This week was my first week of slowly taking over by teaching one subject each day. We decided to start with science so from this point forward, I will be teaching science every day. I like it, but it's still pretty intimidating. They are currently studying ecosystems and biomes, and food webs. Students seemed confused about the concept of an ecosystem, but after three days of questioning, having students fill out graphic organizers on main ideas, and drawing pictures, they seem more comfortable with the concept of an ecosystem.
While moving to the idea of biomes, we read about each of the type of biome then did the "Explore" activity in their book, which incorporates math. There were two data tables, one with temperature and the other with precipitation averages, for two cities with different biomes. Students were to create a line graph and a bar graph, then answer the questions about the data. However, what was intended on being a short exercise turned into a full-blown lesson on graph making and we did not even get to the questions. Most of the students did not even finish making the first graph, even after providing a template. I was baffled and caught off guard. I definitely did not anticipate that about 80% of the class could not plot points on a graph.
I was faced with the dilemma of reteaching the concept of graphing or forgetting the entire exercise. I conferenced with my mentor teacher about how to proceed. She suggested that I did try to explain the graphs, only to have students watch using a document cam and answer questions rather than to continue on trying to make their own. As I explained, students correctly answered and understood that those with the taller bars were the ones with higher precipitation averages where as the lines higher on the y-axis is the city that holds the higher temperature. Students could read the graph, just not make one themselves.
I again am faced with a dilemma. Do I make it a point to teaching graph-making skills even though the students are all separated by ability level for math, or do I leave it to the responsibility of their math teachers? Currently, I made the decision to hold off on directly teaching more graphing skills, but if they opportunity arises to integrate it with another subject, I will refer back to it.
I feel like I over-plan when making lessons. It's hard to fit both the content they need to read and the activity to practice the skills. The activity is typically the "fun" part that students enjoy, but often times it is to practice rather than initially learn the content. No wonder teachers just stick to the getting the content as fast as possible. They are constantly on a schedule and feel a push to keep moving through the content. I also am bored, so I'm sure my students are, of reading to them, having them read alone, and reading in partners/groupings. How can I get my students to learn the science content without reading directly from the book? Will my PDS classroom even let that happen? I'm a little too timid to try to suggest any other way other than what they're used to, and I'm even still unsure about implementing learning in a new way when I'm not exactly sure how I would implement it. I just don't believe reading it in a textbook is working.
Thursday, August 29, 2013
Monday, August 26, 2013
The Last First Day...
Even though we were back a week before WVU students arrived, it was really a blessing in disguise. I hated leaving home before anyone else, but I had the time to move in to my apartment (for the last time!) and prepare for the road ahead of me. Ever since the end of July, I've been anxious, nervous, and of course, excited. It's always so difficult to leave a mentor teacher for another completely new one, especially after you're just getting comfortable working with and talking to that person in an open way. I've been lucky, my mentor teachers at Mountainview Elementary have been amazing, so I expect nothing short from Mrs Law. However, it's all new rules, a new classroom, and new students! Oh wait, not all new students. I followed my fourth graders and into their new role as leaders of the pack, fifth graders.
Mountainview Interns reported the Monday before students arrived. I had always wondered what really went in to setting up a classroom. I now know, and it was not at all what I expected. We put up posters that had to be taken down, just for the summer. We personalized name tags, folders, paperwork, etc. We leveled out all the desks to make sure they were all the proper size. We cleaned, and cleaned, and cleaned. The one thing I learned....Clorox wipes are your best friend.
Something else I learned, teachers miss each other just as much as students miss other students. On their first day back, there were hugs, tears, and even stories to be told! There were also many, many meetings ranging from teacher representatives on councils and even professional development seminars set as stations across the school. Although informative, it was all very overwhelming. How can a school and its rules/policies change so much over the summer if no one is at the school?! Someone, and I'm not sure who yet, is very, very busy making changes year-round. Even when I went to visit my old mentor teacher, she was the only one with her classroom completely set. When I questioned how she did that, she revealed that she had been coming to school for weeks in order to prepare her classroom before all the hustle and bustle began again. Smart move. But then again, it proves that a teacher's work is never done!
I am now comfortable being back in the school, jitters are gone. However, I am still anxious about my new mentor teacher She is very laid back and very sweet, but I'm always afraid her expectations are something that I'm not producing. Now, she has given me no indication of that, but hey, I've always been paranoid. I guess that will get better once we are more used to each other and I feel comfortable approaching her without it being awkward. It's very weird being thrown in someone else's room to "take over" when you have no idea anything about this person. I'm sure it will be fine though...just a fear.
I do have the pleasure of getting some of the same students! This is both exciting and terrifying. This means that you know what sets them off, what works for them (in most cases), and their backgrounds. It's hard not to be drawn towards the ones you know because you have that connection already, but I've been trying to get to know all my students and have conversations so I know what they think and how they best learn. Because I do know some of the students already, I also know the stereotypes that other teachers place them in, and sometimes, the students actually put themselves in. This is hard to break out of because you don't know how to interact with these students without keeping the other information in mind. What does help is meeting their families. I had the opportunity to attend "Back-to-School" night before actual school even began. This gave parents an opportunity to tell the teacher their concerns, hopes, dreams, and concerns about their students. I feel like parent input and involvement are key roles in successful students and a positive classroom. We'll see what Week 3 has in store for me!
Mountainview Interns reported the Monday before students arrived. I had always wondered what really went in to setting up a classroom. I now know, and it was not at all what I expected. We put up posters that had to be taken down, just for the summer. We personalized name tags, folders, paperwork, etc. We leveled out all the desks to make sure they were all the proper size. We cleaned, and cleaned, and cleaned. The one thing I learned....Clorox wipes are your best friend.
Something else I learned, teachers miss each other just as much as students miss other students. On their first day back, there were hugs, tears, and even stories to be told! There were also many, many meetings ranging from teacher representatives on councils and even professional development seminars set as stations across the school. Although informative, it was all very overwhelming. How can a school and its rules/policies change so much over the summer if no one is at the school?! Someone, and I'm not sure who yet, is very, very busy making changes year-round. Even when I went to visit my old mentor teacher, she was the only one with her classroom completely set. When I questioned how she did that, she revealed that she had been coming to school for weeks in order to prepare her classroom before all the hustle and bustle began again. Smart move. But then again, it proves that a teacher's work is never done!
I am now comfortable being back in the school, jitters are gone. However, I am still anxious about my new mentor teacher She is very laid back and very sweet, but I'm always afraid her expectations are something that I'm not producing. Now, she has given me no indication of that, but hey, I've always been paranoid. I guess that will get better once we are more used to each other and I feel comfortable approaching her without it being awkward. It's very weird being thrown in someone else's room to "take over" when you have no idea anything about this person. I'm sure it will be fine though...just a fear.
I do have the pleasure of getting some of the same students! This is both exciting and terrifying. This means that you know what sets them off, what works for them (in most cases), and their backgrounds. It's hard not to be drawn towards the ones you know because you have that connection already, but I've been trying to get to know all my students and have conversations so I know what they think and how they best learn. Because I do know some of the students already, I also know the stereotypes that other teachers place them in, and sometimes, the students actually put themselves in. This is hard to break out of because you don't know how to interact with these students without keeping the other information in mind. What does help is meeting their families. I had the opportunity to attend "Back-to-School" night before actual school even began. This gave parents an opportunity to tell the teacher their concerns, hopes, dreams, and concerns about their students. I feel like parent input and involvement are key roles in successful students and a positive classroom. We'll see what Week 3 has in store for me!
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