Gaining Momentum

Yesterday, was only our 2nd day at Reiley and already our CT is letting Lindsey & I have a hand in teaching our second/third grade students. She let us take over the reading aloud of a chapter book called the "The Journey". She told us that she plans to let us take over the class more often, as much as we feel comfortable with. We are both really excited about this, since we both want as much experience as we can get under our belts before student teaching this fall. Has anyone else's teachers let them start to teach?

I do have to say that as fun and nice as our CT is, I have to be honest in the fact that she doesn't really inspire me much with her teaching style. You can tell she teaches from the old way of thinking: using textbooks and lecture to teach the content. She tends to rush through material and jump around alot. Our class is composed of many below-grade level students and I don't think she recognizes the fact that she is going way to fast for them to comprehend the material. She is getting close to retiring and I feel she is just going through the motions alot and not putting the extra effort into her lessons as she might have done in the past. I feel that that the students in our class need for her to really slow down and try to appeal to other learning types. She really seems to favor lecture and reading from the textbook. Does anyone else's teachers inspire them or not?

Is anyone else teaching Social Studies first? I teach my first lesson on February 12th...I am so anxious and nervous at the same time.

P.S. Abby I typed mine from the couch, I know it's not as luxurious as the toliet, I guess we all can't bethat lucky! :)

Practicum

Yesterday was a great day at our practicum. We actually were able to help the students instead of just sitting back and watching her teach. The students are great and really enjoy having us their and the teacher is excited too. I think that it is going to be a great semester.

1st Day/Social Studies Unit

Lindsey and I are at Reiley Elementary in Mrs. Ihrig's 2/3 grade class. Our first day went better than expected and we absolutely love our CT. She is so fun and goofy (but in a good way) and runs a really relaxed classroom. This obivously has an effect on her classroom management skills or lack there of. The students seem to have free reign of the classroom; they come and go as they please. I think we will have a challenging semester ahead for us, we are working with a low group of students who really need a lot of support. A funny little side note: while we were leaving on our 1st day Mrs. Ihrig was telling us about how tired she was and ready to retire and then told us she hoped that this didn't give us a negative view of being in her class this semester.

Another great thing about Mrs. Ihrig, is that she has given Lindsey and I free reign on picking the topic of our social studies unit. We choose Economics - Supply & Demand. We had our meeting with Mr. Besnoy this morning, and really came up with some great ideas of how to engage our students in our 4 lesson plans. We are going to show a video about the effect of the frost on the orange crop in California. We also have 2 greats songs on supply & demand. I hope everyone else's topics are coming together as easily as ours.

I hope everyone enjoyed their day off on Wednesday...I didn't get to sleep in, but I did get to catch up on some future assignments I have due. I also hope everyone has a great weekend :)

Social Skills

Brock and I are in a fun 4th grade class, the CT Mr. Jackson is a pretty cool guy layed back and has us jump right in there helping the students. The principal said to Brock and i before dropping us off to the classroom that we are in a very challenging 4th grade class. When i got in there i could see what she was talking about, because the potential for some major chaos is there, however Mr. Jackson has very good control of the class, he approaches the class with a lot of kindness in a stern kind of way. Yesterday he did have to suspend a kid for pushing. The kid likes to push a lot and randomly chooses the students he decides to push. Some social skills are needed for some of the students.

Practicum

I had a great second day at my practicum. There was one funny epsisode yesterday. The students were all sitting on the carpet sharing their papers. Well one of the boys slapped theirself when the teacher was waiting on them to be quiet. The teacher asked what that solved slapping their self in the face. The student said I don't know, but the student in front of them said so his mom doesn't have to do it, with a straight face. It was hiliarious, the teacher, Sam, and I had to turn around so that the students didn't see us laughing. I thought the teacher did a very good job at turning away and not letting the children know.

S.S. Unit

Yesterday Dawn and I found out what we are going to be teaching our kindergartners for our first unit. We are going to be teaching about Presidents for our S. S. Unit. We have already came up with neat ideas and lessons, but if anyone has any suggestions or ideas let me know I'd appreciate it. The more resources/info. a teacher can have the better. Thanks.

Social Studies in the Classroom

On my and Sarah's first day in our practicum last week, we noticed social studies in progress... The classroom has a system set up as a community. They are called citizens and they have rules to be good citizens. They also earn money as they do good things and they are punished by giving up money. Afte 2 weeks, a store is opened so that the students can purchase items with the money that they earned. The students are also in groups as names of streets. This system is good for the students. They are learning what it's like to be a citizen and they don't even realize that they are part of a real community themselves.

Practicum at Stephens

I had a great first day at my practicum. The teacher was very inviting and even had a chance to sit down and talk with us. The staff was also very friendly and welcoming. The students in our class are great, they really enjoy having practicum students, they had two last semester also. I think that it is going to be a great semester in our practicum for me and my partner (Sam).

First Day at Stephens

Well, the first day is over and it was a really different experience from any other that I've had while doing practicums. The school is a great environment and everyone was very inviting and welcoming. As we were walking through the halls for our tour, teachers introduced themselves and told us to "never hesitate to ask" if we ever needed anything. Our classroom is set up in the Montessori style setting, which is very different for me. There are no desks in the classroom and everything is done on individual floor rugs with the students. They work in a very individual setting on their rugs with periodic "presentations" by the classroom teacher. During the work time, we were able to walk around and engage ourselves in the tasks with them. Some of the students were working on a map of South America that they were learning about this week. They had various things that they were to locate and label on their own map to turn in. Right now it seems like it will be a little difficult adjusting to the setting of our classroom, but it will be a great learning experience and I'm sure we will definitely learn a lot from it!

Cottingham would have a field day with this one...

WOW~
The first day in my classroom was a little exhausting and all I did was sit at a table in a 7inch high chair. When MaCall and I entered we were both floored at the lack of apparent classroom management and messiness.
The students were "playing" a math game in pairs. The teacher stood by her desk with a giant worksheet. The students didn't have their own sheets to work from. When the students weren't getting what they were supposed to do, she gathered them to the carpet where she did a few mock game plays on a child size whiteboard. On this board, things weren't erased thoroughly. It was very hard for me to follow what she was doing, let alone 23 first graders.
When the children were getting to loud, she shh'd them, and shh'd them, and shh'd them some more.
Later, she said he classroom works as a community. The students get paid for their class jobs, get good behavior citation and bad behavior fines. This idea sounds great- a year long whole class social studies lesson- but I didn't see it implemented. If this community is on the verge of anarchy.
I'm anticipating my next visit. Hopefully, things will be more in order.

First Day

Hi everyone, hopefully everyone's first day went as well as mine. Everyone in the school is actively involved with the kids. The custodians at this school take on more responsibility than the typical roles of a custodian, for example they make their own bulletin boards without being asked and they are in charge of the robotics team at the school. Another neat aspect to the school is each classroom has a city and state along with a mailbox. The "post office" is ran by fourth and fifth graders and anyone who has the address can send mail to anyone as long as they have the correct address. I also discovered a couple of field trip opportunities that can be related to Social Studies that are in walking distance of the school.

Hi Everybody!! First day reminder!!

Since everyone has already talked about being nervous or excited their first day i will just give you a first day reminder. Remember a firm handshake and a smile to light up the room!!!!

Day Number One...

Hello Dear Group Members!

I think that blogging is kind of fun - pretty much like keeping a public journal - which kind of freaks me out, but is interesting and entertaining too...

Anyway, I'm super excited about our first day with our CTs and have been highly anticipating a great experience since I left my CT last semester. (I feel like such a nerd saying "CT" after referring to them as "practicum teachers" for the past year, by the way.) I emailed my CT today, Ms. Gross, and asked if there was anything Heather and I could do to prepare for tomorrow. She replied quickly and said: "Bring chocolates and/or sweets!" I like her already.

I am actually teaching Social Studies during the first unit, so I should have a lot to relate relatively quickly. Hopefully I'll have lots of helpful insights to share.

Looking forward to blogging with y'all!

PS. This is funny - the best place to pick up internet in my apartment is my bathroom. So, yes, I am sitting on the toilet seat (closed, of course) stealing internet access from my neighbors :)

1st Day with Students!

I hope everyone has a wonderful first day at their schools. I know everyone will have wonderful students and teachers to work with this semester. Can't wait to hear about everyone's first couple days of practicum.

This is a Test

Hello class

Nervous about Wednesday?

As I think about starting our practicums on Wednesday, I have no nervousness about the situation. With everyday that passes, I just continue to tell myself that I am one day closer to graduation. I plan on taking this semester as a learning experience as I have done with each semester before this one. This semester we will each continue to grow as we learn how to become the wonderful teachers that we all one day want to become.

This semester I will be working with 1st grade students. I observed in a 1st grade classroom so I have an understanding on what to expect. From my previous experience, 1st graders are very loving. I am a little cautious about teaching them. It's harder to keep their attention since they are so small. It will be a challenge that I am ready for.

I am very excited about this experience! I love being with children and this age is a very fun age! I think the students will welcome Sarah and I with welcoming arms and open minds. The age of the children is a great age, they are still "sweet and innocent" but yet starting to grow. This is an age that they will learn and grow as students and as young children.

I am very excited about this learning experience! It is going to be a fun and challenging time, and I am looking forward to every moment of it!

Anticipation

Wednesday is the first day at your placement - I'm sure some are nervous. What do you anticipate the classroom to look like? How do you think the students will react to you being in the classroom? Take a moment to create a new post - make these predictions. On Wednesday, take a moment and share with us your 1st impressions.

Trying it out

Just trying it out to see if I'm doing it right - Amy Greer

Welcome to this Blogging Group

Welcome to this blogging group. The purpose of this blog is for you to reflect and share the social studies eduction experiences that you have in your elementary practicum placement. I look forward to reading all your reflections.