This was my first week of student teaching with full control over the class… And although it was great I don't think it's an accurate representation of what it will look like for the next nine weeks. The first two days were snow days and while I loved getting to know my teacher and working through plans with her during these days, I realized the toll that it took on our schedule and pacing. It pushed us back 3 whole days of instruction and started to stress me out. It was nice because I was able to simply push back my original plans three days back, but also threw me off because we had planned to do things such as check out iPads, or align a day with a certain activity and it simply didn't work out that way.
I learned so much this week about the flexibility of teachers and how you truly have to reflect on what's best for your students even if that means scratching an entire days worth of plans (NCPTS 5). And let me tell you this wasn't an easy decision because I make many of my lessons from scratch. I create PowerPoint's and smart board slides and I play games with them that I create through SmartBoard and when I have to rework the way these are, I get a little irritated as you can imagine.
I was very impressed however with my students. I was expecting them to terrorize the room because not only was it the "transfer of power" over to me, but they only had 1 day of school last week... My students acted responsibly and they participated in activities as instructed and they were excited to be back.
For the most part...
I did recognize that one student had no interest in being at school that day. I would catch him in math class and social studies class zoning off into space and looking the complete opposite direction of the board. I had to redirect him many times in class and this became a problem. I noticed that he was missing much of the math lesson because of his daydreaming, so I reworked my lesson the next day to review a little bit more.
I'm so excited to see what a full week looks like for me even if this does mean I need to plan for more naps as well.
To teaching and beyond,
Brittany Kertesz
Friday, January 29, 2016
Friday, January 22, 2016
Teachers are Heroes.
I could write books about last Friday's awful car duty in the torrential downpour. Seriously. I thought I was prepared because I had a thick coat on, gloves and a ginormous umbrella. BUT NO. The rain came in sideways and hit me in the face, completely drenching every article of clothing I was wearing and getting the students wet too. We ran back and forth to try and save the students from getting soaked in the (oh did I mention?) FREEZING cold rain and kept at the efforts or a solid 30 minutes.
I have never had so much fun.
Okay, that was somewhat sarcastic, but also very true. I laughed with the students as we splashed our way through puddles to their warm, dry cars, and all the while, the teachers and I made jokes and smiled through it all, even though our teeth were chattering.
Furthering my relationships with these very influential people was so easy in this moment. We laughed together and served people in a very real way. Giving up our warmth and dry clothes for theirs.
One thing I did realize through this was the importance of administration and leadership through this time. So many of the teachers rallied their efforts to pull this thing off in the best possible way, but not a single person from the leadership of our school was out there with us. Some of the teachers were a little (okay a good bit) bitter at this. Usually at least one person from administration is out there with us, but this time, no one.
It hit them hard.
These teachers were cold, wet, and tired from a really long week, and they felt a little betrayed. They felt that it was unfair. Maybe it was? I don't think it's my place to say, but I do know the importance of being a teacher leader now (NCPTS 1). In this moment, you can choose to take the road that is easy where you just say what you're thinking aloud and everyone agrees with you. Or you can choose to keep your lips tightly shut and when its your turn to speak, they wait for your input, but there is none. I think that's a first step. The next would be to change the subject or give positive input about, "well that's a great story for the books one day!"
It's hard being the new kid. It's hard not really having a permanent place with the staff or with the students. But I am glad they're making an effort to include me; all of them. On one of the planning days, my CE, another 4th grade teacher, one of the EC teachers and me went to a cute local diner for lunch and just sat together. We enjoyed each other's presence and I felt like I belonged. They didn't have to invite me, but they did. They didn't have to tell me funny stories and the perks of being a teacher, but they did.
And even if you think all of these reasons are small...
I believe that teachers are heroes.
I have never had so much fun.
Okay, that was somewhat sarcastic, but also very true. I laughed with the students as we splashed our way through puddles to their warm, dry cars, and all the while, the teachers and I made jokes and smiled through it all, even though our teeth were chattering.
Furthering my relationships with these very influential people was so easy in this moment. We laughed together and served people in a very real way. Giving up our warmth and dry clothes for theirs.
One thing I did realize through this was the importance of administration and leadership through this time. So many of the teachers rallied their efforts to pull this thing off in the best possible way, but not a single person from the leadership of our school was out there with us. Some of the teachers were a little (okay a good bit) bitter at this. Usually at least one person from administration is out there with us, but this time, no one.
It hit them hard.
These teachers were cold, wet, and tired from a really long week, and they felt a little betrayed. They felt that it was unfair. Maybe it was? I don't think it's my place to say, but I do know the importance of being a teacher leader now (NCPTS 1). In this moment, you can choose to take the road that is easy where you just say what you're thinking aloud and everyone agrees with you. Or you can choose to keep your lips tightly shut and when its your turn to speak, they wait for your input, but there is none. I think that's a first step. The next would be to change the subject or give positive input about, "well that's a great story for the books one day!"
It's hard being the new kid. It's hard not really having a permanent place with the staff or with the students. But I am glad they're making an effort to include me; all of them. On one of the planning days, my CE, another 4th grade teacher, one of the EC teachers and me went to a cute local diner for lunch and just sat together. We enjoyed each other's presence and I felt like I belonged. They didn't have to invite me, but they did. They didn't have to tell me funny stories and the perks of being a teacher, but they did.
And even if you think all of these reasons are small...
I believe that teachers are heroes.
Wednesday, January 13, 2016
The First Two Weeks.
Whoa.
Preparing your heart for EVERY single day is highly important. One cannot simply go into a day and hope for the best, but you have to mentally and physically prepare yourself. Last week, I would answer the typical "how are you statement," with a "this has been the longest and shortest week of my life." And the only exception to that statement is this week; this week is actually the longest and shortest week of my life.
I have learned more about the classroom in the past 2 weeks than I have in the past 3 years. That's not to say the classes I have taken during my college experience have not engaged me; they've been wonderful! It's just that nothing can prepare you for the real thing until you are IN the real thing. And I fully believe that I will not be prepared for an actual teaching job, until I am in the teaching job.
This job requires practice. You WILL make mistakes. You WILL have a lesson fail.
Luckily, many of us that come into the teaching profession are not very used to failure. We were typically good in school. I mean, why would you want to go to school for the rest of your life if you had terrible experiences?
So, with that said, I have experienced a lesson bust. And it was embarrassing. Honestly, I was really upset about it. I taught what I thought was a really interesting lesson and the students seemed to be excited about it too. I even had an exit ticket for them to complete which told me they had least got something from the lesson.
But my very next lesson for social studies came two days after the original lesson. I asked them to create a poster which would be a fun activity and informative. I thought my instructions were clear. Turns out they were clear... As mud. I fumbled over my words, my directions didn't provide clarity and apparently I did not articulate exactly what I wanted. Thankfully it was the end of the day so I was able to reflect and revel in the disappointment of it. I was walking with my CE to do car duty and I just looked at her and said "that was a train wreck." She was graceful and said "well at least you recognize that, and trust me it will happen again."
So much hope in this statement.
I didn't let my reflection stop there. I talked with my CE and I discussed my next course of action. What steps did I need to take in order for my students to understand this material? What exactly did I do wrong (NCPTS 5)? I learned that students need far more clarity than I would have thought necessary. They want you to exactly tell them what is expected and walk them through it. To a certain extent, this is what I should be doing for my students. But, if I were to baby step them through every problem, I would be doing them a disservice. I understand the differences in learners and I prepare for them. For example, 4 of my students have already finished their assignment I gave, so I have a furthering project for them to complete that helps them develop a deeper understanding (NCPTS 2).
I plan to move forward with this lesson, but after revisiting the important information. My students tend to struggle with sequencing, so I arranged a timeline lesson for them to complete. They will be working as a group in order to correctly solve this sequence and honing their sequencing skills as well as growing their knowledge of this information. After sequencing these events, then they will be able to continue work on their poster with the attached rubric. This rubric will show them what I am looking for and will be a way to direct their efforts correctly (NCPTS 4).
It was embarrassing to have a lesson already fall through. But, I plan to move past that frame of mind and improve myself. If need be, I can write out a script for the instructions I give to fulfill an activity (NCPTS 5). Upon reflection with my CE, I know clarity and that articulation takes time, but it also takes planning. There are many areas of growth, and I am excited to see those changes soon!
Preparing your heart for EVERY single day is highly important. One cannot simply go into a day and hope for the best, but you have to mentally and physically prepare yourself. Last week, I would answer the typical "how are you statement," with a "this has been the longest and shortest week of my life." And the only exception to that statement is this week; this week is actually the longest and shortest week of my life.
I have learned more about the classroom in the past 2 weeks than I have in the past 3 years. That's not to say the classes I have taken during my college experience have not engaged me; they've been wonderful! It's just that nothing can prepare you for the real thing until you are IN the real thing. And I fully believe that I will not be prepared for an actual teaching job, until I am in the teaching job.
This job requires practice. You WILL make mistakes. You WILL have a lesson fail.
Luckily, many of us that come into the teaching profession are not very used to failure. We were typically good in school. I mean, why would you want to go to school for the rest of your life if you had terrible experiences?
So, with that said, I have experienced a lesson bust. And it was embarrassing. Honestly, I was really upset about it. I taught what I thought was a really interesting lesson and the students seemed to be excited about it too. I even had an exit ticket for them to complete which told me they had least got something from the lesson.
But my very next lesson for social studies came two days after the original lesson. I asked them to create a poster which would be a fun activity and informative. I thought my instructions were clear. Turns out they were clear... As mud. I fumbled over my words, my directions didn't provide clarity and apparently I did not articulate exactly what I wanted. Thankfully it was the end of the day so I was able to reflect and revel in the disappointment of it. I was walking with my CE to do car duty and I just looked at her and said "that was a train wreck." She was graceful and said "well at least you recognize that, and trust me it will happen again."
So much hope in this statement.
I didn't let my reflection stop there. I talked with my CE and I discussed my next course of action. What steps did I need to take in order for my students to understand this material? What exactly did I do wrong (NCPTS 5)? I learned that students need far more clarity than I would have thought necessary. They want you to exactly tell them what is expected and walk them through it. To a certain extent, this is what I should be doing for my students. But, if I were to baby step them through every problem, I would be doing them a disservice. I understand the differences in learners and I prepare for them. For example, 4 of my students have already finished their assignment I gave, so I have a furthering project for them to complete that helps them develop a deeper understanding (NCPTS 2).
I plan to move forward with this lesson, but after revisiting the important information. My students tend to struggle with sequencing, so I arranged a timeline lesson for them to complete. They will be working as a group in order to correctly solve this sequence and honing their sequencing skills as well as growing their knowledge of this information. After sequencing these events, then they will be able to continue work on their poster with the attached rubric. This rubric will show them what I am looking for and will be a way to direct their efforts correctly (NCPTS 4).
It was embarrassing to have a lesson already fall through. But, I plan to move past that frame of mind and improve myself. If need be, I can write out a script for the instructions I give to fulfill an activity (NCPTS 5). Upon reflection with my CE, I know clarity and that articulation takes time, but it also takes planning. There are many areas of growth, and I am excited to see those changes soon!
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