Is teaching for me? I knew the answer to this before this course, so my answer is YES! I did enjoy the opportunity that I had to observe the same classroom on more than one occasion. I feel like I got a realistic perspective of being in charge in the classroom in front of the students and what it takes beforehand to be prepared to teach a class. I really appreciated getting to know Miss Gledhill and her 4th grade class. She was so thrilled to get to know me and even invited me to come back for future classroom assignments.
I've never worked inside a workroom, the way I did, before. I always had the idea that preparation is a key to the teaching career, but I've never had to prepare yet. Miss Gledhill didn't hesitate to give me a list of things to do. Honestly, I never minded helping her out, so I always did what she asked. On one occasion I was working for almost 3 hours in the workroom. Man, time went by very slow. I had no idea making some copies, cutting out laminations and stapling this together would be so exhausting. I think I'll be able to handle it in the future, but I'll definitely have to plan carefully to stay on top of what I need to do to prepare.
I really enjoyed the experience with working with Emma in a one-on-one scenario. It's completely different to guide an entire classroom of children, in comparison to one student. I was able to I learn what worked best for her and it was the both of us that enjoyed her success.
Something that I would have never really have considered before meeting Miss Gledhill was flexibility. Oftentimes, I feel as if teachers get carried away with the control their position offers. They won't let students go to the bathroom just because they can say no. Or they fret about the smallest instances. I really look up to Miss Gledhill's patience and ability to just kind of let go and worry about things that were significant. She always let children go to the bathroom, but did so in such a way that children wouldn't ever take advantage of her flexibility.
In summary, I really enjoyed the Service Learning experience. I know that I learned a lot while being out in the job field. I think the more experience I as a student can get, the better!
Friday, December 18, 2015
Tuesday, December 8, 2015
Blog Post #8 Late - 12/8/15
We are using this blog format to assess the connections you are making between your Service Learning Placement and your course work for this course. You might say it is a portfolio of your learning. Look back over your portfolio and reflect (self assess) on your own learning.
- Are you making connections between course topics and Service Learning?
- Have you been able to articulate your own learning and understanding?
- Is the process of blogging helping you to think and notice things in your Service Learning?
- In what areas do you see growth or learning from the first blog post to the last?
I think making connections between course topics and my Service Learning experience was made, but sometimes difficult to identify in an everyday classroom. I remember the week we were learning about different kinds of learning was difficult to write about because whenever I attended Miss Gledhill's classroom it was typically at the same time of day, so they were always doing the same things: math worksheets, reading groups, maybe a science video and maybe if I was lucky I was able to tutor. It was hard to make connections with such a stale schedule. I know now that Miss Gledhill does more with her class, but I learned that through an email trying to write about her class.
I think writhing about my learning experience has always been easy for me, so I really enjoyed writing about what stuck out to me throughout my visits.
Yes, I think writing about my thoughts during Service Learning made me notice details that I don't think I would have otherwise really processed or really thought about.
I think my blog posts became more detailed, yet more concise. Depending on your perspective, that can be a good or a bad thing. For me, I think it's a good thing. I was more able to summarize what I learned and observed in a more timely manner. As I skimmed through, I saw that I used to really address the thoughts of the reader. I think that's just something that I do in normal conversation anyways, but for the sake of the assignment I don't think it's necessary.
Thursday, November 12, 2015
Blog Post #7 - 11/12/2015
I think the most apparent core curriculum that I've seen implemented in Miss Gledhill's classroom is Science. I've observed other subjects, but this one seems to be most obviously related to common core standards. I say that because the way that science has been taught feels so mechanic. I think the common core is good to reinforce what everyone should learn at school, but I feel that kids don't need to know how to define a barometer. I've seen the subject of weather be taught in two ways: Magic School Bus and writing down definitions. I feel as if these exercises allow Miss Gledhill to follow the standards, but the curriculum honestly hasn't been all the stellar in my opinion.
I've seen a lot of reading followed up faithfully in her classroom. I think the one-on-one interaction is so great because that kind of learning is personalized and internalized into things that they'll remember the rest of their lives! In comparison to the science curriculum, I think Language Arts in Miss Gledhill's classroom kicks butt!
Sunday, November 1, 2015
Blog Post #6 - Late 11/01/2015
I feel like this blog post is hard to account for, especially because specifics for each student is kept confidential, but I will write what I've observed.
I honestly haven't seen a lot of adaptations for students in Miss Gledhill's classroom. The only account that I can recall is with Emma. She is a fourth grader who really struggled with subtraction. So Miss Gledhill actually had me work one-on-one with her, while using blocks to coach her. We worked for about twenty minutes and by the end of our session Emma had nailed subtraction. Emma's needs were met in a way that was different from the rest of her students. I like that Miss Gledhill initiated the session in such a way that the other students didn't seem to notice, so Emma wasn't embarrassed and the others went about the normal routine of things.
I know from personal conversation with Miss Gledhill that she is striving to incorporate different methods of teaching to reach out to different kinds of learners, like kinesthetic, visual and so on.
I feel like. as a teacher, it would be hard to meet all the distinct needs of every student if the needs aren't spelled out in paper for you. Some parents are quick to work with teachers for the benefit of the teacher and the student. This most often happens with distinct needs, like mental, physical and linguistic needs. Other needs are much more personal and might the difficult to approach without input or guidance from the parents or students themselves.
Maybe this is what Miss Gledhill is balancing. Trying to address all of the needs, while trying to figure them all out at the same time.
I honestly haven't seen a lot of adaptations for students in Miss Gledhill's classroom. The only account that I can recall is with Emma. She is a fourth grader who really struggled with subtraction. So Miss Gledhill actually had me work one-on-one with her, while using blocks to coach her. We worked for about twenty minutes and by the end of our session Emma had nailed subtraction. Emma's needs were met in a way that was different from the rest of her students. I like that Miss Gledhill initiated the session in such a way that the other students didn't seem to notice, so Emma wasn't embarrassed and the others went about the normal routine of things.
I know from personal conversation with Miss Gledhill that she is striving to incorporate different methods of teaching to reach out to different kinds of learners, like kinesthetic, visual and so on.
I feel like. as a teacher, it would be hard to meet all the distinct needs of every student if the needs aren't spelled out in paper for you. Some parents are quick to work with teachers for the benefit of the teacher and the student. This most often happens with distinct needs, like mental, physical and linguistic needs. Other needs are much more personal and might the difficult to approach without input or guidance from the parents or students themselves.
Maybe this is what Miss Gledhill is balancing. Trying to address all of the needs, while trying to figure them all out at the same time.
Monday, October 19, 2015
Blog Post #5 - 10/19/2015
For this post I plan to address the following questions:
Do you see support for English learners?
What are you seeing in your service-learning experience that is a result of Brown v. Board, Sputnick, and other historical events?
First, I'd like to talk about English Language Learners. There are no apparent students that are majorly struggling with English in Miss Gledhill's class, but there are definitely students who speak more than one language. Although nobody is defined by their level of English, I think there are definitely different levels of English. Miss Gledhill accommodates for all of them with her reading groups. The children are taught according to their level of reading with other kids who are around the same level as them. This setting allows Miss Gledhill to interact more intimately and focus on the different needs if each of her students.
I think that something that I've seen in Miss Gledhill's classroom has impacted me for the better. There is a little girl named Kim who rides a wheelchair all throughout the school due to a recent knee surgery. Although she is unable to keep up with the rest of her class, she is always appropriately accommodated for. An example of this was when she wanted a drink of water after recess, but couldn't reach the drinking fountain properly. So, Miss Gledhill just went and got a cup of water for her because it wasn't a big deal. I think that this illustrates, to some measure, the affects of Brown v. Board of Education. Although this situation doesn't include skin color, it does include a factor that makes one student different from the others. I appreciate that her differences were cared for quickly like it was no big deal because thats exactly it. It isn't a big deal!
Every visit I've had with Miss Gledhill's classroom has included time for both math and science. So I think that this apparent focus of time is a result of Sputnik. Math and science still may be treated as a priority today, even sixty years later.
Do you see support for English learners?
What are you seeing in your service-learning experience that is a result of Brown v. Board, Sputnick, and other historical events?
I think that something that I've seen in Miss Gledhill's classroom has impacted me for the better. There is a little girl named Kim who rides a wheelchair all throughout the school due to a recent knee surgery. Although she is unable to keep up with the rest of her class, she is always appropriately accommodated for. An example of this was when she wanted a drink of water after recess, but couldn't reach the drinking fountain properly. So, Miss Gledhill just went and got a cup of water for her because it wasn't a big deal. I think that this illustrates, to some measure, the affects of Brown v. Board of Education. Although this situation doesn't include skin color, it does include a factor that makes one student different from the others. I appreciate that her differences were cared for quickly like it was no big deal because thats exactly it. It isn't a big deal!
Every visit I've had with Miss Gledhill's classroom has included time for both math and science. So I think that this apparent focus of time is a result of Sputnik. Math and science still may be treated as a priority today, even sixty years later.
Friday, October 9, 2015
Blog Post #4 - 10/9
I hope that I can answer the questions sufficiently with the time that I've shared with Miss Gledhill's class.
I think an example of engaged learning that I've seen was how she hosts her reading groups. She invites students to her table where 5 or 6 of them are all reading the same book. She instructs them to read aloud in a quiet whisper and to keep reading until they hear a tap of her finger in front of them. Then, they must read louder for Miss Gledhill to hear. I feel that this is a good example of engaged learning because it is sort of hands-on in the sense that they are reading as a team together. Miss Gledhill provides immediate feedback on their reading if necessary. Together the group works to answer questions on their worksheet. This initiates discussion and participation.
Another example of engaged learning could be how Miss Gledhill taught how to write paragraphs. She used the idea of making a sandwich and related it to writing a strong paragraph. Together the class discussed how to make a sandwich and used cut outs to put a sandwich together on the board. This required movement and discussion. She explained how the bread or our topic and closing sentences and everything in between is what adds flavor and variety to both our sandwiches and our paragraphs. Then, the class wrote their own paragraphs on sandwich cut outs for the whole school to see.
An example of when learning wasn't so engaging could be whenever they do math interventions. The class is given 4 different worksheets to pick from and they just have to complete as many as they can in the given time without any instruction. Although the kids can work in partners, they often times don't get much done because the problems are hard, they don't know where to start without help, so they just goof off and mess around the entire time. I think that this can be engaging if the kids could work better independently, but students aren't very motivated to get much done because if I'm not there, I don't think that there is anyone to help.
I think an example of engaged learning that I've seen was how she hosts her reading groups. She invites students to her table where 5 or 6 of them are all reading the same book. She instructs them to read aloud in a quiet whisper and to keep reading until they hear a tap of her finger in front of them. Then, they must read louder for Miss Gledhill to hear. I feel that this is a good example of engaged learning because it is sort of hands-on in the sense that they are reading as a team together. Miss Gledhill provides immediate feedback on their reading if necessary. Together the group works to answer questions on their worksheet. This initiates discussion and participation.
Another example of engaged learning could be how Miss Gledhill taught how to write paragraphs. She used the idea of making a sandwich and related it to writing a strong paragraph. Together the class discussed how to make a sandwich and used cut outs to put a sandwich together on the board. This required movement and discussion. She explained how the bread or our topic and closing sentences and everything in between is what adds flavor and variety to both our sandwiches and our paragraphs. Then, the class wrote their own paragraphs on sandwich cut outs for the whole school to see.
An example of when learning wasn't so engaging could be whenever they do math interventions. The class is given 4 different worksheets to pick from and they just have to complete as many as they can in the given time without any instruction. Although the kids can work in partners, they often times don't get much done because the problems are hard, they don't know where to start without help, so they just goof off and mess around the entire time. I think that this can be engaging if the kids could work better independently, but students aren't very motivated to get much done because if I'm not there, I don't think that there is anyone to help.
Friday, September 25, 2015
Blog Post #3 - Positive Classroom Environments with Miss Gledhill
The first question that I have chosen to address is how my teacher encourages positive classroom environment? Firstly, I'd like the accredit the fact that I'm sure she does more than what I've taken note of and witnessed; she is the most competent lady in my opinion. One thing that I've seen is her tally of each row. Whenever there is a transition going on, she always stands in the front of the classroom and quietly counts down from 5. She starts with clear instruction and then counts. Once time is up she waits a few more seconds because silence is really powerful. Students who are still bustling around realize that the class is waiting on them. Miss Gledhill then turns to the board and awards a tally to the row who was ready to go first. I think this has proven effective because it encourages timely, well approached transitions from one activity to the other. Another thing that I've noticed is a happy atmosphere. The moment I walked into her classroom, I honestly felt happy. She has made such a warm classroom environment with her personal touches, use of color, display of student work and a vibe of organization. I really feel like this encourages positive behavior. Students understand that things in the classroom have there place and time, so in turn they apply that to themselves.
The second question I'll be answering is what are her clear routines? Because I am only there for two hours at a time I feel as though I can only say so much, while I am sure that there is so much more to her routines. The first thing that came to my mind was her schedule. It's posted on the white board at the beginning of the day and stays there all day. This allows students to refer to it throughout the day if they are ever curious about what's next. I've always arrived to her classroom when she starts reading time. Student reading groups are invited to her table where they read aloud with her and discuss what they are reading, while meanwhile others are individually working at their desks on spelling exercises. I feel like this epitomizes a clear routine because it happens everyday and students know exactly what is expected of them. It's something that both Miss Gledhill and her students can count on. I think this supports a positive classroom environment because it provides accountability. Students are held responsible for what they accomplish on their own, while other students can count on some small group interventions to get some extra attention from Miss Gledhill.
Lastly, how does Miss Gledhill recognize student skills? Something that I've seen her do is call on students when she needs extra help. This is exciting to her students! She always calls on people who have been working hard and deserve a, "break", so to say from their work because she knows that she can count on them to get right back to it when they complete her task. Another way that she recognizes student skills is during discussions. If somebody answers her questions in a really great way, she invites them to repeat themselves once more loudly for the class to really her. I think that this is engaging and encourages positive comments. Students really seem to perk up when somebody repeats themselves and then they even want to say something along that line of performance.Then the last thing that I want to add, is Miss Gledhill's display of student work. I get to see and help with a lot of writing exercises and I've taken note of how seriously Miss Gledhill takes them. She always encourages students' best work because she will display what they finish. I've noticed how students go up to her and ask her to review what they've finished, but if there is something for them to fix they happily skip back to their desk and try again. Although it sounds to good to be true, I feel like Miss Gledhill's expectations have circled around positively. Students take their time to do their best because they know that their best work and skills matter and will be displayed for everyone to see.
The second question I'll be answering is what are her clear routines? Because I am only there for two hours at a time I feel as though I can only say so much, while I am sure that there is so much more to her routines. The first thing that came to my mind was her schedule. It's posted on the white board at the beginning of the day and stays there all day. This allows students to refer to it throughout the day if they are ever curious about what's next. I've always arrived to her classroom when she starts reading time. Student reading groups are invited to her table where they read aloud with her and discuss what they are reading, while meanwhile others are individually working at their desks on spelling exercises. I feel like this epitomizes a clear routine because it happens everyday and students know exactly what is expected of them. It's something that both Miss Gledhill and her students can count on. I think this supports a positive classroom environment because it provides accountability. Students are held responsible for what they accomplish on their own, while other students can count on some small group interventions to get some extra attention from Miss Gledhill.
Lastly, how does Miss Gledhill recognize student skills? Something that I've seen her do is call on students when she needs extra help. This is exciting to her students! She always calls on people who have been working hard and deserve a, "break", so to say from their work because she knows that she can count on them to get right back to it when they complete her task. Another way that she recognizes student skills is during discussions. If somebody answers her questions in a really great way, she invites them to repeat themselves once more loudly for the class to really her. I think that this is engaging and encourages positive comments. Students really seem to perk up when somebody repeats themselves and then they even want to say something along that line of performance.Then the last thing that I want to add, is Miss Gledhill's display of student work. I get to see and help with a lot of writing exercises and I've taken note of how seriously Miss Gledhill takes them. She always encourages students' best work because she will display what they finish. I've noticed how students go up to her and ask her to review what they've finished, but if there is something for them to fix they happily skip back to their desk and try again. Although it sounds to good to be true, I feel like Miss Gledhill's expectations have circled around positively. Students take their time to do their best because they know that their best work and skills matter and will be displayed for everyone to see.
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