Home Is Where You Make It

It's been interesting for me to observe all of the progressions I've made so far this semester, and right now I'm feeling a little amazed and nauseous. But...it'll all turn out great because I've learned that I have the best PLC in the whole county, and maybe even the state. 

From the moment I first stepped into my clinical school, everyone made me feel not only welcome, but important. I think one of the biggest grievances that preservice teachers and first year teachers can probably have is the feeling of not knowing what to do in this new setting, or how to jump right in and be a team member. My CE is always making me feel like I am part of the fourth grade team, which is such an honor. Not only that, but I work with some of the smartest, funniest, and most kind educators you could have handpicked from Cleveland County. 

And it's not even just fourth grade. At our Open House/Title I/PTO Meeting, our principal was introducing teachers by grade level, and me being my awkward self, didn't know what to categorize myself as. She ended up introducing me as a student teacher, which spoke volumes about welcoming me into the school. I kind of freaked out a little bit, but it was okay. Having said all of that, we are a really close knit group that works hard to improve as a whole. Not only as a grade level, but as a school.

These relationships, I've learned, are really crucial when it comes time to get copies made for that killer lesson you've been working on, or when you're wanting the media specialist to do a special presentation for your class. It could also be that you've broken a table in your classroom and need to send out an SOS to the custodial team.

This experience has been awesome for me and I can only hope the rest of you had similar days as well! I came across an article on Twitter that discusses what life as a preservice teacher is like vs. what it should be like. I know I'm biased, but I really am so lucky to have a team that is willing to get back down on my level as a preservice teacher and teach me their wisdom. The knowledge of your CE will 110% make your experience that much better, I quickly found. 

I've been learning just how important it is to start teaching with the right kind of mindset and attitude towards not only your instruction, but your students, coworkers, and leaders. The connections to NCTCS are endless, but some of the most relevant standards, I believe, are 1b(leadership in school) and 5c (dynamic environment).

**http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/finding_common_ground/2016/05/what_should_we_expect_pre-service_teachers_to_know.html

Finding Technology

One of the aspects of my classroom I've been observing lately is the use of technology. My clinical site school is a Title I school located in Cleveland County. Having said that, we do not have loads of money to spend on new technology, and are certainly not a 1:1 ratio school. My classroom utilizes 5 desktop computers for assessment pieces such as Accelerated Reader, AR Math, Reading Eggs, and other center-based activities. My CE uses a laptop, which is connected to our SmartBoard, along with an Elmo. In addition to all this, she also uses Plickers to assess for multiple content areas...primarily during ELA. 

Having said all of this, I think what my CE is able to do with the technology that she does have is great. It is one of my biggest goals for this year to, in addition to learning from my CE, to in return teach the class some of the up and coming technology pieces she can use. Every time it comes down to last minute planning for activities or centers, I try to suggest a few simple activities that, even if students don't have the technology, they can still get an adaptation. This has a direct connection to NCTCS 1c (Teachers lead the teaching profession), because even the suggestion of a new activity could lead to a change in curriculum and improvement in instruction.

For example, we have quite a few students interested in the Robotics Team and other STEM concentrations. I have talked to my CE about utilizing a coding center during ELA or SMART time, and she is really excited for the direction that can take. Even if students don't have access to the technology instrument, they can still learn about coding via other activities. This connects to NCTCS 3d (Teachers make instruction relevant to students). 

I found an interesting article when doing my research that outlines some really shocking (and not so shocking) statistics about how income level affects how teachers can or cannot teach students via/about technology. As much as I give it a hard time, technology can be a segway that transforms a students mindset about learning, and specifically, inquiry-based learning. Apparently, there is a technology gap between the "rich" and "poor", particularly in America. This gap not only affects instruction, but moral. Teachers see other schools perform higher, which may be attributed to all of the snazzy technology they have. 

One of the biggest pieces of advice I've learned thus far and can share with you guys is to not be afraid to make suggestions in your classroom. If you know a cool SmartBoard feature that will enhance learning, throw it out during planning period. Don't be afraid to stay after school when the real grade level planning happens. You'll learn a lot. 

Preplanning

For this week in my fourth grade classroom, I have been getting more involved as far as teaching lessons and taking charge. My CE has been cautious to not overwhelm me with this new teacher life, but I'm thankful that she really trusts me with much more than I could have hoped for. There is never a dull moment for sure.

Something in particular that I have caught on to in my classroom and have been able to research a little this week is how it is important to plan, but it is also important to preplan! This sounds a little redundant, but it's something I've not considered until this semester's clinical experiences. Preplanning is also known as the habit of taking into consideration all of the unexpected things that could happen while you are implementing your planned instruction. That could be anything from the copier being out of ink to a student repeatedly needing medical attention. If we can nip those little discrepancies in the bud, then imagine how effective our use of time in the classroom each day could be. 

I found an article on Twitter that I think can be beneficial to use when talking about planning and planning to plan, so to speak. The bulk of the article talks about how to strategically plan for not only a successful, but an effective school year. What I really like about this article is that it is targeted towards new teachers, which is a season of life we are also upon!! I recommend reading over it, because there are some things that I never would have thought about, and will definitely be reassessing myself and my capabilities to rise above whatever attempts are made to take away instruction time. 

I found a connection to NCTCS Standard 4b, which hits on teachers being able to plan appropriate instruction. I felt this definitely went hand in hand with the concept of preplanning, because you want your students to receive the best, most appropriate instruction you can accommodate for. However, standard 5c is so important also-- 5c evaluates teachers on their ability to function in a complex, constantly changing environment. This is what preplanning is all about; expecting the unexpected. 

I've also been really lucky to see some of this in action, as my CE has definitely mastered the "calm, cool, and collected" look when something unexpected rises. It's like she has a "Plan B" for anything that could need one. One of my goals over the next several months is to develop and inherit those skills. Instruction time is structured so that every minute of the day is precious to student learning, and I want to be able to maximize that. That's not to say that I always make the best use of my time every day I'm in the classroom, or up front teaching the class. Like I said, it is a goal of mine to get there. 

**Article link: http://www.weareteachers.com/blogs/post/2016/08/10/a-teacher's-guide-to-surviving-preplanning?utm_content=1471257732&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter#.V7GceTq-1-A.twitter

Busy Week!

To piggyback off of last week's blog, here's an update of some of the challenges I have recently overcome in the classroom. Our class has been able to get into a more set routine, which also includes the appropriate protocol for behavior. It's not perfect, but we are getting there! Every day in the classroom is a new improvement and blessing. We are also continuing to look at data in order to adjust our instruction for this year. 

This week, I've determined that data interpreting is equally important to many other aspects to teaching. It allows teachers to see which students stand where in terms of achievement on several different levels of tests. With this data interpretation also comes a great deal of researching these tests. All of this is covered in NCPTS #5. The primary data that I've spent some time on is the School Report Card for my clinical site school. At face value, it looks a bit discouraging. However, the school has met grown requirements which is a good thing! 

I've been spending the majority of my time this week looking at the data, and seeing how it affects our students. While the data can give us so much intel about where our students are academically, there is no way that it can tell us that Johnny's parents were fighting all night before the test and, so, Johnny had other things on his mind. It can't tell us that Susie is a genius pianist and Gary defended another student after the top scoring student bullied him repeatedly. With that being said, I've found that it is important to take testing data at face value, and not allow it the privilege of making decisions for you. 

Having seen the data for my school, it was exactly that: discouraging. However, I know that my clinical site school is a wonderful school full of administration, staff and teachers who all care. That's also something that I have been talking with my clinical educator about. Being in a Title I school, many of the students come from a variety of backgrounds. Needless to say, you have to want to make an impact on these students in order to effectively teach and see positive improvements. You cannot come to a diverse classroom full of woes and expect it to be easy. This is NCPTS #2 at its finest! The kids are broken, and it is your job to help them put the puzzle pieces together. And while you do that, you will need to teach them a thing or two! 

I am both excited and nervous to embark on this new phase of data analysis, and hope to take what I've learned this week to improve my practice. I will be able to look at data without drawing conclusions about my students' capabilities whilst doing so. 

Have a great week!