Blog Entry #8

• What is the most important thing you have learned during fieldwork observation? Why?

           It's hard to say what is most important! Because I learned so many things and got so many ideas for my future classroom. You can read and talk about what classroom life is like, but until you actually go into a classroom and experience it, you will never be prepared for when you have your own. It was good for me to just experience how a classroom is ran. So i guess the most important thing I learned was classroom management. I've always been pretty worried about keeping the attention of my students and making the classroom a routine place where learning is fun but challenging. I got to see a couple different teacher in action and learn from how they run their classrooms. 

           Something else that I've learned is what to say and what not to say to students. In my time in the classroom, there have been a few times where students ask questions about situations that are questionable. I wasn't quite sure how to address those questions, but after seeing how the teacher responds, I got a pretty good idea of what to say. There are roundabout ways to answer questions so the students feel like they have an answer to questions. Basically I learned how to redirect questions and go off on a tangent. It was great. 

           It was so good being in a classroom and getting to help out wherever help was needed. I learned that for most of the time, you have a general lesson plan but just kind of have to go with the flow, which is a quality of a good teacher. It made me so excited to get my schooling done and get out there in the action!!

Blog Entry #7

• What are the school rules/classroom rules and how are they enforced?

           School rules are things like don't run in the hallways, make sure you have a pass to go to the bathroom (doubles as a classroom rule, too), don't go outside without permission. These rules are enforced by having adults walking the hallways every once in a while, whether it's patrolling or going from one place to another. If a teacher notices that something is up, they will definitely ask the child what they're up to. I actually saw a teacher ask to see a child's hall pass the other day, which they did have. So that was good!

           Then for the classroom rules, there are some written and some unwritten. The teacher has the kids recite some every day. These are the ones they say:

-Listen to the teacher

-Keep your desk clean

-Open your ears

-Follow instructions

-Only say kind words

-Be ready to learn!

And she enforces them in a few different ways. She uses the clothespin strategy that I learned about in the Classroom Management section. That is really effective and the students respond to it really well. She has had a child sit out in the hallway who hit another student. She also has a good reward system for kids who are following the rules. They get to clip up and earn a prize at the end of the day. And when the whole class is behaving well, they are one point closer to having a pizza party!

• What are the procedures the teacher uses to make everything run smoothly in the class

           She just has a really good routine down. The kids start the same sections at the same time every day, so they know what to expect and what is coming next. She has a big schedule on the side of the white board with a magnetic arrow, so they move the arrow down and can look up there to see what is next. She also split up classroom jobs between the kids, so there is no arguing over who gets to do what. One kid is in charge of turning the lights off, one is in charge of going to the front office to get the snacks for the day, one is responsible for making sure the markers, crayons, and colored pencils are organized, etc. She rotates these probably once a month so that they get to do multiple jobs and it helps split up the small duties. 

Blog Entry #6

• What strategies does the teacher use to actively engage the students? How effective are these

           It's really hard to keep first graders attention focused on you. But this one teacher does a very good job at it! She talks in a certain way that she sounds excited. And that keeps the kids thinking that something really cool or exciting is going to happen. She also uses a reward system. When she needs a volunteer or a child to come help her with something, which ALL the kids want to help, she will say "whoever is learning the most!" or "whoever is behaving the best!" and they all straighten up and pay more attention to what is going on.
           She has learned how to incorporate a lot of hands-on learning. Kids get really fidgety and so every ten minutes or so she will have them hold something, draw a picture, or just do something to get them moving. Even if she doesn't have an activity planned for them to do, she will have them stand up and get their wiggles out. They will dance or take a walking lap around the classroom and then come back and be more focused on the lesson.
           This teacher does a really awesome job at incorporating different learning styles so that it doesn't get old or repetitive for kids. She asks lots of questions and has the class answer things together. She just does whatever she can to keep the kids on their toes, and it's awesome! 

Blog Entry #5

• What do you think is the most important role a teacher plays? Why

           Oh this is a hard question because I think teachers play so many vital roles that change how kids learn, see their peers, see their teachers, and see themselves. I think one of the most important roles a teacher plays is to be a confidant. Teachers can change students lives by being a person they can trust to talk to. If there is a problem at home, or with another child in the classroom, or any kind of personal problem, children can turn to their teacher and trust in them. Having that one person can make all the difference in a kids life. 

           Another important role teachers play is to be a cheerleader. One thing I've seen that really makes my heart ache is when students are too scared or nervous to raise their hand and ask a question. Personally, I've had teachers who make their students feel inferior or dumb when we ask a question. If kids don't feel comfortable asking questions, they're craving for learning will disappear so quick. Teachers need to encourage students to learn, and make learning something fun, something to look forward to.

• What do you think is the most challenging role a teacher plays? Why?

           A parent-teacher communicator. For sure. There are a lot of parents that are helpful and will put their children's needs above anything else. The supportive parents are good and I'm totally fine talking to them. But I'm really not looking forward to having to deal with the parents who will freak out at me or their kids if they aren't getting straight A's. I guess I'm okay with the communication part if they parents are cooperative.

           Another role that I think I will struggle with is having to be a judge. I know that if a student isn't doing what they are supposed to or goofing off during class then I will have to come down on them. But I hate seeing kids sad and I don't want to be hard on them. I'm getting better at it, but It's definitely something I won't enjoy doing. Also, being a Technology Guru. I'm only 22 years old and I I feel like I'm already behind on new technology that comes out. It will be hard keeping up with all the new stuff as we get more and more advanced.

Blog Entry #4

• What clerical and preparation responsibilities have you participated in?

           I've mostly done some preparation stuff. Most of the time the teacher will take care of the clerical work and I will do prep. A lot of the time it's like a preparation for the next time by cleaning up, like sorting through crayons and reorganizing flash cards or games so they are all set for the next use. A lot of prep that I've done has been for exceptional students. So I will go through and get a set of things for them to do that isn't the same as what the rest of the class is doing. 

           Specific things I've done for preparation are finding the right worksheets that will be used, getting out props, games, books, or other things that they will use after recess, and just little things like that. Also we will double check the schedule for the next couple hours just to make sure we are on track with things. I have graded some math quizzes, actually. They were just easy times tables ones, so that wasn't too bad. But yeah, I've noticed that teachers do a TON of preparing for the day and the week. 

• How does this teacher manage assessment? 

          So far I've spent time in a couple different classrooms, and the teachers all handle assessment pretty similarly. First they have to record what the student knows initially. This can mean asking verbal questions, having them write something down, or just observing what they know. Most of the teachers I've seen assess students will have them take a test. Or some sort of written work-- it's easier to keep track of I think. Then they can just refer to those later. After that, they will do lessons to help the students learn more. From what I've seen, teachers don't really keep track super tightly of how the students are doing during a lesson. I mean, they give more attention to students that need it, but don't really write as much down.

           The last part of assessment is to test how much they've learned. I've given one of the tests where I read a sentence to the student and they had to write down their spelling words. The teacher would look at these after and be able to tell how much progress each student made, comparing it to the first tests they took. The biggest thing I've seen that causes successful assessments is being organized. Teachers have a lot on their plate, and a lot of students to keep track of. Being organized not only with the actual assessments but with your time will make things a lot easier on you.

Blog Entry #3

• What modifications for learners who are exceptional do you see?

           They have homework, in-class assignments, and tests that are modified and adapted for them. For kids who are a little bit behind, the teacher can make the assignments shorter. They can also make questions a little bit easier, but have the questions about the same subject for all students. For students who are on the other end of the scale, a little bit ahead of everyone else, the same can be done. Teachers can make questions a little harder, tests a little longer. I've also seen teachers send students who have finished their assignment around to help those that need help.

• What results of laws like IDEA do you see in the school?

           I think it's so good for students, not even educationally, but as a whole. I've seen students helping other students with disabilities in class. And they're so happy to do so. Kids are learning so many valuable lessons- kindness, patience, leadership. There is a lot more integration when it is appropriate and best for students. Kids feel a lot more included and a part of a whole when they can participate in a regular classroom. 

• What strategies does the teacher use to support students who are English learners?

           I've noticed a lot of different things! A teacher paired one little Hispanic boy with another boy who's first language was English. He would help him with vocabulary and make sure he understood what was going on. They were little buddies and it really worked well for this boy. They will pull students aside to make sure they understand, work one on one with them, have adult tutors come in. I was sitting in on first grade helping a different Hispanic boy one time and while the kids were spelling their colors, I would tell this boy a color and he would have to pick that crayon up and color in a square. So teachers modify assignments for English Learners, too.

Blog Entry #2

• Tell about an opportunity you had to work with a small group.

           I worked with a group of kids who have minor reading disabilities. We went into a room in the back of the class that had a door so we could have some privacy. We had the kids take turns reading paragraphs and highlighting information they thought would be important. Then when we finished the article, there were questions on the back for them to answer, just to test their reading comprehension. It was good for keeping the focus on just those kids, they participated a lot more than when they were in the whole class. It was easier to let them know they were doing a good job and it boosted their confidence.

• Tell about an opportunity you had to work one on one with a student.

          I got to pull a few students aside for one on one work. It was in a class of first graders, and we were testing their sentences that they had learned the week before. I had to read them the words and they would write them down. I couldn't give them any hints or help, it was specifically a test to see how much they had learned. So it wasn't really like I was helping them, I was just reading them stuff and they would write it down.

• What other responsibilities does your classroom teacher have?

           They're constantly doing something. They're making lesson plans, schedule parent meetings, going over students progress. They've had to meet with the principal or other teachers on lunch break, after school, and before school. Also, whenever there is a student with special needs in their class, they have to attend IEP meetings and put in that extra work to make sure they are prepared to care for and teach that student. Even when they're home they still have homework to grade and lessons to prepare for. They are always trying to keep things clean and organized to better the learning environment of their classroom.

• In what ways is the school in which you are serving similar to or different from schools in the earlier periods of history in the United States?

           Well the school I am observing at, Sunset View elementary, has Hispanic students as the majority. As I sit and watch what goes on with the kids, different interactions and such, I can tell that there are some cliques and posses. I remember seeing 4 little Hispanic girls that were kind of telling a little white girl that she couldn't hang out with them. It reminds me a lot of that picture of the two girls, one white one black, in class. I think it's unavoidable with kids, that they notice difference in skin color and say something. Kids are honest and blunt. So just like earlier schools, they're is going to be some inclusion issues because of differences. But unlike schools so many years ago, there is a ton less racism. As a culture we have changed our view on different races, and kids are a part of that. I'm glad kids in school are more accepting