This week, I have spent a lot of time focusing on my lesson planning. I always have all of these ideas in my mind and I know what I want to do and what I want my students to learn but I often have a hard time transferring those thoughts onto the lesson plan. I do get them there eventually but it takes way more time than it should. I am looking specifically at the areas of the lesson plans that are holding me up the longest and focusing on becoming more skilled in writing that part of the lesson. With student teaching approaching fast, I know that this is something I have to be intentional about now because I am going to be writing SO many lessons a week. I don't have time to not feel confident in one area and to be stuck when I am writing my plans. 

One area in particular that always seems to hold me up is the hook. I always want to have a really creative, fun, and thought-provoking hook and I seem to often get stuck here and wind up never really feeling satisfied with my hook. For Kindergartners, and really all students, hooks are important. You have that one chance to grab their attention and engage them so a hook is one of the single most important parts of your lesson. I was intentional this week about watching how my CE hooks her students. She often does it with a song or a rhyme that centers around what she is teaching. While I think this is great and I will probably use songs and rhymes myself, I wanted to look into other ways to hook the students. I am finding that visuals work or any sort of short game that gets them engaged and motivated to learn more. You really want to get them curious to learn more and I am finding you have to get creative to achieve that. A good hook can pave the way for an effective lesson. So, I have decided to stop overthinking my hooks. It just has to get their attention and I can work to keep their attention throughout the lesson. 

I have also shifted my way of thinking about writing lesson plans as a whole. I have always written them with other people in mind and with whoever would be reading the lesson plan at the forefront of my mind. Now, I am writing my plans with myself in mind. They are for me to be able to read, interpret, and effectively use as a guide for my lesson. Thinking about how I can actually use the plan to guide me rather than stressing about who is going to read the lesson and what they will think has helped me tremendously this week. I am still obviously following the format and putting careful thought into each part but it is so that I can guide myself rather than the person reading the lesson to grade me!

I am also working hard to meet the needs of my students and brain breaks is one of the needs I noticed while teaching my literacy lessons this week. As Kindergartners, they just cannot stay focused on one lesson for 45 minutes and longer without some sort of small break. So, I have looked into brain breaks this week because that is what is going to be what is best for my students when the lesson is going to run over 30 minutes. The brain break will break it up and allow them time to focus their brain or something else for a short amount of time! Even my CE suggested brain breaks when we were talking about what I could work on in my lessons!

I found some useful research on the topic with some good ideas:

https://www.edutopia.org/blog/brain-breaks-focused-attention-practices-lori-desautels

Let me know what kind of brain breaks you are doing or any ideas you guys have! 

Whew....I mean it when I say it has been a FULL week. However, I say that with the most positive tone in my voice (you will just have to imagine that). Although, this week has been long and full, it has been full of some of the most important and impactful moments that I have this semester. I would be lying if I said there are not times that I am not consumed with self-doubt as a student and very soon-to-be teacher. I think about what I am doing constantly and tell myself I could be doing better. I wonder if my lessons are good enough, what do other think about me as a teacher, and sometimes I wonder if I have what it takes to be a teacher. Sometimes I let this self-doubt consume me so much I cannot sleep and I end up panicking and jumping to the worst conclusions possible in my mind (that is just a talent I have, thinking of the most catastrophic outcome possible and then successfully convincing myself that is how the situation is going to end up). This week the worry, fear, and doubt have been exceptionally prominent as I worked in-depth on what I consider to be two of the most important assignments I have ever done- my literacy progression and my leadership/collaboration project. There were times (many times) this week where I thought I am going to fail. I had myself convinced at times that there was no way possible this week was going to turn out okay. I am telling you all this because I want you to know that I used it as a growing experience. There is a gap between where I am now and where I want to be as a teacher. That gap is my space to grow. I have decided to no longer let that gap scare me but to instead let that gap inspire me. It is okay to not be exactly where I think I need to be all the time but instead of thinking I won't get there, I have decided to start thinking of how I am going to get there. How will I fill that gap? I am taking it one week at a time. It is a process and that is okay. Every mistake, every ounce of constructive criticism and every thought I have about doing better is a chance to grow. I think every teacher has those moments of self-doubt and any good teacher uses those moments to grow as an educator. I have found that if you aren't a little uncomfortable, you usually aren't growing. So, I am taking my week of being uncomfortable and using it to guide me to where I want to be.

One of my main concerns this week was LE 6 because a parent involvement night is so huge to me. I think about it and instantly get nervous because I know that every little detail has to be thought-out and perfected. Parents trust you with their children everyday so I think it is important that they know that we have the best interest of the student at mind. I centered my parent night on foundational reading skills because they are literally the building blocks to successful readers. Each Kindergarten classroom is set up to be a station for each skill where the parent can go with their student to get information on the skill, do an interactive activity to practice the skill and get resources to take home to practice the skill. Getting parents more involved is always important, they are one of your most useful resource. My school is always working toward getting parents more involved so I wanted my parent night to go further than just that one night. I want to encourage parents to take an active role in their child's education because that can make all the difference. So this week, I focused on the why. I wanted to get creative about explaining to parents why these foundational skills are important and how they can directly impact their child's education by working on these skills. Technology is also a huge component in every classroom in my county. Each of my students has a personal Ipad that we use and so I wanted to key parents in on the technology we use to build reading skills especially the technology that they can access at home to use to help their child. So, I researched and collaborated with the lead teacher to create a document that guides parents through the steps of using the technology we use to build reading skills. I think this is going to be a very helpful resource for my parents and a great addition to my parent night. I also have taken into consideration those that may not have access to technology at home and have planned to provide them with printed resources! As I finalize everything, I just hope that my vision is clear and that I can clearly depict what I have learned from the experience!

I also have been teaching my literacy progression this week-finally, after changing my direction a couple of times! I finally feel like I am focusing on a skill that is really going to help my students and falls under the instructional framework which I am required to follow. It has gone so much better than I expected- the worst possible scenario that I made up in my head actually did not happen. The lessons have gone smoothly, I have become even more well acquainted with the NCSCOS and the instructional framework which is always a bonus. More importantly, I think the skill is truly going to be very beneficial for my students. I am seeing some work and understanding from students that I did not even anticipate and I have felt really positive about that. Also, my CE gave me some specific feedback about engagement and differentiation which I needed and asked for. She even said "I think they got a lot of this lesson, I am impressed!" Her opinion means the world to me so I was so happy about that!

So, it turns out that changing my mindset on where I am and where I need to me has been really helpful. Everything I was fearing this week turned into some really positive experiences. I am promising you the things that scare us the most are the things we need to pay attention to the most because this is where there is room for the most growth! I hope everyone is having the opportunity to experience some growth- in the comments, tell me where you think you have grown the most over the past few weeks and the experiences that have fostered this growth! I would love to hear! Have a great week!

This week, I had a set goal in mind for what I wanted to get done at my clinical placement that was outside of the norm for me. Like Clarker, said we do not have much more time to spend in our placements before we are student teaching so I am trying to be very intentional about the time I am spending in my placement each week. I got to shadow a car duty which was good for me because I will be assigned car duty sometimes when I am student teaching. So, it is good for me to shadow some of these duties and see what goes on before I am doing it on my own.

I also got to attend a faculty meeting this week. It was a good experience to hear what's going on throughout the school right now and it helped me to understand some more of the dynamics of the school by seeing how everyone interacted. I am being really intentional at learning as much as I can about the school as a whole. I want to be someone that they feel can be part of the team and that they can hire because I fit. I have done the fundraisers, the open houses, and now I want to be involved in other areas. So, I am being intentional about going to all the meetings and doing the duties and spending the time outside of what is expected of me. I want them to know I am willing to do whatever to contribute to the students and the school as a whole.

In the classroom, I have become much more intentional about watching what my CE does to meet the needs of each individual student. How does she differentiate? How does she know their needs are being met? As I was working on edTPA task 1, I was learning that I am not the strongest when it comes to differentiation. I have to really think about how I am going to differentiate and then I go back and forth with myself about whether or not what I am doing is best for each student. It shouldn't be that way and I do not want it to be that way when I am student teaching. I need to know and be intentional about learning about what each student needs in each area of content. This is important because I want to be the best teacher I can be and give them the best experience individually. So, as I am watching and learning the individual needs of each child. I have been talking about IEP's and 504's and needs outside of those too. I am intentional about asking her what she does to meet those needs and she is so good about telling exactly what they need and exactly what to do to meet those needs. For example, while we were talking about my lesson plans, she told me "You are going to want to see ________ close to you, he needs that or you'll need to modify this for _____, this is what I would to modify it to meet their needs." It has been so helpful for me to learn about this and I will continue to so that I can make each learning experience the best it can be for each student individually.

https://www.edutopia.org/discussion/18-teacher-tested-strategies-differentiated-instruction

These are some great tips of "teacher-tested strategies" for differentiation, if you have time to look at them! Background information is key and getting to know your students better while they are in your room. Also, I like the idea of using multiple approaches to instruction. That way, you can cover a variety of learners! This is a big part of treating students as individuals. I am thankful for my CE who does such as good job at meeting that standard and is helping me work to become more proficient at it!

This week has been a week full of reflection for me. I guess getting so close to student teaching has got me thinking about what it took to get me to where I am now. I look back on my experience and I am in awe at the growth that I can see in myself and in my peers in what seems like such a short amount of time! My mindset has changed and I am at the point where the thoughts of student teaching no longer scares the living daylights out of me. I think about taking over to student teach and I feel excited! I think it has a lot to do with the relationships I have worked hard to build with my CE, my students, and all of the staff as a whole in my clinical placement. They have given me encouragement, support, and something to look forward to each week. It feels like I fit right in and I never thought I would feel so comfortable at another school. My CE is my lifeline this semester. She is my coach, my mentor, and my friend. After our meeting, I messaged her and talked to her about next week and teaching my literacy progression. I thought about what Clarker said and I asked her if she would mind to watch for some specific areas that I know I need to improve on. Transitions, engagement, and differentiation are areas I am targeting to grow in as an educator and I am asking her to watch me help me specifically in these areas. She said she didn't mind and was there for whatever I needed! So, I am excited to get some specific feedback as I teach my learning progression! This will allow me to effectively reflect on my practice and improve myself in targeted areas where I know there is room for improvement.

As I was working hard on LE 6 and 7 this week, I learned a lot about my school that I hadn't paid attention to before. The amount of students who are affected by poverty especially had an impact on me because I did a training over the summer on poverty and how it affects our students. Everything from their vocabulary to their engagement is impacted. It is often disheartening because it is easy to feel helpless when you see how some of these students are living. Most of the time, I spend more time with many of these student then I do my own family, I am dedicated to them so I want them to have every opportunity to succeed and it's frustrating to see poverty drag them down. So, as an educator, I ask myself, "What can I do to make this better?" I am doing outside research on this now and I am sharing an article I found that has some good information on what we can do to help out students in these situations.

http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/may13/vol70/num08/How-Poverty-Affects-Classroom-Engagement.aspx

The best thing you can do for these students is invest in them. Take the time to understand their situation. I am learning attention and affirmation go a LONG way with all students especially those that are struggling. Each student I have is an opportunity to really shape a life and it is my responsibility to do so no matter their background. I hope you will find this information useful and share your thoughts and ideas on how we can help these students!

What another week for of learning and growth! This week I had the opportunity to do open house with the help of the assistant in my clinical classroom. I was nervous about  doing it when my CE asked me because it seemed intimidating to do it on my own. There was really no preparing for it because I couldn't predict what parents were going to say to me or ask me. My CE left me some information to give them and told me not to worry because only about four or five students show up at the most. Imagine my surprise when over half the class showed up! I was excited though to see them all and to get to make some connections with parents. I gave them the information from my CE and a "Meet the Student Teacher" form so that they could get to know me a little bit better. It was nice just to put a face with the parents and just by having some conversations, I got some background knowledge on my students and get information on their home lives that I did not have before. Just talking to these parents let me see how much trust they are putting in me and maybe of them shared their concerns with me. Mostly, it was the question of "how is my child doing?" Everyone just wants to know that their child is okay and is doing well in school. Luckily for me, I did not have to personally deliver any bad news to any parents. I was able to just tell them what I knew, what we are learning overall and I focused on their child's strengths. However, when my CE gets back she will have to sit down with the parents and talk about MAP scores and TRC assessments which will let parents know where their child stands in regards to where all other Kindergartners in the state stand. Some are not where they need to be in this point in the year and we have a lot of progress to make and work to be done. I know I will have to have these same kind of tough conversations when I take over so my CE suggested I sit in with her if it is okay with the parent! This will be an excellent learning experience for me because I have had the positive conversations so now it is time to learn how to have the harder conversations but still have a positive and encouraging tone. This is really only something I can learn by being apart of it so I am grateful to be doing that now with my CE. Much like the open house, this will be an excellent learning experience for me.


Also, this week I began working one-on-one with three students to do a case study on literacy. I am basing my assessments based on what I know they will need to know by the end of the year according to TRC so I am using my CE as a big resource for this. I will know where they are based on my assessments and I will develop lesson plans for where I need them to be. This is doing what I will be doing on a larger scale when I student teach so the practice is good for me. I am excited to see the growth that I can help to foster in these three particular students.

It has been a busy but rewarding week! I am excited to read how all of your clinical experiences are going! We are HALFWAY through the semester! Let's finish strong and keep learning from one another.

What a week full of learning experiences this has been for me. It has been one of the busiest but also one of the best weeks I have had in my college career.

I had the opportunity to co-teach with some of my classmates for math methods and that was a totally new experience for me. We are all placed in Kindergarten so we took the opportunity to teach a math standard for Kindergarten while also tying in a literacy component. I loved working with my group and hearing their ideas and I found team teaching to be a really good experience. We taught it online during a zoom meeting so that added an extra component we had to consider but I thought everyone did a really great job. I have found myself becoming so invested in all of you guys and there is not a day that goes by that I am not communicating with at least a few of you in some way whether it be texts, calls, e-mails or just reading what you have posted. I have been amazed by how much of my learning this semester has come from my peers. We all have a different way of doing things and a different approach to every learning experience and that is the beauty of it because that is exactly how it is in the education field. There is so much to be learned from each other and I take in every perspective that comes from working with you all. I am so thankful for you all.

This week, I also sat down with my CE to chose the students who I will be doing a literacy case study on. She is going to allow me to sit in on her assessments for literacy so that will be really beneficial for me to see. Once I know exactly where my students fall, I will plan lessons that will meet their specific needs and implement these lessons in my case study. It is not often you have time to work one-on-one with students and really target what they need so I am hoping to really make a difference for these students and see some growth in their TRC assessments.

Dr. Clarker and Dr. Wesson also came for a visit this week! I taught a math lesson and this was my first time teaching these students by myself and I was so nervous. I started the lesson and then when Dr. Clarker and Wesson came in, I just pretended they were not there which I wanted to speak to them or acknowledge them but I was scared it would throw me out of my element so I just continued with the lesson like nothing was happening. I did a math lesson on 5 groups and making ten which required me to use a good amount of manipulatives.  The kids did so good though, I was really proud of them and the connections they made. I couldn't ask for a better clinical classroom or a better CE. I feel as if I am exactly where I am supposed to be and that is a great feeling. Although I was nervous, I feel like it was a really good experience. Being observed is just a part of teaching and this was my first time being observed. I am so pleased with the experience, the students did great and everyone was so supportive. I am so grateful for the feedback and for our professors who care enough to come to us and see us do what we love and work to make us better! So, don't be nervous! I promise you will be glad to have had the experience and they are there to help! As soon as the lesson was over, the wheels in my mind starting turning and I started to think of what worked and what didn't. I started coming up with ways that I could make the lesson better and the connections more clear. This is a part of developing in the NCTCS standard- Teachers Reflect on their Practice. The only way I can improve my practice, is to start with reflection, I am so grateful for this opportunity to teach for my professors so I can do just that- reflect with their guidance.

My LE 5 has also been a major focus this week! I keep deciding how I want to handle something such as broken pencils and then I think about (obsess over it essentially) and think, is there a more effective way to do this? That is the point though, to think now about how we will handle these things so that we are not put into a classroom without a plan of action for most things. So, I am taking this experience very seriously because it is going to shape my classroom which is so precious to me! I am glad I get to think about this now because it is going to save me from being so overwhelmed later. I am excited to read your blogs and learn from some of your thoughts and ideas! Have a great week!