Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Week 1 Reflection
Today was my first official day at East Park as an Intern! This morning I got a feel for what the beginning days of school are like for teachers and, just as I expected, seem to be just as unpredictable as when there are students in the building. It's hard to believe that next year at this time I could potentially be a teacher at these meetings making preparations for my own classroom. I had the opportunity to go over the class lists with my host teacher, Kristi, and was able to give her some insight to the students I already know from a previous placement in a fourth grade classroom during my Participant Year. This was exciting for me, as I felt as though I was able to help her out a little as far as getting acquainted with the new students...using past teachers as a resource for gaining information about students was a recommendation given to me in the course I took on classroom management. Overall, I had a great day :)
Week 2 Reflection
This past week was the first week that students were in the classroom. I spent the week observing both my students and host teacher. During my observations, I had the opportunity to get a feel for how my host teacher's language arts-based classroom is run and was able to get to know students that I had not worked with in prior placements. Learning more about the students through "Getting to Know You" activities, I feel, not only helped build a sense of classroom community, but gave me some insight to their interests and learning styles, which will likely help me when it comes to implementing motivational strategies in the classroom. For instance, many of the students thrived off of competing for a prize from the prize box by completing a word scramble before any of their peers. Some students, on the other hand, responded well to individual attention and praise for positive behavior and exemplary work. In addition, I have identified some individuals from each class period who have already exhibited difficulty in keeping themselves organized and on-task. I am in the process of creating some type of contract or management plan for these students to assist and motivate them to succeed. This system will likely be in the form of a checklist or some sort of self-reflection for the students (e.g., reflecting on what is difficult for them during the week, what they feel would help them simplify tasks they find difficult, strengths and weaknesses). At the end of each week, students will be rewarded if they make progress and/or meet goals that have been developed through the plan. Rewards might be small prizes such as books, pencils, or erasers in addition to parent notification of the positive progress being made. It is my hope that implementing such plans early on in the school year will prevent these students from falling behind. Next week, I will be administering a pre-test on vocabulary words to identify target groups for my action research project. I am anxious to find how much the students already know!
Week 6 Reflection
This week, I introduced the writing process to students. We began by completing graphic organizers that were used school-wide last year so that students were familiar with what was happening. The week's focus or theme was "responsibility." The following is a reflection from the first day's lesson.
What do you think the students learned during your lesson and how do you know?
During this lesson, students learned how to brainstorm ideas for writing, organize their thoughts, and communicate effectively. Implementing the doughnut and stair step graphic organizer helped tremendously in getting our ideas down on paper. As I questioned students about their ideas for responsibilities at school, I asked them to elaborate on their answers rather than just give me a word or two. For example, when the students suggested that coming to class prepared was one responsibility, I asked them why it is important to do so. This required students to expand upon their answers, telling me that when they are prepared they can get started on their work faster, possibly eliminating the chance of having homework. Such explanations told me that students really understood the concept of responsibility because they were able to connect the material we discussed with their own lives.
I was very impressed with the students’ ability to organize the ideas that were generated on the first graphic organizer. They were able to decipher which aspects of each responsibility were more important than others, therefore helping in determining where each should fall within a paragraph (e.g., smallest to greatest, general ideas to specific ones). Students seemed to understand that, when writing, it is important to build up to the “main picture” rather than throwing it out all at once.
When students were asked to explain a responsibility, they generally gave me real-life examples, which were perfect to include in the essay we constructed as a class. When I gave them two examples of a paragraph (one with supporting details and one without), they explained that the one with details was much easier to understand and made more sense. From that point, the students tried to explain or support their claims as we added them to the paragraph.
What adjustments did you make during the lesson to address student differences and why?
During the lesson, I moved some of the students who normally have difficulty paying attention or keeping up so that they were within close proximity to me and the overhead where the information was being written. For instance, one student in my second period requires extra attention and motivation to stay on-task when completing independent work. Initially, I left him in the front of the room, but a good distance away from me. However, as the students began to copy information from the overhead, this student started playing with his pencil and staring off into space. At this time, I moved the student to end of the front table so that he was directly at my side and in front of the overhead. Now, when I noticed that he was off-task, I could reach my hand down and tap his paper instead of stopping in the middle of discussion or even provide him with one-on-one assistance as the rest of the class was writing.
I also used a lot of questioning strategies during this lesson. This seemed to help students think through their ideas and explain them in more detail. By the end of the lesson, they were describing their responses without me asking them to do so.
What went well during this lesson and what would you do differently next time?
Assuming that the students needed to start from the beginning with the writing exercise went extremely well. Asking students what they already knew and questioning them to check their understanding (about what went on each graphic organizer, for example), I feel, was the most critical part of the lesson because if I assumed that everyone recalled how to construct a five paragraph essay, then I probably would have received confusion about expectations. Allowing students to talk through their ideas helped them to express themselves beyond one-word answers. In addition, using questioning techniques throughout (e.g., what do I do at the beginning of a paragraph, if we are writing about responsibility, what is one word that should be in the topic sentence) the activity seemed to boost the students’ confidence in their ability to answer questions. Students who hardly ever participate in class discussion did so. Also, having students write at their seats as I wrote on the overhead assisted in keeping them on-task at all times.
A second part of this lesson was to have the students write their own essays upon completing the one written during whole-group instruction. However, many students became frustrated when they were asked to do this alone, saying that it was easy for them to tell me what to write, but difficult for them to put their ideas in writing. I think that I should have had a few more practice sessions before asking the students to write independently. Perhaps I could have had them complete a step and then rejoin as a class to discuss the step and answer any questions, or even held one-on-one conferences with the students so that they felt I was still there as a guide.
What did you learn about teaching?
At the beginning of this lesson, I had planned to do a teacher read aloud of the book Pigsty by Mark Teague. At first, I was a bit worried how the fifth graders would respond to this (e.g., would a read aloud be too “elementary”), but, when I got out the book and a student excitedly asked if they could pass the book around and do the read aloud, I was thrilled. The students really enjoyed getting up in front of their peers and holding the book up to read. Plus, this was a nice way to build fluency, as students were asked to speak loudly since they were addressing the whole class and they were able to hear a variety of readers. Although this is not exactly what I had planned, it worked out great, the students were involved, and the work was still completed! In other words, BE FLEXIBLE!
Describe the feedback you received from your host teacher.
My host teacher was pleased with the amount of time students were given to copy from the overhead and the overall atmosphere in the classroom. Because students were treated with respect and had the opportunity to actively participate in class, they remained on-task throughout and student participation rates seemed to increase. Since the students felt comfortable with me, they also demonstrated the same respect that I had shown them.
What did you learn about yourself as a teacher?
After teaching this lesson, I learned that I have the ability to tie in examples from previously covered materials to monitor student understanding and to provide explanations when direction or content is unclear.
What do you think the students learned during your lesson and how do you know?
During this lesson, students learned how to brainstorm ideas for writing, organize their thoughts, and communicate effectively. Implementing the doughnut and stair step graphic organizer helped tremendously in getting our ideas down on paper. As I questioned students about their ideas for responsibilities at school, I asked them to elaborate on their answers rather than just give me a word or two. For example, when the students suggested that coming to class prepared was one responsibility, I asked them why it is important to do so. This required students to expand upon their answers, telling me that when they are prepared they can get started on their work faster, possibly eliminating the chance of having homework. Such explanations told me that students really understood the concept of responsibility because they were able to connect the material we discussed with their own lives.
I was very impressed with the students’ ability to organize the ideas that were generated on the first graphic organizer. They were able to decipher which aspects of each responsibility were more important than others, therefore helping in determining where each should fall within a paragraph (e.g., smallest to greatest, general ideas to specific ones). Students seemed to understand that, when writing, it is important to build up to the “main picture” rather than throwing it out all at once.
When students were asked to explain a responsibility, they generally gave me real-life examples, which were perfect to include in the essay we constructed as a class. When I gave them two examples of a paragraph (one with supporting details and one without), they explained that the one with details was much easier to understand and made more sense. From that point, the students tried to explain or support their claims as we added them to the paragraph.
What adjustments did you make during the lesson to address student differences and why?
During the lesson, I moved some of the students who normally have difficulty paying attention or keeping up so that they were within close proximity to me and the overhead where the information was being written. For instance, one student in my second period requires extra attention and motivation to stay on-task when completing independent work. Initially, I left him in the front of the room, but a good distance away from me. However, as the students began to copy information from the overhead, this student started playing with his pencil and staring off into space. At this time, I moved the student to end of the front table so that he was directly at my side and in front of the overhead. Now, when I noticed that he was off-task, I could reach my hand down and tap his paper instead of stopping in the middle of discussion or even provide him with one-on-one assistance as the rest of the class was writing.
I also used a lot of questioning strategies during this lesson. This seemed to help students think through their ideas and explain them in more detail. By the end of the lesson, they were describing their responses without me asking them to do so.
What went well during this lesson and what would you do differently next time?
Assuming that the students needed to start from the beginning with the writing exercise went extremely well. Asking students what they already knew and questioning them to check their understanding (about what went on each graphic organizer, for example), I feel, was the most critical part of the lesson because if I assumed that everyone recalled how to construct a five paragraph essay, then I probably would have received confusion about expectations. Allowing students to talk through their ideas helped them to express themselves beyond one-word answers. In addition, using questioning techniques throughout (e.g., what do I do at the beginning of a paragraph, if we are writing about responsibility, what is one word that should be in the topic sentence) the activity seemed to boost the students’ confidence in their ability to answer questions. Students who hardly ever participate in class discussion did so. Also, having students write at their seats as I wrote on the overhead assisted in keeping them on-task at all times.
A second part of this lesson was to have the students write their own essays upon completing the one written during whole-group instruction. However, many students became frustrated when they were asked to do this alone, saying that it was easy for them to tell me what to write, but difficult for them to put their ideas in writing. I think that I should have had a few more practice sessions before asking the students to write independently. Perhaps I could have had them complete a step and then rejoin as a class to discuss the step and answer any questions, or even held one-on-one conferences with the students so that they felt I was still there as a guide.
What did you learn about teaching?
At the beginning of this lesson, I had planned to do a teacher read aloud of the book Pigsty by Mark Teague. At first, I was a bit worried how the fifth graders would respond to this (e.g., would a read aloud be too “elementary”), but, when I got out the book and a student excitedly asked if they could pass the book around and do the read aloud, I was thrilled. The students really enjoyed getting up in front of their peers and holding the book up to read. Plus, this was a nice way to build fluency, as students were asked to speak loudly since they were addressing the whole class and they were able to hear a variety of readers. Although this is not exactly what I had planned, it worked out great, the students were involved, and the work was still completed! In other words, BE FLEXIBLE!
Describe the feedback you received from your host teacher.
My host teacher was pleased with the amount of time students were given to copy from the overhead and the overall atmosphere in the classroom. Because students were treated with respect and had the opportunity to actively participate in class, they remained on-task throughout and student participation rates seemed to increase. Since the students felt comfortable with me, they also demonstrated the same respect that I had shown them.
What did you learn about yourself as a teacher?
After teaching this lesson, I learned that I have the ability to tie in examples from previously covered materials to monitor student understanding and to provide explanations when direction or content is unclear.
Week 7 Reflection
Generally, I feel that I have a strong rapport with the fifth graders I work with. I treat them with respect, and this respect is returned. I use real-life examples with which the students can identify and talk to them about their interests and even express some of mine so that they can get to know me a little better as well. Overall,I feel that a positive atmosphere is maintained when I am in charge of the class. However, there are times when the students seem excessively chatty and I cannot seem to get them to calm down. Additionally, there are a few students across the grade who demonstrate an attitude that it is "their way or no way" so to say. For example, just the other day when my liaison was in to observe me teaching, there was a confrontation between two students who were working in the same group. While I handled the situation in a calm and understanding matter and asked the boy who had upset one of his female peers to the point that she was crying and not participating in the group, I feel that I failed in the situation because, when I asked the young lady to return to the group--even if I sat with her--she refused to do so. I later just asked her to return to her seat and sit quietly and work on other assignments during this time since I could no longer neglect the other groups and the progress that they were making. I guess my question is this: was there any other alternative I could have used to handle the situation besides removing the student from the setting? Furthermore, how much control do I give my students until it is time for me to step in and assume the "teacher role?"
Week 8 Reflection
Post #1
This week, we are reading Passage to Freedom by Ken Mochizuki. This story is based on true events, as it recalls measures that one diplomat took to help Jewish refugees during the Holocaust. The man placed himself (and even his family) in great danger by disobeying orders from the Japanese government and issuing visas to hundreds of refugees because, deep down he knew this was the right thing to do. When telling about the courageous acts of this one individual, the author carefully integrates the process that Mr. Sugihari (the diplomat) went through to arrive at his decision to help the Jewish refugees obtain freedom. I used this opportunity to show students why, even when we choose to partake in acts that might be wrong to some, we should carefully consider the consequences of our actions and the reasons for pursuing them (both pros and cons). To take our discussion of problem solving one step further, I distributed pictures that showed some type of problem to be solved to pairs of students and asked them to identify the problem and then generate a solution to the problem. Granted, the pictures did not contain subject matter as deep as the Holocaust, but students were still asked to work with another person to come up with a creative, effective solution to a problem. For example, one picture showed a labrador attempting to get treats out of a jar that was way too small for its large snout. Some of the solutions I received were to dump the treats into a larger jar so that the dog could reach them or take a few treats out to give the dog for good behavior. One group said that they could cut the top of the jar off so that the dog's snout might fit, but then realized that if the jar happened to be glass that they risked the chance of cutting themselves and the dog due to the jagged edges. Here, I hoped to engage students in problem solving and critical thinking skills by working with one another to come up with effective solutions to a given conflict. In my opinion, this activity was successful, as all students were engaged and very excited to get up and share their pictures, problems, and solutions with classmates. Furthermore, I didn't have to keep reminding the students in the audience to pay attention and show respect to their peers. They were genuinely interested :)
This week, we are reading Passage to Freedom by Ken Mochizuki. This story is based on true events, as it recalls measures that one diplomat took to help Jewish refugees during the Holocaust. The man placed himself (and even his family) in great danger by disobeying orders from the Japanese government and issuing visas to hundreds of refugees because, deep down he knew this was the right thing to do. When telling about the courageous acts of this one individual, the author carefully integrates the process that Mr. Sugihari (the diplomat) went through to arrive at his decision to help the Jewish refugees obtain freedom. I used this opportunity to show students why, even when we choose to partake in acts that might be wrong to some, we should carefully consider the consequences of our actions and the reasons for pursuing them (both pros and cons). To take our discussion of problem solving one step further, I distributed pictures that showed some type of problem to be solved to pairs of students and asked them to identify the problem and then generate a solution to the problem. Granted, the pictures did not contain subject matter as deep as the Holocaust, but students were still asked to work with another person to come up with a creative, effective solution to a problem. For example, one picture showed a labrador attempting to get treats out of a jar that was way too small for its large snout. Some of the solutions I received were to dump the treats into a larger jar so that the dog could reach them or take a few treats out to give the dog for good behavior. One group said that they could cut the top of the jar off so that the dog's snout might fit, but then realized that if the jar happened to be glass that they risked the chance of cutting themselves and the dog due to the jagged edges. Here, I hoped to engage students in problem solving and critical thinking skills by working with one another to come up with effective solutions to a given conflict. In my opinion, this activity was successful, as all students were engaged and very excited to get up and share their pictures, problems, and solutions with classmates. Furthermore, I didn't have to keep reminding the students in the audience to pay attention and show respect to their peers. They were genuinely interested :)
Week 9 Reflection
Post #1
Today my host teacher and I delivered the items that were collected throughout the past two weeks for HOPE, Inc., a local shelter for abused women. I have to say that, while the students seemed to be excited about doing something good for less fortunate individuals and interested to find what items their classmates were bringing in for donation, for a project involving the whole 5th grade, the turnout was pretty low. Although I was glad that this project at least got students thinking about good deeds and random acts of kindness and those working at HOPE were very grateful for our contribution, I still pondered why this project wasn't as big as I had initially thought it would be. Almost immediately, an answer popped into my head that stood out from all of the others: the majority of my students come from low socioeconomic backgrounds. Of course! While some students may have wanted to contribute, their families simply might not have had the means to do so. After realizing this, I felt bad. However, I tried to think of some ways that I could still enforce the idea of good deeds to my students through a similar project in the future and came to the conclusion that if I were to do something like this again, I would try to keep the donation recipients within the school population. This way, those who have the ability to help still could and those who might not would benefit in ways beyond the mere satisfaction of knowing they did something good for another person.
Post #2
For the past four weeks, the students in my English/language arts classroom have been spending Thursdays in the computer lab. To begin class, they take the selection test for the story that has been read throughout the week on the Scott Foresman website. Once the tests are completed, students have the opportunity to engage in some other activity on the computers, which typically includes exploring an Interactive website dealing with whatever skill we are focusing on in grammar, spelling, reading, or writing. Past activities have included a tutorial on composing and sending an email, listening to stories read aloud by famous individuals at storylineonline.net, playing interactive grammar games, viewing video clips and blogging reactions, and typing spelling words in Microsoft Word. While I think that all of these activities are worthwhile and keep the students engaged and somewhat in control of their own learning, my host teacher and I have noticed that several of the students seem to be rushing through their tests so that they can partake in the next activity. I am at a loss about how to respond to this problem. Should I go back to having students take a paper-based test and then accompany them to the lab? I've also thought about keeping the schedule as it is, but if a student completes the assessment quickly and performs poorly asking him/her to retake the test on paper before moving on to the web-based activity. Are there any other means I should take in response to the issue? Does one seem "better" than the other?
Today my host teacher and I delivered the items that were collected throughout the past two weeks for HOPE, Inc., a local shelter for abused women. I have to say that, while the students seemed to be excited about doing something good for less fortunate individuals and interested to find what items their classmates were bringing in for donation, for a project involving the whole 5th grade, the turnout was pretty low. Although I was glad that this project at least got students thinking about good deeds and random acts of kindness and those working at HOPE were very grateful for our contribution, I still pondered why this project wasn't as big as I had initially thought it would be. Almost immediately, an answer popped into my head that stood out from all of the others: the majority of my students come from low socioeconomic backgrounds. Of course! While some students may have wanted to contribute, their families simply might not have had the means to do so. After realizing this, I felt bad. However, I tried to think of some ways that I could still enforce the idea of good deeds to my students through a similar project in the future and came to the conclusion that if I were to do something like this again, I would try to keep the donation recipients within the school population. This way, those who have the ability to help still could and those who might not would benefit in ways beyond the mere satisfaction of knowing they did something good for another person.
Post #2
For the past four weeks, the students in my English/language arts classroom have been spending Thursdays in the computer lab. To begin class, they take the selection test for the story that has been read throughout the week on the Scott Foresman website. Once the tests are completed, students have the opportunity to engage in some other activity on the computers, which typically includes exploring an Interactive website dealing with whatever skill we are focusing on in grammar, spelling, reading, or writing. Past activities have included a tutorial on composing and sending an email, listening to stories read aloud by famous individuals at storylineonline.net, playing interactive grammar games, viewing video clips and blogging reactions, and typing spelling words in Microsoft Word. While I think that all of these activities are worthwhile and keep the students engaged and somewhat in control of their own learning, my host teacher and I have noticed that several of the students seem to be rushing through their tests so that they can partake in the next activity. I am at a loss about how to respond to this problem. Should I go back to having students take a paper-based test and then accompany them to the lab? I've also thought about keeping the schedule as it is, but if a student completes the assessment quickly and performs poorly asking him/her to retake the test on paper before moving on to the web-based activity. Are there any other means I should take in response to the issue? Does one seem "better" than the other?
Week 10 Reflection
Post #1
Yesterday I incorporated leveled readers for the first time this semester. While the students worked well with one another in their reading groups, they were absolutely bored with the books that were provided. This "boredom" was the opposite of the effect I had in mind, considering the fact that I incorporated these books so that students could better understand Chinese traditions and ways of life because they did not seem to understand by simply reading the story The Ch i' lin Purse, which is a Chinese Folktale. In the story, the vocabulary is quite difficult, which may account for the lower comprehension rates and interest in this story; of course if students do not "get" something they are not going to enjoy it. My question is this: How do I incorporate aspects of the basal reader and still make instruction interesting? Am I doing enough by implementing technology and arts-based activities, or is there more I can be doing? When should I pull materials like leveled readers and when should I chose to set them to the side?
Post #2
Today I tied one of the themes of this week's story, traditions, into a writing exercise. Students were asked to write about a favorite family tradition that they share with their loved ones. This evoked an enthusiastic response, as students were eager to share their favorite family activities with me. To me, this demonstrates the importance of linking instruction to students' real-life situations and interests. Sometimes it is difficult to get students to write, but today when they were able to share a piece of themselves with me and their classmates, they were motivated to share their ideas and experiences. Better yet, once students shared their paragraphs describing their favorite traditions, I was able to talk about some of the Chinese wedding traditions that are mentioned in The Ch i' lin Purse and compare them to a few of the stories that students shared. Thankfully, I was starting to see some wheels turn once again :)
Yesterday I incorporated leveled readers for the first time this semester. While the students worked well with one another in their reading groups, they were absolutely bored with the books that were provided. This "boredom" was the opposite of the effect I had in mind, considering the fact that I incorporated these books so that students could better understand Chinese traditions and ways of life because they did not seem to understand by simply reading the story The Ch i' lin Purse, which is a Chinese Folktale. In the story, the vocabulary is quite difficult, which may account for the lower comprehension rates and interest in this story; of course if students do not "get" something they are not going to enjoy it. My question is this: How do I incorporate aspects of the basal reader and still make instruction interesting? Am I doing enough by implementing technology and arts-based activities, or is there more I can be doing? When should I pull materials like leveled readers and when should I chose to set them to the side?
Post #2
Today I tied one of the themes of this week's story, traditions, into a writing exercise. Students were asked to write about a favorite family tradition that they share with their loved ones. This evoked an enthusiastic response, as students were eager to share their favorite family activities with me. To me, this demonstrates the importance of linking instruction to students' real-life situations and interests. Sometimes it is difficult to get students to write, but today when they were able to share a piece of themselves with me and their classmates, they were motivated to share their ideas and experiences. Better yet, once students shared their paragraphs describing their favorite traditions, I was able to talk about some of the Chinese wedding traditions that are mentioned in The Ch i' lin Purse and compare them to a few of the stories that students shared. Thankfully, I was starting to see some wheels turn once again :)
Week 11 Reflection
Post #1
Last night, the other Interns and myself hosted the October Family Night at East Park that we have been planning for over a month now. This family night took form of a Fall Festival in which we partook in some Halloween-based activities. Although we were all a bit nervous in anticipation of the event and overwhelemed for the two hours we allowed ourselves to set up, I feel that, overall, it was a great success. Over 400 people showed up! This number includes East Park students, parents, and even faculty. As far as I could tell, all attendees enjoyed each station, with the pumpkin painting being by far the most popular--I witnessed parents laughing and painting just as intently as their children. The costume contest was also a hit, as all of the students were quite proud of their costumes (I have to admit, this was my favorite part :) ).
Now that we have experienced the planning and hosting of such a large school event, I think that the other Interns and I both agree that, if we were to do something like this again, we would try to make it on a night that was not followed by school the next day, as we are all dragging today! In addition, being able to set up earlier--even the day before--would have been beneficial to us so that 1) we didn't feel as rushed and 2) we could work out any last minute "glitches" we may have found. This is something that I would definitely participate in again and hope that future cohorts keep this new tradition going because I can only see it getting bigger and better every year!
Post #2
Because we no longer have Halloween or Fall Parties during school hours at my school, I decided to incorporate some seasonal fun into my lessons for today. To begin, I pulled up an image of an abandoned house that I Googled and used the LCD projector to display it to students. I then asked them to generate a list of as many adjectives as they could that decribe the house. When completing some examples, I did have to review with students exactly what an adjective was and explain that "spiders" is not an adjective, but a plural noun. However, once the lists were created, it took no time at all for the students to construct the minimum requirement: a single paragraph containing some of the adjectives they thought of. In fact, all students went above the required paragraph and created short stories based on ideas from the provided image, which was both surprising and exciting as it is usually difficult to get students to write a complete sentence let alone a paragraph or a whole story. I think what motivated the students most of all was not that they were able to construct "mysterious" or "scary" stories, but that they were able to share their work with the rest of the class as we all sat in a circle with the lights turned down to resemble story tellings around a campfire complete with a flashlight. The individual who was reading not only had the opportunity to be in the spotlight, but add a little seasonal enjoyment as well.
Last night, the other Interns and myself hosted the October Family Night at East Park that we have been planning for over a month now. This family night took form of a Fall Festival in which we partook in some Halloween-based activities. Although we were all a bit nervous in anticipation of the event and overwhelemed for the two hours we allowed ourselves to set up, I feel that, overall, it was a great success. Over 400 people showed up! This number includes East Park students, parents, and even faculty. As far as I could tell, all attendees enjoyed each station, with the pumpkin painting being by far the most popular--I witnessed parents laughing and painting just as intently as their children. The costume contest was also a hit, as all of the students were quite proud of their costumes (I have to admit, this was my favorite part :) ).
Now that we have experienced the planning and hosting of such a large school event, I think that the other Interns and I both agree that, if we were to do something like this again, we would try to make it on a night that was not followed by school the next day, as we are all dragging today! In addition, being able to set up earlier--even the day before--would have been beneficial to us so that 1) we didn't feel as rushed and 2) we could work out any last minute "glitches" we may have found. This is something that I would definitely participate in again and hope that future cohorts keep this new tradition going because I can only see it getting bigger and better every year!
Post #2
Because we no longer have Halloween or Fall Parties during school hours at my school, I decided to incorporate some seasonal fun into my lessons for today. To begin, I pulled up an image of an abandoned house that I Googled and used the LCD projector to display it to students. I then asked them to generate a list of as many adjectives as they could that decribe the house. When completing some examples, I did have to review with students exactly what an adjective was and explain that "spiders" is not an adjective, but a plural noun. However, once the lists were created, it took no time at all for the students to construct the minimum requirement: a single paragraph containing some of the adjectives they thought of. In fact, all students went above the required paragraph and created short stories based on ideas from the provided image, which was both surprising and exciting as it is usually difficult to get students to write a complete sentence let alone a paragraph or a whole story. I think what motivated the students most of all was not that they were able to construct "mysterious" or "scary" stories, but that they were able to share their work with the rest of the class as we all sat in a circle with the lights turned down to resemble story tellings around a campfire complete with a flashlight. The individual who was reading not only had the opportunity to be in the spotlight, but add a little seasonal enjoyment as well.
Week 12 Reflection
Post #1
Although I cannot take credit for the activity that took place at my PDS this week in concern to the Presidential Election, I would like to share it anyways because I was impressed by the amount of interest from the students that was generated by participating in a particular class period. Throughout the school year, there have been several changes in teachers--some have left the building entirely and new faces have arrived, while others have simply moved down the hallway to another classroom and grade level. One of these changes has affected the 5th grade social studies classroom. To make a long story short, the teacher who the students started the year with in social studies is now their science teacher. The first week of school, this teacher explained to the children that they would have the opportunity to partake in a mock election and that their results would be compared to the actual results generated by the American public on Election Day. I remember that the students were very excited about this, as they would be able to vote for their favorite Presidential candidate. In addition, I believe that this exercise made them feel empowered and gave them a voice. After the change in teachers was made, however, I guess I just assumed that the students would no longer get to partake in the mock election. Luckily, I was wrong: the teacher went ahead and did this activity in science class since he was not able to carry it out in social studies! I think that in an age where there is so much emphasis on test scores and students achievement that this act speaks volumes for this teacher. Many others would have brushed off the idea for fear that a particular science goal would not be covered, but this teacher went ahead and allowed the students to participate in an activity relevant to their own lives even though it may not have "fit" with what they were doing in class.
Post #2
Tonight I attended a family night at East Park sponsored by Benedum and Title I. The planned events were very beneficial, as parents had the opportunity to learn how to navigate the Scott Foresman website that accompanies the reading textbook used at my PDS and receive tips on how to help their children build comprehension skills. This was a make-and-take session where the students partook in and created some of the ideas that were presented so that parents could see what they were all about. Initially, there were nearly 30 RSVPs for the family night, two of which were turned in the day of the event (today). However, only 9 students and their parents showed up for the event, 2 of which were my coordinator's kids. In a school of nearly 400 students, this is very frustrating, and, while we can all complain and ask ourselves why parents do not want to get involved or seem to demonstrate a lack of commitment to their child's education, the big question is "How do we improve this situation?" In response to this incident, surveys are being sent out to help provide feedback about what times are convenient for parents to attend and what types of things they would like to see happen at such events. Hopefully we will receive enough feedback to begin to improve parent involvement.
Although I cannot take credit for the activity that took place at my PDS this week in concern to the Presidential Election, I would like to share it anyways because I was impressed by the amount of interest from the students that was generated by participating in a particular class period. Throughout the school year, there have been several changes in teachers--some have left the building entirely and new faces have arrived, while others have simply moved down the hallway to another classroom and grade level. One of these changes has affected the 5th grade social studies classroom. To make a long story short, the teacher who the students started the year with in social studies is now their science teacher. The first week of school, this teacher explained to the children that they would have the opportunity to partake in a mock election and that their results would be compared to the actual results generated by the American public on Election Day. I remember that the students were very excited about this, as they would be able to vote for their favorite Presidential candidate. In addition, I believe that this exercise made them feel empowered and gave them a voice. After the change in teachers was made, however, I guess I just assumed that the students would no longer get to partake in the mock election. Luckily, I was wrong: the teacher went ahead and did this activity in science class since he was not able to carry it out in social studies! I think that in an age where there is so much emphasis on test scores and students achievement that this act speaks volumes for this teacher. Many others would have brushed off the idea for fear that a particular science goal would not be covered, but this teacher went ahead and allowed the students to participate in an activity relevant to their own lives even though it may not have "fit" with what they were doing in class.
Post #2
Tonight I attended a family night at East Park sponsored by Benedum and Title I. The planned events were very beneficial, as parents had the opportunity to learn how to navigate the Scott Foresman website that accompanies the reading textbook used at my PDS and receive tips on how to help their children build comprehension skills. This was a make-and-take session where the students partook in and created some of the ideas that were presented so that parents could see what they were all about. Initially, there were nearly 30 RSVPs for the family night, two of which were turned in the day of the event (today). However, only 9 students and their parents showed up for the event, 2 of which were my coordinator's kids. In a school of nearly 400 students, this is very frustrating, and, while we can all complain and ask ourselves why parents do not want to get involved or seem to demonstrate a lack of commitment to their child's education, the big question is "How do we improve this situation?" In response to this incident, surveys are being sent out to help provide feedback about what times are convenient for parents to attend and what types of things they would like to see happen at such events. Hopefully we will receive enough feedback to begin to improve parent involvement.
Week 13 Reflection
Post #1
This week, I started a thematic unit on Roald Dahl's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. While I knew that I was going to have fun teaching this unit, I have to say, I didn't expect the response that I got on the first day and all week after that. Specifically, I noticed higher levels of student participation and lower levels of behavior problems or time on-task issues--not to say that I typically have behavior concerns during class, but at times the kids are very chatty. Despite this fact, not once did I have to ask students to "quiet down" or "pay attention" as either myself or the other students read from the book. As I read, I was sure to use a great deal of enthusiasm--perhaps more than was necessary--which paid off as I noticed my students mimicking me during popcorn reading! Hearing them use such expression and actually enjoy the text that they are reading, especially those who typically struggle, was very rewarding to me! I look forward to seeing if this behavior continues throughout the unit and if the students' work performance raises as a result.
Post #2
This week's class in the computer lab focused on creating a PowerPoint presentation. Going into this lesson, I have to say that I was a bit worried about how it would run because, while I have worked with the students on the computers and asked them to complete several tasks--including browsing the Internet and blogging--I had not asked them to create a visual document using technology prior to this. I was not sure of their experiences with the program. However, much to my surprise, many of the students had worked with the program before and those who had not caught on quite quickly. The fact that students were able to edit the colors, sizes, and font of their text was motivating to students; typically their writing is put on notebook paper in their own handwriting with lead pencil, so this was a nice change for them. I witnessed students who are normally unmotivated to participate and complete work taking "risks" with their work (being creative) and even providing assistance to their peers! Honestly, I hardly had to do a thing! The only frustration that I saw in students was with typing. Some of the students complained as they copied the text from the slides I provided as examples, saying that it "took too long." I think that this is something that will just have to come with practice and time. Perhaps I could use a class session in the computer lab to focus on typing skills with students...maybe on an interactive site that allows them to work at their own pace to help build confidence. In summary, I was very impressed by the work my students generated and am excited to see the final products.
This week, I started a thematic unit on Roald Dahl's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. While I knew that I was going to have fun teaching this unit, I have to say, I didn't expect the response that I got on the first day and all week after that. Specifically, I noticed higher levels of student participation and lower levels of behavior problems or time on-task issues--not to say that I typically have behavior concerns during class, but at times the kids are very chatty. Despite this fact, not once did I have to ask students to "quiet down" or "pay attention" as either myself or the other students read from the book. As I read, I was sure to use a great deal of enthusiasm--perhaps more than was necessary--which paid off as I noticed my students mimicking me during popcorn reading! Hearing them use such expression and actually enjoy the text that they are reading, especially those who typically struggle, was very rewarding to me! I look forward to seeing if this behavior continues throughout the unit and if the students' work performance raises as a result.
Post #2
This week's class in the computer lab focused on creating a PowerPoint presentation. Going into this lesson, I have to say that I was a bit worried about how it would run because, while I have worked with the students on the computers and asked them to complete several tasks--including browsing the Internet and blogging--I had not asked them to create a visual document using technology prior to this. I was not sure of their experiences with the program. However, much to my surprise, many of the students had worked with the program before and those who had not caught on quite quickly. The fact that students were able to edit the colors, sizes, and font of their text was motivating to students; typically their writing is put on notebook paper in their own handwriting with lead pencil, so this was a nice change for them. I witnessed students who are normally unmotivated to participate and complete work taking "risks" with their work (being creative) and even providing assistance to their peers! Honestly, I hardly had to do a thing! The only frustration that I saw in students was with typing. Some of the students complained as they copied the text from the slides I provided as examples, saying that it "took too long." I think that this is something that will just have to come with practice and time. Perhaps I could use a class session in the computer lab to focus on typing skills with students...maybe on an interactive site that allows them to work at their own pace to help build confidence. In summary, I was very impressed by the work my students generated and am excited to see the final products.
Week 15 Reflection
This section of my blog shares my reflections on my final week of teaching this semester and how I have grown as a teacher.
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