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.
Today I had Frances come in to observe my 10 day solo teaching. During this class I was finishing up with my probability unit. I created four games based on probability that the students played. The first game was matching game in which the students had to match bags of items with probablity vocabulary. The next game was called heads and tails. In this game the students flipped a penny and moved their pieces to the end of the worm. If the penny landed on heads the player moved their game piece towards the head and if it was tails the person that was tails moved towards the tail. Another game was face off. The students placed a game piece on 1-6. Each rolled and tried to be the first one to remove all of the pieces from the game board. The final game the students played was free the object. The students had 6 game pieces and six places that they could put it on. They could choose to place them all on one or anyway that they like. They rolled two dice and took the difference from the roll and removed the objects from that number. The first one to remove all of the objects won the game. At the end of the class I have the students all a goodie bag (2 pencils, 2 eerasers and a medal) for playing the game and showing good sportsmanship. The students had so much fun playing the games and were really engaged in the lesson. I had to much fun doing this with the students.
I like that you created four games. What a great example of differentiation! While one game may work great for one kid, another might work better for someone else. Great job!
What an interesting week! I subbed in a fourth grade classroom at Grace B and will continue through this week. It was such an interesting contrast from my 10-day solo experience. While my 10-day solo experience was very controlled and thought out, subbing is more impulsive and requires a lot of FLEXIBILITY. I have been subbing for four years and am always surprised at how much I learn! Some days are ideal and some make you question why you want to be a teacher. Wednesday was one of those days that reassures your career choice. We were covering 2-digit by 2-digit multiplication and I had to teach them the "traditional" method. They struggled with it up until that point, it just wasn't sinking in. We slowed it down, talked it through, try, try, again. Then on Wednesday, out of the blue, it just clicked. We were doing example after example and they finally got it. I was so proud and glad to have seen the "click", that moment when they really got it. It was awesome! I can't wait to have experiences like that everyday!
I could not agree with you more that having the students being able to get something that they were having problems with is something that makes teaching worth it. I know I love seeing the students' faces just light up once something just clicks.
I never thought about the difference. I can see that as a sub for just a day that it would be hard to make the class your own. Whereas during two weeks you can really take ownership.
Week one of solo teaching is finished and I am beat! Five year olds can really wear a person out. It took me a couple of days to realize that I needed to really focus on keeping the kids on track by stoping the talkers and fidgeters early before their behaviors spread. I am teaching subtraction. I really started focusing on paying attention to individual students to see who was getting it and who was not. I encouraged my really bright kids to explain their process to others. I taught both in large group and in rotating small groups and I really like the small group better. I can really focus on one or two concepts for 10 min with 5 students and have a very good idea where each one is at. In the large group I may overlook a shy quiet student. There are three teachers in the class this week. With me as the lead and Mrs Hunt and Ms Alethia as the aides I really feel like the students are getting the best possible education. If only there were a one to five teacher student ratio in every class...
I know what you mean that the solo teaching can really tire you out. I am glad to hear that you were able to help pick out the students that needed the extra help.
Today I had Frances come in to observe my 10 day solo teaching. During this class I was finishing up with my probability unit. I created four games based on probability that the students played. The first game was matching game in which the students had to match bags of items with probablity vocabulary. The next game was called heads and tails. In this game the students flipped a penny and moved their pieces to the end of the worm. If the penny landed on heads the player moved their game piece towards the head and if it was tails the person that was tails moved towards the tail. Another game was face off. The students placed a game piece on 1-6. Each rolled and tried to be the first one to remove all of the pieces from the game board. The final game the students played was free the object. The students had 6 game pieces and six places that they could put it on. They could choose to place them all on one or anyway that they like. They rolled two dice and took the difference from the roll and removed the objects from that number. The first one to remove all of the objects won the game. At the end of the class I have the students all a goodie bag (2 pencils, 2 eerasers and a medal) for playing the game and showing good sportsmanship. The students had so much fun playing the games and were really engaged in the lesson. I had to much fun doing this with the students.
ReplyDeleteI like that you created four games. What a great example of differentiation! While one game may work great for one kid, another might work better for someone else. Great job!
DeleteThank you Whitney.
DeleteIts great when they are having so much fun that they don't even realize they are learning!
DeleteAs I observed, students really did have a grand time learning! It was highly likely that they would......
ReplyDeleteThank you, April
Frances
What an interesting week! I subbed in a fourth grade classroom at Grace B and will continue through this week. It was such an interesting contrast from my 10-day solo experience. While my 10-day solo experience was very controlled and thought out, subbing is more impulsive and requires a lot of FLEXIBILITY. I have been subbing for four years and am always surprised at how much I learn! Some days are ideal and some make you question why you want to be a teacher. Wednesday was one of those days that reassures your career choice. We were covering 2-digit by 2-digit multiplication and I had to teach them the "traditional" method. They struggled with it up until that point, it just wasn't sinking in. We slowed it down, talked it through, try, try, again. Then on Wednesday, out of the blue, it just clicked. We were doing example after example and they finally got it. I was so proud and glad to have seen the "click", that moment when they really got it. It was awesome! I can't wait to have experiences like that everyday!
ReplyDeleteI could not agree with you more that having the students being able to get something that they were having problems with is something that makes teaching worth it. I know I love seeing the students' faces just light up once something just clicks.
DeleteI never thought about the difference. I can see that as a sub for just a day that it would be hard to make the class your own. Whereas during two weeks you can really take ownership.
DeleteWeek one of solo teaching is finished and I am beat! Five year olds can really wear a person out. It took me a couple of days to realize that I needed to really focus on keeping the kids on track by stoping the talkers and fidgeters early before their behaviors spread. I am teaching subtraction. I really started focusing on paying attention to individual students to see who was getting it and who was not. I encouraged my really bright kids to explain their process to others. I taught both in large group and in rotating small groups and I really like the small group better. I can really focus on one or two concepts for 10 min with 5 students and have a very good idea where each one is at. In the large group I may overlook a shy quiet student. There are three teachers in the class this week. With me as the lead and Mrs Hunt and Ms Alethia as the aides I really feel like the students are getting the best possible education. If only there were a one to five teacher student ratio in every class...
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean that the solo teaching can really tire you out. I am glad to hear that you were able to help pick out the students that needed the extra help.
Delete