3.10.17

Week of Reflection: 3.10.17

  

• Rate your overall experience of the week: 3
• Seven questions to end your week:
• • Observe
    This is unrelated to classroom teaching, but I was fortunate enough to be observed by my principal, Mrs. Molly Blanton. Mrs. Blanton has been a really wonderful principal to work under, and has always been welcoming and accommodating as if I were a staff member. She observed my morning math lesson last week, and then we met to conference on it Monday. I was not sure what to expect going in, but she had actually observed me based on the NC Professional Teaching Standard rubric, and I am so thankful I got that exposure. She walked through the "real teacher" observation process, and what I can expect moving forward. I was pleased with what she thought of my lesson, but even more so I was thankful for the feedback she gave me. It made me feel good also because we discussed potential employment. So, that was unexpected for sure!
    
    
  • Reflect
    This week, I have learned that staying with what is in my plan will help me keep my instruction aligned. It has helped me stay with my content, as well as help my students stay organized. For instance, this week in math has been great because as a grade level, we had all gotten behind in division. That is definitely not what happened with Factors and Multiples. It was a good flow of learning experiences.
    
    
  • Focus:  How are my short-term efforts and my long-term goals still aligned?
    My long term goal is to make my students as prepared as they can possibly be for fifth grade. With that being said, one of my biggest pushes is to get them prepared for the EOG and beyond. With our cold read comprehension quizzes each week, we are trying to build up their stamina because the 4th grade EOG will require them to examine 7 passages. We are currently at three. They are struggling, but I want them to be able to work through it.
    
    
  • Be Productive
    As usual, I could have spent more time on edTPA. I tried to spend an hour each night on it, and I feel like that is sufficient, but it just seems to overwhelming at the moment because I am trying to student teach and prepare what seems like a National Boards. I don't want it to take away from my overall classroom preparation, but I do want to give myself ample time.
    
    
  • Have Courage
    As I begin to involve myself in less and less instruction in the coming weeks, I am having to remind myself of that new role which will not be the full time classroom teacher. There are things that I would like to do, and I'm trying to cram in, because I know my "days are numbered" as far as being able to control instruction. But I'm excited for what is to come.
    
    
  • Begin Anew: What is the first logical step(s) for next week? What mental clutter can I clear?
    Next week, I'm looking forward to having a lot of edTPA completed this weekend. This will allow me to focus on refining my tasks in the evenings, and not having to worry about it during the day. I have completed my edTPA recordings, so now it is time to write the reflection pieces.

• What were some data you analyzed this week and how did it help inform your instructional decisions?
  This week, I looked at behavior plan data to see if my plan was working. It showed me that the plan was working, and I look forward to the students' presentation that is part of his reward.
  
  
• What is one piece of advice you can share with other student teachers?

Keep documentation of everything! I've spent some time getting organized with my parent contact, student work, and other data and it has really helped me drive my instruction.

• NC Teacher Candidate Standards (be sure to reference activities from your lesson plans to solidify your answer)
• • Standard 1
    This week, I helped develop and execute an informational parent EOG night for fourth grade.
    
    
  • Standard 2
    This week, behavior plans were assessed for effectiveness. I think the plan may need some tweaking, so I will be working on that this weekend.
    
    
  • Standard 3
    I believe that I factors and multiples are my stronghold, and have enjoyed teaching it to my students. I have tried to take the grade level lessons and make them my own because the terminology can get confusing.
    
    
  • Standard 4
    I have made an effort to provide accommodations for some students based upon grade data and conversation from parent conferences. Despite not having an IEP, I believe some students need a different setting to test or other method of doing something.
    
    
  • Standard 5
    This week, I have done more reflection all around, whether it be on data, behavior plans, or just my instructional skill set.
    
    
• Other:
• • What components of your portfolio have you started to complete?
    This week, I tried to focus primarily on collecting student work, getting my data organized, and focusing on my behavior plan for my focus student.
    
    
  • What support does your clinical educator need from your university supervisor?
    None at this time
    
    
  • What support do you need from your university supervisor?