Blog Four

This month was yet another great learning month! This semester has flown by quickly but I have learned more than I ever thought I would. Seeing the connections between what we have been learning in our education classes and the real classroom applications is the best way to learn. This month in 435 we have been diving deep into edTPA while also writing a mock edTPA. I am so thankful we were able to practice edTPA in 435 because I feel better prepared to student teach in the fall because of it. In social studies, our unit plans were due as well as our virtual museum. My virtual museum was the museum for the town I am student teaching in. It was very interesting to see how all of this history happened in the small town of Stanley. After I showed my CE my virtual museum, she insisted that I shared it with the class. This connects to standard one of the NCTCS which is teachers demonstrate leadership. I am demonstrating leadership because my CE has lived in Stanley for a long time, and she learned new things as well. It was pretty cool getting to teach my CE something because she teaches me so much on a daily basis. In regards to my unit plan, I am proud of the progress I have made since last spring when I took SSED. My unit plan was only 11 pages last year and it is 18 pages this year. That shows me that I understand what I need to do in regards to writing lessons and including everything. This connects to standard five of the NCTCS because I am reflecting on the progress I have made in just one short year. In my clinical placement, I have been given more responsibility from my CE and I love every minute of it. She has been swamped with testing over the past few weeks and she started letting me lead lessons while she is testing other students. This is a great opportunity for me to practice writing on the board, answering and asking questions, develop rapport with students, and just practice the way I talk in front of the kids. Being able to step in for my CE relates to one through four of the NCTCS. Leadership because when Ms. Stone asks me to teach, I say yes ma'am and I do it for her. This shows her that I am reliable and here to help her with anything. Me stepping in creates a safe classroom environment because I get a chance to interact with the students while I am teaching. In order to teach these kids the lessons, I need to know the content within them. Teaching the students while my CE is testing gives me the opportunity to facilitate learning how I know best by explaining things and relating them to real life problems. The biggest problem I have encountered this month in my placement is that I need to remember that these students are still learning to read and write. If I tell them how to spell or read every word they don't know, they will learn nothing. This has been difficult for me because it is so easy to just spell the word for them instead of reminding them to use their sound power. This relates to standard four of the NCTCS because by not giving them the answer, they have to figure it out on their own. For my outside learning and research, I have been looking for ways to help students who struggle with writing numbers and letters backwards. By the end of kindergarten, the students should be able to write the numbers 1-100 and the letters of the alphabet. I found some hands on ways to engage these students to help them to remember which way the letter or number goes. Using a pan with sand in it, I will ask the students to write the letter or number I say to them. This allows them to use their hands to practice these skills. I could also use shaving cream on their desks to practice writing these letters and numbers. By researching these ideas, I have used standard four of the NCTCS because by using hands on learning, the students will practice writing letters and numbers so they can become more proficient. In my future classroom, I will always look for ways to fill the gaps of knowledge students have on a subject in a fun, interactive way. If the students are engaged in the learning, then they will get the most out of it. I have also learned that the job of a teacher is much more than just a teacher. I have seen my CE advocate for each student, she is a doctor to them, she cares about their lives at home, and she disciplines them. In my future classroom, I need to remember that if my students feel safe with me and respect me, they will learn to their full potential.