Thursday, February 22: Second Observation

Today I was able to observe Ms. S in her morning routine. The students quickly ran through the morning checklist for attendance, lunch, and library checkin. As usual Ms. S had an activity ready for them when they arrived at their desk. I have found that this is so important for students of this age. It is so hard to get young children to remain in their seats, they have to have something to occupy their time. Throughout my observations, Ms. S has always provided an activity during a down time which was relavent to the topic being studied. Sometimes, students can engage in a new ideas with familiar instructions, while other times they are finishing work they were not able to the day before. She always makes the best use of every spare minute they have. These things do not just magically plan themselves and appear on their desks. Each time I have visited the classroom, I see that every activity has been well thoughtout. During school hours, she is constantly thinking about what will come next and how she needs to set it up to make the best use of their time, while keeping in mind things that will be a distraction to her students. I really feel like this will be my biggest obstacle to overcome. But, I know it is a matter of getting to know your students and yourself. It will come with time and a lot of practice.

After all the students were accounted for, they joined Ms. S on the rug for calendar and math. The students have really come quite a long way since my teaching partner and I were last here to observe. The students were able to count up seven days on the calendar and make a suggetion as to what day it would be. The students were correct in saying the 29th, but what I was really impressed by was a girl who knew that February did not have 29 days, so it would actually be March 1st. Most of the children did not understand this, but after some explaining by Ms. S, the students understood that while they were right about the 29th on most months, this month is special, so it would actually be March 1st. During math time, the students use straws to count how many days they have attended school. This is a great way to develop an understanding for place value. Ms. S has a pocket chart set up to collect ones, tens, and hundreds. She bundles the ones into tens with a rubber band, and the tens into ten groups of tens for the one hundreds. The students have really gained an understanding for this concept. As I have been exposed to a first grade classroom at a private school (for Lang. Bloc), I am beginning to see that this is a difficult concept for young students to understand. Especially, when students begin to explore addition. As private school have different methods of teaching, its a great way for me to compare the two strategies. Although there are postives and negatives with both, I feel that Ms. S's way to explore place value has a better effect on the students. Ms. S is now teaching students to skip count by 2's, a concept that is very important for students to learn before moving on to addition. It is easy to see how she has planned her school year to have lessons that gradually build on each other. It seems to all be coming together now! The students then moved onto a language arts lesson that involved sequencing. They were sequencing a story that they were very familiar with. The students all had pictures with words to represent each action. They sequenced this individually and after they had a chance to arrange them, Ms. S did it on the board with the class. They all checked their work and glued it into their notebooks. Sequencing is such an important skill for students to learn. Not only does it help with story development, but it is a math skill that they have to develop and understand.

After the students left for library that day, Ms. S, my partner, and I had a chance to talk about how some students were very advanced while others were not. In public school systems, children come from a wide range of backgrounds. This little girl had attended a preschool at 3 years old and at 5 could have been moved into the first grade by her performance on her assessments. At the same time this little girl was able to make that connection, other students were constantly looking around the room, talking, and moving around. Ms. S is quick to correct their behavior, which is something that I have found to be very necessary. She also shared with us some of the projects the students had completed since we were last with them. I really feel like it is all coming together for me now. One of the things I was very nervous about last fall was seeing my year develop and making sure everything that I do will build on each other. After being able to observe such a great teacher, I'm excited to get started! In addition to the lesson Ms. S taught, we were able to discuss our unit plan. My partner and I have a very fun unit, water. We will be teaching the students about floating and sinking and solid, liquid, and gas. Next Thursday, we will be doing a pre-assessment to evaluate what they know about the subject!

First Field Observation

It was great to return back to the classroom this morning! Today was an unusual day, as it was a snow day that delayed school for two hours. They missed a full day yesterday, which happened to be Valentine's Day. Before the students arrived for the day, my partner, the classroom teacher, and I decided the topic of our unit. Then, we began helping to set up the classroom. Although, I was unable to observe a full lesson, my partner and I were able to assist the students with a pattern activity as the teacher completed the morning attendance and lunch check routine. As the students were taking their seats and beginning their work on the activity, my partner and I were helping to manage where they would keep the Valentines (certainly a distraction for Kindergarteners) to ensure they would stay on task. This seems like such a small task, but for 21 students that are all around 5 years old it can be a huge distraction. As with any other independent activity, the teacher had an additional assignment lined up for those students that finish quickly. I have found that these minor oversights can be a major management problem for a Kindergarten class- or any class for that matter. After the morning routine was completed, the teacher told the students to remind her when the clock was at 1050, when the big hand is on the 10, so they could leave for lunch. Again, it is those small teachable moments that helps students gain independence with tasks such as telling time.

After the students left the classroom, I was able to discuss lesson ideas with the teacher. She is always very helpful in making sure we are aware of the students routines (for math, reading, etc.), so we can keep the students focused on the lesson rather than teaching them the steps. We discussed various methods to teach the unit, and she gave me some great ideas for activities. The teacher reviewed some of the projects the students had completed, since we last observed. She finds very creative ways to integrate multiple content areas into one lesson, and the kids love it!

Teaching Metaphor

As I was developing an idea for the Teaching Metaphor assignment, I began to explore my thoughts on the profession I will soon enter. The first idea I developed was that of a painter. Though I think that a painter certainly could be likened to a teacher, I did not feel that it fully explained my thoughts on the role of a teacher and the students. After further thought, I decided that a gardener more accurately clarified my beliefs. A gardener must think about the environment that best suits their plants needs. They must water the plants, provide a source of light, and maintain an optimal temperature in which the plants can flourish. They must supply a balanced soil with the proper pH level and amount of nutrients. Though it is possible to purchase all of the same types of plants, most gardeners have many different plants that require different water, light, and temperature amount and frequency. Some of the plants must be rotated to another location to achieve optimal growth, depending on the season and year. In order to complete all of the tasks, a gardener must research the plants and use many tools to watch the plants grow and expand. It takes a dedicated person to become a gardener, one with a green thumb!

In an elementary classroom, a teacher also has much to think about the environment in which their students will learn and grow. They must organize the classroom set up, deciding where to place the desks, books, and many other materials that will provide a comfortable environment in which students can flourish. Just as gardeners must determine the correct soil components and pH levels, a teacher must decide the correct text level and other components of the curriculum for every student. A teacher will always be blessed with a group of students all with very different characteristics and interests. As such, teachers must be able to group students based on their abilities. Often, students will even rotate to another group (or location) as the teacher deems necessary through the use of running records and other assessment tools. Through research and utilizing the resources available, the teacher will be able to provide all of this nourishment to the students and watch them grow and expand. It also takes a dedicated person to become a teacher, one who enjoys working with children and takes pride in every student as they strive to learn.