Week of Reflection: (list the date of the Friday for week just completed)- 

Week 11- Week of- April 3rd-7th 

  

Rate your overall experience of the week: 1-Very difficult | 5 – Great week

5-It was a really great week! Next week is my last week with my students and this week my CE took back over math instruction and small-group literacy rotation. I watched her really carefully as she picked back up these subjects and I had already thought of some questions as guidelines as I observed so that I could be thoughtful about reflecting during this time. I was happy with the way my students took the transfer of subjects between my CE and myself and I was thrilled to see that as she began a new module in mathematics, my students picked up the skill very quickly. It was using a number path to add and subtract and my CE told me I had done a really good job laying those foundational skills and she was pleased with how quickly they were picking up a new concept! As I observed her, I got to see a different style of teaching than my own and I really respect the way she teaches and it is great to step back and notice things in a way that I would not have before, it is like this experience has given me a new set of eyes! 

Seven questions to end your week:

Observe: What pleasant surprises / accomplishments did I achieve this week?

 A pleasant surprise for me this week was how much my students have learned between the time that I was observing them in January and the time that I am spending observing them now! They have grown so much and it really great to see hard work pay off- I could not be any more proud of this class! We have learned an exponential amount from each other. 

Reflect: What lessons did my work/experiences teach me that I will build upon next week?

As I complete my last week this coming week, I will have more time to take a step back and observe. I am going to be thoughtful about my observations and have some guiding questions for reflection so that I can document what I have learned and potentially even use the overall reflection for my portfolio. 

Focus:  How are my short-term efforts and my long-term goals still aligned?

My short term goal of continuously learning and growing until the very end is still aligned with my overall goal of finishing this program as well-prepared and confident as I can be to go make an impact in my own classroom. I want to finish strong and never stop growing as an educator. 

Be Productive: What could I have spent more or less time doing?

I now can spend no time worrying about making my lesson plans just right (I am a touch of a perfectionist) and I can spend all of my time making sure my portfolio is everything I want it to be and more (especially my video). 

Have Courage:  How did apprehension and indecision impact what I did and didn’t do?

This week, I have a newfound confidence in myself especially as I watched my CE and saw she does the a lot of the same things that I do- I have learned so much from her and my University supervisor, there is really no need to be apprehensive anymore. 

Begin Anew: What is the first logical step(s) for next week? What mental clutter can I clear?

My first logical step for next week is to make sure I am well-planned and prepared to begin my last week! I also need to make sure I bring home anything I might need for 

Adapted from: Cernoff, M. (2013, August 7). 7 Questions to End Your Week With. . Retrieved July 21, 2014, from http://www.marcandangel.com/2013/08/08/7-questions-to-end-your-week-with/

What were some data you analyzed this week and how did it help inform your instructional decisions?

This week, I analyzed the progress monitoring data for my small intervention group. I based my next steps off of that data and am focusing on the sounds they exclusively need help with and blending. 

What is one piece of advice you can share with other student teachers?

I would advice other student teachers to It is so important. do your portfolio requirements as quickly as possible and reflect, reflect, reflect! 

NC Teacher Candidate Standards: This week I feel I grew in the following areas of the NCTCS: 

Standard 1c. Teachers lead the teaching profession- I go to meetings every week and collaborate with my colleagues in order to improve myself and for us to improve as a whole. This week, my colleagues and I looked at the Math standards for Kindergarten and collaborated with administration to determine how well they aligned to the math program we are currently utilizing. We looked for gaps and sent our instructional coaches an overview of the standards we feel we are struggling to cover using our math program. As a team, we decided ways we could make sure these standards are covered ourselves outside of the math program. I felt that my understanding of the NCSCOS, after having to unpack so many of the standards throughout my college career, was really helpful in the meeting and I walked away with so many ideas and a better understanding of how i could make sure there are no gaps in my classroom. 

Standard 2C- Teachers treat students as individuals- I am becoming more and more understanding of exactly how to foster growth in each of my students and it is exciting for me to see differentiation becoming more and more second nature to me as I finally just feel like I know these students and what they need. 

3d- Teachers make instruction relevant to students- This required me to really think this week as I tied the continent we were learning about to students. I started with this is what we do, now what do others do? They like finding the connections and they like finding the differences between them and other people in the world. 

4d.- Teachers integrate and utilize technology in their instruction- This week, I worked hard to put the technology in students hands in a way that impacted their learning. They were able to read stories from around the world that I did not have copies of because I was able to make a QR code for them to scan the story and they loved taking their iPads and going to a different part of the world (in the room) to read the story. 

5a- Teachers analyze student learning- I was able to take their benchmarks and pinpoint the skills that these students need to continue to develop to answer these questions so I can target those skills in my lessons. It is a good feeling to know what I do will directly affect their growth and it is worth taking them time to really look closely at exactly what they can and cannot do. 

What components of your portfolio have you started to complete?

My technology tools are complete as well as my write on the school improvement plan and behavior management! 

What support does your clinical educator need from your university supervisor?

My US has been great about answering my CE’s questions quickly and my CE and I feel completely comfortable with going to her when there is something we are questioning or concerned about. 

What support do you need from your university supervisor?

Right now, I feel fully supported and I get very prompt and thorough feedback which helps me tremendously. I know this will continue so I have no worries at the moment! I am so excited to be at the finish line and am happy to be finishing strong!