Field Experience #8

Observations: I had to sit next to a student for most of the time this week. I had to make sure he was paying attentions and doing his work in class. Being so close to PAST testing, it was important for him to pay attention. It was kind of frustrating because he would just sit there and day dream instead of doing his classroom. 

Learning Experiences: I learned a lot about patience this week. Having to constantly be on a student to pay attention got very tiring. Mrs. Grosse goes to a lot of trouble and effort to put together interesting lessons and this made me appreciate my own teachers more. 

Reflections: Summer is so close. I already got a job as a councler for YMCA summer camp as well as at an animal clinic. I think the job at the summer camp will be a lot easier after taking teacher cadets and I can apply myself more effectively. 

Stories to Tell: The kids were sad to here this would be the last time i would see them for a while. I got a lot of hugs and even got a sticker of a dog and flowers from my students. 

Field Experience #7

Observations: It’s always hard to get back in the swing of things after a break. A lot of the kids forgot their homework and had trouble remembering what they learned before break, however they eventually got back into the motions. It’s always cool to see the kids excited to learn and fight over who gets to pass out papers and raise their hands to eagerly. It is defiantly a contrast to my other classes at the high school. 

Learning Experiences: My lesson was defiantly better than my last but had a lot of room to improve. I should have read over the papers I handed out but forgot. I also learned to slow things down and make sure to be very specifically when going over assignments and telling the kids what i want them to do. 

Reflections: This week I have been reflecting a lot on college. I wasn’t sure if i wanted to go straight into a four year college because it is a lot of money. However, I have decided that it is important to invest into myself and went ahead and payed my deposits. All I have to do is keep my grades up!

Stories to Share: At recess, after my lesson, all my kids were really proud of me for teaching a lesson and told me that I did a good job.

Field Experience #6

Observations: The stress to prepare of PAST testing is defiantly on. My class is so talkative so it is hard to move through a lesson and it really stresses Mrs. Grosse out. The date of the PAST testing does not make any sense to me. They take the test then have three weeks left of school? It would be easier for the kids and the teachers if the test was taken maybe a week before summer break. It surprised me to see how even forth graders being prepared for this test like my AP classes prepare for exams.

Learning Experience: Before spring break, it is hard to grab the attention of a class. This is when Mrs. Grosse brings out her more fun lessons. For example; we did experiments with electromagnets. It was a hands on kind of lesson and allowed the students to make their own electromagnet and pick up pieces of metal. It was smart of Mrs. Grosse to save this lesson for now to bring the attention of the students to learning rather than the up and coming break.  

Reflections: Spring break started to a rough start for me. On Sunday, me and some of my friends went to the beach for the day. On the way there, we got into a car accident(nothing serious, just a fender bender sort of thing) in Charleston. However, we were close to the beach so we continued on with our plans. We got to the beach and had fun laying on the sand and swimming in the ocean. But when we got to our car we discovered we had an $80 DOLLAR PARKING TICKET!!!!! It was annoying to say the least. However, the rest of my spring break was amazing. The mountains in the upstate are beautiful and climbing up waterfalls was the most fun I had in a while. 

Stories to Share: I told my kids once that I enjoyed drinking Kool Aid, and one of my kids, Morgan, brought me a Kool Aid packet to put in my water bottle. I thought this was very sweet.

Field Experience #5

Observations: I’m really proud of all my forth graders! It’s always great to see them learn in class then do well on a test. After our lessons on the solar system, I graded the tests and was pleased to see all the good scores. I was cheering for every kid as I graded, and wondered if my own teachers do the same with me.

Learning Experience: I have learned that although learning is important, having fun and self growth is also crucial for children. Although Mrs. Grosse is stern about the kids sitting down and paying attention, she always has time to have a laugh and have fun with the kids. This could be important to my schooling as well. Sometimes we get so wrapped up in grades and GPA’s, we forget to have fun and take care of ourselves.

Reflections: Spring break is almost here! All the kids are excited for it and are interested in what I will be spending my time doing. I will be going up state to the mountains to visit the many waterfalls up there. It will be nice to enjoy the natural beauty of out state and spend time with my family. 

Stories to Share: At lunch, the kids are not supposed to get up from their seats. I saw one of my kids, Niko, walking to the trash can. I was about to call out to him and tell him he has to ask permission before he gets up, but then i realized that Niko was sitting right down the table. It was then that I found out that Niko had a twin brother.

Field Experience #4

Observations: I did my first lesson this week! I was very nervous and I think it showed. I think I did an okay job, however I could defiantly improve! It was also comforting to hear Mrs. Grosse tell the students in the hallway to “Be good for Mrs. Banford!”. All the students were really respectful and were engaged in my lesson. It was nice to know that they can pay attention when it really matters.

Learning Experience: In my lesson, the students learned the size differences between the sun, moon, and Earth. They also learned about the elliptical path the Earth and moon take when revolving.

Reflections: On my lesson worksheet, i made a mistake. I put down the Earth rotates around the Sun, when actually the correct term would be revolves. However, this was a good learning experience for the students because it emphasized how word choice is very important.

Stories to Share: A girl in my class drew me a picture of the sun with cool sunglasses on after my lesson. It was very sweet.

Field Experience #3

Observations: This week, the class was learning about Revolutionary War battles. Even I couldn’t remember all the dates and places and what happened for each battle. Mrs. Grosse agreed that is was a lot to remember and was stressful for a lot of the students.Mrs. Grosse made fun print out activities that the students glued into their history journal. She also has an activity where the students participate in a Revolutionary War simulation. In the simulation, students would draw a piece of paper from a hat that would mark them as either a patriot, rebel, or neutral. These activities made learning something hard into learning something fun.

Learning Experiences: I have learned that it is important to not only encourage a child’s learning, but also a child’s character. The teacher is who the adult a student is around most often, so it is crucial for the teacher to be a good role model and push a child to make the right decisions and go down the right path. Teachers make a bigger difference than people think.

Reflections: One day this week, me and my family were going out to eat. My little sister did not want to get her shoes on because she was upset that we were not going to go to McDonalds. My mom told my sister she can wear either her sneakers or her sandals. This was a good strategy because it required my sister putting on her shoes but made my sister feel like she was in control of her decision. This would be a  good technique to use in the classroom.

Stories to Share: Some students and myself played jump rope during recess. After a couple rounds I was exhausted and needed to sit down, however my students continued playing all of recess. This was a sad reminder that I am getting old and do not have the same amount of energy as fourth graders. 

Field Experience #2

Observations: This week I observed that it is important to be stern with ones students when necessary. For example; many students kept on getting up to blow their noses or get some tissue. This seems like an innocent act, however Mrs. Grosse recognized that they were only seeking a way to get out of their desks and cause a distraction during class. She had to be stern with her students and tell them to quit getting up and pay attention to the lesson. This is important to remember because it is really easy to lose control and the attention of ones students, so the teacher must know when to intervene.

Learning Experiences: Many students learned that it is not helpful to tell on other students for stuff that doesn’t matter. For example; if a student was the line leader even though he/she wanted to be the line leader, this is not a reason to bother the teacher. As a teacher, one must recognize to choose the battles and decide what is truly important and what issues require ones attention. In other words, don’t be a tattle tale!

Reflections: This week really focused on me and my students relationship. I always need to remind myself that I am their teacher and not their friend or big sister. Many of the students want to see me in this way and I must remind them also that I am here to observe and teach them. I think it is particularly hard for me to be a ‘teaching figure’ because of my three younger siblings and my twelve younger cousins. I am more comfortable in being a friend or sister rather than an authority figure.

Stories to Share: I got to work with a student during his social studies test. He is a very thoughtful and nice young man, he just needs help when reading test problems. It was hard to keep a poker face when he circled the wrong or right answer.

Field Experience #1

Observations: Mrs. Grosse has a great teaching style. She allows the children to have fun but also enforces discipline in the classroom. The relationship she has with her students is one every teacher should have. All her students love her and respect her. Mrs. Grosse as a person is very kind and loves telling stories and sharing in a good laugh. I look forward to participating in her classroom.

 

Learning Experience: I have learned that, when teaching, it is important to recognize when a student is not paying attention or falling behind in a lesson. Too easily, these students are left in the dust and never seem to catch up with the rest of the class and are forgotten. As a teacher, one must identify these students and get them the appropriate help they require.

 

Reflections: First day of school is always hard, even when you are an eighteen year old going into a fourth grade class. I was pron to be stared at and watched by the students and I do admit, I did feel a little self-conscious. However, by the end of the week, all the kids where talking to me during lunch and saying hello to me whenever I entered the classroom.

Stories to Share: One of my students lives in my neighborhood, and recognized me from when I life guarded at the pool. He was very excited to announce to the class that he knew me personally.

The Read Alouds for the week

meganbteachercadet

Flowers are Red by Harry Chapin: This was a very emotional piece. It makes one think, will i be like the first teacher or the second teacher? Children have a certain spark that makes them see the world in a different light then adults, and to take that spark away just because “flowers should be red” is horrifying to say the least. One could use this read to encourage their students to be creative and to teach them that it’s okay to be different. I also liked the fact that a teacher of any grade could read this to her/his students.

The Brand New Kid by Katie Couric: The illustrations in this book where really cute and colorful. This book could be useful if there was a new student in the class. It could also be used to teach about people from other countries and to accept each…

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Reflections