Week 4

 

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

         This week was a 4. I was able to get in a lot of lessons and then even able to do all my make-up lessons for students that were absent today! I incorporated a very fun activity for layers of the soil on Thursday and it was really a fun activity for everyone! The bonus was it was edible! My students worked hard this week with their follow-up independent work. The lesson plans seemed to come a bit easier to write this week which was nice. I still would like to have them finished earlier in the week so I can try to actually get ahead with them. I am not sure though that is possible.

• Response to these questions to end your week:
• • Observe: What pleasant surprises / accomplishments did I achieve this week? I was very surprised when my student with behavior made a very good choice today when he needed something. This was a big achievement for the student! Hopefully, there will be more appropriate choices in the future.
  • Reflect: What lessons did my work/experiences teach me that I will build upon next week? This week taught me that it is ok to leave work at work. I drove my daughter to dance class instead of having my parents do it like normal. They usually do that so I can stay longer at work. It was nice to just go take her and not worry about the never-ending list of things to do.
  • Focus:  How are my short-term efforts and my long-term goals still aligned? I am working hard this semester so I can be finished which is my long-term goal. I will be so relieved to be able to just parent and work without having to do school work too!
  • Be Productive: What could I have spent more or less time doing? I did a lot this week, but I am not finding the time to work on the edTPA. I need to find time to get that finished. I am hoping to really work on that Sunday after church.
  • Have Courage:  How did apprehension and indecision impact what I did and didn’t do? I can not think of anything at the moment that I was apprehensive about. I just tell myself to be brave even if I don't feel confident and do my best.
  • Begin Anew: What is the first logical step(s) for next week? What mental clutter can I clear? I need to let go of the fact that sometimes others don't appreciate my work or take credit for things that are suggested by me.

• What were some data you analyzed this week and how did it help inform your instructional decisions? I finished analyzing the MAPS fluency data and was able to start my new groups for book clubs.
• What is one piece of advice you can share with other student teachers? I would say to be organized, prepared, and work hard. I use a planner and then have a daily printable to remind me of different things like what to address in the community, interventions, and what to prep for the next day.

• 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.
• 1d. Teachers advocate for schools and students. Teachers advocate for positive change in policies and practices affecting student learning. They participate in the implementation of initiatives to improve the education of students.
• This week I brought up the fact that the students could use another recess time. I suggested that maybe we could take turns and have 1 extra recess each week and have it during the encore time on a day we don't have an encore. The other teachers thought it was a great idea and we are thinking about seeing if this will be possible by asking our administration after bringing it up at a level meeting.  Extra recess has been shown to benefit students improving focus, grades, higher test scores, and increased self-esteem. I would love to see 1 hour a day every day, but I know that is not possible now. 
• 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.
• 2a. Teachers provide an environment in which each child has a positive, nurturing relationship with caring adults. Teachers provide an environment for student learning that is inviting, respectful, supportive, inclusive, and flexible
• This week I tried to spend some extra time with a student that has some behaviors. The one-on-one lesson was successful and the student was very focused. The student also seemed to respond when I placed my hand on their back when they were making noise choices that were too loud. I was very positive and explicit in the modeling of appropriate behavior which seems to help. 
• • 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.
• 3a. Teachers align their instruction with the North Carolina Standard Course of Study
• The lessons I taught for my lesson plans this week were aligned with the standards. 
• 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.
• 4c. Teachers use a variety of instructional methods.
• This week we did a hands-on activity that builds a snack cup to represent the layers of the soil. Each element of the snack was a layer of soil. The students followed directions (4 scoops of chocolate/buttercup chips) when they added each layer to the cup they marked and labeled that layer. It would be easy to align to a math standard as well since you are using measurement and fractions. Mark 1/2 of the pudding and use 1/2 the cup etc.
• 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.
• 5a. Teachers analyze student learning.
• I was able to analyze data from MAPS and then work on observations. I made note of who needed a refresher lesson on the Stamp Game and helped that student with the work and how to exchange. I noticed a student that was avoiding their reading work and I made a special time for them to catch up on their work with me.
• Other:
• What components of your edTPA and portfolio have you started to complete? Only Task 1 and videotaping. I am working on Task 2 commentary Sunday.
• What support does your Clinical Educator need from your University Supervisor? None
• What support do you need from your University Supervisor? Is there a standard that aligns to read-aloud/ think aloud or do you always have to have a literacy follow-up activity to link the standard to the lesson? I incorporate a read/ aloud into all the cultural lessons. Thank you for the timeline for the portfolio. That helps me stay on track!