Holiday Lesson Plan

I was really nervous going in to my classroom on Thursday. We had been planning this holiday lesson plan for about a week. Thursday morning was the day we had all been anticipating. I had my materials ready for the morning. Throughout the week, I had already separated everything I needed so I would not be fidgeting around in the classroom trying to get things together. When I arrived, my teacher and the students were ready to begin the fun activity. I began my reading them The Polar Express. I read enthusiastically and periodically stopped to ask them comprehension questions. Something I would have done differently is I would have read the story prior to the day and actually think about questions to ask the students. While I did ask them, I feel that I could have been asking them a variety of questions. The kids seemed attentive and every time I asked them a question, they answered right away. I loved having all the kids sitting at the reading carpet listening to my story. Next, I explained to them what the craft activity was. They moved to their seats and I began passing out the materials. I decided that I would pass the materials step by step so kids would not be tempted to play with the materials and possibly loose them. We started by gluing the sticks in a triangle shape to form the reindeer head. I noticed that they all helped those who were having difficulties and I as well walked around the classroom helping and making sure everyone was on the right track. We then proceeded with the googly eyes, the nose, and the antlers. The kids really enjoyed the activity and being able to have a hands on experience. They all were eager about going to the next step in their reindeer process. Another thing I would change about my lesson plan would be to really connect the craft with the story and make them have connections of their own. This would have really tied the whole lesson together. Overall, I feel it was a successful day filled with fun. This semester has been quite the eye opener. The more I've spent time with the kids, the more I've realized that I would like to pursue an career in education. I have been part of some of the student's progress and that it very rewarding. Also, I have learned how to deal with kids whose abilities are slightly behind those of the majority of the class and how to accommodate to those kids. My teacher has been helpful, and I have learned a lot from this experience. I can't wait for next semester!

Friday Field Trip

Teaching kindergartners about economics at a basic level was very fun. We had a bag filled with activities and stories to encourage the students to think about economics. Each bag included five different sessions which took thirty minutes each. Each session had a story along with worksheets which made the lesson interactive. It helped keep the students stay entertained and focused. When we first arrived, I was really nervous. The teacher was really excited to have us there, and the students seemed ready to listen and participate.We started with the first session. The kids payed close attention to the story. At first it was a little nerve racking, but the more we got into the story the smoother it went. After the story, they had to go to health fitness, lunch and finally recess. During recess, we got to play with the kids. Once in the classroom, we began with the sessions once again. The stories revolved around economics at a level which the students could understand. The activities that followed the stories allowed therm to take what they had learned and apply it. For example, one of the stories discussed money and its value. The activity that followed involved identifying the coins and their value. Whenever the kids got too rowdy, the teacher helped us keep the class focused. This JA opportunity was effective because it helped put economics in a perspective in which small children could understand. At a young age, they are being introduced to the value of money and the importance of saving it.

Technology in the classroom

In today's society, technology plays a big role in daily routines. Exposing kids to technology at an early age will allow them to develop the kills they will need as they mature into the world. If I were to be teaching a second grade class, I would incorporate the use of netbooks and use educational websites in my lesson plans. For example, I would dedicate one day to working on their reading skills by using the website meegenius.com. This is a great interactive website in which they show a picture book and you switch pages by clicking on the arrows. What is great about this website is that reads to the student the story, so they are able to listen to the words and connect them with how they are written. I would have them listen to the story first and then have them read the story and answer comprehension questions. Another day, I would focus on their math skills. The website I would use is mathplayground.com. This website has interactive games all requiring the use of math skills to accomplish them. I feel that by making math fun the kids will have an easier time making connections and enjoy learning about it. Once they become familiar with math concepts such as addition and subtraction, I would give them worksheets  to apply what they've learned. Finally, incorporate different skills such as reading, math, and history, I would have them use tes.iboard.co.uk. This website has a variety of activities with different levels. The games are fun while still teaching kids different skills and abilities. By using this kind of technology, the learning is more hands-on and the kids are more apt to receiving the information given to them.

A teacher's impact

The middle age stage in childhood is a time that unravels great growth within a child. Children spend much of their time in a classroom, which is why a teacher will have a significant impact in the child's physical, emotional/social, and cognitive development. Teachers provide the children with resources and information that they use in order to learn new concepts. They fuel a child's brain to absorb what is being taught. They develop different techniques in order to accommodate every child and allow them equal opportunities to learn. At this stage, teachers prepare the students to begin thinking on their own and making connections between what they are learning. They prepare lesson plans in which they help students really learn by having hands on activities that promotes the students to think. A teachers main goal is to get the students to begin thinking and exploring the information they are receiving and applying it as well. teachers also impact a child's social and emotional development. They allow for kids to interact with each other and the activities they are presented require this kind of interaction. In a classroom, children must learn to get along with one another and work together to accomplish a task. They also impact a child's self esteem. Teachers can improve a child's self esteem by encouraging and praising them. They can also impact it in a negative way by punishing them for not understanding a concept. Also,  a teacher's expectations impact the student. If she expects high of a student, the student will respond to that expectations likewise if she expected low of the student. A teacher also impacts a child physical development. They encourage the use of gross motor skills when they are out in the playground. Children begin to learn to run, climb and play fight. Inside the classroom children learn to use their fine motor skills for more intricate use of their muscles. With the vast amount of time spent in the classroom, it is no wonder that teachers impact this growing stage in a child's life.

Conflict, what to do

Conflict resolution in a classroom is an important concept in any classroom. When conflict arises, it can hinder the performance of students and their ability to pay attention and absorb whatever information is being taught. There are many different ways of going about resolving any conflict, from seperating the conflicting students to effective communication. I believe that the best way to get a long term solution to conflict is being able to effectively communicate with one another. I've noticed that my teacher at Westwood immediately handles a problem. Sometimes the kids get a little fussy with each other and might be rude to one another. She will have them apoligize and get them to be nice. Once, this little girl said a bad word to another student. The student told the teacher, and she immediately talked with the litttle girl about how what she did was not very nice and she should apologize. After that, the problem was resolved. Luckily, in my classroom there has not been any major conflicts. Mostly, it is kids arguing over the activites provided such as the opportunity to use the Activeboard or books. My teacher is good about teaching them patience and sharing. Most of the kids in my class really get along with each other and rarely get into severe arguments. There is no problem with limited resources except for the Activeboard. There hasnt been a case in which my teacher has had to move kids around because they don't get along. My teacher is good about solving any small issue that arises. Overall, my class is well-behaved and their problems are typical 2nd grade problems, such as conflict over colors.

Effective Communication

Throughout the week, we've learned the importance of effective communication skills among teachers. Education itself is a job in which communication is a key element. Without it, it would be difficult to be able to educate students and educate their parents on their kid's progress. Yesterday was teacher-parent conferencing at the elementary, so asking my teacher questions about communication was right on topic. When asked about how she approaches parents during a meeting, she replied by saying that she wants to create trust between them and have an open relantionship with them. Her goal is to make sure the parents understand that she is there to help the kids in whatever way possible. If there is a problem with a child, she would be honest with the parents but wouyld make them feel comfortable. She would not want to upset them but rather show that she cares about the student and brainstorm some possible solutions to solving the problem. By having possible solutions, it puts the parents at ease and it shows that she is not simply critizing their child. When asked about how she would handle a situation in which the parents are upset, she said that what she attempts to do is try to redirect that anger into a more postivie approach and calm the parents so that they can understand where each of them is coming from. If the parents are too angry, then it is best to apporach a principal for help. Communication is key, and every nine weeks the elementary holds teacher-parent conferences to show how the kids are doing so far in the year. However, she says she accomadates this accroding to the need of a conference. For example, if there is a problem concerning a student before the nine weeks conferences, then she will make a conference with the parents to address this issue. Yesterday, the kids we're learning about how to write a letter. I walked around the room helping those who needed help.

Thoughts

When I arrived at the elementary, my teacher was out for a treaning. The subsitute did not know any spanish so I took over and explained to the kids what the assignment was. They had to work on complete senteces and their alphabet. For the most part, all the kids could do the work. I went around each table answering questions and guiding kids through the assignment. I really felt like a teacher. There was a a little boy who still does not know how to read or write on his own. The question came to my mind, how exactly do you teach a child how to read and write? I worked for most of the class period with this little boy trying to get him to be able to do the assignment on the his own. I know that whenever I go back to the elementary I would like to ask my teacher how you go about in teaching someone to read and write. I discovered that in a classroom , each kid has different abilities and a teacher must adapt in order for each and every child to be succesful. This brings in the idea that a teacher must be "child centered" or enjoy being around chidlren to be able to make each kid learn as much as possible. If a teacher is not "child centered" then she most likely doesn't like her job and thios could hinder the learning process in the classroom because the teacher does not love what she does. My teacher is really nice and respectful, which are important qualities in a teacher. Teachers are the roles models kids grow up with. This makes it important for teachers to have higher standards because it would be counterproductive to have a bad influence on kids. When a teacher has good qualities, then they are able to make a positive influnece in a child's life. I know that once I become a teacher I would want to have good communication not just with my co-workeers but with the students and their families as well. I'd like to establish a good relationship with my students so they feel comfortable enough to come to me with questions or any problems they might have. A child's performance in school is dependent on their families influence. I would liek to keep the parents informed on their child performances by having parent-teacher conferences not just with the kids who are struggling but the the kids who are doing well. Also, I would like to keep in touch through a website, as so many teachers have, so the parents know what their child is doing at school. Because technology is increasingly becoming a key factor in our society today, I'd like to incorporate it into the learning process. I believe that when rightly used, Active Boards really enhance learning because there are so many opportunities to use slideshows and get hands on learning. Each time i go to the elemteray and help kids and see their excitement when they understand the material, it motivates me even more to become a teacher. I want to be able to influence each kid and help them achieve whatever they want to achieve. Each visit makes me sure that I want to become a teacher.

Reading Time

On my fourth day at the elementary, I was able to stay for two hours with my class. When I arrived, the teacher was going around each table grading the homework from the night before. The other kids were reading as they waited for their homework to be graded. Yesterday was spanosh day, so their books were in Spanish. I started helping a little boy read. I could tell he was slighlty behind from the others because he was still having a difficult time reading. For the 20 minutes provided to them to read, I sat beside him and helped him through words he couldn not read. It was an amazing feeling to know that I was helping someone learn. Once the time was done, the teacher turned on her Active Board and wrote down three questions in Spanish to determine comprehension on what the kids had learned. They all had to write down the questions and answers in their journals. Many of the kids needed help and sionce the teacher was testing another student, I was in charge of going around each table helping whoever needed help. That's my favorite part about going to the elementary. The part where I help kids one-on-one and am able to answer whatever questions they have and see the look on thier faces when they finally understand. It is quite rewarding. Whenevery they finished their work, they were able to go to the stations set up in the classroom. I was really impressed by the fact that the teacher used the Active Board as a station. On it she had the alphabet, and the kids could drag each l;etter to make words. For the most part, it was a really productive day. Since I got to stay longer, I was there for when they changed classroom. The new set of kids were first a little apprehensive of me. They didn't really ask me many questions, but I anyway went around and tried to be involved in what they were doing. I really enjoy going over there every Thursday and my teacher said she enjoyed having me there.

Third Day

From now on, every Thursday we will be able to spend about two hours over at the elementary. I was really excited to spend more time with the kids, but sadly they had a field trip so I was only with them until 9 am. Yesterday was kind of like a free day since they were getting ready to head out to the field trip. While the teacher graded and conferenced with some of the kids, others stayed in their seats and read. My teacher said if I wanted to I could read out loud to them while they waited. All of the kids were really excited about this, so we all headed to the reading area and they all gathered around me as I read. It felt awesome to have them all pay attention and be so interested in the story. Afterwards, the teacher made the kids reflect on what I had just read. I thought this was a really good idea to see their level of comprehension. I noticed that one little girl had said a bad word to another little girl, and the teacher took care of that immediately. She talked with the girl who had said the bad girl and explained how that was wrong and should apologize. Overall, the kids were very excited for the field trip and kinda restless but the teacher was able to keep them settled. It was an awesome day, my favorite part being reading to the kids.

Teacher for a Day

On my second day at the elementary, the teacher I was assigned to shadow was absent. The subsitute didn't know any Spanish, which was a problem since the worksheets the kids were working on were completely in Spanish. When I arrrived, she asked me if I could walk around and guide those who had questions. I sort of took over the class. As soon as the kids saw me, they began to raise their hands and ask questions. I was really excited to be able to help them. I explained what the assignment was and attempted to keep their voices at a level two just as the teacher did. There was one little girl who had finished with her work and didn't want to read, but I was able to convince her and get her back on track. I really did feel like a teacher for a day. It was really exciting to know that I was making a small difference in their lives whenever they would get excited about overcoming a difficult word. I enjoy going over there every Thursday and getting a hands on expirience on what it would be like to be a teacher. My favorite part of the day was when I had to leave and the whole class stood up an ran to give me a hug. None of them wanted to let go! It was adorable.

First Impressions

I was very nervous about meeting the kids and the teacher, but I was also excited. When I first entered the room, they all seem intrigued as to who I was. I felt a little less nervous and more excited at being able to get to know the kids and see how the teacher worked the classroom.The class that was assigned to me was a bilingual 2nd grade class. On my first day there, the teacher had the students rotate between three stations: writing, reading, and a combination of the two. I began at the reading station and was soon on the floor along side the students helping read through the difficult words. It was really exciting feeling like I was actually teaching something to the kids. As I rotated, I began to get a feel of how the class worked. For the most part everyone kept busy except two boys who kept getting distracted, but the teacher handled the situation quickly and they began to work. She also explained to me how there was a little girl who had just moved from Honduras and she was behind from the other kids as far as skills.Because of this, she needed a little more attention.I liked how when the teacher noticed the class getting loud, she would raise two fingers and remind them to use level two voices. Overall, it was a good day.