Blog: January 18th, 2019

Overall Week

I am going to rate this week a 2. This week was started out great! On Monday it went really smoothly taking over reading. Throughout the week the students got more rambunctious. I get really bad migraines, and on Wednesday I had a super bad migraine. Working through a migraine was something that was difficult for me, but now I am going to always bring my medicine in my bag in case I need it during teaching. This way, I do not have to continue teaching with a migraine. Besides this, I thought taking over reading went very smoothly and the students were able to slowly getting used to myself teaching instead of my CE. The lessons that I am going to be building off next week are with poetry. Students have been learning poetry, but next week students will be working on figurative language within poetry. After students learn this, they are going to be working on their poetry test. Students will be building off the previous knowledge because they are able to discuss the figurative language that is within the poetry and have this aid in their comprehension of the poem. My short term efforts and my long term goals are still aligned by still trying to stay focused and get ahead each week. I am still trying to be as organized as possible as well as trying to plan well ahead! This week I could have spent more time working on my edTPA earlier in the week. This week on Monday I came in confident in what I was teaching on Monday and excited to start taking over some of Reading. I feel like this courage really helped my lesson and helped the students see that I was confident with my teaching. My first steps for next week are to go ahead and get all of my materials together and start what I need to be working on. I can clear out working on my planning commentary because I will be doing that this Saturday! This week I was able to successfully incorporate closures to my math lessons and allows me to see what the students are actually learning throughout each lesson. I use this data each day to decide who is going to be in my small group that is struggling with the material! I have a normal group as well as the group :) 

My piece of advice for other student teachers is continually asking your CE for resources that they may have access to! It is important we are taking as much away from this learning experience as we can! My CE has been super helpful with ideas and resources that I can use. Always ask and keep learning! 

NC Standards

• Standard 1
• This week I was able to complete part of NCTCS 1C which is, "Teachers lead the teaching profession". This Friday, we have a half day. Once the students leave, the staff is all going through a PD seminar from 1-3:30. This is something that is going to be very new to me, so I am excited! It is going to be on analyzing data and the best ways to incorporate data within the classroom. 
• Standard 2
• Throughout this week I was able to complete on NCTCS 2E which is, "Teachers work collaboratively with the families and significant adults in their lives of their students". Throughout this week I was able to sign my student's planners and agendas, which their parents see. As well as sit in on a parent conference with my teacher. This was something that was also new for me and interesting to see! I was able to add to the conversation and continue building a relationship with this parent. Also throughout this week one of my student's mom came to lunch. This student asked me to sit with them, so I was able to sit with the mom and have a conversation with her and really build a relationship with the parents of this student. These relationships are important to make sure that both ends are doing everything that we can for the student. 
• Standard 3
• This week I was able to incorporate 2B which is, "Teachers know the content appropriate to their teaching specialty. Throughout this week, I made it apparent to really know what I was teaching each day and really prepared before the day arrived. This way I could fully answer any students questions as well as get the students excited about learning. 
• Standard 4 
• Throughout this week I was able to incorporate 4B which is, "Teachers plan instruction appropriate for their students". This is something that I was able to do by monitoring and modifying plans to enhance student learning. I was able to adapt my plans when the need is this week as well as really get a glimpse of how to change something in the middle of the plan if it is not working. 
• Standard 5
• This week I was able to incorporate Standard 5C which states, "Teachers function effectively in a complex, dynamic environment". Throughout this week I was able to adapt my practice based on data. One day during this week during math, my students were really struggling with what was being presented to them. Throughout this lesson, I just slightly adapted what I was teaching and how it was being presented on the smartboard and it was able to aid in the comprehension of my student's knowledge of the information that was presented. 

Other

I have been working on my management plan as well as finalizing my information for my global awareness. I do not need any information from my CE as well as my University Supervisor.