Relect on the Week
This is a reflect week without a specific topic. Provide a short summary of what went on and tell us about a highlight and something that made you stretch. Keep checking back so you can respond to at least two of your peers' posts.
posted by Chris @ 9:34 PM
16 comments
16 Comments:
This week was very eventful. I gained more responsibility taking over and I feel it is going smoothly. I am now in charge of the homework charts in the morning and in the afternoon. I also was left in the classroom with about half the class while Mrs. H. went to the computer room with the other half. It went really well as I called students up for math and monitored the other students who were working on different centers. This week we also had parent ‘pop-ins’ where the parents could come in at anytime during the week and the students would lead their conference. This was very interesting and I think it is a great way to do conferences as the students are leading it and the parents can also see how the classroom works while the other students are working on centers.
Friday was parent teacher conferences and we only had two scheduled since the other parents came in during the week. I observed the first conference and then Mrs. H had me lead the second one. I was nervous at first but once I started it went fine. I feel confident with how it went and I am glad she had me lead it because it is so important to be able to talk to parents and keep a good relationship with them.
Things are going well in my classroom and I am enjoying it. One thing I am not too happy about is this COLD weather though!! Hope you all had a great week and have a wonderful weekend :)
My highlight of the week was by far the progress my students have made while learning new math concepts. I have been going over the same concept and practicing it with my students for a week and a half. The students just seemed to not all be understanding. They all asked me for questions and didn't even understand where to begin. This was so frustrating and so finally I told them they had to do the next days problem all by themselves without asking anyone for help. I did this to see what students I needed to spend more time with and who could move on. To my great surprise, the girl that I had been working so hard with and who seemed to just not be getting it did it perfectly right. I was thrilled and we both celebrated. Out of the entire class only three students did not solve the problem correctly. This gave me great joy and satisfaction. It was definitely the highlight of my teaching week. As you know we had parent teacher conferences on Friday and this was my weeks stretch. I was very nervous to meet the parents and discuss their children, especially the students that were struggling. My teacher and I did the conferences together, splitting time talking about different aspects about 50/50. This made it much easier and for the most part the conferences with smoothly.
Just another week in the life. Taught a couple lessons on inertia. Dined where Mark Twain once spent his nights. Had my hair freeze on the way to school. Shared some laughs. The usual.
One cool part of this week was being a part of my first parent-teacher conference. I know some students looked in on them when they were in their practicums, but I never got the chance. They conferences were smoother and more low key than I imagined. I don't know what I envisioned, but I figured there would be some confrontation sometime in the day. However, all the parents were supportive and really happy with the progress their students had made. We only had conferences with at-risk students, perhaps 8 in total, but it still took the whole day. Conferences are time consuming.
Had my first 'pat on the back' moment as a teacher this year. I gave my students an open note quiz on inertia. One student, J, who always struggles finished really quickly, so I figured he must have tanked and gave up. Oddly enough, at a glance, J's test looked quite good though. Later, when they were supposed to be using the same notes to aid on a homework assignment, he came to ask for help. I told him to use his notes. He said he had forgot his notes. When I asked how he took the test, J replied, "Mr. MacDonald, I just used what you taught me!" J ended up scoring a solid 93% on the quiz, and while I'll have to work on getting him to bring his notes to class, I was quite proud of his accomplishment.
This being the first full week with an additional roommate, I can now announce we made off nicely. One of the many interns from Northern Arizona University, he is mixing in swimmingly. I wasn't too worried, all Paul's are winners. Also, Michael now can demand both his roommates attention at once at any moment.
I give a presentation to the entire staff tomorrow on Math Chants, so I need my rest. Wish me luck.
Sophia--- I did have a wonderful week. Thanks for hoping. Sounds like Mrs. H is a really big believer in a strong parent-teacher relationship. Those parent 'pop ins' are especially interesting. Could you explain that more? They just stumble into the room and you have to drop everything to lead a conference while all the other students listen in? Would love to get some clarification. Thanks.
Paul - I'd be happy to explain the parent 'pop-ins' a little more for you :) All the students filled out this sheet of paper. On it they had some questions to fill out such as; two things they are good at, things they find difficult, something their parents can help them on at home etc. Then there is a section for the students SRI reading scores, Star reading scores, math scores etc. The teacher puts those in there. If a parent comes in the student gets out that sheet of paper and goes through it with their parent as the conferences are student-led. Then the teacher joins and adds there part about the other sections such as their math and reading scores and just how the student is doing overall. It shows the scores from the previous quarter as well so they can see if they have made progress. All the other students are still working on centers since we very rarely do whole class lessons, so the 'pop-ins' don't disrupt the learning that is going on as students just continue working. My teacher is very into parent- involvement so there is always parents coming in. This is nice because they know what the students are working on and it is also always nice to have an extra set of hands!! Good luck on your presentation tomorrow!
Paul- I'm so glad you, like I, had the amazing feeling this week that only comes from realizing that your students are actually listening and understanding. Isn't it just wonderful? Why do you have to present your chants to the whole staff? That sounds rather scary if you ask me, especially if you are "chanting". But good luck my dear friend. I am sure you will rock it like you did when we played your video at the staff meeting at good ol' Rach Car.
Sophia- It sounds like you are getting more and more time working by yourself with students and teachers. Sometimes it is nice to have your teacher leave for a little bit just so you can see that you can actually teach and be fine without them there. I would be pretty nervous if my teacher told me minutes before the conference that I was running it but it sounds like it went well. So props to you my dear!
Our week in first grade was quite eventful. We are working on getting an IEP set up for one of our students. He was throwing chairs one day and tried to stab another kid with a pencil. So that was a little crazy! Other than that our week was full of learning about grounhogs! They just loved watching the groundhog see his shadow. However, Mrs. I and I weren't exactly thrilled that seems to mean more indoor recess. That is like a cuss word around here! The kids haven't had recess in almost two weeks which is driving us all crazy!
I'm becoming much more confidant in my teaching which is always helpful! The children have picked up on that too and usually listen to me :)
We also had parent teacher conferences. We had about 5 and it was a great experience. One Mom was rather upset about the marks that her daughter had recieved so it was helpful to see how Carol dealt with that.
Sophia,
I am so glad that you got the opportunity to lead a conference in your classroom. That is one thing that I was worried about for the future so lucky you, you're prepared!
Your student lead conferences also sound very interesting. Something that I think would work really well in an older classroom!
Paul,
I'm sad that you weren't able to show us your presentation. The Math coach just seemed to steal the show yesterday! We all knew that you were prepared. Still somehting you can add to your resume! :)
I forgot to metion a serious stretch for me this week!! PATIENCE! With the children not going out to recess they have all been very restless. They have also been off of their schedules with testing and three day weekends. I often have to take a step back and remember that all students will respond better if I am completely calm and just wait until they are ready to learn.
So I've let that balloon go, took a few deep breaths and jumped right back in to the zoo of first grade!
Last week was a good one for Monica and I. Even with the cold weather which kept our kids indoors during their lone recess, we were able to keep them focused and thus maximized their learning opportunities. I am continuing to take on more and more responsibility as the days go by and with that responsibility I am gaining the respect of the students. I mentioned in my earlier posts that the students were behaving as if I was simply a substitute teacher wondering the classroom during the early goings. My days have become much easier as they begin to realize that I am in fact an important authority figure in the classroom and also that I manage to keep showing up day after day despite some of the students best efforts. I taught a math lesson on temperature last week, talking about Fahrenheit and Celsius. I had them measure cups with ice water in them and also cups that we had filled with water and put in the microwave for 45 seconds. The kids loved this lesson and it went as smoothly as any lesson I have taught to this point. The students were responding desirably when I used attention getters and also showed what I believe to be a successful understanding of working with temperature.
However, with the light comes the dark. Unfortunately this morning, Monica received a red cross message that her father was in the hospital and was not doing well. She was forced to leave and book a flight that will depart from Frankfurt airport tomorrow morning. She is not sure when she will return but she will be in the states for at least a week. I am taking over the classroom and teaching all day everyday until she returns which I feel extremely prepared for thanks to her guidance. Despite my readiness I am still sad for her and for her family. She is a wonderful woman and does not deserve this. I am going to do my best to make sure she comes home to a welcoming and appreciative classroom.
Sopia, I'm glad to hear that you are taking on more responsibility in your classroom as well! It seems like such a hefty task at first when you're left with a group of students but all you need is the smallest amount of success for your self confidence to jump. I hope you continue to gain more responsibility and find success with your students.
Kimmi, the indoor recess deal, while less destructive for the furniture in our classroom, is beginning to take its toll. I made the executive decision today with Monica out to play "Mum Ball" with the students after their indoor recess. It's a game they really enjoy and believe it or not - it's quiet. Helped take some of the frustration of not having a true recess out of them. I'd love to teach it to you if you're interested.
Michael - That is horrible news about your teachers father, I'm sorry to hear that! I am sure you will do a great job taking over for the week and I am glad you feel ready and prepared. Good luck! Also that mum ball game sounds interesting, would love to learn how to play it.
You all are truly awesome! Your posts are insightful and are supportive of each other. Parent conferences are such an import. skill. I'm glad you are getting to see and partcipate. Well done!
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