Halloween Stories

              The students were asked to create Halloween stories last week and after they were finished they would have Author's Chair which means they would read their story to the class and show their picture that went with their story. M did not write a story the first time the students were asked to write a story about their favorite place, so I was determined to help him write a Halloween story that he could share with the class. When I came in today my cooperating teacher told me that  M was having a rough couple of days and just was not focused or on task. She asked if I would immediately start working with him and get him on track for the day. I love that I have this connection with M and when we work together he does accomplish a lot. We started out reading with one another and then I asked him if he wanted to write a Halloween story that he could share with the rest of the class. At first he was hesitant and didn't want to create a story because all he kept talking about was pizza because that is what was for lunch today, so I decided to try and relate the pizza to a Halloween story and he seemed interested.

              Above is the story that he wrote about a ghost who loves pizza and has other ghosts over for a big party on Halloween. He was so proud of himself and I was very proud of him. After we wrote the story I could tell he needed a break, so we went outside for a walk for 5 minutes and then when we came back he was ready to learn. I have noticed that in order for him to succeed and finish his work he needs to take breaks from the academic aspect and just get some fresh air or just move around. After lunch today he was very focused in math because it is one of his favorite subjects and he does it very well, and when it was time for computers he was very helpful and always made sure his classmates knew what was going on. I think that today he had a better day and I am glad that I am able to help him succeed and feel proud of himself. 

Wonderful Progress!

Here is a piece of spelling work from M. He did this all on his own this week without any prompting or help. He is so proud of himself and is making great progress. Today he made connections from our read aloud to his geography assignment. He also did wonderfully when it came to his math. I am so proud of him and I love seeing all of the progress he is making over the past few weeks.

What Makes Great Teachers-ABC NEWS VIDEO (02-26-10)

I really enjoyed watching this video because it was really refreshing to see other teachers implement creative ways to help their students learn. It made me excited to have my own classroom where all students feel accepted and feel apart of a community of learners. I am looking forward to creating that environment and creating ways that students can use their imagination and be creative when exploring and discovering in their learning. 

My Favorite Teaching Moment So Far!

This week was probably one of my favorite weeks in the classroom so far and really made me feel important and that what I was doing was making a difference. This week was the reason I wanted to become a teacher in the first place. In my second grade we have a couple of ELL students, one student in particular came to Washington in Kindergarten and didn't know any English but over the past few years his English has really developed and he is speaking very well. Both of his parents speak Spanish and at home that is all that is spoken, so school is one of the few places he gets interaction with native English speakers. This boy has won a place in my heart and my cooperating teacher has told me that this week has been his best week since starting school in September.

When I got there are Wednesday, the students were going to start work on spelling words, I was told that M has not written one sentence with his spelling words this year, so I was determined to help him write sentences to practice his spelling words. I sat with him and another student with the same word list and we worked on developing sentences. M had a hard time focusing at first and the other student really wanted to just continue and not stop. So I allowed that student to go ahead while I worked with  M on his spelling sentences. I started out covering the words and only showing him one at a time which seemed to be a great strategy for him because he wanted to see what the next word was. He started to write his first sentence with his spelling word, I helped him sound out a few words but over all he wrote the sentence by himself with correct punctuation and everything. After the first sentence he wanted to go onto the next, this continue for 7 more words. He ended up writing 8 sentences from his spelling list of 10 words. I was so proud of him and more importantly he was extremely proud of himself!

Today, the students got to write stories in their journals, and I again sat with M to help him start his story. After looking in his journal I noticed every page was blank, so I realized that he had not even written any kind of story this year, I was determined to help him start one today. We sat down and I asked him about his day yesterday and what he wanted to write about. He told me he wanted to write about his day at his cousin's house playing games. We wrote this story together and again he was so very proud of himself! He also worked really hard at his math problems and really enjoyed it. I know that he wants to learn I just think he needs a little extra help which is hard for one teacher to give him that help but I am so glad that I am there to support him the next few weeks. He is the sweetest boy and I am looking forward to getting to know him even more. It will be extremely hard to leave him and the other students.

I also helped my cooperating teacher develop a homework procedure sheet for M in Spanish so that his parents could read it and support him in making sure he did his homework because he has not turned in any homework this year. It was really easy to take her original and put it in a Spanish translator to help support M and his family in his education. I am very much looking forward to his progress and growth this year.

Technology and the Future!

                I really enjoyed watching both the videos because it gave me another outlook on technology and how much technology means to people.  I don't like carrying my laptop every where to stay connected to the internet and technology all the time but I guess if I need to I will in order to stay organized. How can we use technology in the classroom when most students do not have the same resources as others? And some school districts don't have a computer for each child. Will school districts ever get on the same level as one another or will there always be a huge gap with resources in some schools? I think it is wonderful that we are learning so much about technology and its uses because believe it or not technology is the future. 
                       I have noticed that in all the classrooms i have worked in, they all have smart boards but just like we discussed in class I have only seen the smart board used for writing and demonstration and that is pretty much it. I actually was pleasantly surprised that my cooperating teacher uploads a lot of documents to smart board when she is teaching a lesson so that students can see it up close instead of on a document camera. This was the first time I had seen someone use the smart board for something other than writing on it. I think that technology is a major part of our society but as educators I think we need to make the best possible decisions about technology and how we use it in the classroom and what is most beneficial for our students. 

A need for encouragment

Growing up, I have never had to really struggle with academics but I am finally struggling now. I now understand how hard it is for students to test and show their learning through tests and assessments. Tests are not great ways to show what students have learned because assessment should be more about the process that it takes for the student to get to where they  need to be. Some students take a little longer to get there than others but all that matters is that when they do get there they understand how they did it. I have so much more empathy and compassion for students and people who struggle academically because I myself have been struggling to pass this test that could make or break the start of my future. For as long as I can remember I have had a goal to become a teacher and make a difference in my students lives. This year for the first time since wanting to be a teacher i have had to struggle to achieve my goal because of one test that is standing in my way. It is extremely discouraging to think that I may have to put a break on my goals and may have readjust my plan for my future. But isn't that what life's about? Making new plans and adjusting them to your needs at that time. I guess struggling to pass this test has really helped me to understand that there will be bumps in road and it doesn't matter how long it takes you to get over those bumps but what you learned during the process about yourself emotionally, and academically. I have really learned a lot about myself over the past few months and I know I will take what i have learned from my struggles to help better my own students. How can we as educators encourage students to take these tests when we know that they are not always a good indicator of students learning? I know that sometimes tests are good ways to assess students learning but are there ways to help students take tests and feel confident taking them? How can we help students with test anxiety?