3.24.17

Week just completed: 3.24.17  

• Rate your overall experience of the week: 3
• Seven questions to end your week:
• • Observe
    Though I have several checks left to show artifacts for, I was pleased with the amount I was able to check off this past observation. Also, I was pleasantly surprised Friday morning when one of my students brought me a container of gourmet cupcakes just because her and her mom wanted to. It was such a sweet gesture and reiterated that I am doing a good job and learning in this experience in how to improve.
    
    
  • Reflect
    Next week, I will definitely be finalizing all of my components in order to receive all of my checks on my standards. It is a huge relief to be done with edTPA but I feel like my time spent on that allowed other responsibilities (lesson reflections, etc. to struggle. So I will be picking those back up and will be up to date with everything by next week. I want to finish this experience on a positive note and feel like I've accomplished something.
    
    
  • Focus
    Short term, I've been tweaking my instruction to prepare students for their EOGs. We've began using scan cards in order to grade our Cold Read and Vocabulary quizzes, and that's for several reasons. One, it is a lot easier for me to grade via a scanner. Two, students are getting practice in for when they will have to bubble all of their answers for the EOG. That EOG score holds a lot of weight for these kids and what their future education looks like, even if it does not directly determine whether they pass or fail the fourth grade. So, it's important that their bubble answers are as accurate as possible.
    
    
  • Be Productive
    I feel like I have been spending a lot of time doing a little bit of everything. Therefore, I have not "crossed anything off of my list", so to speak. I want to begin tackling each component one at a time so that I am actively making progress.
    
    
  • Have Courage:  How did apprehension and indecision impact what I did and didn’t do?
    Completing this experience has so many "end of experience" goals where we are just in the process of finalizing things. The student teaching experience has come to a rapid close, even though we are not quite done yet. The graduat
    
    
  • Begin Anew: What is the first logical step(s) for next week? What mental clutter can I clear?
    Next week, I want to start with a strong set of lessons that will set the tone for the week. It is calming to know what standards I need to focus on, and plan instruction specifically that will target them. I feel like those standard checks are a mental clutter for me somewhat because I know what I've done to satisfy them, but explaining it via the lesson plans/artifacts is my next step to completing the task.
    
    

What were some data you analyzed this week and how did it help inform your instructional decisions?

This week, I looked at gradebook data to see which students I needed to focus my time and energy on. I noted that two students had experienced a drop in grades beginning 3 weeks ago. I want to be sure to pull those specific students in order to intervene, whether that be academically related or having a chat to make sure their day is going okay. There is a variety of needs in my classroom that can negatively or positively impact grades, and I've become very aware of that during this year long experience.

• What is one piece of advice you can share with other student teachers?

Make sure you guys are taking lots of pictures/shooting lots of video! You should always be recording lessons and getting student work samples, but it's also important take pictures of the class during parties, on field trips, and anything else that shows the environment of the classroom and the personalities of your students outside of academic demands. For one, it will be a nice addition to your portfolio video. But it is also a good thing to do to remind yourself who you're teaching.

• NC Teacher Candidate Standards (be sure to reference activities from your lesson plans to solidify your answer)
• • Standard 1A
    There were several moments on Friday where my CE had to step out, as well as take an absence earlier in the week. I discussed the importance of high school graduation in one of my lessons. It was nothing concrete or anything, but we had a discussion of what kind of work I had in elementary, middle and high school and how all of that led me to Gardner-Webb. This was all during a cause and effect lesson during ELA time.
    
    
  • Standard 2D
    I have been doing my research on research based strategies this week, and am collecting information in order to flag my lesson plans.
    
    
  • Standard 3B
    I did not have anything to offer this week, but in the plans I wrote for next week I am including some think-pair-share activities in order to allow students to ponder the content with one another. 
    
    
  • Standard 4
    Since Tuesday, I have gone back in my plans and reflected on what lessons worked/didn't work for what students. When students have free time, I would pull them back for some extra work on a concept I felt that they did not "get" during the lesson. The "ah-ha" moment they have when they're working by themselves makes it evident to me that they aren't just putting up a front that they understand it. Reflecting on this understanding has worked so far, and I want to continue to do this through my experience as a teacher.
    
    
  • Standard 5
    Again, I've been researching research-based strategies in an effort to identify and name them, rather than just incorporating them on the fly.
    
    
• Other:
• • What components of your portfolio have you started to complete?
    edTPA is completed, so that is a huge weight off my shoulders. I've also been updating my classroom website some and started to revise my philosophy of education.
    
    
  • What support does your clinical educator need from your university supervisor?
    None at this time
    
    
  • What support do you need from your university supervisor?
  • Prayers to finish this experience to the best of my ability