What is the most important thing you have learned during fieldwork observation? Why?
There could be many things I've learned being in the classroom with Mrs. C, but I think that the most important thing I've learned is classroom management and the importance of the teacher in the classroom. I think back to when I was a student in elementary school and how much I idolized my teacher and wanted their every ounce of attention, I got to see this first hand from the other perspective. My initial thought was how can someone handle thirty children in one room demanding approval on an art project, begging for help on a math problem, draining everything from one person. This was something I came into the classroom wanting to see how the teacher might respond, and Mrs. C did not disappoint.
Mrs. C with her chants to get the class to refocus, her rotating stations to help engage the kids as well as pulling them into small groups or even one on one to test them. She had a knack to making sure the children knew their rules and appropriate times to do and react. I think the most solid advice she gave me was that when implementing anything in the classroom that it takes time, and practice. If I wanted anything to be successful in the classroom, I needed patience and not to give up. Giving up would show the class that you aren't in control and therefore giving them the chance to get away with more than I wanted.
I think classroom management is something so important in order to not establishing balance in a classroom, but also promoting student growth. When rules and expectations are established students know what is expected and therefore can produce work that will not only accomplish an assignment or task, but also alleviate confusion and open communication to the teacher when there are problems in learning.
I've enjoyed the chance to watch Mrs. C's class and she has invited me back anytime I want to volunteer and honestly I think her teaching style and management skills are one that I would love to learn more of and she could be a really positive mentor to me in this career.
Tuesday, August 5, 2014
Thursday, July 31, 2014
Blog Entry #7
What are the procedures the teacher uses to make everything run smoothly in the class?
After this last section and also the article I've read for the article response paper, it's interesting to me what teachers know and apparently don't know about running a classroom. What I noticed working in the classroom with Mrs. C was the way she handled her class. She had a couple of different techniques that the kids responded to that I was really impressed with and hopefully use some day in my class.
Mrs. C didn't have any behavior charts hanging in her class, she didn't send anyone to the principals office, instead her kids responded to her money system and silly chants. When the classroom started to become filled with loud talking or yelling while working on assignments she would chant a rhyme that the class would repeat back the second half (I really wish I could find my notes where I had written it down). I told her how much I liked that method and how well her kids would positively respond back and immediately settle down, she told me it took a whole month to constantly practice and not give up on it until the class adopted it. I thought it was interesting that earlier in this weeks lesson in one of the videos that the teacher stressed the need to keep practicing classroom procedure and the use of role play, it reminded me of the advice Mrs. C offered.
The other strategy Mrs. C used within her classroom to promote productivity was her money system. Each student had a sheet of paper taped to their desk, their "wallet", where depending on good behavior, getting assignments in on time, having good scores on assignments and projects, she would use currency stamps ($.05, $.10, $.25) that she would stamp in the students "wallet". There were times where a student would act out, not work on assignments, etc. where she would warn with a heads down on the desk, but never once did she take away money from their wallet. The last day of school she held a "classroom store" where students could use the money they earned throughout the year to buy different treats, toys, classroom decor, the story time puppets and even school supplies. The way the kids responded to their wallets was really amazing to me, how much they valued their money and the things they would accomplish to get a dime stamped on their paper.
I've enjoyed this section, I think classroom management is important and also the way teachers reward and discipline behavior, and how kids respond interests me.
After this last section and also the article I've read for the article response paper, it's interesting to me what teachers know and apparently don't know about running a classroom. What I noticed working in the classroom with Mrs. C was the way she handled her class. She had a couple of different techniques that the kids responded to that I was really impressed with and hopefully use some day in my class.
Mrs. C didn't have any behavior charts hanging in her class, she didn't send anyone to the principals office, instead her kids responded to her money system and silly chants. When the classroom started to become filled with loud talking or yelling while working on assignments she would chant a rhyme that the class would repeat back the second half (I really wish I could find my notes where I had written it down). I told her how much I liked that method and how well her kids would positively respond back and immediately settle down, she told me it took a whole month to constantly practice and not give up on it until the class adopted it. I thought it was interesting that earlier in this weeks lesson in one of the videos that the teacher stressed the need to keep practicing classroom procedure and the use of role play, it reminded me of the advice Mrs. C offered.
The other strategy Mrs. C used within her classroom to promote productivity was her money system. Each student had a sheet of paper taped to their desk, their "wallet", where depending on good behavior, getting assignments in on time, having good scores on assignments and projects, she would use currency stamps ($.05, $.10, $.25) that she would stamp in the students "wallet". There were times where a student would act out, not work on assignments, etc. where she would warn with a heads down on the desk, but never once did she take away money from their wallet. The last day of school she held a "classroom store" where students could use the money they earned throughout the year to buy different treats, toys, classroom decor, the story time puppets and even school supplies. The way the kids responded to their wallets was really amazing to me, how much they valued their money and the things they would accomplish to get a dime stamped on their paper.
I've enjoyed this section, I think classroom management is important and also the way teachers reward and discipline behavior, and how kids respond interests me.
Tuesday, July 29, 2014
Blog Post #6
What strategies does the teacher use to actively engage the students? How effective are these?
I think that it's a teacher's mission to make sure the student gets the most out of learning, I think it's why someone goes into teaching (unless, it's for summers off, ha!). In the classroom it is important to keep students engaged and that includes engaging students in activities to let them expand their minds by experiencing what they are learning hands on, or incorporating the real world, and opening up communication.
The thing I loved about Mrs. C's class was how she engaged story time. Instead, of having the class sit in a circle as she read and passed around pictures, her class had made giant puppets earlier in the year and when it was "story time" she had a group of students come control the puppets as she told the story. The students would make the puppets react, have voices and even use other props to create the story. The other students in the class would give suggestions and also pass props the puppets could use. I loved this, it gave the students a chance to create and use their imagination with the story line instead of just listening and ultimately getting bored sitting on the floor.
I thought this method to be super effective, not once did I see a student lose interest in the story, or actions. I think in a traditional setting of "story time" students sitting on the floor as the teacher sits in the front reading, leads to boredom, which can easily lead to distractions, and touching and rough housing. I think Mrs. C did a great job making sure things were always lively and interesting in her classroom.
I think that it's a teacher's mission to make sure the student gets the most out of learning, I think it's why someone goes into teaching (unless, it's for summers off, ha!). In the classroom it is important to keep students engaged and that includes engaging students in activities to let them expand their minds by experiencing what they are learning hands on, or incorporating the real world, and opening up communication.
The thing I loved about Mrs. C's class was how she engaged story time. Instead, of having the class sit in a circle as she read and passed around pictures, her class had made giant puppets earlier in the year and when it was "story time" she had a group of students come control the puppets as she told the story. The students would make the puppets react, have voices and even use other props to create the story. The other students in the class would give suggestions and also pass props the puppets could use. I loved this, it gave the students a chance to create and use their imagination with the story line instead of just listening and ultimately getting bored sitting on the floor.
I thought this method to be super effective, not once did I see a student lose interest in the story, or actions. I think in a traditional setting of "story time" students sitting on the floor as the teacher sits in the front reading, leads to boredom, which can easily lead to distractions, and touching and rough housing. I think Mrs. C did a great job making sure things were always lively and interesting in her classroom.
Thursday, July 10, 2014
Blog Post #5
What do you think is the most important role a teacher plays? Why?
There are many roles that teachers play in the lives of their students, all of which are important and to some students some are more important than others, but the one I find most important is personal cheerleader and mentor.
During a student's childhood years their self worth is everything, this is the moment that their personalities really get to shine through being away from home and let's face it, not all kids are kind at school. What we really don't know is that not all parents are kind either, so school is a great place to really let a child grow and express themselves. A teacher's role as a personal cheerleader is so important, to help the student not give up, to see their potential and to mentor them on that path.
I know not all children are going to be a teacher's favorite, there will be times of frustration and where patience is very very thin, but to try and see the potential of that child will not only help the child, but also the teacher. We as teachers won't know what is going on at home, a child could be abused verbally (or physically) which will only drop their self esteem or make it difficult to see their worth, but also more often is the abuse of being neglected, behind work loads, other siblings, or even TV and computers, children aren't being praised, or given the attention they need to grow into confident individuals, and this will reflect in their learning and grades.
So, I think it's important for a teacher to nurture the positive and really help shape the student's esteem and help them to succeed. There was a time in Mrs. C's classroom where I saw a child who had just lost his mother a week prior struggle, not wanting to do anything because as they said "what was the use", his mother wasn't there anymore to see them do well and his father was too busy crying. Mrs. C took that child aside and told them how important it was for him to do well, because of how important he was to his family and his mother. Just being there and motivating the student to do well is enough to push any student forward and try their very best. That is why I believe being a personal cheerleader to each student is the most important.
There are many roles that teachers play in the lives of their students, all of which are important and to some students some are more important than others, but the one I find most important is personal cheerleader and mentor.
During a student's childhood years their self worth is everything, this is the moment that their personalities really get to shine through being away from home and let's face it, not all kids are kind at school. What we really don't know is that not all parents are kind either, so school is a great place to really let a child grow and express themselves. A teacher's role as a personal cheerleader is so important, to help the student not give up, to see their potential and to mentor them on that path.
I know not all children are going to be a teacher's favorite, there will be times of frustration and where patience is very very thin, but to try and see the potential of that child will not only help the child, but also the teacher. We as teachers won't know what is going on at home, a child could be abused verbally (or physically) which will only drop their self esteem or make it difficult to see their worth, but also more often is the abuse of being neglected, behind work loads, other siblings, or even TV and computers, children aren't being praised, or given the attention they need to grow into confident individuals, and this will reflect in their learning and grades.
So, I think it's important for a teacher to nurture the positive and really help shape the student's esteem and help them to succeed. There was a time in Mrs. C's classroom where I saw a child who had just lost his mother a week prior struggle, not wanting to do anything because as they said "what was the use", his mother wasn't there anymore to see them do well and his father was too busy crying. Mrs. C took that child aside and told them how important it was for him to do well, because of how important he was to his family and his mother. Just being there and motivating the student to do well is enough to push any student forward and try their very best. That is why I believe being a personal cheerleader to each student is the most important.
Thursday, July 3, 2014
Blog Post #4
How does this teacher manage assessment?
Working in the classroom towards the end of the school year I was able to witness a few times Mrs. C assess her students.
There was one day she assessed her class in math, where she was testing them on shapes and also counting by 5's and 10's. The way she assessed her class with math is she had four math stations set up in the room, one was computers set up to play math games, one had a worksheet involving counting by 5's and 10's front and back using pictures and words, the third station she had students working on a fun addition worksheet and then the last work station was a table with her and no more than 3 students. At this station Mrs. C built blocks of 5's and 10's having each student give her an answer as to how many blocks where there individually by counting off. She also used small baskets with small fuzz balls some with 5, some with 10 in them. This activity she would have the students count off baskets and individual balls to give her an amount. Having the group in such a small number she was able to see more of a personal response and also how the students worked with each other closely to achieve the answers.
Another chance I saw her assess her students was one on one reading. She had the class in the computer lab for this assessment working on reading and language art games. She would call each student up individually where she had a set of two books. She would have the student read one book, I saw her marking on a sheet of paper, I did notice though that if the student finished that book with ease the student was released back to their computer, if the student struggled too much with the first book, they were asked to read a second book which was an "easier" read, again marking a sheet of paper with comments and what looked like possible times the student stumbled on the book.
I liked that she took the time with each student to hear them read, she never sat and corrected them, but let the child read on his or her own. She would later talk to the child about their reading after they had finished with encouraging words. I liked that. I liked seeing every child walking away happy and not walking away feeling defeated.
Working in the classroom towards the end of the school year I was able to witness a few times Mrs. C assess her students.
There was one day she assessed her class in math, where she was testing them on shapes and also counting by 5's and 10's. The way she assessed her class with math is she had four math stations set up in the room, one was computers set up to play math games, one had a worksheet involving counting by 5's and 10's front and back using pictures and words, the third station she had students working on a fun addition worksheet and then the last work station was a table with her and no more than 3 students. At this station Mrs. C built blocks of 5's and 10's having each student give her an answer as to how many blocks where there individually by counting off. She also used small baskets with small fuzz balls some with 5, some with 10 in them. This activity she would have the students count off baskets and individual balls to give her an amount. Having the group in such a small number she was able to see more of a personal response and also how the students worked with each other closely to achieve the answers.
Another chance I saw her assess her students was one on one reading. She had the class in the computer lab for this assessment working on reading and language art games. She would call each student up individually where she had a set of two books. She would have the student read one book, I saw her marking on a sheet of paper, I did notice though that if the student finished that book with ease the student was released back to their computer, if the student struggled too much with the first book, they were asked to read a second book which was an "easier" read, again marking a sheet of paper with comments and what looked like possible times the student stumbled on the book.
I liked that she took the time with each student to hear them read, she never sat and corrected them, but let the child read on his or her own. She would later talk to the child about their reading after they had finished with encouraging words. I liked that. I liked seeing every child walking away happy and not walking away feeling defeated.
Tuesday, June 10, 2014
Blog Post #3
In the classroom I was able to see a student with ADHD, I of course was not involved in any of this students IEP plans, or did I necessarily know of his condition. Speaking with Mrs. C I was told that this school year was quite an adjustment for her to get this student to learn properly. She explained to me that it was hard to begin new routines for this student, or introduce new concepts. She then told me her strategy to help this student succeed.
Mrs. C told me that since it was hard for this student to grasp new concepts that she had to find ways to use concepts that were routine to him and add to them. A very slow process. She explained that it wasn’t until the middle of the school year that she could finally get him to relax in the classroom. Mrs. C had a carpet with colored squares for her students to sit on, she had this student in the front where she could keep an eye on him and also where he could not be easily distracted. She also told me that she usually gave him a little more time to do his work, and also spoke to him in a very calm voice.
This student was interesting to observe I was always drawn to him in the classroom with the way he interacted with others, since this was the end of the year he was having a very hard time adjusting to everything wrapping up and the excitement in the classroom made him very anxious. Mrs. C told me that she was having a very hard time getting him to settle down the last couple of weeks of school, but that it was hard to also do the end of the year testing while to still trying to get this student focused. I think I might’ve come at just the right time to help him stay on focus by checking on him frequently while the other students were doing independent work or testing with the teacher.
I think Mrs. C did a great job at balancing her classroom and this particular student who was having a hard time managing his ADHD.
Thursday, May 29, 2014
Blog Post #2
In what ways is the school in which you are serving similar
to or different from schools in the earlier periods of history in the United
States?
The school I served in this semester was interesting to see
the similarities to other schools I had been in as well as differences,
especially from the time I attended school.
Provost Elementary seemed to have the same structure as many
other elementary schools, there were pods of desks, art work on the walls,
teacher interacting throughout the classroom, lines of children going to and
from different specialty classes (music, PE, library etc). These everyday
routine things reminded me of my school days. There were however a lot of differences.
In this school, there were plenty of Smart Boards on the
wall, Apple computers in each classroom, and iPads ready for the disposal of
each class, the use of technology was a theme I gathered from the Provo School
District. The school itself could easily use the funding to update the school
or update books, but it was used for technology. Much like funding for math and
science skyrocketed during the Space Race of the 1950’s and 60’s, I can see
that funding is pushing for the advancement in technology in the classroom.
Technology is growing, every single day, and kids are more
technologically savvy then they ever have been in the past. I think the use of
technology is great, the downside I saw was that the Smart Board was never
used, the iPads never used, and the computers used for math games. I think that
a lot of the problem there was the possibility that the teacher wasn’t being
adequately trained on the technology, having been a teacher for years prior,
the use of technology wasn’t necessary.I found it interesting to me that depending on the District,
County, State, funding goes to whatever will push the student to be greater,
better, and above the rest.
Friday, May 23, 2014
Blog Post #1
What developmental differences do you see in the children in the classroom?
When it came to developmental differences in Mrs. C's first grade class, I noticed it when it came when the class broke up into math stations. The class was broken up into four stations, one consisted of computer games, a progressively challenging work sheet front and back, a worksheet which included an interactive coloring activity and then one-on-one time with the teacher. The stations were broken into 15 minute intervals and my job was to observe and help students in the three stations who needed help, but also help those stay on task.
I noticed very quickly the students that needed my attention no matter what station they happen to be in and the ones who were capable of reading directions and completing the tasks at hand. The students who struggled I was able to apply the three basic fundamentals of learning: audio, visual and kinesthetic. there were about three students who as I held up fingers and counted with them to find the solutions to their issues with basic subtraction, others I had draw circles and cross them out in order to solve the equation and the other two or three I had them count backward out loud to get the answer. So the use of the three learning modules helped me understand how much each person learns differently at different paces. As one group demanded my attention there was another group who was able to complete all tasks with no help at all.
I was also able to see firsthand the issues associated with ADHD, growing up I saw this with all of my brothers, but growing up and not being around that as much seeing it in a classroom setting was interesting to try and help this student focus on his task. I needed to get him to be visually stimulated, if I had left him alone to read his worksheet he began to worry and stress about other students and what they were doing OR not doing. By focusing on trying to get this student to visually focus and using drawings, hands and writing this helped him focus on his task at hand, it also helped more students who were also visual learners understand what they were being asked to do.
I noticed through this weeks module that humans are different. I had always considered myself a visual learner, but realized that I can apply myself and learn in many ways, by knowing this I was able to see the importance of all learning styles in a classroom and understand that by mixing up learning techniques helps achieve a lot more than sticking to one teaching method.
When it came to developmental differences in Mrs. C's first grade class, I noticed it when it came when the class broke up into math stations. The class was broken up into four stations, one consisted of computer games, a progressively challenging work sheet front and back, a worksheet which included an interactive coloring activity and then one-on-one time with the teacher. The stations were broken into 15 minute intervals and my job was to observe and help students in the three stations who needed help, but also help those stay on task.
I noticed very quickly the students that needed my attention no matter what station they happen to be in and the ones who were capable of reading directions and completing the tasks at hand. The students who struggled I was able to apply the three basic fundamentals of learning: audio, visual and kinesthetic. there were about three students who as I held up fingers and counted with them to find the solutions to their issues with basic subtraction, others I had draw circles and cross them out in order to solve the equation and the other two or three I had them count backward out loud to get the answer. So the use of the three learning modules helped me understand how much each person learns differently at different paces. As one group demanded my attention there was another group who was able to complete all tasks with no help at all.
I was also able to see firsthand the issues associated with ADHD, growing up I saw this with all of my brothers, but growing up and not being around that as much seeing it in a classroom setting was interesting to try and help this student focus on his task. I needed to get him to be visually stimulated, if I had left him alone to read his worksheet he began to worry and stress about other students and what they were doing OR not doing. By focusing on trying to get this student to visually focus and using drawings, hands and writing this helped him focus on his task at hand, it also helped more students who were also visual learners understand what they were being asked to do.
I noticed through this weeks module that humans are different. I had always considered myself a visual learner, but realized that I can apply myself and learn in many ways, by knowing this I was able to see the importance of all learning styles in a classroom and understand that by mixing up learning techniques helps achieve a lot more than sticking to one teaching method.
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