Phase Out Time

Today marks the first official day of “phasing out” for student teaching. This basically means that instead of teaching all day, I will only be teaching science.  I figured that since I only would teach two classes, I would have PLENTY of time to work on items for school. Nope! I ended up working on a million other things. It happens. I will continue “phasing out” until next Tuesday or Wednesday and then will be observing until the end of student teaching the following week.

My workload has lightened up quite a bit and now I have more time to get things done around my dorm and work on sewing projects.  As the semester comes to a close, I am starting my to-do list of everything that needs to be done either before the semester ends or before Christmas:

1.     Finish portfolio for student teaching. This is due next Monday and is my top priority for the next few days!

2.     Finish the unit plan for science. I developed a unit for science and would like to have it completely finished before I leave.

3.     Sew cooperating teacher her present.  My cooperating teacher has been absolutely wonderful this semester. Very supportive and encouraging. I am working on a little something for her to show my appreciation. I would love to have it complete before I finish, but we will see how it goes.

4.     Finish the last two programs for College Lodge (Mr. College Lodge and the Lodge T-Shirts).

5.       Figure out what to get/do for my students. I want to do a little something special for my students before I leave, but I am still not sure. Any suggestions would greatly be appreciated!

6.       Pack and move home. For good. Ahh! That is crazy to think that I won’t be returning to C of C in January.

7.       Finalize everything for my job starting in January. Yes! That’s right! I have a job lined up starting in January. I have not mentioned it very much because I wanted to keep it on the down low. Until I sign everything, which should be in the next week, I am not going to announce the school or position.

These are the main items I can think of off the top of my head. I am sure there are little things that I am forgetting.  I am still feeling really confident and comfortable about the rest of the semester and the start of the New Year.  I am trying to enjoy what time I have left and make the most of every opportunity.  Three more weeks of the semester. Let’s make it great!

Have a wonderful and blessed week!

Until next time,

K

FULL TIME

It's official!

As of last Wednesday, I am teaching FULL TIME. This means when the students come in at the beginning of the day until students leave at the end of the day, I will be the lead teacher. One Literature class. Two mathematics classes. Two science classes. Wow!

I am starting to find my pace for everything. It is the preparation that is the most tedious part of it all. I know when I have been teaching for a couple of years, I will be spending less time on this. I want to make it as fun as possible for the students. One of my students always asks me, "Ms. Griffin, are we going to do something fun today in science?" My response to him: "We always do something fun in science!"

I can't decide what subject area I like more: Math or science. My cooperating teacher says I am stronger in math, but I am really enjoying science, because there is more to do with it. There are more ways to make it engaging. I am glad I was blessed with the opportunity to teach both subject areas to get a taste of both.

The students have been great for the most part. The typical chattiness happens here and there, but overall, I love my students. I wish I was able to spend more one on one time with each of them to get to know them more.  I think once I get the hang of everything and become more comfortable, I will be able to do that.

Now for the real, deep honesty: I am constantly feeling tired and worn down.  I don't feel like I ever get caught up to where I need to be. If I do get caught up then I end up not getting enough sleep or something else ends up getting cut out of my life. "Me" time is pretty much NONEXISTENT.  I feel like I am constantly on the verge of having a melt down. I feel like alot of the times what I do is sub-par and not good enough. I have never felt this drained: physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually.

In the midst of all this. I am learning so much and being challenged so much. I am learning so much about my own teaching styles. Who I am as a person, a friend, a teacher, and more.  This is a very tough experience for me, but I would never give it back. I am thankful for every second of it. For every tear of frustration. For every excited face of a student. For every late night staying up to plan for a 50 minute lesson. For every conversation with a student. For every feeling of accomplishment. I wouldn't give it back for a second.

Praise God for how He is challenging me and making me ever so more dependable on Him. Are you allowing Him to lead your life right now? Are you allow the challenges you are being faced with to be an opportunity to lean more on Him? Think about it.

Until next time,
K

Student Teaching Adventure Continues...

I have been in my middle school for three whole weeks now. Wow! It’s crazy. Time is zooming by, but each day is jammed packed with excitement and challenges.

Rewarding/Wonderful times:

·         Receiving a sweet card/drawing from one of my students

·         Having my students say “Good morning, Ms. Griffin”

·         Hanging out with my students at lunch

·         When my students are actively engaged in the lesson

·         When the students saw the example of an activity for science and they were excited about it

·         Reading my students writing journals because it gives me a chance to get to know them

·         Driving to and from school because the drive is absolutely beautiful

·         Re-explaining information and seeing the students have an “A-Ha” moment

Challenging times:

·         Chatting students and getting them to follow the expectations

·         Writing and developing lesson plans

·         Lacking in sleep…every night

·         Being flexible with scheduling

·         Not being around in College Lodge especially for my residents

·         Not exercising at much because any free time I have, I want to sleep

This past week, I taught for three full days. My cooperating teacher had family issues to handle, so I took over the class.  It was overwhelming at times, but a learning experience at the same time. While the students drive me crazy sometimes, I really love them. Each of them are so unique and already have a special place in my heart.

Today, we had testing, so the schedule was all crazy. The time that we had for teaching, we ended up letting the students have free period/watching educational videos. This week, I will be working through The Westing Game during literature time.  In science, I will be making clouds out of cotton rounds (I can’t say “balls” in class, but the students will lose it). We will also be reviewing material on the atmosphere, water cycle, and clouds. I plan on teaching them study strategies, playing a review game, and hopefully give a test at the end of the week.

A goal that I have for myself is to work on classroom management especially with the chatting and talkativeness. It can get pretty tough at the end of the day and that is when my patience is low.

God has really been challenging me the past few weeks. I need to make an effort to make time for Him every day. My days need to be God-centered in order for me to have a spirit-filled life. I noticed my spirit not being the same, when I don’t make time for Him. I am thankful that I have a relationship with such a faithful and loving God that hasn’t given up on me.

Have a great week everyone. I hope you are able to make time for God and allow Him to fill up your life.

Until next time,

K

Lent Challenge: Day 29 - D.E.C.I.D.E

So I was going through papers from previous semesters to help me write my candidate work sample. Basically, a candidate work sample this HUGE assignment where I given a student with a learning "challenge" and I talk about how I would accomodate them in my classroom and in the lesson/activities. Anyways, I came across one of my papers from Spring 2009 about my decision to pursue a degree in Middle School Education. Everything still rings true up until this point, where I am about to finish classes and will be student teaching in the fall. It is not too terribly long!

Here it is: (keep in mind that I wrote it a year ago!)

As I make the transition from the first semester of education to the second semester of education, I realize I have to make a significant decision. This decision is what field I will get my degree in. Throughout the course of the semester, I have been leaning towards middle school education. When I was finally able to observe a middle school classroom, I knew that this environment was where I am supposed to be once I graduate from college. According to Brighton (2007), “every life stage has its challenges, but most adults would agree that early adolescence is perhaps the most difficult one to successfully navigate” (p. xi). As I continue towards becoming a middle school education teacher, I need to keep in mind my strengths and needs as a potential teacher, understand the demands of this particular teaching level, and be able to delineate my goals.



What are my strengths and needs as a potential teacher? My strengths are desire for learning and teaching as well as believing that all students can succeed. An area that I need to work on is not being too hard on myself when a student falls behind or doesn't understand the information. “Teachers may face particular challenges because of the pressures on them to narrow achievement gaps and improve the academic performance of all children” (Copple & Bredekamp, 2009, p.258). I hope that I am able to balance the demands of meeting the students’ needs as well as creating an enjoyable, learning atmosphere.


What are the demands of my selected teaching level? Middle School is a time of socialization and independence. It is also a time where they care less about pleasing their teachers and parents and care more about finding acceptance within their peers. “In comparing my strengths with the demands of middle school, my ability to stay organized and staying on top of things will be beneficial for me in this role. Children prosper with warm and sensitive teaching… [and] a blend of child-guided and teacher-guided activities” (Copple & Bredekamp, 2009, p.257). I will also be assertive and semi-demanding, while allowing my students to explore mathematics to their own liking. My desire for all students will be helpful because I will continue to make sure each student has a successful school year. I would also like to continue furthering my education and knowledge by taking additional courses while I am teaching. I want to influence the students' desire to learn about mathematics and science in a positive way and keep up-to-date with information as much as possible.


So, why do I choose middle school education? These students need me. Throughout all the observations in each level, I felt like I fit in the best in the middle school atmosphere. This age group is one group that changes greatly throughout the course of three or four years. They change socially, emotionally, cognitively, and physically. “Through [all the] experiences, teenagers develop the cognitive, social-emotional, and moral strength they will need for the years ahead” (Wood, 2007, p.159). It is important for these students to have a teacher who makes the most out of the students’ time in the classroom. “Young adolescents need and deserve parents and teachers who fully understand them and can help them successfully negotiate the challenges that accompany this transition stage” (Brighton, 2007, p. xi). Adolescence is a very challenging age, but must occur for development. I look forward to challenges and I know these will be challenges that will pay off in the end in the developments that the students will make in the course of a school year and in the ways I am able to make their school experience even better.

Until next time,
K