Week 3 - 4 classes!

This week was my first opportunity to create lesson plans for a sub (aka my cooperating teacher). I learned that...SUB PLANS ARE SO HARD!!! This was my very first exposure to how much work it takes to be gone for one school day. I am glad my first sub plans were for my cooperating teacher because she was able to help me fill in the blanks. I will have the opportunity to create sub plans at least one more time, possibly two or three more times, depending on upcoming contest results. Next time I plan to have a template or guide for creating my sub plans and be more prepared!

Another “first” happened for me this week which was getting to write my first referral for a student. I thought I had handled the situation in class appropriately. However, we were greeted the next morning by the custodian asking if we had an elephant stamp which of course we did, and it was missing. There really is a difference between teaching a class and observing a class. Even when you think you know what your students are doing, sometimes you don’t. Not only in this class but in all of my classes, I need to bold the boundary line to ensure students understand expectations and what is acceptable. 

There are always things that I would do differently…hence why I am a student AND a teacher :)

Something I am trying to work on for this week is finding that balance of planning and researching/reviewing content. Finding that line of what I am okay with having done for the day. I need to take  better care of myself mentally and physically.  

Winter Term - Week 2

As this past week was the last week of the semester, I have definitely learned a lot more about proficiency schools and their policies. I can see the positives and the values of a proficiency school, but at the same time I understand and have experienced first-hand the frustration and “blurred lines” of a proficiency school. In a way it seems to encourage the idea of not working hard the first time because students know they can just retake the exam or makeup the assignment. Now this is not true of all students, however I have really noticed this recently as many students have been frantically making up assignments and tests to raise their grade. My question is, how can we motivate students to continuously work on their grade throughout the term instead of the last day of the semester? It is my understanding that weekly progress reports have been sent home in the past, however this has stopped in the attempt to go paperless. Is there more as educators we can do, or is the responsibility at this point solely on the student? 

The third class I picked up this week has a grand total of three students in it. My other two classes have 13-14 students. This has been a huge adjustment for me. Every day I felt that class just seemed to go at a much slower pace, it was very quiet, and there are hardly any management issues. There always seems to be extra time left over at the end of class no matter how I plan it out. These three students are each very VERY different. There is never a doubt in my mind that they are not with me on the material or interested and if there is a question, they ask it. I feel as though the energy is quite low compared to my other classes. This is challenging for me and I am not sure how to increase the energy of the class and environment. Maybe it is just me and I need to adjust…

Winter Term - Week 1 - First Week Back!

As I reflect on my first week back student teaching, there are definitely several things I would do differently in my classes. All throughout Monday I caught myself doing what I just learned NOT to do. Such as not giving clear and concise directions, giving too many verbal directions and not enough visual, and not fully explaining the “Why” of my lessons. As a result of this, I have been spending more time on my directions and making sure I have posted them either on the whiteboard or doc cam for my visual learners. I also made sure to clear up any questions about the directions given by asking “What questions can I answer” or “What is unclear about the directions”. This past week I have also worked hard to post objectives and goals for each day’s lesson and to go over those with my students. This seems much more formal than has been done in the past, however I am sure once I am more comfortable in the class and my students are more comfortable with me, that it will flow together more nicely. 

I was most surprised that between both of my classes, there was zero tension and refusal to participate unlike what I had faced at different times in the fall. This was very unexpected! A select few students in my 6^th period class that were extremely quiet in the fall, have really impressed me this past week by their level of engagement and positive attitudes! This coming week, I want to discretely drop them a note telling them how impressed I am. I believe this small act on my part will go a long ways with each of these students and help to build more rapport with them. I also started with a new class that I had not previously worked with in the fall. I felt no resistance to change but more excitement and positive energy. This was also unexpected but was VERY encouraging for me as this is my EdTPA class. 

I have also been working hard to implement Bell Ringers at the beginning of both of my classes. The first couple of days I had many questions such as “What is a bell ringer” and “How do we do this”. In the fall, my cooperating teacher gave students in all classes a “Daily Journal”, which students answered in their Ag notebooks. This week I have had students answer their bell ringers on a note card or post-it note, but I would like to use a different method for this. I have been wondering if I should have students create a Bell Ringer Book or have them write them in their Ag notebooks. This is something I plan to talk about more with my cooperating teacher. My student’s answers to all of the bell ringer questions have more than impressed me, but encourage me that they are learning the information I am teaching. Covering Parliamentary Procedure and Parts of Plants can be a lot to take in. 

Overall, I feel really good about my first back teaching! I am working hard to stay organized and find methods that work well for me. And I feel ready to pick up a third class this coming week!