Fall 2012 Posting
Welcome to the Blog! For the rest of the semester we will check in here weekly. Sometimes I will ask you to respond to a particular topic and sometimes you will just do a short overview of your week with a highlight and a stretch. AND--respond to each others posts like we are having a conversation.
This week please talk about how the classroom is set up and how the classroom climate is being established. A short overview of your four day week and what you did during the three day weekend. That should get us started!
posted by Chris @ 5:20 PM
4 comments
4 Comments:
Hi Guys!
This past weekend I took the train to Dusseldorf to visit my boyfriend Abe who plays basketball in a town called Hagen. It was a fantastic weekend and was extremely laid back which I appreciated. It consisted of a lot of time in gyms watching games, but he had Monday off so we went to Cologne for the day and I got to see the Cathedral and a little bit of the beautiful city. I am definitely looking forward to going back!
Although this was a four day week, it was sure a long one! We haven't had access to computers all week, so it was interesting to see all of the different adaptations made around the school. I was familiar with some of them, such as having a student deliver lunch orders and the attendance slip to the front office. I was unfamiliar with different strategies that had to do with copying blank sheets from OLD books, and writing our own information down so the kids had complete homework packets and spelling lists :)
Our classroom is extremely inviting. Since we had Open House last night, we really focused on putting up a lot of student work in our hallway as well as a lot of pictures of our students. The warmth it brings to the hallway is great, and it was fabulous seeing the kids proudly show their work to their parents.
The kids sit in "Teams" which consist of 4 different table groups of 4-5 kids. The team concept is something we have stressed from day one, and the students have bought into it. There is a "race to the top" each week based on points being awarded to the teams with the best behavior, neatest work, etc. It is a weeklong "race" and has motivated the kids to work together and ensure that everyone is on task.
My teacher has emphasized the importance of classroom procedures and routines in addition to expectations from the first day of school, and it has really paid off. I think we were blessed with a really great group of kids, and when you pair that with a veteran teacher you get the best behaved and most close knit 2nd grade class in the school! I am taking notes and trying to learn as much as possible from this experience!!
Hi ☺
Rosie-isn’t Cologne wonderful! I saw your pictures, and it looks like you two had a great time! It’s neat that you are both in Germany. Was this your first “full” (well, 4days) week?
It sounds like you and your mentor teacher have created a very warm and inviting place. I think our high school room could use a bit of that. Originally there was nothing really on the walls and the principal tried encouraging teachers to be putting student work up, especially for the Open House last week. My mentor teacher and I made a couple posters and got out some of her old students’ work, but I think there is still a lot more that could be done. The nice thing is that we got new tables instead of individual desks for the students. It makes it easier for partner and group work, which there is a lot of in our class. The school itself has a lot of spirit and really celebrates all the different cultures/nationalities in the school. There’s a hall that has all the flags lining it, and there will be a UN day that is purely dedicated to the students showing off the intricacies of their culture. I can’t wait for it, and all the food we will get to taste ☺
We originally only made a seating chart for the 10th grade class, because my mentor teacher knew them and who should or shouldn’t be sitting next to each other. Then as we got to know the 9th graders, after a couple classes, we made them each one too, because there were some combos that definitely weren’t going to be conducive to learning.
I taught all but two classes this week, and they felt a bit more smother than the previous week. I’m starting to figure out what classroom management skills work for this group and which don’t. My biggest thing was to wait for everyone to be quiet before moving on with any instructions. Last week I did that, but I also found myself trying to talk over the hum of chatter that happens in transitions, but this week I too my mentors advice and simply waited. They catch on pretty quick. The students are really all pretty well behaved. The only things we really have to monitor are some distinct attitudes in a group of freshman guys, the ELL range, and the chattering. In the scheme of things it’s really a great teaching situation.
Our school didn’t have a three-day weekend, but my roommate did tour me around the “old town” district of Warsaw. I also had dinner at my aunt and cousin’s house. It was quite the experience, because I speak very little Polish and their English is also for minimal. I thought it was going to be a lot of awkward staring, but it was quite fun having to try and find ways to communicate. It makes me definitely want to work harder on improving my Polish. This weekend I helped out with the girls HS soccer inner-squad scrimmage, and then the school staff had an “Amazing Race” competition throughout Warsaw on Saturday. It was so much fun and great to get to know more of the teachers throughout the grade levels and departments.
This week is our 9th grade camping trip! Training on Monday and Tuesday, then we are leaving on Wed-Fri. Should be fun and interesting.
Hey Kasia! So glad things sound good on your end! I wonder why you guys didn't get Monday off since it's a American school? That just makes me more thankful for our 4 day week!
Where is your roommate from? That's great that you have family in the area...I do too! My uncle and cousins speak fluent English though (he is a DODs Teacher in Frankfurt) so it won't be as culturally interesting as your was!
I haven't really taught any individual lessons so far which is kind of stressing me out. I've done little things but not a full blown lesson where I was in charge, so I will have to talk to my teacher so I will be able to get a start on the TPA sooner rather than later! She is very conscious of building routine and what not right now, so I think she is a little hesitant to hand over the classroom so soon. I have started taking over a little bit of math and science so hopefully by next week I will get some real practice under my belt!
That's really great that you are getting so involved with your school by coaching soccer. I plan to start playing pick-up basketball with the middle school teachers this week--hopefully I still have it!
It sounds like you're working hard to help build the classroom community. I'm sure it's much harder for you to build it since you're with older kids, but I'm sure once they buy into it it will be that much more rewarding!!
Enjoy your camping trip, can't wait to hear about it!
Hey!
School has been wonderful despite all our technological glitches. Like Rosie said we didn't have access to computers for about a week. Friday, we came in and there was no electricity at all. Everything felt very medieval. But we persevered, and it was great to see how the teachers adapted to the obstacles. It just shows how quick you have to be on your feet. You have to be ready for any possible scenario.
One thing is for sure, there hasn't been a dull moment yet. Every day, and every class is different than the one before. I learn more about the kids every day and have now mastered every single one of my 95 students' names. I only see them for 50 minutes a day, so it has been a slow process getting to know them and their individual personalities. But I am getting there.
The classroom set-up went ok. We accomplished a lot the week before school started, but there is always more left to do. I am noticing teaching requires a lot of organizing. Just when I think I have filed the last paper, there is another stack of assignments on my desk. I am so lucky to have a mentor teacher who believes in designing a curriculum for the students. None of the assignments we have done have been from a text book. They are always engaging, which makes it fun for us as well as the students.
We have an advisory and seminar that meets in the mornings before school core classes begin. During this hour, the kids either study, work on homework, or Ms. Liff and I plan team-building activities. This has been a great way for me to get to know the kids better, and for them to become more comfortable with their peers.
The past two weekends I have stayed local, experiencing all Heidelberg and the neighboring towns have to offer. There really is a lot going around just in our area. Saturday the three roommates and I went to the Volksmarch and Sunday I went to Laudenburg for their annual "old town" festival. It was great to see and participate real German culture
This week, the power and all the systems seem to be working, so things have been running more regularly.... knock on wood.
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