Right now my biggest struggle with this class is the amount of noise...it never stops. If it is not students talking it's just humming or tapping or TA's talking to a student in the background. This just makes me tense. First of all my personality is one that loves quiet rather than noise. When I'm in early childhood classes I expect playful noise and that is fine. When I am in a third grade classroom I expect noise during group work, but I expect it to be quiet in general when something is being taught or students are doing individual work. In this class it is NEVER quiet! It drives me crazy. It also drives my teacher crazy. She didn't realize how bad it was until she had to sit and listen to the kids while I was teaching. When you are in the moment and teaching it's easier to ignore the noise or lack of following directions. Repeating directions just becomes normal and you don't think about it. But once you remove yourself and look at the class through different eyes you can see how much of a problem this is! The teacher repeats every direction at least 10 times and usually closer to 20. It just seems that the noise level and inattention cause such a lack of listening skills.
Clearly these students need to be taught listening skills and even school behavior skills. I think the teacher should directly these skills and hopefully that would change the problem. The teacher seems so exasperated by it that there aren't really any ideas for how to fix the problem. It's more of an acceptance that this year will be hard and the kids are just going to continue so learn to deal with it! This reminds me that even if I get frustrated, I have to not give up on my students :)
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Long Days!
I never realized just how long an elementary school day could seem! I've been teaching all afternoon and it is math then science then social studies. It is a 2 3/4 hour block with no breaks. The kids feel and the teacher feels it so in general it is just difficult! Everyone is tired so it does not flow as smoothly as the morning. My teacher said she really dislikes this schedule because the morning is only 1 1/2 hours then a special and then only 20 minutes in class between special and recess/lunch! With the morning so broken up it's hard to get things in and to keep the students focused. By the time the kids come back from special and get settled there are only about 15 minutes to work.
I think if I was the teacher I would switch up the periods to break up the day a little more. All of the ELA and writing is done in the morning. I would try to put some independent reading into the afternoon or maybe the full reading period. I think maybe science or social studies would be better in the morning. Basically I think that the students would learn more and be able to focus if the afternoon was not 3 intense subjects. Reading is still intense, but I think it changes the way of teaching and learning to something more calming and relaxing. I think as a teacher scheduling is one of the most important ways to set your students up to succeed, so I am very happy that I get to see this and decide how I would change it!
I think if I was the teacher I would switch up the periods to break up the day a little more. All of the ELA and writing is done in the morning. I would try to put some independent reading into the afternoon or maybe the full reading period. I think maybe science or social studies would be better in the morning. Basically I think that the students would learn more and be able to focus if the afternoon was not 3 intense subjects. Reading is still intense, but I think it changes the way of teaching and learning to something more calming and relaxing. I think as a teacher scheduling is one of the most important ways to set your students up to succeed, so I am very happy that I get to see this and decide how I would change it!
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Teaching
I am teaching science and social studies in the afternoon which is very difficult when it is hands on. I am realizing that these students do not focus and listen well when doing hands on activities. This frustrates me because in school we learn how we should always try to do hands on things with the students because it is fun and will help them really learn and retain what is being taught. I love to plan lessons like this and I write a thorough plan that prepares for passing out materials, giving directions, and dealing with behavior problems. It's frustrating to plan so thoroughly and have a lesson still not work very well. I planned a social studies lesson on landforms using playdough. There were directions and expectations clearly given at the beginning of the lesson. As I predicted, the students became very talkative and were not following directions and I went through all of my strategies and they did not work at all! And yet when I look back and try to think of what I could have done to make the lesson go better, I can't think of another idea. I do think having a different discipline structure would be best, but since it's not my class that is not an option! I also think the students have gotten into bad behaviors because they were not stopped immediately at the beginning of the year. If transitions and hands on lessons were introduced with expectations and those expectations were enforced right away I think these problems would be less difficult.
I will say with the class that I don't necessarily think they will be 'easy' even with these suggestions. There are quite a few very distracted children in the class and 2 with IEP's. Many have difficult home lives and many live with only 1 parent. The entire class is just talkative. It's not a few particular child, it is everyone! So I'm not saying that these students will be the easiest class that never causes problems (there won't be any classes like that) but I think the behavior and talking issues could be solved.
I also notice that directions are repeated many many many times. It's very difficult to get students to follow a direction so I want to see if the teacher has any strategies she uses so that directions are followed quickly. I haven't noticed any while observing her and I here her repeat all the time, and that just can't go on constantly! It takes 5 or 10 extra minutes to finish activities because the directions cannot be followed the first 10 times they are given. This is definitely an issue I need to work on because the students are not learning as much as they could be because so much time is being wasted!
I will say with the class that I don't necessarily think they will be 'easy' even with these suggestions. There are quite a few very distracted children in the class and 2 with IEP's. Many have difficult home lives and many live with only 1 parent. The entire class is just talkative. It's not a few particular child, it is everyone! So I'm not saying that these students will be the easiest class that never causes problems (there won't be any classes like that) but I think the behavior and talking issues could be solved.
I also notice that directions are repeated many many many times. It's very difficult to get students to follow a direction so I want to see if the teacher has any strategies she uses so that directions are followed quickly. I haven't noticed any while observing her and I here her repeat all the time, and that just can't go on constantly! It takes 5 or 10 extra minutes to finish activities because the directions cannot be followed the first 10 times they are given. This is definitely an issue I need to work on because the students are not learning as much as they could be because so much time is being wasted!
Discipline
I am finding that one of the most difficult things for me is struggling to discipline students. I do feel that if I was the teacher and made my expectations clear from day 1 of school it would be a bit easier and structured. In this class I struggle a lot because I don't feel comfortable using the discipline 'check' system and I think I'm stricter than the teacher. It's hard for me to tell a student they are getting a mark because I guess I give marks more liberally than the teacher because my expectations are different. My teacher has been teaching close to 30 years so maybe once I have that much experience my expectations will be similar to hers, but right now all I think is that these students are capable of doing much better with more direction and consequence. When it takes 3rd grade students 5-10 minutes to line up quietly before leaving the room every time they go into the hall I think that is unacceptable! If I was the person giving marks I would give between 10 and 20 during that time period for their behavior. However, the teacher lets them spend at least 5 minutes loudly getting into line before even threatening to give marks and then only marks about 3 children. Since I am so different in how I give marks, I feel like I can't do it in the classroom because it's not consistent with the teacher.
I also have a major problem disciplining one particular student who is defiant and talks back. He is one of those students that always insists he doesn't deserve a mark and he wasn't doing anything. One big problem is his mother also wants to know why he is receiving marks and so if I am giving him marks I'm putting the teacher in a more difficult position. As it is he really doesn't get many marks and for being one of the most disruptive students in school. He does have an IEP for certain things which adds even more of an issue to what he is being disciplined for. Technically he is allowed to read if he is upset because it calms him down. But this doesn't apply if he is not following directions. In general, I am just constantly confused on what should be allowed with him since he has accommodations. It just makes it difficult that he does not accept responsibility for his actions. The teacher does back me up if I ask him to do something or give him a mark, but it's very difficult for me to be in this awkward position. I know that if I don't follow through then he will quickly catch on and not respect me at all (he's very smart about things like that). He did say I was mean the other day, which I take as a compliment that I am doing a good job since the only other person he calls mean is the TA who I think uses discipline well with him. A lot of his problems are about being disrespectful or not listening to directions and he seems to know exactly how to get a teacher frustrated. The teacher seems to let him get away with things. One day 3 other teachers came up to her to complain about him teasing a student in the hall and then yelling in the hall. The teacher called him aside and talked to him for 1 minute about his behavior and that was all. No consequences. Anyways, this is a very frustrating discipline system for me so I am hoping that as I go along in the next few weeks I will be able to keep respect and have them listen to me, particularly this one situation.
I also have a major problem disciplining one particular student who is defiant and talks back. He is one of those students that always insists he doesn't deserve a mark and he wasn't doing anything. One big problem is his mother also wants to know why he is receiving marks and so if I am giving him marks I'm putting the teacher in a more difficult position. As it is he really doesn't get many marks and for being one of the most disruptive students in school. He does have an IEP for certain things which adds even more of an issue to what he is being disciplined for. Technically he is allowed to read if he is upset because it calms him down. But this doesn't apply if he is not following directions. In general, I am just constantly confused on what should be allowed with him since he has accommodations. It just makes it difficult that he does not accept responsibility for his actions. The teacher does back me up if I ask him to do something or give him a mark, but it's very difficult for me to be in this awkward position. I know that if I don't follow through then he will quickly catch on and not respect me at all (he's very smart about things like that). He did say I was mean the other day, which I take as a compliment that I am doing a good job since the only other person he calls mean is the TA who I think uses discipline well with him. A lot of his problems are about being disrespectful or not listening to directions and he seems to know exactly how to get a teacher frustrated. The teacher seems to let him get away with things. One day 3 other teachers came up to her to complain about him teasing a student in the hall and then yelling in the hall. The teacher called him aside and talked to him for 1 minute about his behavior and that was all. No consequences. Anyways, this is a very frustrating discipline system for me so I am hoping that as I go along in the next few weeks I will be able to keep respect and have them listen to me, particularly this one situation.
Thursday, December 15, 2011
2 Weeks of 3rd Grade
Well, since I've been forgetting to blog for over a month, I'm going to think back and write as if I am writing about how a felt a few weeks ago. That way I'll be able to remember all of the ups and downs of student teaching and figure out what things I was struggling with each week!
I'm going way back to the week or two before Thanksgiving. I was having trouble adjusting to 3rd grade, it wasn't bad, just not my favorite. One of the big trials was adjusting to an elementary school schedule. In nursery school, there was only instruction during the morning periods and the afternoon was all review, play, or specials. There was a lot of content to cover, but it was very different in the planning and schedule. It was busy before, but in a different way. In 3rd grade it is extremely detailed on what must be covered and there is a certain time during which the teacher is allotted to teach it.
The difference between the two teaching styles I encountered was also a huge change. My first placement teacher was firm in a fun and crazy sort of way. Students always listened to her because that was the expectation and you had to. The new placement teacher is constantly getting frustrated with the class because they do not follow directions very well. Part of it is the class, because many of these students are very distracted and do not focus. I do feel this teacher has different expectations of the students. She will tell a student to stop the same behavior several times before taking more action. It may be the students don't respect her as a total authority the way my other teacher had. This teacher wants the students to be more independent and it seems like more of a team game...but I don't feel this is very effective is students are disruptive and causing the teacher to constantly stop her lesson to correct behavior. She literally gives directions 15 times and some students still do not follow them!
I can tell right now that as a future teacher I would want to be closer to my first teacher and be an absolute authority. Of course all the students will need corrected at some point and student's will challenge a teacher, but I can see a major difference between an in control classroom and an in control teacher! I'm not sure if I'll be able to take authority when I'm teaching this class because it is not part of the normal routine and I do have to follow the things my teacher already has in place. At least I have learned a lesson for my future!
I'm going way back to the week or two before Thanksgiving. I was having trouble adjusting to 3rd grade, it wasn't bad, just not my favorite. One of the big trials was adjusting to an elementary school schedule. In nursery school, there was only instruction during the morning periods and the afternoon was all review, play, or specials. There was a lot of content to cover, but it was very different in the planning and schedule. It was busy before, but in a different way. In 3rd grade it is extremely detailed on what must be covered and there is a certain time during which the teacher is allotted to teach it.
The difference between the two teaching styles I encountered was also a huge change. My first placement teacher was firm in a fun and crazy sort of way. Students always listened to her because that was the expectation and you had to. The new placement teacher is constantly getting frustrated with the class because they do not follow directions very well. Part of it is the class, because many of these students are very distracted and do not focus. I do feel this teacher has different expectations of the students. She will tell a student to stop the same behavior several times before taking more action. It may be the students don't respect her as a total authority the way my other teacher had. This teacher wants the students to be more independent and it seems like more of a team game...but I don't feel this is very effective is students are disruptive and causing the teacher to constantly stop her lesson to correct behavior. She literally gives directions 15 times and some students still do not follow them!
I can tell right now that as a future teacher I would want to be closer to my first teacher and be an absolute authority. Of course all the students will need corrected at some point and student's will challenge a teacher, but I can see a major difference between an in control classroom and an in control teacher! I'm not sure if I'll be able to take authority when I'm teaching this class because it is not part of the normal routine and I do have to follow the things my teacher already has in place. At least I have learned a lesson for my future!
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Missing Kindergarten!
I am a week into my second placement which is in a 3rd grade public school. I have 22 students and it is a HUGE difference from my 12 Kindergarten students in a nursery school! So far I'm a bit out of my element. I feel like I have NO experience with this age level in my field experience. Really only 15 hours in a 4th grade and that's about all...so I feel very unnatural working with these students. Already I am getting a bit more comfortable, and I think it's a matter of figuring out what type of things this age group loves and how to have control over the entire class.
So far my biggest challenge has been how to assert myself with this older age group. The rules in the classroom seem a bit lax and I don't think there is as much respect as I like...it's interesting for me because I'm not sure if this is the age group or the class expectations! I hate the fact that the students are disrespectful to each other and I don't think an atmosphere of respect has been cultivated. They are also disrespectful to the teacher and do not listen!!! I completely understand having discipline issues and I think every teacher faces this, but I do not think it is typical to have problems with a majority of the students in the class day in and day out. This puts me in an interesting position as a student teacher keeping the classroom schedule and rules the same while trying to assert myself. I am learning already that one way to do this is stop and review my expectations before I teach my lesson. I go over the behaviors I want to see and what I do not want to see for a minute or two before we get into the actual learning portion.
Another thing I find interesting (and also a pet peeve of mine!) is my teacher allows students to eat snack whenever they want during the day. It is because she does not want to take any time out of teaching to have a 5 minute snack time in the morning and afternoon, but students are eating all day long. I find it disruptive as people are constantly going to get things out of lunch boxes or throwing garbage away or focusing on eating rather than the lesson. I understand the teacher's reasoning and also her belief in the children's independence and ability to make choices on their own, but in this case I think it is detracting from the classroom management. I feel like I would be annoyed if I was a parent of one of these kids because they literally eat all day long! I don't think there is ever a time there are less than 5 kids eating! Basically this is one thing that doesn't not bother my teacher but it is something that drives me crazy! Everyone has a different style and philosophy I guess, which does not make one way right or wrong, but this is definitely one thing that will not work for me :)
One of the biggest things I miss from my former placement is the connection I felt with the students. Part of this I am sure is because I was with the first group from day 1 and I was another teacher in their classroom rather than being the random person coming in for a month to teach. I also miss the center/play time with my first group because that's when I got to know the students and connect with them. With the public school setting there is not really a time to just talk to the students and learn about them. I'm now seeing how a private smaller setting school has so may positives for parents looking for the best school with individualized attention!
So far my biggest challenge has been how to assert myself with this older age group. The rules in the classroom seem a bit lax and I don't think there is as much respect as I like...it's interesting for me because I'm not sure if this is the age group or the class expectations! I hate the fact that the students are disrespectful to each other and I don't think an atmosphere of respect has been cultivated. They are also disrespectful to the teacher and do not listen!!! I completely understand having discipline issues and I think every teacher faces this, but I do not think it is typical to have problems with a majority of the students in the class day in and day out. This puts me in an interesting position as a student teacher keeping the classroom schedule and rules the same while trying to assert myself. I am learning already that one way to do this is stop and review my expectations before I teach my lesson. I go over the behaviors I want to see and what I do not want to see for a minute or two before we get into the actual learning portion.
Another thing I find interesting (and also a pet peeve of mine!) is my teacher allows students to eat snack whenever they want during the day. It is because she does not want to take any time out of teaching to have a 5 minute snack time in the morning and afternoon, but students are eating all day long. I find it disruptive as people are constantly going to get things out of lunch boxes or throwing garbage away or focusing on eating rather than the lesson. I understand the teacher's reasoning and also her belief in the children's independence and ability to make choices on their own, but in this case I think it is detracting from the classroom management. I feel like I would be annoyed if I was a parent of one of these kids because they literally eat all day long! I don't think there is ever a time there are less than 5 kids eating! Basically this is one thing that doesn't not bother my teacher but it is something that drives me crazy! Everyone has a different style and philosophy I guess, which does not make one way right or wrong, but this is definitely one thing that will not work for me :)
One of the biggest things I miss from my former placement is the connection I felt with the students. Part of this I am sure is because I was with the first group from day 1 and I was another teacher in their classroom rather than being the random person coming in for a month to teach. I also miss the center/play time with my first group because that's when I got to know the students and connect with them. With the public school setting there is not really a time to just talk to the students and learn about them. I'm now seeing how a private smaller setting school has so may positives for parents looking for the best school with individualized attention!
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Strenghts Finder Comments
When I took the Strengths Finder test I agree with my results and I feel that if I use my strengths in the classroom I will become a better teacher.
My first strength is belief which is definitely true for me. My Christian values are firmly within me and I feel that my life has purpose. When teaching my belief makes a world of difference. It allows me to love every child and show God's love to them through my actions. In teaching I want to make things exciting and create a variety of learning experiences because I believe God has gifted everyone with the ability to learn as well as unique talents. My belief is a part of me and because of this it will be seen in every step of my teaching because I cannot separate from it.
My second strength is achiever which means I am a hard worker. I love the feeling of having a productive day and I will go the extra mile to do what I can to succeed. In the classroom this is a strength that I can use to plan and put into practice everything I have learned about teaching. It also helps me not give up on a child because I believe that I can accomplish what needs to be done to help and support a child. This could also be a negative however, when I crowd my schedule with so many things to do that I become a Martha and forget to sit and listen and become a Mary. Busyness is definitely one of the problems I have and it is easy to get rundown and overextend myself to the point that my relationships suffer, with God, with family, and with friends. It will be all about me finding a balance between doing and resting.
The third strength is developer. I do look the potential in other, particularly in children. I always seem to find a positive where most people see only the negative. I encourage that small part of good that I see rather than dwelling constantly on the bad. I think that this will be a great asset as a teacher. I know that every student is a child of God who is special in many ways. All I have to do is keep my eyes open and then water the little seed that is positive in a child. This is one thing that I love to do and I can't wait to be that encourager that a child needs.
Fourth is responsibility. This is definitely me. I have actually been called of fun-sucker by my siblings because I am always conscious of being responsible. I am committed to my values and I do take ownership for what I say and do, often more so than I should be. This is obviously a negative for me in some ways, because at times it's like a chain that keeps me from just letting go and expressing myself in a completely free way. It will come in handy when I am a teacher because I will look out for safety, mean what I say, and have more of a set structure. However, I need to remember to relax and just laugh and have fun with the students sometimes without being stiff.
My fifth strength is harmony. This describes me so well because I absolutely hate conflict. I am a peace-maker who does not do well dealing with tension whether it is a big or small issue. As a teacher, I am happy that I will create a peaceful and calming atmosphere...but there are always going to be times of conflict and I need to deal with it in appropriate ways rather than getting upset or crying (which I tend to do in my own relationships a lot when there is tension or conflict!)...this is just something which I need to work on because I don't want any tiny conflict to through me off!
I am happy that I took this test again because it gives me words that completely fit who I am and my personality. While I see the positives of each trait, I also see where a certain trait could trip me up and cause me problems in teaching. It also makes me happy that I love each of these things about myself (although it needs to be balanced!)
My first strength is belief which is definitely true for me. My Christian values are firmly within me and I feel that my life has purpose. When teaching my belief makes a world of difference. It allows me to love every child and show God's love to them through my actions. In teaching I want to make things exciting and create a variety of learning experiences because I believe God has gifted everyone with the ability to learn as well as unique talents. My belief is a part of me and because of this it will be seen in every step of my teaching because I cannot separate from it.
My second strength is achiever which means I am a hard worker. I love the feeling of having a productive day and I will go the extra mile to do what I can to succeed. In the classroom this is a strength that I can use to plan and put into practice everything I have learned about teaching. It also helps me not give up on a child because I believe that I can accomplish what needs to be done to help and support a child. This could also be a negative however, when I crowd my schedule with so many things to do that I become a Martha and forget to sit and listen and become a Mary. Busyness is definitely one of the problems I have and it is easy to get rundown and overextend myself to the point that my relationships suffer, with God, with family, and with friends. It will be all about me finding a balance between doing and resting.
The third strength is developer. I do look the potential in other, particularly in children. I always seem to find a positive where most people see only the negative. I encourage that small part of good that I see rather than dwelling constantly on the bad. I think that this will be a great asset as a teacher. I know that every student is a child of God who is special in many ways. All I have to do is keep my eyes open and then water the little seed that is positive in a child. This is one thing that I love to do and I can't wait to be that encourager that a child needs.
Fourth is responsibility. This is definitely me. I have actually been called of fun-sucker by my siblings because I am always conscious of being responsible. I am committed to my values and I do take ownership for what I say and do, often more so than I should be. This is obviously a negative for me in some ways, because at times it's like a chain that keeps me from just letting go and expressing myself in a completely free way. It will come in handy when I am a teacher because I will look out for safety, mean what I say, and have more of a set structure. However, I need to remember to relax and just laugh and have fun with the students sometimes without being stiff.
My fifth strength is harmony. This describes me so well because I absolutely hate conflict. I am a peace-maker who does not do well dealing with tension whether it is a big or small issue. As a teacher, I am happy that I will create a peaceful and calming atmosphere...but there are always going to be times of conflict and I need to deal with it in appropriate ways rather than getting upset or crying (which I tend to do in my own relationships a lot when there is tension or conflict!)...this is just something which I need to work on because I don't want any tiny conflict to through me off!
I am happy that I took this test again because it gives me words that completely fit who I am and my personality. While I see the positives of each trait, I also see where a certain trait could trip me up and cause me problems in teaching. It also makes me happy that I love each of these things about myself (although it needs to be balanced!)
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