Hey Dr. Robeck! Hope you enjoy reading my blog! Just wanted to let you know that my Critical incidents are under the comments.

Friday May 7, 2010

Due to the all the snow days, my classes were shifted and so now I have a class on Friday morning when I would normally be at my placement. So today was my last day with the second graders, not my last day with Mrs. Charlton since she is going to be my mentor teacher for my internship in the fall. We started out by doing the "We do, I do" Activity. This is when the teacher reads a story from their anthology book and they answer some questions and then for the 'I do', students separate into their reading groups and answer the same questions but on their own reading. At this moment I work with the lower level reading group. They are a little tough because it is hard to keep them focus and the reading process is really slow. They are great kids though so I enjoy working with them. Afterward the students have a special of Physical Education. During this time I help my teacher grade papers and I get a chance to talk to the intern about the internship in the fall. When the students get back the teacher reads them a story on the rug. As soon as it is time for lunch I tell the students that today is my last day but I have treats for them! They all yelled of excitement. Then they rushed over and gave me hugs and told me they would miss me. I will miss these kiddos!

April 30, 2010

Today in class the students were learning about adjectives and how to use a and an. There' s something classed special adjectives that I think the students really did not understand. Even I was a little confused by them as well. The intern was teaching it and she was getting frustrated that the kids were having problems with it. I never even knew about these special adjectives so I did not have a way of helping her. The lesson had to be cut short because the students had an assembly that recognizes their achievements during the marking period. After this the teacher took the students to the back of the room to the reading carpet where she started to explain what realistic fiction was. She then read a book that depeicted real things that people do on a normal bases. The students were required to point out some things that they did just like the character in the book. Afterward the students went back to their desks and they partner read a story in their reading books. They had to find places in the book where they can relate to and put the page number. After this the students went off to lunch.

April 26, 2010

Today at my placement I was going to do my guided reading assignment. I was going to read along to Lacey's Loud Voice with the on level group. But that was going to be later on in the day. The morning started out with a special. After the children got back the intern did a science lesson with them on insects. they were learning about characteristics and details of insects. Later the intern separated the children into groups and handed them a bag of plastic insects. The children had to observe them and list some characteristics of them. By using these characteristics they then had to separate them into like categories. Then the teacher talked about everyone's findings. This lesson sort of similar to my lesson on trees. This lesson used observation and categorizing. Afterward I did my guided reading lesson. It went very well. The students all read and when they needed help they would just help each other out. Afterward we shared stories about a time when they had a problem and what their solution was. I enjoyed hearing the funny stories they had to tell me.

Tuesday April 13, 2010

Today was the day that I did my science lesson. I came prepared and ready to teach my students all about the things that come from trees and what part of a tree. I was a little disheartened when I went into the class because there was another teacher there. I thought that my mentor teacher forgot about my lesson and did not tell me there would be a sub. Luckliy my mentor teacher was at a meeting and she was going to be back soon. Pheww I thought. When she came in she was ready for me to begin my lesson. After I set up the trays for the groups I needed to put up the video that I was going to show. Unfortunatly the video was on youtube and that site was blocked by the school. I was a little worried about that but the lesson still went great. The children were so surprised that all the differnt things on the tray came from trees. When they grouped the items in the tray into categories my mentor teacher was surprised at the unique ways the students grouped the items. My mentor teacher helped me alot, which is good. Overall, it was a good lesson and the children really seemed to learn alot. The rest of my time there I spent testing students on reading levels.

Firday April 9, 2010

Today I got the chance to see a science lesson. The intern teacher talked about plants and how they are important to the environment and there structures. The students got a worksheet in which they had fill out the parts of a plant. After, they got to color a cup with markers and designs so that they know it is their cup . Then, the students put soil in their cups and got to plant a seed! Through out the weeks they are going to watch the plants grow and water them. I thought this was really cool and fun! The students seemed really in to it. After the science lesson the students broke up into their reading groups. I got the lower level students and we started to popcorn read. That is when one person reads and then he/she chooses someone to read or sometimes the students just read when one person finishes. Afterwards we learned about realistic fiction and as a class the students read a story. They had to figure out what can be real and what can never really happen. I also got to talk to my mentor teacher about my science lesson and guided reading lesson. Great day today.

March 29

Today in class the students were reviewing the long 'i's and 'e's. They did an activity that when the teacher read a word the student had to decide whether the sound was a long e or i. Then they had to color it its appropriate color. Afterward since the students were going to an assembly about the Ringling Bros. the teacher used the last ten minutes to have them color a circus elephant. The best color-er would get a prize. After the assembly of magic tricks the students got to stay in their homeroom to do some math. The kids were working on Subtraction. I mostly helped one boy in particular who after doing the problems with me a couple of times started to get the hang of it. That is always a good feeling, when you have felt that you actually taught something and someone understood.It was almost time to go home for the day. The teacher read to the students a book by Shel Silverman. There was alot of rhyming and lot of patterns. Soon the students started chanting the rhymes along with the teacher. They really seemed to enjoy the book!

March 26

I could have not come today but the students were having jump rope for heart. I have never heard of this so I decided to come anyway. It is sort of like field day but it is indoor. It is little stations with activities. Some were, hula hoops, jump roping, hop skotch, helicopter, etc. All really fun games that got the children's heart pumping. After wards the students had a good-bye party for the intern who was now switching to an upper grade. Then we watch Ant Bully. It was all play and mostly no work. Oh....wait...there was a spelling test before jump rope for heart.

March 25

Today was picture day for students! First we started off this Thursday by going over long Os. The students completed a worksheet that tested what they learned about long Os. Next the students split up into their reading groups. I helped the lower level group with the reading. I helped them read but I did not read for them. At time the students would get off task and start to talk about other things but I tried my best to lead what they were saying right back into the book. As we were reading the students had to answer some questions about the reading. After going over the questions, the students went to their special. When the students go to special it gives me the chance to talk to my mentor teacher and get to know her better. She is pregnant and is having a boy! Right after the special students took their usual bathroom break and then go to another special ( 2 in one day!). After that special the students take their pictures. After that is the class photo. Once in the class the intern did a little science for the students. He talked about the earth and the different layers. He then passed out a worksheet where the kids had to label the layers of the earth and color them in. It was not much inquiry based but at least they were exposed to it.

Friday March 19

Today I worked alot on helping the students complete some questions with a story that the teacher read with them. This was good because I got to converse and get to know the students alot more. Afterward the students went to their special, music. That gave me the chance to talk to my mentor teacher about upcoming lessons I would like to teach. I also got a chance to check with her if my science questions for my science conversation was alright. My mentor teacher also let me decide who I could choose. I chose the ELL who I am doing a study for in language arts, I chose a lower level student, and a higher level student. When the students got back from special I met with three students in the back of the classroom. I wanted to do the conversation somewhere more private but my mentor teacher wanted it to be done in the classroom. It was a little hard because she was teaching as I was trying to converse with the students, her voice is in the recording. I got the children talking about trees. It lasted about 20 minutes. One of my students kept talking about killing squirrels that around trees and it was hard trying to get her back to the subject of just talking about trees. Overall, it was a success. Afterward the children and the teacher played a sequence game to help them understand the importance of sequence. After that was complete I got to see a little bit of science. The intern talked about different land features and the difference between a hill and a mountain. They got to use clay to show the different lands.

Friday 12, 2010

Today was a good day at school. It was the day before spring break and I was determined to get my mentor teacher to give me something that I could work with for any of my method classes. Mission accomplished! My mentor teacher and I talked about her only ELL learner in which I need to do a case study of for language arts. I also got all the questions for my science conversation with my mentor teacher answered. She also told me that I can have a conversation with the children on during lunch next time I go in. I also got the topic of my lesson for science. I will be teaching the class about trees! I also got my reading interview done! I would say today was a success. I got to do all this while the children were at P.E. During this time I learned that science and social studies in their class is done durinf the later part of the day...if they can! The intern was telling me that he teaches the science and that most of the time it is anything science and nothing really organized. A big problem for science is that a lot of the materials needed are not there. Same goes with social studies. It was sad to hear that because I think science is so much fun and social studies is my favorite subject. Its sad that students can not always enjoy these cool subjects. Afterward the students came back had to do their monthly desk clean out. After the students broke into their reading groups and they answered questions until lunch/recess time.

Week 2

This was my second week at Prince St. Elementary. I was glad to see that alot of the students remembered me. Today students off by taking a spelling test. Since they took a spelling test last Friday I can assume that they always have spelling tests on Fridays. Today my mentor teacher's intern was doing most of the teaching because my mentor teacher was busy resolving some issues going on with bullying in the classroom. The Intern started off by going over possessive words. Afterwards the students went to media, their special of the day. As they were in there my mentor teacher, her intern, and I helped ourselves to some delicious food in the teachers lounge. Every month teachers bring food to the lounge to share with everyone else. Kind of like a potluck. This gave me a chance to talk to my teacher about her class and the different things I need to get done for my method courses. We talked a little about science but not to much. I felt as though she had too much on her mind to worry about me so I did not push it. I figure I can stay a little longer the following Friday when she is not so busy to talk to her about science, reading, and language arts. After the students got back I got to work with two of the lower leveled students in reading. They were the type of children that needed the question asked to them and needed to be kept on track. I think I did that successfully. I asked questions so that I could feel like they got to the answer on their own. Afterwards the students had another test and that took up the rest of the time that I was there. Even though my mentor reassures me that I will get everything done that I need for my method courses I am still a little worried. I am so worried I am considering coming in on the Friday of Spring Break. We shall see.

Today I went to Prince Street Elementary and met Mrs. Charlton's second grade class. The first thing she told me was that she does not want me to observe but she expects me to interact and be get involved with the students. I thought to myself, this is my kind of teacher. The students started off the day by going to their art special. This gave me the opportunity to talk to my mentor teacher and her intern. We talked about behavioral students in her class, the school, and some of my lessons. She seems like a great teacher who could show me the ropes around reading. I asked her if she taught science or if she could introduce me to the teacher that teaches science for second grade. To my luck, she teaches science for her class. Afterward, she taught me how to use the grading system on the computer. It seems a bit complicated but I she let me put some grades in to get the hang of it. When the students came back from art class the intern did a lesson on using the dictionary. They were giving special kids dictionary, not the big ones adult use. This tested whether the students new their alphabetical order, knew what the definitions meant, and if they could find other words that had or -or- ar in them. Afterwards the children listened to a CD about ants and they had to follow along in their books. I walked around and made sure all the students were on the right page and were following along with their fingers. After the CD they were assesst with a worksheet that asked them questions about the CD. They were also allowed and encouraged to use their books. After that my mentor teacher read a book to them about Harriet Tubman. She followed it by asking questions abour the problem in the story, the characters, the setting, etc. Afterward the kids were split into groups and I got to work one on one with a student. I helped him read the book they were given and then I helped him answer questions. Overall, it was a great day. I think I am really going to enjoy this class.