The most important thing I've learned during my fieldwork observation is that in order to be an effective teacher you need to be passionate about your job. With all the stresses and challenges thrown at you as a teacher, if you are not passionate about helping your students grow and learn, you will be doing them a large disservice.
Sometimes things meant to help students (No Child Left Behind) end up causing educators to have to jump through hoops. This can cause teachers to have to spend a lot of their own personal time working. While unfortunate, it's imperative to the success of our youth, and therefore important to have the passion to drive you.
I feel I do have a passion for teaching, guiding, and helping our children, our future. I'm grateful to be able to pursue a teaching degree at this time and am extremely grateful for what my fieldwork experience has taught me. I am also grateful to have a friend in Amy Reid, the teacher whose class I work in.
Friday, March 29, 2013
Monday, March 25, 2013
Blog Entry 7
There are several ways that help the classroom run smoothly. I'll mention a few I've seen.
In the class I work in the teacher has a card system to help children monitor their own behavior. Each child has a pocket with different colored cards in it. I believe the cards go in order from green, to yellow, to orange, to blue, to red. Green is good to go. Yellow is a warning. Orange means they spend 5 recess minutes pondering or discussing their behavior. Blue I believe is a visit to the principal's office, and red is a parent call or meeting.
I do like in the module how the kids have the option to work their way back to a good status during the day, as the teacher I work with doesn't have this option, that I know of.
Proximity is a big one! It's amazing with some kids how just having an adult/teacher presence close by can help them remember to listen and be calm.
Routine is another big one. It's important for the kids (and teacher!) to have a basic schedule to rely on.
In the class I work in the teacher has a card system to help children monitor their own behavior. Each child has a pocket with different colored cards in it. I believe the cards go in order from green, to yellow, to orange, to blue, to red. Green is good to go. Yellow is a warning. Orange means they spend 5 recess minutes pondering or discussing their behavior. Blue I believe is a visit to the principal's office, and red is a parent call or meeting.
I do like in the module how the kids have the option to work their way back to a good status during the day, as the teacher I work with doesn't have this option, that I know of.
Proximity is a big one! It's amazing with some kids how just having an adult/teacher presence close by can help them remember to listen and be calm.
Routine is another big one. It's important for the kids (and teacher!) to have a basic schedule to rely on.
Monday, March 11, 2013
Blog Entry 6
I've seen the teacher, and her student teacher, use many, if not all of the strategies in this module.
Physical Movement: The students trace letters in the air with their fingers, use their bodies to put numbers in order, and draw letters in sand.
Involving as many students as possible: The teacher will have a book projected on the overhead and each student gets a turn to come up and use a pointer to read the next sentence.
Provide opportunies for students to interact and discuss: Often the teacher will group the students into partners for an assignment or allow the students to pick partners themselves, so they can learn how to work together and help one another. They also learn how to do this in bigger groups when they go to "Centers".
The teacher uses songs, poems, and games to help students learn and remember a concept.
I have also seen scaffolding, prompting, feedback, wait time, withitness, and closure all used repeatedly in the classroom.
Physical Movement: The students trace letters in the air with their fingers, use their bodies to put numbers in order, and draw letters in sand.
Involving as many students as possible: The teacher will have a book projected on the overhead and each student gets a turn to come up and use a pointer to read the next sentence.
Provide opportunies for students to interact and discuss: Often the teacher will group the students into partners for an assignment or allow the students to pick partners themselves, so they can learn how to work together and help one another. They also learn how to do this in bigger groups when they go to "Centers".
The teacher uses songs, poems, and games to help students learn and remember a concept.
I have also seen scaffolding, prompting, feedback, wait time, withitness, and closure all used repeatedly in the classroom.
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
Blog Entry 5
I think the most important role teachers play is that of advocate. Every child is different. They have different circumstances, life experiences, home environments, needs, learning modalities, etc. A teacher has to be sensitive and observant in order to do their best at understanding each child and their needs.
Sometimes you may need to speak to administrators, other children, or parents on behalf of a child, to help them be and do their best. There are many wonderful things about our public school system but there are also many ways for a child to get "lost in the system". Teachers must strive their best to not let this happen.
Sometimes you may need to speak to administrators, other children, or parents on behalf of a child, to help them be and do their best. There are many wonderful things about our public school system but there are also many ways for a child to get "lost in the system". Teachers must strive their best to not let this happen.
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
Blog Entry 4
Some of my time spent in the classroom is dedicated to clerical work or preparation work. I find that this time can be some of my favorite time. I don't mean that I don't enjoy working with the children, but after working with 30 kindergartners, some mindless, repetitive work can be wonderful!
Things I do that would qualify as clerical work would be filing recorded assessments, marking off homework turned in by students in the grade book, and making copies. (The actual assessments are given to students during times when they can miss a few minutes of class but still know what they're supposed to be doing when they get back in.)
I do much more preparation work than clerical. This includes collating homework papers to be sent home, un-collating math workbooks so that they can be done as a class one page at a time, separating printed reading material for the 3 different kindergarten teachers, organizing the supply buckets for each table, and sharpening pencils!
Things I do that would qualify as clerical work would be filing recorded assessments, marking off homework turned in by students in the grade book, and making copies. (The actual assessments are given to students during times when they can miss a few minutes of class but still know what they're supposed to be doing when they get back in.)
I do much more preparation work than clerical. This includes collating homework papers to be sent home, un-collating math workbooks so that they can be done as a class one page at a time, separating printed reading material for the 3 different kindergarten teachers, organizing the supply buckets for each table, and sharpening pencils!
Friday, February 15, 2013
Blog Entry 3
Today I'm going to tell a little bit about modifications made in the classroom I observe for exceptional learners. I really had to think about this which I think is a good thing because it means the steps we take to help exceptional learners are now normal, every day things, that are seamlessly integrated into our schedule.
I get to work with students one on one or in small groups doing OEK, a method that involves all modalities, to help them learn letter names, sounds, or even words. Often the teacher will choose two children to be buddies for a buddy assignment, based on their strengths, so that they can help each other where they need to. For some children we model or just simplify instructions so that the child can successfully complete the assignment or activity. We try to provide the least restrictive environment for the child to get an equally full education as all the other children.
A couple of children also get pulled out of class during the week for speech therapy, because it cannot be done inside the classroom, but it is done for a short time during a part of class that they can afford to miss. I'm very grateful to be getting the observation and experience that I am from working in this Kindergarten classroom!
I get to work with students one on one or in small groups doing OEK, a method that involves all modalities, to help them learn letter names, sounds, or even words. Often the teacher will choose two children to be buddies for a buddy assignment, based on their strengths, so that they can help each other where they need to. For some children we model or just simplify instructions so that the child can successfully complete the assignment or activity. We try to provide the least restrictive environment for the child to get an equally full education as all the other children.
A couple of children also get pulled out of class during the week for speech therapy, because it cannot be done inside the classroom, but it is done for a short time during a part of class that they can afford to miss. I'm very grateful to be getting the observation and experience that I am from working in this Kindergarten classroom!
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
Blog Entry 2
The responsibilities of a Kindergarten teacher seem endless!
Every day you have to have lessons planned for your class in many different subjects. Math, writing, reading, p.e., and more. Fairly often the teacher has to give assessment tests to each child individually. There are parent conferences which can be very time consuming. Sometimes there are concerns or special needs where the teacher has to contact a child's caregivers on their own time to discuss the issue. Every week homework turned in has to be graded and recorded, and the new homework sent home. And of course before sending it home it has to be prepared and put together!
At the school where I'm observing, each grade level's teachers form a team and everyone has team duties. It could be ordering and dividing lesson material, preparing homework for coming weeks, recess duty, or any number of other things.
The teacher I am observing right now also has a student teacher in her classroom so on top of all of her regular responsibilities she has even more! I believe she attended a meeting at UVU regarding her student teacher last week and she also observes and gives comments and suggestions to the lessons the student teacher gives.
This past Monday she had to attend a district OEK (optional extended-day Kindergarten) meeting as she is teaching OEK at her school. She is also honored to have been selected by Alpine School District to attend the Reading Recovery Conference in Columbus, Ohio, Feb. 1-5. Today she was filling out a paper for each day she was going to be gone.
There are so many more duties that I haven't mentioned, and surely even more than I don't even know about yet, but this does not scare me away from wanting to teach. The positive difference you can be in a child's life is well worth it all. Think of Ruby Bridges and her year at school where it was only herself and her teacher, Mrs. Henry. What a wonderful relationship came out of that situation! Even in the midst of a great trail many blessings came to pass.
I have not been a stranger to trial in my life, and the duties and responsibilities of being a teacher, while great, are worth the end result.
Every day you have to have lessons planned for your class in many different subjects. Math, writing, reading, p.e., and more. Fairly often the teacher has to give assessment tests to each child individually. There are parent conferences which can be very time consuming. Sometimes there are concerns or special needs where the teacher has to contact a child's caregivers on their own time to discuss the issue. Every week homework turned in has to be graded and recorded, and the new homework sent home. And of course before sending it home it has to be prepared and put together!
At the school where I'm observing, each grade level's teachers form a team and everyone has team duties. It could be ordering and dividing lesson material, preparing homework for coming weeks, recess duty, or any number of other things.
The teacher I am observing right now also has a student teacher in her classroom so on top of all of her regular responsibilities she has even more! I believe she attended a meeting at UVU regarding her student teacher last week and she also observes and gives comments and suggestions to the lessons the student teacher gives.
This past Monday she had to attend a district OEK (optional extended-day Kindergarten) meeting as she is teaching OEK at her school. She is also honored to have been selected by Alpine School District to attend the Reading Recovery Conference in Columbus, Ohio, Feb. 1-5. Today she was filling out a paper for each day she was going to be gone.
There are so many more duties that I haven't mentioned, and surely even more than I don't even know about yet, but this does not scare me away from wanting to teach. The positive difference you can be in a child's life is well worth it all. Think of Ruby Bridges and her year at school where it was only herself and her teacher, Mrs. Henry. What a wonderful relationship came out of that situation! Even in the midst of a great trail many blessings came to pass.
I have not been a stranger to trial in my life, and the duties and responsibilities of being a teacher, while great, are worth the end result.
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Blog Entry 1
I've been working in a Kindergarten classroom and have noticed some developmental differences among the children.
After learning about different learning modalities, or learning styles, I think some of the progress, or lack of progress is a result of children having different learning modalities.
It seems like a majority of the children have a visual learning modality, auditory learning modality, or a combination of both. These children seem to easily pick up on new concepts and learn new information quickly, due to most of the teaching being visual or auditory.
For example, one student who I will call "John" is behind all the other students in his knowledge and skills. I now wonder if it has to do with his learning modality. He has not yet completely mastered all of the letters in the alphabet. Sometimes during classtime we will pull him to the side of the classroom to give him extra help. During this time we do a system of multisensory activites with him. For each lowercase letter in the alphabet there is a bag of activites all of which are done several times before moving onto the next one. In the bag for the letter 'a' there is a textured foam letter that John traces with his finger in the proper direction while saying, "Around, up, down, A." Next there is a piece of black construction paper with the letter written in white crayon and starting point marked with a round sticker. He traces this while again saying aloud the directions. Then he does the same thing but in a tray of sand. In the second to last step a semi-transparent sheet of paper is placed on top of cardstock printed with 2 rows of the letter and John traces all of them. Lastly he is asked to point to the letter 'a' on a page in a small book.
The work seems to be paying off as he now only has 3 letters left that he cannot name on sight.
It seems like a majority of the children have a visual learning modality, auditory learning modality, or a combination of both. These children seem to easily pick up on new concepts and learn new information quickly, due to most of the teaching being visual or auditory.
For example, one student who I will call "John" is behind all the other students in his knowledge and skills. I now wonder if it has to do with his learning modality. He has not yet completely mastered all of the letters in the alphabet. Sometimes during classtime we will pull him to the side of the classroom to give him extra help. During this time we do a system of multisensory activites with him. For each lowercase letter in the alphabet there is a bag of activites all of which are done several times before moving onto the next one. In the bag for the letter 'a' there is a textured foam letter that John traces with his finger in the proper direction while saying, "Around, up, down, A." Next there is a piece of black construction paper with the letter written in white crayon and starting point marked with a round sticker. He traces this while again saying aloud the directions. Then he does the same thing but in a tray of sand. In the second to last step a semi-transparent sheet of paper is placed on top of cardstock printed with 2 rows of the letter and John traces all of them. Lastly he is asked to point to the letter 'a' on a page in a small book.
The work seems to be paying off as he now only has 3 letters left that he cannot name on sight.
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