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!
Monday, August 4, 2014
"Challenges are what make life interesting and overcoming them is what makes life meaningful." -Joshua J. Marine
Hello blog readers! I'M BACK! For a minute...
It is currently raining, more like storming, in Iowa City and honestly I've been thinking about writing a blog post to update you all on my summer. This seems like the perfect time considering I need a solid break from studying for not one... but TWO psychology finals on Thursday. (I've been in Iowa City all summer finishing up a psychology minor)
Last night Beyonce and Nicki Minaj released a song together and for those of you who don't know, I love Nicki Minaj and Beyonce! Anything they produce seems to be on my 'listen on repeat until I hate it' playlist. The song was a remix of Beyonce's Flawless, which was one of my favorite songs from her newest album. I was THRILLED two of my favorites artists did an incredible remix together! I instantly downloaded it to my iTunes, iPhone, and iPod so I could listen to it basically all the time. It was a nice, upbeat change from my current favorite study buddy, Ed Sheeran. He has been singing his two albums to me on repeat while I studying for my two finals. There is just something calming about his voice that almost makes studying enjoyable. :)
This morning was absolutely beautiful in Iowa City. The sun was shining and there was a nice cool breeze. Since I had to move out of my house last week my walk to class has changed from two minutes to about fifteen minutes. I've enjoyed this change because it's calming to put in my headphones, choose a playlist, and think about life as I walk to class.
I was extra excited about this walk because I knew I was going to play the Flawless remix until I reached my classroom. I turned on my iPod and put on my sunglasses and walked outside smiling because I was listening to my current favorite song. I was SO happy to be outside, listening to music, and walking off to my last Monday of class in Iowa City. I'm pretty sure I was mouthing the words and somewhat dancing my way to class... oh well! I was in a great mood.
Right as I reached the edge of downtown Iowa City, something hit me.
My last semester in Iowa City has been a pretty incredible one, close to perfect. I couldn't help but think of all the amazing things that have happened to me. Here is what immediately comes to mind:
1. I was approved to participate in two practicums at the same time.
They warned me this would be tough or nearly impossible to handle on top of four other classes. In total I took 17 semester hours, spent 150 hours in classrooms, and managed to make it out alive. Let's just say Monday was never fun... I was scheduled from 8AM to 7:15 PM with an hour break in the middle. The point is with hard work, time management, and some spunky kindergarteners I found the energy to wake up every morning and do it again.
2. I passed all three of my licensure exams on the my first attempt.
I do not believe these exams are supposed to be too difficult to pass but I do believe they do require studying, especially the content knowledge test! I had to brush up on a lot of social studies material. That was probably for the best! Any 22 year old should know all the branches of government, right? Luckily the principles of teaching and learning test came naturally because of my fantastic teach ed program at the University of Iowa. I new there was a reason they added all those extra course requirements. ;)
3. I was approved to come back to Illinois to student teach.
If you know anything about the process of being approved to come home to student teach, you would understand how ecstatic I was about this! When I heard someone was approved to leave Iowa to student teach I assumed they were an education genius. The GPA requirement is incredibly high, the application is detailed, and space limited. Let's just say I wasn't too optimistic it would work in my favor. I never felt like someone who fit into the 'top of the class' category. On a cold snowy day, I was studying for my final licensure exam in the IMU when suddenly I received an e-mail saying I would be student teaching in Illinois! Wow. My roommates did not understand how big of a deal this was but everyone else in my program was quick to congratulate me.
4. A recruiter from a very special organization wanted to meet with me about possibly applying to join the organization he is apart of in 2015... I will elaborate more on this later. Lets just say people say a famous education reformer in New York stated, "I don't think I would get in today, they are more selective than Harvard!"
See you soon South Carolina!
5. I completed a year long internship at the Pomerantz Career Center.
I applied for an education internship at the career center thinking I would not get it. I decided to take the chance anyway and see what would happen, I needed to fill my summer somehow. To my surprise I was offered the position for the fall semester! It was everything I wanted and more. I was able to use my computer skills and knowledge about the field of education in one job. I was so excited everyday to work on a project whether it was creating a tips sheet for job interviewing or adding to a massive Excel document containing every principal and superintendent in the state of Iowa. I was beyond excited to have my position extended to the spring semester. Not to mention, I had the most incredible boss in the world. She truly gave me room to not only do what I wanted with my job but pushed me to grow as a person and professional. I don't think she understood how much I learned about working in the field of education because I worked for her. I had so much insight into what principals and superintendents look for in new teachers and in general how to have a successful job search experience. She was not just a boss to me, she was also my personal life counselor. I always felt like she cared about me and wanted to know about my life. Our Friday afternoon life vent sessions were some of my favorite moments with her. She has so greatly impacted my life.
6. I was approved to walk early in graduation for May 2014.
Although I constantly referred to this as my 'fake graduation' or 'graduation part one'. I did accomplishment something, I finished all of my general education requirements plus almost my entire elementary education degree. Now I like to think I am just lucky enough to celebrate my time at Iowa twice! Although I am pretty sure 'graduation part two' will be even more special than part one. :)
7. I unexpectedly completed a minor in psychology.
What happens when you click around exploring random minors on a degree audit? You find out you almost have a psychology minor! In January of 2014 I found out I was only two classes away from having a second degree, a psychology minor. Although I was not thrilled about spending another summer in Iowa taking two classes, in the back of my mind I knew I would feel pretty good about it after it was all over. In the end, did I enjoy my summer? Honestly, not at all. My classes ended up being a lot of work and I had to deal with moving out of my house and living with other friends for a week and a half after my lease ended. This summer was less than ideal. Did I learn something in my psychology classes? Absolutely. I even caught myself enjoying the classes! In the end... I learned A LOT. I have a new appreciation for the field of psychology and feel decently confident that I could identify common disorders found in future students of mine. If anything, I feel like I can more confidently read an IEP and really know how to help a student because I have a general background in the disorder all while being their classroom teacher. Maybe this wasn't such a bad idea... thanks mom and dad, since I know you are reading this!
8. I ended my time at Iowa full of experiences that I never thought I would have.
Here is a general list of things I participated in at Iowa...(in no particular order)
I participated in Dance Marathon for two years, started a field hockey club, worked as an education intern at the Pomerantz Career Center, served as VP Operations for AEPhi for one semester, attended a sorority leadership convention in Atlanta, served as VP New Member Education for four semesters, volunteered for sixty hours in a senior center teaching senior citizens how to use computers, and volunteered twenty hours with Habitat for Humanity in Iowa City. These were all things I participated in by choices and have truly shaped who I became during my time at Iowa. These experiences are all super unique in what I learned while participating in them and what I took away from them. GETTING INVOLVED IS GREAT!
9. I was taught by an amazing staff of professors and faculty at the University of Iowa, specifically in the College of Education.
The professors and faculty I had the pleasure of being in class with or working for have greatly impacted my time at Iowa. So many professors in the College of Education have truly taught me what it means to be a teacher and have helped shape me into the teacher I will be one day. They never stopped challenging me and showing me how to make myself continually better. At times I become very frustrating with their methods because I always felt overworked but in the end, they had a point. I feel more than ready to put myself into a classroom and demonstrate my skills in teaching and be an effective communicator to my students. I know this program is a tough one to be apart of but as I come to the end of it I am realizing how fortunate I was to learn how to become a teacher at the University of Iowa. I am so lucky... and usually exhausted.
10. I left college with best friends.
My friends mean the world to me. They really do. I always thought the friends I made at Iowa were extra special because the circumstances were different here. I never lived with my friends from Deerfield and we could never just see each other whenever we wanted. I met a lot of people my first two years at Iowa. Some of these people are people I will never forget and always want in my life. They are the ones who kept me up all night laughing, blasted music and sang along with me, took random trips to get fast food at all hours, kept me sane when I thought life was just a little too much to handle, and gave me so many memories that I just can't help but smile about when I think of them. It's scary to think that we are all becoming 'real adults' as I like to say but I know my friends will do incredible things and I will just be lucky to know them. My best friend from college is already off at a fancy job in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. I know I never told her enough but I am so proud of her for everything she has accomplished. She truly deserves so much success in her life. She was a constant force behind my success at Iowa. Whenever I wanted to quit and just accept defeat she was usually the one telling me to get over it and get back up. She was my personal life counselor, math homework helper, and best friend all in one. I am not sure I ever helped her in ways she helped me but I do know I kept her laughing and was her partner in crime when it came to pizza and Netflix.
College: Mission ALMOST Accomplished
All I can say for now is that I am leaving Iowa City on the highest note possible. Attending the University of Iowa was hands down the best decision I have made in my life so far. I had no idea once I moved into that dorm room in Burge of August, 2010 that any of this would happen. If someone would have read this list off to me and said this is where I would be four year later, I wouldn't believe any of it. This person sounds too involved and experienced to be me. Well, it turned out to be me. Who knew.
I owe my success to the University of Iowa and everyone who was there to experience it with me. I am so proud to be a future teacher who will be licensed from this University. For now it doesn't even feel real that my time in Iowa City is over and soon my time with the University will be over as well.
Three weeks from today I'll be standing in a 2nd grade classroom at South Park Elementary School meeting my students. Every time I think about this moment I smile. Just thinking about being back in a classroom makes me beyond excited, I think I chose the right career! These students are going to really show me what it means to be an elementary school teacher. I am nervous, anxious, and all around excited. I kind of miss being Miss Brailov. I didn't think I would enjoy that title but it grew on me last semester.
Well, here I am. Leaving Iowa City in three days and student teaching in three weeks. I never thought I would be at this point in my life or that I would be this thrilled about it. I am a pretty lucky kid! I got everything I wanted out of the University of Iowa. It could not have been a better experience. The quote title of this blog really summarizes my time at Iowa.
"Challenges are what make life interesting and overcoming them is what makes life meaningful." -Joshua J. Marine
My life is incredible.
I cannot wait to share my student teaching journey with you all! See you all in a few!
It is currently raining, more like storming, in Iowa City and honestly I've been thinking about writing a blog post to update you all on my summer. This seems like the perfect time considering I need a solid break from studying for not one... but TWO psychology finals on Thursday. (I've been in Iowa City all summer finishing up a psychology minor)
Last night Beyonce and Nicki Minaj released a song together and for those of you who don't know, I love Nicki Minaj and Beyonce! Anything they produce seems to be on my 'listen on repeat until I hate it' playlist. The song was a remix of Beyonce's Flawless, which was one of my favorite songs from her newest album. I was THRILLED two of my favorites artists did an incredible remix together! I instantly downloaded it to my iTunes, iPhone, and iPod so I could listen to it basically all the time. It was a nice, upbeat change from my current favorite study buddy, Ed Sheeran. He has been singing his two albums to me on repeat while I studying for my two finals. There is just something calming about his voice that almost makes studying enjoyable. :)
This morning was absolutely beautiful in Iowa City. The sun was shining and there was a nice cool breeze. Since I had to move out of my house last week my walk to class has changed from two minutes to about fifteen minutes. I've enjoyed this change because it's calming to put in my headphones, choose a playlist, and think about life as I walk to class.
I was extra excited about this walk because I knew I was going to play the Flawless remix until I reached my classroom. I turned on my iPod and put on my sunglasses and walked outside smiling because I was listening to my current favorite song. I was SO happy to be outside, listening to music, and walking off to my last Monday of class in Iowa City. I'm pretty sure I was mouthing the words and somewhat dancing my way to class... oh well! I was in a great mood.
Right as I reached the edge of downtown Iowa City, something hit me.
My last semester in Iowa City has been a pretty incredible one, close to perfect. I couldn't help but think of all the amazing things that have happened to me. Here is what immediately comes to mind:
1. I was approved to participate in two practicums at the same time.
They warned me this would be tough or nearly impossible to handle on top of four other classes. In total I took 17 semester hours, spent 150 hours in classrooms, and managed to make it out alive. Let's just say Monday was never fun... I was scheduled from 8AM to 7:15 PM with an hour break in the middle. The point is with hard work, time management, and some spunky kindergarteners I found the energy to wake up every morning and do it again.
2. I passed all three of my licensure exams on the my first attempt.
I do not believe these exams are supposed to be too difficult to pass but I do believe they do require studying, especially the content knowledge test! I had to brush up on a lot of social studies material. That was probably for the best! Any 22 year old should know all the branches of government, right? Luckily the principles of teaching and learning test came naturally because of my fantastic teach ed program at the University of Iowa. I new there was a reason they added all those extra course requirements. ;)
3. I was approved to come back to Illinois to student teach.
If you know anything about the process of being approved to come home to student teach, you would understand how ecstatic I was about this! When I heard someone was approved to leave Iowa to student teach I assumed they were an education genius. The GPA requirement is incredibly high, the application is detailed, and space limited. Let's just say I wasn't too optimistic it would work in my favor. I never felt like someone who fit into the 'top of the class' category. On a cold snowy day, I was studying for my final licensure exam in the IMU when suddenly I received an e-mail saying I would be student teaching in Illinois! Wow. My roommates did not understand how big of a deal this was but everyone else in my program was quick to congratulate me.
4. A recruiter from a very special organization wanted to meet with me about possibly applying to join the organization he is apart of in 2015... I will elaborate more on this later. Lets just say people say a famous education reformer in New York stated, "I don't think I would get in today, they are more selective than Harvard!"
See you soon South Carolina!
5. I completed a year long internship at the Pomerantz Career Center.
I applied for an education internship at the career center thinking I would not get it. I decided to take the chance anyway and see what would happen, I needed to fill my summer somehow. To my surprise I was offered the position for the fall semester! It was everything I wanted and more. I was able to use my computer skills and knowledge about the field of education in one job. I was so excited everyday to work on a project whether it was creating a tips sheet for job interviewing or adding to a massive Excel document containing every principal and superintendent in the state of Iowa. I was beyond excited to have my position extended to the spring semester. Not to mention, I had the most incredible boss in the world. She truly gave me room to not only do what I wanted with my job but pushed me to grow as a person and professional. I don't think she understood how much I learned about working in the field of education because I worked for her. I had so much insight into what principals and superintendents look for in new teachers and in general how to have a successful job search experience. She was not just a boss to me, she was also my personal life counselor. I always felt like she cared about me and wanted to know about my life. Our Friday afternoon life vent sessions were some of my favorite moments with her. She has so greatly impacted my life.
6. I was approved to walk early in graduation for May 2014.
Although I constantly referred to this as my 'fake graduation' or 'graduation part one'. I did accomplishment something, I finished all of my general education requirements plus almost my entire elementary education degree. Now I like to think I am just lucky enough to celebrate my time at Iowa twice! Although I am pretty sure 'graduation part two' will be even more special than part one. :)
7. I unexpectedly completed a minor in psychology.
What happens when you click around exploring random minors on a degree audit? You find out you almost have a psychology minor! In January of 2014 I found out I was only two classes away from having a second degree, a psychology minor. Although I was not thrilled about spending another summer in Iowa taking two classes, in the back of my mind I knew I would feel pretty good about it after it was all over. In the end, did I enjoy my summer? Honestly, not at all. My classes ended up being a lot of work and I had to deal with moving out of my house and living with other friends for a week and a half after my lease ended. This summer was less than ideal. Did I learn something in my psychology classes? Absolutely. I even caught myself enjoying the classes! In the end... I learned A LOT. I have a new appreciation for the field of psychology and feel decently confident that I could identify common disorders found in future students of mine. If anything, I feel like I can more confidently read an IEP and really know how to help a student because I have a general background in the disorder all while being their classroom teacher. Maybe this wasn't such a bad idea... thanks mom and dad, since I know you are reading this!
8. I ended my time at Iowa full of experiences that I never thought I would have.
Here is a general list of things I participated in at Iowa...(in no particular order)
I participated in Dance Marathon for two years, started a field hockey club, worked as an education intern at the Pomerantz Career Center, served as VP Operations for AEPhi for one semester, attended a sorority leadership convention in Atlanta, served as VP New Member Education for four semesters, volunteered for sixty hours in a senior center teaching senior citizens how to use computers, and volunteered twenty hours with Habitat for Humanity in Iowa City. These were all things I participated in by choices and have truly shaped who I became during my time at Iowa. These experiences are all super unique in what I learned while participating in them and what I took away from them. GETTING INVOLVED IS GREAT!
9. I was taught by an amazing staff of professors and faculty at the University of Iowa, specifically in the College of Education.
The professors and faculty I had the pleasure of being in class with or working for have greatly impacted my time at Iowa. So many professors in the College of Education have truly taught me what it means to be a teacher and have helped shape me into the teacher I will be one day. They never stopped challenging me and showing me how to make myself continually better. At times I become very frustrating with their methods because I always felt overworked but in the end, they had a point. I feel more than ready to put myself into a classroom and demonstrate my skills in teaching and be an effective communicator to my students. I know this program is a tough one to be apart of but as I come to the end of it I am realizing how fortunate I was to learn how to become a teacher at the University of Iowa. I am so lucky... and usually exhausted.
10. I left college with best friends.
My friends mean the world to me. They really do. I always thought the friends I made at Iowa were extra special because the circumstances were different here. I never lived with my friends from Deerfield and we could never just see each other whenever we wanted. I met a lot of people my first two years at Iowa. Some of these people are people I will never forget and always want in my life. They are the ones who kept me up all night laughing, blasted music and sang along with me, took random trips to get fast food at all hours, kept me sane when I thought life was just a little too much to handle, and gave me so many memories that I just can't help but smile about when I think of them. It's scary to think that we are all becoming 'real adults' as I like to say but I know my friends will do incredible things and I will just be lucky to know them. My best friend from college is already off at a fancy job in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. I know I never told her enough but I am so proud of her for everything she has accomplished. She truly deserves so much success in her life. She was a constant force behind my success at Iowa. Whenever I wanted to quit and just accept defeat she was usually the one telling me to get over it and get back up. She was my personal life counselor, math homework helper, and best friend all in one. I am not sure I ever helped her in ways she helped me but I do know I kept her laughing and was her partner in crime when it came to pizza and Netflix.
College: Mission ALMOST Accomplished
All I can say for now is that I am leaving Iowa City on the highest note possible. Attending the University of Iowa was hands down the best decision I have made in my life so far. I had no idea once I moved into that dorm room in Burge of August, 2010 that any of this would happen. If someone would have read this list off to me and said this is where I would be four year later, I wouldn't believe any of it. This person sounds too involved and experienced to be me. Well, it turned out to be me. Who knew.
I owe my success to the University of Iowa and everyone who was there to experience it with me. I am so proud to be a future teacher who will be licensed from this University. For now it doesn't even feel real that my time in Iowa City is over and soon my time with the University will be over as well.
Three weeks from today I'll be standing in a 2nd grade classroom at South Park Elementary School meeting my students. Every time I think about this moment I smile. Just thinking about being back in a classroom makes me beyond excited, I think I chose the right career! These students are going to really show me what it means to be an elementary school teacher. I am nervous, anxious, and all around excited. I kind of miss being Miss Brailov. I didn't think I would enjoy that title but it grew on me last semester.
Well, here I am. Leaving Iowa City in three days and student teaching in three weeks. I never thought I would be at this point in my life or that I would be this thrilled about it. I am a pretty lucky kid! I got everything I wanted out of the University of Iowa. It could not have been a better experience. The quote title of this blog really summarizes my time at Iowa.
"Challenges are what make life interesting and overcoming them is what makes life meaningful." -Joshua J. Marine
My life is incredible.
I cannot wait to share my student teaching journey with you all! See you all in a few!
Wednesday, April 30, 2014
"There are two mistakes one can make along the road to truth... not going all the way, and not starting." -Buddah
I have had so many thoughts going through my head as the semester comes to a close.
My first thought is "Wow, I did it." I can't lie... I had many moments where I thought I would never see the end of this semester. Every time I had one of those moments a smiling, enthusiastic kindergartener would remind me why I was going to make it.
Student: "Miss Brailov, I need you."
Me: "What do you need?"
Student: "I need you to help me."
Me: "With what?"
Student: "I need you to help me learn! Teach me something!"
(and this moment was perfect)
Today I taught my first FULL GROUP LESSON ! I DID IT! All morning I was very nervous about it. I was teaching place value to kindergarteners. Not only was this a math lesson but it was place value... to kindergarteners... oh the common core standards...
I kept reading through my lesson plan, scanning the SMART Board presentation, reviewing my game, counting my supplies, reviewing my partner list. I was very nervous.
Once I turned on the SMART Board, took a deep breath, put on my biggest smile and finally said "Today we are going to look at place value and I PROMISE this will be fun!" I looked out at my students and saw 17 smiling faces and knew I would be okay.
And I was
It all came naturally after that. I felt calm, excited, and motivated all at once.
One of the students I was very worried about comprehending the lesson answered the most difficult question with ease and explained himself perfectly.
I did it. He learned, they all learned.
I watched them play the game I created to practice identifying the tens place and the ones place for numbers 11-20 and showing these numbers with base ten blocks.
They did it. All 17 of them.
Not only did they do it... they helped each other, they explained their thinking, they tried new methods.
My 17 kindergarteners learned how to demonstrate the tens and ones place in numbers 11-20 with base ten blocks and could explain why it worked.
SUCCESS! SO MUCH SUCESS!
The kindergarten teachers loved it so much they took my lesson plan, SMART Board activity, and game to use again!
And after all of this... I knew I was going to be okay because I was doing what I was meant to do.
I was meant to teach. I want to teach. I want to help students learn for the sake of learning. I was to see those light bulbs go off. I want to watch students work through their struggles. I want to see students grow. I want to help them find their passions.
I have never felt so good about what I was doing with my life before today.
In practicum, teaching has never been difficult but it never felt easy either.
Today... it felt easy. I felt so natural and prepared. Best of all, my students learned.
Tomorrow marks a new beginning. I will be finding out where I will be student teaching in the fall and what grade level I will be working with.
STUDENT TEACHING?! Isn't that the last thing you do before you are a fully licensed teacher?! Yep... I made it.
It is going to be another incredible adventure with another class of amazing students. A whole new group of individuals to get to know, a new school, and new grade, everything will be new again.
I am scared but excited.
- Scared to start over
- Excited to teach
I guess these feelings are normal.
On Sunday I graduated from my sorority. We did an activity where we sat in a circle and freely talked about the seniors, paying honor to their 4 years in the chapter. I listened to many different people tell me how important my presence has been to them in recent years. It really made me feel good. But here was what made me feel the best...
One of my fellow seniors looked right at me and told me that I have grown so much over the past 4 years and she is proud of everything I have done for myself. She said she remembers meeting me as a goofy freshman who would do anything to make people laugh and smile. She then watched me turn into a responsible, passionate, mature adult. She then told me I was a role model to her and the rest of the chapter. She also said that my future students will be so lucky to have a teacher who genuinely wants the best for them and will stop at nothing to make that happen.
I didn't even know what to say back. Those words will stick with me for the rest of my life. That was the first time I had a peer take the time to really tell me something like that. It felt really good to know that I haven't just been demonstrating these qualities in the teacher education program, I've been demonstrating it to everyone.
I know I've grown up a lot. Especially in the past year that I have been in the college of education. For the first time in my life, I feel ready to do something bigger than college, bigger than sorority, bigger than working at camp. I am ready for a career, a career in something that makes me feel like I am doing something that will have an impact on someones life. Something that I will be happy to wake up for every day. Something that I will put my whole heart and soul into because I want to.
I am lucky to have found something to do with my life that makes me feel that way.
So I am ready to start the next chapter of my life as a future teacher... student teaching. I know that will fly by and soon enough I will be applying for my first real teaching job. I cannot wait.
DON'T WORRY! I WON'T LEAVE YOU HANGING! You are all coming along too!
Yes, I am going to continue this blog. I will blog every Sunday once student teaching begins. This will probably be my last post for the semester and summer but I PROMISE I will be back in late August. :)
A now a special shout out to my Literacy Learning and Teaching III teacher, Wendy, who I know is reading this... :)
Thank you for making me do this. Being able to express myself in writing has helped me learn so much about myself as a future teacher. It has helped me realize what I value in education, in students, in myself, and what I am truly aspiring to be as a teacher. The weekly vent session I have on here has been the continuing force in what has kept me grounded when everything got tough. I cannot wait to look back at my old posts one day and see where I started while in my teacher education program and where I am now as a teacher. I am sure my family is also grateful to be able to 'get inside my teacher head' once a week so I am sure they thank you as well!
See you all in August! More adventures ahead.... :)
My first thought is "Wow, I did it." I can't lie... I had many moments where I thought I would never see the end of this semester. Every time I had one of those moments a smiling, enthusiastic kindergartener would remind me why I was going to make it.
Student: "Miss Brailov, I need you."
Me: "What do you need?"
Student: "I need you to help me."
Me: "With what?"
Student: "I need you to help me learn! Teach me something!"
(and this moment was perfect)
Today I taught my first FULL GROUP LESSON ! I DID IT! All morning I was very nervous about it. I was teaching place value to kindergarteners. Not only was this a math lesson but it was place value... to kindergarteners... oh the common core standards...
I kept reading through my lesson plan, scanning the SMART Board presentation, reviewing my game, counting my supplies, reviewing my partner list. I was very nervous.
Once I turned on the SMART Board, took a deep breath, put on my biggest smile and finally said "Today we are going to look at place value and I PROMISE this will be fun!" I looked out at my students and saw 17 smiling faces and knew I would be okay.
And I was
It all came naturally after that. I felt calm, excited, and motivated all at once.
One of the students I was very worried about comprehending the lesson answered the most difficult question with ease and explained himself perfectly.
I did it. He learned, they all learned.
I watched them play the game I created to practice identifying the tens place and the ones place for numbers 11-20 and showing these numbers with base ten blocks.
They did it. All 17 of them.
Not only did they do it... they helped each other, they explained their thinking, they tried new methods.
My 17 kindergarteners learned how to demonstrate the tens and ones place in numbers 11-20 with base ten blocks and could explain why it worked.
SUCCESS! SO MUCH SUCESS!
The kindergarten teachers loved it so much they took my lesson plan, SMART Board activity, and game to use again!
And after all of this... I knew I was going to be okay because I was doing what I was meant to do.
I was meant to teach. I want to teach. I want to help students learn for the sake of learning. I was to see those light bulbs go off. I want to watch students work through their struggles. I want to see students grow. I want to help them find their passions.
I have never felt so good about what I was doing with my life before today.
In practicum, teaching has never been difficult but it never felt easy either.
Today... it felt easy. I felt so natural and prepared. Best of all, my students learned.
Tomorrow marks a new beginning. I will be finding out where I will be student teaching in the fall and what grade level I will be working with.
STUDENT TEACHING?! Isn't that the last thing you do before you are a fully licensed teacher?! Yep... I made it.
It is going to be another incredible adventure with another class of amazing students. A whole new group of individuals to get to know, a new school, and new grade, everything will be new again.
I am scared but excited.
- Scared to start over
- Excited to teach
I guess these feelings are normal.
On Sunday I graduated from my sorority. We did an activity where we sat in a circle and freely talked about the seniors, paying honor to their 4 years in the chapter. I listened to many different people tell me how important my presence has been to them in recent years. It really made me feel good. But here was what made me feel the best...
One of my fellow seniors looked right at me and told me that I have grown so much over the past 4 years and she is proud of everything I have done for myself. She said she remembers meeting me as a goofy freshman who would do anything to make people laugh and smile. She then watched me turn into a responsible, passionate, mature adult. She then told me I was a role model to her and the rest of the chapter. She also said that my future students will be so lucky to have a teacher who genuinely wants the best for them and will stop at nothing to make that happen.
I didn't even know what to say back. Those words will stick with me for the rest of my life. That was the first time I had a peer take the time to really tell me something like that. It felt really good to know that I haven't just been demonstrating these qualities in the teacher education program, I've been demonstrating it to everyone.
I know I've grown up a lot. Especially in the past year that I have been in the college of education. For the first time in my life, I feel ready to do something bigger than college, bigger than sorority, bigger than working at camp. I am ready for a career, a career in something that makes me feel like I am doing something that will have an impact on someones life. Something that I will be happy to wake up for every day. Something that I will put my whole heart and soul into because I want to.
I am lucky to have found something to do with my life that makes me feel that way.
So I am ready to start the next chapter of my life as a future teacher... student teaching. I know that will fly by and soon enough I will be applying for my first real teaching job. I cannot wait.
DON'T WORRY! I WON'T LEAVE YOU HANGING! You are all coming along too!
Yes, I am going to continue this blog. I will blog every Sunday once student teaching begins. This will probably be my last post for the semester and summer but I PROMISE I will be back in late August. :)
A now a special shout out to my Literacy Learning and Teaching III teacher, Wendy, who I know is reading this... :)
Thank you for making me do this. Being able to express myself in writing has helped me learn so much about myself as a future teacher. It has helped me realize what I value in education, in students, in myself, and what I am truly aspiring to be as a teacher. The weekly vent session I have on here has been the continuing force in what has kept me grounded when everything got tough. I cannot wait to look back at my old posts one day and see where I started while in my teacher education program and where I am now as a teacher. I am sure my family is also grateful to be able to 'get inside my teacher head' once a week so I am sure they thank you as well!
See you all in August! More adventures ahead.... :)
Tuesday, April 22, 2014
"One machine can do the work of fifty ordinary men. No machine can do the work of one extraordinary man." -Elbert Hubbard
TECHNOLOGY.
Where do I even begin with this topic? There is SO much to comment on.
Lets start with this... I consider myself to be a pretty 'techy' person. I'll admit I am attached to my phone and probably use my laptop at least 5 hours a day.
(Granted most of those 5 hours are spent lesson planning ;) )
Technology does have its major pros and cons, especially in terms of education. It is actually funny this topic came up this week. Just this past weekend I had a conversation with my grandma about how technology impacts students. My grandma volunteers at a museum and sees her fair share of students come in and out for field trips. She told me a story involving a couple interesting situations. The first story was about a group of parents on a field with students who were constantly on their phones while the field trip was happening.
As a future teacher this is SO frustrating to hear about. Field trips are a pain in a half to get approved and to plan as a teacher. Between the agenda, transportation, permission slips, funding, lunches, locations, etc. this is not an easy job to thrown onto someone who is already spending their free time planning for the next day or week. Field trips may seem like a small excursion for the students but I can guarantee the teacher planning this 'small excurison' would not feel the same way. The least students, chaperones, and other teachers can do while on these field trips is to be on their best behavior. Parents. Put down the technology.
1. You are setting a poor example for your children about how to behave on field trips.
2. You are not doing your job as a chaperon if you are on your phone instead of watching the children.
3. Teachers love and appreciate any support and involvement they can get from parents! Parents who want to read to the class, plan a holiday party, work a school wide event, buy extra folders, or chaperon a field trip are taking an extra special interest in being apart of the classroom and their child's learning experience. A teacher will never turn away any parents who wants to be involved. So cut out the phone and be helpful! It wouldn't hurt to do a little learning on this field trip along with your child!
As a future teacher I know I will be making an extra special effort with the parents of the students in my classroom to be connected and involved in their students academic life as much as I can. I want to have regular communication with parents as much as I can and have them truly be apart of the learning experience that school year.
ANYWAY
Technology, technology, technology.
Another instance my grandma told me about was that a group of students came into the museum with iPads. These students did not need directions or instruction from anyone who works in the museum because her and the other docents were told that the students "knew what they were supposed to do on their iPads."
Hello 21st century learners!
My immediate thoughts to that situation...
Awesome! Letting students have the options to explore on an iPad, that's really great! Technology is pretty incredible for giving students so many experiences they cannot have inside the four walls of their classroom. With all the Apple and Google applications that exist for iPads and Chrome Books the world of education has exploded with technology. Teachers now have SMARTBoards instead of chalk board and white boards. Doc cameras replaced overheads.
As a tech savy young adult, I am personally very pleased with what technology can offer me and my classroom of future students. I'll be able to show them things and give them experiences that can only be brought to life through technology. Why wouldn't I want to take advantage of that?
'take advantage of that' is the key phrase I just used.
That is the fine line that teachers need to watch. Technology should not replace the authenticity of a teacher. These options cannot be the excuse for short cuts beings taken in education for the teachers OR the students. Doesn't a real book still have some special effect on the reading experience? I wouldn't know anymore... I own a kindle.
I believe that technology should and has the ability to enhance a typical lesson. Another key idea, 'enhance the lesson'. (I.e. the lesson already exists in it's ready to teach form, technology gives it an extra edge). I firmly believe that technology cannot replace what a teacher can do for students. A piece of technology cannot genuinely deliver information, it cannot truly interact with its users, it cannot monitory your progress taking in all aspects of the individual.
It's kind of scary to see how many things in life are being replaced by technology. Jobs have been replaced by technology. We do seem to be heading in a direction in which schooling might be done a lot more often online, especially for college courses. I really hope teachers never need to deal with losing jobs over technology.
Another instance my grandma told me about was that a group of students came into the museum with iPads. These students did not need directions or instruction from anyone who works in the museum because her and the other docents were told that the students "knew what they were supposed to do on their iPads."
Hello 21st century learners!
My immediate thoughts to that situation...
Awesome! Letting students have the options to explore on an iPad, that's really great! Technology is pretty incredible for giving students so many experiences they cannot have inside the four walls of their classroom. With all the Apple and Google applications that exist for iPads and Chrome Books the world of education has exploded with technology. Teachers now have SMARTBoards instead of chalk board and white boards. Doc cameras replaced overheads.
As a tech savy young adult, I am personally very pleased with what technology can offer me and my classroom of future students. I'll be able to show them things and give them experiences that can only be brought to life through technology. Why wouldn't I want to take advantage of that?
'take advantage of that' is the key phrase I just used.
That is the fine line that teachers need to watch. Technology should not replace the authenticity of a teacher. These options cannot be the excuse for short cuts beings taken in education for the teachers OR the students. Doesn't a real book still have some special effect on the reading experience? I wouldn't know anymore... I own a kindle.
I believe that technology should and has the ability to enhance a typical lesson. Another key idea, 'enhance the lesson'. (I.e. the lesson already exists in it's ready to teach form, technology gives it an extra edge). I firmly believe that technology cannot replace what a teacher can do for students. A piece of technology cannot genuinely deliver information, it cannot truly interact with its users, it cannot monitory your progress taking in all aspects of the individual.
It's kind of scary to see how many things in life are being replaced by technology. Jobs have been replaced by technology. We do seem to be heading in a direction in which schooling might be done a lot more often online, especially for college courses. I really hope teachers never need to deal with losing jobs over technology.
With all this being said, technology is great for schools. Students are not only having new experiences but they are truly learning how to interact within the technology filled world we live in today. We would be doing our students a huge disservice to deny them of technology. We want our students to learn, grow, and become the best people they can be in this world. Technology is apart of the growing up experience today. We know technology will be apart of our classrooms. It is something we as future educators will need to learn how to balance along with everything we seem to be juggling.
I am a future teacher who has an iPhone, iPad, iPod Classic, iPod shuffle,Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, Kindle, and MacBook Pro. Yes, I am pretty addicted to all of my little pieces of technology. But I am also a future teacher who promises to not let these things run me, my teaching, or my classroom.
Technology will help me become a better teacher for my students. It will not replace my skills and talent and passions.
I am a future teacher who has an iPhone, iPad, iPod Classic, iPod shuffle,Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, Kindle, and MacBook Pro. Yes, I am pretty addicted to all of my little pieces of technology. But I am also a future teacher who promises to not let these things run me, my teaching, or my classroom.
Technology will help me become a better teacher for my students. It will not replace my skills and talent and passions.
"One machine can do the work of fifty ordinary men. No machine can do the work of one extraordinary man." -Elbert Hubbard
This quote reminds me of students. Students that I will teach someday. I want my students to be thinkers, dreamers, and learners. Is someone who is fully dependent on technology any of that? Can my students really be extraordinary if I let technology run my classroom?
Technology is just one piece to the learning puzzle... a really big piece at that.
Technology is just one piece to the learning puzzle... a really big piece at that.
Saturday, April 19, 2014
"Knowledge and skills are undoubtedly important. But true education- real teaching- involves helping students think, reason, comprehend, and understand important ideas." -Claude Goldenberg
For those of you who don't know... I am the education intern at the Pomerantz Career Center. I have held this job since August! I absolutely love it. I have the opportunity to do work related to education without directly working this kids, which I find pretty unique for an education major. I typically spend my time creating materials for the education section of the career center website. I've made documents from guides about how to use Hire A Hawk or Skype interview tips or excel spread sheets loaded with information about Iowa City area school districts.
This past week I made myself (or I was kind of forced into) participate in an education mock interview. In the words of my boss, "Since you work these events all the time, you may as well participate in one!" I'll admit... I was incredibly nervous and all around not interested in making myself do this. But of course the more I thought about it I came to this realization... You only don't want to do it because it sounds scary and because you think it sounds scary that is the BEST reason to make yourself do it. Look at that... more mature adult thinking kicking in...
Long story short, this was one of the best experiences I've had! I learned so much about what interviewers in schools look for when talking to prospective teachers. One of the questions that stuck with me was, "If I were to walk into your classroom what would I see?" I naturally answered with something along the lines off, "You would see students doing things together. I wouldn't be at the front of the room lecturing about something. My students would be working together, interacting, and doing things. I would be walking around the room getting in on these conversations but the students would be the ones having the conversations about the topic at hand."
Coincidentally in my Literacy Learning and Teaching III we have just been talking about instructional conversations which seems to go along with my snap shot of my classroom. An instructional conversation in the article Instructional conversations: promoting comprehension through discussion by Claude Goldenberg is described as conversation looking something like this,
"Teachers and students are responsive to what others say, so that each statement or contribution builds upon, challenges, or extends a pervious one. Topics are picked up, developed, elaborated. Both teacher and students present provocative ideas or experiences, to which other respond." (Goldenberg)
Essentially, the point of an instructional conversation is to have discussion in a way that everyone involved in going beneath the surface ideas. We want students fully engaged in a way that they are asking questions, making connections, agreeing with others, disagreeing with others, etc. We want truly meaningful conversation.
I know what you might be thinking... isn't this what all conversations should be like in the classroom? That is what my first thought was. How is this different from any normal expectations we should have of our students?
Here is what I see as the main difference. The instructional conversation should only be introduced and slightly led by the teacher. All the deeper meaning and higher order thinking should be done by the students, between other students. As teachers we want to help our students get to a point where they can have these conversations without our help. We want them to be naturally making this connections and having these thoughts.
Just like in the quote title of this weeks blog, "Knowledge and skills are undoubtedly important. But true education- real teaching- involves helping students think, reason, comprehend, and understand important ideas." (Goldenberg)
I love this idea. I really do. It relates directly back to my teaching beliefs. I believe that students should have experiences and have opportunities to make their own meaning and creating their own sense of understanding.
I think seeing my students have such purposeful and deep conversations would feel like ultimate success as a teacher. I want my students to want to talk about these topics. Not feel like they need to because I prompted them with my discussion questions. Isn't it easier to talk about something you are genuinely interested in than to force yourself to come up with reasons to talk about it?
I believe as a teacher it will be my job to provide my students with the experiences, materials, ideas, and lessons to get them to want to have these instructional conversations. I would want nothing more than to be able to watch my students teach and and learn from each other with these conversations. I also believe that students at any age can have these thoughts and opinions through instructional conversations. Some of the ideas and thoughts that have come out of my kindergarteners blow my mind. They are so creative and thoughtful when they are talking about something they are truly interested in.
I am making is my mission to make those light bulbs go off and passions ignite so my students can reach this level of thinking on their own. This is what I think learning truly is.
This past week I made myself (or I was kind of forced into) participate in an education mock interview. In the words of my boss, "Since you work these events all the time, you may as well participate in one!" I'll admit... I was incredibly nervous and all around not interested in making myself do this. But of course the more I thought about it I came to this realization... You only don't want to do it because it sounds scary and because you think it sounds scary that is the BEST reason to make yourself do it. Look at that... more mature adult thinking kicking in...
Long story short, this was one of the best experiences I've had! I learned so much about what interviewers in schools look for when talking to prospective teachers. One of the questions that stuck with me was, "If I were to walk into your classroom what would I see?" I naturally answered with something along the lines off, "You would see students doing things together. I wouldn't be at the front of the room lecturing about something. My students would be working together, interacting, and doing things. I would be walking around the room getting in on these conversations but the students would be the ones having the conversations about the topic at hand."
Coincidentally in my Literacy Learning and Teaching III we have just been talking about instructional conversations which seems to go along with my snap shot of my classroom. An instructional conversation in the article Instructional conversations: promoting comprehension through discussion by Claude Goldenberg is described as conversation looking something like this,
"Teachers and students are responsive to what others say, so that each statement or contribution builds upon, challenges, or extends a pervious one. Topics are picked up, developed, elaborated. Both teacher and students present provocative ideas or experiences, to which other respond." (Goldenberg)
Essentially, the point of an instructional conversation is to have discussion in a way that everyone involved in going beneath the surface ideas. We want students fully engaged in a way that they are asking questions, making connections, agreeing with others, disagreeing with others, etc. We want truly meaningful conversation.
I know what you might be thinking... isn't this what all conversations should be like in the classroom? That is what my first thought was. How is this different from any normal expectations we should have of our students?
Here is what I see as the main difference. The instructional conversation should only be introduced and slightly led by the teacher. All the deeper meaning and higher order thinking should be done by the students, between other students. As teachers we want to help our students get to a point where they can have these conversations without our help. We want them to be naturally making this connections and having these thoughts.
Just like in the quote title of this weeks blog, "Knowledge and skills are undoubtedly important. But true education- real teaching- involves helping students think, reason, comprehend, and understand important ideas." (Goldenberg)
I love this idea. I really do. It relates directly back to my teaching beliefs. I believe that students should have experiences and have opportunities to make their own meaning and creating their own sense of understanding.
I think seeing my students have such purposeful and deep conversations would feel like ultimate success as a teacher. I want my students to want to talk about these topics. Not feel like they need to because I prompted them with my discussion questions. Isn't it easier to talk about something you are genuinely interested in than to force yourself to come up with reasons to talk about it?
I believe as a teacher it will be my job to provide my students with the experiences, materials, ideas, and lessons to get them to want to have these instructional conversations. I would want nothing more than to be able to watch my students teach and and learn from each other with these conversations. I also believe that students at any age can have these thoughts and opinions through instructional conversations. Some of the ideas and thoughts that have come out of my kindergarteners blow my mind. They are so creative and thoughtful when they are talking about something they are truly interested in.
I am making is my mission to make those light bulbs go off and passions ignite so my students can reach this level of thinking on their own. This is what I think learning truly is.
Saturday, April 12, 2014
"The only source of knowledge is experience." -Albert Einstein
Late night blogging edition.... this is the first week that I am working on my blog at night! I usually save these for Sunday mornings at Starbucks but lately I have been on too tight of a schedule to enjoy my Sunday morning blog session with my chai tea latte.
I wanted to go to sleep on the early side tonight because I know have 4 lessons plans to write tomorrow but alas what is sleep when you have four weeks left of your senior year and nine projects and four exams within those four weeks...
Every time I tell people how stressed out I am people try to tell me that I will miss this once I have a full time job. They say I'll wish I had only nine projects to do when now I need to worry about grading homework, creating lessons plans on the weekends, teaching for seven hours, staying at school for another three prepping for tomorrow, creating bulletin board displays, working with parents, attending meetings, etc.
The truth is... I won't miss this feeling of worrying about my nine projects and four exams. I'll take that stress of the "big and scary full time job". Actually, lesson planning for my own class all weekend sounds fun! Bulletin board displays? I've got ideas already! Being a full time teacher? That's the only thing I want right now.
When I have thoughts like this, sometimes it scares me. When did I become so excited to grow up? I really don't know.... but it makes me feel good. Everyday I spend in my practicum classrooms I leave with a smile because something awesome always happens.
One time it was because a student told me they wrote a story about me as the main character. Another time it was because a student told me skip counting was too hard and he could never do it skip counted by 2's, 5's, AND 10's after a math lesson with me. All of these little moments remind me that I have so many more awesome experiences ahead of me. I cannot think of a better career for myself than teaching. I think the best feeling in the world is when you're working with students and you see the "light bulbs go off". I am SO lucky to be finishing off a degree in something I am truly passionate about.
I could rant for days about why I think teaching is one of the best professions in the world. But I've also had days where I ran out of the school because of how poorly my lesson went. Right when I get upset I remember that this is all an experience. As much as I can plan for what I will be teaching that day, something will change in an instant. That's just how school works! Teachers alone makes hundreds of decisions on the spot everyday. If I spend too much time worrying about everything going according to plan, I will drive myself crazy! It just won't happen.
"The only source of knowledge is experience." Albert Einstein
This quote not only applies to students but it also applies to teachers. Students need to experience things for themselves to truly learn. This is one of my teaching beliefs! A teacher cannot just spew information and expect learning to occur. Students need to be apart of their learning process.
Teachers need to have experiences as well to really learn something. If I didn't have lesson plans go poorly, how would I ever learn to deal with failure in teaching? If all my students behaved and followed directions, how would I learn how to deal with a child who just couldn't sit still during school?
Experiences we have teach us more than anyone else could. I believe this because when you experience something for yourself, you remember how it felt emotionally and physically... and then you really learn something.
Let's think about writing in schools.
This past week I gave a writing assessment (along with a partner) to five kindergarteners and five second graders. We both taught mini lessons about sequences in stories. This included having stories which include a beginning, middle, and end. Along with a problem in the story and a resolution to that problem. After teaching the mini lesson we helped the students through templates which had them think about writing a story which included all of those components. Finally, they were asked to write their own story including all the sequencing events we had been discussing.
Between the two grade levels there were some consistent trends. One being that almost all the students masted the idea of organizing their story with a beginning, middle, and end. This is great! Having a logical flow to a story is something that tends to be complicated for younger writers often times because they have so much to say!
Something else that was a trend was that the idea of presenting a problem within a story was not very clear to students. Along with that resolving that problem and having a clear ending was also difficult.
Was their stories lacking something because they missed those components? No, not at all. In fact I read some beyond creative stories that demonstrated more understandings beyond what we taught. I saw students using quotation marks, having titles, character names, establishing locations, etc. These were not things we asked for, they just did them.
So yes, they didn't all exactly achieve the learning objectives. That is okay! Learning is an experience, you can only learn as much as you try. I feel like this holds especially true while teaching writing. It would be an disservice to the students to tell them they needed to write in a specific way. Every student is an individual and should be treated as so. (Another one of my teaching beliefs!) We need to let them EXPERIENCE writing in their own way. Let them try a writing style and realize they don't like it and then let them try another one that works really well for them.
If I learned anything from giving a writing assessment it was the following:
1. Assessing writing is difficult and seems unfair.
How can I say that student A wrote something better than student B? They didn't turn in the same story... how can I ever fairly put a number or grade on that? This is going to be a tough dilemma in my future...
2. Students deserve to write what they want to say in the way they want to say it.
I can expect a general form of writing to be done such as asking for a narrative or a persuasive essay. But I cannot tell them in what words they will chose to express themselves and in what format they chose to actually create their piece of writing.
3. Writing is an experience, it cannot be taught and be expected to be demonstrated immediately.
Okay, I just taught kindergartens how to write with a beginning, middle, and end. Fair enough, they can try that. I also taught them how to include a problem and solution to that problem.
Problem: We forgot popcorn at the movies
Solution: I bought popcorn
Seems like a GREAT effort to me for someone who has NEVER done this before. Gosh, we should probably let them have time to try this before we assess it huh?
Experience seemed to be the theme of todays blog post. When teaching gets crazy and stressful I just need to remember that this is all an experience, a learning experience at that. I wouldn't have come to this realization if it wasn't for the writing analysis assignment. This should also remind me that everything I will be doing in the next four weeks has a purpose and I will learn something from it.
Except for my geometry class... I'm still not sure about that one.
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