Week 6

A highlight of the past week would be that my avid kids played two truths and a lie and I knew all but two of the students. I like the feeling that I know the young people that I am teaching. It was also fun to see how much they knew about me as well.

Something that happened that made me think a little differently about kids is that sometimes the fight is worth it and sometimes it is not. Then there comes a line when you have to call the student out every single time. The little things are easily handled by hand motions or raised eyebrows and other things you have to say how it makes you feel. I realized the more open on how their behavior makes you feel and how you would like to work on changing that with them the better your silent cues are followed later on. I had a student I took out of the classroom during a lecture and explained that I understood he listened a lot better when playing with some things in the student’s hands but when you are making noise with that instrument/ or disturbing others from learning that the student needed to respect them and me when we ask them to stop. We show respect by asking politely and we need respect in return. I then gave the student options that would work instead.

One practice that I will adopt when I teach a lesson is making a hash mark on the board representing 10 seconds of the students’ passing time when the whole class is not coming back together after I have asked. It worked like magic and was a fast easy way to get students to realize that they need to settle down after a task.

There were a couple things I found perplexing this week. The first was the brain to body function process. One kid just ran (literally) from the back of the room into this kid at the front and drove him into the smart board. When asked why the student said he didn’t know and from the look on his face I believe that answer. The second was when I was grading papers and one of the more advanced students did not do good on a test but when in class could explain the process extremely well.

Week 5

Something interesting that happened to me this week would be that I went and observed in another teachers math classroom. She made me want to get a minor in math so that way I could teach math as well. I learned that the algebra kids where almost always willing to learn and get down to business.

Something that boggled me was kids are so technologically more intelligent than me. I had a kid today hack through the security wall so he could get on youtube. Genius! Another thing I found interesting was that boys talk WAY more than girls. Way more! Boys are chatter boxes and always have something to share. I was not expecting that.

Something I want to take away with me is how the math teacher organized everything. All of the assignments are on a month calendar and on a self in the appropriate folder. This way when students missed a day or whatnot they know exactly where to go to find out what they did. She said it helps so much because it cuts down on a messy desk and being busy in between classes.

Week 4

Everyday is a new experience in a classroom. I am in the classroom everyday and I love it! One day everything goes according to plan and everyone is happy then the next day is just an off day. These off days make me realize that we all have off days and if we, as a team, work through the off times everything works so much better than work around them. One saying I want in my classroom is that "Today is a new day and so is tomorrow." With this comes the lesson that every class period is different and as a teacher you have to realize that. Your attitude/demeanor has to start over at the start off a new period.

Another thing I learned this week that I will not have in my classroom is squeaky chairs! Who knew that chairs could be so loud and distracting! My cooperating teacher and I talked about this and next school year she is going to order tennis ball for the bottoms of the chairs. Relatively silent movement here we come!

Today I had one of my students give me a note before class. She told me that she and another student didn't like me when I first came because they didn't think they could have fun around me. However, after getting to know me they both really liked me and realized they could have fun. She ended the letter telling me I was one of the few teachers she trusted and that she wished I would have been here at the beginning of the year for the whole year. Her letter made my day. Looking back I can see how much more I have trusted them and how that has built stronger relationships with the students. Another highlight was when a group a students asked me why I was leaving on the 18th and I told them I was going for a fun weekend to Montana. I heard sighs and "okay good" then one girl turned to a boy and said "you lied! She is too coming back!" It is nice to know the students want you around.