Describing Words

SALAMANDERS, SALAMANDERS, SALAMANDERS

It won't hurt my feelings if I don't ever see another salamander again.  We have been studying salamanders for our theme unit for a month.  The picture above is a salamander drawing covered with describing words.  We also learned action words, parts of a story, and observation skills during this unit.  The students especially liked having a real lizard in the room to observe.  I believe it helped fuel their interest and kept them engaged during the lessons.  We are changing the theme this week, and not a day too early.  I returned the pet salamander to its rightful owner today.

Salamander Unit

Day 1 Observation

We have been studying the habitat and life of the salamander.  I had a friend that has a gecko so we borrowed the gecko so the students could observe a lizard.  The gecko is a huge hit.  The students enjoy watching him and it helps to keep the students engaged in the lesson.  They have learned how to take scientific notes through observation.  They learned that you must be factual, detailed, and specific.  They have watched him stalk and eat crickets, sleep, climb, and eat the skin he sheds.  We have used this theme to teach the students about adjectives and verbs.  This theme has also taught them how to use a concept map and make number notes.  Next week we will begin the science portion on the life cycle of the salamander.

The Seasons

Is that you Mrs. Heather?

SUMMARY

Today was a fun day.  For bible class we ate manna that was spoiled (cotton candy with sour gummi worms).  The students loved it.  We practiced describing words with mini plastic flutes.  Every time they heard me say a describing word they played their flutes, if someone played it when I didn't use a describing word it was taken away.  The best part was when the students returned from library and saw me sitting in the front of the room in winter gear.  The first student to enter the classroom got scared and almost left.  I must admit, I had the scarf over most of my face and only my eyes were showing.  I didn't say a word when he said "Mrs. Heather?".  That was the moment he started backing up.  When the rest of the students arrived they thought it was very funny that I was dressed for winter.  

It was for a science lesson on the seasons.  I had on more jackets under this coat also.  As I took off a layer, they told me which season I was dressed for.  When we finished, the students completed a which they had to draw the clothing they are supposed to wear during the four different seasons.

Fun Day

SUMMARY
This week went by extremely fast.  Lots of things happened but I can't remember most of it.  The students and I made wind anonometers and they loved it.  We let them go outside to test them out and believe it or not, they worked!  Most of them anyway.  I continue to try to stretch the students learning a bit too far.  Next week I am going to dial it back a bit and create some lessons and activities they they will have no problem completing.  Mr. Pacer said the most important thing to keep in mind when teaching first grade is to teach them to read well, know their addition and subtraction well, and foster a love of school.  He said students learn best when they are playing games so I am going to try to incorporate some games in my lesson plan next week.

The first part of Student Teaching is complete!

SUMMARY
The first part of the Student Teaching experience is officially complete!  I must say that being accountable for writing papers and also writing lesson plans is not easy.  I have managed to make an A in every course I have taken over the last two years but this last A was the hardest to attain.  Even thought I have kept a 4.0 average, I have been extremely anxious about the B passing score for student teaching.  That doesn't allow much room for unforeseen mistakes.

I am nervous about the final course starting next week but I do feel a little more comfortable in the classroom.  I am getting better at watching the clock and knowing what is expected of me in Mr. Pacer's classroom.  Mr. Pacer will inform me if I am not doing the right thing when I teach and he keeps us on track for what is expected in the student teaching program so nothing is missed.  The difficult thing is writing the lesson plans.  It takes my entire Sunday to write lesson plans for a week.

INSIGHT
I have learned many things at this point in my student teaching experience.  I have learned that what the text says doesn't always work.  I have learned that students do not stop talking and causing distractions just because you ask (and sometimes tell) them to.  I have learned that students will surprise you in many ways, some good and some not so good.  My main concern is that I am unable to break through to three students that I believe have much potential.  They will avoid engaging in the lesson at all costs.

Mondays are the hardest.

Sorting student work

SUMMARY
Mondays are the hardest for me because I just spent all day Sunday writing lesson plans and I have a paper due Monday night for University of Phoenix.  I also have gymnastics on Mondays and once a month I have a school board meeting and marketing meeting on Monday.  Arriving at the school at 5:00am helps but I can't get everything completed in those two hours, but I am more productive the two hours before school than the two hours I stay after school.

INSIGHT
I love creating fun and engaging lessons that engage the students.  Right now it is hard to spend alot of time crafting the perfect lesson, but I think that once I complete my UoP course work and state certification tests I will have more time to devote to planning lessons.  Sometimes I wonder if I could keep up this pace for a year.  It helps me to see that Mr. Pacer has created a schedule that allows him to cover everything the students must know, deliver it in a fun way, and still have time for a life.  I think it is just going to take time and experience for me to get there.

FIELD TRIP!

Riding the train at Bottom View Farm in Portland

SUMMARY
Today was our field trip to Bottom View Farm.  The students jumped on a huge bubble, mined for gold in a cave, pet farm animals, went on a hayride, picked pumpkins, got lost in a hay bale maze, played on the playground, ate ice cream and so much more.  They had a blast.  Grades prek-2nd went on the field trip with two teachers (myself and the prek/k teacher) and alot of parents.  I was responsible for 22 students.  It's hard to enjoy the field trip when you have to make sure you know where every student is at any time.

I'm sure the kids thought I was a downer, but every opportunity I got I asked the students about their social studies and science vocabulary words when I saw a good real-life illustration - and there were plenty.  Their vocabulary words included, producer, consumer, crop, natural resource, map, etc.  I asked the students to point out these things as we were on the hay ride and riding the train.

The trip went very well.  Everyone had fun but it was exhausting.  By the time I got home I had a headache so bad I couldn't open my eyes.  I was soaked with sweat (not all my own) and dirt.  After I took a shower I went straight to bed.

INSIGHT
Now I know why Mr. Pacer wasn't too distressed to have to stay behind to perform principal duties.

What? A first grader can't spell Antarctica?

This is probably how my students feel.

SUMMARY

When teaching a lesson or creating an activity, I tend to be optimistic when it comes to the abilities of my students.  I feel that it is just as important to stretch the students learning as it is to differentiate lessons for the remedial students.  I have this idea that the remedial students may have a hidden ability to reach a high level of Blooms Taxonomy as long as I give them plenty of opportunities to do it.  So what ends up happening is I spend alot of time trying to stuff information in their heads so they will be able to complete the activity correctly.  

INSIGHT

After observing a couple of my 30 minute block science lessons, Mr. Pacer mentioned that I might want to divide the lesson into smaller segments.  Instead of discussing the lesson with the class for 30 minutes then giving them their activity, I could talk for just ten minutes and give them an activity.  I could help them with the activity and then do something else with them the last ten minutes.  He said it would help the younger and the remedial students in the class to stay focused.  

I gave the students a fill in the blank worksheet with questions about the story I was reading to the students.  This was my attempt to keep the student focused on what I was reading.  Mr. Pacer explained that the first grade students are not at the level where they can listen and also fill in the blanks at the same time.  He said it is a good idea for the second graders, but could confuse and even dishearten the younger students if they couldn't complete the worksheet.   He suggested next time to maybe have the younger students draw a picture about what I am reading.  

Last week I gave the students a 7 continent quiz where the students had to write in the continents on the map.  Mr. Pacer explained that even though the students could use the book, the first grade students are not able to write words like Antarctica.  He said it may be necessary for me to do the activities with the first graders and allow the second graders to do it on their own.  

I am learning that it is just as important that the students feel confident in their ability to complete the activities successfully as it is to stretch their learning.  If the students lose their confidence, they will not want to try to learn new things and they will have anxiety when they have to try new things.  There is a word for this, self-efficacy.  Self-efficacy is the measure of the belief in one's own ability to complete tasks and reach goals.  Albert Bandura believed that if students do not have self-efficacy they will avoid challenging tasks and have less overall confidence in themselves.

So true.

SUMMARY
My husband shared this video with me this morning and believe it or not I had this EXACT conversation with a student yesterday.  If you ask my father, he would tell you that he has also had this conversation with me on multiple occasions throughout my educational career.  There are so many different strategies and programs available to teach math and there are lots of different kinds of learners.  Teachers have to choose the best math program and then decide the best way to teach it to all the unique students in your classroom.

Yesterday I was helping a student speculate on a money math problem.   This student has sporadic moments of math lucidity although I haven't yet figured out how to evoke them yet.  If I try too hard, he will cry.  If I don't encourage him enough he doesn't try.  I suggested multiple techniques (that he knows how to do) to resolve the math problem yet it was as if it was the first time he had ever heard of them.  I believe if I can find a way to motivate him to learn the concept (besides bribery) I will have won half the battle.

One of the teachers in our school had a dinky dollar day where the students brought trinkets to school to sell to each other.  Everything was a dollar.  The money was applied to books for the classroom.  The kids enjoyed this and looked forward to it.  Maybe having a special week of dinky dollar days during math (but price items $.85, $.75, .$60, etc. instead of $1) might just give them the motivation they need to learn.

Today was a good day.

I love this scene.

SUMMARY
Although it didn't start out that way.  Getting to school at 5:30 wouldn't be so bad if I didn't forget my computer.  Thanks to my husband I didn't have to drive home to get it, he brought it to me.  I take over teaching at 11:00 and end at 2:30.  I am teaching guided reading, Bible, daily oral language, handwriting, spelling, science, and social studies.  I am still having a hard time watching the clock and teaching at the same time.  Mr. Pacer still has to remind me of the time every now and then although I feel like I am getting the hang of things.

GREAT SOCIAL STUDIES CLASS
Today the students review for a Social Studies test by playing a game.  I used the "numbered heads" method for my learning groups.  I divided the class into six teams of three to four.  I made one or two second grade students were on a team with first grade students.  I had the students open their books to the review page at the end of the chapter.  I had designed an answer sheet for them to use to record their answers on.  I gave each student an answer sheet.

I explained that the team must answer all of the review questions together and record them individually on their answer sheets.  I told them it was important for every team member to understand the answers and remember them for the game.  I assigned each student in the teams a number between one and four.  I told them that I was going to call out a number and whatever team member was assigned that number would have to answer the question on behalf of the team.  The concept here is for each team member to make sure that everyone in the team knew the information backwards and forwards.

The picture above are the students hard at work answering the review questions and explaining their reasoning to each other.  When the first grade students started to drift off, a second grade student was always there to bring them back.  They learned, controlled their own behavior, and had fun.

Supply Managers, Foremen, and Engineers oh my!

Today we experiments with volcanoes!

SUMMARY

Good news, everyone stayed awake today.  If we could perform experiments every day I think all kids would love school.  They were so excited to work with their hands and learn about volcanoes.  If teachers had help in the classroom (lots of help) they could have experiments daily.  The preparation, planning, instruction, clean-up always takes longer than expected.  

Today I divided the class into 7 groups of three.  I told them they were on a scientific investigation team and each of them had a job to do.  The engineer made the volcano, the supply manager managed all the supplies, and the foreman told everyone what to do.  They were all excited about their jobs.  When we reached the final step of adding the vinegar to the mountain, the students were in a state of delirious anticipation as you can tell by the smudged face in the background.  He was jumping up and down.

After the experiment the students made notes on their observations of the volcano before, during, and after the eruption.

They live in the future?

Students in a Pohnpei school in Micronesia

Our students watching the video

SUMMARY

I began this morning at 4:30am so I could get to school early to have time to write my teacher work sample standard II.  Wait, lets back up because my week really started yesterday, Sunday.  I got up at 7:00am and wrote lesson plans until 5:00pm.  I went to bed early and THEN I got up at 4:30am for school.  I think this is beginning to sound like but  I'm really not.  I'm just surprised to find out how much work goes into teaching.  I knew it required alot of planning but I did not realize it would require me to get up at 4:30am just to stay on track.  Keep in mind I bring alot of this on myself.  I have been writing very specific lesson plans so I can get the practice I need to really understand what goes into lesson plans and I have also been working hard to make them interesting and engaging for the students.  It is one thing to write papers and mock lesson plans in school, it is another to write lesson plans that you must follow in a classroom setting.  

INSIGHT

I am learning that a teacher has a small window of time to teach the students everything they need to know in each subject.  Sometimes in as little as 15 minutes.  Mr. Pacer has had to make alot of decisions about time allotment in his classroom.  He allows more time for reading and math than social studies or science.  Some teachers teach different subjects on different days.  He has divided the school day so that he covers everything every day.  I like that concept because the class segments are not too long and the material is reinforced daily.  

KIDS FROM THE FUTURE

I have a friend that is a teacher missionary in Pohnpei and I asked her to send me a video of her students addressing my students personally telling them what they like to do for fun and their favorite food.  My students are studying how children are different and also the same as them around the world in Social Studies.  I asked the students to point to the furthest point on the map from North America and they all pointed to Austrailia.  I showed them the globe and said let's go even further to Micronesia. 

I explained that the children that live in this country are on the other side of the earth.  I asked them to guess what time it was in Micronesia. When I told them it was 5:30am they were surprised. But when I said it was 5:30am tomorrow, they were shocked.  These kids live in the future!  I explained why they live in the future.  Next I told them that these children saw us on our Facebook page.  They looked at all the fun we were having at Fall Field Day and all the good food we were eating and wanted to send us a video about what they do for fun.  I played the video and they loved it.  We discussed things we had in common with them and some things they did differently.  

Today we are going to record a response video.

Lots of firsts this week

Students working in pairs to find pronouns, subjects, and verbs

SUMMARY
First student to give herself a haircut while I am teaching, first time to realize I had just been talking to a student that was asleep (with his eyes open), and first parent phone call.  I'll explain.

Haircut:  When I was explaining the directions for the lesson activity (that required scissors) one of the first grade students was cutting her hair.  I noticed the students odd demeanor and upon closer inspection found a pile of hair on the floor at her feet.  When asked why she did it she said she want short hair.  Mr. Pacer had me take her scissors and we sent a letter home to her parents explaining her new hairdo.

Sleeper:  This student has been sleeping alot in class for the first couple of days this week.  I turned the lights off to show a short video about Benjamin Banneker in Social Studies class and this student was in dreamland almost immediately.  I can't blame him, it was about a surveyor from a hundred years ago.  I was constantly waking him up during the video.  When I turned the lights on I was happy to see that he was sitting up.  After I explained the directions for the activity and told the students to begin I noticed that he was not beginning the activity.  I walked over and whispered in his ear that he needs to be working on his assignment.  I explained why it is important to listen to instructions and take advantage of the time we give him in class to get his work done.  When I stood up he was still not working on his lesson.  I walked back over and he had a blank look on his face.  HE WAS ASLEEP WITH HIS EYES OPEN!  I shook him and he finally woke up.

Parent call:  I changed a student's like because he was distracting the class multiple times by being silly when I called on him to answer questions.  When I changed the student's light he was surprised.  I asked him what he did wrong when I gave him the paper and he said he was being silly.  I said you are right and I told him that I had to call him down twice.  At the end of the day we discussed his behavior when we filled out the yellow sheet.  We were on the same page.  Almost immediately after returning home from school his father called me asking why his son's light was changed.  He said his son didn't know he did anything wrong.  I explained everything and he was fine with it.  It's amazing the things that get lost in translation between school and home.

INSIGHT
When it rains, it pours.

I've crossed over

Me

SUMMARY
I have absolutely no time to do all the things I must do to stay above water so I have started getting up extremely early to try to get some things done.  I arrived at school Monday at 5:00am but I haven't been able to do it since then.  In order to get to school early I have quit fixing my hair.  I get out of the shower and throw it up on top of my head and run out of the door.  Now I understand why most pictures depict teachers wearing buns, they don't have time to fix their hair!  There is no other time to  write lesson plans and complete my UOP assignments.  I had a system the last two years of completing all of my work by Friday so I wouldn't feel rushed, but I can't do that now.  I get home around 5:30 - 6:00 most evenings and my husband and I usually have to do something about the house we are building.  When I get home from that around 8:00-9:00 I am beat and cannot think straight enough to write papers or lesson plans.  The picture above is a perfect depiction of me in the morning, and in the evening these days.

INSIGHT
I am just going to have to forgo the "getting ready" part of my morning in order to get here by 5am daily to complete my work.  I think it will get better once I get a grip on everything, I just don't know when I'm going to get a grip.

So much has happened since my last post

Students pose for a picture with their grandparents on Grandparents Day

Taking advantage of a photo opp with the designer of the t-shirt I am wearing at Fall Field Day.

SUMMARY

I'll try to make this quick.  I haven't posted once since last Wednesday because it has been extremely busy.  Assignments are beginning to become due in my UOP student teaching seminar class and my school was preparing for Grandparents Day that happened last Friday.  We invited all of the student's grandparents to come to school at noon for a Grandparents Day program.  The program was a huge success.  The grandparents love this event.  I video taped a happy Grandparents Day message from the students that didn't have grandparents at the event so their grandparents could see it on our Facebook page.  The next event was Fall Field Day which took place on Sunday from noon to 5:00pm.  The PE teacher headed it up but all of the teacher's helped.  It was also a success.  The parents enjoyed watching their children participate in athletic challenges and funny games.  So to make a very long story short, I've been busy.

INSIGHT
This year we did something new with Fall Field Day and Grandparents Day.  We had the upper grade students perform skits at Grandparents Day with the younger students.  We also had the teams mixed at Fall Field Day with upper grade students and younger grade students.  I believe it is a good idea to encourage our upper grade students (7th and 8th grade) to participate with the younger grade students.  I think it gives our upper grade students a sense of behavior responsibility when they act as a role model for our younger students, and I believe the younger students enjoy spending time with the upper grade students.  Our 1st and 2nd grade classroom is participating in a letter writing program with writing buddies in the 7th and 8th grade.

It hurts to watch...

Daily Oral Language

Phonics

SUMMARY
Today I continued transitioning the students to Reading workshop, Guided Reading, Daily Routine, and Bible.  Mr. Pacer said I am doing well.  He reminded me to make sure the students justify their answers when I call on them for an answer during whole class instruction.  I tried to make a point to do that during the Daily Oral Language portion of the Daily Routine Block.  I set up my iPhone on the book case while I was teaching Daily Oral Language so I can see how I come across to the students.  It was excruciating for me to watch.  I look funny, I walk funny, I talk funny.  I couldn't make myself watch the entire thing.  I just posted a little portion of each lesson.

INSIGHT
It is amazing how much the students react differently to different teachers.  With Mr. Pacer the student are more calm, respectful, and quiet.  With me the students are not bad, they are just a little more animated and noisier.  I think they tend to take on the mood of the teacher.  I have way too much energy and Mr. Pacer is patient.  I think the students sense these traits.

SURPRISE!

Melody and I were surprised with a Birthday cake at Open House

SUMMARY
Our school's open house was last Thursday night and a fellow teacher and I were surprised with a birthday cake. My husband and I spent all weekend celebrating my birthday with gifts, surprises, and a trip to my families home in Paducah.  Needless to say, I had a great Labor Day holiday!

INSIGHT
Since I returned to school, I have realized that it is getting into crunch time.  I have assignments due in my University of Phoenix class, I also have to make substantial posts daily in the UOP course forum, my gymnastics classes are starting tomorrow, I have to start writing lesson plans for my Cooperating Teacher, I have a marketing meeting next Monday that I have to prepare for, I have an Academy board meeting Thursday, we have Grandparents Day Thursday night, we have Fall Field Day this Sunday, I have to pick out the brick for the house we are building by Friday, and that is just a few things on the radar.

QUESTIONS
I don't have many questions at the end of the day anymore because I pelt Mr. Pacer with them all day long.  I can't remember the questions, but he always has answers.  Today I was able to teach three different lessons by myself, (Daily Routine, Bible, Reading Workshop, Guided Reading).

FIRST OBSERVATION

SUMMARY
I performed well during my guided reading lesson.  It helps that Mr. Pacer uses a really efficient and effective guided reading program that made it easy for me to create a lesson around.  Mr. Pacer divided the students into five different leveled reading groups last week.  We began guided reading with these reading groups this week.  During my observation, I worked with two of the groups.  I used the BEFORE, DURING, and AFTER reading comprehension method as I worked with the groups.  We went on a picture walk and word walk before we began reading.  We predicted what was going to happen during reading, and we talked about what happened after reading.  I incorporated as many fluency and comprehension strategies as I could during these guided reading groups.

INSIGHT
After I had been observed my UOP Instructor (FT) showed me her notes and the list of techniques and methods she checked off.  She had checked off close to 30 different items on the rubric.  She went over them with me one by one and said that I covered each one and did it extremely well.  Here's the funny thing, I didn't include these things in my lesson plan, I just did them because it was the natural thing to do with the students during the guided reading to ensure they were comprehending the material.  Maybe I am a natural, or maybe it was beginners luck.

3-day Teacher In-Service (Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday)

Highland Elementary Teachers at Indian Creek Camp

SUMMARY
The setting of our teacher's in-service was beautiful.  Indian Creek Camp is located in Liberty, Tennessee which is about an hour and a half drive from where I live.  We stayed in cabins that had no wifi, tv,  radio, etc.  The rooms were not the Hilton but is was just what we needed.  They fed us three wonderful vegetarian meals a day.  Meetings were in session during the day and activities were scheduled at night.  Since I had gotten sick three days before the meeting I didn't participate in any of the outings.  My UOP Student Teaching Seminar class began while I was attending this in service so I had to drive 30 minutes to the nearest McDonalds so I could use their wifi.

INSIGHT
I was able to meet lots of other teachers across Tennessee that worked within the SDA KYTN Conference.  We talked about everything.  We discussed student retention, marketing, teaching techniques, class management nightmares and successes.  One teacher told me how she fixed the issue of students leaving pencils, erasers, etc. on the floor.  She hands out tickets to students who have a clean and tidy area and they can purchase things with it at the end of the month.  I learned that every teacher has his or her own way of doing things, there is not much of a consensus on class management.

IMPROVEMENT!

Mr. Pacer leads the class in Daily Oral Language by having the student write down the letters and letter groups they hear him say on a wipe board.

SUMMARY
Today Mr. Pacer allowed me to transition the class from one subject to the next and teach the lesson that followed (Bible).  The students were extra full of energy today so I was concerned that I wouldn't be able to manage them.  I asked the students to put away their work and prepare for Bible class.  As they were clearing away their things I reminded them of the rules so they would be fresh on their minds as I taught the lesson.  I specifically whispered a question to one of the students before we even began because he has a bad habit of blurting out things without raising his hand.   I had given him way to many warnings yesterday without moving his light to yellow.  Today I did it, I moved him to yellow because he continued to distract the class.  He cried and cried.  I felt awful.

After the lesson Mr. Pacer told me that I did better THAN HIM keeping the class under control during the lesson.  Even though I was as sick as a dog, that made me feel great.  He gave me some pointers yesterday on how to manage behavior problem children and I used them.

• Whisper reprimands into the child's ear instead of embarrassing him or her in front of the class.
• Stand in front of his or her desk when they are causing distractions.  It is important to stand with my feet facing the desk, not to the side.  This way the student knows you are not going to walk away.
• If that doesn't end the bad behavior, then bend down and place both hands on the desk and give them a warning.

INSIGHT

I noticed that Mr. Pacer takes every opportunity he can to praise the students.  I realized that he does this because of the nature of the grades he teaches.  The students lose their place in guided reading, do not listen to the instructions, do not pick up after themselves, do not put their names on their homework, raise their hands and do not have an answer, and much, much more.  I'm not saying they do this constantly - but they do it alot so the teacher is always having to reprimand the students.  I believe this is why Mr. Pacer praises the students for every little thing.

QUESTION

I notice that the lessons Mr. Pacer teaches is in the teacher materials.  These lessons are extremely thorough and include multiple teaching methods and techniques within each lesson.  They touch on every learning modality and include group, pair, individual, and whole class study.  They have an anticipatory set, motivation and closing.  Mr. Pacer makes changes and additions to the lessons where he feels necessary but for the most part these materials are extremely effective and rich.  When I begin teaching, can I use this material too?  If I do, do I need to re-write this material or may I use it as it is and adjust it to match my teaching style and individual learners style in the classroom?

QUESTION

Some students that we have in the classroom are capable of learning faster than they are.  They do not pay attention.  They do not focus.  How many recesses can I keep them in to try to catch them up?  Is there a law that prohibits me from keeping them from recess for academic reasons?  Mr. Pacer kept one of our students in from the first few minutes of recess to help her with math.  I would want to keep her in every recess until she is caught up.  Maybe this would make her pay more attention in class so she doesn't miss recess.  Is this a bad idea?

These students have fun

The students are doing jumping-jacks as they sound out the new words that are placed on the word wall during Daily Oral Language.

SUMMARY
Today I taught my second Bible class.  The lesson was about the third day of creation when God created land and vegetation.  I began by asking the students if they created a world what would be in it.  The consensus was candy.  Everything would be made of candy, there would be eyeball pets, and it would be warm all year long.

I asked them what would happen if our world was made of candy and the students decided we would get sick and very big.  They also agreed that it would be boring with just one kind of pet.  Also, our land would dry up if it were warm all year long.  We learned that God made everything in this world for a reason.  He knew exactly what we would need and what would be beautiful.

I had the students take me on a nature walk after the lesson.  The students held onto a rope so we all stayed together.  We picked clover, flowers, bark, rocks, and blades of grass.   We discussed all of the different colors God used in each one of these.  The students brought one nature item back into the classroom.  Their assignment was to draw their one nature item using at least three colors.

INSIGHT
I just realized I didn't even read the bible lesson story to the students today.  I will read it tomorrow as they are working on their bible worksheets.

QUESTION
I am still having an issue with the students speaking without raising their hands.  I remind them of the rule often but the same students continue to blurt out things.  When these students do that, it causes the rest of the class to become unruly.  I have a feeling there is no simple answer as to how to keep students quietly participating in the lesson.  I think it has to do with many things, the teachers attitude, mood, lesson material, delivery of material, teacher's tone of voice, and much more.  Maybe I need to know what I am doing wrong rather than asking for tips on classroom management.

Much work being a teacher

A first grade student modeling how to do the science experiment

SUMMARY
Today I taught the second part of the Bible class.  I do not think I am fully comfortable in front of the class because I find myself stuttering and stammering during the lessons.  I gave the students two different worksheets to work on and didn't explain to them how to complete them before I handed them out.  I will not do that again.

I have created file folders on every subject Mr. Pacer teaches in his class and I am taking notes on his procedures for each lesson.  I know I will eventually be teaching the class so I am trying to remember how he does it so I can follow his lead.  Mr. Pacer has his lessons down to a science and it works.  He incorporates differentiation, groups, pairs, tactile, visual, and listening activities and more.  It would take a week of blogging just to explain all of the techniques and methods he employs daily.  He makes it look easy.  I just wish I would hurry up and get the hang of it.

Today he taught me how to upload the students grades on Small School Minder software.  It is pretty simple, just time consuming.

INSIGHT
I still can't get over all the extra work that it takes to teach.  I work constantly copying, helping, stapling, cutting and so does his para-professional.  We stay after school to finish up and prepare for the following day at least an hour.  I know that Mr. Pacer does alot more than what I see him doing.  I just hope I can be organized enough to complete everything that needs to be done and still have time to spend with my husband.

QUESTION
We have some students that cannot stay focused, not even for one minute - literally.  I would like to know how to help these kids focus.

I TAUGHT BIBLE CLASS TODAY

Video I showed in Bible class that illustrates how the atmosphere is water.

SUMMARY
I taught the Bible class today.  I followed the same basic structure that Mr. Pacer uses when he teaches Bible so the students wouldn't get confused.  I reinforced the previous Bible lesson and asked anticipatory questions about the lesson they were about to have before I began.  I read a story to them and then showed them a video.  The story was about God creating air (atmosphere) the second day of creation.  The Bible mentions that the air is full of water (vapor).  I thought this would be a hard concept for the students to grasp so I found a cool video that illustrated how the air is water, not just gasses.  I had way too much planned for the 30 minute block so I didn't get to do everything I wanted to.  To wrap up the lesson, I discussed with the students that having Jesus in your heart is just as important as having air to breath.  I handed out a piece of paper with fold lines printed on it. I asked the students to write on each fold line one word that describes how they feel to have Jesus in their heart.  I also asked them to color it and then fold it like a fan.  I told them to think of Jesus every time they feel the air from their fan.

INSIGHT
I LOVE INCORPORATING VIDEO'S in my lesson plans.  Maybe it is because I am such a visual learner myself, but I just don't believe I could ever paint a picture in my students head better than a video or a demonstration can.  The internet is such a vast resource of high quality and credible material for students.  I only use video when it takes the experience of the lesson up a notch.  I like to bring the material to life with video.

QUESTION
I would like to incorporate video in every subject as often as I have time to.  Is this too much video?

Christian School Differences

Mr. Pacer asked the students to draw a way that the word of God could be shared with others.

SUMMARY
After spending four days in Mr. Pacer's classroom, it is easy to understand why parents make the financial sacrifice to place their children in a Christian school.  The teachers, administration, and volunteers openly model Christian morals daily.  By having these role models, the student's Christian ethics and morals are reinforced daily.  Not only the adults, but the older students are also a positive influence on our younger students.  The Christian principles are infused into every subject either through reading material or activities.  All of these elements of a Christian education work toward building a solid physical, spiritual, emotional, and academic foundation for the students.

INSIGHT
Today I worked for two hours solid making copies, cutting paper, etc. for Mr. Pacer's class.  Mr. Pacer also has a para-professional working constantly.  I am shocked as to how much time-consuming work goes into preparing for the lessons and daily classroom management.  Mr. Pacer does not use any parent volunteers and I can understand why.  I think the person that helps should be professional and understand all of the nuances that go along with teaching and learning.

QUESTION
Does every teacher have a para-professional in their class in public school or private school?  Is there a certain formula used to decide when a teacher is allowed the aid from a para-professional?

Consonant Diagraphs, Letter Sound Blends, Number Blocks, Number Bonds, Mental Math, Flashcards, and more!

Mr. Pacer and Echo the owl sound out words and letter sounds with the class as they touch their thumbs with each finger for each letter sound.

SUMMARY
I got to work on my classroom duties early this morning so I could concentrate on observing Mr. Pacer and his para-professional Mr. Smith while they taught lessons.  Mr. Pacer packs in lots of different methods and techniques to teach the students in every subject.  He used an elmo projector to show the students how to use number blocks to add (or chunk) numbers.  He used the board to show the students how to use number bonds to add numbers.  He also used diagramming to show the students how to add numbers.  He encouraged the students to try to add the numbers mentally in their minds also.

When it was time to do "Fundations" (phonics) Mr. Pacer introduced the students to Echo the Owl.  The students will repeat the word the teacher writes on the board when the owl is raised.  Next they will "tap out the individual sounds in the words with their fingers, next they will "skywrite" the words in the air, next they will "snap & clap" when spelling the words out loud (snap on vowels and clap on consonants).

The students learned new words in social studies and got to participate in an experiment in science.

INSIGHT
I noticed that not all students understood the material as quickly as other students in their grade.  Even with a para-professional, student teacher, and a professional teacher like Mr. Pacer, it was difficult to spend enough time with them to get them up to speed.

QUESTION
I don't think that the teacher is supposed to get the student up to speed immediately, I just don't know how much time it should take or how much time I should spend with the students.

MY FIRST DAY TO TEACH A LESSON!

Students reading in the reading center

SUMMARY
It seems I am running a day behind no my daily reflections.  I think this may be a glimpse into what it is like for a teacher to keep up with daily classroom chores.  Hopefully I will catch up today.  The big event that happened today was that Mr. Pacer allowed me to teach a lesson to the second grade students while he was working with the first grade students.  My task was to give the students a step-by-step Model Drawing word problem in math.  I finished earlier than Matt did and to fill the time I asked one of the students to volunteer to create a bonus word problem for the class to complete together.  The students enjoyed the challenge although it was a departure from what they were used to.  After Matt had completed his lesson with the first grade students I told him what I did.  Matt said that it was a good idea to fill the extra time with the bonus problem because it "extended or stretched their learning" on that subject.

I also worked with the first grade students on their numbers and mental math.  I held up a picture and asked them questions about it.  How many ducks do you see, if one duck left how many would be left, etc.  They enjoyed this activity.

INSIGHT
I noticed that the students reacted to me completely different than they do Mr. Pacer.   The minute I stood in front of them, they began fidgeting and talking.  I eventually got them under control, but it seems like they could sense my anxiety.  I asked the students to clear their desk to begin working on the math problem and they didn't respond.  I had to tell them that they had five seconds to clear their desk and started counting down.  That was the only way they would respond for me.  Mr. Pacer only has to ask them once.

QUESTION
If I do the same thing Mr. Pacer does and the students don't respond, what does that mean and what should I do?

1st Day of School

Pictured: Mr. Pacer playing an ice-breaker game on the first day.

SUMMARY:

I enjoyed my first day of student teaching.  My mentor teacher is extremely organized and enjoys his job.  He keeps a pleasant expression on his face and never showed frustration, impatience, stress, or anger and there were plenty of opportunities.  There are 23 students in his 1st & 2nd grade combined class.  I know many of the students but some are new.  I believe I will do just fine as soon as I learn the schedule.  

INSIGHT:

The students need structure and a solid schedule they can depend on.  Can I create a schedule and follow it as well as Mr. Pacer?  I'm good at creating schedules but I'm not as good following them.  

QUESTIONS:

Are there any tips for organizing the school day and organizing my school work after school?

MY DAY:

I began the day by arriving at 6:30am.  I brought 60 Otis Spunkmeyer muffins that had notes attached to each one of them.  I gave them to the School Board Chairman to hand out to the parents as they dropped off their children. The muffins were a treat for the parents, and the note thanked the parents for enrolling their children in our school and reinforced their decision by reminding them that Highland is a safe place and delivers the best Spiritual and Academic guidance available.  

Next, I attended a staff meeting where I brought the staff badges for us to wear at school.  We had worship and discussed some general school housekeeping tasks.  

When we disbanded the meeting, the teachers reported to their classrooms.  As the students arrived in Mr. Pacer's classroom, I took pictures of them at their desk.  After I did that, Mr. Pacer gave me a list of things to do.  I helped him put up a bulletin board, sharpened pencils, filed papers, etc.  

Mr. Pacer explained why he was doing things and how I should go about it when he turns the class over to me.  After school I stayed after with Mr. Pacer to help him prepare for the following school day.  After we were done, I went to my art room and began preparing for the Marketing meeting.

At the Marketing meeting we discussed a paradigm shift in our marketing method.  Instead of spending most of our Marketing budget toward new potential students, I suggested we turn our marketing inward to student retention.  The way I suggested to do this is by "Delighting" our students parents.  Doing things for them that goes far and beyond the call of duty.  A suggestion I offered was sponsoring a Parents Night Out" event where we keep the children at the school to watch a movie while the parents have a night out together.  We took the first step towards DELIGHTING our parents by handing out the muffins to parents on the first day of school.  

I left the school around 7pm and picked up more name badges at the printer on my way home.  After being home for about an hour I began wondering if I left my space heater on.  My husband and I drove back up to Portland to double check.  It wasn't on.  Other than that, it was a great day.