2.3.17

Rate
I would rate this week a 4 out of 5.  It was a great week, but not over the top.

Observe
Yesterday I taught a full day without my CE being present.  She went on a field trip with her son.  There was a substitute but she was just there because the rules say she had to be.  I was surprised how much more confident I felt without my CE being present.  I think when she's there I use her as a crutch to lean on or ask questions if I'm unsure of something, but when she was out I had to take control.  It was a great day!

Reflect
Being alone with the kids taught me to believe in myself and to have confidence as I go into next week.

Focus
This past weekend I worked on my website.  It is almost finished.  I also got a late start on my plans because of PTO and Seminar.  This week, I plan to complete my self-assessment and work on my PDP so they will be ready for my first observation on Monday.

Be Productive
I could have spent more time planning with the lessons that I had ahead of time.  We had PTO on Monday night and the Seminar on Tuesday so I felt that I did not really get started until Wednesday night.  Our team also made some last minute changes to the plans this afternoon and I am trying to adjust my plans accordingly. This has put me behind and makes me feel disorganized.

Have Courage
This week, I'm not sure that apprehension or indecision held me back.  I felt that this week was great overall and that I managed the students and my time well.

Begin Anew
Letting go of the stress of this week is some mental clutter that needs to be cleared.  I can't let this get the best of me.  Moving forward, I want to focus more closely on the PDP and self evaluation this weekend.

Data
This week I analyzed student responses to test review questions in math and social studies.  In math, I found specific skills that student groups needed to focus on before the test today and reviewed those skills in our math center time.  In social studies, I realized the students needed another day of close review before our test, as many students were completely missing questions related to the test.  We reviewed the information thoroughly on Thursday and took another review Plickers quiz.  The students performed higher, but many were still not getting the information.  I reminded students to study last night and even gave them some time to review the study guide with a partner before the test today.  Several performed really well, while many bombed this test.  It was a bit of a let down after all the time I spent reviewing and how I tried to make the learning relevant to the students.  However, my CE reassured me that I had done a great job teaching the material and the students did not do their part by studying.

Advice
I would advise other student teachers to not get caught up in the data and scores.  Think about your students as individuals and what they have going on in their lives.  They may not have reached the benchmark score on DIBELS, but did they improve?  Are they showing improvement in the classroom?  Are they trying their hardest?  Yes scores are important, but they are not everything.  Remember to let your students know that you are proud of them.

NCTCS
This week, I think I grew in the area of NCTCS 5a, analyzing student learning.  I saw that students were not getting the material and may or may not have been studying at home, so I used flexibility to build in some classroom study time before the test.  I felt that this was the most beneficial way to assist my students.

Portfolio
I have begun work on my website and resume.  I need to finish these tasks.  I am also going to begin working on my PDP this weekend after completing a self-evaluation.

University Supervisor
At this time my CE does not have any questions for my University Supervisor.

Not thinking too far ahead, because right now is really important, but I would like to know when we need to begin applying or looking for places to apply for jobs for next year.