Hi Joel,
We are glad to have you back at Suncrest. Thank you for volunteering to help with Fall Festival. That should be fun. Glad you are getting readjusted to our little ones. Kathleen Dyer
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Friday, October 23, 2009
Week 8 Post
Well, this week was the first week back to Suncrest Primary. I must admit I wasn't all that excited at the beginning of the week-sad about leaving Clay Battelle and apprehensive about the big age difference. However, as the week has progressed I have slowly begun to warm up (again) to this teaching thing.
This was a week where I'd be doing nothing but observations for my Action Research-what are the students like? who are the trouble makers? what is the genereal classroom environment like? etc. etc. As a whole, I am thoroughly impressed with this set of third graders (both classes). On Monday or Tuesday I told Mrs. McLaughlin that I thought the classroom was TOO quiet which is kind of hard to believe. These students are well behaved, well trained, and very polite which is a bit of a difference compared to Clay Battelle.
As the week progressed, however, I begun to help lead and teach some of the daily work and classes. As I got into it I became more and more comfortable with myself, with the age group of students, and the students themselves. I was wondering how long the transition would be for the two different age groups. It is nowhere near complete but I'm happily suprised with how well week 1 went as a whole.
I'm very much looking forward to the next seven weeks for many reasons. I'm real excited to have students for the whole day-relationships with these students will be completely different than the relationships that I had with my students that I had for only one or two periods. Another benefit to these upcoming eight weeks is to see how comfortable I am with elementary school. Before teaching at Clay Battelle I had only worked with K-3 students in a school setting. My time at Clay Battelle was great because it gave me experience with the older students as well as the desire to work with them in an educational environment. These next seven weeks will hopefully be a reminder of how much I enjoy working with younger students as well as the older students.
I look forward to these next eight weeks!
This was a week where I'd be doing nothing but observations for my Action Research-what are the students like? who are the trouble makers? what is the genereal classroom environment like? etc. etc. As a whole, I am thoroughly impressed with this set of third graders (both classes). On Monday or Tuesday I told Mrs. McLaughlin that I thought the classroom was TOO quiet which is kind of hard to believe. These students are well behaved, well trained, and very polite which is a bit of a difference compared to Clay Battelle.
As the week progressed, however, I begun to help lead and teach some of the daily work and classes. As I got into it I became more and more comfortable with myself, with the age group of students, and the students themselves. I was wondering how long the transition would be for the two different age groups. It is nowhere near complete but I'm happily suprised with how well week 1 went as a whole.
I'm very much looking forward to the next seven weeks for many reasons. I'm real excited to have students for the whole day-relationships with these students will be completely different than the relationships that I had with my students that I had for only one or two periods. Another benefit to these upcoming eight weeks is to see how comfortable I am with elementary school. Before teaching at Clay Battelle I had only worked with K-3 students in a school setting. My time at Clay Battelle was great because it gave me experience with the older students as well as the desire to work with them in an educational environment. These next seven weeks will hopefully be a reminder of how much I enjoy working with younger students as well as the older students.
I look forward to these next eight weeks!
Monday, October 19, 2009
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Hi Joel,
I have to agree with you. I don't think it's any way to treat a professional. Perhaps you were a little too casual with them during the 8 weeks? It was probably their way of wishing you well, but it really was "over the top." I don't imagine they would have done that to someone they didn't like. It's a good lesson, however, for everyone!
I don't think the third graders at Suncrest will give you that kind of a send-off....perhaps having a substitute teacher didn't help the situation either.
Kaye :-)
I have to agree with you. I don't think it's any way to treat a professional. Perhaps you were a little too casual with them during the 8 weeks? It was probably their way of wishing you well, but it really was "over the top." I don't imagine they would have done that to someone they didn't like. It's a good lesson, however, for everyone!
I don't think the third graders at Suncrest will give you that kind of a send-off....perhaps having a substitute teacher didn't help the situation either.
Kaye :-)
Friday, October 16, 2009
Last Day at CBMS
Well today didn't go nearly as well as expected. In fact, it turned out to be quite tumultuous which really stinks. The first couple of periods were OK, I had to remove a student from both of the first two periods because of doing things that they shouldn't have down.
Fourth period is where it all "hit the fan". The students in my fourth period class are probably one of, if not my favorite class. They are good kids who have responded very well to me over the past eight weeks. I can joke around with them and just be goofy, and they like that. Today they decided to give me a "celebratoriral" shaving creme bath. So as the class started a number of them came up with shaving creme and got me pretty good. After I got doused with it I got up and left to clean myself off. I was upset so I decided to take a good walk for awhile (we had a Substitute in class today so he took care of the class). When I came back in towards the end of class I told the class what I thought about it. I was upset, sure, but what got me was how disappointed I was with the whole situation. Not just the fact that they got me with shaving creme, but also the timing of it. I would've been upset any other day, but couldn't they have chosen a different day to get me? I was looking forward to having them do their required work and then just spend the rest of the period talking to them and such but couldn't do it because of this.
The rest of the day was tough. I appreciated the words, cards, etc. that I received the rest of the day from my student but was still sooooo bummed about the time lost with this group. I know that there was no ill-intention or meanness directed to me at all but instead it was just a way to have one more good day with me. It just really stinks that this is a memory that I have from my last day there...it really does.
I think I handled it well. Discussed problem with students and did what I should informing my host teacher, but I know that doing that doesn't help whatsoever with my disappointment.
Fourth period is where it all "hit the fan". The students in my fourth period class are probably one of, if not my favorite class. They are good kids who have responded very well to me over the past eight weeks. I can joke around with them and just be goofy, and they like that. Today they decided to give me a "celebratoriral" shaving creme bath. So as the class started a number of them came up with shaving creme and got me pretty good. After I got doused with it I got up and left to clean myself off. I was upset so I decided to take a good walk for awhile (we had a Substitute in class today so he took care of the class). When I came back in towards the end of class I told the class what I thought about it. I was upset, sure, but what got me was how disappointed I was with the whole situation. Not just the fact that they got me with shaving creme, but also the timing of it. I would've been upset any other day, but couldn't they have chosen a different day to get me? I was looking forward to having them do their required work and then just spend the rest of the period talking to them and such but couldn't do it because of this.
The rest of the day was tough. I appreciated the words, cards, etc. that I received the rest of the day from my student but was still sooooo bummed about the time lost with this group. I know that there was no ill-intention or meanness directed to me at all but instead it was just a way to have one more good day with me. It just really stinks that this is a memory that I have from my last day there...it really does.
I think I handled it well. Discussed problem with students and did what I should informing my host teacher, but I know that doing that doesn't help whatsoever with my disappointment.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Hi Joel,
Oh....how pleased I am for you!! What a wonderful blog to read tonight! Have fun tomorrow with your last day there...but know that Suncrest Primary is equally happy to have you join them again.
Are your parents able to read your blog? If not, I think you should include them as a recipient if possible. They will be so proud of you!!
See you Monday. We'll need your help with the art projects on Monday. :-)
Kaye
Oh....how pleased I am for you!! What a wonderful blog to read tonight! Have fun tomorrow with your last day there...but know that Suncrest Primary is equally happy to have you join them again.
Are your parents able to read your blog? If not, I think you should include them as a recipient if possible. They will be so proud of you!!
See you Monday. We'll need your help with the art projects on Monday. :-)
Kaye
Week 9 Reflection
Well the eight weeks is finally coming to an end here at Clay-Battelle. Never in a million years did I expect to see so many different things from a school out in the country. I really have enjoyed my time and will truly miss it.
Today was a great victory for me...a victory that really solidifies my desire to become a teacher. All of my paperwork is done, my grade is in for the eight weeks I spent at Clay-Battelle so I have had nothing to prove this week. Getting the grade was great to see and knowing that I did everything expected of me was also a great thing. However, that pails in comparison to the joy I experienced today.
Today I gave my second test to the 8th graders. This exam was on the European settlers coming over to America. The previous test I gave the students collectively bombed it. There were some A's, some B's, a good number of C's, and the majority of the grades were D's and F's. That was a big downer and was a reminder to me that I do not have the teaching "thing" down. I felt responsible in some ways for the poor grades and was also disappointed with the students lack of effort throughout the chapter.
So yes, my first test that I administered to the first chapter I taught was a complete collapse. They bombed it. However, this test they didn't!!! I still had some low scores but the group did so much better this time around. For example, my 8th period (honors class) did pretty well last time; some A's, lots of B's, some C's and a couple of D's. Today though, there were NO F's, NO D's, AND NO C's! The majority of the tests were A's and a few had B's. Another class had similar improvements, granted there were no where near the number of A's but a big improvement in pulling up grades from the last tests (students who got D's last time got C's or B's).
Now back to this solidifying me as a teacher...like I said, everything is turned in, the grades for me are done and I'm proud of them but it doesn't even come close to how excited and proud I am of my students for a valliant effort that they showed today with the test!
Today was a great victory for me...a victory that really solidifies my desire to become a teacher. All of my paperwork is done, my grade is in for the eight weeks I spent at Clay-Battelle so I have had nothing to prove this week. Getting the grade was great to see and knowing that I did everything expected of me was also a great thing. However, that pails in comparison to the joy I experienced today.
Today I gave my second test to the 8th graders. This exam was on the European settlers coming over to America. The previous test I gave the students collectively bombed it. There were some A's, some B's, a good number of C's, and the majority of the grades were D's and F's. That was a big downer and was a reminder to me that I do not have the teaching "thing" down. I felt responsible in some ways for the poor grades and was also disappointed with the students lack of effort throughout the chapter.
So yes, my first test that I administered to the first chapter I taught was a complete collapse. They bombed it. However, this test they didn't!!! I still had some low scores but the group did so much better this time around. For example, my 8th period (honors class) did pretty well last time; some A's, lots of B's, some C's and a couple of D's. Today though, there were NO F's, NO D's, AND NO C's! The majority of the tests were A's and a few had B's. Another class had similar improvements, granted there were no where near the number of A's but a big improvement in pulling up grades from the last tests (students who got D's last time got C's or B's).
Now back to this solidifying me as a teacher...like I said, everything is turned in, the grades for me are done and I'm proud of them but it doesn't even come close to how excited and proud I am of my students for a valliant effort that they showed today with the test!
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