First CT Observation

Today I had my first official observation by my cooperating teacher. I am proud of the lesson I created as it appealed to many different learning styles. I used powerpoint, Jumbo color-coded flashcards for vocabulary, a creative writing assignment, and bar graph activity. I also used the Think, Pair, Share activity discussed in Reading. I liked the Think, Pair, Share - however, I wish this was my own classroom so I can already have had them in partners. I can't really take over and assign official partners, so I wasted some time assigning sets. The sharing part is also a bit frustrating at times with seventh graders as they aren't good at projecting yet and at times they are hard to hear. This causes students to goof off because they are not engaged. Overall, I think the day went well. I still need to improve my classroom management!

First Week Student Teaching

I just completed my first week of teaching at Edwards Middle School and absolutely loved it. I think this semester is going to be a much better experience than the last one. All the teachers were warm and inclusive, and my cooperating teacher in particular has been extremely helpful and friendly. The students are also very nice, although it has been a bit of a reality check for me to see how difficult some of their lives are. One interesting point at Edwards, and in Pickens County, is the strong emphasis on reading strategies. They use many of the charts we've discussed in class, and have even been reading I Read It, But I Don't Get It as a faculty. It seems they are clued into the importance of teaching the students how to comprehend. I'm really looking forward to the rest of this semester.

First Day to Blog

I think this blog will be helpful, much like our discussion board postings in our Curriculum course in the Fall. Being in the classroom is stressful, and having this type of outlet to reflect seems to really make things go more smoothly. Without it, I am afraid I would let many days of teaching go by without taking the opportunity to learn from both my mistakes, and perhaps occasionally, my successes.