Pre-Student Teaching (EDUC 362: Teaching Experience I) serves as the initial field experience for prospective student teachers and is completed the semester prior to student teaching.
Hello everyone! Well I completed my 10 day lesson student teaching and like I keep saying to myself-I can't wait to have a room full of students. The fourth-graders were wonderful and were excited to learn. We worked with the KWL chart, cause and effect,index cards for spelling which led to spelling races,creative writing,vocabulary words that we decorated our manila folders with and lastly we worked in small groups to make "Saving Wild Horses" posters. I truly enjoyed my class and dug through my teaching toolbox with every activity to make it all worthwhile for the students. Boy was I tired from thinking of different methods to introduce a new concept and to make sure the students stayed engaged. The students were saddened that I had to leave but I assured them that I would love to work with them again. Finally at the end, I assessed the students for comprehension by using the Treasures Reading Program. It seemed simple because I reviewed everyday that I taught so that when it was time to assess, the students would be prepared. The hardest of the assessment was the writing. I understand that if the students can not read it is difficult to write. Despite it all, the classroom did their best and I was proud of them! Smiles all around for me with this experience.
Where does the time go? I know my time is up, but I just can’t let that happen. Our Literary Groups are in full swing. Their retention of concepts and word meaning is remarkable. The assistance by the gifted and bi-lingual students to their ELL peers is amazing to see. Today we went virtual – googled the island where Mafatu is from and studied the unique vegetation including a plant with a massive root system above water called a Pandanus tree – heard of it? Since in science they are studying photosynthesis, there was a perfect Segway to reinforcing their vocabulary and terms associated with that class. It is still puzzling to me how we hold steadfast to archaic systems. I prepare them for their vocabulary test on Friday, but I suspect if I retested on Monday they would fail. And yet we have doubled our list through our readings and those words through comprehension of meaning are not forgotten and can be spelled correctly at will. Food for thought. My one-on-one student, Gidel, said to me this week, “Mr. Gene, we’re gonna be best friends, aren’t we?” How can I walk away from him? I will stay the course with him now and next semester as well.
WOW!!! Oh my what a great week with my kiddos but a horrible week and a major learning experience that I HOPE with ALL my heart that I or my students NEVER have to go through again!!! First, we finished our Author Study!! Yay but Nay!!I don't want to be done already! :) It went so great and all of the kids enjoyed & I learned so much from interacting & teaching them!! We did the "If You Give" series this week and had so much fun & ate all sorts of goodies!! We wrapped up the unit with writing a letter to Ms. Numeroff (each student wrote their own) and wrote as a class our own "If You Give" story, ours is called "If You Give a Turtle a Waffle! Sooo cute!!! I made colored copies for Ms. Numeroff, Kristi, France & myself & bound them. I will bring my copy to our final meeting so everyone can see their hard & great work!! I mailed the student's letters, a card they made & signed with a class picture on it & their book they made to Ms. Numeroff. The students are very anxiously waiting & hoping for a response!
The horrible part of the week was a tragedy that one of my little guys experienced in his life! I would rather not go into detail on here so I can explain more at our lunch. But I will say that Kristi said she has been teaching for 20 years and always wondered when she would have to face a tragedy with either one of her students or parents & she just did. Here I am not quite there yet & am already facing this.. :( Maybe this means I won't ever have to again!! That would be great!!! I have learned sooo much about the heart and innocence and resilience of a child!! These are amazing wonderful little people that I have had the total honor of being in the classroom with and being a small part of their lives!!! (as I sit here typing this & balling) All I can say at this point is that I hope each of you thoroughly enjoy and have great luck & experiences in your future as teachers!!! See yall at our final lunch meeting!!! Best wishes!!! & hug your students, they NEED it!!!!!
Hello everyone! Well I completed my 10 day lesson student teaching and like I keep saying to myself-I can't wait to have a room full of students. The fourth-graders were wonderful and were excited to learn. We worked with the KWL chart, cause and effect,index cards for spelling which led to spelling races,creative writing,vocabulary words that we decorated our manila folders with and lastly we worked in small groups to make "Saving Wild Horses" posters. I truly enjoyed my class and dug through my teaching toolbox with every activity to make it all worthwhile for the students. Boy was I tired from thinking of different methods to introduce a new concept and to make sure the students stayed engaged. The students were saddened that I had to leave but I assured them that I would love to work with them again. Finally at the end, I assessed the students for comprehension by using the Treasures Reading Program. It seemed simple because I reviewed everyday that I taught so that when it was time to assess, the students would be prepared. The hardest of the assessment was the writing. I understand that if the students can not read it is difficult to write. Despite it all, the classroom did their best and I was proud of them! Smiles all around for me with this experience.
ReplyDeleteWhere does the time go? I know my time is up, but I just can’t let that happen. Our Literary Groups are in full swing. Their retention of concepts and word meaning is remarkable. The assistance by the gifted and bi-lingual students to their ELL peers is amazing to see. Today we went virtual – googled the island where Mafatu is from and studied the unique vegetation including a plant with a massive root system above water called a Pandanus tree – heard of it? Since in science they are studying photosynthesis, there was a perfect Segway to reinforcing their vocabulary and terms associated with that class. It is still puzzling to me how we hold steadfast to archaic systems. I prepare them for their vocabulary test on Friday, but I suspect if I retested on Monday they would fail. And yet we have doubled our list through our readings and those words through comprehension of meaning are not forgotten and can be spelled correctly at will. Food for thought. My one-on-one student, Gidel, said to me this week, “Mr. Gene, we’re gonna be best friends, aren’t we?” How can I walk away from him? I will stay the course with him now and next semester as well.
ReplyDeleteWOW!!! Oh my what a great week with my kiddos but a horrible week and a major learning experience that I HOPE with ALL my heart that I or my students NEVER have to go through again!!!
ReplyDeleteFirst, we finished our Author Study!! Yay but Nay!!I don't want to be done already! :) It went so great and all of the kids enjoyed & I learned so much from interacting & teaching them!! We did the "If You Give" series this week and had so much fun & ate all sorts of goodies!! We wrapped up the unit with writing a letter to Ms. Numeroff (each student wrote their own) and wrote as a class our own "If You Give" story, ours is called "If You Give a Turtle a Waffle! Sooo cute!!! I made colored copies for Ms. Numeroff, Kristi, France & myself & bound them. I will bring my copy to our final meeting so everyone can see their hard & great work!! I mailed the student's letters, a card they made & signed with a class picture on it & their book they made to Ms. Numeroff. The students are very anxiously waiting & hoping for a response!
The horrible part of the week was a tragedy that one of my little guys experienced in his life! I would rather not go into detail on here so I can explain more at our lunch. But I will say that Kristi said she has been teaching for 20 years and always wondered when she would have to face a tragedy with either one of her students or parents & she just did. Here I am not quite there yet & am already facing this.. :( Maybe this means I won't ever have to again!! That would be great!!! I have learned sooo much about the heart and innocence and resilience of a child!! These are amazing wonderful little people that I have had the total honor of being in the classroom with and being a small part of their lives!!! (as I sit here typing this & balling)
All I can say at this point is that I hope each of you thoroughly enjoy and have great luck & experiences in your future as teachers!!! See yall at our final lunch meeting!!! Best wishes!!! & hug your students, they NEED it!!!!!