Almost done!

I have learned so much about teaching, the students, and myself this semester. I cannot believe it is almost over. My practicum experience went very well, and my cooperating teacher was wonderful. She was patient, encouraging, and helpful with my lessons and other required assignments. Working with eighth graders definitely brought new experiences. They are so smart and willing to share their thoughts. I learned a lot about teaching social studies and I am more excited than ever to be student teaching in an 8th grade classroom in the fall. Teaching includes such a wide variety of skills and patience. Finally seeing the THE TEST this week showed me that it is only a test. Why focus, stress, and worry about this ONE test. We should teach the students what we can, the best ways we know how. If we stop stressing out about it, the students will be more relaxed and probably will do better anyway. Let's teach what needs to be taught and this little test will be just that--an assessment of their knowledge.

What happens Next?

As this semester finally comes to an end, I have been reflecting on all of my experiences throughout the past few semesters. When I started out in my Admissions semester, I was excited and relaxed in the classrooms I observed. As my Practicum I semsester rolled around, I became very nervous before teaching each lesson. I felt like it took me forever just to write up one lesson. During Practicum II, I was comfortable in front of the classroom when I taught my lessons and had little trouble coming up with lessons that would engage the students. I will be student teaching in the fall, and I feel very prepared. I know that I have not learned everything about teaching, but things will come to me in time. I have realized that this is the right profession for me, and I think I will do great at it.

Substitute

I was supposed to teach my lesson on Thursday, but when I walked in there was a substitute teacher there. it was an interesting day to say the least, because right before the kids were to switch classes the power went out. The kids began screaming and they ran out the door! I was glad that the special ed teacher was coming into the classroom, because she had them all walk right back into the room. We were told to stay in our rooms, and the students basically had free time to talk amongst themselves. The substitute then became sick, and had to leave which left the special ed teacher as the sub for the day. After the lights came back on, three special ed teachers took over per class, as there was no substitute teacher available for the class. We mostly followed what my cooperating teacher had left, which was an assignment they had started working on earlier that week when I was there, so it was good to know what they were supposed to do. The kids did try to do everything they could to the substitute teacher, but I am glad the special ed teachers were there, because they kept the room working and calmed since the students know who the special ed teachers are. I get to do my lesson now to just one class instead of two, when we get back, which makes me sad.

Unexpected lesson

During the first class of the day, my teacher taught the lesson. It was about the North and South and how they are different geographically, economically, and socially. I liked this particular lesson because she used a visual approach to illustrate the differences. She mentioned that this was a review for the students and another way for them to see how drastically different the regions were throughout US history. The students are going double-blocked in social studies for the next 2 weeks until "THE TEST" so she is trying to squeeze as much information as possible, while reviewing important topics. I thought the lesson went very well for her 1st period so I asked if I could teach the 2nd class. I liked just jumping in, doing the lesson with the information I already know about the subject. The students seemed to enjoy the lesson because halfway through there was an activity she had for them to complete. It kept them occupied and gave necessary information about the north and south. Since we were reviewing, for the most part, I was able to use their prior knowledge to make inferences about the time period and what it was like for those living in the U.S. right before the Civil War.

EDU 348 - Teaching Social Studies in the Middle Grades: Second Lesson

EDU 348 - Teaching Social Studies in the Middle Grades: Second Lesson

I taught my lesson today, and it went really well. I used the Iron Maiden song that Dr. Besnoy brought to class and surprisingly enough the kids enjoyed it!! I love open discussions and having the studnets become involved so I allowed them to read for ten minutes the chapter section in the book and then with the background knowledge we discussed the information on the Trail of Tears more in depth. My teacher wanted me to use a certain map he had premade which was fine, but I spent most of the time talking with the students. It is very refreshing to hear studnets say thankyou or that was really cool, becasue I did put alot of time and effort into the lesson, because I wanted them to enjoy it becasue what they think really matters to me. My teacher was so funny, becasue he said he never uses technology in the room so on Wednesday I came to the school and my teacher, myself and the technology teacher hooked up a projector to the laptop and the teacher said it was so simple he might actually do it-I wont hold my breathe though lol. The teacher gave me the oppurtunity to teach all three periods before lunch and it really did help me, because I was able to change what I didnt like, add some things, see which questions I wanted to use and it helped me build my confidence before I was observed by Dr. C. Again, Dr. Besnoy really does have some great ideas and he is willing to share, so if anyone is a procrastinator like me and hasnt been observed by Dr. C and is in desperate need for some great ideas, Im telling you what, he really does have them.

A side note, it was really windy on Thursday and I was talking to Leanne and I put a stack of papers on top of my car and they blew everywhere so if anyone saw me scrambling the parking lot, I am not a stalker or a weirdo, I was trying to pick up the papers lol.


Jenny :)

Second Lesson

Last week I taught my lesson that was observed by Dr. Cook. I actually was not nervous at all for some strange reason. I could have been the Hip Hop Academy visit that was right before my lesson that loosened up my jitters but I felt fine.
As for the lesson it went great. The students responded well and worked very well in thier groups. I had no dicipline problems at all. It actually was sort of weird now that I think about. I did goof up on my conclusion because...well...I forgot to do it. I should of wrapped things up with asking them what they had gotten done and what they had learned that day but I just let them walk out the door. Oh well. I cant believe that we only have TWO more visits in our classrooms. Its been a great experience that I have learned a great deal. For example I now know how to break dance, freestyle, and DJ the wheels of steel thanks to the Hip Hop Academy. Dont ask me to show you.

Final Lessons

I taught my second and third lesson this week. My lesson on Tuesday did not exactly go as planned. There was an unexpected assembly. So, my 52 minute lesson got cut down to 30 minutes. That made me feel very rushed. Also, in the kids learned how break dance at the assembly, so when they came back to the classroom they were like little monkeys going crazy! Literally bouncing off the walls! It took a while to calm them down, however, once we finally got going, I think what material I did get to cover went over very well. I had to get on one particular student a few times, for putting his head down and not participating. My teacher was very pleased at my flexibility and said that I did a great job. Today I taught my last lesson for the semester. Luckily there were no surprise assemblies this time! I think it went very well today!

2nd Lesson

I taught my second lesson on Tuesday, with Dr. Cook observing. The lesson went well and I was pleased, as was Dr. Cook when I spoke with him. There was a bit of chattering when other students were trying to speak, so that is something I definitely need to work on. That lovely classroom management concept!!!

I was pretty excited because it seemed like a few students who are usually quiet and don't participate spoke up and joined the discussion. I think interacting with the students is my favorite part. I really look forward to student teaching and being with students on a consistent basis. In some ways, I feel like I'm just developing good relationships with the students and now the semester is almost over :(

Adjustments

CCMS has the CATS test coming up. My teacher has just found out that the 8th graders don't really know any of the information they learned in 7th grade social studies. So she and the other 8th grade social studies teacher are re-planning their curriculm to fix this. Instead of going into the the Civil War, they are going to be reviewing ancient civilization. This is a problem for me, because I have one more lesson to teach and I have start over, because they will not be covering that info now.

Today's lesson

Today my practicum teach did a lesson on the Women's Rights Movement. As part of the lesson, she played a song the oppressed American women would sing and gave a copy of the lyrics to the students. After listening to the song while reading the words, the teacher led a discussion about oppression and why the women felt they way the did. She brought up the topic of persuading others to join your cause and getting your point acrossed in a calm manor. The teacher also showed a video about the movement and how women were treated in society. The video said once women were married, all of their possessions went to the man, including their children. All of her belongs were now his responsibility. The segment of the video told about what married women were entitled to if their husbands died: nothing (unless he left something in his will). This started a class discussion on what the women received if they were divorced. I was surprised because divorce was not discussed in the video; they just started asking questions and wondering what would happen to the children and her possessions. It made me realize the students wanted to relate this information to their lives in some way, and unfortunately many students have dealt with divorce. The teacher spoke about the topic for several minutes to answer their questions get their responses before moving on. This helped me to realize the students will become more engaged in the lesson if they can relate it to their lives.

Waiting for next Lesson

I went into my practicum earlier this week to find that the brochures my students had created had been put up in the front of the room around the board. That really made me feel that my lesson was worth it and very creative. My cooperating teacher said that he had gotten nothing but positive comments on the brochures! It really made me extremely happy. He even told me that he was using the lesson with his second group of students that do not come in during the time I am there. Today on Thursday, he showed me their results and they all turned out great. I am glad to have left a mark on the class and the teacher! haha

So I am ready for my 2nd lesson to teach, and Dr. Faulkner will be there to observe. The one thing that has me worked up is how well the students will behave, and if they will perform well. I am going to do a lesson on vocabulary and Russia. I am going to put the information on 4 posters, and have the students walk around in groups gathering their information. Then we will end up playing a game with the vocabulary words. I have no idea what to give as prizes, I was thinking pencils, bookmarks, and my cooperating teacher said he will have candy.

Any other suggestions??

2nd Lesson

Well I was a little disappointed in my second lesson. It went okay, but not as well as the first. My practicum teacher asked me to cover the invention of the cotton gin and its effect on the American economy. I guess it probably didn’t help that the students were going on spring break the following day. She also wanted me to show how it effected the North and South differently. Unfortunately, she ended up covering a lot of this material several days before my lesson. I felt bad because I knew the students had to be bored. It seemed like a waste of time. The students became engaged eventually, but the beginning of the lesson was necessary to explain the second part of the lesson. It was tough getting through the first half, but I was able to get the students interested because I related this event to their lives. We discussed new technologies that have had an effect on the current economy in America. I found that students really do like to talk about the world around them and how it affects their lives.

Next Lesson

I am teaching my next lesson on April 3. I'm so excited because the lesson will be on the Vikings, which should be fun. However, my practicum teacher will be observing me, so I'm quite nervous. My teacher has allowed me to be creative with the lesson and go in any direction I want, but I'm having a hard time finding something that is informative, productive, and fun. Any suggestions would be appreciated! My practicum is on spring break this week, so I have some time to do some research. I hope it goes well!

Good Discipline???

I have been uncomfortable with a behavior I have observed by cooperating teacher. Overall, I feel he is good with the students. But, there are times when he seems to have no patience (which I understand) and sends a student into the hall (which I don't understand). It seems he sends the students because they are disrupting the class and continue talking after being told to stop. However, from the 4 or 5 times I've seen this - I have not noticed the student being overly disruptive. But, I am not in the front of the class so I am sure there are things going on that I can't see. Regardless of how disruptive the student may be, it seems to me sending a student into the hall is not the correct "answer". Given our discussion in classroom management last week, I am even more certain that is not how the situation should be handled. I honestly cannot say how I would react to the situation. It is one of my concerns and I am not sure I feel we have been given a lot of tools to utilize. We are told to 'prevent' disruptive behavior by presenting meaningful and engaging lessons - but that is not full proof. I do not feel entirely comfortable judging a teacher who has so much experience, but this happens to be one area I question.

Two Lessons

I taught two lessons this week at my practicum site. The first one was on the Black Death, and the second one was on Renaissance art. For my first lesson, the students behaved exceptionally well--the best I have seen at my school yet. Based on that, I had high hopes for today, which was the lesson that Dr. Cook was at.
Unfortunately, the students played the "defiance" card on me. When I divided students into groups (which I had to modify on the spot because a student got sent to the office during our opening bell work), two of the boys decided to go to different groups--they simply changed the number that I had given to them. When I tried to get them to go with their original groups, both refused. They wound up getting behavioral marks for defiance, but that was definitely something that I did not need to deal with. I recovered and the lesson went fine, although it could have been better. Students did not behave well this time, with a couple exceptions.
For some reason, I was not a bit nervous about teaching either lesson. By all rights, I should have been...I had never taught a social studies lesson before Tuesday, and I am teaching in an environment that I am not comfortable in at all. I was not nervous at all (even with Dr. Cook comnig in), and I think I handled myself well. If something went wrong, I was able to get back on track quickly enough, and my cooperating teacher was there for support as well.

Two Lessons

I taught two lessons this week at my practicum site. The first one was on the Black Death, and the second one was on Renaissance art. For my first lesson, the students behaved exceptionally well--the best I have seen at my school yet. Based on that, I had high hopes for today, which was the lesson that Dr. Cook was at.
Unfortunately, the students played the "defiance" card on me. When I divided students into groups (which I had to modify on the spot because a student got sent to the office during our opening bell work), two of the boys decided to go to different groups--they simply changed the number that I had given to them. When I tried to get them to go with their original groups, both refused. They wound up getting behavioral marks for defiance, but that was definitely something that I did not need to deal with. I recovered and the lesson went fine, although it could have been better. Students did not behave well this time, with a couple exceptions.
For some reason, I was not a bit nervous about teaching either lesson. By all rights, I should have been...I had never taught a social studies lesson before Tuesday, and I am teaching in an environment that I am not comfortable in at all. I was not nervous at all (even with Dr. Cook comnig in), and I think I handled myself well. If something went wrong, I was able to get back on track quickly enough, and my cooperating teacher was there for support as well.

A little disappointed

I was really disappointed in the lesson my practicum teacher did in the 8th social studies class yesterday, and I could tell the students were bored as well. The topic was interesting, however the way she taught it was not engaging at all. She used a primary document from 1836 to discuss the working conditions of the mills in Lowell, Massachusetts after the invention of the cotton gin. It was a magazine/newspaper article written to spread the word about the poor and difficult conditions the young female workers were put through in this period. The article was full of information about the mills so I thought the students would have a passionate discussion about the accusations.....but I was wrong. I could tell they were bored. This class lasts one hour and she took a little more than half of the class to discuss this article with the students. She read the article out loud, breaking it into paragraphs to explain the language the students may not understand. By the time she reached the end of the article, the students were not interested in discussing it at all. I was disappointed because it is a great primary source document, and it could have been effective if presented to the students in a different way. The article should have been used as a supplement to a lesson and other activity for the students to really take an interest. She spent too much time just reading it out loud to the students when they could have worked in cooperative groups discussing several opposing accounts of the mills.

I realized after thinking about their lack of attention to the material that part of the problem was they have no prior knowledge of this information. Last year I read a historical fiction novel about a young girl working in the mills. I had this prior knowledge of the information about the mills, therefore, I learned more about the article because I already had prior interest in the topic. These students have not heard about this situation in American history yet, and it wasn't introduced to them in an interesting way. No wonder they were bored.

My first Lesson

My first lesson that I taught was during Spring Break. I was able to stay the entire day, and teach all three of the different classes. It went smoothly, but I did see how each time I taught the lesson, there were few modifications I would generate and learn from the previous class. These were those formative assessments I did the lesson with each of the three classes. We did brochures, and the students took to the assignment like candy. They were happy to work in groups, and created some very colorful and artistic pamphlets. The students were cooperative, but I did have to call them down a few times to get them on tasks. Overall my cooperating teacher was pleased with the lesson, and even said he will try to incorporate it into his next year class, but did have a few pointers for me. He did want me to become more assertive and for the class to pay attention to me when I give instructions. He feels that there is strong potential in me, and that more practice will make me better.

First Lesson

Last week I taught my first lesson in my social studies classroom. The lesson went well but I was sort of limited on what I was able to do because of the schedule for that day. When I got to the school the classes ended up being shortened to 30 min periods. Needless to say I was not able to teach my whole lesson so that was sort of disappointing. But it was good practice and my cooperating teacher gave me some good advice. After I taught it twice I ask her if she would teach it so I could reflect. Just by watching her teach my lesson I learned a lot about what I was doing wrong and what I was doing right. Its been hard to find time to teach this semester so it was great to finally get some more practice.

New placement

I recently switched my placement to a science classroom at Twenhofel. I really enjoy the classroom and the cooperating teacher seems to be really laid back. She has a great system that she uses with her students so that they are getting the credit for the work that they do. She tells me that sixth graders are very intelligent but often very unorganized and they shouldn't be penalized for being unorganized. She keeps all of their daily work in a folder and has 10 assignments per unit, the last assignment is the study guide for their test. The folder remains in the classroom at all times. Therefore, the students always have their assignments to turn in unless they were absent or did not do the work while in the classroom. I think it is a great idea to have something in place like that. Those students are being set up for success by their teacher and I believe that is exactly what the role of the teacher is in the classroom.

Culture/dance assembly

The eighth grade students at my practicum location attended a cultural awareness assembly this morning. The students attended this assembly instead of going to their morning electives. An African American/Nigerian dance troup visited Twenhofel Middle School to give the students insight into their culture and traditions. At first I was slightly skeptical of the use of time, but the meeting seemed to be effective for the students. The group introduced dance, music, and facts about Nigerian and African traditions. One of the teachers told me learning topics about dance are a part of the Core Content for the eighth graders so they decided to bring in a group. I think this ended up being an effective activity that not only helped to meet the curriculum guidelines, but also gave the students an experience with diversity. By the end of the meeting the students were speaking words in Swahili and dancing traditional moves! They learned a great deal and enjoyed it very much...........especially when their teachers (including the practicum students) had to learn one of the dances! I do not remember that being in the syllabus! :)

My first S.S. lesson!

I am so relieved that my first social studies lesson is over with because I was so nervous! My lesson went very well, and the students seemed to be engaged the entire time. I was afraid they would not respond to my questions as well as they respond to their teacher. However, they really opened up and answered my questions thoughtfully. First, I had the students make a graphic organizer for the information I was giving them. We spent some time discussing several forms of government, during which I asked questions and gave them the necessary information. Then I split the students into groups and had them decide on a plan of government for their new nation. They really liked having a choice in their activity. I circulated throughout the room while the students worked to answer questions. Finally, we came back together as a whole group to discuss their thoughts. This final conversation was lively and everyone wanted to tell me their thoughts.
After teaching this lesson I realized how excited I am about teaching social studies in the middle school. The kids are so smart and they love expressing their feelings and opinions. I also realized how quickly the time flies by in the classroom! This has been a great way to help my with my time management skills.

1st lesson

I taught my first lesson yesterday at CCMS. I was so nervous, I was having nightmares. I felt better after I presented my lesson to Dr. Besnoy and he gave me some advice and encouragement. My lesson went great. I taught the 2nd block, and was really surprised by how well it went considering the teacher always points out this is her problem class. The one student I thought I would have trouble with actually did great, he just need occasional promting to stay on track but he did everything that was asked of him. That was my favorite part of the whole thing.

First Lesson

I was able to teach my first Social Studies lesson the Thursday before spring break. I was a little nervous because it seems preparing to teach social studies is quite different than math! But, I was able to put together a pretty good lesson, with Dr. Besnoy's help. I was pleased with how the lesson went, and my cooperating teacher had very complimentary comments. I didn't get through the entire lesson which was a little frustrating. I realize some of that is timing, which comes with experience - but I'm still a perfectionist, even though I try to hold back. However, I had the students work in groups part of the time and also write information down on a chart. It was difficult for me to plan out how long it would take them to complete those tasks. I certainly did not allow enough time for 6th graders to write information down!

I am looking forward to teaching another lesson and seeing if I can manage the time a little better. Of course, we're all still in the learning process - but it is nice to see improvement!

First Lesson

Well I have spoken with my teacher and we finnaly found the time for me to teach one of my lessons. I will be teaching the Tuesday that we get back from spring break. I am pretty excited and I already have some good ideas. My only concern, which was also addressed during our seminar, is that we only have 8 MORE VISITS to our school. How on Earth will we find time to do everything? I dont know but that is was being a teacher is all about.

Observation by Dr. Cook

Well, last Thursday, Dr. Cook came to observe my lesson. This was the third lesson that I have taught, so I was very comfortable with the kids. The build up of anxiety that Dr. Cook was coming quickly faded when he came in the room and gave me a smile. My lesson was on the gods and goddesses of Ancient Egypt. The students had to create a poster on the god or goddess they had researched earlier in the week at the library. The only thing that I would change would be to give the students an additional day to finish up their posters. For the most part, the students' posters were very creative and well planned out. I was quite impressed.

I just met with Dr. Cook this morning to go over my lesson. We went over all aspects of the lesson, and he thought I did a really nice job. This meeting truly reassured me that I have the confidence, knowledge, and will to become an effective teacher.

Concern

I am going to be teaching two of my three lessons two weeks after Spring Break. I hate to admit it, but I feel a little ill-prepared. Due to a combination of snow days and other things happening at my school, I have only seen a few social studies lessons. The strategies I used in math are probably not very effective for a social studies class. I have very few ideas, and have not seen a lot of instruction to learn from. If anyone knows of any good strategies to use in the social studies classroom (especially those who have taught a lesson or two already), please let me know.

First Impressions

Well, this is a little late - but I'm going to post it anyway. I tried posting this a few weeks ago and I'm not sure what happened. So....here are my first impressions, with others to follow soon.

I am pretty excited with my placement this semester. I am in a 6th grade social studies class with a very experienced teacher. He seems to be pretty relaxed and calm with the students which I enjoy. This is my first experience in a 6th grade class, so I am looking forward to the experience even though my youngest son is in the 6th grade. I'm pretty sure I want to teach either 7th or 8th grade, but this will be good me to verify that choice. Also, 1 of the classes has students with IEPs. My cooperating teacher last semester did not have any students with IEPs so I feel this will also be a good experience for me. I am also looking forward to spending time in a social studies class rather than math.

Test

Let's see if this one posts -- then I'll have more to say!

Lesson Number One

Tomorrow I teach my first lesson of practicum II. I'm a lot more nervous this placement than I was last placement. I think it's because of the content. As much as I enjoy history and social studies, I do not feel as confident in this content as I do my language arts content. The fact that 7th grade social studies in KY is focused around ancient civilizations does not make me any less nervous. The activity that my cooperating teacher and I planned is engaging and interesting, I am just nervous that I'm not going to know everything that I need to know. I also do not feel that I know the students very well yet, which intimidates me a little. I will just try to relax and seem confident... even if I'm shaking on the inside!

Teaching History Alive

I had the opportunity to teach two lessons back to back on Thursday and Friday this week and I can honestly say that it was a great experience. We were using a program called History Alive and the name of the book is an accurate description because the students have to actively participate in the lessons to make them work. We had the classroom set up like the Constitutional Convention in Philidelphia and each student had a particular person assigned to them. Students had to learn their characters stance on the issues at hand and come to compromises as in, "The Great Compromise" and issues such as who would be eligible to vote. They had to lobby for support and just to add a bit extra to the class I also made them state in their own words the reason they felt the way they did on a particular issue. I thought that would really help drive home the purpose of the exercise. One particular class was fantastic the students made great arguments to support their beliefs on the issues and I was highly impressed that their ability to explain their thought process to the class. All in all I really enjoyed teaching the lessons and look forward to seeing how they finish the unit with the test I was allowed to make for them. They take it on Thursday.

Surprise lesson

Today, my teacher taught the first two classes. Then when bell three came around, he looked at me and said "feel comfortable enough to teach the lesson?" I was so nervous, but definitely wanted to give it a try. I proceeded to teach the kids how to read Roman numerals. It was great! This was my first experience actually being head of a class, these students depended on the information I was giving them to learn. I absolutely loved being in front of the class, teaching, and answering questions. I am scheduled to teach a lesson that I have planned on Thursday. Today was so great, I hope Thursday goes as well! I'm very excited.

Teaching a lesson!

Today at my Practicum I finally got to teach my first lesson! The students were walking into the classroom and the teacher said just handed me the book and said "go over this!" So I had about two minutes to figure out what to do! They were learning about the climate/characteristics of different parts of America and how it related to the clothing the people wore. Students were allowed to work in groups of 3 as they looked through pictures and described where they lived and the description of the climate. It actually went better than I thought and I don't think the students even realized this was not planned. What was weird to me is that they usually are a very talkative group and interupt their teacher. But for me they were actually very respectful and only talked if I called on them! Hopefully that's how it will be when I teach next week!

Bad news for me!

Today I just got news from my teacher that is really discouraging. I was REALLY enjoying my class that I have at CCMS. Today I found out that as of next week the team teacher decided to switch everyone's schedules so now I will not have the same class. I had JUST learned all of the students names and a little bit about them all and now I have to relearn a whole group. This would not be that big of a deal except for that CCMS has had snow days all week AND I am supposed to be teaching this NEW class next week on Tuesday AND on Thursday. I have never even met them before! I am going to try to go in on Monday to meet the new group before I actually have to teach them. Hopefully I can learn their names in one day!

Snow Days

I have finally seen what Snow days mean to teachers. They are good to be off, but a nightmare when you get back in class. The students get rowdy and restless coming back, and get very lazy when they realize that they might not be in school the next day. It is hard for the teacher to keep on task, and to keep a schedule of what to teach, and it seems that they have to go back and relearn things, that just sets them back. I also see that some of the work that they do in between scheduled snow storms seems to be busy work, because students will more than likely forget when they return from a break.

My Current Thoughts

Last week, I scheduled my three lessons: two for late March and one for the last day of practicum in April. I think that I will benefit more from doing my lessons later--not because I procrastinate all the time (I actually am a recovering procrastinator), but because as of now, I have only seen two social studies lessons taught, and one of those lessons contained a video that took up the entire class. At Two Rivers, I am running into the same problem that I ran into at Campbell County last semester: the subjects that are not on the CATS test are the ones that get slighted. Two Rivers does not rotate those two around one block, but those will be the ones that are cut out if any need to be for any reason. In my class (7th grade--LA and SCI are tested), most of the time, they have spent their social studies time working on their transactive writing pieces for their portfolios. Since math and social studies are not tested in 7th grade, those are the classes that the students are given portfolio work time in.
I don't know how long the students have to do this, but I hope they finish these writing pieces soon, because I want to see a few more social studies lessons before I plan and teach one myself.

My 1st Lesson

With all of this crazy weather, I had to postpone teaching my lesson for one week. Finally, even as a shortened day due to early dismissal, last Thursday, I got to teach. I actually was not nervous and felt pretty confident. The class is finishing up presentations on Mesopotamia and then will be moving on to Ancient Egypt, so I did my lesson on King Tut to give them a taste of what will be coming up. It went very well and the students were definitely engaged. The only thing that I really need to improve on is knowing the lesson. I kept having to read my lesson plan to see what came next in regards to the procedures. My cooperating teacher complemented me on my preparation and clear instructions for the students. I plan on teaching another lesson this week, so I will let you all know how it goes.

I'm excited about teaching my lesson plans, but the teacher seems so busy. When I get her attention and trying to make some type of plans, she makes it seems like I'm bothersome. I'm starting to wonder why this teacher even volunteered to work with practicum students. She doesn't include or invite me to help with lessons. She tells me to do whatever I want to do, she doesn't care. I try to jump in when the kids have questions, but there is nothing to help teach because she just gives them packet work and has them do it by themselves. Does anyone have any suggestions or opinions about the situation?

Planning time

This semester I have the opportunity to spend some planning time with my practicum teacher. Last semester I didn't get to see any team meetings because I was not in the school during that time. I like being able to see the teachers collaborate and work together on ideas and problems they may have. An interesting meeting I witnessed this week was a textbook presentation. All of the social studies teachers in the school met with a representative of "History Alive" to discuss adopting it as the new textbook. I liked hearing the obstacles, worries, and desires of the teachers when deciding about new textbooks. I also like the "History Alive" series because it had many supplemental items that seemed to help students become engaged in social studies. My teacher says she likes the set because it supports her style of teaching. The representative was extremely knowledgeable about the DOK and Core Content 4.1 so he could relate it to the curriculum. He was also a social studies teacher for 12 years so he could communicate well with the teachers about the benefits of the program.
I think it is beneficial to see this meetings and discussions because teaching includes many responsibilities in the classroom.

FINALLY!

The past couple weeks I have really enjoyed my class. I never expected to enjoy being in an 8th grade classroom like I do. Although the student's are very chatty, they have real personalities unlike many younger grades.
One thing that I have noticed that is very negative for these students are the numerous snow days they have been having. I do not know what it is about these Kentucky schools in this area, but they can not seem to take care of their roads. Campbell County had off 3 days in a row. I understand things like this happen but this would be very frustrating for a teacher who is trying to stay on track on the curriculum. Also my teacher told me that they will end up having school much longer in the year because of the amount of snow days they have had already. The day the students came back, after their 3 snow days and weekend, the teacher could barely get the students on track because of their break.
Hopefully this week will be better now that they are getting back on track!

One bad Apple

I was in practicum on Tuesday and things had been great all day until the last fifteen minutes. The kids in my class enjoy me being there, they ask me questions, ask me to come play sports with them in the gym like the cooperating teacher does, and are generally great students. I have some that are very intelligent and I know are going to go places and do great things. There is one student however who really gets under my skin, she is the One Bad Apple that I refer to. The girl if failing the class miserably, and her attitude towards anything and everything sucks. Lucky for her I am actually trying to graduate or I would probably simply relieve my stress by yelling at her and being well, not so nice. I try every class period to give her a fresh start for the day and talk to her hoping that things will change, trying to get to what it is that makes her so disrespectful and find something there that we have in common so that we can relate because when you have that with students they tend to be more responsive. Unfortunately there seems to be no hope with this one. My one bad apple ruined my day on tuesday because I let her get me pretty mad, I am going to focus much more on controlling my temper while I am in the classroom and not letting it show so much when I can't.

Being Flexible

The past couple weeks have been interesting. Because of the weather my teacher has been stuck on the same material and is having trouble moving on. This Tuesday they had a quiz but because of the early release about 95 % of the students did not get finished. Today, Thursday, the students finished the quiz. I am learning a lot about flexibility and that being prepared makes this a lot easier. My teacher has been great during all of this and has really got her stuff together. She admits that the past couple weeks have been slow moving but she told me that you just have to be flexible and understand that interruptions happen all the time in the school setting.

Substitute Teacher

My practicum teacher's wife just had a baby, and he will be out for a week. The sub that has been hired to come in is a retired teacher from Twenhofel. Watching this sub teach was definitely an interesting experience. He is very old school in his teaching methods, and he is the first person to admit that. One minute he would be laughing and joking, the next he would be screaming at the kids to shut up. I felt like he was quite blunt on certain subjects that perhaps were not appropriate for seventh graders. Overall, he did have good classroom management, however, he was a very long winded speaker. The topic they were discussing was supposedly George Washington, yet somehow he spent the whole bell talking about George Foreman! The kids know that he gets off topic very easily and use that to their advantage. The sub did have some good advice to offer me, however, I will be glad when my regular teacher is back!

First Impressions

Well here goes. I love my practicum placement this semester. I am in a classroom with great kids, my cooperating teacher is very energetic but slightly unorganized at times. The class is an eigth grade social studies class. The atmosphere at this placement is unbelieveable, the new school and large open areas really give a great feeling while in the building. If you take that mixed with the brightness of the light shining through the windows it is very comfortable there. Not like the last placement I was in where it felt like a prison for sixteen weeks. I am really excited about the semester and cannot wait to take over for a few lessons. I will admit that i am nervous about taking over the class but I know in my mind that I will be fine I will just hope I can remember that when I am standing in front of the class. LOL. Good luck to everyone else in your placements as well.

First Impressions

I have been at my Practicum II placement for about 2 weeks now, and I'm feeling okay about it. My cooperating teacher is really nice, and knows his stuff. The students seem to like him, and most of them, in the two classes I get to see, participate in class discussions. There are the usual students who raise their hand to answer every question, but my cooperating teacher does a really good job of asking others to "help out" when he notices the same people raising their hands.
I have not been as active in this placement yet as I was in my placement last semester. I don't feel as though I'm getting to know the students as well yet, which is a little intimidating because I would like to be able to know their names at least before I teach my lessons! My cooperating teacher did create seating charts for me a couple days ago, so hopefully that will help!
As far as interaction with the students, I feel as though I haven't done much of that either. A few of them will ask me a question here and there, but most of the time, they are either having a class discussion which is teacher led, or they are working on individual work. I feel a little awkward only because I don't want to interrupt the discussion! I think that in a few more weeks or so, hopefully that will get better too!
I haven't really seen any behavior issues yet. There are the usual instances when the teacher has to remind the students to be quiet at certain times, but really the students respect each other and the teacher. I think that my teacher's classroom management skills have a lot to do with that.
I am enjoying my social studies placement so far, and I'm really excited to get up there and teach it!

first impressions

I was really excited about being around this class, but it's become really dull. I was introduced to the class and that was it. I didn't and still haven't gotten a chance to have the students introduced to me. I'm picking up their names here and there, but I'm nervous to talk to them because my teacher is always telling them to be quite and shushing them. As soon as class starts she hands them packets of work and tell them to do it individually. The class isn't very interactive and I feel awkward because I really don't get to engage myself with the students. I excited about teaching my lessons to give the students a bring from packet work, but I nervous how they will react to change. I guess I'll just have to find out!

First Impression of Practicum Placement

Now that I am finally signed in after 10 minutes of trying, I am ready to tell you all about my first impressions of my Practicum placement. The first day I arrived at my placement, I knew just from the outer look of the school that I was going to like it. The inside of the building is just as gorgeous. The atmosphere for me before even meeting anyone was very inviting. This truly made a good impression. Walking into the office on the first day is always nerve racking, but the staff made me feel very welcomed. From that moment on, nothing could stop me. I went into my cooperating teacher's classroom with confidence and a positive attitude.

During the first few weeks at my placement, I have been trying to get to know the students and their interests. I usually walk around the room and ask questions about their work. The students at my Practicum site this semester are talkative, but otherwise well behaved. They listen to the teacher's requests and stay on task for the most part. I will be teaching my first lesson this upcoming Tuesday, and I am really excited. I will let everyone know how it goes. Wish me luck!!

1st impressions of social studies practicum

My experience at my practicum location has been wonderful this semester. I really enjoy working with my cooperating teacher because she is so thorough, engaging, and organized. It is a very different environment from my previous practicum/observing locations.
This is the first time I have worked with eighth graders, and it was slightly intimidating at first. The main focus of this academic year is American History. I was surprised at the number of students that seem interested in American history and know what is happening in the world around them today. During a lesson on the Bill of Rights they asked wonderful questions about the effects this document has on us in modern times. It was exciting to hear the students' questions and thoughts about freedom. On one of the first days of my experience I discussed the concept of state sovereignty and the difficulties the colonists had when there was no strong national government. The students were still slightly uncomfortable answering my questions and responding to the discussion, but I guess this is a part of them trying to get to know a new person in the classroom environment. My pacing in the class was slightly rushed that day because I was so nervous. I didn't know I was going to be addressing the whole class on my way in that day, so I was a little unprepared. I realized how fast I was going through the information and realized I needed to slow down and explain things in more detail for the students. I think this is something I'll get better at with more experience and preparation for lessons.
Transitioning from language arts to social studies this semester has been difficult. I'm not used to discomfort with information, but I am rusty on some of my history facts. I need to get involved with the subject so I can feel more comfortable with the topic. I think jumping in the middle of the year is rough because I'm not quite sure what has already been covered. I've spent time with my practicum teacher discussing the topics that remain for this year so I know what will be coming up. Of course, that feeling of discomfort means that it is an opportune time for learning, as the textbook discussed!

First Impressions

They say that you never get a second chance to make a first impression. Well, my school (which will not be named here) did a poor job there. I have not had a good experience so far. First off, I have yet to witness a social studies lesson. During the social studies classes I have been in, all they have done is work on their portfolio writing pieces. On Thursday, my cooperating teacher (name will also be withheld) was out, and she left them a worksheet to do (half of the students wasted time and did not complete it).
Also, the student behavior has been less than ideal. They are constantly talking and getting off task, and I have seen a student get sent to the office every day I have been there. I have been there for a total of four days, have not yet taught a lesson or done much other than work with a reading group and help keep them on task, and some students are already being disrespectful to me. (they probably hate me because I am not as permissive as my cooperating teacher appears to be) Dr. Faulkner has also accused this school of a lot of wasted time, and I am finding that to be true. My cooperating teacher shows movies for half of her DI (Direct Instruction Reading time) time. One movie (Mean Girls) that they saw is, in my opinion, inappropriate to be showing in a school setting. Just because most of these students have seen the movie already is no excuse to show--in a classroom at a school--a movie that contains sexual innuendo and foul language.
Maybe things will get better--I hope they do--but the school I am at is not leaving a good impression on me. The way things are going now, I will not set foot there again after my practicum is over.

Social Studies

The other week, a student was caught cheating on her homework. When the teacher noticed what she was doing, he did not become overly upset, he just asked the student to stay after class. After talking together, the student felt very sorry for what she did, realized how what she did was wrong, and apologized. The next time I went to my practicum, I noticed an e-mail from the student to the teacher. The student truly felt sorry that she had betrayed the teacher's trust and promised she would never do it again. I felt that the teacher handled this situation very appropriately and professionally. The student realized the seriousness of her actions, and will not partake in plagiarism again.

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here i am

Practicum Placement

I had a GREAT first week and my practicum. Being in a 7th grade social studies class, I am really starting to enjoy my time with the students. Students are eager to learn and share their opinion. One student was convinced that Confucius wrote all the sayings on fortune cookies!! They are a fun group, and I am very excited about the rest of the semester!

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.

Welcome to the EDU 348 Blog

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 middle school practicum placement. I look forward to reading all your reflections.