3.31.17

My last blog... I want to start by saying that this is actually a very bittersweet moment for me. There were times when I never thought that this moment would come. However, it is here! I have successfully finished student teaching, and now all that is left is to present my portfolio. I will present my portfolio this coming Wednesday, April 5th at 2:00pm via Zoom. On April 6th, I begin working at Clear Creek Elementary School! (I was really hoping to have a whole week to do nothing but sleep, but I'm not complaining a bit!) I feel really so blessed to have been given this opportunity to student teach, but also to present early and begin working! I realize that it's going to be SO WEIRD to walk into my school everyday and not go to my normal classroom! But I'll just be right down the hall, so maybe the adjustment won't be so bad!

Weekly Rating: 5 out of 5

It was a bittersweet week again. I slowly gave instruction back to my CE throughout the week, and it honestly made me sad! But it felt nice too! I loved on my kids a little extra this week and enjoyed every moment that I spent with them. 

• 
  
• Observe: What pleasant surprises / accomplishments did I achieve this week?
  
  
  My CE has been doing this a long time, so of course she just jumped right back in with no problem. I was really pleased that the kids adjusted so well to her teaching as well. I'll still be in my class some on Monday and Tuesday next week, but I have my health exam to begin working on Monday, and my intake meeting with the county on Tuesday, so I'll only be in there part of the day. I think because we split up into small groups a lot in our class anyway, it was no shock for my CE to take back over. 
  
  

• Reflect: What lessons did my work/experiences teach me that I will build upon next week?
  
  
  This week I really accepted the fact that you are never finished learning. As my CE started taking back over she would say something or have the kids do something I would think to myself "Wow... I would have never thought of that!" She is just so amazing. I know that I have come a long way and I do feel very prepared, but at the same time, I still have so far to go!
  
  
• Focus:  How are my short-term efforts and my long-term goals still aligned?
  All that is left to do is present my portfolio! WOW!!!!!!! I just want to pass that!
  
  
• Be Productive: What could I have spent more or less time doing?
  
  
  I actually felt SUPER productive this week. I have gotten so much done! At this point its just finishing uploading everything.
  
  
• Have Courage:  How did apprehension and indecision impact what I did and didn’t do?
  My principal came in and observed me on Monday! AHHH! I was so nervous. But I had courage and tried to imagine that she wasn't even there. We met later that afternoon, and she actually thought it went really well. So, that was great!
  
  
• Begin Anew: What is the first logical step(s) for next week? What mental clutter can I clear?
  
  
  I want to practice walking through my portfolio presentation!
  
  
• What were some data you analyzed this week and how did it help inform your instructional decisions?
  
  
  I actually did report cards this week! My CE told me that I probably knew better than she did at this point, so she showed me how to do them, and I did! She of course went back to see if she approved of the decisions I made. Remember this is kindergarten so its mainly in reference to skills and they receive an "S" or "N".
  
  
• What is one piece of advice you can share with other student teachers?

You can do this!!! Just keep going, but the end is here!

• What components of your portfolio have you started to complete?
  
  
  I'm finished!!! WOOOHOOOO!!!!!

• What support does your clinical educator need from your university supervisor?
• What support do you need from your university supervisor?

No current support needed. Thanks for staying in constant contact with us, Dr. Sanders! Your feedback, encouragement, and support is appreciated!

3.24..17

Wow!! I made it! I do still have Monday and Tuesday of next week due to no school today! But that seems like such a breeze compared to everything else! 

Weekly Rating: 5 out of 5

I had a really great last full week in the classroom! It was fantastic. I realized just how much I'm going to miss these kiddos. But I had a really terrible personal week. My uncle passed away Wednesday, so it's been really tough. 

• 
  
• Observe: What pleasant surprises / accomplishments did I achieve this week?
  
  
  The kids have adapted  to my teaching so nicely and have really shown a lot of growth. It makes me realize that "wow, I can really do this!"
  
  

• Reflect: What lessons did my work/experiences teach me that I will build upon next week?
  
  
  Sometimes we have family and personal issues come up and in this profession, you can't always just take time off. You also can't let your personal life effect what you do. You just have to smile and keep going. That can be really really tough at times, but sometimes not so tough. My kids gave me hope and courage this week. 
  
  
• Focus:  How are my short-term efforts and my long-term goals still aligned?
  Short term goals: Finish student teaching with a BANG. And have all of portfolio pieces finalized!
  Long term goals: Finish student teaching with BANG.
  
  
  My short term goals are my long term goals now! This all means making me AND my students successful.
  
  
• Be Productive: What could I have spent more or less time doing?
  
  
  Same from last week! This seems like a silly question to me know, because I really could have spent more time doing everything that needs to be done haha!!
  
  
• Have Courage:  How did apprehension and indecision impact what I did and didn’t do?
  
  
  I really did have to have courage this week. It was hard coming into school when I knew how bad I wanted to be with my family, but I also knew that I had to do what I had to do. That took a lot of courage.
  
  
• Begin Anew: What is the first logical step(s) for next week? What mental clutter can I clear?
  
  
  My portfolio needs to be finalized! I'm doing pretty good so far, but April 5th is not far now!
  
  
• What were some data you analyzed this week and how did it help inform your instructional decisions?
  
  
  I analyzed some assessments that I gave at the beginning of my 10 weeks, and some that I recently gave. I can really see how much my kids have grown!
  
  
• What is one piece of advice you can share with other student teachers?

Just breathe. Time is something you can never have back. Take time to be at peace with life and accept things as they come.

• What components of your portfolio have you started to complete?
  
  
  I'm finishing up everything now!

• What support does your clinical educator need from your university supervisor?
• What support do you need from your university supervisor?

No current support needed. Thanks for staying in constant contact with us, Dr. Sanders! Your feedback, encouragement, and support is appreciated!

3.17.17

Only 1 full week left guys.... I don't rather to cry, vomit, laugh, celebrate, or maybe all four. 

Weekly Rating: 5 out of 5

As my student teaching is coming to an end, things are just really falling into place. I can't even explain to you how crazy of a week it actually was, but it just made me realize how ready I am for this. 

• 
  
• Observe: What pleasant surprises / accomplishments did I achieve this week?
  
  
  I did something a little different this week with writing in order to prepare my students for their quarterly writing assessment, and it went so well. I was so proud of my kiddos and the success that they showed. ALL OF THEM. My CE was really amazed at how well everyone did. Kinder's have to leave this year being able to write 8 sentences, which is a big change from last year. But honestly, I'm not worried about these kids. They are doing great, and I felt that the new method I used REALLY worked. 
  
  

• Reflect: What lessons did my work/experiences teach me that I will build upon next week?
  
  
  Always expected the unexpected and be prepared. We had a student start having a panic attack in class this week. The problem was, we didn't know that's what it was, he didn't know what it was, and it turned into a little bit of chaos. It ended up being fine, but I just kept thinking, "what would I do if there weren't other teachers in here to help me?" I was blessed to have a CE and a TA in that moment, but there will come a time very very soon when that won't be the case, and I need to be prepared for anything. 
  
  
• Focus:  How are my short-term efforts and my long-term goals still aligned?
  Short term goals: Finish student teaching with a bang.
  Long term goals: Finish student teaching with a bang.
  
  
  My short term goals are my long term goals now! This all means making me AND my students successful.
  
  
• Be Productive: What could I have spent more or less time doing?
  
  
  This seems like a silly question to me know, because I really could have spent more time doing everything that needs to be done haha!!
  
  
• Have Courage:  How did apprehension and indecision impact what I did and didn’t do?
  
  
  When a chaotic situation presents itself in the classroom, it is easy to feel apprehensive, but you just have to have courage, take control of the situation, and keep going. I felt that I did a relatively good job of this.
  
  
• Begin Anew: What is the first logical step(s) for next week? What mental clutter can I clear?
  
  
  Portfolio has got be completed! I present April 5th, so time is just slipping further and further away from me..
  
  
• What were some data you analyzed this week and how did it help inform your instructional decisions?
  
  
  I analyzed the writing assessments that I gave this week. Again, I was really pleased!
  
  
• What is one piece of advice you can share with other student teachers?

Enjoy every single moment. It didn't really hit me until today. I have two more weeks left with these kids, and then I won't spend every day with them. I begin working in a new classroom as soon as I present. I am seriously going to miss them SO MUCH. Luckily they'll just be a few classrooms down, but still!!!

• What components of your portfolio have you started to complete?
  
  
  I have began working on most all of the portions at this point.

• What support does your clinical educator need from your university supervisor?
• What support do you need from your university supervisor?

No current support needed. Thanks for staying in constant contact with us, Dr. Sanders! Your feedback, encouragement, and support is appreciated!

NC Teacher Candidate Standards

Standard 1

Teachers lead in their classrooms.

In order to find a new well to help make my students successful, I worked really hard to find something new. I found a four square writing map that really helps students. I felt like a true leader in my classroom as I lead my students in a new direction. Also in a stressful situation, I had to take control and show my students that I was a true leader. 

Standard 2

Teachers embrace diversity in the school community and in the world. 

With it being St. Patricks Day we were able to talk about Ireland, Wales, and other places around the world that were celebrating St. Patricks Day. We were also able to talk about Irish culture, which was a lot of fun! The kids really enjoyed it!

Standard 3

Teachers recognize the interconnectedness of content areas/disciplines.

This week we were learning about seasons. This was such a fun thing to learn about, and it was so easy to integrate into all areas. We talked about how seasons can affect people and the things that we do-social studies. We talked about why we have seasons- science. We graphed our favorite seasons- math. We read all kinds of books about seasons-literacy, and we wrote an informational piece about seasons- writing. 

Standard 4

Teachers help students work in teams and develop leadership qualities.

Students split up in groups this week to sort seasonal activities. The team that could do it the fastest with accuracy, won! It was a lot of fun and really engaged the students.

Standard 5

Teachers analyze student learning. 

I was able to analyze student's writing assessment this week which allowed me to identify any misconceptions that students were having. It also allowed me to analyze what worked and what didn't work for students. 

3.10.17

2 weeks to go! I repeat... 2 weeks to go!

Weekly Rating: 4.5 out of 5

This week was another really great week. I really can't complain! My parent night took place which was just an absolute success! I'm so pleased!

• 
  
• Observe: What pleasant surprises / accomplishments did I achieve this week?
  
  
  My parent night really fell into place! We had a really great turn out with a lot of positive feedback! There were people from the central office there to check it out, and it actually made it to the Henderson County School website! Go check it out! http://www.hendersoncountypublicschoolsnc.org

• Reflect: What lessons did my work/experiences teach me that I will build upon next week?
  
  
  Just have confidence and own what you are doing! Your kids know when you are confident and enjoying yourself!
  
  
• Focus:  How are my short-term efforts and my long-term goals still aligned?
  Again, my short and long term goals are aligned. I need to finalize all of my edTPA things, finish my portfolio, and continue to push my kids!
  
  
• Be Productive: What could I have spent more or less time doing?
  
  
  PORTFOLIO. edTPA. enough said.
  
  
• Have Courage:  How did apprehension and indecision impact what I did and didn’t do?
  
  
  I had a lot of courage at my parent night! I felt confident in running the night and being there for the parents. However, I was a little apprehensive at a professional development meeting this week. I didn't speak up and share as much as I would have liked. I felt overwhelmed by the number of people sharing, but next time I want to take that step!
  
  
• Begin Anew: What is the first logical step(s) for next week? What mental clutter can I clear?
  
  
  edTPA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  
  
• What were some data you analyzed this week and how did it help inform your instructional decisions?
  
  
  I analyzed the evaluation forms from the parent night to see how parents received the overall night. It was a hit!
  
  
• What is one piece of advice you can share with other student teachers?

My advice: Make sure that you have some sort of set long term plan. It helps!

• What components of your portfolio have you started to complete?
  
  
  I have began working on most all of the portions at this point.

• What support does your clinical educator need from your university supervisor?
• What support do you need from your university supervisor?

No current support needed. Thanks for staying in constant contact with us, Dr. Sanders! Your feedback, encouragement, and support is appreciated!

NC Teacher Candidate Standards

Standard 1

Teachers demonstrate leadership in the school. 

PARENT NIGHT! BINGO! It was great and I definitely was embracing this leadership role. 

Standard 2

Teachers work collaboratively with the families and significant adults in the lives of their students. 

By implementing my parent night, I was able to spend some quality time with the families of my students and lead them in the right direction. 

Standard 3

Teachers make instruction relevant to students. 

I really embraced the unit for this week and used it to connect with the students! For example, we were learning about weather this week. On Friday we read "It Looked Like Spilt Milk". We then when on a walk and looked at the clouds and talked about what we saw in the clouds. The kids loved it!

Standard 4

Teachers integrate and utilize technology. 

During instruction this week, I used the SmartBoard to show a variety of pictures to show different types of weather and let students sort through the pictures. It was very interactive and fun!

Standard 5

Teachers function effectively in a complex, dynamic environment. 

The week ended up being a little crazy, but you learn to roll with the punches and keep trucking on. You have to think quickly and not give the kids enough time to loose track of things .

3.3.17

SIX WEEKS DOWN. FOUR TO GO. 

Weekly Rating: 4.5 out of 5

This week was another really great week. Of course there are ups and downs, but things are really working out! 

• 
  
• Observe: What pleasant surprises / accomplishments did I achieve this week?
  
  
  I really just feel that God has been working in all things! Things seem to be falling into place and there is no doubt that this is where I am suppose to be. 

• Reflect: What lessons did my work/experiences teach me that I will build upon next week?
  
  
  Always be prepared! Always think ahead. 
  
  
• Focus:  How are my short-term efforts and my long-term goals still aligned?
  
  
  Honestly, my short term efforts are turning into my long term goals since I only have three weeks left! Its just a matter of making myself and my students successful. Also, my parent night is this coming week, so thats my main effort and goal at the moment.
  
  
• Be Productive: What could I have spent more or less time doing?
  
  
  PORTFOLIO.
  
  
• Have Courage:  How did apprehension and indecision impact what I did and didn’t do?
  
  
  I have gain a lot of courage lately and had really impactful conversations with my principal and instructional coach lately.
  
  
• Begin Anew: What is the first logical step(s) for next week? What mental clutter can I clear?
  
  
  PARENT NIGHT HERE I COME. I need to have all my materials ready to go!
  
  
• What were some data you analyzed this week and how did it help inform your instructional decisions?
  
  
  I analyzed some assessments that I gave this week and looked at standards for where the students need to be. This helped me determine where students still need work.
  
  
• What is one piece of advice you can share with other student teachers?

My advice: Pray. A lot.

This was my advice last week, but I'm holding strong.

• What components of your portfolio have you started to complete?
  
  
  I have began working on most all of the portions at this point.

• What support does your clinical educator need from your university supervisor?
• What support do you need from your university supervisor?

No current support needed. Thanks for staying in constant contact with us, Dr. Sanders! Your feedback, encouragement, and support is appreciated!

NC Teacher Candidate Standards

Standard 1

Teachers demonstrate leadership in the school. 

We had a few last minute meetings about my parent night, which I led. This allowed me to show and demonstrate leadership to others in the school. 

Standard 2

Teachers work collaboratively with the families and significant adults in the lives of their students. 

I called another parent this week to discuss behavior issues with a student and discussed new behavior plan to implement with the student. 

Standard 3

Teachers know the content appropriate to their teaching speciality. 

I looked carefully at kindergarten specific standards this week in order to prepare meaningful lessons for students. 

Standard 4

Teachers help students develop critical thinking and problem solving skills. 

During instruction, I constantly look for opportunities that allow students to think critically. For example, while reading "Cat in the Hat" this week, students predicted what they thought was in the box. 

Standard 5

Teachers analyze student learning. 

I reviewed assessments that were given to students this week in order to evaluate growth that students still need to show.