I'm excited for my field experience next Tuesday. I can't wait to meet the kids and see how the classroom works. I'm also curious as to which subject I will be teaching/assisting during my time.
November 1st: Today was so exciting! I loved meeting all of the kids and they gave me such a warm welcome. When the kids were working on outlines for narratives, I even got to help a kid figure out what the questions were asking him. I also loved how Mrs. Dillon explained everything to me and told me she would give me the books the small groups are reading so I can outline what chapters they had to read before the group work.
November 3rd: Today was interesting. I was really interested when Mrs. Dillon explained the TTQA and RACE responses to me and how none of the students can do them properly. The kids who were redoing their RACE responses seemed genuinely dedicated to getting the answer right. Mrs. Dillon also got a piece of information wrong which was really helpful to me because it showed that she is human and not a robot who doesn't make mistakes.
November 7th: I was quite excited after my time with Mrs. Dillon today. I was given the books her small groups on Thursday will be reading and I might even help lead the groups! I'm so happy I was given this responsibility!
November 9th: Today was really helpful because Mrs. Dillon let me lead the lesson. It was a bit more difficult than I thought it would be. It was hard for me to call on the kids because I didn't know their names. I was also confused on why Mrs. Dillon asked the questions she did, and she cleared it up a bit. I also learned more about what Mrs. Dillon writes in her journal while the kids are reading aloud and it made me realize even more that it is a good strategy. I will most likely be using that strategy when I am a teacher.
November 15: Today I learned that Mrs. Dillon is constantly changing her plans. It was interesting to me because I was fairly certain that things were set in stone. She was talking to me about the small groups and made a change about when she would meet certain students because they are in and out of the classroom (they need extra help). She highlighted why she was making the change and asked me why it was important which was enlightening because I was fairly certain her center groups were going to be the same regardless.
November 21: Today I was shown more of Mrs. Dillon's stricter side. She told one of the kids that the book he uses for guided reading shouldn't be lent to his brother. I definitely agreed with her because the kid needed to go back into the text to find answers and had to look at the students around him's books. It was also different and showed that teachers don't just have one side. Usually they are thought of as strict or nice, but Mrs. Dillon in a way showed you can be both. She showed me that as a teacher I won't have to fit into a mold and it was most certainly enlightening.
November 29: I was enlightened a lot today. Because the kids weren't in the classroom when I first walked in, Mrs. Dillon and Ms. Gilman showed me various techniques and such I will need for the finished portfolio. I liked their honesty with me. I also got to watch full class instruction which was really interesting because I haven't seen that side really. I think my favorite part was how the two of them would bounce off one another and take turns teaching the portions. They also had conversations with one another that pertain to the lesson which made me laugh.
December 1: It was different today. Mrs. Dillon left early so Mrs. Gilman was teaching the whole class. It was my first time seeing the one teacher to whole class ratio with that group. They were a bit louder and more fidgity which helped me understand why they had the two teachers in the first place. I was very happy when I was told to go around and help the students with their essays. I really like working with the kids one on one because it gives me a better opportunity to teach specified. I also find it slightly more challenging because you have to focus more off of what the kid says and like somehow morph their answer into the words they need. Its difficult but I like it.
December 13: I had my formal lesson today and it was a lot more fun than I thought it would be. The kids were super helpful and enthusiastic which made it a lot easier for me. I do think I could've handled getting everyone to answer a more equal amount of questions though because I tended to neglect the boys a bit. I also did ask a question I didn't put on my lesson plan which was kind of off topic (I wanted to get the kids to understand the threadmaster more). I think I could've stuck more to what I chose the answers to be and was a little stricter with the calling out, but it was just a small group. The small group made me think it was okay. Mrs. Dillon interjected a couple times which was really helpful. All in all, I think the formal lesson went better than I thought.
December 14: I was there for a writing day today! It was so weird because I'm used to the small groups. It was more one on one work with Mrs. Gilman, Mr. Burns, and I floating around. I helped one girl with the mechanics of her essay and it was such a good essay. She had lots of really nice sentences that made me persuaded. I also got to help a boy named Jackson find more answers. I liked the one on one because it was easier to see what he was thinking and get more personal responses. I also really liked going two days in a row!
December 15: There was a test about the book Frindle today. This meant I sadly didn't do much in terms of teaching. I read a part of the test to a kid which is a learning accommodation. It was really cool to see a learning accommodation actually happening inn the classroom. It was like the lessons we learned about were actually happening. Also, after the kids were done they were allowed to work on their essays. One of the kids wrote a really good one and I really liked helping them. I think my favorite part is the one on one lessons.
December 19: Today I saw the ending of books for the kids in small groups. I was really surprised the teachers are told they don't have to finish the books. When I'm a teacher, I will probably try my hardest to finish the books. I don't want the students to have a cliffhanger ending unless it is intended. Mrs. Dillon let the students finish it if they would like though which was really smart. By giving kids the choice, the kids who are enthusiastic about reading can read beyond want they are required to do.
December 20: I was really interested today. I got to see how the teachers test which reading level (letter) they are on. I really love how thorough Mrs. Dillon is with explaining everything to me. Most of the testing is subjective depending on how the students answer the questions. I actually like the more subjective aspect to it because some students don't answer the way other kids do. They might get their points across in a different way but still get the points. I feel like it can be more fair this way.
January 3: I was so excited to be back! I was really interested to see a full lesson with both teachers. They were talking about reflexive pronouns and Mrs. Dillon told me they were only going to spend a couple days on it because it wasn't a very testable subject. I found it cool how relatable it is to my daily life because in my AP class, we are only focusing on what is mostly tested. I find it very cool that there are consistencies between elementary and high school teachers.
January 4: I felt truly helpful today. I noticed one of the kids, Mischa, was struggling to see from the back of the room. I told her she could go sit in the desk in the front because the student who normally sits there is absent. While it wasn't much, I still felt like I had more of a responsibility than before. Also, one of the kids was confused about the problems being done on the board so I sat down with him and we figured out the answer together. My favorite helping so far has been one on one and I'm really glad I got to continue to do that.
January 5: Today was another similarity time for me. They were taking notes on Madam CJ Walker so I didn't have much time to help teach, but I found it really cool how they took notes. The students' notes were in the same format that I take notes. As a high school student, I have felt my note taking style change over the years. It was interesting to see them already taking the organized level of notes I do now.
January 10: Today the kids had to outline their own section of the biography on Madam CJ Walker. One of the kids, Michael, looked in Mr. Byrnes dictionary to figure out what the word hypertension meant. I really loved seeing Michael actively search because he is a student who tends to not care. It made me happy to see him interested in something, no matter how small it was.
January 12: Today was beyond amazing! I got to float around the groups of kids working on their STEM projects and answer any questions they might have. I became their go to and it was great! I really enjoyed being able to help answer their questions and do more teaching. I am beyond excited for any future opportunities like this I will get.
January 17: I was beyond excited to start this week. With Mrs. Dillon and Ms. Gilman both working with students, I really felt like I had control. It was slightly overwhelming to have three kids at once ask you questions but I really enjoyed it. The most common question had to do with the computers which was frustrating because I can't do much about the wifi not working.
January 18: I felt slightly less overwhelmed today. When I came in they were talking about World War Two which was great because I am quite knowledgeable on the subject so I had the ability to answer some of the kids questions. It felt good to be able to answer and help the kid understand why Hitler committed suicide. Furthermore, when they broke off into their groups, I was really proud of how I managed to work around the technology problems. The kids listened to what I said yesterday and went one person per group to a desktop so more groups could print which was super helpful. I also helped answer their questions by looking it up and working as a team which made me truly see how to teach. Helping the kids find the answers but not giving it to them was really enlightening for me and I'm glad I was able to experience that.
January 19: It was harder today to float with the kids. A lot of them kept asking me questions about the computers which I couldn't really answer. I felt bad I couldn't fix the problems, but I had to answer the questions involving technology quickly so I could move onto the answerable questions. I also helped some kids figure out how to print on special paper which was weird because it was hard to get the paper the certain way. Besides that, I liked having more control of the class.
January 20: Today was a bit more hectic. Some of the kids refused to work and I had to try my hardest to get them to work. It isn't my place to tell off the kids who aren't working, but I tried my hardest to convince them to work. It was really annoying because it was the same kids as before but they just wouldn't work. I was frustrated but didn't let it show. The hardest part was probably having to reword and re-explain it hoping they would start working.
January 24: I was so sad to be done the cadet experience today. I got to watch Mrs. Dillon do more reading tests which informed me more but my favorite part was the end. I got to talk to the kids about high school and give them all little presents. It was interesting hearing what the kids thought was important and I really enjoyed answering their questions. I'm going to miss field experience a lot more than I thought and I wish I could have it everyday.
I'm excited for my field experience next Tuesday. I can't wait to meet the kids and see how the classroom works. I'm also curious as to which subject I will be teaching/assisting during my time.
ReplyDeleteNovember 1st: Today was so exciting! I loved meeting all of the kids and they gave me such a warm welcome. When the kids were working on outlines for narratives, I even got to help a kid figure out what the questions were asking him. I also loved how Mrs. Dillon explained everything to me and told me she would give me the books the small groups are reading so I can outline what chapters they had to read before the group work.
ReplyDeleteNovember 3rd: Today was interesting. I was really interested when Mrs. Dillon explained the TTQA and RACE responses to me and how none of the students can do them properly. The kids who were redoing their RACE responses seemed genuinely dedicated to getting the answer right. Mrs. Dillon also got a piece of information wrong which was really helpful to me because it showed that she is human and not a robot who doesn't make mistakes.
ReplyDeleteI like the reflection at the end. Make sure to do more of that in your journals.
DeleteNovember 7th: I was quite excited after my time with Mrs. Dillon today. I was given the books her small groups on Thursday will be reading and I might even help lead the groups! I'm so happy I was given this responsibility!
ReplyDeleteNovember 9th: Today was really helpful because Mrs. Dillon let me lead the lesson. It was a bit more difficult than I thought it would be. It was hard for me to call on the kids because I didn't know their names. I was also confused on why Mrs. Dillon asked the questions she did, and she cleared it up a bit. I also learned more about what Mrs. Dillon writes in her journal while the kids are reading aloud and it made me realize even more that it is a good strategy. I will most likely be using that strategy when I am a teacher.
ReplyDeleteNovember 15: Today I learned that Mrs. Dillon is constantly changing her plans. It was interesting to me because I was fairly certain that things were set in stone. She was talking to me about the small groups and made a change about when she would meet certain students because they are in and out of the classroom (they need extra help). She highlighted why she was making the change and asked me why it was important which was enlightening because I was fairly certain her center groups were going to be the same regardless.
ReplyDeleteNovember 17: I was absent.
ReplyDeleteNovember 21: Today I was shown more of Mrs. Dillon's stricter side. She told one of the kids that the book he uses for guided reading shouldn't be lent to his brother. I definitely agreed with her because the kid needed to go back into the text to find answers and had to look at the students around him's books. It was also different and showed that teachers don't just have one side. Usually they are thought of as strict or nice, but Mrs. Dillon in a way showed you can be both. She showed me that as a teacher I won't have to fit into a mold and it was most certainly enlightening.
ReplyDeleteNovember 29: I was enlightened a lot today. Because the kids weren't in the classroom when I first walked in, Mrs. Dillon and Ms. Gilman showed me various techniques and such I will need for the finished portfolio. I liked their honesty with me. I also got to watch full class instruction which was really interesting because I haven't seen that side really. I think my favorite part was how the two of them would bounce off one another and take turns teaching the portions. They also had conversations with one another that pertain to the lesson which made me laugh.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteDecember 1: It was different today. Mrs. Dillon left early so Mrs. Gilman was teaching the whole class. It was my first time seeing the one teacher to whole class ratio with that group. They were a bit louder and more fidgity which helped me understand why they had the two teachers in the first place. I was very happy when I was told to go around and help the students with their essays. I really like working with the kids one on one because it gives me a better opportunity to teach specified. I also find it slightly more challenging because you have to focus more off of what the kid says and like somehow morph their answer into the words they need. Its difficult but I like it.
ReplyDeleteDecember 13: I had my formal lesson today and it was a lot more fun than I thought it would be. The kids were super helpful and enthusiastic which made it a lot easier for me. I do think I could've handled getting everyone to answer a more equal amount of questions though because I tended to neglect the boys a bit. I also did ask a question I didn't put on my lesson plan which was kind of off topic (I wanted to get the kids to understand the threadmaster more). I think I could've stuck more to what I chose the answers to be and was a little stricter with the calling out, but it was just a small group. The small group made me think it was okay. Mrs. Dillon interjected a couple times which was really helpful. All in all, I think the formal lesson went better than I thought.
ReplyDeleteDecember 14: I was there for a writing day today! It was so weird because I'm used to the small groups. It was more one on one work with Mrs. Gilman, Mr. Burns, and I floating around. I helped one girl with the mechanics of her essay and it was such a good essay. She had lots of really nice sentences that made me persuaded. I also got to help a boy named Jackson find more answers. I liked the one on one because it was easier to see what he was thinking and get more personal responses. I also really liked going two days in a row!
ReplyDeleteDecember 15: There was a test about the book Frindle today. This meant I sadly didn't do much in terms of teaching. I read a part of the test to a kid which is a learning accommodation. It was really cool to see a learning accommodation actually happening inn the classroom. It was like the lessons we learned about were actually happening. Also, after the kids were done they were allowed to work on their essays. One of the kids wrote a really good one and I really liked helping them. I think my favorite part is the one on one lessons.
ReplyDeleteDecember 19: Today I saw the ending of books for the kids in small groups. I was really surprised the teachers are told they don't have to finish the books. When I'm a teacher, I will probably try my hardest to finish the books. I don't want the students to have a cliffhanger ending unless it is intended. Mrs. Dillon let the students finish it if they would like though which was really smart. By giving kids the choice, the kids who are enthusiastic about reading can read beyond want they are required to do.
ReplyDeleteDecember 20: I was really interested today. I got to see how the teachers test which reading level (letter) they are on. I really love how thorough Mrs. Dillon is with explaining everything to me. Most of the testing is subjective depending on how the students answer the questions. I actually like the more subjective aspect to it because some students don't answer the way other kids do. They might get their points across in a different way but still get the points. I feel like it can be more fair this way.
ReplyDeleteJanuary 3: I was so excited to be back! I was really interested to see a full lesson with both teachers. They were talking about reflexive pronouns and Mrs. Dillon told me they were only going to spend a couple days on it because it wasn't a very testable subject. I found it cool how relatable it is to my daily life because in my AP class, we are only focusing on what is mostly tested. I find it very cool that there are consistencies between elementary and high school teachers.
ReplyDeleteJanuary 4: I felt truly helpful today. I noticed one of the kids, Mischa, was struggling to see from the back of the room. I told her she could go sit in the desk in the front because the student who normally sits there is absent. While it wasn't much, I still felt like I had more of a responsibility than before. Also, one of the kids was confused about the problems being done on the board so I sat down with him and we figured out the answer together. My favorite helping so far has been one on one and I'm really glad I got to continue to do that.
ReplyDeleteJanuary 5: Today was another similarity time for me. They were taking notes on Madam CJ Walker so I didn't have much time to help teach, but I found it really cool how they took notes. The students' notes were in the same format that I take notes. As a high school student, I have felt my note taking style change over the years. It was interesting to see them already taking the organized level of notes I do now.
ReplyDeleteJanuary 10: Today the kids had to outline their own section of the biography on Madam CJ Walker. One of the kids, Michael, looked in Mr. Byrnes dictionary to figure out what the word hypertension meant. I really loved seeing Michael actively search because he is a student who tends to not care. It made me happy to see him interested in something, no matter how small it was.
ReplyDeleteJanuary 12: Today was beyond amazing! I got to float around the groups of kids working on their STEM projects and answer any questions they might have. I became their go to and it was great! I really enjoyed being able to help answer their questions and do more teaching. I am beyond excited for any future opportunities like this I will get.
ReplyDeleteJanuary 17: I was beyond excited to start this week. With Mrs. Dillon and Ms. Gilman both working with students, I really felt like I had control. It was slightly overwhelming to have three kids at once ask you questions but I really enjoyed it. The most common question had to do with the computers which was frustrating because I can't do much about the wifi not working.
ReplyDeleteJanuary 18: I felt slightly less overwhelmed today. When I came in they were talking about World War Two which was great because I am quite knowledgeable on the subject so I had the ability to answer some of the kids questions. It felt good to be able to answer and help the kid understand why Hitler committed suicide. Furthermore, when they broke off into their groups, I was really proud of how I managed to work around the technology problems. The kids listened to what I said yesterday and went one person per group to a desktop so more groups could print which was super helpful. I also helped answer their questions by looking it up and working as a team which made me truly see how to teach. Helping the kids find the answers but not giving it to them was really enlightening for me and I'm glad I was able to experience that.
ReplyDeleteJanuary 19: It was harder today to float with the kids. A lot of them kept asking me questions about the computers which I couldn't really answer. I felt bad I couldn't fix the problems, but I had to answer the questions involving technology quickly so I could move onto the answerable questions. I also helped some kids figure out how to print on special paper which was weird because it was hard to get the paper the certain way. Besides that, I liked having more control of the class.
ReplyDeleteJanuary 20: Today was a bit more hectic. Some of the kids refused to work and I had to try my hardest to get them to work. It isn't my place to tell off the kids who aren't working, but I tried my hardest to convince them to work. It was really annoying because it was the same kids as before but they just wouldn't work. I was frustrated but didn't let it show. The hardest part was probably having to reword and re-explain it hoping they would start working.
ReplyDeleteJanuary 24: I was so sad to be done the cadet experience today. I got to watch Mrs. Dillon do more reading tests which informed me more but my favorite part was the end. I got to talk to the kids about high school and give them all little presents. It was interesting hearing what the kids thought was important and I really enjoyed answering their questions. I'm going to miss field experience a lot more than I thought and I wish I could have it everyday.
ReplyDelete