2.3.17

THREE WEEKS DOWN. SEVEN TO GO. 

Weekly Rating: 4 out of 5

I had a pretty good week! My kids were totally wild and out of control, so that wasn't good. However, I had a really great observation this week.

• 
  
• Observe: What pleasant surprises / accomplishments did I achieve this week?
  
  
  Again, I had a really great observation. Obviously there were things that I could have done better with, but overall I really wasn't too nervous. I tried not to let it distract me and just kept on going!

• Reflect: What lessons did my work/experiences teach me that I will build upon next week?
  
  
  Sometimes the kids are done and so am I. I had one of those days. I need to take a moment to breathe and think about things and then just keep trucking. Sometimes it can also be best to just move on and come back to it. 
  
  
• Focus:  How are my short-term efforts and my long-term goals still aligned?
  
  
  I got my behavior plan going! This is ultimately going to help my students and my final outcome.
  
  
• Be Productive: What could I have spent more or less time doing?
  
  
  More time finding creative and fun things for the kids to do.
  
  
• Have Courage:  How did apprehension and indecision impact what I did and didn’t do?
  
  
  I'm not going to lie, I had a really fun activity planned for the kids, but I decided not to do. I was too afraid that it would be too disruptive for the students. I want to find fun things for the kids to do that won't cause me to have this fear and back out.
  
  
• Begin Anew: What is the first logical step(s) for next week? What mental clutter can I clear?
  
  
  I need to start getting everything organized for my parent night. It's going to be here in no time...
  
  
• What were some data you analyzed this week and how did it help inform your instructional decisions?
  
  
  I took a look at some scores and compared them to this years scores. I definitely think that Letterland has a big part to do with the growth in our students!
  
  
• What is one piece of advice you can share with other student teachers?

My advice: just go with the flow. I'm really not a person that worries about a lot of stuff or gets too caught up in the PLAN. I have found that this really makes my life a whole lot easier.

• What components of your portfolio have you started to complete?
  
  
  Resume
  Behavior Plan 

• 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 high ethical standards. 

Not going to lie, there were some staff members "gossiping" about a student, but I refrained. I try to take this kind of thing very serious. 

Standard 2

Teachers adapt their teaching for the benefit of students with special needs. 
I have a student that needs some modification in order to meet their needs. I made sure that throughout my lessons this week that I took time to show that student one-on-one attention. 

Standard 3

Teachers make instruction relevant.

We talked about shadows this week! In order to teach students more about shadows and connect it to their lives, I took the students on a walk outside where we looked at our own shadow and the shadows of various objects! 

Standard 4

Teachers help students develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills. 
After we looked at our shadows, we traced the outline of the shadow of a wall. Later in the day, we came back out to see if the shadow had changed. The students were forced to think critically about why the shape of the shadow had changed. 

Standard 5

Teachers function in a complex, dynamic environment. 
If you have survived teaching for more than a week, you can check this off your list. Everyday in the classroom is complex and dynamic. You literally have no idea what could come up!