Starting Assignments & Meeting Kids
This past weekend I decided to start my projects for my internship seminar class. It's interesting how my professor (who is also my advisor) knows that we will be interning at a school, planning with our cooperating teacher mentors, being observed, and working on our portfolio etc. yet she still manages to give us some other work to do. Granted a PDP (professional development plan) is important to write up - which I completed and hope that CS will be able to refine and look over it with me tomorrow - but is reflecting on the textbook she recommended us to buy (written by her and another author) really that important? I decided since most of everyone was either out of town or sick or something along those lines to get a jump start on it. There are nine chapters, therefore there needs to be nine reflections.
I wrote three already. At first I was concerned whether I was doing it right or not. But really - there is no right or wrong way to reflect. It's how the text speaks to me, right? It's my own interpretation. And since she didn't give us any points or actual rubric to follow with them, I figured "To the heck with it. I'll just do it and hope for the best." So that's what I'm doing. As I just said, I already did three. Before I go for my run I will read one more chapter. Before I go to bed (no later than 11) I will hopefully have reflected on that chapter. Four out of nine over the weekend is not too shabby. I also did my standards assignment, or what I think constitutes as completing the project. I don't know if I am on the right track, but I will send it to my advisor later tonight to see if I am. I hope so. Sometimes her directions are unclear. And I hate having to get everything clarified. It makes me feel incompetent. But I got to stop with that attitude.
Anyway, last week I met the darling 5th graders for the first time. CS administered an end-of-the-year math test on them (stuff they should have recalled from 4th grade) and it was disappointing yet understandable to see not many of them retained the information. After giving them a lecture on how to use their 'resources' (accommodations and modifications as presented in their IEPs and AIPs), they took the test again. It was thrilling to see how many scores went up! We only graded the questions they completed and didn't penalize them if they left any blank. The second day (this was Friday) I was in the classroom, I decided to remove my shy shell and sat with a group of kids who looked like they were struggling with the activity CS gave them. I also circulated the room at one point and helped out a girl who needed it on long division. I was amazed how challenging I found it to explain to her the procedural steps to completing the problem. But I did and later on the girl gave me credit for helping her when CS asked her how she was doing :) It made me feel good and proud!
During lunch, another student stayed behind and ate his lunch with us. He helped me make 'gifts' using this scrapbook die-cutter the speech pathologist provided me to use. As I talked to him, I soon realized that we were bonding. He told my cooperating teacher that he already likes me more already than the woman who worked in her classroom last year. Hearing that made me feel good. I guess I must be doing something right? When he asked her why I don't talk that much, I told him he will have to get used to it - because I will be talking a lot more in the next several weeks. He seemed amused by my response and asked me if I had any kids. Before I could answer him, he told me his guess would be "No" and the reason he gave was because he is smart. Smiling to myself and remembering humor was something important to connect with these kids, I asked him if he had any kids. When he looked at me with shocked eyes, I told him my guess was "No" for the same reason as his - because I am smart.
Tomorrow is my first day of my actual student-teaching internship. I paid for my tuition only minutes ago and found myself in a funk for a minute - knowing that I am not going to get a steady set of income slightly disheartens me. I plan on being a substitute teacher in between internships but who knows how well that will turn out? Anyway, I started looking over and completing the curriculum guides for both the 4th and 5th grade math classes. However, I have no lessons to deliver, but I will be there without fail. I will meet the fourth graders and see how CS addressing them on the first day in her classroom. It's to my understanding we will be administering an informal spelling baseline test to see where they stand and CS and a guidance counselor will be delivering a mini demonstration about what it means to be organized and disorganized and why it is important in our lives. This should be interesting to see. I'm looking forward to this experience!
I wrote three already. At first I was concerned whether I was doing it right or not. But really - there is no right or wrong way to reflect. It's how the text speaks to me, right? It's my own interpretation. And since she didn't give us any points or actual rubric to follow with them, I figured "To the heck with it. I'll just do it and hope for the best." So that's what I'm doing. As I just said, I already did three. Before I go for my run I will read one more chapter. Before I go to bed (no later than 11) I will hopefully have reflected on that chapter. Four out of nine over the weekend is not too shabby. I also did my standards assignment, or what I think constitutes as completing the project. I don't know if I am on the right track, but I will send it to my advisor later tonight to see if I am. I hope so. Sometimes her directions are unclear. And I hate having to get everything clarified. It makes me feel incompetent. But I got to stop with that attitude.
Anyway, last week I met the darling 5th graders for the first time. CS administered an end-of-the-year math test on them (stuff they should have recalled from 4th grade) and it was disappointing yet understandable to see not many of them retained the information. After giving them a lecture on how to use their 'resources' (accommodations and modifications as presented in their IEPs and AIPs), they took the test again. It was thrilling to see how many scores went up! We only graded the questions they completed and didn't penalize them if they left any blank. The second day (this was Friday) I was in the classroom, I decided to remove my shy shell and sat with a group of kids who looked like they were struggling with the activity CS gave them. I also circulated the room at one point and helped out a girl who needed it on long division. I was amazed how challenging I found it to explain to her the procedural steps to completing the problem. But I did and later on the girl gave me credit for helping her when CS asked her how she was doing :) It made me feel good and proud!
During lunch, another student stayed behind and ate his lunch with us. He helped me make 'gifts' using this scrapbook die-cutter the speech pathologist provided me to use. As I talked to him, I soon realized that we were bonding. He told my cooperating teacher that he already likes me more already than the woman who worked in her classroom last year. Hearing that made me feel good. I guess I must be doing something right? When he asked her why I don't talk that much, I told him he will have to get used to it - because I will be talking a lot more in the next several weeks. He seemed amused by my response and asked me if I had any kids. Before I could answer him, he told me his guess would be "No" and the reason he gave was because he is smart. Smiling to myself and remembering humor was something important to connect with these kids, I asked him if he had any kids. When he looked at me with shocked eyes, I told him my guess was "No" for the same reason as his - because I am smart.
Tomorrow is my first day of my actual student-teaching internship. I paid for my tuition only minutes ago and found myself in a funk for a minute - knowing that I am not going to get a steady set of income slightly disheartens me. I plan on being a substitute teacher in between internships but who knows how well that will turn out? Anyway, I started looking over and completing the curriculum guides for both the 4th and 5th grade math classes. However, I have no lessons to deliver, but I will be there without fail. I will meet the fourth graders and see how CS addressing them on the first day in her classroom. It's to my understanding we will be administering an informal spelling baseline test to see where they stand and CS and a guidance counselor will be delivering a mini demonstration about what it means to be organized and disorganized and why it is important in our lives. This should be interesting to see. I'm looking forward to this experience!