I {heart} technology. This dual purpose blog is a green method of responding to written assignments for all of my Portage High School students. The second purpose is to share my love (and frustrations) about paper crafting.
Friday, September 30, 2011
Reflection #2
Cadet Teachers: Please enter reflection #2. Remember, a reflection is thinking about what you did, not just a list of what you did. Add details and explanation. Have a warm and fuzzy weekend!
9 comments:
Part 1 Emily Casella
said...
This week was very interesting. I went to Mrs. Heldts first grade classroom for the first two days. Then, I went to Mr. Lesich’s fifth grade class and loved it! First, though I’m going to reflect on the first two days. I was skeptical going into the first grade class because I have never, ever been in a first grade in a public school. My parents sort of warned me that there is a ‘robot’ feel to the classrooms. Turns out, it was just so. When I stepped into the classroom they were doing calendar. That was fine, I’ve seen my mom do calendar at her school, and I actually taught calendar to first grade at my dad school when I was in fifth grade, I believe or maybe sixth. So, I have a lot experience with that. The aide did it with the kids because the teacher was not there. It was different though, because there was a caller, who called students when the aide asked questions. I did not like how that was set up. I guess it for them to learn to be patience, but as I looked around the little carpet full of students, it was basically the same students answering the question. I would of rather of called randomly throughout the class, myself, so that everyone was at least thinking and having an answer. Then another moment I noted was that the aide asking what the weather was like today, and the student said rainy. Which it was, but the aide said, No that was this morning. Then the other kids tried answering, but they were not satisfactory. She wanted, sunny, because that was what it was like at the very minute. If she wanted the weather right at that moment she should of said so. That aggravated me. But I must go on. Then they all lined up to go to the bathroom. That felt like such a waste of time to me, because the kids could just go back to it after they came back if they needed to. So why they all go at once is just beyond me. After the go to the bathroom, the do a small half sheet double sided. That was fine; I got to help them do the page. Yet the aide gave them like five minutes to do it, and half of them were not even done. So she just read off the answer and they filled that in. Why give it to them if you do not want to finish? Then they had to AR. Usually when the teacher is there they do group tables or something. That might have been better, because AR situation was so ridiculous, I felt so bad for the students. They had to read their level books. That’s nice, but they only had four computers for test taking. For four thirty minutes they sat there, doing nothing, because most of them had read their books multiple times. Only about eight students out of twenty got to actually take the test, so the others were bored out of their minds. And they could not talk at all, just raise their hands; the sub and the aid were too busy helping the students on the computer, so I ran round with reading words to the kids. Some of the times I did not even notice a few students so they could sit there for five minutes stuck on one word. I found that so unproductive and annoying for the students. I know I’m supposed to back up the teachers rules, but I could not take these kids not being able to move on because they were stuck on word, so I just told them to call me and I would come. People at the High School might think that I’m quiet, but I could not stand these poor or any elementary student being so quiet, I just wanted to cry. The great feature I like about little kids is that they say the most awesome things. I understand there are definitely times when they need to be quiet, but who in the world expects children to be silent for more than twenty minutes straight. That was all we did for both days. It made me so frustrated. It was just bad.
The next two days at Mr. Lesich’s fifth grade class, were the best. I absolutely loved the students and the teacher. I knew I would love teaching third, fourth, or fifth grade students, because I had great friends who were in those grades when I was in seventh grade. I just love those ages. When I came in they were doing math. This was really neat. They were doing long division and he had four ways of doing it. One was a box like way; I think they called it Hocus Pocus. Another one was super seven, and then there was columns and plain old long division. It was really neat, because he would tell the kids which problem to do then he would let pick which method they knew best and do it. Then he would pick four different kids, one with each different method, and let them do it on the board. That was really effective, because no one left stupid doing any of the four. There was this one kid, who was struggling, so I helped with the problems. I do not know if I confused him more the first day, but the second day he was getting the hang of it. He was so excited because he actually got it before other kids. That was awesome. The first day after math, I got to read Bridge to Terabithia to a small group. I was so excited! I read it when I was in fifth grade and we actually saw the movie, so it was so epic to read it with the kids. It was a group of all boys and they were the coolest group of fifth graders I’ve seen in a while. The funniest thing was when I was reading and I could not read paramedic or I read it wrong or something and they corrected me on it. It was so funny. I was like, you see I’m in Advanced English and I cannot read worth anything. I loved the fifth graders dearly. The second day was pretty much the same, besides they finished the book so they were just working on finishing assignments. The teacher also made them organize their desk with verbal instructions, because he was preparing them for challenge Ed, whatever that program is that Portage does. I thought that was really effective of him. I just loved that class. Emily Casella
This week wasn't as eventful for me as last week, so my entry won't be as horrendous. I observed Miss Shore's 5th grade class and what I observed wasn't as conventional as any 5th grade class I've ever been in. The classes switch almost exactly like the middle school students do. A class switches to a different teacher to learn math, social studies, or english and then they all go back to their "home room" exactly like middle school class would, the only difference was that they were in a hallway instead of a school. I only got to work with the actual students a total of 3 times in the whole week. She mainly had me cutting out lamenated cards and constructing a bulletin board of some type. Part of me felt like she tried to find things for me to do, so i wouldn't interrupt her classroom. I wasn't as comfortable as i was with the kindergarteners last week. They seemed to accept me better. I was able to jump in no problem, but i felt restricted completely in Miss Shore's class. I helped a small group of 4 with a worksheet on comprehending a friendly letter, which was mainly read the question and them identifying the answer. It was difficult to use the worksheet because the answers she wanted weren't really defined in the reading, so the kids were conflicted as well as I as to what the answers really should be. My last day I took a girl who was struggling with her rounding and I stole a trick from my PreCalc teacher, Mrs.Shrader. I had the girl write down the two rules she was struggling the most with on a piece of paper to put in her binder, in case she ever struggled with it. Mrs.Shrader lets us use them on tests, so i guessed she could use it on her homework. It must've worked, having her write them down, because she was getting it and was able to finish half of the worksheet by herself.
My week was great. I was able to get more involved with the kids then I did the week before. The first day I was there I read with a boy named Jeremiah, I helped him sound out the words. Mrs. Falk let me help him with an AR test after we got done reading the book. Then I got to read with a girl named Haylee, I couldn't finish reading with her because I had to leave. My second day in with 2nd grade class, I couldn't do much because there was a different teacher with them, so all I did was help stamp their papers when they were right on senteces. Wednesday I helped them read again, this time I helped two girl named Tina and Mckayla. I read with Tina until I had to go then when I was leaving Haylee came up to me and hugged me. I felt great leaving the class that day. My last day there I helped them with writing out senteces and helped them draw pictures they had to do on the same worksheet. I would really like to go back to that classroom because the kids were amazing.
My week wasn't much of a week since I was only there for two days. However, I loved the two days I got to experience. I was in Mrs. Sobocinski's first grade class. I knew I would enjoy teaching the first grade level before I even joined this class. First graders are just so amusing and keep you laughing, kind of like our class does with you Mrs. Parker. The best strategy for teaching first graders is to have a sense of humor while you teach your lesson. I learned that from observing Mrs. Sobocinski's techniques. While she does her morning actvities, such as the calender and weather, she changes her voice. For example, she would go from the grumpy voice, or laughing voice. These techniques keep the students attention. Therefore, while I read to the students individually, I changed my voice to keep the students attention. At first, I felt embarrassed. Thus, once the student started to do the obnoxious voice with me, I knew the strategy was working. One student that immediately comes to my mind is Isaiah. Isaiah is one of the RTI students. Isaiah reminds me of a lot of students I worked with at our school's special needs class. He is so special to me. He try's harder than many students do in school. However, his attention span stops him from being more successful in school. I'd like to go back to Mrs. Sobocinski's class. I want to try and help those students who are being tested for special needs. I know there is not much I can do to help their attention span, but it never hurts to try. These two day's were a big eye opener to me. I know you don't become a teacher for the money. But I always though you were crazy when you said that Mrs. Parker. Well, you know what I mean by that. You do so much work at our school to better us students, and don't get paid as much as you deserve. However, when I was working with these students, I began to understand why you do it. I felt such a huge connection with Isaiah and I was only teaching him for 20 minutes. He melted my heart. This week was deffinatly a positive week for me. I would love to do it everyday.
My second week of Cadet Teaching took place in Mrs. Mundt's first grade class. Everyday I took a two chairs into the hallway and the kids took turns coming out and reading to me. They read to me and I hepled them by pointing to the words to keep them to keep them on the right lines and helped them sound out words when they needed it. What I did throughout the week is very important to young students because reading with an adult gives them confidence and really helps develope their reading skills. This week was different from my last because I didn't feel as invovled in the class as before. Although reading is important I feel like it is more productive to be learning and helping out in the classroom because those are the kinds of things that we are going to want to have the most time with. Other than that I enjoyed Mrs. Mundt and all of the children in her first grade class.
My second week of cadet teaching was not as exciting as my first. For my second week I was with Ms. Montgomery's class which is a first through third grade class for mentally and emotionally challenged students. My first day in class was completely different than last week in P.E. This week I only had two to four students in my class at a time. On the first day I read the entire mod to one student. This student made me read "100 Dinosaur Names", which was very frustrating when attempting to pronounce. On the second day I worked with a different student, helping him count money in his worksheets. Wednesday and Thursday I helped students count money and read to them. I am glad I was able to experience this class because I know that special education is not the path that I am going to choose.
My second week was a little more interesting than the first. The class didn't have a set schedule like my first weeks class but it felt more like the first grade class I remember. There was a sub in there the whole week so that eas pretty interesting but it wasn't just a waste because this sub already knew how to run the classroom. So the first day I just helped hand out papers and then the next day I actually got to work with a group of kids who had struggled on a worksheet. So I had the kids back at the "carpet" area and we re went over the worksheet and that was about it. Next day there I did kind of the same thing but all the kids were at their desks and working on a math worksheet that had the color by number thing. Well one of the boys was like refusing to finish the worksheet I literally told him like ten times to get back on task. And then another little boy was reading and wouldn't finish coloring but I think he was just trying to get my attention. So the last day I finally get recognized that I'm there to help and then I had to leave..oh well.
9 comments:
This week was very interesting. I went to Mrs. Heldts first grade classroom for the first two days. Then, I went to Mr. Lesich’s fifth grade class and loved it! First, though I’m going to reflect on the first two days. I was skeptical going into the first grade class because I have never, ever been in a first grade in a public school. My parents sort of warned me that there is a ‘robot’ feel to the classrooms. Turns out, it was just so. When I stepped into the classroom they were doing calendar. That was fine, I’ve seen my mom do calendar at her school, and I actually taught calendar to first grade at my dad school when I was in fifth grade, I believe or maybe sixth. So, I have a lot experience with that. The aide did it with the kids because the teacher was not there. It was different though, because there was a caller, who called students when the aide asked questions. I did not like how that was set up. I guess it for them to learn to be patience, but as I looked around the little carpet full of students, it was basically the same students answering the question. I would of rather of called randomly throughout the class, myself, so that everyone was at least thinking and having an answer. Then another moment I noted was that the aide asking what the weather was like today, and the student said rainy. Which it was, but the aide said, No that was this morning. Then the other kids tried answering, but they were not satisfactory. She wanted, sunny, because that was what it was like at the very minute. If she wanted the weather right at that moment she should of said so. That aggravated me. But I must go on. Then they all lined up to go to the bathroom. That felt like such a waste of time to me, because the kids could just go back to it after they came back if they needed to. So why they all go at once is just beyond me. After the go to the bathroom, the do a small half sheet double sided. That was fine; I got to help them do the page. Yet the aide gave them like five minutes to do it, and half of them were not even done. So she just read off the answer and they filled that in. Why give it to them if you do not want to finish? Then they had to AR. Usually when the teacher is there they do group tables or something. That might have been better, because AR situation was so ridiculous, I felt so bad for the students. They had to read their level books. That’s nice, but they only had four computers for test taking. For four thirty minutes they sat there, doing nothing, because most of them had read their books multiple times. Only about eight students out of twenty got to actually take the test, so the others were bored out of their minds. And they could not talk at all, just raise their hands; the sub and the aid were too busy helping the students on the computer, so I ran round with reading words to the kids. Some of the times I did not even notice a few students so they could sit there for five minutes stuck on one word. I found that so unproductive and annoying for the students. I know I’m supposed to back up the teachers rules, but I could not take these kids not being able to move on because they were stuck on word, so I just told them to call me and I would come. People at the High School might think that I’m quiet, but I could not stand these poor or any elementary student being so quiet, I just wanted to cry. The great feature I like about little kids is that they say the most awesome things. I understand there are definitely times when they need to be quiet, but who in the world expects children to be silent for more than twenty minutes straight. That was all we did for both days. It made me so frustrated. It was just bad.
The next two days at Mr. Lesich’s fifth grade class, were the best. I absolutely loved the students and the teacher. I knew I would love teaching third, fourth, or fifth grade students, because I had great friends who were in those grades when I was in seventh grade. I just love those ages. When I came in they were doing math. This was really neat. They were doing long division and he had four ways of doing it. One was a box like way; I think they called it Hocus Pocus. Another one was super seven, and then there was columns and plain old long division. It was really neat, because he would tell the kids which problem to do then he would let pick which method they knew best and do it. Then he would pick four different kids, one with each different method, and let them do it on the board. That was really effective, because no one left stupid doing any of the four. There was this one kid, who was struggling, so I helped with the problems. I do not know if I confused him more the first day, but the second day he was getting the hang of it. He was so excited because he actually got it before other kids. That was awesome. The first day after math, I got to read Bridge to Terabithia to a small group. I was so excited! I read it when I was in fifth grade and we actually saw the movie, so it was so epic to read it with the kids. It was a group of all boys and they were the coolest group of fifth graders I’ve seen in a while. The funniest thing was when I was reading and I could not read paramedic or I read it wrong or something and they corrected me on it. It was so funny. I was like, you see I’m in Advanced English and I cannot read worth anything. I loved the fifth graders dearly. The second day was pretty much the same, besides they finished the book so they were just working on finishing assignments. The teacher also made them organize their desk with verbal instructions, because he was preparing them for challenge Ed, whatever that program is that Portage does. I thought that was really effective of him. I just loved that class. Emily Casella
This week wasn't as eventful for me as last week, so my entry won't be as horrendous. I observed Miss Shore's 5th grade class and what I observed wasn't as conventional as any 5th grade class I've ever been in. The classes switch almost exactly like the middle school students do. A class switches to a different teacher to learn math, social studies, or english and then they all go back to their "home room" exactly like middle school class would, the only difference was that they were in a hallway instead of a school. I only got to work with the actual students a total of 3 times in the whole week. She mainly had me cutting out lamenated cards and constructing a bulletin board of some type. Part of me felt like she tried to find things for me to do, so i wouldn't interrupt her classroom. I wasn't as comfortable as i was with the kindergarteners last week. They seemed to accept me better. I was able to jump in no problem, but i felt restricted completely in Miss Shore's class. I helped a small group of 4 with a worksheet on comprehending a friendly letter, which was mainly read the question and them identifying the answer. It was difficult to use the worksheet because the answers she wanted weren't really defined in the reading, so the kids were conflicted as well as I as to what the answers really should be. My last day I took a girl who was struggling with her rounding and I stole a trick from my PreCalc teacher, Mrs.Shrader. I had the girl write down the two rules she was struggling the most with on a piece of paper to put in her binder, in case she ever struggled with it. Mrs.Shrader lets us use them on tests, so i guessed she could use it on her homework. It must've worked, having her write them down, because she was getting it and was able to finish half of the worksheet by herself.
^^^^^jasmine's^^^^^^
My week was great. I was able to get more involved with the kids then I did the week before. The first day I was there I read with a boy named Jeremiah, I helped him sound out the words. Mrs. Falk let me help him with an AR test after we got done reading the book. Then I got to read with a girl named Haylee, I couldn't finish reading with her because I had to leave. My second day in with 2nd grade class, I couldn't do much because there was a different teacher with them, so all I did was help stamp their papers when they were right on senteces. Wednesday I helped them read again, this time I helped two girl named Tina and Mckayla. I read with Tina until I had to go then when I was leaving Haylee came up to me and hugged me. I felt great leaving the class that day. My last day there I helped them with writing out senteces and helped them draw pictures they had to do on the same worksheet. I would really like to go back to that classroom because the kids were amazing.
My week wasn't much of a week since I was only there for two days. However, I loved the two days I got to experience. I was in Mrs. Sobocinski's first grade class. I knew I would enjoy teaching the first grade level before I even joined this class. First graders are just so amusing and keep you laughing, kind of like our class does with you Mrs. Parker. The best strategy for teaching first graders is to have a sense of humor while you teach your lesson. I learned that from observing Mrs. Sobocinski's techniques. While she does her morning actvities, such as the calender and weather, she changes her voice. For example, she would go from the grumpy voice, or laughing voice. These techniques keep the students attention. Therefore, while I read to the students individually, I changed my voice to keep the students attention. At first, I felt embarrassed. Thus, once the student started to do the obnoxious voice with me, I knew the strategy was working. One student that immediately comes to my mind is Isaiah. Isaiah is one of the RTI students. Isaiah reminds me of a lot of students I worked with at our school's special needs class. He is so special to me. He try's harder than many students do in school. However, his attention span stops him from being more successful in school. I'd like to go back to Mrs. Sobocinski's class. I want to try and help those students who are being tested for special needs. I know there is not much I can do to help their attention span, but it never hurts to try. These two day's were a big eye opener to me. I know you don't become a teacher for the money. But I always though you were crazy when you said that Mrs. Parker. Well, you know what I mean by that. You do so much work at our school to better us students, and don't get paid as much as you deserve. However, when I was working with these students, I began to understand why you do it. I felt such a huge connection with Isaiah and I was only teaching him for 20 minutes. He melted my heart. This week was deffinatly a positive week for me. I would love to do it everyday.
My second week of Cadet Teaching took place in Mrs. Mundt's first grade class. Everyday I took a two chairs into the hallway and the kids took turns coming out and reading to me. They read to me and I hepled them by pointing to the words to keep them to keep them on the right lines and helped them sound out words when they needed it. What I did throughout the week is very important to young students because reading with an adult gives them confidence and really helps develope their reading skills. This week was different from my last because I didn't feel as invovled in the class as before. Although reading is important I feel like it is more productive to be learning and helping out in the classroom because those are the kinds of things that we are going to want to have the most time with. Other than that I enjoyed Mrs. Mundt and all of the children in her first grade class.
-Abagail Trader(:
My second week of cadet teaching was not as exciting as my first. For my second week I was with Ms. Montgomery's class which is a first through third grade class for mentally and emotionally challenged students. My first day in class was completely different than last week in P.E. This week I only had two to four students in my class at a time. On the first day I read the entire mod to one student. This student made me read "100 Dinosaur Names", which was very frustrating when attempting to pronounce. On the second day I worked with a different student, helping him count money in his worksheets. Wednesday and Thursday I helped students count money and read to them. I am glad I was able to experience this class because I know that special education is not the path that I am going to choose.
-Riley
My second week was a little more interesting than the first. The class didn't have a set schedule like my first weeks class but it felt more like the first grade class I remember. There was a sub in there the whole week so that eas pretty interesting but it wasn't just a waste because this sub already knew how to run the classroom. So the first day I just helped hand out papers and then the next day I actually got to work with a group of kids who had struggled on a worksheet. So I had the kids back at the "carpet" area and we re went over the worksheet and that was about it. Next day there I did kind of the same thing but all the kids were at their desks and working on a math worksheet that had the color by number thing. Well one of the boys was like refusing to finish the worksheet I literally told him like ten times to get back on task. And then another little boy was reading and wouldn't finish coloring but I think he was just trying to get my attention. So the last day I finally get recognized that I'm there to help and then I had to leave..oh well.
--Cait.
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