WHAT
This past week in school I started my science unit for the second time with another 4th grade class. I was really please with how it went. I felt like I knew the material better than I did the first time because I did, from being able to teach it before. I felt much more comfortable teaching the unit on soil this time around too.
The students also learned about how to add and subtract fractions with unlike denominators. Most got it, but quite a few didn't. It's so frustrating how much I can work with one child so hard and for so long on a concept, and they get it, and then the next day it is completely gone. I am just at such a loss with this and so sad.
SO WHAT
It was amazing teaching my science unit for the second time because time flew by so much quicker. The first time I taught my soil unit, the first day, it took me about an hour and a half for the students to complete what I had planned for the day. This time around it only took forty minutes. Which was awesome because it gave me so much for time to do other things that needed to be done.
It's amazing too the more you teach something the skills that come along with it. Such as the ease of teaching a concept like adding and subtracting unlike denominators. At first I was at a loss. I know the concept well. I understand it. It's a completely different ball park knowing a subject though and being able to teach it well. I think that it is a lot more difficult to be a good teacher than it is to be a smart teacher.
NOW WHAT
This next week I will be working on decimals in math which I am not at all excited about. My cooperating teacher told me that fractions and decimals are very hard for the students to catch on to. Hopefully I won't be too confusing and that they will understand decimals.
I am on the downhill of my student teaching and I find myself getting excited, sad, and stressed all at the same time. Sad because I have come to love teaching these children and being in an actual classroom. Excited because I finally get to graduate and be done! And finally, stressed because I will have so much do coming up for graduation. I'm just so glad that I have kept up with my blogging all semester long. :) I just need to really buckle down now and start working hard on my senior portfolio and putting my unit all together. Wish me luck!
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Sunday, February 21, 2010
WEEK 6
WHAT
This week absolutely flew by for me. My cooperating teacher was at a conference on Thursday and Friday, so there was suppose to be a substitute for both days. He was there on Thursday, but on Friday the principal came into the room and asked me if he could borrow the substitute for the day to put in another class. Of course I said yes and I experienced my very first day in the classroom, all day, by myself. It was so much fun!
Friday was the last day of my science unit that I put together on soil. I got to make my own test for the unit. I pulled together all the information that I covered on this unit for the students and made a test. Not all the students have finished the test because we ran out of time on Friday, because we had a mountain man come talk to us. Of the tests that I have graded so far though, the students have done fairly well and it's quite exciting for me.
SO WHAT
Since my science unit is done with, I will now start reteaching it! The 4th grade in the school that I am at does a rotation schedule when it comes to science. You teach a unit for three weeks, and then you switch classes and get to teach another class the same thing all over again. I've heard that this can get boring but for this unit I am actually excited. I'm excited because I will get to learn more about the subject and perfect my unit.
I'm also excited to see how my tests turn out from my class for another reason. This reason is because then I will get to evaluate and see where I didn't teach as well during my unit. Then come the next few weeks I will get to fix what I didn't teach as well and clarify it for the other two 4th grade classes.
NOW WHAT
I also get to start a new social studies unit this upcoming week, and it is on pioneers. I'm feeling excited and nervous for this unit. My cooperating teacher told me the other day that most her information about pioneers is in her head. So I am going to have to research a lot so that I can provide good lessons for the students.
In math this week I am going to start teaching about adding and subtrating fractions with unlike denominators. My cooperating teacher has told me that in past years students usually struggle with this concept and that it takes lots and lots of practice for them to catch on. I have really had to sit down and define how I am going to teach this topic clearly for the students. I'll let you know next week how it goes!
This week absolutely flew by for me. My cooperating teacher was at a conference on Thursday and Friday, so there was suppose to be a substitute for both days. He was there on Thursday, but on Friday the principal came into the room and asked me if he could borrow the substitute for the day to put in another class. Of course I said yes and I experienced my very first day in the classroom, all day, by myself. It was so much fun!
Friday was the last day of my science unit that I put together on soil. I got to make my own test for the unit. I pulled together all the information that I covered on this unit for the students and made a test. Not all the students have finished the test because we ran out of time on Friday, because we had a mountain man come talk to us. Of the tests that I have graded so far though, the students have done fairly well and it's quite exciting for me.
SO WHAT
Since my science unit is done with, I will now start reteaching it! The 4th grade in the school that I am at does a rotation schedule when it comes to science. You teach a unit for three weeks, and then you switch classes and get to teach another class the same thing all over again. I've heard that this can get boring but for this unit I am actually excited. I'm excited because I will get to learn more about the subject and perfect my unit.
I'm also excited to see how my tests turn out from my class for another reason. This reason is because then I will get to evaluate and see where I didn't teach as well during my unit. Then come the next few weeks I will get to fix what I didn't teach as well and clarify it for the other two 4th grade classes.
NOW WHAT
I also get to start a new social studies unit this upcoming week, and it is on pioneers. I'm feeling excited and nervous for this unit. My cooperating teacher told me the other day that most her information about pioneers is in her head. So I am going to have to research a lot so that I can provide good lessons for the students.
In math this week I am going to start teaching about adding and subtrating fractions with unlike denominators. My cooperating teacher has told me that in past years students usually struggle with this concept and that it takes lots and lots of practice for them to catch on. I have really had to sit down and define how I am going to teach this topic clearly for the students. I'll let you know next week how it goes!
Sunday, February 14, 2010
WEEK 5
WHAT
This past week I had my first troublesome experience. Teaching 4th graders how to simplify fractions is not the easiest task. In the beginning of the week I taught them simply how to make a fraction. They learned how to make fractions from part of a set and from part of a whole.
On Thursday however when I began to teach about equivalent fractions, I could see that the students were completely lost. I was so nervous to teach this lesson that I asked my cooperating teacher before I began the lesson that if she wanted to jump in and help at all to feel free. Considering she has more experience teaching this topic, I felt that a little extra help would be wonderful. Thanksfully she stepped up to the plate and helped me out.
SO WHAT
I have had to rack my brain on how to teach equivalent fractions. I had to completely change my approach to this lesson because I could tell from the blank faces that I was not making much sense to the students. I had began the lesson with teaching through manipulatives, but that was not working very well.
I decided just to have the students work on the worksheet that they were going to work on after they got the lesson. I realized that my best approach was just to work through multiple problems with the students. As we worked through the worksheet and the students got more and more practice, the students began to catch on and I finally felt some reassurance.
NOW WHAT
Because Friday was Valentine's Day, it was a hectic day with an assembly and all the Valentine's parties going on. So we did not get to have math, or our usual Friday math quiz. Tomorrow is also a holiday, so it will be another short week. So I'm going to have to really work hard to review on Tuesday so that the students will be able to remember the material from last week and so that they will feel ready for the quiz.
This upcoming week my cooperating teacher will be gone on Thurday and Friday at some type of conference. So there is going to be a substitute teacher. I'm not exactly sure on how to approach my teaching on these two days because I don't want the substitute to think that I am trying to step on anybody's toes. But I also want to fulfill all my student teaching responsibilities. It's going to be an interesting week!
This past week I had my first troublesome experience. Teaching 4th graders how to simplify fractions is not the easiest task. In the beginning of the week I taught them simply how to make a fraction. They learned how to make fractions from part of a set and from part of a whole.
On Thursday however when I began to teach about equivalent fractions, I could see that the students were completely lost. I was so nervous to teach this lesson that I asked my cooperating teacher before I began the lesson that if she wanted to jump in and help at all to feel free. Considering she has more experience teaching this topic, I felt that a little extra help would be wonderful. Thanksfully she stepped up to the plate and helped me out.
SO WHAT
I have had to rack my brain on how to teach equivalent fractions. I had to completely change my approach to this lesson because I could tell from the blank faces that I was not making much sense to the students. I had began the lesson with teaching through manipulatives, but that was not working very well.
I decided just to have the students work on the worksheet that they were going to work on after they got the lesson. I realized that my best approach was just to work through multiple problems with the students. As we worked through the worksheet and the students got more and more practice, the students began to catch on and I finally felt some reassurance.
NOW WHAT
Because Friday was Valentine's Day, it was a hectic day with an assembly and all the Valentine's parties going on. So we did not get to have math, or our usual Friday math quiz. Tomorrow is also a holiday, so it will be another short week. So I'm going to have to really work hard to review on Tuesday so that the students will be able to remember the material from last week and so that they will feel ready for the quiz.
This upcoming week my cooperating teacher will be gone on Thurday and Friday at some type of conference. So there is going to be a substitute teacher. I'm not exactly sure on how to approach my teaching on these two days because I don't want the substitute to think that I am trying to step on anybody's toes. But I also want to fulfill all my student teaching responsibilities. It's going to be an interesting week!
Sunday, February 7, 2010
WEEK 4
WHAT
Today was my first week teaching the whole day long. My teacher has started to leave the classroom a LOT more now and I am left completely in charge. It is exhausting! I'm trying to find my balance as being a teacher. I like to have fun, but at the same time there is work that has to be done, so I am trying to find that balance.
The hardest part that I have encountered so far is teaching science. My whole life I have done math, and writing, and reading. It's not every day that I talk about soil. I feel inadequate when it comes to teaching science because I can only teach what I have written down infront of me, I can't go off the top of my head.
SO WHAT
Because of my lack of knowledge in the subject of science, I have found myself having to prepare my lessons a lot more than usual. Mainly for the reason that I myself have to study what I am going to be teaching the next, so it takes more time and effort. I am preparing myself for the content of the lesson and preparing to teach students on the content.
There have been plus and minuses to this problem. The negative is that I find myself so busy this semester with student teaching and my math class I have to rush to at UVU after my student teaching, and picking up and dropping off my husband at work - that I am constantly exhausted. So having to take more time to study something I need to teach just wares me out. On the other hand it has caused me to be more responsible. Which is something I have needed for a long time. It's not like a paper that I might forget to due and can turn in to a professor late. I can't step into the classroom and tell the students that I forgot to prepare them a lesson but that I will do it the next day. It has to be done the previous day/night, and this has caused me to prepare myself more.
NOW WHAT
This next week I will be continuing my new unit on soil, teach about numerators and denominators, and having the students finish up their reports on mountain men. I am a little bit excited to see how the stuents do at the end of the unit on their soil test because I will be the only one responsible for their success or failure. It motivates me to work harder with them during that half hour time period.
I am scared for teaching about fractions and decimals coming up these next few weeks because I have heard that these tend to be very hard for the students to learn. I have been checking out different lesson plans and researching fun ways to teach these topics. I feel that if I can be excited about the things to come in teaching, that my students will be excited with me.
WHAT
Today was my first week teaching the whole day long. My teacher has started to leave the classroom a LOT more now and I am left completely in charge. It is exhausting! I'm trying to find my balance as being a teacher. I like to have fun, but at the same time there is work that has to be done, so I am trying to find that balance.
The hardest part that I have encountered so far is teaching science. My whole life I have done math, and writing, and reading. It's not every day that I talk about soil. I feel inadequate when it comes to teaching science because I can only teach what I have written down infront of me, I can't go off the top of my head.
SO WHAT
Because of my lack of knowledge in the subject of science, I have found myself having to prepare my lessons a lot more than usual. Mainly for the reason that I myself have to study what I am going to be teaching the next, so it takes more time and effort. I am preparing myself for the content of the lesson and preparing to teach students on the content.
There have been plus and minuses to this problem. The negative is that I find myself so busy this semester with student teaching and my math class I have to rush to at UVU after my student teaching, and picking up and dropping off my husband at work - that I am constantly exhausted. So having to take more time to study something I need to teach just wares me out. On the other hand it has caused me to be more responsible. Which is something I have needed for a long time. It's not like a paper that I might forget to due and can turn in to a professor late. I can't step into the classroom and tell the students that I forgot to prepare them a lesson but that I will do it the next day. It has to be done the previous day/night, and this has caused me to prepare myself more.
NOW WHAT
This next week I will be continuing my new unit on soil, teach about numerators and denominators, and having the students finish up their reports on mountain men. I am a little bit excited to see how the stuents do at the end of the unit on their soil test because I will be the only one responsible for their success or failure. It motivates me to work harder with them during that half hour time period.
I am scared for teaching about fractions and decimals coming up these next few weeks because I have heard that these tend to be very hard for the students to learn. I have been checking out different lesson plans and researching fun ways to teach these topics. I feel that if I can be excited about the things to come in teaching, that my students will be excited with me.
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