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.