Success Journal: Reflection

I think this experience is really unique for me. During my hours, I worked to find a balance between observing and student teaching. Overall, I feel I’ve had a great opportunity. I felt that doing this time, I met a few of my personal goals, such as learning the students’ names and faces. I was also able to see and put into practice some of the ideas I’ve learned about over the last few semesters. There are a few areas I’d like to improve on, such as interacting more with the students. This opportunity was a little limited, I couldn’t interrupt while my cooperating teachers were actually teaching their lesson though I was able to step in when the students were completing group and individual work. One thing I’ll definitely take from this experience is how important classroom management is. Both my cooperating teachers had different styles but their classrooms flowed smoothly. Students knew what was expected from them and what was not. I’d like to have this level of classroom management in my own classroom.

Success Journal: Day 5

Teaching a lesson in small groups: As part of my requirements, I have to teach 3 lessons in small groups. The topic I was assigned was fragments and run-on sentences, identifying and correcting mistakes. I was nervous but overall I feel it went very well. I used worksheets and brief notes I typed up as an aid. With the groups of students I worked with, I had to change my approach so that I could keep them engaged and motivated. I think this stood out to me the most, showing me, though I have learned this in my classes, that students learn at different rates and may need more explanation before they fully understand what is being taught.

Success Journal: Day 4

Day #4: Observing Co-teach I’ve learned and studies about co-teaching in previous courses but not until now have I had the opportunity to see it in action. I know to students the thought of having two teachers can be daunting but this experience was anything but that. The energy both teachers created way positive and upbeat and easy to feed off when I worked with the students as they completed their group work. The students also responded to both teachers very well, showing them both respect. It’s interesting to watch as the teacher’s feed from one another, giving the students different perspectives to view the information. Overall, I think this is a huge educational experience; one that I think will help me in the future.

Success Journal: Day 3

Engaging specific students: In each of my observation classes, some students stand out more than others. One of my accomplishments of the day was engaging and keeping one student in particular on track. In general terms, he’d be considered the “class clown” but overall he’s really smart and, when disrupting the class to ask questions, he has quiet intelligent inquires. For an 8th grade class, satire is a particularly hard topic but I was able to help him work which I’m really proud of. I think this experience is helping me to establish management skills.

Success Journal: Day 2

Establishing my role: I think this experience is a little different from my observations before. I’m not strictly student teaching or just observing so my time is spent doing many different things (talking to my cooperating teachers about the lessons, observing what practices work with different students, working with the students, and presenting my lessons). Getting into a rhythm took awhile but I feel now that the students and cooperating teachers are comfortable with me being in the classroom. They aren’t afraid to ask me questions and interact with me. If I don’t know the answers or need help my cooperating teachers are, as always, more than willing to help.

Success Journal: Day 1

Learning student’s names: It’s really difficult to keep track of students since I am observing 1st-3rd period of two different classes. I felt particularly proud of myself on Monday for not only recognizing students that attend both of my observation classes, but also for remembering most of their names. Interacting with the students help me learn more of their personality and what they like. I’m also working to learn about the other students, who only have one of the two English classes. I think at first I was a little overwhelmed but now I’m facial recognition and naming skills are kicking in!