Week of January 25th

Week of Reflection Jan 25th

  

I have been highly stressed out this week. My days at school have not been bad. The kids were good and I have enjoyed my time with them but the rest of my requirements has been killing me. It hasn’t even been this week that is stressing me out but the fact that it is so hard for me to keep up with everything now and I still have not taken over full time as the teacher yet. I keep panicking about future weeks and trying to get everything done when I can barely hold on as it is. I broke down yesterday telling my mom that I felt like I was failing the kids because I am so consumed with GWU stuff that I feel like I can’t focus on them. Still, my biggest problem is not this week and my struggles but knowing that it is just going to get harder and worrying how I am going to make it then when I am barely hanging on now. For this reason, I would rate my week as about a 2.

Observe: 

We had a data meeting this Wednesday and that was very interesting. One of the things that the superintendent gave us was a list of things that affected student achievement either negatively or positively and that was a huge eye-opener for me. (I will attach it here this weekend so if anyone wants to look at it but I have to get time to upload it)

Reflect: 

I have been teaching math this week and something I have realized is that I have a huge habit of running over myself in the subject. I keep having to slow down and pace myself during instruction because I want to explain everything all at once and it is too much for the kids. I have started to really focus on using the textbook heavily in my lessons because it breaks it down better. I hate spending so much time in it but if I don’t use it as a script I just confuse the kids.

Focus: 

I am still working toward that end goal. Trying to do little things on my portfolio to keep it moving forward.  I have also started teaching my edTPA this week.

Be Productive: 

I need to be spending more time on other areas in my portfolio before they start to back up. My problem is every bit of my spare time is taken up with trying to fill out the lesson plans every week. I know I am taking to long to do them but I still cannot figure out how to speed up the process. 

Have Courage: 

I am slowly getting better at asking my CE things and getting more comfortable in her classroom. My problem now is is doing the same in the other classroom since I switch. I do not feel as comfortable in her classroom and doing things in it. She is also a huge talker, which helps to keep awkward silences between us low since I am not, but it also makes it hard for me to ask her questions because she starts chasing rabbits. I need to get more confidence up to keep her on subject and ask all of my questions but I’m still timid about it.

Begin Anew: 

There are so many important things that I need to do that it has been hard for me to sort out which priorities to focus on first. I need them in an order so that I can focus on one thing at a time but I cannot ever decide which one to put first. My focus this morning was to just get this blog done. My focus by this evening is to get my lesson plans turned in.  This weekend I will take a look at my edTPA videos so far and make sure everything is ready for next week.

Data:

As I mentioned earlier, the school had a meeting with the central office Wednesday to go over data. There was so much in this meeting that I could not list it all but there are a lot of things that are now in the back of my head as I think about my plans and what I need to do that was not there before.

Advice:

Here is a verse that I needed this week, maybe it will help some of you too.

Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, - Romans 5:3-4

We are building up endurance through all of this so that we can endure what comes in the future, and build character and have hope that we can share with our students.

NC Teacher Candidate Standards

1b. Teachers demonstrate leadership in the school. 

During the data meeting, I was able to work with the other teachers to analyze and talk about things we could do to help increase our growth.

2c. Teachers treat students as individuals 

I finally got to sit down and talk with my two students that I have chosen for my management plan. We worked together and built a contract for them. Having this time really helped me to build a positive relationship with these two students. There are now specific expectations in place that they know are there for them. 

3d. Teachers make instruction relevant to students. 

I have worked hard to make all of my instruction relevant to my students by integrating skills and connecting the instruction to their prior knowledge. This week and next week this especially evident in my edTPA lessons.

4f. Teachers help students work in teams and develop leadership qualities. 

Most of my lessons have some opportunity for students to work in groups and work their collaboration skills and improving their social ties and relationship skills.

5c. Teachers function effectively in a complex, dynamic environment. 

With me being a brand new teacher I am always watching and trying to soak up and learn as much as I can. This means that I am constantly adapting what I am doing to go with the new stuff I am learning.

Other:

After doing research and observing my two students I have chosen for my management plan I finally got to sit down with them this week and build their contracts and put the plan into action.

Week of Jan 18th

Week of Reflection Jan 18th

This was a crazy week. My CE was out for most of the week and even though there was a sub since I know how the class works and the schedule I wound up taking over all of the responsibilities and teaching all of the lessons before I expected to. With this also being the week before our second seminar and having so much that was due, and my first observation occurring on Thursday, it was very busy and stressful. Monday was the craziest as there are two 5th grade classes in my school that are team-taught and both teachers were out. On top of that, the schedule was flip-flopped because of a guest coming into the classes to do science with the kids. I had to run back and forth between classes making sure everything was covered and that students transitioned when they were supposed to along with teaching the lessons I was supposed to and those that my CE left me. Even with all of this going on the kids were great and all of my lessons went well. Because of this, I am still going to rate the week as a 4. Yes it was stressful and there was a lot going on but I really enjoyed it and learned a lot. 

Observe:

The biggest accomplishment that stood out to me that I was proud of was being able to take over all of the little responsibilities like transporting students to where they need to go and just taking role and lunch choices and making sure students are where they need to be in the morning. There is so much going on in the morning that I did not realize my CE had to do or that I did not realize was so involved. It was very hard for me trying to get everything done in the morning and preparing for my lessons. I wound up staying most days until about 5 just to catch up on everything.

Reflect:

After my observation this week I was told that I need to work on showing more enthusiasm during my lessons. This is hard for me as I am not one to show much excitement or emotion and it really drains me when I try. 

Focus

I have been working a lot on my Task 1 for edTPA this week which is aligned with my long term goal of passing that.

Be Productive:

I was so busy this week and had so much to do. I honestly do not think there was anything I could have done more of or less of that would have helped any.

Have Courage:

I have been kind of hesitant with disciplining the kids in class. I did a lot better when I had the sub because I was head of the class but when my CE is there I am more worried about doing that.

Begin Anew: 

I am so happy that Monday is a teacher work day which will allow me to get caught up on a lot of work I need to get done. Like grading, making other lesson plans, and getting final things done before teaching my edTPA. This will also give me a good time to talk with my CE and get plans made without interruptions from students.

Data:

Last week I gave the students a test on the respiratory and circulatory system which is what we learned about last week. I graded these test and noticed that two students really struggled with it and so I went back with these two students and did a small group lesson with them. A good bit of the other students mixed up a couple of the other organs so before starting the digestion system we went back over the differences between these two organs.

Advice:

I found this quote from a devotional the other day and thought it would be good to share. "You must not give up when you face temptation and trials. You must not throw in the towel when you become weary from the storm. Even if you’re barely keeping your head above the water, keep paddling till relief comes. Just don’t give up. The reward you will receive will be incredible!" -Brittany Rust

Even though we are all struggling through student teaching we have to remember to not give up because we know what we are working towards and our students and our future students are counting on us.

NC Teacher Candidate Standards

1a. Teachers lead in their classrooms.

Part of this standard is maintaining an orderly classroom and effectively transitioning students through the school environment. This week was my first week doing this without my CE being there. I was solely responsible for taking the students to and from other areas of the school and mainly in charge of their behavior in the classroom as I knew the rules better than the sub.

2d. Teachers adapt their teaching for the benefit of students with special needs.

Throughout my lessons this week I have been very intentional in using instruction and supports that help meet the needs of all of my students. Having hands-on activities, exploration activities, and read aloud for the test are just a few.

3c. Teachers recognize the interconnectedness of content areas/disciplines.

This week during science, I took many opportunities to integrate math into what they were doing.

4b. Teachers plan instruction appropriate for their students.

After looking at the students’ formal assessments from last week I started to see some gaps with certain students that I failed to fill. I have been doing a lot of thinking and talking to my CE about ways to better reach these students this week and beyond.

5a. Teachers analyze student learning.

As I said above, I looked through the students’ assessments from last week and realized a few of them needed some extra work. So I planned what to do to help these students this week.

Other:

I have been mostly focused on finishing my Task 1 for edTPA this week.

Week of Reflection: January 11th

Week of Reflection: January 11th

This week was really pretty great, especially Tuesday, though I kept trying to make it Thursday the whole day. I felt like a whole week had passed by by Tuesday, yet when Wednesday came, bam, it was Friday already. Still the week went very good I thought and I would score it as a 5.

Observe: 

So an accomplishment that I felt good was the lesson that I taught Tuesday. It was a science lesson on the circulatory system and I just felt like it went so well. The kids loved it and my CE asked me to do it with the other class on Friday.

Reflect:

I am getting to know my students a little more every week. Especially the first group that I have been teaching this week. I am learning more about what they need from me in lessons and such, and I can use this when planning my future lessons to better serve them. Hopefully next week as I start to teach the other group more I will learn more about them.

Focus:

My short term goal is to complete Task 1 this weekend for edTPA so that it is ready for the seminar next weekend and I can start teaching it the week after that. This will allow me to get started on the more long term goal of completing the other tasks and give me a little more time to delve into them more.

Be Productive: 

I need to spend more time getting everything prepared for my lessons the day before rather than the morning of. 

Have Courage:

I am still working on making myself ask my CE the questions I need to when I am lost or need help. I know that is what she is there for and that she is more than willing to help me in everything, but my apprehension still makes me pause every time before I force myself to ask. This week I have been doing pretty good about it though.

Begin Anew:

First logical step is to get a good night sleep tonight and sleep in a little tomorrow so that I can get some rest. I have not been able to sleep much at night for laying awake thinking and stressing about everything. This will hopefully help me clear my head a little and give me a fresh start. Next I will be focusing on getting task 1 completed so that I can get it off my list of things to do.

Data:

After my lessons this week I gave the students their test today. I am still going through them, but as I do I am learning who got what and who didn’t. This is helping me decide what I need to do next week to help certain students get the content better.

Advice:

With things on the portfolio not being due weekly it is a good idea to break it down into chunks and make yourself your own due dates for each piece so that you don’t get behind on it or miss something that you need.

NC Teacher Candidate Standards

1a. Teachers lead in their classrooms. This week I have really seen myself start taking responsibility for the progress of these students. All I want to do is see them succeed and I am already working to do my best to get them their in any way I can.

2a. Teachers provide an environment in which each child has a positive, nurturing relationship with caring adults. There have been many times this week that I have slowed down and really worked to make sure myself and other students were respectful and supportive of each other and that I have shown flexibility with those students who have needed it.

3b. Teachers know the content appropriate to their teaching specialty. I have spent every night before a lesson to refresh myself on everything I am teaching the next day and making sure I know all of the facts I can about the content I am teaching before I get in front of the students. This way I can answer their questions and help them understand the content to a deeper extent.

4c. Teachers use a variety of instructional methods. I feel like my lessons this week did well in incorporating instructional methods for many different learning styles. I am still working on my differentiation. I plan for certain students and what I think they may need but I am still finding areas in my lesson that I need to change or adapt for students as I am teaching.

5a. Teachers analyze student learning. Today, after the students’ tests, I have really been analyzing how they did to determine what they actually learned and where they need extra support. I am using this to help plan next week and see what I need to change in my lessons so that these students get a better hold of the content.

Other:

As of now I am still working on the student behavior plans for the students I have identified. I have also started thinking about things I can do for the global awareness part.

Week of January 4th

This was the first week of student teaching for me. It was a short week being only 3 days but there was so much going on. Even so, I would rate this week as a 5. Coming back from the long break everyone was tired, students and teachers, not being able to sleep like we all did during the break. Kids were late to school because of oversleeping and almost falling asleep in class. However, everyone was quick to get back to work

Observe: 

My biggest accomplishment that I was proud of was talking to the Title 1 teacher and collaborating to create a plan for a parent night we will be doing in February. I am excited about it and happy to be able to do something like this. I also wrote my first week of plans for one subject area. At first, they were daunting and I was apprehensive but after the ideas started flowing I got so excited. That is until I got to work filling out the template. I am having to figure out how to translate my thoughts and timeline that I write for myself into the template. I am hoping this will get easier as I get used to it.

Reflect:

At this point, I am trying to figure out my schedule. Between school, getting enough sleep, and getting all of my work done, I am struggling to figure out how to work out a schedule that works best for me. I am still rearranging things and trying to figure it out.

Focus: 

My short-term efforts mostly consist of me creating a to-do list for each day to break my long-term goals down into manageable pieces. 

Be Productive:

I could have spent more time just writing out the things for my lessons and other assignments and doing my best, than spending so much time worrying that I am doing them wrong.

Have Courage:

Like I said above, I am constantly worried about doing my lesson plans wrong and worried about misunderstanding something that I take forever to do them.

Begin Anew: 

I have so much mental clutter right now. So many things are bouncing around in my head that I have to do and I am having a hard time keeping my thoughts straight. I think to best combat this is to spend time this weekend to plan out next week and break things down to manageable pieces. Similar to what I did this week but now I have some experience and can maybe do it a little better. 

Data:

I visited with the EC teacher and the Title 1 teacher this week to discuss the students in my class that they serve. As the Title 1 teacher explained to me what things the students might need from me in lessons, she showed me some data from their assessments and went over it to help show where they were and why they needed certain things.

Advice: 

A piece of advice that I have for other student teachers is to remember what you love about teaching. Do not get so wrapped up in all of the things you have to do for school that you forget how important these students are to you.

NC Teacher Candidate Standards:

1c. Teacher lead the teaching profession

One of the points in this element is establishing positive working relationships in the school. In just the past three days I have become a lot closer and comfortable with many of the other staff members at my school. I am creating relationships with them that will help me throughout the rest of the semester and maybe farther.

2d. Teachers adapt their teaching for the benefit of students with special needs.

This week I consulted with both the EC teacher and Title 1 teacher, as well as my CE, about the needs of the students I will be teaching this semester. They explained to me different things that I can do in my lessons that will help these students. 

3a. Teachers align their instruction with the NCSCOS.

My CE has given me the pacing guide for the next month and I have begun to go through the standard course of study and finding the standards that align with each topic. 

4d. Teachers integrate and utilize technology in their instruction.

In social studies, the students have been working on research projects on the states. They are creating presentations with Google Slides. I have been helping students work it like adding textbooks and such, or recovering slides that they have accidentally deleted. Something that I have found interesting is they have been sharing these with each other to help each other check for mistakes or to help each other add things that they do not know how to. They have done this without any guidance from either my CE or me. 

5b. Teachers link professional growth to their professional goals.

I created my PDP goals with Dr. Parker before the break using the school improvement plan. This week I have been talking them over with my CE and working on getting them started.

Other:

I have begun working on completing my PDP goals which also align with the school improvement plan.