Blog Post 8

One word to describe this past week: completion (almost!)

It feels great to be wrapping up my student teaching experience. Two things I learned that I did not know at the start of my student teaching experience were the amount of collaboration that goes on with other teachers and the flexibility you need to have on a daily basis. The collaboration aspect has been huge for me as I've been lucky enough to work with some outstanding educators who really helped me grow as a teacher. I've learned a great deal from my 3 cooperating teachers, but there have been many others along the way who have given me some great guidance. Flexibility has also been key for me, in terms of working with students, planning, and working on a daily basis. Being flexible with students is something I want to make sure I do throughout my entire career, while still maintaining order in the classroom setting. I've also learned that things will pop up from time to time and you just have to roll with it and adjust as needed.

Two takeaways I had from the alumni panel were the need to be patient and to stay positive throughout the job search process. Being patient will be difficult for me, but I know that this will ultimately lead to a great job as long as I am working hard throughout the process. Staying positive is something that will be easy for me, but it will be very important to not lose sight of that.

In terms of final items that I am working on, I need to complete my portfolio still. Otherwise, I am basically wrapped up with the student teaching process, which is a great thing.

In terms of communicating with my college supervisor, I just want to thank her for all of her help this semester. She's been a tremendous asset in terms of providing me with guidance and giving positive, constructive feedback that has helped me for great classroom habits. I am truly grateful.

Blog Post 7

Now that I am nearing the end of my student teaching experience, I want to make sure there is a smooth transition back to my cooperating teacher so that the students don't miss a beat. Some tasks I want to complete are:
     -finish any outstanding grading from work I have assigned
     -wrap up my Great Depression learning segment while preparing students for the DBQ segment we will be starting.

During my student teaching experience, I think my greatest growth experience has been with gaining rapport with students. I don't want to say that I didn't experience this when working with high school students, but I've definitely been able to gain a much stronger rapport with many of the eighth graders I am teaching. I've been blessed with great students who are really good kids, and it has been awesome to get to know them a bit. Even more, it means a lot to know that the students look up to me and that I have the ability to have a positive impact on their daily lives.

This is one of the things that I will miss most about working with the students in my classroom. Additionally, I will miss seeing a positive response from them when working on activities during class. I love being able to see instant feedback from the students judging on how they respond to daily tasks, as this allows me to both tweak future lessons and grow as an educator. Overall, I will miss having fun with the kids. We always were able to get work done and accomplish our goals for the day, but we usually had fun doing it. One of my favorite things about working with junior high students is knowing that each day would be an absolute blast.

In terms of my edTPA, my obviously done with it as of now. I still had a bit left last Monday though (when the blog was due), but I was able to wrap it up well. I am worried, however, that I may not have done a good job on it. Sometimes I felt like I wasn't answering what the prompts wanted, but I did my best to answer each question when evaluating each task.

Blog Post 6

Two technology classroom tools that I have found to be most helpful so far during my student teaching experience are the iPad and the iPad app "Classroom Dojo." I am lucky enough to be in a district that supplies iPads to all of its students and teachers, so the iPad is an integral part of my classroom. Many lessons are used using the iPad, and in others it is a supplemental resource. This allows me to be paperless for the most part, which is environmentally friendly and teaches students technology skills that they will be using in the real world. And, on a more practical level for me, it means less papers that I have to take home on a nightly basis. The app classroom Dojo is a key part of my classroom management plan. Dojo organizes your class roster and allows you to award or penalize points from students based on behavior. The students are always aware of how many points they have, and at the end of the quarter they are allowed to turn these points in for extra credit points or other rewards. Technology is a key part of my classroom right now.

In terms of the teaching/learning process, I am still adjusting to coming up with and assigning activities for the students. Bellringers or hooks are something I really want to get better at, but I've also made it a priority to have some form of assessment every class for the students. This will help me tailor lessons to the individual needs of the students, but I still need more practice at it.

In terms of what I want to accomplish with my students, I still want to perfect my rapport with them. I feel like I get along with the students quite well and have a good relationship with them, though I want to keep improving my knowledge of them. I firmly believe that you have to care for the students that you teach, and I want to show a great effort in doing that. This placement is already flying by and I want to make sure I make the most of the time I have here.

Relative to the edTPA project, I want to finish videotaping this coming week. Once I do this I will feel much better about my progress with the project and will be able to rest a bit easier in terms of completing it.

Thus far, I am really happy at Parker. This is a great school and I am blessed with an outstanding cooperating teacher who has been a tremendous resource for me.

Blog Post 5

One word to describe my past week: successful. I feel like I'm starting to hit my stride at Parker, which is great because I am taking over this week with a unit on World War I. More importantly, I was able to plan ahead for the next week and a half, and I am all set to teach WWI. This allowed me to have a stress-free weekend putting the finishing touches on my materials. Even more, it puts me in a great place to gain some ground on the edTPA. I'm really happy with where I am right now.

My past week relates to the biggest takeaway I have so far from student teaching, which is to always stay ahead in planning. I realize now that I could have done a better job at this in my first placement, but now I am really utilizing the planning time I have during the day to get a great chunk of my work done. This will help me overall as a teacher going forward. I'm blessed with a cooperating teacher who is really showing me the ropes in terms of planning, and I'm very thankful for that.

In terms of testing, I think more often than not we use it as the be-all-end-all when assessing student development. Educators need to remember that a great deal can affect a student's performance on a test, and we really should do all we can to put the child in the best possible position to succeed when testing. This will boost the student's confidence and really reinforce what is being taught in the classroom.

My next step for the edTPA project is to wrap up my lesson plans and begin the other writing sections. The next month will be a lot of work, but I am in a great position to get the job done.

Blog Post 4

My goals for the last 2 weeks were to transition smoothly out of my placement at Marist and to get my feet wet quickly at Parker. Overall, I thought I met these goals pretty well. My last week at Marist allowed me to observe other classes, as well as tie up any loose ends in terms of grading pretty well. I was concerned that I'd be leaving right in the middle of a unit, but the timing of the transition actually worked out pretty well. It was good to spend some time with my students on my last day and express my appreciation for letting me work with them. More than that, I especially enjoyed giving my thanks to my two cooperating teachers as they were tremendous resources for me. So far, my transition to Parker is going well. It is definitely different teaching 8th graders, but I am blessed to have students that are eager to learn and welcoming of someone new into their classroom. I am very excited to work with my new cooperating teacher, and the other people in the building are very friendly. I feel very welcome where I am and it will be a great opportunity to spend the next two months there. One word that would describe my past week would be "new." Everything is new to me at Parker, so there is certainly an adjustment period, but I look forward to the challenges that lie ahead. I feel that I am in a good place mentally going forward.

I was actually able to step up and lead a Constitution lesson this past week. My cooperating teacher wanted me to get in front of the kids a bit, and the Constitution was still fresh in my mind having taught it at Marist. I worked very well with the students, and I felt like they were very receptive to my teaching style. There was some nervousness in terms of working with new kids, but overall I felt very comfortable. This was something I reflected on, as 2 months ago I would have been terrified to step in front of kids I had never met and taught them material. Now, I am able to work with any students with the confidence that I can educate them. I feel very confident right now, and I love that I have the chance to work with new kids.

Two aspects of the TPA Project that I see are important are the need to assess, both in terms of instruction and student learning. Assessing instruction is important as it allows you to go back and evaluate what worked in a lesson and what needs some retooling. This will ultimately help the students as the lessons are being tailored to suit their individual learning needs. It is also important to assess the students because it gives you an idea of what is being learned or what needs to be focused more on. In doing this, you can also help students set goals and then devise a strategy for meeting their goals. This will hopefully guide students to do better, regardless of what their performance level is. There is always room for improvement! This was actually going on this week at Parker, so it was good to see my cooperating teacher work with students on setting and goals and then creating a plan to meet their goals.

In terms of things I need to communicate with my college supervisor about, I think the one thing that is difficult is the schedule. I was used to a set daily schedule at Marist, but Parker has a rotating schedule where you do not see each class every day. This was very confusing for me at the beginning of the week, but I'm starting to get the hang of it. This was something else I was able to reflect on; before I had to adjust to everything being new, plus getting in front of students. Now, the biggest adjustment I have to make is knowing which class comes to me when. Once again, I feel like I am in a great position to succeed.

Blog Post 3

The past two weeks, my goals were to work on my organization skills and helping all of my students achieve passing grades on their Constitution tests. The first goal is something not complete yet, as it will have to be worked on continuously throughout the semester. That being said, I've made some strong strides in keeping things organized better and staying up on tasks that I need to. My second goal, making sure all students pass the Constitution test, went extremely well. The overall average grade of my three classes was an 87%, so I was very happy after giving that test. I'm happy with how my goals panned out.

These next two weeks will be very different for me. Starting Monday, I am transitioning out of my classes at Marist. It's hard to believe seven weeks have gone by, but I feel like I've learned a great deal in this short time. I feel like I'm just hitting my stride here, and I built a great rapport with my students. My first goal is to transition out smoothly while still making this week a positive learning experience. My second goal is to get my feet wet quicker at my second placement, working hard to become a part of their community right off the bat. It will be difficult coming in midway through the semester, so hopefully I will be able to establish a strong rapport with my new students. It will be challenging, but I look forward to the learning experience.

In terms of a classroom management plan, I've worked on the structure of my group assignments. In order to keep all students on task, I have tried to make sure each group member has something that they are responsible for, then requiring them to report back to the entire group. This generally keeps all group conversations on task, efficiently uses learning time, and holds students accountable. One of the biggest parts of my teaching philosophy is to teach life skills that extend beyond the classroom, and this is certainly an example of that. Accountability is an important character trait, so developing this through my classroom management plan will set students up very well for the real world.

Last week, I really enjoyed the principal panel that Trinity had set up for us. There was some tremendous insight presented in an open forum, with administrators speaking honestly about what they look for in educators. My biggest takeaway from that was that finding a job may be difficult, but as long as I properly display the traits that I have I will be fine. I walked out of the panel very reassured that I was on the right track in education, and that my training has put me in a great place moving forward. I like what my future has in store.

In terms of the edTPA, I made a big decision this week. I had been trying to complete the project during my first placement, but I found this difficult with the shorter time frame. Much of the first few weeks were an adjustment period for me, and admittedly I was overwhelmed a bit. Add to that a fairly structured curriculum in US History, I felt I could not give my best work in my first placement. I decided I would complete my edTPA project in my second placement. This has a few advantages. First, I know have a familiarity with student teaching. While I will be at a new place, the adjustment period will be much shorter because I now know what to expect. Second, the ten week placement allows me a bit more leeway and room for error should I need it. I will be much more comfortable completing the edTPA in my junior high placement, and more importantly I know I will be able to put out a much better quality of work.

Blog Post 2

Last week, my two goals were to get into a rhythm and learn all of the names of my students. Luckily, I feel very accomplished in both of these goals. I had a great week in terms of student teaching, with some great lessons taught; more importantly, I learned a great deal from the lessons that did not go as smoothly as planned. Additionally, I feel I got into a groove in terms of my schedule and balancing everything out. I'm also getting my students' names down much easier, which allows me to personally connect with the students a bit more. I'm very happy with how my first two goals panned out.

For the next two weeks, I want to concentrate on staying organized, as well as having all of my US History students pass the Constitution Test. Organization, specifically with materials I need to grade and handout, plus lesson plans, is one big thing I need to master. This is a skill that will set me up well for the future. As far as the Constitution test, it is something I am starting this week and is a very important part of US History for juniors. A passing grade is necessary in order to move on to senior year, so I feel a tremendous responsibility (that I look forward to) to prepare my students the best that I can for the exam.

One word to describe my past week: successful.

In the past two weeks, I worked hard to create a learning environment that encourages social interaction, active engagement in learning, and social motivation. I achieved this by using a variety of group reading and discussion activities during lessons which both engaged the students and allowed for social interaction. Allowing for group collaboration creates an environment where different opinions are shared, thus allowing students to also learn from one another.

A positive expectation that my cooperating teacher has which I hope to continue on is an environment where students feel welcome to share their thoughts, as well as ask questions. This gives the students a sense of ownership in the class as they are relied on to help the flow of the class.

Two takeaways I had from "The First Days of School" were the advantages of and what is contained in a well-managed classroom, as well as the importance of the teacher's space being close to the students' space. I had considered the idea of a well-managed classroom before, but the importance of this was well-illustrated in the book. Also, I never thought that a class would be less disciplined if the teacher is located a bit farther away. These were two important aspects of the reading to me.

For the TPA project, I have begun to plan out which lessons I will be videotaping and using for the project, now it is a matter of getting the content ready. I will really focus in on that this week as I move forward.

In terms of anything with my college supervisor, I think I am good to go. Looking forward to my final observation next Monday!

Blog Post 1

As student teaching continues on, there are a few things I want (and need) to accomplish. I feel myself starting to get into the groove of teaching 5 classes a day, which is nice, but I feel I need to get into a better rhythm, which is my first and primary goal. By this, I mean that I need to both get into the rhythm of a typical lesson and the rhythm of a full-time teacher and coach.

Time management, luckily, has not been an issue as of yet, but I am seeing that adjustments need to be made with a full plate during the week. I was able to execute some successful lessons this week, but time crunches due to coaching and coaching related schedule changes certainly made this a difficult task. I'm still adjusting to the schedule, but I really look forward to getting into a more set rhythm this week. Teaching and coaching are two walks of life that require great organization, communication skills, and attention to detail, but this is what I want to do for the rest of my life; what better time to get used to this lifestyle than during student teaching?

My second goal for this week is learning all of my students' names. I've never been a person that has been good with names, so learning the names of 100+ different students has been a tall task for me. I've made some progress at this (my cooperating teachers struggle at this as well!), but I really want to have everyone's name down this week. A huge part of my teaching philosophy is getting to know my students, so I need to accomplish the most basic task before I go further.

If I had to use one word to describe my first week with a full teaching schedule, I would choose the word "hectic." A lot of new things being thrown at me, but I believe I will get better at balancing it all and improving as a teacher during the process.

Over the past two weeks, I have observed many things that will help me begin the teaching/learning process with my students. The biggest thing I have learned is the type of students I have. I was overwhelmed to find that the vast majority of my students are hard workers who really want to learn. This is a personality trait that any teacher would love to have in their students, and it gives me a tremendous advantage going forward. It is exciting to know that I get to wake up every day and teach students who are eager to learn the material. I am able to have high expectations for my students as they hold the same expectations for themselves.

My cooperating teachers and I so far have a very good relationship. Both of the CTs share common lunch and prep periods, so we have made a daily habit of sitting together and discussing upcoming material and lessons. More importantly, they use this time to give me feedback on what I can improve on or what worked well during lessons. I feel blessed to be around teachers that have a wealth of classroom experience while remaining down-to-earth people. These daily meetings are where instructional planning takes place, and we usually set aside some time after school to discuss specific points that need to be covered. Additionally, we stay in contact via phone calls and text if anything else is missed. I feel very well-prepared by my cooperating teachers.

One of my takeaways from reading The First Days of School is that good teachers continuously educate themselves. It is important to continue to take classes, attend conventions and join professional organizations in order to remain up to date in what is important in education. Additionally, these forms of education allow teachers to collaborate with one another and share important ideas that can be inserted into one's own teaching style.

Another takeaway from the reading was that the first year of teaching is not made easy solely from teacher education or student teaching. Inevitably, issues will arise that are impossible to prepare for. In such situations, first year teachers have to make the best decision and learn from that decision. Experience is the only thing that truly prepares educators, but a teacher education base-layer is certainly important.

In terms of the TPA Project, I have begun preparing for it by familiarizing myself with all of the tasks, and I have begun to brainstorm on a particular unit that I want to cover. I have not made a final decision yet, as I am not sure if I want to focus on my Western Civilization class or my US History class. Additionally, I have gone over important dates and assignments within the tasks. The TPA Project will certainly be a lot of work, but I feel very comfortable knowing that my Trinity education coursework has prepared me for the project.

As of now, I don't feel I need help or feedback, but as I get further into my placement I may need some feedback on activities that I am using in lessons. So far, though, my cooperating teachers have been tremendous assets in terms of advice and guidance. As I mentioned before, I feel truly blessed to be working with who I am. Things have been running fairly smoothly, which I am thankful Consequentially, I don't feel there is anything that may surprise my college supervisor, other than how warm a 2nd floor corner classroom can get in the summer months!