Parent Teacher Conferences

I survived my first parent teacher conferences! They actually went really well, and it was great meeting all of my students' parents. It's fun to see where the students get their personalities from.

Like I said before, since we only have 8 students, our conferences were 30 minutes long. All of the parents are very involved with their children's education, and that is extremely helpful. Some of the things that we talked about with the parents included report cards and IEPs. The students had just gotten their report cards so my teacher made sure that the parents understood everything that was on it. We also talked about any changes or amendments that needed to be made on the students' IEPs. We talked about the students' goals and present levels of performance. IEPs can be very overwhelming and confusing, especially for the parents, but my teacher did a great job simplifying all of the information. This was very really helpful for the parents, and I'm sure they appreciated it. 

Another thing that we talked about was behaviors in and out of the classroom. With one of our students, we were thinking about starting a check and connect, which is a behavior plan. We discussed the idea with the parents, and they thought it was a great idea. After the conferences, we implemented the check and connect, and it has been working really well. 

It was a great opportunity to get to know the parents and talk about their children's education. I am really glad that I was able to be a part of the conferences because it is great experience for me. Someday I will be having conferences with my students' parents, and I feel that I am more prepared for them now. I have witnessed firsthand how important it is to communicate with parents, and I will definitely make that a major priority in my future classroom. 

Teacher Duties

This week was a lot of Thanksgiving fun! My students do not have school at all next week because parent teacher conferences are Monday and Tuesday, and they get the rest of the week off for Thanksgiving. That means this week was the last of our Thanksgiving festivities. No more turkey projects.. On to the snowmen and Christmas trees! I need to get on Pinterest to look for cute Christmas activities!

Anyways, report cards were due this week which means that IEP updates were also due. I got the opportunity to help my teacher with these things. (Not always the most fun duties, but definitely something I need to learn how to do.) I was able to take one student, and do his present levels for each of his goals. This is always something that we learned how to do in school, and we would practice writing them, but it doesn't mean as much until you actually do it for a real student of yours. My teacher looked over them before she turned them in, and she said they looked great! Guess all that practice paid off, Dr. Powell!

My teacher and I have been getting ready for conferences next week. We only have 8 students, and each conference is 30 minutes long. That means we're going to have a lot of time to get things done, which is what I need! My cooperating teacher likes to plan pretty far in advance, and that helps me to stay on top of my planning. I am also looking forward to the actual conferences because I have never participated in them before. This is definitely something I will be doing so it's good that I am getting the experience.

On Thursday after school, it was Market Day. They asked the teachers to help out with the orders. There were about 6 teachers and our principal along with some other volunteers that went after school. They said it would take about a half hour. Things didn't run as smoothly as they had hoped, and we didn't leave until 2 hours later. My principal looked over at me and jokingly said, "Welcome to education!"

I have been loving every second of student teaching, and I have been having such a blast! I love being with the students, and it is so rewarding to see them progress. However, there is more to being a teacher than just working with the students. It also includes duties and responsibilities that aren't always as fun as being with the students. I'm glad that I am able to experience everything that teachers need to do, such as report cards, IEPs, and conferences because it is preparing me for my future as a teacher.

Compassion and Prayer

We always learn about how important it is to get to know our students. We need to get to know them so we can understand them on an academic level as well as a personal level. Since I have two placements, I don't get as much time with my students. This means that I need to work hard to get to know each of them in a short amount of time. I have done my best in both placements to get to know my students academically and personally.

My cooperating teacher and I learned something about one of our students this week. We found out that she is having to go through an extreme amount of family issues that no one should ever have to go through, especially as a third grader. My heart breaks for this little girl and her family, and I haven't been able to stop thinking about it. I cannot even imagine going through something like that, and it just isn't fair that she has to. All I want to do is help, but I'm not quite sure how to.

At the faculty meeting, my student and her family were brought up. Not everyone knows exactly what happened so the social worker didn't mention her name, but I knew since she is my student. Everyone was appalled at the situation, and they were more than willing to help. The social worker said that there will be a big jar for donations to the family. When I walked by it a few hours later, there was already quite a bit of money in it. It was really good to know that the teachers and staff that I work with are so caring and helpful.

I want to do my part as well. I am going to donate money to this family just like all the other teachers. Not only will I do that, but as a Christian, I am going to pray for them. This family needs prayer more than anything else right now. I am at a public school and don't know about this family's faith, but I can only hope that they turn to God in this situation because he always provides.

Along with getting to know my students, another responsibility I have is praying for them. I do this for all of my students, and I will continue to pray for my student's family as well. I hope and pray that they are able to get through this, and that they have friends and family to turn to in this rough time. But above all, I hope that they know God is always there for them, and he is on their side.

Unproductive Days

I had another good week of student teaching! It's starting to dawn on me that it is almost over.. And when it's over, I'm done with college! I am also going to start applying for jobs. How crazy is that?!

Halloween was a lot of fun, and the students all looked so cute!! My favorite costumes that I saw the students wearing were a piñata and Mushu from Mulan (my favorite Disney movie). There was a Halloween parade so all of the students could see each other's costumes. All of the teachers dressed up too, and it was so fun! I was Cat in the Hat. (I am really proud of myself because I made pretty much the whole thing!)

Since I've started at Tyler, there has been one or two days where my teacher and I have looked back and thought, "We just did not get much done today." It's not that we just sat around and did nothing. Things came up. There were meltdowns by students, things took longer than expected, and the hours slipped away from us too quickly. 

The scheduling in my classroom is pretty crazy, and we are changing groups every 25-30 minutes. I was teaching math to the first graders, and half way through the lesson I was like, "Ok! First graders: time to go to lunch! Second graders: time for Music! Third graders: bring your Language Arts to the back table!" When I don't finish the whole lesson, I can't continue to teach it because they usually have to go somewhere or it is time to teach another grade. I can't get over how important it is to transition quickly. If the transition from one thing to another takes 10 minutes, then there is only 15 minutes to teach a lesson. 

But anyways, when I have unproductive days with my students, it is important to pinpoint the problem. I need to know why we didn't get much done because that will help to avoid those problems in the future. My cooperating teacher has stressed the importance of reflection, especially on days like those. According to the Illinois Professional Teaching Standards, "The competent teacher understands that reflection is an integral part of professional growth and improvement of instruction" (10A). Reflecting on how the school day went will help me grow as a teacher, and it will greatly benefit my students. 

I think that because I care for my students so much, I want them to get the most out of their time at school, and that is why I don't like to have days where we don't get much done. I have witnessed some teachers being okay with an unproductive day as long as the students stay out of trouble. I think that it is extremely important that my students are constantly learning, and they will continue to learn if I can make the most out of each day I have with them. 

Second Week at Tyler

I finished up my second full week at Tyler, and I have learned so much already. It is a great school, and all the teachers are wonderful. It is very evident that they care so much for the students, and it is just a great environment to be in.

Like I said before, I have first, second, and third graders in my class, and each grade is learning something different. Each day, the students go directly to their general education classes in the morning. Then they come to the instructional classroom about fifteen minutes after the bell rings. For the most part, we do math in the morning and language arts in the afternoon, but sometimes it gets pretty crazy. This is because the students are constantly in and out of the room because they go to lunch, recess, science/social studies, and special (P.E., music, art, computer lab, and library) with their general education class. Each grade level does all of these things at different times so it is rare if all three grade levels are in the room at the same time. Not to mention, they are also individually pulled out for OT, speech, and social work. And if that isn't crazy enough, the language arts groups are not separated by grade level, but by ability level. So there are three groups, but one group has a first grader, three second graders, and one third grader. It is nearly impossible to teach them all at the same time because they are rarely in the room all together. Needless to say, it is kind of a planning nightmare, but there is one aide in the classroom, and she helps tremendously.

Aside from the craziness of planning, the students are a blast! They all have such great personalities, and I am having so much fun with them. They are all so different, and my teacher has taught me so many strategies to use with them. I know we have learned about differentiation in just about every education class in college, but it doesn't mean much until you can apply it in the classroom. And that is what I'm learning to do. Since I have students with such different academic abilities, it is important that I differentiate my lessons to meet the needs of all of them.  According to the Illinois Professional Teaching Standards the competent teacher, "adapts the general curriculum and uses instructional strategies and materials according to characteristics of the learner" (6O). My cooperating teacher has been a special education teacher for a long time so she is pretty much an expert. I am learning so much from her, especially about differentiation.

I taught one math lesson this week, and I have also started planning math on my own. On Monday, I will begin to teach math to the students with the help of my cooperating teacher. I am really looking forward to this week! And I'm also looking forward to dressing up for Halloween at school! I haven't done that in so long. I'll make sure to post pictures :)

Beginning at Tyler Elementary

My first week at Tyler Elementary was a success! I felt so welcomed, and I had a great week! My cooperating teacher is really good, and I know I am going to learn a lot from her. I have eight students in my class: three third graders, three second graders, and two first graders. It is considered an instructional class so they are in the general education classroom, but they are pulled into my classroom for math and language arts. I think it is a great way for the students to get the instruction that they need, but also be a part of the general education class.

As I think about both placements, one thing comes to mind: just about every single thing is different. Not in a good or bad way.. just different. 

Here are some of the major differences:

1. The students are very different. First of all, they are so small!  They are first, second, and third graders, and they are so little! I'm not used to being around teeny tiny 6 year olds, but I'll have to admit, they are too cute, and they say the funniest things! I laugh a lot. I love it. My students have mostly learning disabilities so it is completely different than my students at St. Coletta's. They do not have behaviors like my last students. The worst behaviors that my students have is crying, which I can definitely handle.
   
   
2. TECHNOLOGY! Tyler uses technology, and it is wonderful. There is internet! (Which my last school did not have.) There are projectors and elmos in just about every room. Each class goes to the computer lab once a week, and there are also two computers in each classroom. There are also laptops and iPads that the teachers can rent out for their classrooms. Might I add, all of the computers and laptops are Macs, and I, being an Apple advocate, am loving it!
   
   
3. It is more of a "typical" school. St. Coletta's is a very unique type of school, and it is in an industrial area. Tyler is a regular elementary school surrounded by a neighborhood. At Tyler, I have more of a "real" classroom with fun and cute decorations. It is definitely more of a welcoming environment. I also get a plan period and a lunch break, which I love because I did not have before. 

I have already begun to build relationships with my students, and I know that I am going to have so much fun teaching them. I am really looking forward to the next few weeks, and I know that I am going to learn so much.

Farewell St. Coletta's

My time at St. Coletta's has come to an end. It was really sad to say goodbye to all of my students, and everyone else that I met there. My last day was also my cooperating teacher's last day because she is going to have her baby. The students were a little confused because they thought I was coming back in December when Ms. Kelly was coming back. It was hard to tell them that I actually wouldn't be back to teach them, but I told them that I would come and visit!

We went on another field trip this week! I just love field trips. In honor of Fire Prevention Week, we went to the Tinley Park Fire Station. The theme in class for this week was fire safety so the students learned a lot about what firemen do and what to do if there is a fire. They learned even more about fire safety from going to the fire station.

When we first got there, the firemen explained to us what they do for their job. One of them put on everything that they wear when there is a fire. The kids thought that was really cool!

They also explained that they have to stay overnight at the fire station because there always has to be firemen there. They showed us where they relax and sleep when they stay overnight.

Here are some of the boys sitting in the fire truck! Some of the kids were very excited to go in.. and others were a little skeptical. So we took some pictures inside the fire truck, and some pictures outside the fire truck..

On top of the American Flag is a beam from the World Trade Center. The big picture on the right is made up of smaller pictures of all the firemen and police officers who lost their lives on September 11, 2001. What an awesome tribute to have in their station!

They let the kids go on some of their equipment, which they really enjoyed!








Everyone had a great time at the fire station! They loved their new fire hats! :)







When people ask me how my placement is, I reply with "intense." I think intense is a perfect word for the school that I was in. After being in a placement like this for 7 weeks, I feel like I can conquer the world. Okay, maybe I'm exaggerating a little.. But seriously, I feel like I can teach anywhere now. I have learned an unimaginable amount from my cooperating teacher, my paraprofessionals, and my students. It has been nothing less than a fantastic experience, and I am so thankful that I was placed at St. Coletta's. I am going to miss those kids dearly, and I wish only the best for them.

I start at my new school on Monday, and I am hopeful that it will be another great experience! I just love teaching! :)

Field Trip to the Farm!

I had a really great week! On Monday, I was able to go meet my new cooperating teacher and my new class. It was really exciting to see what my next placement is going to be like. The kids seemed very anxious for me to start! There are some similarities to my placement now, but there are also a lot of differences. I can already tell that it is going to be a great experience. I am looking forward to starting in a week, but I am also sad to leave my current placement.

This week my class went on a field trip to a farm. It was such a blast, and the kids learned a lot! The first thing that we did when we got there was meet the farmer. He gave us some history about the farm, and what kinds of things he does there. Then we went on a hay ride. During the hay ride, the farmer would stop and ask for a volunteer. Each student was able to get off the hay ride, and go pick a crop with the farmer. Then he would explain to the students what they grow on the farm. This gave us an opportunity to connect what we were learning in science: fruits and vegetables. The farmer showed us many different fruits and vegetables out in the fields.

Here are some of the students with the crops that they picked..

During the hay ride, the farmer had everyone get off and go out into the field. He showed us the beehives that they have, and explained the purpose for having them on the farm.  

After the hay ride, the students were able to feed the chickens. In science, we had also learned about different animals that lived on farms.

Once we fed the chickens, the farmer let us pick our own pumpkins to take home. We brought the pumpkins back to school and decorated them during art.

We had so much fun at the farm!

Field trips are so great for the students because it gives them a chance to experience what they have been learning about in the classroom. For the two weeks that I was teaching, our theme was farms. In science and social studies, my lessons would be about something relating to farms or farm animals. For reading, each student had their own leveled book that was about farms. During story time and art, we would read books and do art projects that related to farms. After learning so much about farms, it was great for the students to experience it in real life. Field trips are so meaningful to the students, and it is a great way for them to learn!

Next week we are learning about fire safety, and then going on another field trip to a fire station! It is going to be so much fun!

The End is Near

This was my last week of teaching on my own at my first placement. There were definitely some rough days this week.. Two of my students had a few difficult days, and they were not easy to handle. Those were the days when I thought, "I hope tomorrow is better!" One of the students had missed almost the whole week before, and I think he was having trouble readjusting to being back at school. The other student's mom was coming at the end of the week for a surprise baby shower for my cooperating teacher. I think this was making her very anxious, and that is why she was acting out all week. When students have bad days, I think it is really important that I try to understand why they had a bad day. If I can figure out why they are acting the way they are, it might help me prevent behaviors or more bad days in the future.

One of our weekly activities is going to the library every Wednesday. It is one of our favorite things to do as a class, and the students look forward to it every week. We take a bus to the Tinley Park Public Library for a few hours in the afternoon, and if it is nice out, we go to the park afterwards. It is a lot of fun for the students, and it gives them a chance to be out in the community. We are able to teach them how they should act in a library, and how to check things out. The students can check out books, movies, CDs, and even video games, but my teacher puts a limit on movies and video games. The kids have a lot of fun deciding what they are going to check out, and it gives them the opportunity to make choices on their own. The Illinois Professional Teaching Standards state that, "The competent teacher uses strategies and techniques for facilitating meaningful inclusion of individuals with disabilities" (6M). My students are almost teenagers so it is good for them to practice going out in the community, and making decisions on their own. Not only do they need instruction in the classroom, but they also need to learn how to be a member of society. Going on field trips to the library, grocery store, or movie theater give the students an opportunity to be out in the community. The students have fun doing this, and they are also learning a lot.

I have two more weeks at this placement, and this week my cooperating teacher will start taking over the class again. I've had a lot of fun teaching my students, and I have learned so much. I already know that it is going to be extremely hard leaving them in two weeks, but we'll cross that bridge when the time comes.. Until then, I will continue to learn from my cooperating teacher and my students, and I will enjoy the last weeks of my time at St. Coletta's!

Week 4

This was the first week that my teacher left the room, and I actually taught the class. The entire week, all by myself! And it went wonderfully! I have one more week of teaching by myself, and then my teacher starts to take the class over again. That means I am over half way done with my first placement, which seems crazy! I am already in contact with my second cooperating teacher, and we are planning a day when I can go meet her and the students. Wow! Time really does fly when you're having fun teaching, doesn't it?! :)

Like I said, my week went really well! At the beginning of the week, my students kept asking, "Where's Ms. Kelly?" "Is Ms. Kelly here today?" Which is completely understandable because they are so used to having her in the classroom all the time. But they definitely got used to it by the end of the week which was really good. I'm not sure if I have mentioned this, but Ms. Kelly is having a baby, and she is actually due the day before I leave St. Coletta's! She is taking this time to get things ready for the substitute teacher, and it is also good for the students to get used to someone else teaching the class. I'm just hoping she lasts until I leave! She helps me so much! I know, I know.. it's not really up to me, but I can be hopeful right? I am just so thankful for Ms. Kelly and all that she does for me.

On Tuesday, I got the opportunity to sit in on a phone conference about a student that was supposed to come to St. Coletta's at the beginning of the year but ended up not coming. There is a lot to the story, but basically, this student was not asked back to his previous school so his district wanted to send him to St. Coletta's. The parents decided they wanted to home school their son because he has behaviors at school. This boy has not been in school at all this year, and his parents are not home schooling him so he is getting no academic instruction. The parents did not want to come in for a conference so they decided to have a phone conference that I was able to participate in. The people at the conference were the district representative, the principal of St. Coletta's, my cooperating teacher, the two behavior specialists, and then the parents of the student on the phone. It was really interesting to listen to the things being said, and how they went about everything. I have never been a part of an IEP meeting or a conference about a student so I really learned a lot. It was a great experience to see all of these people come together and collaborate with each other. They figured out a plan to try to get the boy back in school, and it was very evident that everyone at this meeting had the student's needs in mind. The Illinois Professional Teaching Standards say that the competent teacher, "understands roles of individuals with disabilities, parents, teachers, and other school and community personnel in planning individualized education programs for students with disabilities" (9G). The people at this meeting understood the concerns of the parents, and they were able to work together to come up with a plan for the student. Collaboration is such a huge part of special education, and it was great that I was able to experience it firsthand.

I had a great week, and I am looking forward to another week with my students! I have already learned so much at this placement, and I know that I will continue to learn a lot from my teacher and other adults as well as my students.

Week 3 is Complete!

I'm really getting used to this teaching thing. There has yet to be a morning where I have thought, "I just don't want to go to school today!" Which I think is a very good sign. I have a feeling of affirmation that this is exactly what God wants me to be doing. And let me tell you, it is an awesome feeling. No matter how busy I am with school and coaching, and how much time I don't get to spend with my friends and family, I still find comfort in the fact that I'm doing what God has intended for me to do.

I had a great week of school! I taught quite a few lessons this week so the students are used to me when I take over the class on Monday! A lot of the lessons went really well, and then there were some that didn't go as well. According to the teaching standards, "The competent teacher knows techniques for modifying instructional methods, materials, and the environment to facilitate learning for students with disabilities and/or diverse learning characteristics" (6E). In a special education environment, I have to constantly be thinking of ways to modify lessons or worksheets for my students. I always have to have my students in mind, and I have to know each of their capabilities.

While looking back on the lessons that didn't go well, I realized that it was because one or two of the students were having behaviors during the lesson. Like I've said before, sometimes you can prevent a behavior, but other times you can't. Since I am teaching three or four other students, I cannot really stop what I am doing to help that student so the aides really help a lot when the students have a behavior. At the beginning, it was hard for me to stay focused on what I was teaching while a behavior was going on, but what I have figured out is that if I do my best to stay focused, there is a better chance that the other students will stay focused as well. When a student won't stop yelling or swearing, staying focused is not the easiest thing to do, for me or the other students. Like I said last week, my students set each other off so if one is acting up, chances are another student will too. That is why it is important for me to stay focused on the lesson, in hopes that my students will do the same.

On Friday, my cooperating teacher had to leave around lunch time. That meant that I was the only teacher for the second half of the day. I have taught many lessons in the past three weeks, but Ms. Kelly was always in the room or at least down the hall. This was the first time I was alone with the students and aides. I was a little bit nervous about whether or not the students would act up, but for the most part I felt pretty confident. When I was teaching science, one of my students that has echolalia, was repeating every single word I said. At first I was very distracted by it, but I got used to it. He was actually doing his work (which doesn't always happen) so I was thinking, "Hey, I'll deal with the repeating, at least he's doing his work!" I've learned that especially in this type of environment, you really have to celebrate each success, even if it is very small.

Starting this week, I am completely taking over the class for two weeks. I am really excited, and honestly, I thought I would be a lot more nervous. (Hopefully that doesn't change.) What I really need to focus on in these next two weeks is controlling the things that can be controlled, and appropriately handling the things that go wrong. If I am able to do this, I think it will really help things go smoothly.

Schmidt Chapter 2: Eptness

When I first started reading this chapter, I was not completely sure what "eptness" was. As I continued reading, I gathered that the word "eptness" refers to a classroom environment that encourages student learning in every possible way. It is the teacher's job to make sure this happens in the classroom, and in order for this to happen, students need to feel safe in their environment. In a culture of eptness, according to Schmidt, students expect to play the roles of the learner as well as the teacher. The students also share in making decisions about their learning, they understand connections between their classroom and the real world, and they feel they are an asset to the class. Schmidt says that, "Great teachers consistently use strategies that convey their passionate belief that every child is capable of learning, teaching, leading, and becoming an expert" (25). I want to make sure that I create a culture of eptness in my classroom because I believe that every student deserves to learn in a safe environment.

In this chapter, it talks about ten teacher behaviors that promote eptness. One of the behaviors that is talked about is expectations. A lot of teachers form expectations very early in the year, and a lot of the time, it is not based on academic ability. I am going to make sure that I do not judge my students, but instead, get to know them for who they really are. Once I know my students well enough, I am going to set high expectations for each and every one of them, and by doing this, they will know that I believe in them.

Another behavior that is addressed in this chapter is encouragement. Encouragement is something that comes very naturally to me. I have always been there to encourage my friends, family, teammates, and students. I feel that through encouraging others, I also lift myself up. When I encourage my students, they will know that I have confidence in them. I hope that my students, knowing that I believe in them, will have confidence in themselves. I encourage my students with verbal praise, high fives, or even just a thumbs up and a smile. This is a constant reinforcer to them that they are capable of so much, and that they can do anything.

Schmidt also talks about how teachers should model being a learner. Sometimes students think that teachers have all the answers to everything. As a teacher, I need to make sure my students know that I am still learning just like them. I will do this by bringing in books that I am reading, or talking to my students about something I just learned. If my students know that I am still learning, then hopefully they will want to continue to learn as well.

Short (but long) Week

Although we had Monday off, the week actually felt longer than usual. If you did not know, most kids in special education are very dependent on routines. I think having no school on Monday really threw my students off. A mixture of that and their teenage hormonal changes called for a week packed with behaviors. I just keep telling myself, "They're not going to grow out of this in the next 5 weeks so get used to it, Mel!" Hopefully I am good at taking my own advice..

Like I said, my students all have strict routines, and they do not stray from these routines very often. St. Coletta's goes to school year-round, but in the summer, they have a more relaxed schedule. They go on more field trips, and they do weekly activities like go to the movies on Tuesdays and go to the water park on Fridays. Their summer schedule has come to an end, and they are getting back into the swing of the actual school year. This includes less field trips and more academic instruction, and the students also are getting homework unlike the summer. All of these things are changes that the students have to get used to because, obviously, they all enjoyed their relaxed and fun summer schedule (I know I would).

Last week (which was my first week) was the first week of the new school year. I thought they did great that week, and there were definitely not as many behaviors as there were this week. Maybe they are just realizing that they actually have to do more work than they did in the summer. A lot of my students are not too fond of doing school work so sometimes it is a struggle to get them to do their work. It could also be that they are 11-14 years old, and they are just being teenagers. What ever the case may be, it is giving me some great experience, and I feel that this is helping prepare me for so much.

Since I've never been in a placement like this before, the physical restraints are all very new to me. Unlike all of the teachers and aides in my school, I have not been trained to do physical restraints. I'm really glad that the aides will handle the restraints as needed, and that I can feel safe in my classroom. The Illinois Professional Teaching Standards says that, "The competent teacher knows strategies for intervening in situations to prevent crises from developing or escalating" (5G). I am still learning from my teacher and my aides when and how to intervene when a student is having/about to have a behavior. It is very important that I get to know the students because it will be easier for me to know when they are going to have a behavior. Different things set my students off, and sometimes the behavior is preventable, but sometimes it is not. One thing that I know from observing my students is that they set each other off. If one student starts to have a behavior, it is very likely that at least one or two others will also start having behaviors. That is why it is really important (but not always possible) to prevent behaviors from happening by catching it before it escalates.

Although it was a tough week, it was still a good week because I was able to start teaching a few lessons. I will be starting my third week on Monday, and I will begin to teach a few more lessons this week. I will be completely taking over for my teacher my fourth and fifth week. So before I start teaching all day, I want to really make sure my students get used to me. Hopefully that will happen soon! :)

First Week: Check!

My first week of student teaching is done! It was a great week, and I am really excited for the weeks to come. But I definitely have to get used to this full-time job thing.. I was absolutely exhausted on Friday! No more naps every day for this girl. (They will be greatly missed.) I have also learned that coffee is a wonderful invention. But if I don't invest in a coffee maker soon, Dunkin Donuts is going to quickly burn a hole in my wallet. I am addicted to their French Vanilla Iced Coffee. Try it sometime, it's delicious!

But anyways.. Aside from adjusting to my new lifestyle as a full-time teacher (kind of), I am loving my placement! I am at St. Coletta's in Tinley Park which is a special education school. There is also an adult program in the same building, but it is technically separate from the school. I only have seven students in my class, and almost every one of them have a one-on-one aide. There are six aides in my class, and they are all very good. They help out so much, and it wouldn't be possible to get things done without them. My students all have different disabilities, and they are all at different levels. The Illinois Professional Teaching Standards state that the competent teacher "understands and identifies differences in approaches to learning and performance, including different learning styles, multiple intelligences, and performance modes" (3D). My teacher does this on a daily basis by putting the students together in three groups according to their learning abilities and styles. Ms. Kelly, my cooperating teacher, is awesome, and she is teaching me so much. She has been at St. Coletta's for about 5 years now, and she has had some of the same students for the entire time. This means that she knows the students extremely well, and she seems to know exactly what to do in every situation. When a student is having a behavior, she knows whether or not to address an issue or just ignore it. Some of my students act up in class because they try to get a reaction out of someone. For example, one of the boys bolts out of the room every so often. What he wants is someone to chase him so the staff learned that if they do not chase him, he will come right back. There are so many things like this that I am trying to learn because I want to do everything correctly. I know that I am going to make mistakes, especially at the beginning, so I just need to learn from them. But the more I can learn before I start actually teaching, the better it will be.

One of the best things about my first week was getting to know the students. On my first day, they were all a little shy towards me because they did not know who I was. At the beginning of the week I would jump around from student to student, and I would observe each of them while they were working with their aide. By the middle of the week I was working one-on-one with the students so I could learn even more about them, and so they could get used to working with me. While the students were taking a break or transitioning from one activity to another, I would have conversations with them about their families or what they do after school or on the weekends. My teacher and I also eat lunch with the students so I talk with them during that time as well, and I think this is really helping the students warm up to me. My students have a very set routine so having an "outsider" come into their classroom definitely takes some getting used to. I already have some students asking, "Can Ms. Melanie work with me today?" Talk about an awesome feeling! It is just so reassuring that the students want to work with me!

I am so excited for another week with this awesome class, and I cannot wait to start teaching lessons this week! I get observed on Friday so I will be teaching a few lessons during the week to prepare for that. Before I know it, I'll be teaching all day! (AHH!) How exciting! :)

Schmidt Chapter 1

Along with student teaching, we have to take a seminar class once week at Trinity called Contemporary Issues. For this class we are reading a book called Classroom Confidential by Laurel Schmidt. In the first chapter, Schmidt talks about Gardner's multiple intelligence theory. Gardner believes that there are nine different types of intelligences, and that teachers should adopt a multiple intelligence approach to learning.

As I begin my student teaching, I want to do my best to figure out what type of learners my students are. Once I do this, I will be able to teach them in ways that they learn best. This will allow my students to use their intelligences to succeed. One of the major intelligences I will use during student teaching is kinesthetic. I have seven low functioning students who need to move around as much as possible. I will use activities that involve kinesthetic intelligences so that the students are able to move around while they are learning. A lot of my students have sensory needs so I will also incorporate activities that will stimulate their sensory needs.

Another intelligence that I will be focusing on is musical intelligence. When I met my students for the first time, I noticed that they all loved to listen to music, and some of them enjoyed dancing. I will definitely use music to teach my students because it is something they enjoy. If I am able to teach them a lesson that has music incorporated in it, I think they will really like it. If the students have fun with the lesson, hopefully they will learn more effectively.

Later in the chapter, Schmidt talks about how students need to have hands-on activities, but in order for this to be effective, it needs to be purposeful. Schmidt says, "... before you switch on the hands, you must ease the brain into gear and keep it running" (p. 15). This means that before I give my students hands-on activities, they need to understand the purpose of the activity. Just because an activity is hands-on does not mean that it is effective. I will use full brain learning by incorporating many different intelligences in each lesson. For example, if I am teaching my students about hygiene, I will have a variety of different methods. If we are going over the sequence of steps for washing your hands, I will have visual aid with the steps listed. I will also have a song that goes over the steps for washing your hands. I will also have my students actually practice washing their hands. This will give them a variety of different ways to learn the steps, and by using different methods, the students will benefit greatly.

I am really looking forward to learning new strategies for my students and implementing them into my classroom!

Getting Excited!

Tomorrow is my first day of student teaching at St. Coletta's, and I'm getting very excited! I'm a little bit nervous, but I know that it will be such a great experience. St. Coletta's is a special education school, and I have 7 students in my classroom. There will be 6 aides, my cooperating teacher, and me, which means there will be 8 adults in the room. It will definitely be challenging making sure all of the aides are on the same page, but I have learned a lot about how to work with paraprofessionals in my classes so I am feeling pretty confident about that. I will let you all know how my first week goes in my next post!