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!