The countdown is officially on. 95 days until we student teach, NINETY-FIVE. That means that I am only 95 days from beginning the very last part of this journey towards my lifetime goal of becoming an educator. It is so close I can taste it and I get more excited as the days pass. I have gotten past being nervous about student teaching because I finally feel like I  am almost ready for it. That is a great feeling!

This week, I became even more comfortable in my clinical classroom and got to participate in assisting my CE with a math lesson which is good because next week I will be doing a math mini-lesson when Clarker comes to visit! My CE told me the lesson that would normally fall on that day and she told me to tweak it anyway I wanted and then she gave me some feedback on what she would do to the lesson to better meet the needs of our students. I am taking her advice and making some of my own changes too. Like I said in the meeting, I will be along with the assistant next week for open house and my CE is leaving me all of the notes. This is a huge responsibility that I do not take lightly because I will be interacting with lots of parents so it is important that I am prepared and professional. I want them to get a good impression of me and this is one of my opportunities to make that impression! No pressure, right? I am nervous but grateful for the opportunity. This will be a very good learning experience for me. Also, my CE and I have started to observe the students that we know are struggling. We talk about it often and what we can do for them. I love her dedication to what's best for each student and her willingness to work with me as a team. She told me that the tough conversations with parents about the possibility of retention happens in January when she has a very clear idea of where the students are at that point compared to where she needs them to be. She said that is the worst part of the job because who really wants to have that conversation? She informed me that she feels personally responsible when a student does not make the growth that they need to in order to move to first grade. She wants me to be present with her when and if she has to meet with parents to have those tough conversations. She told me that will be good for me to see and be a part of because it is a very tough and real part of the profession!

Also, this week I have spent a lot of time thinking about my own classroom management. As I work on my plan, I think about everything that I have seen in every classroom I have had an opportunity to be in. I think about what I have personally seen work and what I have read about. It is crazy to think about how all of these learning opportunities have impacted me in such a way and allowed me to really think about what is best for my own personal classroom. I am taking the very best of everything I have learned and observed and making it into my own classroom management plan. It is has been really fun to work on, it doesn't even really feel like work because it is something I am so excited to be doing. Thinking about all of these small things that are going to make such a huge difference especially in my first few years of teaching has been a good experience. It's going to help me exponentially to already have a game plan. Planning out my classroom management really relates to the professional teaching standard- Teachers Establish a Respectful Environment for a Diverse Population of Students. The way I manage my classroom is what will help to shape the entire classroom environment!

This has been the absolute best week so far at my clinical placement. It feels like home. Going into this, I never thought I would be able to say that so soon but I feel so comfortable and just like a part of the team and it the feeling I had hoped and prayed I would have going into this. I was able to spend 3 consecutive days with not only my clinical educator but all of the staff at the school this week working the fall fundraiser which just so happens to be a fair that the school puts on for the week. It is big deal in my county and generates a huge profit for the school which goes towards each teacher's classroom fund. I took the time that I was working with the staff (serving food for, I swear, EVERYONE in the county) to develop some more personal relationships. I had lots of conversations with staff I had never met before and even got to serve and speak with some parents that I hadn't met! I went straight after work and it went until about 11 each night so I am super exhausted but super pleased with what I gained from the experience. The principal even pulled me to the side and personally thanked me for my help and told me how impressed he was with me. My CE says that is a really good thing! She and I got to have lots of conversation this week about what is coming up with semester! She is just so flexible and is so willing to work with me with whatever I need- it is a true blessing. I made sure to focus in on what I was missing for LE 4 when I was in the classroom this week and she answered the questions I had on specifics and provided me with some more resources on the school's overall behavior management plan because I felt I was lacking in that area of the assignment. 

   

 She and I also talked a lot about mathematics instruction and what she feels the students need the most so that I can really plan for LE 2. In math methods, I am learning so much new terminology and ways of teaching mathematics that I have never been exposed to. My CE gave me specific reasoning behind her methodologies for teaching mathematics and how she addresses the needs of each student. She gave me specific feedback on how I can adjust my lessons to make sure I am meeting the needs of each student! This made me think of the NCPTS- Teachers establish a respectful environment for a diverse population of students. This is a standard I am working hard to be more developed in and I will really be able to have a lot of practice with this in my literacy and math progression because there is a diverse range of needs in my classroom that will need to be met. I am focusing in on being more proficient at determining the needs of each student and then meeting the needs of each student every time I teach! My CE says this is something that I will get better at as I spend more time actually teaching in the classroom. 

I hope everyone has had a successful and productive week and I look forward to seeing your updates! 

    

Another week down, another week wiser! Can I just say- OH MY GOSH, this is the busiest week of my life! I have my hands in so many different pots, it is just unreal but I just keep telling myself- "you've got this!"

I keep going back to LE 1, 2, and 3 which are due for formative assessment this week changing things and worrying about them! LE 1 is my main focus right now and I have already changed my mind on the literary focus 3 times! I am getting my CE's opinion again tomorrow so that I can nail it down and be ready to teach at least part of it by mid-October but I feel like my CE will actually let me teach the whole thing! She always says she is willing to do whatever I need which makes me feel so good about our relationship and trust. I am becoming more and more familiar with the Kindergarten NCSCOS which was totally new for me. When we started, I had never even looked at a Kindergarten standard, now I feel like I could recite some of them in my sleep. I am excited to plan my first Kindergarten science lesson too this week! So, I will keep you all updated on that! Also, this week I am going to my first Kindergarten grade level meeting which I am excited about. I am also working at the school fundraiser which lasts all week. It is a fair that they hold on the old school grounds and it is a MAJOR deal in our county. So, my CE called me and asked me if I would work with her and of course I accepted! I am actually really excited because it'll give me some extra time with lots of the staff, parents, and students! I can really learn more of the dynamic by working with them every afternoon for a couple of hours next week!

This week and next week make me think of the NCPTS- Teachers demonstrate leadership in their school because I am and will be spending so much time with my fellow staff discussing ways to make the grade level and school better altogether working at the fundraiser, going to school improvement team meetings, and grade level meetings. I am excited to see how I can grow my relationships with the staff over the next couple of weeks, grow as a professional, and grow as a member of the team at the school. I will keep you updated on what all I see and learn and I cannot wait to hear from all of you!

It is hard to believe that we are already well into week three which means we are about a week away from being 25% of the way done with this semester! How crazy is that?? There is so much to learn and do but I am just taking it a week at a time and taking in absolutely everything I can from my professors, my CE, all of the educators around me, my students, and you guys! I feel like a human sponge! My CE always asks, do you want to go with me to do this or come do you want to watch how I do this? I always tell her I will take whatever she will give me! What is so great about her is that she takes the time to stop and tell me why she does things the way she does without me having to even ask. I know she is super busy and does not have to do that but she is just that great of a leader! I have told her repeatedly how grateful I am for her and she tells me she is glad to have me so I really could not ask for a better CE! 

This week I got to witness the way that she teaches math and some literacy activities as well. She has some students that come from the EC classroom for inclusion so I paid close attention to the way that she differentiated her lessons to meet the needs of the EC students and that was good for me to see because I will be doing the same thing for all of my lessons for LE 1 & 2 and really for any lesson that I will be teaching when I student teach. I don't have any experience with inclusion so this is something totally new and exciting for me! 

This week I have also had to opportunity to further develop in the NCPTS standard "Teachers Reflect on their Practice" as I have been teaching lessons for this class as well as my other classes and reflecting on those lessons. As I watched my video for this class, I found myself thinking "Oh, I should have done that!" or "This would have worked better!" These reflections can be aggravating but they make me feel confident that I am growing through reflection. I may not get the lesson perfect the first time, but I am getting the opportunity to watch myself and learn from my mistakes before I actually teach a lesson to my Kindergartners! I am not sure that we will ever feel like we have executed a lesson just perfectly as educators but I am positive we will always be reflecting and growing through reflection, I think any effective teacher can strive to be better than they were the day before and that is my goal! 

Have a great week and I am looking forward to hearing from you all! 

I feel as if this semester has already kicked into high gear and it is only week 2! I admittedly feed off the craziness of being extremely busy though! I had all the free time in the world over the summer and I hated it! That's probably another reason why the teaching profession feels like the prefect fit for me. It really does not allow for free time and there is ALWAYS something to be done!

This week I planned my SS lesson off of the standard assigned to me by Clarker. It was my first time ever planning a Kindergarten lesson so I kept finding myself planning things and then going back and thinking- that's too hard, you have to break it down more. It was a process, but it was a learning process. I have to tell you that I got the standard and saw the word "friendship" and thought that it would be pretty easy. I automatically began thinking about activities that I could use to teach friendship but then I heard an all too familiar phrase in my head. "Are you focusing on the big ideas?" That phrase is forever emblazoned in my brain probably for the rest of my existence thanks to Dr. Parker. This was one of my biggest takeaways from EDU 250 so I unpacked the standard and found an even bigger idea to shift my focus too in the lesson. I am still not totally confident in planning for Kindergarten instruction but I am becoming more and more familiar with the Kindergarten standard in the NCSCOS.

My CE helped me think through my first Kindergarten lesson and assured me she was there to assist me in any way possible and that made me feel so good. She is so reassuring and seems really confident about my ideas so that makes me feel good. I really could not ask for a better fit for me, she is the CE I prayed for. I met my Kindergartners when they all came in at the same time yesterday. I was nervous and they were nervous but it was not long before I felt at home with jumping in and helping my CE while also being able to watch all of the ways in which she reinforces her classroom procedures. All I can say about the beginning days of Kindergarten is WOW. Some of those students have never been in a classroom and it was a true eye-opener for me to see how far they have to go. I am excited to be on that journey with them though. We are going to grow by leaps and bounds together.

The NCPTS standard that I really feel like I worked on developing this week was; teachers provide an environment in which each child has a positive, nurturing relationship with caring adults. Never have I ever had students that come in crying. Kindergarten in the first couple of days is full of tears though which I learned this week. Some have never left their moms. I watched my CE to see how she handled it and then I got down on their level and comforted them just as she did. My heart hurt to see them sad but I honestly think it will be much better even by next week. It was good for me to get to see this part of the teaching profession though. Sometimes, we are their nurturers and this helps to form the student teacher bond especially in Kindergarten. I was thankful I was there to experience that.

Good luck this week with the planning and teaching of your SS lesson! I am looking forward to another week of learning and interaction with you all!

Wow, it seems like it has been awhile since I have blogged but I am excited to get back to it! The semester has began with a bang and there is SO MUCH to be done but that just means that there is so much to learn! I am excited to complete my last semester of course work and then finally be able to student teach. It is what I have waited, hoped for, and prayed for so long and it seems unreal that it is finally here! I feel excited, nervous, overwhelmed, and elated all at the same time. I think all of those emotions only come into play at once when you are about accomplish something great though, right? Mostly, I just feel really blessed to have the opportunity to do something that I love so much and feel called to do. I don't know that everyone gets that opportunity and we are all really lucky to be here, in my opinion!

This week I spent some time at my school that I will be student teaching in as well as getting back to work at the school that I am employed in. I am excited for the students to start next week and am anxious to meet them all! I have already been introduced to so many new people at the school where I will be student teaching and they have been so sweet and helpful! I am already finding that this school is very different from the school where I am employed. Both are great schools, but just different atmospheres and different types of people. I am taking it all in and using it as a learning opportunity. I am finding that each school seems to have it's own "vibe" and each classroom does too. As educators, it is important to be flexible and open to adjusting to the changes. We never know where we will be placed and I am learning you just have to learn to go with the flow. The good thing about it is most educators are very open to helping you, you just have to ask! Kindergarten is so new to me and I am already learning every time I speak or meet with my lead teacher. She asked me if I was interested in being on the committees she is on with her and I was so glad she offered. I will be attending the meetings with her and this will be a great learning experience for me. She also asked me to help her with her assignment at the fair they have for a week at their school to raise money! I am glad she is already seeing me as someone who can help her and wants to be involved in the school. This will allow me to make some solid connections at this school!  I am eagerly anticipating the arrival of the students next week especially my Kindergartners! For many of them, this will be their first experience in school and so it matters the impression I make on them and their parents. This will shape many of their future learning experiences and I do not take this responsibility lightly. It reminds me of a quote I stumbled across over this summer-









I found it be very true! We are shaping minds and hearts and it matters everyday! It makes it harder but it makes it more rewarding!

This week, I will also be working with the NCSCOS for Kindergarten for the first time as I write my SS lesson based on the standard assigned to me.  This is really my first time planning a lesson for Kindergarten so I am interested to see where this takes me and how I can grow from it. I will keep you all updated on how it goes!

I am looking forward to hearing about all of your experiences this week! I hope everyone has a productive and blessed week! 

Week 2 and I things are already going full speed ahead! I talked with the teacher that I work with at the school that I am employed at and we set up days and times that I can leave and go to my clinical classroom which is a relief for me! I was super worried but I think we have it worked out! Now, I just have to nail down those dates with my clinical teacher and make sure that works for her and I am just waiting on an e-mail back from her. I am very excited to become a part of a new classroom and to get to know her and the students. Every classroom I have worked in has been like a whole new world. It really is AMAZING how different teachers just have totally different ways of doing things and completely different outlooks on education. At this point in my educational experience, I basically consider myself to be like a sponge. I take in everything that we are learning, I observe every second I can, I listen to what all of the teachers around me are saying, and I analyze what I think works best based on what I am seeing, hearing, and learning. I take it all in because I want to have as many learning experiences as I can so that I can take what I have and make teaching my own craft based on what I have learned. So, I am anxious to get started and gain all that I can from my classroom teacher!

I am also working on my language arts lesson for this class and I have this standard- Describe how characters in a story respond to major events and challenges. This is for second grade and I am actually excited about this standard! I think it is important for students to learn and there are a lot of different directions I could go with this standard so I am unpacking it and using the NCSCOS to guide me in my planning. This week, as I work heavily on lesson planning, I am putting extra focus on my skills in the teaching standard- Teachers know the content they teach. When developing these lessons, I realize that the depth of my content knowledge has a direct impact on how effective my lessons are going to be. The more I know, the more I can teach. So, I am placing an importance on continuing to use my content knowledge to allow my students to make a connection with the lesson that they are going to carry with them and across all content areas! I want to- as Parker stated- plan my most meaningful and dynamic lessons yet and I am working hard to get there! I want to make myself, Parker, my students, and my classroom teacher proud! I hope all is well with you all this week! Let me know how your lesson plans are going and what some of your ideas are!