Week 2 1/20/23

 

• Rate and explain your overall experience of the week: 1 - Very difficult to 5 - Great week

  I will have to rate this week as a 3. It was very hard adding writing these weekly edTPA lesson plans to all the work I already do each week. We had a teacher workday, but that was filled with 2 meetings and working on our report cards. We have 2 report cards. One is our Montessori Lesson report card and the other is called Habits of the Mind which details the student in various areas such as executive functioning and behaviors. Our students do not receive letter grades until Secondary 1. This doesn't leave time to do catch-up type work in the classroom on the teacher workday. It would be nice to have an actual teacher workday without meetings and report cards. We also found out our Directress suffered a stroke and was in the ICU. She is recovering well and just has been moved out of the ICU. Prayers are appreciated for her recovery. It was a bit difficult to try to mix the Montessori lesson into the edTPA format for some of the lessons.

• Response to these questions to end your week:
• • Observe: What pleasant surprises / accomplishments did I achieve this week?
• I was able to finish my weekly lesson plans on time in the edTPA format. We also reviewed some of the procedures that the students must have forgotten over the long weekend.
• Reflect: What lessons did my work/experiences teach me that I will build upon next week?
• My experiences just lead me to be sure I am well prepared. My classroom partner and I are also trying some new ideas with some of our students and resisting some things in the classroom.
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• Focus:  How are my short-term efforts and my long-term goals still aligned?
• Being prepared is going to help me, in the long run, to not become burned out. Reflecting on myself and being observant of others including my students will help me become a better teacher.
• Be Productive: What could I have spent more or less time doing?
• I need to work on my other assignments. The edTPA weekly lesson plans took up way too much time this week.
• Have Courage:  How did apprehension and indecision impact what I did and didn’t do?
• I think indecision and last-minute changes to the weekly lesson schedule had an impact on what I was able to complete this week. I kept second-guessing my lesson plans. I will be very excited to go back to my all Montessori lessons when student teaching is finished.
• Begin Anew: What is the first logical step(s) for next week? What mental clutter can I clear?
• I need to get some rest and breathe. I would like to dedicate more time next week to edTPA Task 2 and begin checking off the assignments due next week.

• What were some data you analyzed this week and how did it help inform your instructional decisions? As the students finished MAPS testing we have been analyzing data and revisiting our intervention groups. I gave one of my students a post-level SPIRE assessment today and that student showed so much growth. I did find out this student needed to go back and review welded sounds which is what we will begin tomorrow. I have been working with some students on passing their current timed math fact and I had 1 that passed and 1 that came very close this week!
• What is one piece of advice you can share with other student teachers?

• NC Teacher Candidate Standards (Be sure to reference activities from your lesson plans to solidify your answer.)
• • Pick an element from standard one of the evaluation tool and explain some activities/strategies you implemented this week to increase your rating for the element.
• In standard 1 it states that teachers demonstrate high ethical standards which include honesty and respect for others. Treating students with respect while also enforcing school rules and following the behavior policy across the board to all our students is demonstrating a high ethical standard. Our behavior policy and consequences are clear and transparent. Following the policy in the handbook is demonstrating a hight ethical standards.
• Pick an element from standard two of the evaluation tool and explain some activities/strategies you implemented this week to increase your rating for the element.
• Standard 2 has a section that's says teachers encourage and environment that is inviting, respectful, supportive, and flexible. We great every student in the morning with a handshake and address students by their name. This establishes an inviting and respectful day right from the beginning in the morning. I was able to support my students today by introducing them to a new math computation lesson that they were ready for! They had just mastered the Exchange Game with the Golden Beads and were ready for this next lesson. This is an example of me encouraging and supporting my student's needs. 
• Pick an element from standard three of the evaluation tool and explain some activities/strategies you implemented this week to increase your rating for the element.
• In standard 3 its says teachers know the content appropriate to their teaching specialty. I had to know the content for the next lesson after the Golden Bead Exchange Game. I also had to know how to relate the new Montessori material to the Golden Bead material.
• Pick an element from standard four of the evaluation tool and explain some activities/strategies you implemented this week to increase your rating for the element.
• Standard 4 states that teachers plan instruction appropriate for their students. We have been re organizing our math scope and sequence so that we are able to plan instruction that is at appropriate times for our students. We re did some of the math materials this year and have been using this material to plan the new scoper and sequence for math while also keeping the Montessori teaching schedule from You Can Teach It All training.
• Pick an element from standard five of the evaluation tool and explain some activities/strategies you implemented this week to increase your rating for the element.
• This standard has a part that says teachers function effectively in a complex, dynamic environment. Observation and reflection is a big part of Montessori. We observe our students, other classrooms, and other levels. We are currently on a observation rotation. My classroom partner observed the other day and came back with some ideas we implemented to try and a few on a list to think about. I am looking forward to upcoming observations. We reflect many times during the week in the afternoon about the day and lessons. We usually don't have time to check in during the workcycles so we do try to have short meetings to reflect as needed on classroom needs.
• Other:
• What components of your edTPA and portfolio have you started to complete? I have completed Task 1 and would like to start Task 2 this weekend.
• What support does your Clinical Educator need from your University Supervisor? None
• What support do you need from your University Supervisor? Is there a timeline example for working on and not getting behind on the portfolio? Where can I find the teacher standards evaluation tool?