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).