Week 3

Tuesday I did a guided reading group for the first time.  I chose a book from Reading A-Z that connected to what we talked about in social studies on Friday and the students loved it.  That connection was really important in getting them excited to read the story.  I also taught another math lesson, which went great.  If anything, it was almost too easy after a couple examples.  The students caught on right away.  It was great to see their confidence grow as they realized they fully understood the concept.  That was the first time I had seen this.  Next time, while I think I need to have some extra activities available that could have been more challenging, I want to build on the confidence my students gained.

Wednesday was a bipolar day.  The morning was incredibly calm and scheduled.  The students followed the routine exceptionally well.  I taught a lesson and video recorded it for seminar.  They seemed finally comfortable with what they were supposed to be doing.  The afternoon, however was drastically different.  My cooperating teacher put both groups together for math, which they had not done in a while.  I think it was slightly overwhelming for the students, but also good for me to watch.  She also pulled students for more testing since her deadline is coming up quickly.  The afternoon seemed chaotic and disheveled.  I also heard my first whisperings about union things today.  It was a dynamic of school I had never witnessed.  It was interesting, but I wouldn't want to sit in on it every time.

Thursday I attended my first cluster meeting.  Because my cooperating teacher has a split class that was added this year, her plan period is at the end of the day, while the rest of her cluster (K-2nd) has a plan period at the same time in the morning.  She usually goes to the meeting only about once a month because they have to provide a sub in order for her to go, but today she sent me to sit in on it.  It was a good experience to see all the faces of the teachers she works with and to see what the meeting is like.  It didn't seem as productive as I had hoped, but it

Friday I attended a professional development 2 part session with my cooperating teacher and the rest of the primary teachers from our school.  It was split into two presentations that lasted a little longer than the normal school day.  It was beneficial to participate in a professional development session with other teachers from my school, interacting with them more than I would have during a normal school day, however a lot of the material was stretched out and not applicable, which made it difficult to spend valuable time attentive.


Schmidt chapter four talks about successful multicultural classrooms.  While this has been a topic of discussion and exploration in many of my classes, I was still reminded of some meaningful ideas to create a successful multicultural classroom.  One ideas is that learning is more than just the content the standards cover.  Students need to learn life skills and social skills as well.  When students feel safe and like they understand the way "the power system" works (and how to navigate it), they are more likely to be interested and successful.  In my college classes we talked a lot about exploring who we are and who our students are, but Schmidt brings up a third question I thought was equally as important.  She encourages teachers to ask "Who are we together?" (Schmidt, p. 79).  Other strategies I was reminded of in this chapter are reading aloud to students, using music in the classroom, organizing curriculum around big ideas, incorporating motion and emotion in the classroom, and having students conduct family interviews.  This chapter reinforced a lot of the ideas and practices I had discussed with professors and classmates in the last few years, but also served as a great reminder to constantly be aware of my thoughts and practice in the classroom related to culture.