Blog one

My first few weeks of 435 and SSED 307 have been stressful, but very rewarding with all of the information I have learned. I am placed in Kindergarten with Mrs. Stone and it has been very beneficial to spend time in my placement to see a glimpse of how life will be next semester and the years to come. One thing I have noticed is how many teachers don't recognize the importance of starting social studies in kindergarten. During my time throughout the semester and during student teaching, I will work hard on integrating social studies within my lessons to not only teach the students but to also show the teachers how simple it is to integrate into literacy and math. This connects to the fourth NCTCS which states "teachers facilitate learning for their students" by integrating social studies into my lessons, the students will gain a well-rounded education even though they're only in Kindergarten. The first two topics we have discussed in 435 are classroom management and collaborating with other adults such as other teachers, administrators, and your student's parents. Learning about my teachers classroom management strategies has been helpful because she uses more than one thing to hold her students accountable for their actions during class and outside of the classroom. Attending my first PLC meeting was really cool because they did things during the meeting that I have learned about and completed myself in my time here at Gardner-Webb. To see the connections between what I've learned at Gardner-Webb and what elementary schools are doing is beneficial for my learning. They discussed a PDP for the whole kindergarten grade, and collaborated to ensure their lessons are lining up so all students are on the same level. They were all proud that I could keep up in the conversation with them even though it was my first meeting (Thanks, Gardner-Webb!) Attending PLC's and collaborating with other teachers directly correlates to standard one of the NCTCS which states "teachers demonstrate leadership." Effectively collaborating with co-workers demonstrates leadership not only to my principal and professors, but also to my students. Modeling collaboration to my students will allow them to learn to effectively collaborate with their classmates. During my placement, I have been working hard on developing relationships with my students to create a respectful environment within the classroom. Sitting with the kids at lunch, reading books with them, and answering questions raised by the students while the teacher is busy have helped me to become closer with these student's. Forming relationships is important when first entering a classroom because the children have no clue who you are and you want them to feel their most comfortable when talking to you. This connects to standard two of the NCTCS which is "Teachers establish a respectful classroom environment for a diverse population of students." So far, I am pleased with how much I've learned in just a short amount of time just by simply being in my placement as much as I can be. Being in my placement helps me to learn what strategies work best for certain students in relation to classroom management and when teaching a lesson. For example, some students enjoy dancing, singing, games, etc. I can use these interests to help plan engaging lessons for the students that need extra support on a topic. Knowing how my students learn best is a great example of showing leadership within the classroom. There is a child in my class who sometimes becomes disengaged in a lesson and when the teacher tries to redirect him back into the lesson, he begins back talking by saying "you don't tell me what to do" or he covers his ears to show he is not listening to her. Last week, this happened but something set him off and he began destroying the classroom by throwing chairs, buckets, supplies, or anything he can get his hands on. For my outside learning, I have decided to do a little research about behavioral issues and how to prevent them in the classroom. First, I need to learn about what makes this student meltdown, it could be a particular subject, another classmate, or the assignment the students are tasked with. Once I know what causes the meltdown, I can prevent them from happening. Praising a students good behavior will motivate them to behave like they are supposed to because they enjoy being complimented by their teacher. This child gets pulled out some during the week and they allowed me to walk him to his other teacher and while we were walking, I had a discussion with him of how proud I was of him for being so good this week and that it makes me and Mrs. Stone very happy. I could see the sense of accomplishment and pride on his face just from me saying that. This goes back to standard two of creating a safe, respectful environment not only for that student but for the others as well. Being in my placement has allowed for me to really start thinking about my future classroom and what kind of teacher I want to be for my students. Creating a respectful environment and relationships with my students is something I will always do in my classroom. If a student is uncomfortable, they cannot learn to the best of their ability and having all my students succeed is the goal for an effective classroom. Something that will follow me into my career are the relationships I form with my students. Talking to them during lunch and recess, finding out what they like and/or don't like, and learning how they learn best is something I will always use in my teaching career to help my students achieve greatness. Overall, these first few weeks of class have taught me a lot because I am able to learn the material during class or through assignments, then I can apply my learning in my student teaching placement.