Wordle on Posts

LLED- Blog on Whatever

Dearest Blog,
     I know that you have been feeling neglected here lately, but I just wanted to let you know that I still love you and want to keep you around. Although it is no excuse, I have been busy with doing copious amounts of school work, student teaching, working, and training for my summer camp job and not to mention those everyday hassles like exercising, cooking, and cleaning which always seem to prevent me from getting everything on my to-do list accomplished. At any rate, blog, let me clue you in to what I am up to:

• My sex education project is coming along much slower than I expected, but it has been really interesting to research and refresh my memory on what kids in puberty are actually going through. It is just an awkward time in life for them and they really need someone to advocate and be there for them.
• My workload has been driving me nuts! I am usually on top of assignments, but here lately I get something done and realize that I have another thing due the next day. I guess you would call it "accidental procrastination." I really have got to get my crap together!
• Friday is my last day in the classroom. I love my sweet little Kindergarteners, but boy are they exhausting! I'm glad to be moving on to 4th grade next semester and I'll be so excited to sleep in on Thursdays and Fridays for a little while!
• I had summer camp training at the Y today. It is just such a place of love and I grow so much working there. Everyday I learn about myself and how to handle situations with kids. Nothing against UGA, but my boss definitely gives them a run for their money on training people on group control, management, knowing themselves, and just striving to be a better person each day. Working at the Y just pumps me up!

Well, blog, I must go. I will try to write soon!

Kid Posts

http://kidblog.org/ferrell/kiereng/you-want-pegasi-we-got-em/#comment-850

http://camden2.edublogs.org/2011/03/24/call-of-duty-world-at-war/

http://kidblog.org/mrgagnonsclass/cam10/duck-tape-2/#comment-2406

Sources I Actually Used

http://kidshealth.org/kid/grow/boy/boys_puberty.html

http://www.avert.org/puberty-girls.htm

Sex Education Resources

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1622610

http://www.kff.org/youthhivstds/3048-index.cfm

http://svmomblog.typepad.com/deep_south_moms/2008/05/abstinence-only.html

http://www.guttmacher.org/pubs/tgr/04/1/gr040109.html

http://www.minotdailynews.com/page/blogs.detail/display/595/Abstinence-only-education-is-a-bad-idea.html

http://www.therepublic.com/view/story/2cf2bdea11164fa2bef9b890b1dd4968/ND-XGR--Sex-Education/#

http://www.hattiesburgamerican.com/article/20110322/OPINION/103220313/Sex-ed-program-worth-try?odyssey=mod%7Cnewswell%7Ctext%7CFRONTPAGE%7Cp

LLED- Blog on Field Experience

With the 10th week approaching, Kindergarten finally seems to be getting easier. I walk in, get things organized, and prepare to do morning meeting and calendar time. When I first began doing these things, it was nerve wracking and I felt that I had zero control of what was going on. Now I feel much more comfortable with classroom management and with the general routine of things. After the morning activities are over, we have math center time. For the last couple weeks I have been planning centers that apply to what they are covering that week, so I feel that I have a bit of authority over a part of the curriculum (which is exciting!). After math comes writing time, a time that I still feel I am struggling with. The kindergarteners have set things to write about, which I don't know if I necessarily like. I don't like to write about things that don't interest me and I am 22, so I can imagine that a 5 or 6 year old would feel the same. The more that I read and hear about the open-endedness of writing workshop, the more I like it. I think that writing about what piques your interest is an important part about learning your point of view and writer's voice. The next chunk of the day is very hands-off for me. There isn't a group for me to lead during reading time because another teacher comes in to do phonics, so I normally get my assessments and tutoring done for Amy's class during this time or I just sit around and observe the teacher's guided reading group. The final academic portion of the day is science/social studies, which is extremely teacher-led unless the kids are working on a project. 

So, all in all, I feel that I am learning a lot in the areas that I get to participate in, but not so much in the other areas. I am definitely someone who learns by doing, so observations only get me so far. However, I am very thankful that I do get the experience that I do each day because it is much, much better than grading papers at the back of the room or making bulletin boards (ahem... last semester).

LLED- Chapter 12

To be a successful planner, I think that a teacher must absolutely have some long-term goals in mind in regards to whatever subject he or she is teaching. In the case of writing workshop, I thought that Ray provided some excellent ideas for planning and selecting units, including my favorite, a unit on what the teacher is passionate about. I personally love Roald Dahl and would love to introduce my students to his style of writing. I just think that his stories are great examples of narrative writing and using playful language. Lewis Carroll and C.S. Lewis are also favorites! I think that poetry would be a fun one, too!

Other than that, the testing aspect that Ray mentioned at the end is something that I think is very important for this day and time. As much as I hate it, testing is a reality and we must prepare our students for it. I think that taking time out to have mini lessons on writing for testing and actually doing sample writing prompts every once in a while would be extremely helpful to students. I believe this especially holds true because students need to know what they are doing well on and how to improve on their shortcomings before test day comes.

EDEC- Days 16 and 17

Tuesday-
By the time my unit plan rolled around on this day, my patience had been worn very thin by a couple of students... and I kind of took it out on them when I was teaching. When one of those children stepped out of line, I gave them a warning and then threatened timeout on them or otherwise called them out. I know that that isn't good teaching and my mentor reminded me afterwards that postive reinforcement of good behavior is the way to go in kindergarten. I agree... it is just difficult somedays to look at the good behavior and ignore the bad, but I'm learning.

Wednesday-
I got advised today... nerve racking!!! It was rainy outside all day and the kids were wigglier than normal because they didn't get recess and because, let's face it, spring break is only 2 more days away. I was so afraid that I was not going to be able to get them calmed down enough to learn my lesson. When the time came and Dr. Tolley walked in, God performed a miracle. The kids were attentive (within reason) and eager to answer questions all thoughout the lesson. I only had to send one child to put his head down, and it was only because he was extremely out of line. I was ecstatic. After the lesson, I got a good report with a few minor things to work on from my mentor and the same from Dr. Tolley. So yay!

EDEC- Day 15

So I started teaching my unit plan today and it went ok. Not fantastic, by no means perfect... just ok. I taught the lesson and did the activity that I planned to do afterwards. The kids were very squirmy for part of the time and unresponsive for the rest. The only time that I think that I had most of them engaged with the lesson was when we were singing songs, one about the continents and another about the the fact that our continent is North America (which will be built upon each day of the unit). Also, during the activity, most kids were confused on what to do (mostly due to a listening problem) so they had to be walked through the directions again.

Overall, I think the lesson went well for my first time ever teaching it. I know what I need to change: be more explicit about directions and expectations, keep check of the time (a major problem), and try not to get so frustrated with myself.

EDEC- Day 14

Friday was really fun! We ended Dr. Seuss week with with a rotation through every classroom. Each teacher had a different craft or treat that went with a book. We made a turtle stack for Yertle the Turtle, truffella trees for The Lorax, ate some green eggs and ham for Green Eggs and Ham, and tried some butter side up and down toast for The Butter Battle Book. It was all very cute and engaging for the students.

Claire and I also finalized our unit plan. We start teaching it TOMORROW! We've spent a lot of time planning, so I hope that it goes over well.

Also, I am very sad that I cannot bring in my gecko, Napoleon due to "salmonella risk." I am unsure why this applies to reptiles that will remain in their cage during their trip to school, but I guess what the principal says goes. I don't feel that I should fight for this one. I possibly want a job at this school, so I don't think that I should stir up too much dust.

Well, t-minus 12 hours until I have to be up for school...

EDEC- Day 13

So, I had my first "NO!" incident today while holding morning meeting. I addressed the disruptive child several times, then asked her to simply put her head down on her desk to chill out, and then... the knock-down drag-out began. NOOOOOO! I'M NOT GOING! There was stomping and flailing and I looked to Ms. Ellett to help but she wanted me to handle it since I was in charge. I gave the student two choices: put her head down on her desk or get her frog moved down to timeout. She chose the second one... which I was surprised about. Most students would pick the lesser of the two. Anyway, after I told the students what to do next so that I could deal with her, she finally calmed down and finally headed off for her timeout. Later on today she had to be sent home for separate, more explosive instance. From what I've heard from the teacher, the child is not getting enough sleep due to a tv, vcr, and parent who will simply not tell her when to go to bed. Before she was picked up, my teacher talk to her about what time she needed turn off of the tv and go to sleep. I thought that it was a great idea that my teacher told her how to be self-sufficient about her bedtime.

Sadly, the chapter has a lot to do with what I've been hearing at lunch time from the other teachers. "My class is bad" or "that kid is just bad" is the usual topic of conversation. Although most of the teachers chock up the student's behaviors to what is going on at home, there is not much talk about how the teacher is giving the child accomodations so that he or she can succeed. There are some gems that exist though. My boss, for example, reminds me and my co-workers each day that "every child has a story" and that it is never a kid you dislike, but their behaviors.

EDEC- Day 11 and 12

Thursday- I taught morning meeting this morning and it went over very well! The only problem was that some kids were getting antsy and I didn't really know what to do about that... but luckily my teacher is awesome about telling me how to fix things. It is so much different from last semester because I can really see myself growing as a teacher week-by-week. It is strange to think that in 3/4 of a year they will officially let me teach kids on my own... SCARY! Anyway, in terms of the reading, I can really see where it holds true in my mentor's classroom and the classroom of the other teachers on my hall. It is obvious at lunch time that not every teacher likes each student, but these particular students are not treated differently in class. Also, I notice in my classroom that praising students is an effective way to manage the classroom. Instead of calling out the one kid who isn't doing what he's supposed to, praise the kid who is doing it perfectly. Everyone loves to be praised, so the students get their acts together. And it's true that you can never praise them enough!

Friday- Well, my calendar time got interrupted today by a surprise book buddies meeting, but after it got started, it was pretty smooth sailing. I figured out what to do with a particularly tough student, so I am very proud of myself for that. He was peeling off a much needed band-aid and was making the other students uneasy, so I gave him a warning, he continued, so I told him to go put his head down. When it was his turn to check the weather I asked him if he thought that he could handle it. He said yes and that was that. I am slowly learning better class management techniques!

LLED- Chapters 7, 8, and 19

When I am writing, I like to have it relatively quiet with classical music playing in the background. I feel that I write best sitting in a comfortable chair or outside in a lounge chair. I also prefer to have all of my needed materials within arms reach. With that said, I can fully relate to chapter 7 when Ray talks about writing workshops in terms of space, presence, and supplies. Because every writer's needs are different (mine included), I want to give my students as many spaces as possible for writing workshop. I think a way to go about creating writing niches is to simply ask what environments students could do their best work in.   I believe this would be best for older students, but for younger students I would need to create several spaces and see which ones they actually tended to use. Also, I think that Ray's ideas about supplies are great. Having access to a lot of different supplies is key to finding out what works best for each student.

Chapter 8 really made me laugh because I have felt "that slightly out-of-hand feeling" a lot through my student teaching, but it wasn't in a positive way. The way Ray talks about it is that there is kind of a stirring about going on in the classroom during writing workshop that many teachers directly relate to being off-task. This is a positive out-of-hand feeling. However, the out-of-hand feeling that I have felt was the sound of a lesson blowing up in my face. The kids were out of control and definitely off-task. Because I know how this terrible example looks in a classroom, I feel that I can more easily see when talk and moving about in the classroom is constructive. Although I can see when talk is constructive, it doesn't mean that I do not struggle with the fact of letting go of the reins, so to speak. I have always had trouble with the fact that in writer's workshop you cannot be in 20 places at one time to tell who is doing what.

Chapter 19 reminded me of where we are at in our own writing. We are all completing pieces and are preparing to publish one of them. Because this is stressful for even college students, I wonder about the impact on elementary kids? It could be that since kids have time each day to write, they have ample time in class to finish things up and don't feel that a deadline equates to stress. However, it also could be that younger students can feel as stressed as older students when they see a deadline approaching. Another thing about publishing- I love the recommendation of sharing the students' published works with pen pals, other students, and even people in the community. I like how this relates to the possible purposes of writing and writing to a certain audience.

EDEC- Day 10

Today was so much fun! The kids got to ask Mr. Ellet ("a president expert") all kinds of questions about presidents and elections. It was hilarious. Toward the end of the session, someone asked about George Washington's teeth and wig... and the entire class thought that it was the funniest thing. They are so curious and cute.
Anyway, later on we made George Washington wigs from paper bags and cotton balls... and well, those were hilarious, too!
At the end of the day, Claire and I spent some time with my teacher doing our 5 day unit.

Friday was just a good day all around!

EDEC- Day 9

I really like the way my mentor teacher handles certain situations and the chapter that we read in Great Teachers reminded me of exactly what she's doing (for the most part... none of us teachers are perfect!). I haven't ever heard her say that she has "bad kids." Rather, she makes sure that she is doing everything possible to find what works, as opposed to what doesn't. It is never the kids, it's her methods of doing things. I am very impressed with her patience, and with me especially, because I tend to throw a wrench into the day at times. The kids aren't quite used to me being there, so sometimes I am still a distraction. She knows that and lets me know not that there is a problem, but how to prevent a situation from turning into one. She is very self-admitting of her faults, whereas I still find myself in denial. I think I have a ways to go in this area.

Unrelatedly, the kids had bean burritos today for lunch so I waited for a special someone to sing me fart songs in the line... it didn't happen again, but I am hoping that it will happen soon!

LLED- Chapters 14, 15, and 17

In my Kindergarten class, we have a teacher checklist with each child's name on it to go over after a student feels they have completed their writing. It consists of: directionality, punctuation, on topic, name, and picture. Each aspect has two columns beside it: yes or not yet. This is the main conferencing tool used in my classroom's "writing workshop" (which isn't really a writing workshop, rather a time for writing about what they've been learning). When I read through the four parts of conferring, I asked myself the following questions to see how my classroom's technique for conferencing compares to Ray's:

-Is there research? Kind of. My teacher does ask students what they are writing about in reference to the checklist.
-Is there a decision on what to teach based on the research? Further instruction is based on what is not completed. If there is a total lack of understanding, the teacher will plan to teach a mini-lesson.
-Is there teaching? Only if there is a severe problem. There isn't any "Author's use interesting words. Let's see if we can use some interesting words in here."If the student scrapes the bare minimum on the checklist, he or she is finished.
-Is there a record? Yes. The teacher recieves the checklists once the students' work has been approved by herself or another teacher in the room.

So do we have Ray-like conferences in my class? Not so much. But we also don't have a writing workshop. In our classroom, howeverm I do believe that conferencing instead of using checklists would increase the richness of the students' work.

In the next chapter, I really liked what Ray mentioned about share time. Share time in writing workshop helps students to gain confidence in their writing (and also oral language) and is a time where students are allowed to learned from students. I would like my classroom to be mostly based on this approach, even for subjects outside of writing workshop. I feel that students learning from each other teaches them to value multiple perspectives and also lets them know that they are responsible for their learning. In other words, I do not think I want my classroom to sit and stare and listen to me for hours on end. It is not my opinions that the students need, it's each others. At any rate, I think that Ray's suggestions for share time could prove to be effective in many situations. The only question I have is about the rotation for different types of share time. Does the teacher have a strict schedule (i.e. Monday is simple response share, Tuesday is survey share, etc.) or is it at his or her discretion?

I was wondering when chapter 17 would sneak up on us... assessments and evaluations had to fit in somewhere. To assess the work students have done, Ray recommends that the students assess themselves using a rubric that the teacher has created. While I think this is a valid method for assessment, I do not necessarily think that the students' grade in writing workshop should be based solely on their self-assessments. Like Ray said, kids can be really hard on themselves. But I understand that the students providing the reasoning behind their answers helps to combat this... but this does not change the fact that I just worry about removing myself from the grading equation.

EDEC- Day 8

I taught my first calendar time Friday morning and guess what?!? It didn't blow up in my face! (The last lesson plan that I did ended in complete failure if you can't tell.) I guess there's finally some hope for me in the career of teaching. My mentor teacher's only criticism was that it took a bit too long, but that I was very thorough in all that I did. Yay!

In other news, I got about 7 homemade valentine's day cards from my kids. One even had my fish and my roommate's cat, Merlin on it. (I was wondering why this child was asking about my pets earlier...) The kids are so adorable and sweet. They really make up for all of the crappy moments that happen every once in a while.

Several other things happened on Friday, including, but not limited to:
-Parent breakfast, complete with tiny, precious kindergartners singing 4 songs on stage
-Going outside so the students could dig up two different types of soil for their science experiments
-Book buddies at the end of the day with a 3rd grade class... they LOVED it and were extremely well behaved (especially for having had such a long day!)

And that's it.

EDEC- Day 7

Thank God, the days are getting a bit easier at Chase Street. I have some more responsibilities now, so I definitely feel like I am being more useful. Also, I have noticed that there are also parts of the day when I actually have a break (specials, centers, etc.). Those are really vital to my sanity, and really my overall well-being. If I don't get that time, I feel like a little kid who hasn't napped all day.

As far as kindergarten humor goes, I didn't have a stand-out-hilarious-moment yesterday. But, the kids do have parent breakfast this morning, so I am sure something is bound to happen.

EDEC- Day 6

Today was an absolute crap day. My alarm didn't go off, so I woke up at 7:08, looked at my phone and FREAKED OUT. There is nothing worse to me than being late and since I might actually want to work at this elementary school one day, appearances and references are really important to me. I called my teacher and left a message and got ready as soon as I could. I arrived around 8 and the day went skiing down crap hill from there.

I didn't get to do morning meeting as planned, I kept a student out for an assessment over into his guided reading, I got scolded by my teacher for taking time to get dressed instead of hurrying to get there, and I stepped on my teacher's toes numerous times.

When I write it all down, it doesn't seem like too much of a bad day. Is it PMS? Maybe. Is is a bad combination of things this week? Definitely.

On a positive note, I'm getting some much needed laundry done!

EDEC- Day 5

Kindergarten

Blow your nose!
Wash your hands!
Quiet in line!
Listen to my demands!

Hands to self!
Don't share food!
Stand up straight!
Let's not be rude!

Head off of your desk!
Stop picking your nose!
Wipe your feet!
Sit in your rows!

Walk in the halls!
Don't mess with your hair!
Clean up your mess!
Push in your chair!

Kindergarten is chock full of reminders. Some are necessary, but I think that many of them have more to do with the fact that the student is getting on the nerves of a teacher with a short temper or a teacher who likes to have things "a certain way." For the most part, whatever the student is doing is not bothering his or her classmates... so why make a big stink about it? I feel that it is very easy to be a knit-picky teacher because you don't really have to think about what comes out of your mouth. It is convenient just to yell, "STOP!," threaten the child with a consequence, and move on so that you are unbothered. A teacher who carefully thinks about the impact of their words, on the other hand, has a much harder job. Instead of blurting out the first thing that comes to his or her mind, this teacher would think about if the situation was truly causing disruption in the classroom and if it was worth discussing with the student. I say discussing because I have seen in my last few weeks of field experience that discussions do not happen very often. The child-at-hand gets a verbal lashing (like the lines in the poem) and the teacher moves on, expecting the student to have learned their lesson.

In What Great Teachers Do Differently, this issue is talked about (in so many words). It mentions that each teacher has a "bag of tricks" to reach into when a student behaves. These include using eye contact, proximity, sending a student to the office, praising, arguing, or yelling. There are several other tools besides yelling and arguing, so why do teachers do these things? Again, I think it's because it's easy. I hope that I can learn how to control my urges to yell and argue and instead use positive management tools. I reall do think that it will make a world of difference.