The End that Leads to New Beginnings...

Wow, just like that student teaching is over. Is this real life? This week finished up my "leaning out" phase of student teaching and now its time to observe and prepare for portfolio presentations. I expected this week to feel so different from the past 10 weeks because I was only scheduled to teach math. However, I ended up still keeping my ELA rotation and kept routines of taking students to the bathroom, to lunch, and to BEPs. It was nice to stay in routine for just a tad longer.

One of my biggest accomplishments this week was being offered an Early Contract in the county I've been student teaching. This was such a huge relief and so satisfying to know that all of the hard work I've put in over the past 10 weeks has truly been noticed and has paid off.

My experiences over the past 10 weeks has taught me more than I could have ever imagined. I entered student teaching thinking I would learn lessons about how to teach an effective lesson or how to differentiate better. While both of those things were definitely lessons learned along the way, there were also lessons I never expected. Such as, how to be a good coworker, how to collaborate with coworkers, how to comfort the child who loves school more than home, how to attempt to balance a social life and teaching, along with a long list of many more.

This week I spent a lot of time analyzing the differences in mine and my CEs teaching, now that I have a more developed teaching style than I did prior to student teaching. This coming week I will observing 5 other teacher at my school and I will get to learn from their teaching styles as well.

This week I exhibited 1A, teachers lead in their classroom. I did this by planning small group math rotations based on observations from the previous days math lesson.

I exhibited 2D, teachers adapt their teaching for the benefit of students with special needs. I did this by adjusting my lessons based on student's reading levels for guided reading rotations.

I exhibited 3A, teachers align their instruction to NCSCOS. As I aligned my plans to the NCSCOS.

I exhibited 4A, Teachers know the ways in which learning takes place, and they know the appropriate levels of intellectual, physical, social, and emotional development of their students. I did this by readjusting my plans to engage students during math rotations.

I exhibited 5A, teachers analyze student learning. I did this by remediating and allowing students to retake their measurement test.

The countdown to graduation begins!

Hallelujah for Week 10

Is it really the last week of full time student teaching?? Wow. I’ve loved every minute of learning and growing as a student teacher, however, I’m quite ready for graduation! I would rate this week as a 5, students were great and everything went very smoothly.

This week one of my pleasant surprises was taking the students on a field trip to the symphony without my CE. I was very nervous because there are so many little ends to cover when on a field trip. Thankfully everything went great!!

This week my guided reading lessons included reading an article on the titanic. This article was very detailed and lengthy. Day 2 came of reading the article and the kids were dreading it. So we took a different approach, I read the article with them one page at a time. I knew after day one I was going to have to ask intriguing questions and keep them interested. By the end of the week students couldn't wait to read more and found out what happened.

My goal for next week is to start the phase of switching back roles in the classroom. I will also be reaching out to other teachers to begin my observations.

This week I analyzed the students unit test on measurement. I was very happy that all but 5 students showed growth. Measurement is a difficult unit because there is so much for students to remember.

This week I exhibited 1B, teachers demonstrate leadership in the school. I did this by meeting with the principal at my school for my post observation meeting.

I exhibited 2D, teachers adapt their teaching for the benefit of students with special needs. I did this by adjusting my lessons based on student's reading levels for guided reading rotations.

I exhibited 3A, teachers align their instruction to NCSCOS. As I planned for the coming week I aligned my plans to the NCSCOS.

I exhibited 4A, Teachers know the ways in which learning takes place, and they know the appropriate levels of intellectual, physical, social, and emotional development of their students. I did this by readjusting my plans to engage students during guided reading rotations.

I exhibited 5A, teachers analyze student learning. I did this by adjusting my plans daily and during the lesson, based on the progress of the students.

Hello Spring Break!

It's finally spring break! Students and staff both much needed this break. Even though it was a short week, it was still very productive. I would rate this week as a 4 because even though it was a productive week as the week went on students became more restless. 

One of my greatest accomplishments this week was having a successful lesson while my principal came in to observe me. This was a planned observation, which is good because I was able to be extra prepared. It's bad because I was stressed all week about it. However the lesson went over great and students were very engaged.

A lesson I was able to build on and learn from is the hands on lesson I had planned for math. Students were learning about customary and metric units of weight. Students had the opportunity to weigh everyday objects using a balance. I learned quickly that I had to set some ground rules to prevent mass chaos. With each rotation that came through I learned more and more things to say to keep work focused and engaged.

My goal for this upcoming week is to relax a little and to also get some more work done on my portfolio. 

This week I exhibited 1B, teachers demonstrate leadership in the school. I did this by participating in an extended PLT and analyzing data from our student's benchmark tests.

I exhibited 2D, teachers adapt their teaching for the benefit of students with special needs. I did this by adjusting my lessons based on student's level in math rotations.

I exhibited 3A, teachers align their instruction to NCSCOS. As I planned for the coming week I aligned my plans to the NCSCOS.

I exhibited 4A,  Teachers know the ways in which learning takes place, and they know the appropriate levels of intellectual, physical, social, and emotional development of their students. I did this by planning hands on activities because I knew students would be more restless this week but would be engaged if it was hands on.

I exhibited 5A, teachers analyze student learning. I did this by adjusting my plans daily and during the lesson, based on the progress of the students.

Spring Break where ya at?

I'm pretty sure we are all beyond ready for a break. February and March has been a long stretch with no breaks. However, even with that this was still a great week. Every week I realize more and more why this will never just be a career to me. I have always described teaching as a privilege and student teaching has only affirmed that belief. I would rate this week as a 5.

This week my CE was our for a 1.5 days. Having the students on my own was such a learning experience. Even though I did the same thing as I do everyday it was just a little different without my CE there. That was my pleasant surprise for the week, how smoothly everything went even with my CE being out. I could really tell that students were well adjusted to my expectations and were ready to take on the day.

I also attended a PD on EVAAS data. Although I didn't have any students from a previous year to reflect on my teaching, it was very helpful to understand how this data can be used to guide instruction. Even though the data is on different students the data still speaks volumes to the teacher's style of teaching.

Another huge relief from this week was receiving my edTPA scores and finding out that I PASSED! With only 2 weeks of student teaching this definitely gave me the boost to finish strong!

My goal for next week is to continue working on pieces of my portfolio and finish the last week before spring break strong.

This week I exhibited 1A, teachers demonstrate leadership in their classroom. I did this by incorporating other students into our class while their class was testing and making sure learning still happened for all students.

I exhibited 2D, teachers adapt their teaching for the benefit of students with special needs. I did this by giving students time to work independently and pulling my struggling readers to the back table to assist them. Otherwise the assignment could have caused more frustration than necessary.

I exhibited 3A, teachers align their instruction to NCSCOS. As I planned for the coming week I aligned my plans to the NCSCOS.

I exhibited 4D, teachers integrate and utilize technology in their instruction. I did this by incorporating Quizziz into our guided reading rotations. Students have been utilizing it for math rotations and have loved it!

I exhibited 5A, teachers analyze student learning. I did this by adjusting my plans daily and during the lesson, based on the progress of the students.

Where did the week go?

Reflecting back on the week it seems like I was just writing my blog for week 6. It's crazy to think that there is only 3 more weeks of full time student teaching. Overall I would rate this week as a 5. This week went by very smoothly and very comfortably. Where I once needed to constantly check my lesson plans to reassure myself I now glance at them in the morning and I'm prepared for the day. Oddly enough I feel more comfortable and prepared than any week before.

One of my favorite moments from this week was during my guided reading lesson. We had read about different cultures and festivals associated with different cultures. So on our last day with the article we were reading I introduced the kids to the festivals through VR. They LOVED it! It was so great to see them excited and making connections from our reading, you could see their learning come to life. Hopefully I will be able to incorporate this more in the classroom with the overwhelming positive response I had.

This week in math we began our new unit on measurement. The pressure has been on as we are a tad behind due to snow and the students have a math benchmark this coming week. So getting students invested and interested was key. So day 1 we did a hands on measure things around the room that are about 1 inch, 1 foot, and 1 yard. Students were very engaged and then were ready to discuss and learn more.

My goal for this week is to continue being prepared for all of my lessons. I also want to continue working on my portfolio so I am prepared for the end of the semester.

Since we started a new math unit this week I pretested my students on measurement. This helps me know what students already know and then put them in groups accordingly. I've learned how crucial this is because my teaching must change so much from group to group to make sure I'm meeting the needs of each group.

This week I exhibited 1A, teachers demonstrate leadership in their classroom. I did this by reviewing students pretests and work to see what areas I would need to focus extra on and to group them accordingly.

I exhibited 2D, teachers adapt their teaching for the benefit of students with special needs. I did this by making groups for math rotations based on their pretest data.

I exhibited 3A, teachers align their instruction to NCSCOS. As I planned for the coming week I aligned my plans to the NCSCOS.

I exhibited 4D, teachers integrate and utilize technology in their instruction. I did this by incorporating a VR activity into my guided reading lessons.

I exhibited 5A, teachers analyze student learning. I did this by adjusting my plans daily and during the lesson, based on the progress of the students.

Goodbye Week 6, Hello Week 7....

I cannot believe I just finished week 6 of student teaching! I've changed so much and learned so much throughout these 6 weeks! Overall I would rate this week as a 5, it was good week with everything running as planned.

One of my pleasant surprises this week was getting a compliment from one of the student's specials teachers about how much just she had seen growth in me as far as managing behavior. Behavior management was a weaker area for me at the beginning because it's brand new. We practice teaching but behavior management is only something you can handle in the moment. So that compliment meant a lot from her!

A lesson I learned from this week was during guided reading. We did not have our normal flex groups this week and instead had our own students for guided reading. This showed me just how much differentiation was needed as most of my flex group is on the same guided reading level. My goal for this week is to continue working on my portfolio.

This week I taught about decimals, we only had 5 days to teach before students needed to be tested. Thankfully over 75% of the class scored proficiency. Students typically have longer to review material before they are tested. After reviewing the data I did a short review on what students missed and they will have the opportunity to retake the test.

This week I exhibited 1A, teachers demonstrate leadership in their classroom. I did this by reviewing students tests and work to see what areas I could have improved on as I taught.

I exhibited 2D, Teachers adapt their teaching for the bene t of students with special needs.  I did this by changing my guided reading plans to meet the needs of the students in the group.

I exhibited 3A, teachers align their instruction to NCSCOS. As I planned for the coming week I aligned my plans to the NCSCOS.

I exhibited 4E, teachers help students develop critical thinking and problem solving skills. I did this by helping students analyze different texts to discover literary heroes.

I exhibited 5A, teachers analyze student learning. I did this by adjusting my plans daily and during the lesson, based on the progress of the students.

"Ohhh we're Halfway There..."

I was definitely living on a prayer this week! But PRAISE THE LORD... edTPA is done!! Finally submitting it was such a relief and I'm ready to finish student teaching! Overall I would rate this week as a 3, it was exhausting, rewarding, and challenging. However, I felt like this week I grew more than all other weeks because this week was not easy but we still got through it! Did I mention it was a full moon week?

One of my accomplishments this week was definitely submitting edTPA. EdTPA took on a whole different meaning this semester, yes more stressful, but also it made more sense because I knew more about my students and their learning. A lesson I hope to build on from this week, was during my number talks. I have a handful of students that never respond. All week I tried different strategies to get them to voluntarily answer, some did but still others did not. So next week I hope to get these students engaged and involved during number talks as they will benefit greatly from these strategies.

My goal for this week is to continue working on my portfolio. This week I did not work on it much because my full focus was on edTPA. However, now I will be able to focus on the portfolio and finish strong! Next week I plan on incorporating another technology tool and making sure I'm prepared to complete each part of my portfolio.

This week I analyzed data on students writing prompts, this helped me reflect on my lessons and where I as a teacher could have strengthened to lesson to better prepare my students.

This week I exhibited 1B, teachers demonstrate leadership in the school. I did this by sharing about a new strategy, numberless word problems, in our weekly PLT. Numberless word problems help students focus on what operation to use instead of just jumping to the numbers.

I exhibited 2A, Teachers provide an environment in which each child has a positive, nurturing relationship with caring adults. We had a lot of students out at various times throughout the week. Bringing children back into an environment not only means preventing germs but also preventing them from getting behind on content.

I exhibited 3A, teachers align their instruction to NCSCOS. As I planned for the coming week I aligned my plans to the NCSCOS.

I exhibited 4E, teachers help students develop critical thinking and problem solving skills. I did this by helping students analyze different texts to discover literary heroes.

I exhibited 5A, teachers analyze student learning. I did this by adjusting my plans daily and during the lesson, based on the progress of the students.

Busy Busy Week 4

If you had asked me last week, about my outlook for week 4 I would have said stressed and chaotic. I had a lot planned and going on this week. However, now that it's over, I can definitely say I feel relieved and I'm ready for week 5! This week I taught my students about global awareness using the olympics, incorporated two new tech tools into the classroom (the kids were PUMPED), and had my first observation. Overall I would rate this week as 5 because even with everything going on it was great/productive week.

This week I incorporated some global awareness using the olympics. We discussed the history of the olympics and the current olympic games. Then the students did a small research project on a country a day that is involved in the games. To my surprise, the students handled this very well and LOVED it. Everyday they asked what their new country would be to research.

One of my learning experiences from this week was on my day 1 of incorporating Plickers into my math small groups. Day 1 was a tad chaotic, which was kinda expected because it was new and different for them. However, on day 2 of using Plickers, I tried printing out the questions and then they just answered with their car. This made a world of difference! The students could pace themselves easier and did not feel rushed or slowed down by others. I also started using Quizziz during my math small groups for their independent chromebook time and they thought it was awesome! Another formative assessment and tech tool all in one, if you haven't seen it you should definitely check it out.

My goal for next week is to finally to be finished with edTPA and submit on Thursday! I will be very relieved once that is over. This week I could have spent more time preparing. But the edTPA workday was very helpful and productive.

This week was all about data in math. My lessons were very vague because all week was about reviewing fractions. Each day we decided what students needed to focus on most during rotations for math the next day.

This week I exhibited 1A, teachers lead in their classroom. I did this by analyzing student's formative assessments daily and making instructional decisions based on that for the next day.

I exhibited 2A, Teachers provide an environment in which each child has a positive, nurturing relationship with caring adults.  Unfortunately, with this week's current events of the school shooting in Florida my students were very on edge. They had several questions. Me and my CE answered all of their questions and made sure students knew our action plan for various scenarios. This helped ease their minds even with such a difficult subject.

I exhibited 3A, teachers align their instruction to NCSCOS. As I planned for the coming week I aligned my plans to the NCSCOS.

I exhibited 4E, teachers help students develop critical thinking and problem solving skills. I did this by helping students analyze different real life stories to identify the revolutionary ideas embedded. We also discussed what it meant to be revolutionary and be a revolutionary thinker.

I exhibited 5A, teachers analyze student learning. I did this by adjusting my plans daily and during the lesson, based on the progress of the students.

Where did Week 3 go?

Week 3 has come and gone! Seems like last week was my first week. Each week comes with more comfort and more learning. I would rate this week as 4. This was my edTPA week, mixed with a fire drill, some behavior issues, and schedule changes. However, we rolled with it and still had a successful week!

This week, one of my pleasant surprises was how well students did with the math concepts we worked with this week. We were working with multiplying fractions so students would need to apply what we had been learning to be successful. Also this week we had another PD session on "Number Talks" having this explained and discussed was very helpful as I will be implementing this next week into the class.

My short term goal this week is to continue working on my edTPA tasks to be prepared for the workday on Friday. I also plan to keep working on my work for my portfolio.

Since we have been covering several large math concepts this week, I have learned the importance of formative assessments. I analyzed their assessments and would decide for the next day what would be covered and if rotations or whole group would be most effective.

This week I exhibited 1A, teachers lead in their classroom. I did this by analyzing student's formative assessments and making instructional decisions based on that.

I exhibited 2C, teachers treat students as individuals. I did this by allowing students to explain the multiple ways they solved a problem. Students in my classroom often have very different ways of reaching their answer so sharing their strategies is not only encouraging to them but helpful to other students.

I exhibited 3A, teachers align their instruction to NCSCOS. As I planned for the coming week I aligned my plans to the NCSCOS.

I exhibited 4E, teachers help students develop critical thinking and problem solving skills. I did this by helping students analyze different texts and stories to identify the revolutionary ideas embedded. We also discussed what it meant to be revolutionary and be a revolutionary thinker.

I exhibited 5A, teachers analyze student learning. I did this by adjusting my plans daily and during the lesson, based on the progress of the students.

Two Weeks In...

Wow... stepping into the role of teaching all day everyday has taught me more than I could have imagined for just week 2. Yes, I'm still exhausted but the struggle to plan, is slowly becoming easier because it's easier to see what the students need when you are the one teaching rather than just assisting or observing. I would rate my week overall as 4, because I definitely still have areas to improve upon but overall I felt like we had a successful week.

This week my pleasant surprise came during my math lesson on Wednesday. At first the lesson seemed to be a total misconnection for the students, it just wasn't clicking. However, what seemed like a thousand examples later, the light bulbs turned on, and oh man was that a great feeling. Once they it finally clicked, they had it, even my students that typically struggle with math were understanding. The lesson looked nothing like what I had planned but it was by far my favorite moment of the week. That lesson helped me see that was feels receptive to me is really just giving them time to understand what we are learning.

My goal for this week is to successfully teach/film for my edTPA. We have been preparing for these lessons this week so hopefully this week will go smoothly. Students have been adjusting well to the change of roles in the classroom and that will benefit greatly this week.

This week I exhibited 1A, teachers lead in their classroom. I did this by analyzing student's benchmark scores and areas where they were lacking. I then used the data to help as we reviewed their benchmark this week and equipped them with strategies to answer questions they answered incorrectly.

I exhibited 2A, teachers provide an environment in which each child has a positive, nurturing relationship with caring adults. I did this by understanding what was put into my lesson plan is not always what is most effective for my students.

I exhibited 3A, teachers align their instruction to NCSCOS. As I planned for the coming week I aligned my plans to the NCSCOS.

I exhibited 4E, teachers help students develop critical thinking and problem solving skills. I did this by helping students analyze different texts and stories to identify the revolutionary ideas embedded. We also discussed what it meant to be revolutionary and be a revolutionary thinker.

I exhibited 5A, teachers analyze student learning. I did this by adjusting my plans daily and during the lesson, based on the progress of the students.

Overall this week went very smoothly. I'm excited to begin week 3 with a fresh start and to continue learning and growing.

One Down Nine to Go...

Wow, the moment we've been anxiously awaiting finally came, our first full time week of student teaching. Of course there were some bumps in the road, a 2 hour delay and some sickness. However, overall the week went pretty well. I would rate this week as 3.5, adjusting to switching roles with my CE, planning for the next week along with the minor issues.

Some of my pleasant surprises was to how well the students responded to the switch, they were excited for me to step in and start teaching. Some of the math concepts we worked on this week were a bit challenging so after day one and the students were still confused, I met with my CE to regroup and go for a different approach the next day. Thankfully, this approach clicked with the students and they understood how to solve the questions.

This week my short term goal, was to continue planning for the next week and to leave each day prepared for the next. I could have spent more time planning throughout the week. However, I believe I'm beginning to get into a routine that may work. Next week I plan to readjust plans based on how the week goes.

This week was also benchmark week, so I was able to sit down with my CE and analyze the scores. We looked at how the students grew and what areas they were lacking in. We also reviewed some strategies to help strengthen those areas.

This week I exhibited 1A, teachers lead in their classroom. I did this by analyzing student's benchmark scores and areas where they were lacking. I used the data to help pinpoint strategies that would best benefit my students.

I exhibited 2A, teachers provide an environment in which each child has a positive, nurturing relationship with caring adults. I did this by adjusting plans after students had difficulties the day before.

I exhibited 3A, teachers align their instruction to NCSCOS. As I planned for the coming week I aligned my plans to the NCSCOS.

I exhibited 4C, teachers use a variety of instructional methods. I did this by teaching students multiple ways to solve fraction sets. We looked at it with visuals and using an algorithm. For students it clicked with just the visuals, others needed the algorithm to understand.

I exhibited 5A, teachers analyze student learning. I did this by adjusting my plans daily based on the progress of the students.

Overall this week, was definitely a learning experience, some things went exactly as planned and others not so much. However, I have officially survived my first week of full time and I am excited to continue on and grow as an educator!

Almost a Normal Week...

As if there is such a thing, we finally were back on as close to a normal schedule since we've been back from Christmas break. We still had two work days on Monday and Tuesday this week so students did not return until Wednesday and then had to take their benchmarks on Thursday. Students definitely had difficulties coming back and adjusting to the schedule. Talk about a chaotic week. Overall it was still a good week and I would rate it as a 4 just because I was not as proactive as I would have liked to be.

This week I planned for my first full week of lessons, as I will begin full time next week. Also, this week for math due to the chaotic schedule, I learned a lot about adjusting lessons on the fly to adjust to a testing schedule and the needs of the students. This week I also learned about setting expectations before a lesson. For 2 of my 3 lessons this week students were working with pattern blocks to help them understand fractions. I quickly realized pattern blocks are an awesome visual and HUGE distraction.

My goals for the coming week are to continue and finish my Task 1, and also survive my first full week of teaching. This week I could have spent more time with task 1.

This week I exhibited 1A, teachers lead in their classroom. I did this by using pre-test information and reading levels to inform my plans for the coming week.

I exhibited 2A, teachers provide an environment in which each child has a positive, nurturing relationship with caring adults. I did this by helping my CE create a new seating chart for the classroom. Prior to this experience I always understood this was an important part of a classroom, however I now appreciate that structure so much more and see the value in it.

I exhibited 3A, teachers align their instruction to NCSCOS. As I planned for the coming week I aligned my plans to the NCSCOS.

I exhibited 4B, teachers plan instruction appropriate for their students. I did this by discussing with the other 4th grade teacher how the lesson she taught the previous day went as I would be teaching a similar lesson that day. Based on her feedback I was able to tweak my lesson to avoid misconceptions and better meet my student's needs.

 I exhibited 5A, teachers analyze student learning. I did this by adjusting my plans daily based on the progress of the students.

Overall I am very excited and nervous for next week! Today we had a student move away and reading her sweet goodbye note telling us how much she would miss us reminded me of why we do this and was the perfect to end my week.

Goodbye Snowy Week 3...

This week I would rate my overall week as 5, even though we were only able to be in school one day this week due to snow I was able to get a lot done on our days off. I got a head start on next week's lessons, worked on my portfolio website, and worked with my CE to help group our next guided reading groups based on their new reading levels.

During the time we were in school this week I was able to teach guided reading groups, where we were continuing to work through their SS timeline. Surprisingly students were very interested and invested into this activity. I was also able to teach math groups, where we were reviewing their geometry unit to prepare them for their upcoming benchmark. I gave students a few minutes to reflect on the unit before we began and they really enjoyed having a moment to review before diving into the lesson.

This week my goal is to begin lesson for the next week and do one subject a night as I will be taking over full time the following week. We have two workdays next week where I plan to get oriented for the next week and work further with my CE on arranging the guided reading groups.

This week I exhibited 1A, teachers lead in their classrooms. As I assisted putting students into their flex reading groups based on their new reading levels. The flex reading groups are shared between 4th and 5th grade to help differentiate guided reading.

This week I exhibited 2B, teachers embrace diversity in the world. As we discussed the Trail of Tears, I asked students to step into the shoes of the settlers and the indians. Students did really well with seeing both sides point of view and continued to do this as we discussed other topics on the timeline.

I exhibited 3A, teachers align their instruction to NCSCOS. As I planned for the coming week I aligned my plans to the NCSCOS. Next week I will continuing teaching math and focusing on fractions.

I exhibited 4E, teachers help students develop critical thinking skills. As we worked on the SS timeline this week I focused a lot on having students info and predict. "Why would they have done that? How would they have felt?" This is a skill these students struggle with so these questions were very difficult for students to answer.

I exhibited 5A, teachers analyze student learning. I attended a professional development experience where we analyzed students scores and their growth levels in regards to testing. This was a great experience to see how not just how students scored but how they have grown from the previous year.

Hopefully this week we will be in school all days we are scheduled and get back on a normal routine! Cannot believe another week has already come and gone!

Week 2 is Over Already?

This Week I would rate my overall experience as a 5, we had a great week in the classroom! Towards the end of the week I was able to teach a rotation during guided reading so my CE could assess reading levels. During the rotation we were going through their Social Studies timeline. To my surprise the students were much more interested than expected and would even continue digging into their SS book once they left the group. One lesson that I observed this week was on fractions and I realized that students truly understood it as long as their was visual, next week when I begin to take on math, I plan to build on this to develop their knowledge of fractions even more.

My short term goal for this week is to write my lessons for the following week and attend/participate in third quarter planning where I will receive information to guide the rest of my lesson planning. My long term goal is to continue trying to conquer edTPA and begin task one.

This week I could have spent more time in edTPA but once we have quarterly planning I will have better understanding of how to plan for that week.

This week my CE is completing the mid year reading records to test what reading level students are now on. It's been amazing to see the growth in the students and how proud they are of this growth.

This week I exhibited 1B, Teachers lead in their classroom. I attended a collaborative planning session for the whole staff where we were able to collaborate with 5th grade and support staff to make sure students goals are aligned at all times during the day and to share ideas about lessons and assessments.

I exhibited 2D, teachers adapt their teaching for students with special needs. While students worked independently on a fraction assignment I pulled a low performing student to the back to adapt his assignment and provide assistance based on his needs. This was very effective for him and he was able to complete his assignment with this additional help.

I exhibited 3A, teachers align their instruction to NCSCOS. As I planned for the coming week I aligned my plans to the NCSCOS. Next week I will begin teaching math focusing on fractions.

I exhibited 4E, teachers help students develop critical thinking skills. As we worked on the SS timeline this week I focused a lot on having students infer. "What does this picture tell you? Why would that have happened?" This is a skill these students struggle with so these questions were very difficult for students to answer.

I exhibited 5A, teachers analyze student learning. During PLTs this week we were able to analyze the student testing pattern on EOGs for our students based on their previous year and to see their level of growth based on that knowledge.

I cannot believe another week has come and passed. We are beginning to have conversations informing students of the upcoming changes in the classroom with me and the CE beginning to switch roles and it is very exciting to see their excitement. Hopefully next week we can remain on a normal schedule all week, with the exception of the holiday on Monday, as I begin teaching math next week.

Week 1 of Our Last Semester...

Wow... how is it already time for us to begin our student teaching experience!! I feel as if a lot of my blog post begin with "Wow" or "I cannot believe", however when I take the time to reflect back on my week and how far I've come in this journey those seem like the only appropriate responses. This past week was my first week back after restful Christmas break. It turned out to be a very short week as it began with a workday followed by 2 hour delay and then two snow days.

Even in the short amount of time spent in the classroom, a lot was accomplished. I had the opportunity to continue diving into the edTPA handbook and the Making Good Choices to further understand what was expected of me. Once students returned it was time to get the ball rolling again (a couple of hours late but nonetheless), we pretested for our fractions unit and I had the opportunity to grade and analyze the pretest to situate math rotation groups. The rest of the day I observed and assisted students.

I am very much looking forward to continuing the rest of this experience. I have been working to finalize my long range plan. I plan to begin with math lessons as I start to take on part of the daily schedule. This opportunity for reflection is very valuable and an important step in any process. Welcome back everyone, we are almost there!!