Subs

Yesterday's class went surprisingly well. We had a wonderful sub who really carried our class time well. We all really appreciated her time and effort to keep on us track and I know we all learned a lot because we were able to share what we have been learning in the schools in terms of classroom management, etc.

The whole session made me really wonder what it would be like to be a substitute teacher. I feel a bit more prepared to have a sub in my own class because we did discuss what types of things would be important to include alongside lesson plans. To be completely honest, I am terrified at the thought of trying to adjust to several different classrooms at this point in my learning process. I am still working on feeling confident and comfortable in one classroom.

My Last Days

Wow.

Today I taught the class for roughly 20 minutes which doesn't seem like a lot when you really think about it but I learned so much! Eventhough I made a few mistakes I feel like the overall routine went well. Tomorrow I will be leading this routine again and hope to use what I learned today to improve my instruction tomorrow. I feel lucky to have such a positive master teacher who makes me feel comfortable enough to make mistakes and she knows just went to offer advice. I know that tomorrow I will have to use a few of the tips she uses in order to sustain classroom management. At times I lost a bit of control but quickly realized that what I had done needed to be changed. It's interesting to see how my actions and reactions often affect the way that students respond. I am currently reading "How to Talk so Kids Can Learn" by Adele Faber. So far it has some amazing insight. My biggest challenge is to remember how to talk to them during each given situation.

I can't believe that tomorrow will be my very last day with the Kindergarteners until January...where did the time go? Everyday I am amazed at how quickly the hours pass. My master teacher keeps telling me how surprised I will be when I come back because they will have learned so much. I feel like I am going to miss out on so much. As much as I wish I could spend the rest of 2009 with them I am excited for my next adventure.

As of last night I found out that I will be interning at The Evergreen School in Shoreline instead of at Einstein in Redmond. I have a very positive feeling about this transition because it is a private school. I have never been inside the walls of a private school so I feel I can learn a great deal from its differences. I have been placed in a 1st/2nd grade classroom which is exactly where I was hoping to be placed!

Emotions

One of the most important ongoing lessons for me thus far is that student personalities forever evolve. Everyone comes to school in a different mood or even mindset than the day before. It is difficult to adjust to these moods and to meet the needs of all students when feelings and emotions are often in a fragile state. I have witnesses a broad range of emotions in just a few weeks but I believe a large part of that comes with the territory- Kindergarteners are fragile. They are learning how to be independent and how to take care of themsevles with very little help. What happens to the student who falls down at recess and gets a huge cut and is sent to the doctor? What happens to the student who realizes that a friend of hers is hurt? What happens when another student gets a scratch and their mom is nowhere to be found? What happens to the student who is having a rough day and really doesn't want to say goodbye to their parents?You've got it...tears start flowing! I am engulfed in a pool of emotions that are always unpredictible. This may sound obvious but, emotions affect the way that students learn if any learning is even possible. There is often no way to work around it without dealing with it.

Happy Learning

After last Friday, I really did start thinking about my own biases as you can begin to read about in my last posting. I guess I never thought I had assumptions going into this experience but boy was I wrong. We must learn to never assume anything because you never know a person's walk. As part of our classtime we read a few case studies that highlighted some all to real situations about students and their families and how life's situations sometimes make school an even greater challenge.

I feel as if I need to keep reading for there is so much I want to know. Mostly, I need to know how to talk to students so that they feel safe enough to trust me and more than anything I want to talk to them so that they can learn. One of the biggest lessons I have learned this week is that if a child is distracted by negative emotions, learning is a greater challenge. Happy kids make for better learners!

Assumptions and Biases

My own biases have really made me stop and think about how my students learn and where they are in terms of learning levels. One student in particular is a very good reader and is tested every day at a different level. My own bias was to assume that a great reader is also somewhat similarly great at spelling. It turns out that no matter how often one reads or how advanced they are in reading, their spelling ability may be somewhat similar to a student just learning how to write. It was surprising to me to see how varied each of my students are in terms of ability and that just because someone is good at something we should never assume they are good at other things or even struggling with another.

I can't believe this is going to be my last week with the kiddos until January, and I already know they will be taller and wiser in just three short months!

The Measure of Success

As we learn, we expand our minds and sometimes we struggle for understanding during this process. It is our job as teachers to not let students give up when things become difficult but to motivate them to try and try again. I am learning that through struggle comes frustration and it is through hard work and determination that we can overcome some of life's most trying times. Learning a new language for some of my students is exactly the struggle they face each and every day. The last thing I want for them to think is that it's too hard and to give up. I've been in a similar situation where sweat and tears were just the beginning of my triumph. I find myself more determined than ever to help these students understand that learning is not always easy and through the continuous use of practice that we will learn together how to do things.

Remembering that each student is at a different learning level and that their strengths and weaknesses are so vast is key. I am still working on really knowing my students so that when it does come for the time to work with them I am meeting their levels. How do I best measure their abilities?

To be honest I am starting to feel these school days wearing me out. I am loving my days in Kindergarten but at times I feel it requires more energy than I have. I admire my master teacher for her ongoing enthusiasm, she has been inspiring and pure motivation. It really isn't a problem until I get home and realize I feel little excitement to do much else other than hw and relax.

Today I spent some time one on one with students working on letter recognition. More than a few of the students I met with had difficulty recognizing almost half of the letters. Before today, I was beginning to assume that a majority of our students were at level but today was quite an eye-opening experience for me. I sat with two of my ELL students and two other students who were often stumped. When I was working with them on their writing they also had a difficult time matching sounds to letters. Today I realized how diverse our students are according to their abilities. Some students needed a little extra time.

Curriculum Night

Last night was curriculum night for Kindergarten families. The first twenty minutes consisted of a collaboration of announcements delivered by the Principal, PTSA President, and all three Kindergarten teachers. I would say that the main message that these three voices aimed at getting across to these families was that 1.) reading requires the help and support of not only teachers but the families of students as well. 2. ) we must remind ourselves that even though Kindergarteners are the youngest of students, learning how to be independent is one of the most valuable lessons they will take away from this experience. 3.) Let's embrace our new math curriculum with open arms for it is a new way of teaching and learning, one that we really believe in. As a bystander, I watched and listened intently in the back of the room and was saddened by the lack of parents that attended the event. So many chairs were empty and then today I found out that a number of parents walked out before the event was even over.

On a more positive note, I learned more about what curriculum night means and what it does for parents. More than anything I felt that my teacher's main job was to reinforce the fact that she is indeed doing exactly what she is being paid for: teaching. A few parents expressed their concerns and were immediately advised at how we would be taking care of their concerns and to not worry because everything would be just fine in time.

Today was our first day of the third week of classes so far and it was a great day! The students are really starting to settle in to the classroom and every task keeps getting accomplished quicker and quicker.

Because it's the first few days of school we have been really taking the time to meet with each student one on one to see where they are with their reading and writing. I have been given the opportunity to work through several assessments with the students and have been learning a great deal of ways that I too can assess my future students. Systems like "doing words," listening to the stories they create as they draw scenes and questionares about their home reading patterns. It is so interesting to see how well some of them can read, write, and explain their stories to me. Eventhough each student is at their own level they all have weaknesses and strengths that I am learning to navigate around. I find myself wanting them to understand and succeed and I am trying to witness as many forward steps as I can!

5th Graders?

After our 3rd Friday session, I left feeling even more anxious about my dyad placement this Fall. I was placed in a 5th grade classroom with never having the intention of teaching that age before. I fully understand why we are given the opportunity to experience something different in an entire new setting but I guess I was just a bit shocked. It appears that many of my other cohort members have already heard about their placements as well so we were all eager to discuss our initial thoughts. I came into this program hoping that I could gain some more experience in 2nd or 3rd grade and have discovered that this program has given me the opportunity to be challenged and to become more open-minded. I am excited yet nervous as I take on this challenge...I wonder where it will take me. As far as my official placement, it is still up in the air due to location and communting issues.

Little Learners

There is so much to learn just from observation. Through sight and through our ability to hear we soak up all the knowledge that we possibly can in order to fully understand what is going on and why things are working the way they are.

Today, I sat as my master teacher taught an entire lesson on expecations. This wasn't a new lesson and as a matter of fact the entire class had been practicing it the previous 4 days. I focused my ears and eyes on the students as they became more and more used to their daily routine. I couldn't help but to wonder who would improve from last time and if fewer students would ask for help. Kindergarten is largely focused on daily routines and it is so interesting to compare how the class listens, behaves, and acts compared to the previous day. So much learning is going on. We have begun the transition of teacher helping student to student helping student. I really enjoy watching the students use teamwork. I am also encouraging self-help as well as motivating them in their own ability to do things themselves and to be independent. They are quick learners and sometimes just need a little encouragement. They are growing up so fast!

Listening Skills

What I have come to know about my students thus far is that Kindergarten is an entirely new atmosphere for them. A few of them have been to daycare before but I like to believe that the school setting has a different feel, one that is structured, disciplined and based around the core of teaching and learning. I feel that the students have been a bit hesitant to pick up all the rules at first because they are still getting a feel for positive behavior. What I am witnessing most often is their eagerness to share out of turn. They want to be vocal at all times and even if the teacher wants to hear them it isn't fair to disrupt the class during a lesson. I am trying to adjust myself also when it comes to them wanting to tell me things because there is a right time and place for every situation. Learning how to listen has seem to be the major theme in our classroom these first few days.

We're Learning Together

After last Friday's class I learned that all members of my cohort were also eager to share with me their experiences during the first week of school. Those who also began their September experience the first week had many stories, some were even similar to what I had seen, heard, and I could relate and even sometimes offer advice. It was easy for me to realize that we were all exhausted, nervous, excited, and a bit overwhelmed. More than anything I learned that even with a mixture of emotions we were still learning. We've all learned how we will and wont be running our own classrooms which is to me one of the most important lessons we can take away from our first month.

During the frist week of school I was also learning more and more about the students. I tried to make my rounds around the classroom as fair as possible. When they were given choice time to do any activity of their choice I traveled around the room and spent a few minutes with each of them to explore with them. I also got to read a bit with four students to see where they were reading and when we all did the handprint art project I was able to talk to them a bit more. I am learning slowly that you have to make the most out of every moment because with twenty-four students you have to make sure that each and everyone of them knows that you care about them and how they are doing that day.

One of our assignments was to find out 3 things we didn't already know about our students that we couldn't tell just by looking them. This is what I discovered:
1. Student A loves to read and can read well for his age level. He told me that he practices a lot at home and I even learned that with his older siblings he may have been even more encouraged to read more.
2. Student B told me about his first time riding a bus when he was in daycare. He told me that because he had already been on a bus before he wasn't as scared the first day of Kindergarten. He trusted me enough to tell me that his first time was scarey and he did miss his mom but now he is used to it.
3. Student C was a bit hesitant to participate in PE because he wasn't as interested in the activities that were going on so he chose to sit out while the other students were running and dancing. He told me that he would rather play with his cards or go bowling. As I looked around the gymnasium I realized that a few other students were sitting out as well. Luckily, the last activity of the day was a ball game and student C was immediately excited because he wanted to participate.

Welcome to Kindergarten!

Today was the last day of the school week for me. Here is a picture of our classroom a few days before the students arrived.

Over the last two days I took each student out into the hallway individually in order to help them create the first page of their Kindergarten poem folders. I asked them who brought them to school and how they felt on the first day. Many students told me they were excited, some said they were really excited and only a few said they were nervous or scared. Together with my help I painted one of their hands and we did a hand print in their choice of colored paint. The students got a kick out of how ticklish the paint felt on their hands. Together we practiced washing hands. I was so impressed with how well the students listened and kept clean. They loved the activity and I got the chance to have some one on one time with them. Being a bit naive I would have assumed that such a messy task would be too much for 24 students to be able to do without creating a huge mess but they were great and they really did love it! I am sure the parents will love to see it too.

Daily Blog: Classroom Management

As instructed we were asked to interview our master teachers. Yesterday I had the chance to site down with her and ask her a few questions regarding her plans and techniques for managing the classroom. Her plans are as followed:

During the first week or so it's important to not give too many rules and to stick to the basic behavioral guidlines such as hands to yourself, and when to listen to the speaker. Her plan is to slowly incorporate more rules into each day as time goes on in order for the students to adjust to being in school.

Her plan of action for getting the students to listen, stop, and pay attention is to clap four times, have them clap back four times and then place their hands on their heads and keep their eyes on the teacher. The biggest key to success she said "repeat, repeat, repeat." The better the know the routine the better behaved they will be.

With practice comes the importance of clear instruction, so she really inforces clear instruction. If for whatever reason a student knows what they should be doing but still does not follow the rules they will be told that a few minutes out of "Choice Time" will be dedicated to practicing how to perform said task correctly.

My master teacher strongly believes in instristic rewards rather than altruistic. She will never take time away from recess for bad behavior because she feels the need for kids to run around and get fresh air.

Some of her rationale behind the ways in which her classroom is structured follows closely with her strong belief that if students know what they are supposed to be doing they will benefit the most academically and socially. She has many small group areas throughout her room all with a special purpose. These groups include the most important learning areas: whole group learning on the rug, small group reading workshops in the front, and small group writing workshops where the teacher can work one on one in the back. She finds that desk arrangement can be more easily structured once the learning areas have been constructed first. The desks are grouped because she finds that groups are great for socialization and sharing of ideas.

Her advice for me for the first day was to take it slow and to remember that the students will feel more at ease if I am feeling confident and comfortable. She also told me that even though the first day seems a bit hectic it's okay because we will be teaching everything from learning how to line up all the way to math so the lessons are informative.

After today, I realized how important classroom management can be because these guidelines set the structure and vibe for the entire learning process. If the kids know what they are supposed to be doing and how things can be done then we can all focus on the daily activities and lessons with less interruption. Classroom management can be difficult at first to teach especially to kindergartners but I feel that once management has been put into place the kids get a better sense of what school is all about.