One goal I was thinking about on Monday was that I want to start making sure I have a significant interaction outside of teaching with each student in my classroom everyday, whether it's commenting on their new shoes or asking them about their day, etc. I think it will help build relationships with my students more quickly. It's also a practice that demonstrates a positive learning environment and social interaction according to Illinois Professional Teaching Standard 4 (Learning Environment).
On Tuesday I got to talk with my teacher a lot about upcoming events and about the lesson I taught that day. We talked significantly about students who were getting tested for special education and how difficulties arose when their parents didn't agree with the school's recommendation for special education. She talked about how students need a certain amount of RtI before being considered for special ed, and how that creates frustration among teachers of different grade levels if they want certain students tested. I also taught my first lesson today. While it did not go as well as I had hoped, mostly because the students did not have the necessary prior knowledge and we did not have the necessary amount of time, it was a great learning experience. My cooperating teacher recognized that she had almost set me up for failure and we talked about how to avoid the issues I experienced for the next lesson. She also provided a significant amount of positive feedback as well, telling me a lot of things I did well throughout the lesson and chaos.
On Wednesday I led a guided reading group while my cooperating teacher got pulled out for an hour to test some students and we had a substitute. It was a good experience to be thrown into it without a lot of pressure. I realized that by doing guided reading groups I'll quickly learn more personal data and progress about students' reading levels. My teacher and I also talked a lot today about the benefits of being in a school with really good resources, especially for guided reading. Because our school does not have a resource room, the teachers need to come up with their own materials for guided reading groups. She explained that it takes a lot more time, paper, and planning when they have to do everything from scratch.
On Thursday we unexpectedly had a substitute teacher come in 15 minutes into the school day so my cooperating teacher could test students. The sub sat in the back of the room and made me teach the whole morning (which was not in her directions from my cooperating teacher). It actually was a great learning experience and helped establish my authority in the classroom. I could tell a big difference in the afternoon when I taught math. I used the same language and practices to gain classroom control that I had used on Tuesday, but the students were much more responsive. My math lesson also went much better on Thursday. The environment was better, feeling more controlled and more focused. Students were actively engaged and the environment was a healthy learning environment (IPTS 4).
Friday I learned more about the ESL services my school offers. I found out that the Arabic teacher used to pull out two of our students for two hours a day during reading for ESL services, but because she wasn't teaching them reading, my cooperating teacher fought for push in services instead. Now the Arabic teacher joins our classroom everyday for 40 minutes during reading, working with the two girls she used to pull out. In the afternoon on Friday my cooperating teacher asked me to read to our students about Martin Luther King Jr. and talk about why we have school off on Monday. She gave me two picture books and as I read them I was wishing I had known she would ask me to talk about it. I felt like a holiday like Monday's has great potential to incorporate social emotional goals and it was difficult to reach that potential when given the task last minute. The students still grasped the concepts well, though.
Schmidt chapter 3 contained a lot of useful information. One thing I learned about behavior is that "All behavior is motivated by one of two basic instincts: 1. To seek pleasure or 2. To avoid pain" (Schmidt, p. 45). It's also important to view classroom disruptions as opportunities to become a better teacher and to make sure students feel valued (Schmidt, p. 46). Another thing I learned is that "unschooled behavior" is often a form of self-accommodation. Schmidt writes that "the trick with self-accommodations is that adults have to pay attention and figure out the purpose behind" it (p. 47). In the middle of the chapter, Schmidt talks about camouflaging, and how the only way to see past students' camouflages is to find what they're good at and let them do it (Schmidt, p. 55).
Schmidt also includes eight strategies for classroom management success. One that I want to use is to provide choice. My students provided choice in reading everyday, but I also want to provide choice in writing prompts. It would also be beneficial to provide choice in math somehow, whether it's through centers or letting students choose what they work on during independent math time. Another one I want to use is to teach self-encouragement. I want to train my students to not only receive encouragement from me, but also to be able to speak what they are doing well. A third one is using body language. I want to use body language to communicate encouragement and guidance. For example, placing a hand on a students' desk instead of telling them to be quiet (Scmidt, p. 59) or communicating encouragement through a smile or thumbs up when students are working well.
On Tuesday I got to talk with my teacher a lot about upcoming events and about the lesson I taught that day. We talked significantly about students who were getting tested for special education and how difficulties arose when their parents didn't agree with the school's recommendation for special education. She talked about how students need a certain amount of RtI before being considered for special ed, and how that creates frustration among teachers of different grade levels if they want certain students tested. I also taught my first lesson today. While it did not go as well as I had hoped, mostly because the students did not have the necessary prior knowledge and we did not have the necessary amount of time, it was a great learning experience. My cooperating teacher recognized that she had almost set me up for failure and we talked about how to avoid the issues I experienced for the next lesson. She also provided a significant amount of positive feedback as well, telling me a lot of things I did well throughout the lesson and chaos.
On Wednesday I led a guided reading group while my cooperating teacher got pulled out for an hour to test some students and we had a substitute. It was a good experience to be thrown into it without a lot of pressure. I realized that by doing guided reading groups I'll quickly learn more personal data and progress about students' reading levels. My teacher and I also talked a lot today about the benefits of being in a school with really good resources, especially for guided reading. Because our school does not have a resource room, the teachers need to come up with their own materials for guided reading groups. She explained that it takes a lot more time, paper, and planning when they have to do everything from scratch.
On Thursday we unexpectedly had a substitute teacher come in 15 minutes into the school day so my cooperating teacher could test students. The sub sat in the back of the room and made me teach the whole morning (which was not in her directions from my cooperating teacher). It actually was a great learning experience and helped establish my authority in the classroom. I could tell a big difference in the afternoon when I taught math. I used the same language and practices to gain classroom control that I had used on Tuesday, but the students were much more responsive. My math lesson also went much better on Thursday. The environment was better, feeling more controlled and more focused. Students were actively engaged and the environment was a healthy learning environment (IPTS 4).
Friday I learned more about the ESL services my school offers. I found out that the Arabic teacher used to pull out two of our students for two hours a day during reading for ESL services, but because she wasn't teaching them reading, my cooperating teacher fought for push in services instead. Now the Arabic teacher joins our classroom everyday for 40 minutes during reading, working with the two girls she used to pull out. In the afternoon on Friday my cooperating teacher asked me to read to our students about Martin Luther King Jr. and talk about why we have school off on Monday. She gave me two picture books and as I read them I was wishing I had known she would ask me to talk about it. I felt like a holiday like Monday's has great potential to incorporate social emotional goals and it was difficult to reach that potential when given the task last minute. The students still grasped the concepts well, though.
Schmidt chapter 3 contained a lot of useful information. One thing I learned about behavior is that "All behavior is motivated by one of two basic instincts: 1. To seek pleasure or 2. To avoid pain" (Schmidt, p. 45). It's also important to view classroom disruptions as opportunities to become a better teacher and to make sure students feel valued (Schmidt, p. 46). Another thing I learned is that "unschooled behavior" is often a form of self-accommodation. Schmidt writes that "the trick with self-accommodations is that adults have to pay attention and figure out the purpose behind" it (p. 47). In the middle of the chapter, Schmidt talks about camouflaging, and how the only way to see past students' camouflages is to find what they're good at and let them do it (Schmidt, p. 55).
Schmidt also includes eight strategies for classroom management success. One that I want to use is to provide choice. My students provided choice in reading everyday, but I also want to provide choice in writing prompts. It would also be beneficial to provide choice in math somehow, whether it's through centers or letting students choose what they work on during independent math time. Another one I want to use is to teach self-encouragement. I want to train my students to not only receive encouragement from me, but also to be able to speak what they are doing well. A third one is using body language. I want to use body language to communicate encouragement and guidance. For example, placing a hand on a students' desk instead of telling them to be quiet (Scmidt, p. 59) or communicating encouragement through a smile or thumbs up when students are working well.
Becky, It seems that Wednesday and Thursday were great times for you to develop confidence in your ability to lead. They were also two days for your students to establish their confidence in you as a teacher. Your perception of parent and teacher frustrations regarding testing are very real. Keep up the great work!
ReplyDeleteDW
Becky, I'm curious about the way in which your cooperating teacher sort of set you up for failure. Was this because she assumed the students' background knowledge? What did she say about this?
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you were able to take over for a while and that your students could then see you more as a teacher. I hope you see this as an opportunity. I'm also glad that you are making an effort to connect with your students on a more personal level. I think you will find that this is actually a great form of classroom management. Students are much more likely to want to please you when they know you as a real person who loves them.
Dr. Snoeyink, my teacher used the words "set up for failure" when we were talking about the lesson afterward. She told me after the lesson that she realized she suggested an activity the students did not have enough prior knowledge to do well, as well as not giving me enough time and suggesting to have the students do the activity on the rug instead of in their desks. She told me that looking back, she should not have made those suggestions, but we talked about next steps in the same conversation and how to avoid those issues in the future. It was not a negative experience, but a learning experience for both of us I think! I also thought our communication about the lesson was handled well.
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