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.