First off, I know I skipped my quick Wednesday mid-week update... it's been a busy week! I was very busy teaching my original unit to my students.
One of my university requirements is that I write my own unit for any subject and teach it to my kids. WOW, I have learned a lot about how extensive the planning, copying, gathering of materials, time management, etc can be.... But what I have realized is that the reality is that once I make these materials once, I have them forever! And let me tell you.. the effort has been SO worth it. My lessons have clearly been engaging and interesting to my students. Once I wrap up the unit, I'll share all the details with you. :) Long story short for now.... it's a science unit about outer space... how cool?!
Any way... the student quote title this week was, "Ms. Brailov, how do you know everything about everything?"
**This was said after I taught a lesson about the Earth's orbits and rotations and how we have day and night and seasons***
A student actually said this to me! Well, I need to admit I did feel really cool and honored that this student thought I knew "everything about everything"... I think my response shocked him even more than the thought that I might be a genius.
I simply said, "I actually don't know everything about everything... believe or not... I have been learning most of this stuff with you guys! I spend a little time every night learning about want I want you to learn about and figuring out how I can teach it to you."
This student stood there with a blank stare and finally said, "Is a teacher the smartest job in the world?"
HAHA! Well in my opinion.... yes.... ;)... kidding! No, I don't think the smartest people in the world are teachers but I do think the people who are truly life long learners are teachers. To me, being a life longer learner is so much more valuable than being 'smart'.
Life longer learners is basically a catch phrase the College of Education liked to throw at us often. It did not have too much meaning to me until I started student teaching. I've recently found myself spending long nights learning about star constellations or the history of communities in the United States or how a prosthetic leg is made. I have thoroughly enjoyed doing this!
I never remember loving school but I always remember loving to learn. I'm someone who can think of a question and then can read up on information about it for hours and lose track of time. Trust me, I can tell you almost everything and anything there is to know about Ebola. Some people might think that is a harsh example.. but really. It's a current event affecting our world and I want to know about it. I've spent hours lost in news articles, videos, and tweets learning about Ebola.
I don't just do this with current events. Sometimes I'm just curious! One time I spent hours learning about the tentacles on a octopus. I was curious and had to learn about it!
Basically, I feel so lucky to be going into a profession where I can continue my passion for learning. Everyday, I learn something! I really do. I don't care if my students are in second grade... I can still learn plenty from teaching their classes.
Sometimes I find myself getting lost in lesson planning because I start learning so much about a topic.
It's a cool feeling to know that you're educating yourself while educating others.
The beauty of teaching is that you are not expected to know all the answers. In my opinion, I'm expected to instill the idea of wanting to learn in my students.... not always having all the answers.
While teaching a science lesson last week a student asked me a question about how the Earth's rotation began. I honestly didn't know the answer. I didn't feel embarrassed one bit! I simply explained that I don't know the answer but that it is a great question and I would love to get back to him tomorrow about it! He was perfectly okay with this response.
Here is the best part...
The next day he handed me a piece of paper he printed out from the NASA website about how the Earth started rotating. HOW COOL? My student went home... wanting to keep learning about something we talked about in class.
That's AMAZING! That's what I want to see from my students. I want to spark the desire to keep learning in all of them. For all I know... I just sparked an interest in a future astronomer. That's a pretty great feeling to have.
I don't care if my students know all the answers. I don't expect them to. We are human and we do not know everything.
But what I do want...
I want them to question things. I don't want them to be satisfied on only the information I give them in class. I want them to be curious and want to know more. I want them to take those extra steps on their own and further their own learning. I want us all to learn together. That's what I want my future classroom to be about.
I want us all to be life long learners. No more throwing around that catch phrase, now I mean it.
Sunday, October 12, 2014
Sunday, October 5, 2014
*I handed a student a very large piece of paper for a group project* "I can't hold that! I need a man!"
A light and funny topic this week!
I feel like I don't talk enough about how much I truly love and appreciate every single one of my 19 second graders. They each have contributed so much to my experience as a student teacher. They will never understand how much they have taught me.
On my worst days, earliest mornings, rainy days, feeling sick days, don't know what to pack for lunch days, did I already wear that shirt this week days, and days I simply would rather stay in bed than go to school... once I get into my car and turn on my iPod and start driving.. suddenly I feel alright.
Once I step into the classroom and sit down at my desk and think about what I am teaching today, I feel really good. I slowly wait for the clock to reach 8:30 and then I know the students will be here any minute now. This is usually when I close my eyes for a few seconds and take in the quiet.
Finally at 8:35 I see the smiling faces of my students turn the corner to our classroom. Every morning they come in so happy, excited, energetic, and curious!
Everyday is really a new day at school. Once they step into the classroom, I forget about everything I am frustrated with and everything that went wrong yesterday. Getting hugs and smiling faces don't make it easy to hold grudges for too long!
Now let me tell you a little bit about all 19 of these incredible boys and girls...
1. This boy has really good days and really bad days. It isn't because he is academically behind, it's because sometimes he isn't able to focus very well. I really enjoy working this boy because when he does succeed I always make a big deal about it to him. Then he always gets this subtle grin like he always knew he could do it. :)
2. This boy is totally the class clown! He is usually trying to catch my eye and make me laugh or smile. (He succeeds at it way too much). My favorite memory of this kid... one time he wore a tye-dye shirt to school and told me there was something really awesome about this shirt. I asked him what it was. He said, "there is no tag in it so there is no front or back!" During the day I saw him put his arms in his shirt and switch it around about forty times!
3. This girl is probably one of the best student writers! She is so creative and whenever I read her stories I feel like I am listening to her talk. She is constantly attentive and eager to put her thoughts into words. I always try and make sure to let her know that writing is a huge strength for her and that she should always be proud of her work. She is so much smarter than she knows!
4. This boy... well he was the first student to learn my name. I should have taken that as a hint into my future with this boy. He gives me hugs every morning and every afternoon. He always wants to hold my hand if we are walking to a special or to recess. When the kids come back from lunch he always pokes his head in and says hi to me. You would think he loves me! But once I am alone in the classroom teaching, he seems to give me the hardest time in terms of classroom management. I think he thinks he can get away with it since we have such a good relationship, but I don't let him! He is clearly a people pleaser.
5. This girl ALWAYS makes me laugh. She is probably the tiniest one in the class. Every morning she struggles to take her chair off of her desk. She always looks at me while she is attempting to pick the chair off the ground and smiles. I always help her! When she has something to contribute to class she raises her hand and makes noises and gets really wide eyed to show how eager she is until we call on her. What a goof! Once I saw her tip toeing around the classroom... she was doing it to pretend she was wearing high heels because "her mom wouldn't let her wear them." Oh, she also said the quote of todays blog title. :)
6. This girl is another huge goof. She loves to come up to me and start ranting on some silly story. One time it was that her cat found a wig and wore it around the house... the other time it was that she once took one bite of one hundred separate apples... once it was that she is the hugging queen of the school. I'm not always sure how true her stories are... ;) but I love listening to them! Mostly because she is laughing so hard and trying to catch her breathe through the whole thing.
7. This student is one of the more quiet ones in class. But I can always catch her talking to another student during class! She is very sweet and friendly with all of the students in class. I haven't had many one-on-one conversations with her. Last week she was a line leader and as we were walking back to class she told me she hopes I teach 3rd grade so she could be in my class. She also often asks me why I need to leave in December. Well, that's enough approval for me!
8. This is a quiet yet very sassy student. She is SO quiet while we are teaching but once we stop she loves to question me about why we are doing something or how come we can't be doing something else. But she is so sweet in the way she says it that I can't even get mad that she is asking! This girl is also one of the most patient students I have ever seen. She could work with anyone in class and be happy to be working with them no matter what ability level they are at. Last week she was in a group for a social studies project and she was giggling and joking around the whole time! It was so nice to see that from her.
9. This one is our little spacey yet very imaginative student. She might not pay attention very well but she is wildly creative! Her stories are unbelievable in a great way. She is also a very strong reader and constantly calls herself a "huuuuuuge book worm". She truly is one who can actually get lost in a book! I bet she will be a future fantasy book writer. I'll be able to say I taught her 2nd grade class and knew it when she was 7. :) Oh and the other week she told me she really liked my glasses which actually made me feel really good because I always feel a little odd when I wear them!
10. Here comes another goofy one... this girl always asks "if I am getting fired". Every time my advisor comes in she jokes that she will make my lesson terrible in order to "get me fired". Throughout the day I can always catch her giving me the "I'm watching you" hand signal. I usual grin and give it right back at her. I love that I can joke around with her in this way! Her new joke is that she is trying to track down my house to see where I live... oh gosh. The benefits of living in the same town as your students!
11. This boy is very quiet but also very sneaky. He comes off as very quiet and hardworking but more than often times he is the one I keep confiscating pencils from because he keeps throwing them to other students or playing games with them on his desk! He also likes to come up to me and say "I'm booooreedddd" or "I already read all my books!". I usually respond with, "Oh really? You read all these books faster than I can! How about we send you to 5th grade for reading time?" He usually turns bright red and walks back to his desk. Nice try, kid!
12. This girl has the BEST attitude of any student. Seriously. She is not very strong academically due to many reasons out of her control but she will do everything with a smile on her face. You wouldn't even know she is struggling. She makes me so happy to be doing what I am doing. I don't think she realizes how much of a role model she can be to other students. I love when she participates in class because she always does it with such enthusiasm! She always makes my day, especially with her great smile.
13. Funny story about this little boy... I knew him when he was 3 years old! He attended the preschool at the high school which is where I took child development. It is so crazy how now I am student teaching in his 2nd grade class! Wow! And I totally remember him! Also, this boy always grabs my arm and feels his hand down my sleeve while asking me a question. Finally I asked him what he is doing, he said my shirts are always so soft so he needs to do it! Oh 7 year olds... so honest!
14. This girls makes me feel like I CAN be a teacher. Often times while I am teaching, I feel like I'm not really getting the point across... even though I am, my students just don't always show it. During my lessons she is always participating and showing me she is listening to me and learning. I know other students are too! But she actively shows it while I am in front of the class. She just makes me feel like I am a good teacher. She even told me that I made her love writing and realize how good she is at it. :) Yesssss!
15. This girl is on a mission to "learn my real name" as she likes to say.... I learned my "real name" is my first name! Apparently Ms. Brailov isn't a real name. This student is in many of my small groups and is so thoughtful in the way she participates. I always enjoy listening to her ideas because she is always demonstrating true learning. I've already seen her already make so much progress this year. I cannot wait to see how much she changes as a student. Now if she would just stop being so chatty in class..... :)
16. This boy is from Texas! You wouldn't even know he is new to this school this year because of how friendly he is. He so quickly learned everyones names and made friends. Every time he is paired with someone for an activity, he turns to them and smiles and waves. It always melts my heart! His smile really does light up the room. He is also so genuine to everyone in the school. 2nd graders have such good hearts. I hope he stays that way.
17. This girl! She is very quiet and doesn't not enjoying particiapting. If I ever call on her and ask her to give me an answer she usually smiles at me and laughs and says, "I don't know!" You can't help but smile back at her! She is so good hearted and is often complimenting other students in class when they do a good job. Last week I saw her turn around and give a high-five to a boy who met his goal on his math fact fluency test. What a sweet heart!
18. This boy works so hard! He is so good at focusing on a task and taking his time to get it done. He never feels the need to rush. I try to give him a lot of positive reinforcement because I know he doesn't think very highly of himself. Whenever I do, he smiles at me and says thank-you! He is also always trying to be friends with everyone and help students who don't have many friends have more friends. I've witnessed him inviting other students to play with him and his friends at recess. What a good kid!
19. This little boy truly has the wisdom of a 100 year old man. He often will stop me at random points in my day and say something like "some people just have hard lives" or "nobody can really be perfect". He is so smart, curious, and genuinely loves to learn. If I ever need to stop a lesson to work some classroom management, he is usually the one looking at me saying, "I'm not misbehaving, am I?" while giving me a wide grin! Oh and this kid will only wear his shirt backwards. He is well aware it is backwards too! He just likes it that way.
There you have it! 19 truly unique and amazing individuals. I am so lucky to be apart of their 2nd grade classroom. I can't believe I only have about 7 weeks left really teaching and being them. Time really does fly... and I can tell December will not be a fun month! :( I won't want to leave.
Back to school tomorrow! I cannot wait for a fresh start to a new week!
I feel like I don't talk enough about how much I truly love and appreciate every single one of my 19 second graders. They each have contributed so much to my experience as a student teacher. They will never understand how much they have taught me.
On my worst days, earliest mornings, rainy days, feeling sick days, don't know what to pack for lunch days, did I already wear that shirt this week days, and days I simply would rather stay in bed than go to school... once I get into my car and turn on my iPod and start driving.. suddenly I feel alright.
Once I step into the classroom and sit down at my desk and think about what I am teaching today, I feel really good. I slowly wait for the clock to reach 8:30 and then I know the students will be here any minute now. This is usually when I close my eyes for a few seconds and take in the quiet.
Finally at 8:35 I see the smiling faces of my students turn the corner to our classroom. Every morning they come in so happy, excited, energetic, and curious!
Everyday is really a new day at school. Once they step into the classroom, I forget about everything I am frustrated with and everything that went wrong yesterday. Getting hugs and smiling faces don't make it easy to hold grudges for too long!
Now let me tell you a little bit about all 19 of these incredible boys and girls...
1. This boy has really good days and really bad days. It isn't because he is academically behind, it's because sometimes he isn't able to focus very well. I really enjoy working this boy because when he does succeed I always make a big deal about it to him. Then he always gets this subtle grin like he always knew he could do it. :)
2. This boy is totally the class clown! He is usually trying to catch my eye and make me laugh or smile. (He succeeds at it way too much). My favorite memory of this kid... one time he wore a tye-dye shirt to school and told me there was something really awesome about this shirt. I asked him what it was. He said, "there is no tag in it so there is no front or back!" During the day I saw him put his arms in his shirt and switch it around about forty times!
3. This girl is probably one of the best student writers! She is so creative and whenever I read her stories I feel like I am listening to her talk. She is constantly attentive and eager to put her thoughts into words. I always try and make sure to let her know that writing is a huge strength for her and that she should always be proud of her work. She is so much smarter than she knows!
4. This boy... well he was the first student to learn my name. I should have taken that as a hint into my future with this boy. He gives me hugs every morning and every afternoon. He always wants to hold my hand if we are walking to a special or to recess. When the kids come back from lunch he always pokes his head in and says hi to me. You would think he loves me! But once I am alone in the classroom teaching, he seems to give me the hardest time in terms of classroom management. I think he thinks he can get away with it since we have such a good relationship, but I don't let him! He is clearly a people pleaser.
5. This girl ALWAYS makes me laugh. She is probably the tiniest one in the class. Every morning she struggles to take her chair off of her desk. She always looks at me while she is attempting to pick the chair off the ground and smiles. I always help her! When she has something to contribute to class she raises her hand and makes noises and gets really wide eyed to show how eager she is until we call on her. What a goof! Once I saw her tip toeing around the classroom... she was doing it to pretend she was wearing high heels because "her mom wouldn't let her wear them." Oh, she also said the quote of todays blog title. :)
6. This girl is another huge goof. She loves to come up to me and start ranting on some silly story. One time it was that her cat found a wig and wore it around the house... the other time it was that she once took one bite of one hundred separate apples... once it was that she is the hugging queen of the school. I'm not always sure how true her stories are... ;) but I love listening to them! Mostly because she is laughing so hard and trying to catch her breathe through the whole thing.
7. This student is one of the more quiet ones in class. But I can always catch her talking to another student during class! She is very sweet and friendly with all of the students in class. I haven't had many one-on-one conversations with her. Last week she was a line leader and as we were walking back to class she told me she hopes I teach 3rd grade so she could be in my class. She also often asks me why I need to leave in December. Well, that's enough approval for me!
8. This is a quiet yet very sassy student. She is SO quiet while we are teaching but once we stop she loves to question me about why we are doing something or how come we can't be doing something else. But she is so sweet in the way she says it that I can't even get mad that she is asking! This girl is also one of the most patient students I have ever seen. She could work with anyone in class and be happy to be working with them no matter what ability level they are at. Last week she was in a group for a social studies project and she was giggling and joking around the whole time! It was so nice to see that from her.
9. This one is our little spacey yet very imaginative student. She might not pay attention very well but she is wildly creative! Her stories are unbelievable in a great way. She is also a very strong reader and constantly calls herself a "huuuuuuge book worm". She truly is one who can actually get lost in a book! I bet she will be a future fantasy book writer. I'll be able to say I taught her 2nd grade class and knew it when she was 7. :) Oh and the other week she told me she really liked my glasses which actually made me feel really good because I always feel a little odd when I wear them!
10. Here comes another goofy one... this girl always asks "if I am getting fired". Every time my advisor comes in she jokes that she will make my lesson terrible in order to "get me fired". Throughout the day I can always catch her giving me the "I'm watching you" hand signal. I usual grin and give it right back at her. I love that I can joke around with her in this way! Her new joke is that she is trying to track down my house to see where I live... oh gosh. The benefits of living in the same town as your students!
11. This boy is very quiet but also very sneaky. He comes off as very quiet and hardworking but more than often times he is the one I keep confiscating pencils from because he keeps throwing them to other students or playing games with them on his desk! He also likes to come up to me and say "I'm booooreedddd" or "I already read all my books!". I usually respond with, "Oh really? You read all these books faster than I can! How about we send you to 5th grade for reading time?" He usually turns bright red and walks back to his desk. Nice try, kid!
12. This girl has the BEST attitude of any student. Seriously. She is not very strong academically due to many reasons out of her control but she will do everything with a smile on her face. You wouldn't even know she is struggling. She makes me so happy to be doing what I am doing. I don't think she realizes how much of a role model she can be to other students. I love when she participates in class because she always does it with such enthusiasm! She always makes my day, especially with her great smile.
13. Funny story about this little boy... I knew him when he was 3 years old! He attended the preschool at the high school which is where I took child development. It is so crazy how now I am student teaching in his 2nd grade class! Wow! And I totally remember him! Also, this boy always grabs my arm and feels his hand down my sleeve while asking me a question. Finally I asked him what he is doing, he said my shirts are always so soft so he needs to do it! Oh 7 year olds... so honest!
14. This girls makes me feel like I CAN be a teacher. Often times while I am teaching, I feel like I'm not really getting the point across... even though I am, my students just don't always show it. During my lessons she is always participating and showing me she is listening to me and learning. I know other students are too! But she actively shows it while I am in front of the class. She just makes me feel like I am a good teacher. She even told me that I made her love writing and realize how good she is at it. :) Yesssss!
15. This girl is on a mission to "learn my real name" as she likes to say.... I learned my "real name" is my first name! Apparently Ms. Brailov isn't a real name. This student is in many of my small groups and is so thoughtful in the way she participates. I always enjoy listening to her ideas because she is always demonstrating true learning. I've already seen her already make so much progress this year. I cannot wait to see how much she changes as a student. Now if she would just stop being so chatty in class..... :)
16. This boy is from Texas! You wouldn't even know he is new to this school this year because of how friendly he is. He so quickly learned everyones names and made friends. Every time he is paired with someone for an activity, he turns to them and smiles and waves. It always melts my heart! His smile really does light up the room. He is also so genuine to everyone in the school. 2nd graders have such good hearts. I hope he stays that way.
17. This girl! She is very quiet and doesn't not enjoying particiapting. If I ever call on her and ask her to give me an answer she usually smiles at me and laughs and says, "I don't know!" You can't help but smile back at her! She is so good hearted and is often complimenting other students in class when they do a good job. Last week I saw her turn around and give a high-five to a boy who met his goal on his math fact fluency test. What a sweet heart!
18. This boy works so hard! He is so good at focusing on a task and taking his time to get it done. He never feels the need to rush. I try to give him a lot of positive reinforcement because I know he doesn't think very highly of himself. Whenever I do, he smiles at me and says thank-you! He is also always trying to be friends with everyone and help students who don't have many friends have more friends. I've witnessed him inviting other students to play with him and his friends at recess. What a good kid!
19. This little boy truly has the wisdom of a 100 year old man. He often will stop me at random points in my day and say something like "some people just have hard lives" or "nobody can really be perfect". He is so smart, curious, and genuinely loves to learn. If I ever need to stop a lesson to work some classroom management, he is usually the one looking at me saying, "I'm not misbehaving, am I?" while giving me a wide grin! Oh and this kid will only wear his shirt backwards. He is well aware it is backwards too! He just likes it that way.
There you have it! 19 truly unique and amazing individuals. I am so lucky to be apart of their 2nd grade classroom. I can't believe I only have about 7 weeks left really teaching and being them. Time really does fly... and I can tell December will not be a fun month! :( I won't want to leave.
Back to school tomorrow! I cannot wait for a fresh start to a new week!
Wednesday, October 1, 2014
Week 6: Mid-week update!
Today was FIELD TRIP DAAAAAY!
The field trip was all about measuring which is what we have been focusing on in our current math unit. During the field trip students had the opportunity to measure things outside! I loved this because it was refreshing to get some fresh air while doing math. That doesn't happen very often, does it? ;)
My students favorite activity was measuring the diameter of trees! Overall, I had an excellent day running around with my crazy energetic group of 6 students measuring trees! (We measured a lot more than trees but it was certainly the highlight)
It was also really great to have the experience of organizing a field trip and seeing how much prep work goes into that. I was in charge of carrying the first aid kit! Wahoo!
Happy 1st day of October to us!
This picture is from the classroom calendar :)
The field trip was all about measuring which is what we have been focusing on in our current math unit. During the field trip students had the opportunity to measure things outside! I loved this because it was refreshing to get some fresh air while doing math. That doesn't happen very often, does it? ;)
My students favorite activity was measuring the diameter of trees! Overall, I had an excellent day running around with my crazy energetic group of 6 students measuring trees! (We measured a lot more than trees but it was certainly the highlight)
It was also really great to have the experience of organizing a field trip and seeing how much prep work goes into that. I was in charge of carrying the first aid kit! Wahoo!
Happy 1st day of October to us!
This picture is from the classroom calendar :)
Sunday, September 28, 2014
"Are you going to get fired if you do bad?"
I can't believe how quickly time has been flying since student teaching began! October starts this week... what?! It's almost getting to the point where I'm upset how fast it's going because that means the end is coming. Once the end is here.... I guess real life begins? Yikes!
Alright, so this week wasn't exactly my best week ever. It might have actually been the worst one so far. If anything, it was a real reality check on what classroom management means.
As frustrated as I might get with my students, I need to remember that they are 7 years old and probably just want attention. Which is usually the case. They just want a good laugh from their friends and to avoid the language arts phonics worksheet they need to do!
Sometimes I forget that to them... this is school... to me this is a profession I want to get better at. At times it may be fun and games to them but to me it's a lot of business.
I've learned that my classroom will never been perfect in terms of management. There will always be students who call answers out, leave the room without asking, take too many pencils, throw books, etc.
Some quotes from this week...
"I'm not doing science, I hate science"
"You can't make me read, I'll just stare at my desk pretending to read"
Me: "Didn't I just say to keep your books closed?" Student: "*opens books* So?"
"I hate this book"
"I'm bored!"
Me: "You're wasting your own PE time" Student: "You're wasting your teacher planning time"
And my favorite one of all week, after telling a student she was being disrespectful... "I don't tell anyone when you're disrespectful to me"
I later learned that me being disrespectful to her was the fact that I don't let them call me by my first name.... okay.... lets just say my CT handled that one in the hallway and I received a nice heart felt apology later.
They are just kids. Harmless humans! We've all been students and remember how boring school may have seemed at some point. In some ways the experiences I had this week made me want to reconnect with my students in an academic sense and figure out how I can make school more interesting and engaging for them.
As I begin to plan my original unit for science, I want to figure out what my students want to learn about and tie it all in with my own ideas. I think it'll be fun to see what they are curious about before the unit and watch them uncover the answers to their own questions. Maybe this will help them? I'm not sure but it's worth a try!
There has been a new face in our classroom lately. My advisor has been coming to school to watch me teach! One of my students asked, ""Are you going to get fired if you do bad?"
They LOVE to think they have control over me when it comes to my success in teaching lessons. One student even told me they were going to purposely misbehave so I would "get in trouble" with my advisor. Little do they know... he's been a teacher before and knows all the tricks a 7 year old might pull on the innocent student teacher.
Unfortunately for my students I won't get fired ever. In fact, he loved my lesson! He said my students all seemed happy, engaged, and I was really communicating with them and showing enthusiasm towards the content.
Miss Brailov- 1 2nd graders- 0
Now as I write this post, it's almost hard to think of all the 'bad' from last week. I'm thinking of all the good things that happened, all the laughs I had with my students, all the hugs I received, all the 'I'm sorrys' I got. Even on my worst day, I left school feeling okay about myself and how the overall day went.
One of the most rewarding things that happened all of last week was when I heard many students say that they had fun writing a draft of their narrative. They said they wanted to write more because they enjoyed it so much.
This was so exciting to me because I have been teaching writing! I spent a week and a half teaching them about what a narrative was and all the different parts of writing one and modeling the whole process for them. Recently they have been crafting their own narratives with a partner. On Friday, they drafted their narrative and genuinely had fun.
That's real learning. When students have fun doing something in school.
After hearing those comments on Friday morning, everything else felt irrelevant. We made it to Friday and my students are having fun writing narratives (Something I've been teaching them to do)! That's a success for me.
I'm ready to tackle a new week! I'm sure it'll be full of playground drama, trips to the nurse, excuses to not read, broken pencils, chatty students, and so much more! But that's apart of the job and I'm ready for it. On to Monday morning and week 6!
I'm taking over the whole classroom in 3 weeks... scary.
Thursday, September 25, 2014
Week 5: Mid-week update!
Well, I'll admit.... I totally blanked on posting my mid-week update yesterday. OOPS! That's what happens when you have a random Thursday off of school, everything gets a little crazy.
This week has been exceptionally tough in terms of teaching. I have been experiencing many behavior problems this week with my students. Lets just say, I've had a good dose of "classroom management" practice. But it's all apart of the experience! Teaching can't always be pretty and perfect. Sometimes it just isn't fun but at the end of the day you still love your students like you did at 8:25 that morning.
Some good news JUST happened. I received an e-mail about the University recommending me for licensure and this is what they said they are recommending me for based on my coursework.
Apparently I qualified for a K-8 Social Studies endorsement on top of my K-6 Elementary Classroom endorsement! The best endorsements are the ones you didn't know you earned. ;)
This week has been exceptionally tough in terms of teaching. I have been experiencing many behavior problems this week with my students. Lets just say, I've had a good dose of "classroom management" practice. But it's all apart of the experience! Teaching can't always be pretty and perfect. Sometimes it just isn't fun but at the end of the day you still love your students like you did at 8:25 that morning.
Some good news JUST happened. I received an e-mail about the University recommending me for licensure and this is what they said they are recommending me for based on my coursework.
Apparently I qualified for a K-8 Social Studies endorsement on top of my K-6 Elementary Classroom endorsement! The best endorsements are the ones you didn't know you earned. ;)
Sunday, September 21, 2014
"After school, do teachers have a teacher party?" "What is that?" "Like when they eat food and listen to music!"
I stayed at school until 5:00 PM on Friday. Generally I stay until around 4:30-5:00 on any given day but this was a Friday. As I was making copies in workroom one of the other teachers came in and started chatting me up about how hard I was working and asking about my weekend plans. As she was leaving she said, "Now I better not see you in here Monday morning in the same clothes, please go home soon!" I laughed and smiled but then realized I still had about 10 separate more pages to copy... I'll be out of here soon.... maybe...
I've learned a lot about a teachers work schedule during my first month as a student teacher. Here are a few observations I've made... none of which were really talked about in college...
1. Teachers are mandated to arrive at school by 8:15 (15 minutes before school starts), most are there between 7:00-7:30
2. Teachers are mandated to stay at school until 3:35 (10 minutes after school gets out), most stay until anywhere between 5:00-7:00
3. Yes, they do have a lunch break for a full 55 minutes! Well I should say 55 minutes labeled "lunch". Drop the break, teachers are usually spending the first 20 minutes responding to emails and phone calls from parents. Now you have 35 minutes, still plenty of time! Wait... you have an IEP meeting, make that 15 minutes for lunch. Or... wait! You have students coming in to make up assignments that you need scores for (wouldn't want them to miss MORE instructional time), 15 minutes for lunch again. Or... wait! You have copies to make, this morning your students didn't exactly understand the concept you taught them. Might as well bump that social studies lesson and create a brand new language arts lesson to reteach this afternoon before you fall too far behind! Wait... is that the 2nd week in a row we bumped a social studies lesson?
Lunch break? You mean the 10-15 minutes teachers have for lunch.
4. Well we do have a special everyday, sometimes two in a row! (Specials are art, music, physical education, and library time. Each one lasts for 30 minutes) Everyday the students are gone for an additional 30 minutes sometimes 60 minutes in the afternoon. Surely that's a great time to catch up on something! Wrong again, more e-mails to respond to, more planning on how to catch students up, more planning for the 4 different leveled reading groups and 4 different leveled spelling groups you have, etc.
Break time does not exist for the average elementary school teacher who is teaching for a full sized class for the whole day. These teachers are constantly buying time throughout the day to find the energy to keep going and to keep planning and to keep responding and communicating with other teachers, principals, and parents.
My school day runs from 8:25-3:25 in terms of student hours. (Students don't actually get into the classroom until 3:35 but the first bell rings at 3:25 to line up).
That is 7 hours of time the students are under the responsibility of the classroom teacher.
Lets take out roughly 1 hour for the student's lunch/ recess time.
Another 30 minutes for a special.
Another 30 minutes for morning recess/ snack time. (Although that is supervised by the classroom teachers, there is no teaching going on)
That is 2 hours of no instructional learning time 3 days a week and 2 days a week with 2.5 hours gone.
There are roughly 5 hours a day of instructional time in a students day with their classroom teacher. Therefore a teacher needs about 25 hours of teaching time planned each week. Maybe 24 hours if you add the 2nd special twice a week.
It's crazy when you put that in numbers! I know, some people might think that's a big numbers considering "ALL THE FREE TIME TEACHERS HAVE" But really, how much do you think goes according to plan during the day?
Students get pulled out of the classroom, students get sick, students don't finish all of their work, technology fails, the lesson doesn't get across to the students as well as planned, students go to the nurse, students have to go to the bathroom (ALL THE TIME!), book fairs happen, fire drills happen, the students simply can't stay focused... these are all natural occurrences during a day.
And sometimes during those "breaks" in the rare moment that you don't need to get something done... it is nice to just sit in silence and take a few deep breathes.
It's so much easier to actually plan while the students are not in school because you really don't need to worry about them or worry about what's happening next. It's the only time you can really take it all in and determine what worked/ did not work during the day. Hence staying the extra 1-3 hours after school.
A student said to me, "After school, do teachers have a teacher party?"
"What is that?" I asked
"Like when they eat food and listen to music!"
See that would be nice! Just some free food, music, and relaxing! Sounds glorious.
No, no we don't have teacher parties. We just plan for tomorrow.
One day at a time
Most teachers are working so much harder than people ever think. They don't have time to sit around and enjoy a lunch break. If they are sitting around and talking, they are talking about what they are doing that afternoon and asking for advice or for another worksheet or to borrow a book.
"Teaching, the hardest job you'll ever love"
"I teach, what's your superpower?"
"Keep calm and pretend it's on the lesson plan"
"Don't make me use my teacher voice!"
Just a few t-shirts/ posters I've noticed in the classrooms at school :) all too relatable! ;)
To set the record straight, I know plenty of jobs involve working extra hours, short lunches, no breaks, etc.
But teachers experience all of these things and cannot show their anger, stress, or exhaustion because the students are there. You can't just decide to cut the day short and take a breather. Heck, you can't even walk out to the bathroom! There's no time for a personal moment. You just need to keep going. Most importantly, you also need to keep your energy levels up! In order to keep students engaged and learning you need to keep on smiling, keep on moving, and keep on your energetic spirit.
This job really isn't for everyone, even when you think it is for you. The statistic is that within the first 3 years of a teaching career, 50% of teachers will quit being a classroom teacher because of the stress.
That's just the reality. Every job has it's own reality. But this is the reality of MY job.
At the end of it all, I love my major, I love student teaching, I love being in the classroom, I love coming in early, I love staying late, I love my students, I love planning, I love grading, I love teaching.
I wouldn't change anything about this career. Except for maybe the respect a classroom teacher receives from the rest of the world... but that's for another blog post ;).
I'd much rather love my job even with all the extra craziness than settle for an okay job that has more consistency and benefits.
Loving what you do is so important. It makes the good days great and the not so good days tolerable because you love it anyway.
Student teaching has been the BEST reality check to make sure you really want this whole teaching thing. I've learned more in 5 weeks than I have in my entire program.... and I still think I'm in it for life. Even with the crazy! :)
4 weeks until midterm... what?!
This is all going TOO fast.
**Also! Please check out this link! It puts the whole teacher schedule vs. salary thing into a perspective. ****
http://blogs.ajc.com/get-schooled-blog/2011/02/23/if-teachers-are-mere-babysitters-pay-them-accordingly/
I've learned a lot about a teachers work schedule during my first month as a student teacher. Here are a few observations I've made... none of which were really talked about in college...
1. Teachers are mandated to arrive at school by 8:15 (15 minutes before school starts), most are there between 7:00-7:30
2. Teachers are mandated to stay at school until 3:35 (10 minutes after school gets out), most stay until anywhere between 5:00-7:00
3. Yes, they do have a lunch break for a full 55 minutes! Well I should say 55 minutes labeled "lunch". Drop the break, teachers are usually spending the first 20 minutes responding to emails and phone calls from parents. Now you have 35 minutes, still plenty of time! Wait... you have an IEP meeting, make that 15 minutes for lunch. Or... wait! You have students coming in to make up assignments that you need scores for (wouldn't want them to miss MORE instructional time), 15 minutes for lunch again. Or... wait! You have copies to make, this morning your students didn't exactly understand the concept you taught them. Might as well bump that social studies lesson and create a brand new language arts lesson to reteach this afternoon before you fall too far behind! Wait... is that the 2nd week in a row we bumped a social studies lesson?
Lunch break? You mean the 10-15 minutes teachers have for lunch.
4. Well we do have a special everyday, sometimes two in a row! (Specials are art, music, physical education, and library time. Each one lasts for 30 minutes) Everyday the students are gone for an additional 30 minutes sometimes 60 minutes in the afternoon. Surely that's a great time to catch up on something! Wrong again, more e-mails to respond to, more planning on how to catch students up, more planning for the 4 different leveled reading groups and 4 different leveled spelling groups you have, etc.
Break time does not exist for the average elementary school teacher who is teaching for a full sized class for the whole day. These teachers are constantly buying time throughout the day to find the energy to keep going and to keep planning and to keep responding and communicating with other teachers, principals, and parents.
My school day runs from 8:25-3:25 in terms of student hours. (Students don't actually get into the classroom until 3:35 but the first bell rings at 3:25 to line up).
That is 7 hours of time the students are under the responsibility of the classroom teacher.
Lets take out roughly 1 hour for the student's lunch/ recess time.
Another 30 minutes for a special.
Another 30 minutes for morning recess/ snack time. (Although that is supervised by the classroom teachers, there is no teaching going on)
That is 2 hours of no instructional learning time 3 days a week and 2 days a week with 2.5 hours gone.
There are roughly 5 hours a day of instructional time in a students day with their classroom teacher. Therefore a teacher needs about 25 hours of teaching time planned each week. Maybe 24 hours if you add the 2nd special twice a week.
It's crazy when you put that in numbers! I know, some people might think that's a big numbers considering "ALL THE FREE TIME TEACHERS HAVE" But really, how much do you think goes according to plan during the day?
Students get pulled out of the classroom, students get sick, students don't finish all of their work, technology fails, the lesson doesn't get across to the students as well as planned, students go to the nurse, students have to go to the bathroom (ALL THE TIME!), book fairs happen, fire drills happen, the students simply can't stay focused... these are all natural occurrences during a day.
And sometimes during those "breaks" in the rare moment that you don't need to get something done... it is nice to just sit in silence and take a few deep breathes.
It's so much easier to actually plan while the students are not in school because you really don't need to worry about them or worry about what's happening next. It's the only time you can really take it all in and determine what worked/ did not work during the day. Hence staying the extra 1-3 hours after school.
A student said to me, "After school, do teachers have a teacher party?"
"What is that?" I asked
"Like when they eat food and listen to music!"
See that would be nice! Just some free food, music, and relaxing! Sounds glorious.
No, no we don't have teacher parties. We just plan for tomorrow.
One day at a time
Most teachers are working so much harder than people ever think. They don't have time to sit around and enjoy a lunch break. If they are sitting around and talking, they are talking about what they are doing that afternoon and asking for advice or for another worksheet or to borrow a book.
"Teaching, the hardest job you'll ever love"
"I teach, what's your superpower?"
"Keep calm and pretend it's on the lesson plan"
"Don't make me use my teacher voice!"
Just a few t-shirts/ posters I've noticed in the classrooms at school :) all too relatable! ;)
To set the record straight, I know plenty of jobs involve working extra hours, short lunches, no breaks, etc.
But teachers experience all of these things and cannot show their anger, stress, or exhaustion because the students are there. You can't just decide to cut the day short and take a breather. Heck, you can't even walk out to the bathroom! There's no time for a personal moment. You just need to keep going. Most importantly, you also need to keep your energy levels up! In order to keep students engaged and learning you need to keep on smiling, keep on moving, and keep on your energetic spirit.
This job really isn't for everyone, even when you think it is for you. The statistic is that within the first 3 years of a teaching career, 50% of teachers will quit being a classroom teacher because of the stress.
That's just the reality. Every job has it's own reality. But this is the reality of MY job.
At the end of it all, I love my major, I love student teaching, I love being in the classroom, I love coming in early, I love staying late, I love my students, I love planning, I love grading, I love teaching.
I wouldn't change anything about this career. Except for maybe the respect a classroom teacher receives from the rest of the world... but that's for another blog post ;).
I'd much rather love my job even with all the extra craziness than settle for an okay job that has more consistency and benefits.
Loving what you do is so important. It makes the good days great and the not so good days tolerable because you love it anyway.
Student teaching has been the BEST reality check to make sure you really want this whole teaching thing. I've learned more in 5 weeks than I have in my entire program.... and I still think I'm in it for life. Even with the crazy! :)
4 weeks until midterm... what?!
This is all going TOO fast.
**Also! Please check out this link! It puts the whole teacher schedule vs. salary thing into a perspective. ****
http://blogs.ajc.com/get-schooled-blog/2011/02/23/if-teachers-are-mere-babysitters-pay-them-accordingly/
Wednesday, September 17, 2014
Week 4: Mid-week update!
This week someone said to me, "Hopefully you don't spread your cold to your students!"
My response... "It was THEM who gave it to me..."
I've officially caught my first school cold. Awesome...
I've been downing bottles of lemon lime Emergen-C, popping a cold and sinus pill every few hours, and washing my hands like no other. As much as I like my hugs from my students, I cringe on the inside every time one of them touches me now. I think the most difficult part of having a cold while teaching is that you still need to keep talking no matter what! I spend most of my day answering about a million questions from my oh so curious 2nd grade students and it's clearly taking a toll on my voice.
Today I was able to breathe decently well! Lets hope my voice fully recovers by tomorrow :)
My response... "It was THEM who gave it to me..."
I've officially caught my first school cold. Awesome...
I've been downing bottles of lemon lime Emergen-C, popping a cold and sinus pill every few hours, and washing my hands like no other. As much as I like my hugs from my students, I cringe on the inside every time one of them touches me now. I think the most difficult part of having a cold while teaching is that you still need to keep talking no matter what! I spend most of my day answering about a million questions from my oh so curious 2nd grade students and it's clearly taking a toll on my voice.
Today I was able to breathe decently well! Lets hope my voice fully recovers by tomorrow :)
Sunday, September 14, 2014
"Okay so, I'm really bad at math but I still like it a lot! Like really, I'm so bad at it but it's my favorite subject!"
I've noticed that many of my students have the BEST attitude when it comes to school. They are not quick to give up, my little resilient 2nd graders.
It's refreshing to see how easy it is for them to ask questions and for them to keep trying something. Yes, often times they become very distracted and frustrated but that doesn't mean they are ready to fully give up on something. Usually after a little pep talk and a few things clarified they are right back at it!
Often times when my CT asks a student a question about the book we are reading together a student will give an answer that makes no sense at all. What I've noticed is they deliver their response so clearly and confidently, even when the logic isn't there. As a teacher, I would much rather my student have the confidence to share what they are thinking, even if it's wrong, compared to a student who has mentally given up and chooses not to share because they are afraid of the consequences.
Last week I worked with a student who consistently struggles in reading and writing. She hardly reads words out loud correctly and could use some help with her hand writing. In spite of what may seem like "huge academic problems" this student is incredible when it comes to comprehension! I could read a chapter of a book to her out loud and she could remember ever detail. Last week she answered a question about the book that was read to the class and her answer was so detailed, it was clear she understood what was going on. After my science lesson I gave the class a worksheet with a somewhat complex question to gage their understanding of the first lesson. Many students who appear very bright academically had answers that only displayed that they were approaching the common core standard in terms of their learning. This particular student gave me an answer that displayed that her knowledge was beyond the common core standard. I was so thrilled to see this from her!
Yes, it was hard to read her answer but once I got past that... her answer displayed a true understanding of the topic. This was more than I could say for many of her peers.
The point is, these students still haven't exactly been exposed to the part of school that knocks them down yet. In the primary grades (K-2) they are still trying to be figured out academically by parents, teachers, psychologists, social works, aids, academic coaches, etc. I feel like we often work so hard in these primary grades to figure the child out and to label them in some academic way. In the primary grades we just let them live that label until they prove otherwise (measured in academic success of course, which most of these students struggle hard with).
I don't know. I guess I just don't believe all of that. I don't have a better solution to this problem. I just find it so sad that many students have so much potential yet it all comes down to a standardized test which is essentially based on reading ability and time efficiency. I also know it is not realistic to have a teacher spend so much time helping individual students when there are plenty of students on track or above which also need just as much attention.
In general, I just feel like too often we don't fully consider a students strengths and play to those to help them succeed. We find it much easier to explain their lack of success through an IEP and give them reasons they should be struggling.
OKAY
I know some students need IEP's. I am not bashing the use of an IEP or saying it's just an excuse.
I do fully believe we don't always try as hard as we can to help a student be the best they can be before getting to that step. Of course, IEP's exist for a reason and they are very beneficial and the key to success for many students.
Sometimes I am just so bothered by how standardized school has become because I don't think it is always possible/ feasible to really help every student in the way they truly deserved to be helped... whether that means...
-Helping advanced students continue to be challenged at a productive level
or
-Finding out why a student is behind and using their current strengths to help them build new skills in their more difficult subjects
I guess I have just been getting too caught up in how happy and positive my students have been about school! Their frustration is often a sign of them only being 7 years old! They are not exactly at a point where they can handle their emotions on their own very well which is so understandable for that age.
I just wish that happy and positive outlook on school could continue through elementary school and beyond but we all know it doesn't. I know I won't be a superhero to turn that around for every student I come in contact with during my career. But I can say that I will give each student a little harder of a look before I write them off to someone else. As an educator, I believe that each student is my priority first and foremost. No matter what their academic situation is, I want to be apart of their progress throughout their time with me.
In the words of one of my students, "Okay so, I'm really bad at math but I still like it a lot! Like really, I'm so bad at it but it's my favorite subject!"
The fact that she loves a subject she is 'bad' at is simply incredible to hear. She probably feels this way because no one has made her feel like she 'can't do the math on her own' or that she 'isn't fast enough' or 'doing it the right way'.
I hope she never ever feels any of those ways. Let her love the subject she hates.
QUICK UPDATE:
Now that you made it through my rant... let me tell you what I've been teaching!
Last week I taught science all week (3 days a week). I now feel so comfortable in front of this class. It just seems natural to get up there and work my magic for 30-40 minutes. We have been learning about technology! Something all too relevant to these kids :P
I'll be finishing up this unit in the next week and a half. Next, I will be writing my own original unit about outer space! Wahoo!
This week I will continue teaching science plus I will be teaching writing! This subject takes up the entire week! So I will be having a solid 5 day run at teaching 'what makes writing good'. Basically we will be exploring the basics of what makes a narrative. (From brainstorming to the final product) By the end of this week they will be working on a partner narrative and then eventually sharing their narratives within small groups! I'm excited to see what these creative minds come up with.
And of course I will continue working with my small groups for reading and spelling every day.
Onto week 4!
It's refreshing to see how easy it is for them to ask questions and for them to keep trying something. Yes, often times they become very distracted and frustrated but that doesn't mean they are ready to fully give up on something. Usually after a little pep talk and a few things clarified they are right back at it!
Often times when my CT asks a student a question about the book we are reading together a student will give an answer that makes no sense at all. What I've noticed is they deliver their response so clearly and confidently, even when the logic isn't there. As a teacher, I would much rather my student have the confidence to share what they are thinking, even if it's wrong, compared to a student who has mentally given up and chooses not to share because they are afraid of the consequences.
Last week I worked with a student who consistently struggles in reading and writing. She hardly reads words out loud correctly and could use some help with her hand writing. In spite of what may seem like "huge academic problems" this student is incredible when it comes to comprehension! I could read a chapter of a book to her out loud and she could remember ever detail. Last week she answered a question about the book that was read to the class and her answer was so detailed, it was clear she understood what was going on. After my science lesson I gave the class a worksheet with a somewhat complex question to gage their understanding of the first lesson. Many students who appear very bright academically had answers that only displayed that they were approaching the common core standard in terms of their learning. This particular student gave me an answer that displayed that her knowledge was beyond the common core standard. I was so thrilled to see this from her!
Yes, it was hard to read her answer but once I got past that... her answer displayed a true understanding of the topic. This was more than I could say for many of her peers.
The point is, these students still haven't exactly been exposed to the part of school that knocks them down yet. In the primary grades (K-2) they are still trying to be figured out academically by parents, teachers, psychologists, social works, aids, academic coaches, etc. I feel like we often work so hard in these primary grades to figure the child out and to label them in some academic way. In the primary grades we just let them live that label until they prove otherwise (measured in academic success of course, which most of these students struggle hard with).
I don't know. I guess I just don't believe all of that. I don't have a better solution to this problem. I just find it so sad that many students have so much potential yet it all comes down to a standardized test which is essentially based on reading ability and time efficiency. I also know it is not realistic to have a teacher spend so much time helping individual students when there are plenty of students on track or above which also need just as much attention.
In general, I just feel like too often we don't fully consider a students strengths and play to those to help them succeed. We find it much easier to explain their lack of success through an IEP and give them reasons they should be struggling.
OKAY
I know some students need IEP's. I am not bashing the use of an IEP or saying it's just an excuse.
I do fully believe we don't always try as hard as we can to help a student be the best they can be before getting to that step. Of course, IEP's exist for a reason and they are very beneficial and the key to success for many students.
Sometimes I am just so bothered by how standardized school has become because I don't think it is always possible/ feasible to really help every student in the way they truly deserved to be helped... whether that means...
-Helping advanced students continue to be challenged at a productive level
or
-Finding out why a student is behind and using their current strengths to help them build new skills in their more difficult subjects
I guess I have just been getting too caught up in how happy and positive my students have been about school! Their frustration is often a sign of them only being 7 years old! They are not exactly at a point where they can handle their emotions on their own very well which is so understandable for that age.
I just wish that happy and positive outlook on school could continue through elementary school and beyond but we all know it doesn't. I know I won't be a superhero to turn that around for every student I come in contact with during my career. But I can say that I will give each student a little harder of a look before I write them off to someone else. As an educator, I believe that each student is my priority first and foremost. No matter what their academic situation is, I want to be apart of their progress throughout their time with me.
In the words of one of my students, "Okay so, I'm really bad at math but I still like it a lot! Like really, I'm so bad at it but it's my favorite subject!"
The fact that she loves a subject she is 'bad' at is simply incredible to hear. She probably feels this way because no one has made her feel like she 'can't do the math on her own' or that she 'isn't fast enough' or 'doing it the right way'.
I hope she never ever feels any of those ways. Let her love the subject she hates.
QUICK UPDATE:
Now that you made it through my rant... let me tell you what I've been teaching!
Last week I taught science all week (3 days a week). I now feel so comfortable in front of this class. It just seems natural to get up there and work my magic for 30-40 minutes. We have been learning about technology! Something all too relevant to these kids :P
I'll be finishing up this unit in the next week and a half. Next, I will be writing my own original unit about outer space! Wahoo!
This week I will continue teaching science plus I will be teaching writing! This subject takes up the entire week! So I will be having a solid 5 day run at teaching 'what makes writing good'. Basically we will be exploring the basics of what makes a narrative. (From brainstorming to the final product) By the end of this week they will be working on a partner narrative and then eventually sharing their narratives within small groups! I'm excited to see what these creative minds come up with.
And of course I will continue working with my small groups for reading and spelling every day.
Onto week 4!
Wednesday, September 10, 2014
Week 3: Mid-week update!
Tonight was CURRICULUM NIGHT! Basically the teachers get all dressed up in clothing they would never wear on a normal school day and speak to the parents of students in their class about what the school year will look like. Of course my CT did all of the talking, I did introduce myself though! The whole event only lasted about 30 minutes. It was pretty strange to be answering questions to parents about curriculum. I'm still adjusting to being considered an actual teacher in these instances! The parents of my students were beyond friendly and very chatty with me. Many of them mentioned their son or daughter has mentioned me at home, so that was nice to hear! Here is a picture of what I wore tonight! I felt like I looked like an actual teacher... scary! ;)
Sunday, September 7, 2014
"You're 22 and you still don't have a job?! My cousin is 17 and she has a job!"
Well I survived ALMOST a full week! I cannot believe this upcoming week will be my first full week of school with my 19 students. Bring on week 3! I have a feeling this whole experience is really going to fly now.
I should also mention real quick that I DID go to lunch with the little boy who asked me to! It was fun to chat with my students on a less structured level and just get to know them as people. I ended up going to lunch with them for two days in a row! My little group of buddies at lunch grew a little more the second day :).
It was very refreshing coming back to the classroom this week. I felt like everything was much more of a routine. This week I was the pilot of the week! My CT's classroom theme is hot air balloons and stuff like that. Each week we have a pilot of the week to make an 'all about me' styled poster. I filled mine with pictures of my family and my dogs and even a picture of me playing field hockey as a goalie. (The kids really got a kick out of that one!)
The most amazing thing to them was that I am 22 years old. To them that did not seem too old but it wasn't young either. I went to lunch with my students twice this week and one student asked me if I was in 8th grade last year... hmm... no I was not. College was a more complicated idea to explain! My brother suggested that I should have said I was in 16th grade, that reallyyyyy would have thrown them off! Another student said to me, "You're 22 and you still don't have a job?! My cousin is 17 and she has a job!"
Yes, I have had a job but it hasn't been a REAL job in terms of my life. I explained to her that teaching is the job I have been studying to do for about four years and that will be the job I want to do the rest of my life. She seemed to understand it a little more! :P
Many of my students have been telling me that they cannot believe I will be leaving them at some point! This makes me really happy to know that they are enjoying my presence in their classroom but also hurts to hear a little bit because I know that means saying good bye will be that much more emotional.
I keep having flashbacks to when I had to say good bye to my kindergarteners in Iowa City. As I listened to each student tell me something they would miss about me, received a book about why they loved me, and hugged each of them good bye I was holding back tears. Once finally made it to my car I cried the entire way home because I was so upset that I would never see them again and I knew I would miss those little guys who taught me so much about teaching. One of my friends was a practicum student across the hall in the other classroom. I ran into her on campus and asked her how her last day was. She said, "Oh gosh, I bawled the whole way home! Tears... everywhere..." I was happy to know I wasn't alone.
I was with those little ones for three to four hours for three days a week and I was THAT attached to them. What am I going to do when I need to leave students who I have been with since day one, all day everyday for a semesters worth of time?! What about the day I have my own classroom of students?! I don't even want to know... it won't be a good day.
One of the students said I should teach 3rd grade so they could be in my class next year. I told her I would loveeeee that! Let's hope she passes that onto the principal or something ;)
This week is going to be a BIG week for me! I am going to start doing the classroom opening every single day until my last two weeks of the semester. (The last two weeks are meant to be a 'phase out' meaning I will be doing less and less in the classroom so the students don't become dependent on me being in the classroom after lead teaching for so long)
In addition to doing the classroom opening... I will be having my own small reading group to teach almost every day, my own spelling group to teach, and I will be teaching whole group science! Truthfully I have never taught a science lesson to students... ever... so I am a little nervous for that. I am sure my CT will help organize me and prepare me enough for this lesson. I think I am going to do something extra exciting with them! As a reward for all the standardized testing they had to endure the past few days. My lesson will be more of an experimental activity in which they will use random tools and objects to move a ball for one location to the next without touch it with their hands. I have a feeling this will be a big mess and stressful in terms of teaching but hey, as long as they students have fun and remember the point of the activity, I've done my job!
On top of all that, I will be attending curriculum night on Wednesday! It is crazy to think that I will be with my CT speaking to the parents of my students in my class as their teacher. I'm sure I won't be doing much of the talking but it is still pretty surreal to think about. I already have my outfit all picked out!
It will be an exciting week ahead! I am nervous to start having all these other responsibilities in the classroom... but I know that once I do it a few times, it will become routine. I guess I would rather be thrown into something early in my student teaching experience and have plenty of time to become comfortable before I lead teach on my own for two weeks.
Here's to another fun yet exhausting week filled with 2nd grade drama, iPad malfunctions, and more teaching responsibilities! As nervous as I am, I know it'll all be fun!
I should also mention real quick that I DID go to lunch with the little boy who asked me to! It was fun to chat with my students on a less structured level and just get to know them as people. I ended up going to lunch with them for two days in a row! My little group of buddies at lunch grew a little more the second day :).
It was very refreshing coming back to the classroom this week. I felt like everything was much more of a routine. This week I was the pilot of the week! My CT's classroom theme is hot air balloons and stuff like that. Each week we have a pilot of the week to make an 'all about me' styled poster. I filled mine with pictures of my family and my dogs and even a picture of me playing field hockey as a goalie. (The kids really got a kick out of that one!)
The most amazing thing to them was that I am 22 years old. To them that did not seem too old but it wasn't young either. I went to lunch with my students twice this week and one student asked me if I was in 8th grade last year... hmm... no I was not. College was a more complicated idea to explain! My brother suggested that I should have said I was in 16th grade, that reallyyyyy would have thrown them off! Another student said to me, "You're 22 and you still don't have a job?! My cousin is 17 and she has a job!"
Yes, I have had a job but it hasn't been a REAL job in terms of my life. I explained to her that teaching is the job I have been studying to do for about four years and that will be the job I want to do the rest of my life. She seemed to understand it a little more! :P
Many of my students have been telling me that they cannot believe I will be leaving them at some point! This makes me really happy to know that they are enjoying my presence in their classroom but also hurts to hear a little bit because I know that means saying good bye will be that much more emotional.
I keep having flashbacks to when I had to say good bye to my kindergarteners in Iowa City. As I listened to each student tell me something they would miss about me, received a book about why they loved me, and hugged each of them good bye I was holding back tears. Once finally made it to my car I cried the entire way home because I was so upset that I would never see them again and I knew I would miss those little guys who taught me so much about teaching. One of my friends was a practicum student across the hall in the other classroom. I ran into her on campus and asked her how her last day was. She said, "Oh gosh, I bawled the whole way home! Tears... everywhere..." I was happy to know I wasn't alone.
I was with those little ones for three to four hours for three days a week and I was THAT attached to them. What am I going to do when I need to leave students who I have been with since day one, all day everyday for a semesters worth of time?! What about the day I have my own classroom of students?! I don't even want to know... it won't be a good day.
One of the students said I should teach 3rd grade so they could be in my class next year. I told her I would loveeeee that! Let's hope she passes that onto the principal or something ;)
This week is going to be a BIG week for me! I am going to start doing the classroom opening every single day until my last two weeks of the semester. (The last two weeks are meant to be a 'phase out' meaning I will be doing less and less in the classroom so the students don't become dependent on me being in the classroom after lead teaching for so long)
In addition to doing the classroom opening... I will be having my own small reading group to teach almost every day, my own spelling group to teach, and I will be teaching whole group science! Truthfully I have never taught a science lesson to students... ever... so I am a little nervous for that. I am sure my CT will help organize me and prepare me enough for this lesson. I think I am going to do something extra exciting with them! As a reward for all the standardized testing they had to endure the past few days. My lesson will be more of an experimental activity in which they will use random tools and objects to move a ball for one location to the next without touch it with their hands. I have a feeling this will be a big mess and stressful in terms of teaching but hey, as long as they students have fun and remember the point of the activity, I've done my job!
On top of all that, I will be attending curriculum night on Wednesday! It is crazy to think that I will be with my CT speaking to the parents of my students in my class as their teacher. I'm sure I won't be doing much of the talking but it is still pretty surreal to think about. I already have my outfit all picked out!
It will be an exciting week ahead! I am nervous to start having all these other responsibilities in the classroom... but I know that once I do it a few times, it will become routine. I guess I would rather be thrown into something early in my student teaching experience and have plenty of time to become comfortable before I lead teach on my own for two weeks.
Here's to another fun yet exhausting week filled with 2nd grade drama, iPad malfunctions, and more teaching responsibilities! As nervous as I am, I know it'll all be fun!
Wednesday, September 3, 2014
Week 2: Mid-week update!
This picture summarizes the biggest change to this school district... TECHNOLOGY! Students in K-2 each have their own iPads and students in 3-5 each have their own Google Chrome Books. Geeze, I remember getting a floppy disk in my school supplies back in 2nd grade... Basically the next few months will be full of experiments and technological errors! Today I taught 19 2nd grade students how to take a picture of themselves and then set that as their lock screen. This was an adventure! They were so excited and anxious to play on their iPads. My biggest struggle was that I had absolutely no control over what they were ACTUALLY doing on their iPads. Lets just say today I had my teacher voice on full blast and probably repeated myself way too many times! This whole technology implementation will certainly be a learning experience for the teachers in SO many ways! Luckily I'm decently tech savvy and can quickly fix those 'wiggly icons' as my students like to say! (We had a major problem with pushing on the apps too aggressively and therefore causing app icons to move around :P )
Sunday, August 31, 2014
"Promise you'll still eat lunch with me on Tuesday?"
All of my teacher education program classes highlighted the importance of building rapport with students. I have quickly realized how difficult it can be to build rapport while teaching and trying to maintain your status as the adult responsible for everything going on in the classroom.
Let's just say this week was a little chaotic and my goal was simply to make it through the week and quickly catch onto my CT's teaching style, school procedures, and learn the names of my students. I honestly didn't put too much thought into really getting to know my students since I knew we had so many other things to get done in such short time. (Assessments, procedures, goal setting, etc.) I guess I figured this was something that would develop over time.
Monday and Tuesday were both in-service days. I spent a lot of time getting to know the school district and its goals for the year and helping my CT finish classroom set up. Wednesday was the first day of school, technically it was a half day. I was THRILLED to finally meet my 2nd grade students, all 19 of them! I followed my teacher around as she walked down the line outside the school and introduced herself to the students and their parents. After introducing herself she always turned around and introduced me! Most of the kids seemed confused and just smiled and said hi. The parents all looked happy and excited in my opinion and asked me about where I go to college, if I'm excited, how many students are in the class, etc.
The following day my CT and I met the students outside again. As she went down the line to place name tags on the students she asked the students what her name was and what mine was. No one remembered my name...! I can't blame them. Honestly, my CT kept forgetting to save a few minutes to introduce me as the student teacher to the class. I think they are assuming I am just a helper who always seems to stick around. Next week I will finally get to have a conversation with the class about me being a student teacher and what that means. I'm hoping that will finally help my students understand my place in the classroom.
To my surprise a sweet, sweet boy remembered my name. I was walking through the classroom helping students who raised their hands during my CT's lesson. Suddenly I heard, "Miss Brailov, can you come here?" YESSSSS! ONE STUDENT KNEW MY NAME! I don't think he realized how good this made me feel. I felt like he was noticing me as another teacher in his room. He felt like it was okay to come to me for help. This was awesome :).
Throughout the next two days, this student kept coming up to me to ask questions and just to chat. He was so sweet to me! During recess on Friday my CT had me take the students inside while she ran to the office. She left me in charge and this student said, "Yes! Miss Brailov is our teacher!"
Let's just say... this student is probably my #1 fan :) let's hope I can win over the other 18!
He even made me a paper airplane to keep on my desk! He told me it was the first paper airplane he ever decorated for someone. Little does he know, I'll keep this forever and always remember my first student during student teaching who reached out to me.
On Friday he asked me if I could come to lunch with him and "sit right next to him". Suddenly he reminded me of my little kindergarteners from Iowa City who eventually invited me to eat lunch with them. I felt so happy when they invited me to lunch because it made me feel like they actually liked me and wanted to just hang out with me. I was so happy my 2nd grader asked but I already had plans with my CT for lunch. I told him next week I could go with him, he seemed satisfied with my answer. Right before he left the classroom on Friday he even confirmed our lunch plans by saying, "Promise you'll still eat lunch with me on Tuesday?" =D, how could I not go?!
"Of course, I'll be there!"
Okay, okay. He wasn't the ONLY student talking to me last week. Many of them came up to me to ask questions. I have been continually making my way around the classroom trying to talk with every student that I can. That is one of the benefits of not teaching right now, I can just walk around and engage with everyone!
These young boys loveeeee to 'misbehave' and look right at me for my reaction. I think they know I'm not going to just yell at them so they intentionally look at me when they are doing something they shouldn't be. I'll admit, it always gets my attention, which seems to be what they are looking for. As soon as I look at them they smile and stop what they are doing. Oh my 2nd grade boys! They also like to show me that they can jump as tall as I am.
Wahoo... I'm short... I know... :)
The girls are a little different. As soon as I sit down by them, they instantly become very chatty. I think they are actually trying to be funny for me! Every time I walk by they say something ridiculous like 'OH MY GOSH! My crayon box EXPLODED! HELP!' or "I only read books about things that are really, really cute or really gross. Can you find me a book on something icky?" Well, they always get me to laugh! I never notice them saying these things to my CT. Maybe they see me as the 'younger, less authoritative figure' in the room. I haven't exactly brought out my teacher voice or thrown down my teacher looks yet.
Soon... very soon... ;)
My 19 2nd graders are SO full of personality! I love it! The things they say, the thoughts they have, the way they interpret is so unique. I really would love to get to know all of my students as soon as possible! I at least want to win them all over before I start lead teaching! I feel like that will greatly work to my advantage when I am in charge of the classroom for 2 weeks.
In reality, I am seeing the importance of building rapport with your students quickly. The students will not always remember what they learned in 2nd grade but hopefully they remember the student teacher who made them feel special and valued in some way. My goal is to finish this semester having made a genuine connection with each of my students. I want them to remember me and how much fun they had learning with me. They will want to learn with me if they like me. I want them to see me not only as a teacher but also as someone who really does care about them and always wants to help them be the best they can be.
I can tell I've got 1... this week I need to get to work on the other 18. I have a feeling this won't be too difficult now that we will finally have a normal school week. I feel like this is like making new friends all over again! Except my friends are all 7 years old... whatever! I like it.
Well, I've got a big week coming up! I will be teaching my first lesson! It will be a small group guided reading lesson. Language arts is something I have a lot of experience teaching. I am a little nervous since this is my first go around with my 2nd grade class but I'm sure I'll make it out alive! The text I am teaching is called The Big Bushy Mustache... yes... I'll just let you imagine what this might be about... I have a feeling it will be hilarious to 2nd graders!
I am SO excited to begin week 2 of student teaching! Really, I cannot even put it in words how excited I am. Being back in a classroom with students feels so great. I love interacting with them and helping them learn. They all have so much potential and I cannot wait to see where the next few months takes all of us in learning. Being a student teacher feels so much different than being a practicum student. I am treated like a staff member by my CT, the students, and the whole faculty at my school. I feel like a real teacher for the first time!
Suddenly, I feel excited to lead teacher and not scared of it. Maybe I was cut out for this whole teaching thing after all. :)
Something I really need to figure out this week... how can I keep my energy levels up through out the whole day? Let's just say my teacher stamina isn't exactly there yet. Being in the classroom and working with students from 8:25-3:25 has been a huge adjustment for me! We also of course need to come early and stay late to plan for upcoming school days. These 2nd graders really know how to run me down!
Onto week 2! I know the students are excited to come back to school... they are getting their own iPads this week! I remember when I got a floppy disk in my school supplies... oh how the world has changed!
*Side note: Notice, I did start using student quotes as my blog titles! I love this addition!
Also if you want to leave me a comment about my blog post you will NOT be able to do it in the comment section because you most likely do not have a gmail account. If you would like to comment on my blog the best way to do it is to send me back an e-mail :) I love hearing what you all think about my blog posts. thank you!*
Let's just say this week was a little chaotic and my goal was simply to make it through the week and quickly catch onto my CT's teaching style, school procedures, and learn the names of my students. I honestly didn't put too much thought into really getting to know my students since I knew we had so many other things to get done in such short time. (Assessments, procedures, goal setting, etc.) I guess I figured this was something that would develop over time.
Monday and Tuesday were both in-service days. I spent a lot of time getting to know the school district and its goals for the year and helping my CT finish classroom set up. Wednesday was the first day of school, technically it was a half day. I was THRILLED to finally meet my 2nd grade students, all 19 of them! I followed my teacher around as she walked down the line outside the school and introduced herself to the students and their parents. After introducing herself she always turned around and introduced me! Most of the kids seemed confused and just smiled and said hi. The parents all looked happy and excited in my opinion and asked me about where I go to college, if I'm excited, how many students are in the class, etc.
The following day my CT and I met the students outside again. As she went down the line to place name tags on the students she asked the students what her name was and what mine was. No one remembered my name...! I can't blame them. Honestly, my CT kept forgetting to save a few minutes to introduce me as the student teacher to the class. I think they are assuming I am just a helper who always seems to stick around. Next week I will finally get to have a conversation with the class about me being a student teacher and what that means. I'm hoping that will finally help my students understand my place in the classroom.
To my surprise a sweet, sweet boy remembered my name. I was walking through the classroom helping students who raised their hands during my CT's lesson. Suddenly I heard, "Miss Brailov, can you come here?" YESSSSS! ONE STUDENT KNEW MY NAME! I don't think he realized how good this made me feel. I felt like he was noticing me as another teacher in his room. He felt like it was okay to come to me for help. This was awesome :).
Throughout the next two days, this student kept coming up to me to ask questions and just to chat. He was so sweet to me! During recess on Friday my CT had me take the students inside while she ran to the office. She left me in charge and this student said, "Yes! Miss Brailov is our teacher!"
Let's just say... this student is probably my #1 fan :) let's hope I can win over the other 18!
He even made me a paper airplane to keep on my desk! He told me it was the first paper airplane he ever decorated for someone. Little does he know, I'll keep this forever and always remember my first student during student teaching who reached out to me.
On Friday he asked me if I could come to lunch with him and "sit right next to him". Suddenly he reminded me of my little kindergarteners from Iowa City who eventually invited me to eat lunch with them. I felt so happy when they invited me to lunch because it made me feel like they actually liked me and wanted to just hang out with me. I was so happy my 2nd grader asked but I already had plans with my CT for lunch. I told him next week I could go with him, he seemed satisfied with my answer. Right before he left the classroom on Friday he even confirmed our lunch plans by saying, "Promise you'll still eat lunch with me on Tuesday?" =D, how could I not go?!
"Of course, I'll be there!"
Okay, okay. He wasn't the ONLY student talking to me last week. Many of them came up to me to ask questions. I have been continually making my way around the classroom trying to talk with every student that I can. That is one of the benefits of not teaching right now, I can just walk around and engage with everyone!
These young boys loveeeee to 'misbehave' and look right at me for my reaction. I think they know I'm not going to just yell at them so they intentionally look at me when they are doing something they shouldn't be. I'll admit, it always gets my attention, which seems to be what they are looking for. As soon as I look at them they smile and stop what they are doing. Oh my 2nd grade boys! They also like to show me that they can jump as tall as I am.
Wahoo... I'm short... I know... :)
The girls are a little different. As soon as I sit down by them, they instantly become very chatty. I think they are actually trying to be funny for me! Every time I walk by they say something ridiculous like 'OH MY GOSH! My crayon box EXPLODED! HELP!' or "I only read books about things that are really, really cute or really gross. Can you find me a book on something icky?" Well, they always get me to laugh! I never notice them saying these things to my CT. Maybe they see me as the 'younger, less authoritative figure' in the room. I haven't exactly brought out my teacher voice or thrown down my teacher looks yet.
Soon... very soon... ;)
My 19 2nd graders are SO full of personality! I love it! The things they say, the thoughts they have, the way they interpret is so unique. I really would love to get to know all of my students as soon as possible! I at least want to win them all over before I start lead teaching! I feel like that will greatly work to my advantage when I am in charge of the classroom for 2 weeks.
In reality, I am seeing the importance of building rapport with your students quickly. The students will not always remember what they learned in 2nd grade but hopefully they remember the student teacher who made them feel special and valued in some way. My goal is to finish this semester having made a genuine connection with each of my students. I want them to remember me and how much fun they had learning with me. They will want to learn with me if they like me. I want them to see me not only as a teacher but also as someone who really does care about them and always wants to help them be the best they can be.
I can tell I've got 1... this week I need to get to work on the other 18. I have a feeling this won't be too difficult now that we will finally have a normal school week. I feel like this is like making new friends all over again! Except my friends are all 7 years old... whatever! I like it.
Well, I've got a big week coming up! I will be teaching my first lesson! It will be a small group guided reading lesson. Language arts is something I have a lot of experience teaching. I am a little nervous since this is my first go around with my 2nd grade class but I'm sure I'll make it out alive! The text I am teaching is called The Big Bushy Mustache... yes... I'll just let you imagine what this might be about... I have a feeling it will be hilarious to 2nd graders!
I am SO excited to begin week 2 of student teaching! Really, I cannot even put it in words how excited I am. Being back in a classroom with students feels so great. I love interacting with them and helping them learn. They all have so much potential and I cannot wait to see where the next few months takes all of us in learning. Being a student teacher feels so much different than being a practicum student. I am treated like a staff member by my CT, the students, and the whole faculty at my school. I feel like a real teacher for the first time!
Suddenly, I feel excited to lead teacher and not scared of it. Maybe I was cut out for this whole teaching thing after all. :)
Something I really need to figure out this week... how can I keep my energy levels up through out the whole day? Let's just say my teacher stamina isn't exactly there yet. Being in the classroom and working with students from 8:25-3:25 has been a huge adjustment for me! We also of course need to come early and stay late to plan for upcoming school days. These 2nd graders really know how to run me down!
Onto week 2! I know the students are excited to come back to school... they are getting their own iPads this week! I remember when I got a floppy disk in my school supplies... oh how the world has changed!
*Side note: Notice, I did start using student quotes as my blog titles! I love this addition!
Also if you want to leave me a comment about my blog post you will NOT be able to do it in the comment section because you most likely do not have a gmail account. If you would like to comment on my blog the best way to do it is to send me back an e-mail :) I love hearing what you all think about my blog posts. thank you!*
Wednesday, August 27, 2014
Week 1: Mid-week update!
This picture is of a mug the PTO gave as a gift to all of the teachers for this school year! It has the school's mascot on it, a penguin. The mug was also filled with packets of tea, mmm! I was also given the button to wear on the first day of school with the teachers. Mine was a little more colorful and said 'student teacher'. :) I had a great first day of school! I might even go back tomorrow... ;) My students are fantastic, it will be a great semester in this classroom!
Sunday, August 24, 2014
"Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can." -Arthur Ashe
I'm still trying to figure out if I am excited for tomorrow or nervous. Okay... I am going to go with overwhelmed. I am honestly not even sure why I feel this way. I mean, I've been attending these inservice days and meetings for the past two weeks with my CT (cooperating teaching, the teacher I will be working with this semester). She has been beyond inclusive with me. I have done everything from setting up the classroom (side note: setting up bulletin boards is HARD and not meant for short people...) to meeting the staff at school to attending seminars. I should feel prepared but alas I still just feel overwhelmed.
Maybe it's because I am really starting to understand the true meaning of being a teacher. I'm seeing what actually happens when the students are not around. I am not even sure how to explain it in the right way. I never thought being a teacher would be easy but right now it looks extra hard. I'm not even in charge yet and I am feeling like this is going to be really rough.
Maybe this is a good thing. Maybe I should be seeing the dark parts of teaching, the parts they don't tell you about in college...
The whole system can be so cruel and unfair.
This frustrates me most because at the root of everyone working in the field of education we have our students. Shouldn't every decision be about what's best for the students? You would think... but it's not.
But you know what? These teachers I am working with make it work as best as they possibly can for the students. I have already seen them go above and beyond for each other, their school, their district, and most importantly their students. It is because they don't let all the bad things get to them. I am assuming this comes with more experience in teaching... you learn how to still make it work... even when it seems hopeless.
I am so lucky to have so many incredible teacher role models all in one school.
So I am going to assume my feelings of being overwhelmed are totally normal. I have literally been thrown into the world of teaching. It feels as if over night I went from college student to teacher. As my practicum advisor told us,
"You just need to jump into the deep end sometimes and we can't always save you".
This whole teaching thing gets really scary sometimes but I have always survived on my own.
I remember the first lesson plan I wrote during my first semester of my program....
HAHAHAHAHAHA
Oh. my. gosh. It took me HOURS! I would read though the Iowa state standards for about 45 minutes before committing to a direction to take my lesson in. I would change ideas about 5-10 times and would spend way too long on trying to think of an interesting opening to my lesson. Just thinking back to those days makes me cringe...
Towards the end of practicum I could write a lesson in 20 minutes even. It felt so natural and easy. The even more strange part... it was calming to me. I loved putting my headphones in and throwing my mind into teacher mode and cranking out a solid lesson plan. It felt so instant.
So tonight I am going to focus on calming myself down and staying relaxed.
TOMORROW IS DAY 1 OF STUDENT TEACHING. GET PUMPED! says the voice in my head...
One of my friends back at Iowa texted me this evening saying "Good luck on your first day of student teaching, Miss Brailov!" I think I had the biggest smile on face that I have had all weekend. Starting Wednesday when the students come.. I'll be Miss Brailov again.
This is actually the first day of the rest of my life. Tomorrow I will be doing what I plan to be doing for my entire career.
This is scary but exciting. I want to be a teacher, I know that. It'll take some getting used to but I can do it. It's going to be crazy journey the next few months but I can already tell it'll be incredible. I am so excited to get back into my teacher mode. I want to write lesson plans, grade homework, teach guided reading, get to know the students, etc. The best part is... this time around I get to stay all day! These students will see me as a real teacher in their classroom.
Oh... and I also get to be around for back to school night, halloween, student showcase, the first day of school, curriculum night. :)
I mean come on... the door to my classroom says 'Soaring through 2nd grade with Mrs. ____ and Miss. Brailov'
=D! Wowwwww! That's MY NAME! Listed...as a teacher... wow!
THIS IS ALL REALLY EXCITING! I can do this.
Okay. I am ready. Excited. Anxious. Happy.
Overall... ready for 2nd grade!
I am just going to do everything I can as a student teacher.
I plan to learn from my CT, learn from the 2nd grade team, learn from my students, and never be afraid of trying something new or asking questions. I am ready to make the most out of this experience! #YOSTO (You Only Student Teach Once) OKAY... I should sleep.
*Before I go... here is a quick update in terms of my blog!*
-For those of you who read weekly, you will notice the layout has changed, yay! I finally took my chance at customizing my blog. Enjoy a new color scheme! I've also updated my blog picture. It's a tad more professional.
-I plan to add a 'mid week update' on Wednesdays. This will be a post with a picture that I take that represents something going on that week. I will also write a quick blurb about the picture and it's significance to my week.
-I am going to try and post my blog titles as a quote said by my students that week! I have a feeling this will be super fun :)
-Lastly, I plan to write a formal post every Sunday as usual!
It's good to be back! Now... time to sleep... I have an inservice at 7:45 AM!
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