It was strange to go to school today because yesterday I did not go. But today was my music day, and so I was happy.
I love to sing and to share that with my students is wonderful.
I was asked if I could make a large heart for an exhibition that Valen school is doing at the Husnes library. I am pretty excited about, and very glad that I have the opportunity to create something for this.
The students of my school are all learning a dance and will be performing it soon, though I don't know when. They had a practice outside today and it was so cool to see all of the students dancing, the first graders through the 7th graders. The 7th graders tell me that they don't like the dance, but they were obviously enjoying themselves.
I also played some football with the kids during recess, they loved it! And I did as well. Though playing with the 7th graders is a little intimidating because they have all been playing for ages, and me... well I was on a team once when I was 10...
During 5th grade music there was a substitute teacher. When I say substitute teacher, I don't mean like we have in America. One teacher was sick, so they fenagled the teachers around until they could get one to cover her classes. This works out well here because everyone works together to keep the students learning. Anyway, the sub didn't really know what he was going to do for music. I told him I had some songs ready that I could teach if he wanted me to. The look on his face was so relieved. So we went over the songs that we learned last week and learned two new ones. I think their favorite was Da Moose Da Moose. I love that song, and they loved doing the voices and the actions. I hope they like all the songs, but it is cool to have a favorite.
Showing posts with label student teacher. Show all posts
Showing posts with label student teacher. Show all posts
Friday, November 13, 2015
Wednesday, September 2, 2015
Day 12: Feelin the Length of the Year
Warning: This post will be choppy because of all of the things I want to say and the need to get them out!
The rest of the student teachers came today and had a meeting with the principal. I didn't go because I already knew everything she was going to tell them. But I went up to ask her if I needed to attend, just in case. She told me no, but then she said something interesting. We were talking about 5th graders and getting them to pay attention.
"Be glad you aren't here in the spring semester when the hormones are going crazy." How would I deal with that? I mean, these kids will be starting to go through an emotionally tumultuous time that will last until their late twenties! How do I even get them started down that road! Sometimes I worry about teaching because I don't know the curriculum, but teaching is so much more than that. I have to teach them math, science, how to mature well, and sometimes basic social skills. It is much more like being a mother than a 3rd interested party.
Cheating... how do I want to deal with it in my class? I have been in classes where it was only addressed in a one on one basis and in classes where the teacher talks to the whole class about it. It would probably depend on the grade level as well as how many career cheaters I have. Besides. "Cheetah's never prosper!"
Mental math is SO important! I am realizing just how important it is as I am struggling to put problems together in my mind when students are already bringing their completed papers up to me! But Mental Math is MOST effective when the student still knows why and how it works. Not just that it works. (Here is a few online sites to practice math facts. Play Kids Games Flex Math)
I went to a faculty meeting today, and it was nothing like I thought it would be. I thought it would be teachers discussing their students, patting themselves on the back for getting through another month, or maybe even a mini UEA type convention. Nope. It was more of the same. How can we help these students? How can we reach those?
They split up the teachers into different committees and each was in charge of something different. They each had to make goals and determine how those goals would be reached by the end of the year, and how those goals would help the students in the school. Not just the students in one teachers class. The students in the entire school.
Our group was the data group, in charge of collecting and reporting the data we get from each grade to the rest of the school. One thing we focused on was ESL students. My teacher noticed that ESL students in 5th grade were stuck on a 2nd-3rd grade reading level. So we discussed why that might be, how we could solver it and how we can use the data to earlier discover the children who might need help.
We also discussed the date from math groups throughout the school. Most grades (except 5th who has a pre-test in addition) has a checkpoint then an end of unit test. At the checkpoint to do a re-teach for those students who need it. I like the idea of the pre-test, this way the students who already know the material, or just need a slight refresher, don't have to go through the entire first section with everyone else.
Also, I love being called "Teacher." It is a wonderful term that I feel is honorary.
The rest of the student teachers came today and had a meeting with the principal. I didn't go because I already knew everything she was going to tell them. But I went up to ask her if I needed to attend, just in case. She told me no, but then she said something interesting. We were talking about 5th graders and getting them to pay attention.
"Be glad you aren't here in the spring semester when the hormones are going crazy." How would I deal with that? I mean, these kids will be starting to go through an emotionally tumultuous time that will last until their late twenties! How do I even get them started down that road! Sometimes I worry about teaching because I don't know the curriculum, but teaching is so much more than that. I have to teach them math, science, how to mature well, and sometimes basic social skills. It is much more like being a mother than a 3rd interested party.
Cheating... how do I want to deal with it in my class? I have been in classes where it was only addressed in a one on one basis and in classes where the teacher talks to the whole class about it. It would probably depend on the grade level as well as how many career cheaters I have. Besides. "Cheetah's never prosper!"
Mental math is SO important! I am realizing just how important it is as I am struggling to put problems together in my mind when students are already bringing their completed papers up to me! But Mental Math is MOST effective when the student still knows why and how it works. Not just that it works. (Here is a few online sites to practice math facts. Play Kids Games Flex Math)
I went to a faculty meeting today, and it was nothing like I thought it would be. I thought it would be teachers discussing their students, patting themselves on the back for getting through another month, or maybe even a mini UEA type convention. Nope. It was more of the same. How can we help these students? How can we reach those?
They split up the teachers into different committees and each was in charge of something different. They each had to make goals and determine how those goals would be reached by the end of the year, and how those goals would help the students in the school. Not just the students in one teachers class. The students in the entire school.
Our group was the data group, in charge of collecting and reporting the data we get from each grade to the rest of the school. One thing we focused on was ESL students. My teacher noticed that ESL students in 5th grade were stuck on a 2nd-3rd grade reading level. So we discussed why that might be, how we could solver it and how we can use the data to earlier discover the children who might need help.
We also discussed the date from math groups throughout the school. Most grades (except 5th who has a pre-test in addition) has a checkpoint then an end of unit test. At the checkpoint to do a re-teach for those students who need it. I like the idea of the pre-test, this way the students who already know the material, or just need a slight refresher, don't have to go through the entire first section with everyone else.
Also, I love being called "Teacher." It is a wonderful term that I feel is honorary.
Thursday, August 27, 2015
Day 9: Things to Think About
As I was at school today I was thinking of some things that I want in my classroom that I have never thought about.
- When do I want to make copies?
- What do I want to do for birthdays? Summer birthdays?
- How do I want to hand back work that needs to be corrected?
- How do I want to communicated with parents?
- How will I create and keep relationships with other teachers.
- When and how will I reteach things that I didn't teach well, or the students didn't grasp well the first time?
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