Week 17

It was strange that Monday was my last Monday of school!  My students were sad from the moment they walked in the door and saw me.  All morning long they said things to me like, "Miiiiiss V...we only have you for four more daaaaaays." We talked about making the most of the time I had left and kept on moving.  It's satisfying for me to think about the accomplishment of finishing at the end of the week.  It's definitely something I'm looking forward to!  
On Monday my cooperating teacher and I also talked about future plans.  It was a reassuring conversation.  It was a blessing to have her reassurance in my uncertainty in career path.

Tuesday I spent some time observing a bilingual second grade classroom.  My favorite thing about what I observed was when the teacher facilitated a student discussion.  All he did was ask the first question and call on the first student.  After that, each time a student shared an idea, he or she would say, "That is my idea.  Who else has an idea?" Then the student would call on someone else.  The students were eager to participate and call on one another. It was fun to see them have a discussion almost entirely on their own. It was also fun to watch the whole thing in Spanish! :)

Wednesday morning I was able to monitor an NWEA testing session for one of my second grade students who had missed the math MAP test last week.  It was a positive experience to see what kinds of questions were on the test and compare them to the skills I know have been covered.  It was also a positive learning experience to talk with my cooperating teacher about the results.  
I was also able to observe some other classrooms on Wednesday.  All the classrooms in the school recently got Apple TVs to use.  My cooperating teacher and I have not set ours up yet, but the classroom I observed Wednesday was using theirs.  I was able to see how that 3rd grade teacher had students working on their own iPads, and then when she wanted to highlight an activity or a question, she would call on a student to project their iPad onto the screen.  I was also able to take that experience back to my teacher and teach her how to set up and project using iPads and the Apple TV (3A).  I'm wishing now we would've gotten it sooner so I could've had the chance to work with it! 

Thursday morning my cooperating teacher and I brought my class to a "dress rehearsal" for the performance the primary grades are doing for their mothers on Friday.  All the primary grades have been practicing songs in music for the last month or two getting ready for the performance.  It was really cute to hear them all sing and a good way to practice for the performance!  My cooperating teacher and I started talking about plays and performances in schools.  She told me about a music teacher at a different school she taught at who used to put on a really well done performance each year.  When I started thinking about how many plays and musicals I participated in as a student, I realized it was something I definitely took for granted.  

Friday.  
It was SO busy.  The Mother's Day performance was in the morning and it seemed to throw off the entire day.  It went really well, though, and all my students were dressed up!  They looked GREAT! In the afternoon my class threw me a surprise party.  They had made me a canvas with all their finger prints on it and gave me a class photo.  We had brownies and they got to share kind words about me.  Four of them sobbed.  It was really precious, heartbreaking, and also really encouraging to know I impacted them that much.  It's a bittersweet ending to a wonderful semester of hard work, learning experiences, daily challenges, and sweet relationships with wonderful kiddos.  I'll miss it more than I ever dreamed I could.  

Week 16

Monday was strange.  It was my first day giving responsibilities back to my cooperating teacher after full time teaching.  I spent a lot of time grading and organizing while she was teaching.  While I was teaching she was doing the same thing.  I realized on Monday that I learned just as much during that day as I did in the last week full time teaching.  After getting into a rhythm full time teaching, Monday I found myself noticing all the things my cooperating teacher did differently:  the way she handled situations differently than I would, the way she transitioned differently, the way she gained their attention differently, the list goes on.  I learned so much from comparing our teaching styles and the way our students responded to us differently.  Co-teaching again is also an adjustment.  It forced us to practice communication again in ways we weren't used to.  We hadn't talked about who was going to take the students to the bathroom or who was going to start the morning with the students.  We had to figure those things out on the go.  The day went well, and I was surprised at how much I learned, even as my responsibilities began to shift.  

Tuesday my second grade students began taking an assessment for reading in the computer lab.  They had two hours to take the test.  I was able to monitor the testing room with another teaching for a short time, and it was definitely a positive experience.  I was able to read the test questions, look over scores, and look for common test taking behaviors in my students and in others.  

Wednesday I spent some time testing my students for reading fluency.  After working on comprehension for so long during guided reading, testing their fluency was a lot different.  I found myself wanting to ask questions and clarify ideas, but instead I had to push them to read as quickly as possible.  I was able to look at their fluency progress, and see which students have made only minimal progress or taken steps backward.  It was also beneficial for me to see which texts students were being asked to read and compare those texts to the ones we use in guided reading.  The texts were leveled, but some of the levels seemed inaccurate (6I). 

Thursday during math the second graders were gone taking a state assessment.  That meant that I had the room to myself with the first graders.  The difference was palpable.  I think because the second graders are usually talking with my teacher during math while I am teaching first grade, the first graders have a hard time focusing and staying quiet during the math lesson.  Today was totally different.  They were engaged, quiet, hardworking, and excited about what we were doing.  One even commented, "Miss V! It's SO quiet in here!" They got a lot done and enjoyed exploring fraction concepts.  It was a productive afternoon! 

Friday my cooperating teacher and I decided to stick to the normal daily routine instead of doing a science or social studies Friday so that we could wrap up some things we had started earlier in the week.  I was pleasantly surprised with students' reactions.  They were so upset.  I didn't like seeing them upset, but I did like seeing that they really enjoy integrated Fridays.  They made us PROMISE to do it the following week.  We did, however, still do a challenge problem during math instead of the normal math routine, which they really enjoyed.  It was a calm day compared to other Fridays, and a lot of the students started commenting on how sad they were that I would be leaving the following week. (My cooperating teacher told them earlier in the week so it wouldn't be so sudden.)  I can't believe next week is the last week already!  It will definitely be bittersweet! 


Chapter 12

Maybe partly because I’m still finishing college, but I have many plans for being a lifelong learner.  Sometimes I think those plans include graduate school or learning in the form of classes, but other times that learning is found in more subtle ways.  For example, I love to read, to listen to people talk about new things they are doing, and to make connections with people.  These are three ways I plan on being a lifelong learner.  I love reading books that teach me how to do something or address topics I’m interested in.  I love connecting with people and talking to them about what I’m learning and about what they are learning.  I think being surrounded by people who also have an itch to learn new things puts me in a position to seek knowledge for the rest of my life.  One idea that Schmidt mentioned that I thought was a promising idea was to “Walk and Talk” (p. 261).  She says to find a partner to walk with for a half hour before or after school and just swap stories or talk with that person.  I loved that informal way of purposely putting yourself in a position to learn something new. 

As a teacher, I also think it’s important to use co-workers as resources.  Schmidt mentioned passing on interesting websites or resources you don’t need to other teachers, and I think it’s a great idea to share resources, activities, and new discoveries with other teachers. 

Week 15

Monday was my first time full time teaching with a substitute teacher in the room.  It was a positive experience to have someone in the classroom who was new but really supportive of what I was doing.  She was helpful, encouraging, and eager to participate.  She asked how she could help me often, but let me control the classroom.  It was a new, but positive co-teaching experience (3F).  It was also fun to talk with my students about their Spring Breaks on Monday.  During writing, they wrote sentences about the highlights of their Spring Break.  At the end of the day, I gave them a chance to read one of their highlights in front of the class.  They were eager to volunteer and the class was interested in listening to what their friends did over break.  

Tuesday we finished a Native American version of Cinderella during reading comprehension.  The students have been working on making connections between different versions of the same fairy tale.  This was the third version of Cinderella we have read, and the students really understood this one.  In the story, the students figure out that the Cinderella character is able to see "the Invisible Being" because she has beauty on the inside.  It was fun to watch the students comment on abstract ideas like courage, and inner beauty.  They really connected to the story and got SO excited when they could see "the Invisible Being" on the pages of the story.  They were excited about learning and it was a positive experience to facilitate that.  They are also growing in their use of questions words during partner talk.  They are starting to ask questions during partner discussions without promptings.  I'm glad we extended the fairy tale unit through this week so they would have the chance to make deeper connections between Cinderella stories.  They have been extremely successful so far! 

On Wednesday as I looked at my week plan, I was reminded of how much changes over the course of a day or a week.  In more than one subject, we were not at the place I anticipated being at.  I can't believe how many wild cards there are in a day of teaching.  My plans change daily, sometimes from one part of the day to the next.  I've learned that flexibility is a MUST in teaching.  As I revise plans throughout the day and throughout the week, I'm thankful for my laid back personality and for the example my cooperating teacher has been this semester of taking things as they come.  

On Thursday during math, one of the students who often refuses to participate in portions of the math block surprised me.  Often when he isn't interested in participating, he won't respond to anything said to him, he'll put his head down, and he'll say rude things.  Thursday, however, he refused to work independently during math because he was too interested in a book.  He didn't want to put it away, he didn't want to put it down, and he was SO interested in it.  As a teacher I had a complex:  do I make him work on math because he knows that's what I expect of him during this time?  Do I let him read because he is a struggling reader and I want to continue to give him opportunities to enjoy reading? Do I come up with some sort of compromise? 

It was one of the best problems I've had all semester. 

On Friday we focused the day on plants.  It was a beautiful day, and I planned activities that could be done outside so students could experience spring and practice learning in a different environment (4I).  They loved it.  We made observations, made comparisons, planted seeds, read about plants, talked about what they need and what they give us, etc.  They LOVE science Fridays! 

Schmidt Chapter 7

I would love to use the community in my classroom.  One of Schmidt’s ideas I liked was taking students on a walk to investigate the neighborhood (p. 144).   I liked the way Schmidt suggested using a community investigation, but also making sure it was purposeful for students by being sure that each student could explain the purpose for the field trip, what they should be doing on the trip, and how they will be gathering information.  I’m interested in using a community investigation like this one when we talk about maps in social studies.  Having students draw a map of the neighborhood before going out (as a warm up, allowing me to assess their mapping skills, what details they are paying attention to, etc.)  and then having them either add things or draw a new one afterward is something I’d like to try.  Including a scavenger hunt, like Schmidt mentions on p. 145, so students have a list of things to look for could also be helpful, especially with lower elementary students. 

I’m also interested in trying to incorporate photography into a community project.  On p. 147, Schmidt talks about putting a photograph in the center of a large piece of paper and having students draw around it to “add on” to the photograph. I’ve heard this idea before, and want to try incorporating it into a classroom activity. 

I think using activities like these would motivate my students by not only incorporating new ways of learning, but also by getting them involved in fun, different things that have purpose.  Incorporating things related to the outside world is important for students to know that their learning isn’t for nothing, and that what they are doing in school reaches beyond everyday activities and routine subjects. 

Week 14

On Monday we had parent-teacher conferences.  It was really helpful to sit in on numerous parent-teacher conferences in a row.  Not only did I feel like it helped me get to know my students better, it also was a good experience to listen to how my teacher approached conversations with parents, both positive and negative.  One thing I was surprised by during conferences was how many students came with their parents.  It my other experiences with conferences, students were not allowed to be in the room.  This time, almost all the students came with their parents.  Another thing I realized during conferences was how exhausting they were.  My teacher and I had 13 conferences in a row without even a minute break, and it was hard not to have any time to gather thoughts or look over scores right before each conference.  Participating in conferences was a practical learning experience that I really appreciated (8P).

On Tuesday I had one of the busiest days to date during student teaching.  My teacher thought we'd have a lot of down time during conferences on Monday, but we didn't end up having any free time.  Because I had been planning to introduce a readers theater this week and was planning to copy and assign scripts during conference free time, I had none of that done.  I spent all of my plan time getting their scripts ready.  I ended up getting everything done, but by the end of the day, I was exhausted.  I had a lot to do after school too, but I was able to catch up so that Wednesday wouldn't be as busy.  

On Wednesday all the work I had done on Tuesday for the readers' theater paid off. We practiced reading through the scripts during one of the morning mini lessons and during a couple guided reading groups and students LOVED it.  I could tell it would be challenging for them to follow along during the play, but they loved the idea.  Some of them got really excited when they realized they would get the chance to perform their plays for the rest of the class.  Most of them started taking it more seriously when I told them that as well.  
During math on Wednesday afternoon, we tried playing a game that students had not handled well the week before.  I reminded them that we had to stop playing the game once, but that I had confidence in their ability to play it this time.  They did so well.  They followed directions and played the game without distracting each other and without jumping or running around the rug.  They worked together and had a lot of fun.  It was a wonderful change. :)

On Thursday I could tell that Spring Break was in the air.  Everyone in the school seemed excited to get out.  During math the students were easily distracted by the second grade group working with my cooperating teacher.  After about 20 minutes, the 2nd grade group left to work on a computer program.  When they left, I was able to transition from using the board and drawings to having students act out the concept of fractions we were using.  Because the rest of the room was quiet, I was able to expect their voice levels to be lower.  They were able to hear me, and we were able to act out fractions and counting fractions.  I had student split the class into halves, thirds, and fourths.  Each group then stood up as we counted them, saying "1/2, 2/2" or "1/3, 2/3, 3/3" etc.  They were able to move around and they were much more engaged in the activity (5I).  Now I need to figure out how to pull off those kinds of activities while the 2nd grade group is still in the room.  

Friday was a busy day.  It was definitely a balancing act trying to get things done, keep students on task, and join in their excitement for Spring Break.  Students performed their readers' theaters they had been practicing all week at home. It was great to hear some struggling readers get really excited about performing their plays.  The rest of the class listened incredibly well too.  I was so proud.  :) 

Friday was one of the first times during writing that students were doing a variety of different things at the same time.  Some students were writing, some were illustrating, some were coloring, some were laying out their fairy tales and illustrations on large posters, and others were ready for the next assignment.  While it could have been overwhelming, I found that my students and I all enjoyed that work time.  I think they needed some time to move around the room and focus on a task on their own. They needed some time to be able to talk while they worked.  It was a really positive work time that they valued.  I could tell they were invested in their work and it paid off.  

Next week we are on Spring Break and we are all excited! 

Week 13

Monday I introduced the idea of setting in reading and writing for the first time.  Students had never talked about the setting of a story, but we were reading The Princess and the Pea, and it came up in context.  We defined setting during reading and I re-read the page.  During writing, they began writing their own fairy tales by visualizing the setting.  First we sorted cards:  some with examples of setting and some with other story elements.  After hearing multiple examples of setting and deciding whether or not their card described the setting of the story, students closed their eyes while I read more examples.  Next I asked them to finish the sentence that started, "Once upon a time..." with the setting of the fairy tale they were going to write.  After writing, they read their sentences out loud for the class. It was a successful way to introduce their fairy tale writing as well as a new topic, and they got really excited to continue writing.  


On Tuesday the students seemed to have a really difficult following directions.  I thought they needed to move around a little more, because they seemed antsy and like they had a lot of energy.  During math, I decided to play a warm up game with them in which they need to stand up and move to a different side of the rug if the math sentence I said was true.  They had played the game before, so I thought they would be able to follow directions well if reminded of the expectations, but after playing three or four rounds of the game, it was clear they could not handle the game.  I asked them all to sit down and had to change my warm up plan for the last five minutes before the main lesson.  I was able to adjust my strategy based on their actions and feedback (5J), and begin an activity in which they would follow directions enough to continue learning. 

On Wednesday we worked on writing fairy tales.  They had spent time writing the setting and introducing the good character.  Wednesday they had to introduce the evil character and how he or she tricked the good character.  They got to work right away, which has been rare, and spent almost 20 full minutes writing.  When they needed help I asked questions to get them thinking about what else they needed to write.  Each time they would look at me, get excited, and turn back to start writing quickly.  It was great to see them so interested and invested in their writing.  They are really latching on to the fairy tale unit during reading and writing, and it is wonderful to watch. 

On Thursday my cooperating teacher and I had to address how to handle a student who has been having anger issues.  At the end of the day on Wednesday he had been angry with another student, my cooperating teacher kept him to talk to him and thought he was calm at dismissal, but he was not.  On the way out the door he ran up to the other student, started yelling at him, and then they both started hitting each other.  We had to talk to their parents about the situation. Thursday we knew we needed to give the student strategies to control his anger and calm down, so we tried a balloon filled with flour.  Each time he feels angry he has to squeeze the balloon and face the wall until he calms down.  Multiple times throughout the day he needed to try the new method, and it seemed to work really well.  He had no incidents on Thursday, which was a big improvement. 

On Friday I felt like my teacher finally gave me complete control of the classroom.  Even though I've been full time teaching for a while, today was the first day my teacher spent significant time outside the classroom.  It was great to know that I had complete control.  Even when she was in the room and students asked her things, she said things like, "Did you ask Miss V?" We did an integrated science Friday. (3L)  It was a blast.  Over and over throughout the day my students said things like, "Miss V!  This is SO fun!"  and "Miss V!  I LIIIIIKE this activity!" 
Here are some pictures of what we did:  

They also did a partner reading activity in which they highlighted adjectives in a poem about clouds.  We also did a science demonstrations.  It was a really fun day and they loved learning about a new science topic! 

Schmidt talks about social justice in chapter 10 and why it’s a big deal in the classroom.  Even young students are inclined to talk about social justice because it’s a part of their everyday experiences whether they know the term for it or not.  Even if students are too young to explicitly list issues of social justice, they are able to talk about relationships, friendship, responsibility, fairness, support, encouragement, collaboration, and caring (p. 215).  Schmidt says that when teachers introduce students to issues of social justice in the classroom, they encourage them to look at the real world boldly, inquisitively, and from different points of view (p. 216).  Students may discover injustices that are hard to face, but being intentional about providing opportunities to learn about social justice allows students to begin to think about how they can act in response. 

Teaching social justice in the classroom is also important for the Christian teacher.  Incorporating activities centered on social justice gives students the opportunity to begin to figure out ways to be involved in the world around them.  It allows them to explore platforms.  It gives them opportunities to think about serving others and begin to explore issues of worldview.  They begin to consider what they believe and how that affects the people around them.  As a Christian teacher, this is a huge area of influence, not in the sense of pushing ideas or worldviews on students, but in the sense of giving students safe places to grow, explore, serve, and get involved. 

Week 12

On Monday I could tell I had been absent.  I feel like the majority of the management progress I had made before taking some time off was lost.  My students were challenging me like they had before I implemented new classroom management strategies.  They had a difficult time listening and and following directions. They were easily distracted and seemed to repeat behaviors over and over even after I addressed them once.  It was frustrating to feel like I had lost so much progress.  I think it will take some time to readjust, but hopefully it will go more smoothly.  The management strategies I implemented before (ex: rug row points) are still in place and my cooperating teacher has continued to use them.  I talked with my cooperating teacher about it and we agree that consistency will be key in regaining their confidence, attention, and respect.  

On Tuesday we did two new activities during the mini lessons that students really enjoyed. The first was an adjective activity in which students had to say a complete sentence about a picture of three animals that included an adjective for "how many."  Students had to come up with their own ideas, share their full sentence, and identify the adjective in the sentence.  They thought it was a fun challenge and it was the first time I had heard them say and use the word "adjective" correctly.  In the second mini lesson we played sight word bingo.  Students had to fill a bingo sheet with sight words from the word wall.  They crossed words off as I said them and raised their hand and said bingo when they got four in a row.  I'm constantly trying to come up with new ways to practice sight words, and this game was fun for students, but also helped them practice writing and reading sight words.  They were engaged and were able to choose their own words.  

On Wednesday I began a new behavior system for one student during the afternoons.  He has developed a pattern of refusing to do his independent work or play the math game.  He always has a reason, usually a problem with another student or about a situation that happened during lunch or during RtI, but it had been getting out of hand.  My cooperating teacher and I have both tried talking to him about the problems preventing him from doing work, but it has gotten to the point where we agree that to some degree he simply doesn't want to participate.  On Wednesday I gave him a choice between two behavior charts.  When I see him participating and following directions during any part of math, I will let him color a star on his behavior chart.  If he isn't doing those things, he does not get to color one.  When he fills the chart he'll get a reward that he is really interested in, iPad time to play an educational game.  I'm hoping this new plan will help math run more smoothly and give him more motivation to participate. (4L) 

On Thursday we talked about asking questions during reading.  Students each got a bag full of question cards.  At different times in the story, students had to stop, find a question they could ask their partner, and take turns asking and answering relevant questions.  Students are used to turning and talking to a partner on the rug, but this activity was an extension of that.  We have been talking about fairy tales, and it has been an easy way to incorporate conversations about morals, and other real world issues.  Students are working toward making connections between fairy tale stories and real life.  While we don't explicitly discuss it everyday, it always comes up.  I have enjoyed incorporating these ideas so fluidly so far this week.

On Fridays we always do assessments and integrated activities to focus on a science or social studies topic. This Friday I had to create the math assessment for first grade based on what we had been learning because the topics aren't necessarily covered in Common Core.  It was a good experience to use the informal and formal assessments I had taken throughout the week to inform my decision making for our assessment on Friday (7K).  I found myself noticing how difficult it is to create one assessment for an entire class of students at different levels.  It made me start thinking about how to differentiate assessments or how to create assessments in a way that all students can still achieve something on them, and so that all students are still challenged and able to show what they learned.  When I make next week's assessment, I'm going to try to incorporate more open ended activities instead of straight forward problems that have one single answer.  

This week was definitely exhausting, but I felt much better than I had previously.  I can tell I'm not feeling completely like myself, but at the same time, it was great to be back in the classroom.  I'm working to still get enough rest and find times to take mental breaks, even if they are short, during the day.  I'm hoping I'll feel even better next week! 

Week 11

I was able to communicate with my cooperating teacher throughout the week and decided to go in at the end of the week.  I arrived in the middle of the school day while my students were out of the classroom.  When they returned, they were standing in the doorway of our classroom, saw me, and bombarded me with hugs.  They all came running into the room exclaiming things like, "Miss V! We MISSED YOU!" and "Miss Vanderzee!  We didn't know you were coming! Are you STAYING?!" It was wonderful.  One student was left standing in the doorway crying because she was so excited.  It was definitely good to be back.

Because I stayed through the end of the day I was also able to communicate well with my cooperating teacher.  I updated her on how I was feeling and what I was nervous about starting back up the following week.  She was able to update me on things that had happened in the classroom and the new unit they had started.  I explained that I wanted to make sure to come in to talk with her in person before the beginning of a new week so that we could plan the upcoming week in the best way for the students and for us (8L).  We talked about next steps for planning and did some planning together during our plan period at the end of the day.  I left feeling confident about planning and returning to school on Monday.

That being said, I'm also a little nervous about jumping straight back into things.  I will definitely keep napping every day after school when possible, but I'm most worried about the mornings.  I've been sleeping at least 13 hours every night still, and getting up at 6am is going to be a difficult adjustment.  My cooperating teacher and I talked about how I usually feel in the mornings (my head feels cloudy and I often need to sit down and take a some time to gather myself) and talked about what that will look like this coming week.  I'm SO excited to have a more normal schedule in the classroom and be back with my students, so hopefully it goes well!