Rate
I would rate this week a 3 out of 5 because of the snow days and my students were hyped up when they returned to school. The really long weekend, snow, 2 hour delay, full moon, and Friday the 13th all contributed to the craziness. Though my students were extremely chatty that was the worst of the behavior.
Observe
This week I took over math instruction I was surprised by how attentive the students were. My students are usually inattentive because math is at the end of the day after lunch, recess, and specials but this week they were all on task and wanted to share their answers. I'm sure this was because I was a new face. I will have to continually look for ways to make math fun, engaging, and relatable.
Reflect
Though my CE and I used the work day to work on plans and clean the classroom, other teachers on our hall chose to socialize and not do much of anything. Then at planning they complained about feeling rushed to get everything together. This taught me that being proactive and using planning/work days to my advantage is always a good thing.
Focus
Currently my short term efforts and long term goals are still aligned. This weekend I really need to sit down and set time lines for big portfolio assignments so they do fall through the cracks and they can be completed in a timely manner.
Be Productive
This weekend, I could have spent more time working on plans and my portfolio. Instead, I spent most of my time napping, playing in the snow, and enjoying time with family. While that was important, I definitely had too much couch and TV time.
Have Courage
Begin Anew
As I start with a fresh slate going into next week, I want to complete a time line or check list of portfolio items. I also want to get a head start on lesson planning this weekend.
Data
This week I did not look at a lot of data. I helped administer the math CBM (Curriculum Based Measurement) test to my students this week. My CE and I will be grading this assessment on Tuesday during planning and our team will do a data dive to look over scores and data based on our school improvement plan.
Advice
I would advise upcoming student teachers to plan ahead. Tackling assignments in advance is always a plus. Waiting until the last minute may work in college, but it doesn't cut it in the real world.
NCTCS
This week I really feel like I began increasing my rating in NCTCS 2d- "Teachers adapt their teaching for the benefit of students with special needs." I have an EC student in my class who struggles to focus. He usually understands the material, but getting him to focus long enough to demonstrate his understanding is really hard as well as keeping him on task. I have another student who just joined our class. She struggles with reading and does not know how to do many of the math skills we have already covered this school year. Finding ways to help these students has been huge this week. I have talked with my CE and the EC teachers and trying to implement their suggestions into my planning so that all of my students can be successful.
Currently my CE and I do not need any assistance from my University Supervisor.
Sounds like a pretty eventful week Leslea! I totally understand your....frustration? about the chatty teachers during "work day". I have noticed that as well for the teacher workdays I have been a part of. My CE is very organized and prepared/seasoned, but I too notice that a lot of the complaints from teachers is "we don't have any time to do that." But I think with the right planning and pacing, you can do many cool things in the classroom. I hate playing catch up and working myself crazy to catch up, so I agree with you words of wisdom to be on top of lessons, schedules and assignments. Glad you enjoyed the snow. I had a great time with my boys and my wife and I binge watched Netflix as we wrote lessons and drank TOOOOO much coffee! Here's to snow days!
ReplyDeleteLeslea, I am very impressed with how organized and how well your blog post flows. I am totally able to relate to the craziness of this past week. My kids were not terrible, but they were definitely hyper on Friday! Now we just have to make it through the next two weeks, which are also short weeks!! I am sure they will be crazy too, but that is what makes teaching fun. I am glad to hear that you and your CE took advantage of those workdays, I did as well and it helped tremendously in preparing for the upcoming weeks! I look forward to reading and hearing more about your experience this semester!
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