Fabulous Friday

What a great day it was today! Yesterday, I could have sworn it was a full moon or something...talk about out of sorts or strange. Almost all of the students acted like Christmas was just a few days away when we still have about 20 days or so left! Needless to say, I was really worried that would be the case for all the days to come. THANKFULLY, I was wrong. These fabulous middle schoolers never cease to amaze me at how fast they can change and how capable they really are.

Imagine a boy who never takes notes, never participates in class, and depends on his father to do his work (yes, his father sits next to him in the classroom) AND DOES HIS SON'S WORK.....well today was different. Today, that boy worked hard and all for the incentive of a tiny piece of candy. Yes, candy. I told all of the students that I would be watching who was taking notes and would give them a piece of candy. As I walked around the room, I set a piece of candy next to his father's notebook because like always, he was working, and then I passed by the boy without giving him any candy. Kudos to his father for at least having the sense to not give the boy the candy. So, wouldn't you know, the boy took out his own notebook and feverishly worked to catch up on the notes! I walked by, looked over his shoulder, and set down a piece of candy.

I know it seems minor but I've tried this with him in weeks past (giving candy for those who are working) and he would still choose to do nothing and miss out on the reward. So, I was satisfied. We shall see how he does next week!

In another classroom (Social Studies), I led an activity for students' review in which they made foldables and recorded information for review. It was a lot of fun and the students really worked hard. It did take a lot of time so I will be brainstorming ways to speed up the process. I thought I might do some pre-cutting and pre-folding for students but I'm not sure.  If anyone has any suggestions....please share!

And finally, I had a lot of nice compliments about an activity I made for students to review the last couple of chapters. I laminated cards that are a little smaller than index cards. Each card has either the name of a person, an event, or a vocab word. I also have a stack of cards that describe what the person did, information that goes with the event, or a definition. I will shuffle the deck and hand each student a card and they will need to find the person with the card that goes with theirs'. We ran out of time to do it today but I look forward to trying it out next week!

So, it was truly a fabulous Friday and I left the school feeling energized and excited that I will be teaching my own students very soon! Happy Friday!

Where has the time gone?

Well it must be getting late in the semester because everyone in my family began passing around a nasty cold, time to "fall back" on the clock, and teachers' attitudes at my cooperating school are showing signs of stress. If it weren't for the inspiring Kansas Assoc. of Teachers of English conference last week, I might be a little discouraged as well.

I am still having a great time in my cooperating teachers' classrooms though. The ongoing conversation between myself and both CT's has been about student expectations. My LA cooperating teacher said as he was reflecting on the last expository writing unit, he realized students did not follow the citation examples because it was new information to them; therefore, they needed more support than we gave them. My Social Studies CT shared his reflection as well-the students are testing his classrooom management techniques. He has had to give several reminders lately.

As the days fly by, I will continue to stay positive and reflective. As the KS Teacher of the Year stated at the KATE conference, systematic inquiry gets results. So, I plan to implement some of his ideas into the classroom and try to help my CT's improve as well. How blessed I have been to have them both because they respect my opinion and encourage me to be involved with many of the day-to-day decisions.

In my thoughts daily....student teaching will be here very, very soon! Thankfully, my LA cooperating teacher has been SYSTEMATICALLY training me for the day I will take over his classroom. Last week, one of my tasks was to enter grades for independent reading and participation/behavior. I had to assign the grades somewhat subjectively, so it was my first taste of what a teacher goes through when grading students.

Time continues to pass...too fast! Oh wait, I remember saying I just want to be finished with school and teaching my own classroom. So...note to self....relax and enjoy the ride!

My First Professional Conference

Yesterday, I attended my first professional conference, organized by The Kansas Association of Teachers of English (KATE) and it was refreshing to say the least. There were several presentations to choose from, in fact, I wished I had time to see all of them. I can honestly say I learned something valuable from every presenter and can’t wait to apply that knowledge in the classroom. I also plan to share some exciting ideas and lesson plans with my cooperating teacher.

            Most inspiring speaker: Curtis Chandler, KS Teacher of the Year- I’ve dreamt about one day earning this title, so I knew this was one session I did not want to miss! What does it take to earn this title? For starters-ENERGY! And this guy was full of it…energy that is. He is full of ideas on how to connect students’ interest to the standards of reading and writing. Also, he is working hard to incorporate science principles into his Language Arts classroom of eighth graders. He said when you walk into a science classroom, you can tell students enjoy the hands-on activities and enjoy testing theories; so, he incorporates those principles in his classroom. Curtis Chandler also says he is not afraid to dress up- in fact, he was dressed in a flight suit, complete with a homemade helmet for his presentation. I love this idea-spice things up and make learning fun! I also noticed he has students repeat key ideas or words with a small action to go with it. I imagine this helps students who might be daydreaming, those with special needs, and ESL students.

            Most informative speaker(s): Amanda Torbett and Monica Swift-Their presentation on “Survivalism 101” Navigating….the Critical First 5 Years of Teaching was full of information I can use to prepare immediately. They provided a survival guide which includes a list of supplies you will need, ideas on organizing in the classroom, how to handle other teachers and parents, plus many more resources that I’m sure to use.

            The keynote addresses, by Clare Vanderpool and Jay Asher, were interesting. I enjoyed hearing their stories about the anticipation they felt before learning they were published authors. Clare Vanderpool reminded everyone that teachers should continue to give students creative writing opportunities. Jay Asher was entertaining, infusing humor about his experiences with rejection letters especially. It reminded me that teacher feedback for students’ writing should be positive and informative.

            While I did not have a lot of time to network, I did speak to many of the presenters, who encouraged future emails for information. One particular presenter, a Derby teacher, was excited that I enjoyed her ideas and said she would love to share more through email correspondence. A very brief conversation between myself and the President of KATE entailed encouraging words and an invitation to student teach for him at Washburn High School. I was flattered, even though he was saying so in jest, considering I live in Wichita and plan to teach middle school.

            Going in to this conference, I had no idea what to expect. The experience was fantastic and I was able to meet several teachers, some new and some experienced, who had positive thoughts about the profession and renewed my energy to be the best teacher I can be. Cliché…yes…but it just sounded like the perfect ending!

Inspiration is Awesome-reflection #3

As a pre-student teacher, it is easy to get overwhelmed! There are days that I think, "Am I going to be a good teacher?" Usually I can pinpoint where the frustration stems from-an unruly student, family commitments pulling me away from homework, or seemingly unreachable deadlines! Thankfully, a fantastic day follows-a day filled with engaged students, fresh ideas, content family members, and deadlines completed and checked off my to-do list! Today, I had one of those fantastic kind of days!

Today, I found inspiration...the kind that makes you want to be more than an average teacher. It began with a problem that I have observed in my 7th grade CWC language arts class. For several weeks, I've observed students making very basic mistakes in their writing. At first, I was surprised that their writing displayed errors such as improper capitalization, beginning multiple sentences with the word "and" or "because", and several others I consider elementary writing concepts. Not only were they basic errors but a significant portion of students were making the same mistakes. To make matters worse, the structured curriculum for this Title I school does not provide much instruction geared towards revision. My dilemma became a matter of efficiency because, while I try to walk around and help individual students fix these issues, there just isn't enough time. Also, what student wants to hear that they need to make revisions every day. So, after giving it some thought, I came up with a solution.

In our textbook, grammar instruction is a highly debated topic. Should it be part of the middle school curriculum and if so, how much should we try to fit in? My solution to this problem is to address one problem per week and to do so, "in character".  Provided my CT allows me five or ten minutes to teach a mini lesson twice per week, I am going to transform into another person/character to focus on one mistake per week, using Smartboard and the document camera. I have not decided on my character's name yet; however, she will be British (with a thick accent) and with the help of a few props, should surprise my students and get their attention. I've left out a few details and have a few more to consider, but I will let you know the results very soon. 

After sharing my idea with another teacher and para, I'm fairly certain students will appreciate the creativity and variety.  In fact, I learned there is another teacher in the building who dresses up in character for parts of his lesson and the students love it! I'm looking forward to trying it out because you never know until you try...right?!  My excitement is also growing as I look forward to teaching my unit next week. I'm learning that teaching with a restricted, pre-designed curriculum can be difficult to plan!

Genre Reflection in Free Verse Poetry

Recursive Reflections

Every new day brings uncertainty

From objectives to pre and post assessments

Always searching for the answer

Hoping the day will be fruitful and refreshing

Tracking this and that, watching what works, when

Success and failure, students depend on us to guide them

Repeat, Repeat, and Repeat again, this time it will get it in

If not today, perhaps tomorrow, we will win

How do I get through to them, this class within a class?

Absent, sleeping minds beckoning, waiting to be cajoled,

Champs and success posters unpacked and in place,

Words on the wall, not enough space.

Focus on their success, make them believe

Lunch and after-school tutoring,

Whatever you need

I must prepare you for all that’s ahead,

Each student’s unique path to success is in site

State Assessments, college, job, or career

Whatever your choice, you must read and write

How do I find time to fit so much knowledge in

Morning announcements, fire drills, and tardies

Rising voice levels, missing pencils, and gym

Not to mention side discussions of weekend parties, how can I win?

Despite the challenges, I continue to coax these middle school students

For teaching is my passion and the objective is clear

Amazing adolescents with a bright future….have no fear!

Change is Inevitable- Reflection #2

The past couple of weeks have gone by so quickly and it is beginning to feel like fall outside.  It is funny how I teeter back and forth between being anxious to have my own classroom full of eager students, yet, other times I enjoy being a helping hand only.  I imagine other teachers in training can relate to my fears of being in charge.  Will I be ready to tackle all the responsibilities? 

As I posted last week, my CT had a substitute for four days (which seemed like an eternity) and will return tomorrow.  I viewed the situation as yet another opportunity for learning for two reasons. First, I was able to be very active, leading class discussions and managing classroom behavior.  Secondly, it was an opportunity to watch three…yes three…. different teaching styles within those four days.  It never ceases to amaze me at how many different approaches one can take in dealing with students!  Admittedly, I viewed one substitute teacher that I feel should not be allowed in a classroom. He argued with students, yelled frequently, threw a book in anger, and called the students punks.  Shocking, right? I could mention several other negative behaviors, but don’t feel like focusing on that any longer.  The good news is that the other two subs were pleasant and allowed me to “run” class.  I have to say, overall, I feel pretty confident about how I handled things.  Yes, I had a few issues, especially on the first day, but once I got into the groove, it was a lot of fun!

Some interesting developments are beginning to surface in this classroom.  In the last week, we have lost a few students and gained one new student.  Of those we lost, one moved to another school and two have moved into ramp up classes.  Apparently, their scores reflected a need for remediation in literacy, according to my CT.  In addition, a male student who seemed content and willing to participate has drastically changed.  In the past few days, his behavior is defiant.  I did not notice a change until my CT went out of town.  I suppose it could be due to a change in the normal routine, but for some reason I suspect there is more to it than that.  When I talked to him in the hallway yesterday, I expressed concern and asked if he was having any problems, but he was unresponsive.  This is an issue I plan to watch carefully and discuss with my CT upon his return.  There are other students who, in the beginning, were engaged, yet, now seem to have “checked out”.  Other students have done the exact opposite: first unengaged and now fully participating willfully.  Ahhh…this really is middle school, isn’t it?!  Maybe it is just me, but just when I think I’ve found the key to a student, they change and I have to start all over again!

My plan for the next few weeks is to encourage all students to participate in classroom discussions.  I know there are many resources I can look into for suggestions.  Richard Lavoi (spelling?) had some helpful suggestions in this area, so I intend to watch his video for a refresher.  However, one way he suggested was to create situations for all students to experience success.  I think I’ll focus on building their self-confidence by leading them to correct responses and praise the heck out of them!  Of course, as my self-confidence leading the classroom improves, I predict students will take notice and get excited about learning as well.  Yes, now that I think about it, excitement is dwindling in this classroom.  Perhaps a few exciting book talks will pep them up! 

Taking Over the Reigns

Today offered a challenge that I have been eagerly anticipating. My CT let me know, in advance, that he would be gone for a few days and would have a substitute teacher. After looking over his plans, I decided this would be my opportunity to take the wheel. After all, I have worked as a subsitute teacher before and know the drill pretty well. I went into the classroom expecting things to run smooth like butter. Apparently, this 7th grade class forgot to send me the memo that even though they are fantastic for my CT, they had planned an uprising for today!

It did not help that I got stuck talking in the office and the students beat me to the classroom. As I entered the classroom, a minute or two after the bell, my first clue should have been the scrambled seating arrangement.  Why are there 6 students sitting at the table that was unoccupied just yesterday? And, for some reason, the students are not sitting in their assigned seats.

After taking a second look, I managed to get the students to slink back to their assigned seats and began to talk about what we had planned for the day.  Group work....yeah! Now usually, my CT does not plan for group work when he has a sub, but, he must have had a lot of confidence in the para and myself because today the students were finishing their group posters about plot. 

To make a long story short, I had to put out a lot of small fires which seemed to make the class feel much more chaotic than usual. My classroom management skills were put to the test today and I think I could have done much better! Even though the substitute teacher, a retired teacher with twenty years of experience, told me I did a good job, I was disappointed because I had expected more of myself. This thought reminds me of something one of our classmates said about realizing that we are still in training and may make a few mistakes. I suppose I can accept that.

After discussing my reflection with my other CT, I am determined to begin class differently tomorrow.  I plan to greet the students at the door and let them know the expectations from the get go. Hopefully, I have learned from my mistakes today and tomorrow will be smooth as butter, or at least a creamy consistency!

I'll be sure to let you know....until tomorrow

online reflection #1

I have been in my cooperating teachers’ classrooms for three days and the nervousness and anxiety has worn off finally.  My cooperating teachers have been quite helpful.  In fact, the Language Arts teacher just started teaching three years ago, so he remembers his experiences as a pre-student teacher and has expressed many times that he wants me to have a great experience and to be comfortable in his classroom.  While the cooperating history teacher was asked to be part of the program at the last minute in order to help with scheduling difficulties, I believe I can learn a lot from watching his teaching style.  He has a great rapport with the students and fantastic classroom management skills. The administration and staff are very friendly and helpful as well.

As many of my colleagues know, I have a difficult time remembering names.  As we know from our reading and from our experiences in the classroom, knowing students’ names is very important.  So, my first task or goal is to know the names of the students.  My Language Arts teacher, I’ll call him Mr. LA, shared an activity with me that he does with all his classes on the first day.  He has the students stand in a large circle and they take turns introducing themselves and repeating the other students’ names along with an adjective, adverb or verb that start with the same letter of their name.  For example, Mr. LA models by saying, “Loud LA”, the next person would repeat all the names before and do the action with it (if there is one) and would then introduce themselves, such as, “Running Randy”.  My cooperating teacher said with all the repetition, he knows all of his students’ names in just one day.  I think this is a great activity for middle school students on the first day and I plan to use this in my classroom.  But, for now, I have been using the students’ independent reading time to study the seating chart and have learned almost all of their names.  Mr. LA has provided me with everything I need to be successful, including some IEP’s for students in this CWC.  There are about six students who need additional literacy support and for that reason, there is a para in this classroom also.  I will call him Mr. Para. (I know…not very original…but I feel this will help understand their roles without having to refer back to other paragraphs or entries!)

I believe that there will be a few challenges in this classroom.  First, since this is a Title I school on improvement, the Language Arts curriculum must follow the America’s Choice program.  Mr. LA said that he feels that it has it’s good and bad points; however, he believes that he should follow it even when other teachers do not.  He said that the challenge is to find time for additional, more creative, learning activities that are less boring than the designed curriculum.  I can see how this will be a great challenge after looking at the America’s Choice lesson plans.  It will be difficult because there is very little freedom given to teachers; but, I will do the best I can to add short activities for each class period that I teach.  Secondly, there are a handful of students who are easily distracted.  They require a lot of prompting to get them back on task; although, with three adults in the classroom, this is not too problematic.  And finally, there are two students, who are not on IEP’s, who seem disconnected and extremely uninterested in writing or class discussions. Therefore, one of my goals is to find a way to connect with them, to make the lessons relevant and interesting. Perhaps they will be susceptive to a more kinesthetic approach.  My cooperating teacher believes they are having problems at home and that may be difficult to counteract.

The Social Studies classroom will be challenging for me simply because the cooperating teacher’s style is very different from my style.  I am more of an observer in this classroom; therefore, it will be challenging for me to connect with the students.  I have a seating chart and have tried to learn the students’ names; however, the classroom arrangement does not allow space in front of the students for more than one person.  So, I sit at the back of the classroom while Mr. History lectures and have very little time to walk around and interact with students.  I hope that as time goes on, I will be more active in the classroom.  For now, I am learning from Mr. History’s classroom management skills and his use of the Smartboard.  In addition, he has created a friendly yet competitive atmosphere, in which, students are compelled to give input during whole class discussions.  The structure of his class seems to be the same every day….students review their notes from the previous day, whole class discussion and lecture, then the closing, which entails a discussion about what they will discuss the next day.  On a promising note, Mr. History has given me the freedom to choose a topic to teach and to use any structure that I desire to teach my lessons.

I'M READY!!!

As Spongebob Squarepants said many times, I'm ready! I finally secured a placement for pre-student teaching in a Middle School that works with my schedule.  I'm so excited to get started and to meet the cooperating teachers and students. Those of us who are also concentrating in History were pleased to meet the new professor today and are looking forward to his class as well. He seems very excited to pass on his knowledge and love for teaching!! More to come soon as I hope to meet my cooperating teachers tomorrow.

Day 1- Something new

Today is the first day of classes at WSU for Fall 2011!  I love having Dr. Mason again because she is great at modeling how we should be as future teachers.  I really hope to figure out who I will be assigned to for pre-student teaching very soon.  Looking forward to this new endeavor!