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.