From the STAR test that I viewed last week, I have purposed that my student that is not developing as well in reading will have extra time during guided reading groups to focus on developing reading, and it is my goal to have him take the STAR test again before I stop student teaching.

• NC Professional Teaching Standards 
• Standard 1: 1a, I am continuing to maintain a safe and orderly classroom that facilitates student learning. My behavior student was out for over a week  and has been calling out and disrupting class, but I have continued to communicate expectations and goals for students. I have continued to enforce consequences for bad behavior.
• Standard 2: 2c, I want all of my students to know that I have high expectations for them. Many times I tell them that "our goal" is to... so that they know what I am wanting from them exactly.
• Standard 3: 3a, I have been working on integrating vocabulary in my math lessons. I can tell that since I have began teaching the math vocabulary that students are able to solve word problems easier that are used to work with monetary value. Tuesday I used COMPASS math to help them with money and how to make change and combinations of coins.
•    Standard 4: 4d, Integrating technology has been a goal for me to do in the classroom. During my literacy lessons we are learning about folktales told around the world. Students have an app called Sock Puppets, I am having them retell a story of their choice to retell. 
• Standard 5: 5a, I noticed this week that students are struggling with quarters during our math lessons, students can not grasp how to count based on the 25 cents, and it is my goal to have students work more with quarters. 

• • What components of your portfolio have you started to complete? I have worked on global awareness project for my portfolio.
  • What support does your clinical educator need from Mrs. Suttle? None at this time.
  • What support do you need from Mrs.Suttle? None at this time.

Week 9 of Student Teaching

I would rate this week at a 4, things seemed to flow pretty seamlessly considering the fact that it was the week of my final observation. I was really nervous that I would not meet the standards for student teaching. So, yes I am my worst critic!

• Observe: I am becoming very comfortable with teaching everyday. This being my ninth week I would guess so, but it's more than just being comfortable, it's being confident. It amazes me that just by being with my students that I am able to help them successfully grasp any the content that they may be struggling with.
• Reflect: One lesson that sticks out in my mind for this week is from my literacy lesson. I read to the student the Pied Piper of Hamelin. For each stanza the students had to visualize what event was going on in the text. I read and reread each stanza from the poem. The poem is written in somewhat older language. We discussed what events were taking place in the poem. Once students visualized what was happening in the text, we acted out the poem. I was the Pied Piper, I had a recording of a pipe on my phone, and the students were the rats in the story. We walked down the hall to specials acting out the poem.
• Focus:  My goals are still aligned I am trying to smoothly integrate global awareness in my lessons. I have been able to do this much easier because of my literacy lesson based on tales around the world.
• Be Productive: I could spend more time on helping students grasp the concept of money. Students are struggling with identifying coins and their value. I am planning to have a memory sheet for the coins and their value on their desk.
• Have Courage:  I still have apprehension with being too stern with my students. Classroom management has improved greatly in my classroom but that is based upon my continual praise for the students that are displaying positive behavior, when students do not react to the positive praise about another student, then I have purposed on having the students face consequences.
• Begin Anew: I am going to have to integrate more mathematic activities based on the value, and total value of coins that are represented from a given group.

What were some data you analyzed this week and how did it help guide your decisions?

This week I analyzed scores from a STAR test that each student took. This test allows me to see their reading level. Most of my students all have reading levels about second grade. I have two students that are on grade-level, and one that has a first grade reading level.

• NC Professional Teaching Standards 
• Standard 1: 1a, I am continuing to maintain a safe and orderly classroom that facilitates student learning. My behavior student was out for over a week  and has been calling out and disrupting class, but I have continued to communicate expectations and goals for students. I have continued to enforce consequences for bad behavior.
• Standard 2: 2c, I want all of my students to know that I have high expectations for them. Many times I tell them that "our goal" is to... so that they know what I am wanting from them exactly.
• Standard 3: 3a, I have been working on integrating vocabulary in my math lessons. I can tell that since I have began teaching the math vocabulary that students are able to solve word problems easier that are used to work with monetary value.
•    Standard 4: 4d, Integrating technology has been a goal for me to do in the classroom. I have had students create videos about what information was gained from science day this Friday.
• Standard 5: 5a, I noticed this week that students are struggling with answering word problems. They are not able to break apart what the problem is asking them. Word problems that allow them to use more than one specific type of data causes them to become frustrated.

• • What components of your portfolio have you started to complete? I have worked on global awareness project for my portfolio.
  • What support does your clinical educator need from Mrs. Suttle? None at this time.
  • What support do you need from Mrs.Suttle? None at this time.

Week 8 of Teaching

I would rate this week a 4.

·         Observe: I was able to connect with my new student. While the students has ADHD and can be very distracting to not only himself but the other students, I have found a way to help the student have  a way to get rid of the extra movement, by giving them a stress tooth.

·         Reflect: I have found that differentiating is not only on what you are teaching your students but also the atmosphere in which is conducive for the students. My student that suffers from ADHD cannot sit still during any of the lessons when there hasn't been any medicine I allow the student to walk at the back of the room while I am teaching if they are having a hard time.

·         Focus:  I am still planning on how to differentiate and implement global awareness in my lesson plans.

·         Be Productive: I am continuing to work on spending lesson time on managing negative behavior and praising for the good behavior that students are doing.

·         Have Courage:  During one of my lessons, I had a student constantly calling out the answers, now mind you the answers were correct, and the student never call out, but I gave a warning, and it was not heeded. I had to have the student clip down for not following directions.

·         Begin Anew: My first logical step for next week is to find strategies that will help my students to learn the value of money. Students are going to begin on this once they return from Spring Break.

NC Professional Teaching Standards 

·         Standard 1: 1a, I am continuing to maintain a safe and orderly classroom that facilitates student learning. My new student has thrown a monkey wrench in this plan, but I have continued to communicate expectations and goals for students. I have continued to enforce consequences for bad behavior.

·         Standard 2: 2e, I had a pretty good response to my parent involvement project for my students. Many of the parents with the students to research a specific country of their choice.

·         Standard 3: 3a, I have been working on integrating vocabulary in my math lessons. I can tell that since I have began teaching the math vocabulary that students are able to solve word problems easier that are used to compare data on a chart.

·         Standard 4: 4d, Integrating technology has been a goal for me to do in the classroom. I have had students watching videos on youtube that acts as a read aloud for students. Students seemed to be engaged in these lessons.

·         Standard 5: 5a, I noticed this week that students are struggling with answering word problems. They are not able to break apart what the problem is asking them. Word problems that allow them to use more than one specific type of data causes them to become frustrated.

·         What components of your portfolio have you started to complete? I have started to complete the student teaching video.

·         What support does your clinical educator need from Mrs.Suttle? None at this time

·         What support do you need from Mrs.Suttle? None at this time

Week 7 of Student Teaching

I would rate this week a 3. I had a new student transfer to my classroom.

• Observe: I was able to achieve with my CE a parent involvement project for the students in my classroom. This week and next week we are being immersed into different countries and cultures. Students are doing research with their parents at home to pick a country and find important aspects for each country.
• Reflect: I am learning to differentiate better for my students. My new student has ADHD, and the way I teach for that student is different. The student needs me near them a great amount of time especially when given the assessment.
• Focus:  My goals are still aligned I am continuing to increase differentiation in my lessons to reach every child as well as incorporate more global awareness.
• Be Productive: I am still managing behavior, it has gotten much better, and students know that I am serious about their learning. I am continuing to increase proximity praise, and trying to spend less time on focusing on the negative.
• Have Courage: I struggled with differentiating with one of my students that has a hard time using the ipad to solve math problems. I didn't want to single the student out, so I provided him with graph paper to solve the problems, and allowed him to have his ipad to do the work after he finished the problems on the the paper.
• Begin Anew: My first logical step is to clear my mind of the chaos of the behavior of my new student, and continue to implement strategies in which they will be able to learn without continually being punished for behavior that they are not able to control.

• What were some data you analyzed this week and how did it help guide your decisions?
• NC Professional Teaching Standards (be sure to reference activities from your lesson plans to solidify your answer)
• Standard 1: 1a, I am striving to make my classroom safe and orderly that facilitates learning for my students. My new student continued to physical touch other students. I had to have a talk with him about making the right choice, and allowing others to learn.
• Standard 2: 2c, I want all of my students to know that I have high expectations for them. Many times I tell them that "our goal" is to... so that they know what I am wanting from them exactly. 2e, I have made a parent involvement project for students to includes parents helping students research different countries and their cultures.
• Standard 3: 3a, I have integrated math vocabulary into my lessons this week to increase literacy throughout the curriculum and across content areas.
• Standard 4: 4d, Friday after our math class I had students to use their ipads to access Time For Kids world map, in which I had them do some research on their own about the countries, and to give them ideas about which country they may want to research with their parents.
• Standard 5: 5a, this week's math test has helped me see that students need help in correctly solving problems using the arrow way strategy. For next week my goal is to show students during the math lessons how to solve using arrow way.

• Other:
• • What components of your portfolio have you started to complete? Student work analysis and educational philosophy.
  • What support does your clinical educator need from Mrs. Suttle? Nothing at this time.
  • What support do you need from Mr.Suttle? Nothing at this time.

Week 6 of Student Teaching

• For this week I would rate it a 4. I have become very flexible on schedule because of this week. We had Read Across America all week, and it really I would say hurt my instruction, it just caused me to plan and plan again based on the set/unset schedule.
• Seven questions to end your week:
• • Observe: This week seemed to be pretty successful on managing student behavior. Students seemed to respond to my positive reinforcement better, I am still working on being intentional on not constantly correcting someone, but to rather just give them a consequence because it is causing time loss during the lesson.
  • Reflect: My students are having difficulties identifying mathematical language during application problems. This week I am going to implement math vocabulary as a hook for my math lessons.
  • Focus:  I am still working on differentiation in the classroom, as well as global awareness. I have been able to step up my global awareness game by putting current events on the board such as the American astronaut being in space with a Russian cosmonaut for a year and the space race between the two countries years ago.
  • Be Productive: I can spend less time correcting negative behavior, and more time quickly reinforcing positive behavior, and have the students with the bad behavior to face the consequence of clipping down.
  • Have Courage:  I had a little apprehension about a lesson this week for having students to work in groups to create a timeline on the Civil Rights Movement. My CE wanted me to read the text have students on their own paper create the timeline, and then do it in a group. I explained to her that they would not be cooperating with each other nor allowing them to think critically about the events in the story if we gave them the answers. She agreed, and even though I had some apprehension on not even telling how I thought the students would gain the information better, I was able to discuss them, and the cooperative groups did great!
  • Begin Anew: I am having to somewhat clear my mind on the Civil Rights Movement because we are moving to Tales around the world which will help promote global awareness for students.

• What were some data you analyzed this week and how did it help guide your decisions?
• NC Professional Teaching Standards (be sure to reference activities from your lesson plans to solidify your answer)
• • Standard 1: 1c, Last Friday I attended professional development workshops. The first was "Sharpening Literacy and Vocabulary Skills and the other was Understanding Poverty Needs." These workshops helped me identify how to develop a classroom that not only the county faces but the state as a whole faces.
  • Standard 2: 2b, This week I have able to help students gather information on point of view. For example we used the think, feel, action model to understand the author's point of view. For example this week we read Freedom Summer. The book has two characters and views one event in two different ways. Students were able to identify these differences.
  • Standard 3: 3d, I am trying to use more technology in the classroom. Some of my students do very well using the technology whereas others struggle with it. I have found that if I know that a student has problems using the technology that I have to guide them through each step or provide another way of getting them through the learning experience.
  • Standard 4: 4d, As I said above I am trying to integrate technology into more of my lessons. My students that are successful with technology are doing great and are developing faster because they are able to work things out quicker, for example this week I used an app called Doodle Buddy to have student work out math problems some students did well while others were not as successful.
  • Standard 5: 5b, Last week I participated in professional development workshops that helped me understand how to help my students not only now but my students in the future .
• Other:
• • What components of your portfolio have you started to complete? I am working very hard on my student teaching video I am attempting to use iMovie to complete this.
  • What support does your clinical educator need from Mrs.Suttle? None at this time
  • What support do you need from Mrs.Suttle? None at this time

Week 5 of Student Teaching

I would rate this week a 3, this week went really great. Tuesday I had ten people observe me teaching math, Wednesday all second graders had a field trip to watch a theater troupe on American American heroes, and Friday was a professional development day.

• Observe: This week I had made it my goal to have my students to make connections with how they would feel if they were African Americans during the Civil Rights Movement.
• Reflect: Next week I am continuing to build upon The Civil Rights Movement during guided reading groups..
• Focus:  My short-term goal of differentiating instruction is has flowed into helping my behavior student through my long-term plans.
• Be Productive: I am continuing to work on classroom management. I am making sure to be firm yet fair. Students are continually talking over me or talking out of turn. I am continuing to give consequences for these actions.
• Have Courage:  I had apprehension on being too strict while teaching a lesson. I have really discussed with my CE about how to handle classroom management.
• Begin Anew: My next logical step is to view how students are going to wrap up ideas on Abraham Lincoln, and begin making connections with how Abraham Lincoln helped begin the Civil Rights Movement one hundred years after the Emancipation Proclamamtion. 

• I analyzed data from newest student. Based on the development that has occurred while she has been here the pass few months I still see that the progress is not enough to prepare her for third grade. I am worried that retention is going to occur for this child.
• NC Professional Teaching Standards 
• • Standard 1: 1b, I continually incorporate my SIP goals into my lesson plans. The two biggest are number sense and vocabulary skill building. These two goals are weaved in my math and guided reading instruction time.
  • Standard 2: 2c, I have made sure to communicate high expectations to all students no matter what their development level. I normally tell my students that there is goal for our reading stations (guided reading group) for the day, before and while we are working.
  • Standard 3: 3c, I am greatly trying to improve my instruction by incorporating differentiation. This week I have tried to be intentional in viewing how each student needs different things to learn.
  • Standard 4: 4a, This week I have tried extremely hard to be intentional in making sure that my teaching is differentiated. To me it seems that I am keeping some students from doing what others are doing, but I know that this is for the learning of the student.
  • Standard 5: 5a, I have become very aware on how just assessing them after a lesson really helps me plan for the next day. I know that if a student is struggling in a certain part of the lesson, than I want to go back and cover it before moving on.
• Other:
• • What components of your portfolio have you started to complete? I am gathering student work samples from my unit from my two students that I have chosen, and have worked on analysis.
  • What support does your clinical educator need from Mrs.Suttle? None is needed at this time.
  • What support do you need from Mrs. Suttle? None at this time.