Week 7!

Tuesday:

            The long weekend was definitely nice to have, but coming back is always a good feeling. I started math today, along with doing social studies. So I basically teach the entire morning and then most of the afternoon is guided reading in small groups. Practically I’m already full time except teaching mini lessons for reading and writing in the afternoon.

            I’m really excited but nervous about all of this added on responsibility. I enjoy teaching, there’s no question in my mind about that! I’m just nervous I wont’ be able to do it. I think that’s why today seemed so long! All I can think about is the fact that I will be doing all of this on my own very soon! I’m excited about it, but like I said, very anxious.

            Today we started regrouping in double-digit subtraction with math. I can’t be more thankful for the fact that Andrea did not leave during this lesson! These students need so much more one on one work than I expected! Another aspect of the lesson was using base-ten blocks; which got very annoying after a little while. Some of the students didn’t understand the purpose behind them for awhile; they just kept playing with them! I suppose that is the risk we take when we teach hands-on lessons!

            I’m really enjoying my placement here, and I’m very grateful for the fact that I get to spend my entire 17 weeks with this group of students. They keep asking if I will be working there next year by myself. The teachers are even starting to ask if I’m going to apply! I suppose it wouldn’t be the worst idea in the world. =) I really like this school, the staff, and the students! Perhaps I can get some guidance on how to make myself stand out from different professors at Trinity. =)

Wednesday:

            Today seemed like the longest day in the world! Andrea was even saying it, so we kept trying to find things that could make it more interesting. The mornings always fly by, but the afternoon seems to just drag on and on! These kinds of days will absolutely drive me nuts when I’m alone teaching. At least right now I have Andrea there to at least talk to; when I’m on my own I will only have the students! Not that I dislike them, but it is really nice being able to work with another adult.

            In social studies we are building communities and talking about how they change. One thing I really like about teaching is that you can do it whichever way you want to! I kind of tossed the book for the week, and created my own story and taught the lessons that way. I included all of the important information, and the students seemed to really enjoy it as well!

            On an unrelated note to social studies, I would like to discuss one student in particular that really caught my attention today. This girl doesn’t speak much English at all, she is from Puerto Rico and just moved here this year. Her parents speak Spanish at home, and that is pretty much all she knows. Today she was talking like crazy! It’s funny, because I will never tell her to pull a chatterbox slip; I want her to continue speaking English and talking to the other students! I don’t know what it was about today, but she kept volunteering to answer questions and participate. She was also getting off topic with a boy that sits at her table. Regardless, I was so excited to see this! So was Andrea. I really hope this continues tomorrow.

Thursday:

            This week is just going to be long, and I have accepted that fact. =) Once again it seemed like a long day, but that’s okay. I’m really enjoying my time with my students and Andrea. It’s a lot of fun working here, especially with the nutty staff for the lunch talks. You never know what kind of conversations will happen in there, but I’m always entertained during lunch and I really enjoy that time with the other teachers.

            An update on the young girl that wouldn’t stop talking yesterday: not as much talking today. =( She did continue to participate, which is really good! But today wasn’t anything like yesterday; we are hoping that another one of those days will come again soon. It’s exciting to see how much she has grown just in the few weeks that I have been here!

            Another student that caught my attention today was another little girl in the class. She came up to me crying because she heard she was moving and really didn’t want to leave. This little girl is in foster care, and her “auntie” said that she would be moving in with another family soon. I’m not sure if this is another foster family or if someone has adopted her.

            I really hope someone adopted her, and that she isn’t switching to a new family again. It’s unreal what these students go through that I can never even come close to understanding. They deal with so much more stress than any child should at that age. If she gets adopted, I would be really happy for her as long as it’s a good family. She is a very bright, creative, and fun student; she deserves a great home. This situation reminds me of Matilda. I wish I were in a place in my life that I could just take her home! I feel like I will run into similar situations as this a lot as I continue my teaching career. Perhaps I’ll end up with a  lot of children of my own! =)

Friday:

            Ahhhh, Friday. =) Although it was only a four day week, it seemed like the longest week of the semester so far! The social studies unit went very well throughout the week. I was also able to teach and record my TPA lessons! It was a week of getting things done, and I feel very accomplished with that area.

            However, today was another stressful, kind of strange day. We had a lot of students crying today for different reasons. One girl was absolutely hysterical after lunch, so I pulled her aside to ask her what happened. I figured it would be something that happened in lunch, someone calling her a mean name or something like that. It was actually because her sister, for the past few days apparently, has constantly been telling her that she hates her. Her parents are in the middle of a custody battle between the two children. This student’s sister is about 15 years old. I’ve met her previously in a meeting that we had with her dad.

            This entire situation is very strange, and I can’t quite understand what is going on. I just really hope that the older sister isn’t blaming her younger sister for the fight. Just about a week ago, this student pulled me aside in the class and told me her parents were fighting over her. That’s when I kind of figured out that they were having a fight between who has custody.

            Once again, the lives my students have is unbelievable. I never had any thoughts about what home I would be in next week, or if I would live with my mom or my dad, or know what drugs did to people. The things these kids say are really unbelievable; I just hope I can continue to listen and better understand what they are trying to tell me. It’s definitely been a rough week, so I’m glad I have some time to de-stress a little.

Classroom Confidential

            I really enjoyed chapter 8 in Schmidt’s book! I am a history minor, and making history come alive is one of the main things we talked about at Trinity! Using authentic pictures, postcards, letters, etc. can really bring a subject to life! The simulations idea is such a good one, that I may have to use it in an upcoming unit in social studies! I definitely did a lot of highlighting in this chapter, and look forward to using some of the ideas.

            Learning through drama, similar to doing a simulation, is a great tool for any subject; especially when it comes to elementary! They love stuff like that! Incorporating music in any way that you can really helps students understand difficult concepts even better; along with rhyme and poetry.

            I have seen a lot of hands-on and authentic assessments in my own placement. We use drama and music regularly in our own classroom. For almost every science and social studies unit, we incorporate a song to help them remember different aspects of the topic! They all sing along happily, so there is no twisting of the arms when it comes to this learning technique!