Update: 9-22-10
AR started slow but is starting to take form. I have come up with the title, “The Effect of Note Taking in a 9th Grade World History Class.” My guiding question is “How does note taking effect student achievement on chapter exams in a 9th grade world history class?” with the secondary question being “What note taking method improves student achievement the most?” Also, the research brief, first cop of the literature review, and signature page are all good to go. The process is going to be slow, but I feel the outcome will be worth the wait.
Update: 9-24-10
Now, action research is starting and the baseline data is collected. I collected the first test scores for my 2nd period world history and my host teacher’s 7th period world history class. The test scores were very good. I introduced note taking to 2nd period with some difficulty. They just did not respond to it. Out of the different methods I showed them, they all still use their own way of notes, whether it be outlining, summarizing, or bullets. On Monday, September 27, 2010, I will start giving them guided notes. I just have to wait and see how it works out; time will only tell.
Update: 10-1-10
Everything is going well. All of my documentation is done and signed. Yesterday, I collected some student work in the form of their partial notes. It seems like they are completing and using them. However, to see how the notes are working, I am going to give my kids a survey on Monday. Also, after the first test with notes, it seems like my hypothesis is right; the notes are increasing their exam scores, but it is still too early to tell. As of right now, I will continue to collect their notes, see how their scores change, and give them surveys to figure how it’s working.
Updates: 10-15-10
AR is going good. Next week, I’m going to collect my third set of exam scores and the 2nd sets completed notes. It still seems like it is helping but we will see.
Update: 10-25-10
Everything is going according to plan. This last data collection, chapter 4, of averages and scores was a little rough. Yet, I do not blame my students for the decrease in the scores because I blame homecoming. Homecoming weekend, I feel, had a big part in why the scores were low. Despite giving the test on the Tuesday after the test, I feel that my kids still were amped up from homecoming and chose not to study. The scores were by no means low, just below usual. Additionally, the notes were not as complete as usual, which could be another factor in why they were low. I will just see what happens on the next exam; this exam being a big one because we are going into ancient Greece.
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Week 2 Reflection (August 30-Septmber 3)
So far, so good! This week I started teaching more than here and there, which is nice. I am following the suggested Benedum schedule for the internship year. So, right now, I am teaching two periods. The two periods are second and third period, first period being my planning. These two periods are World History honors and U.S. History honors. Thus, they are two different plans.
I’ve have really noticed how much progress I have made since the start of my student teaching. I am very comfortable in front of a class, and I know what I am supposed to do each period instead of being a lost puppy. I truly believe I chose the right profession. I know it is early in the year to make this judgment (sarcasm), but I just have an at-home feeling when I am teaching. To top it off, I really am enthusiastic about what I am teaching and get really excited when my kids are participating and get the material.
I owe a lot to my mentor teacher because he has beyond doubt guided me to where I am today. He is a great guy, a great teacher, and a great mentor. We are very comfortable with each other and I think this helps both of our teaching due to the fact that we can help each other out. All I can say is I hope he continues having student teacher because he has a lot to give, and I hope that he enjoys me being there as much as I do.
My students are a great bunch of kids. They might be a little loud but they are extremely intelligent. In fact, from being around two different grades each year I feel I want to teach tenth graders in my career…….hopefully. Also, I really hope to have U.S. History as a subject I teach. My teaching, thus far, is going fairly well. I know the material and only have to research a little. Something I have noted that I need to improve on is taking that extra step and making sure I know even the minute details in some areas. The other day I contradicted myself during a class and I felt really stupid. I realized what I did later but was still pretty hard on myself…….they always say you are your biggest judge. So, I am definitely learning right along with my students this year, whether it be content, things about the students, or strengths and weaknesses in my teaching.
Now onto everyone’s favorite topic, action research. I have narrowed my ideas down a little more since my last blog. I am thinking about doing how note taking affects student performance. The other option I have is how primary sources affect student learning. I am leaning more towards note taking but I will finalize my decision this week sometime.
I’ve have really noticed how much progress I have made since the start of my student teaching. I am very comfortable in front of a class, and I know what I am supposed to do each period instead of being a lost puppy. I truly believe I chose the right profession. I know it is early in the year to make this judgment (sarcasm), but I just have an at-home feeling when I am teaching. To top it off, I really am enthusiastic about what I am teaching and get really excited when my kids are participating and get the material.
I owe a lot to my mentor teacher because he has beyond doubt guided me to where I am today. He is a great guy, a great teacher, and a great mentor. We are very comfortable with each other and I think this helps both of our teaching due to the fact that we can help each other out. All I can say is I hope he continues having student teacher because he has a lot to give, and I hope that he enjoys me being there as much as I do.
My students are a great bunch of kids. They might be a little loud but they are extremely intelligent. In fact, from being around two different grades each year I feel I want to teach tenth graders in my career…….hopefully. Also, I really hope to have U.S. History as a subject I teach. My teaching, thus far, is going fairly well. I know the material and only have to research a little. Something I have noted that I need to improve on is taking that extra step and making sure I know even the minute details in some areas. The other day I contradicted myself during a class and I felt really stupid. I realized what I did later but was still pretty hard on myself…….they always say you are your biggest judge. So, I am definitely learning right along with my students this year, whether it be content, things about the students, or strengths and weaknesses in my teaching.
Now onto everyone’s favorite topic, action research. I have narrowed my ideas down a little more since my last blog. I am thinking about doing how note taking affects student performance. The other option I have is how primary sources affect student learning. I am leaning more towards note taking but I will finalize my decision this week sometime.
Week 1 Reflection (Aug 19-27, 2010)
The first two days of school were interesting to see. Since I started before the students came back (Thursday, August19), I got to see what goes on the few days prior the actual first day. It was pretty much what I thought it would be…..housekeeping. However, I didn’t realize that you go over and analyze the previous year’s test scores. Despite some boring parts, which you cannot escape, I really enjoyed going these few days because it gave me some insight on what I can expect when I start my first year as a teacher. Plus, it helped that there were a few new teacher there so I could see how they reacted and did things.
Once the students actually started, things were back to the same old. I am with the same mentor teacher that I have had for a while. So, we are both very comfortable with each other and know each other’s strengths and weaknesses. Thus, this is beneficial to the students because we can help each other out to give them the most out of the class. The students are a good bunch of kids. I have some of the same students that I had last year due to me having 9th and 10th graders.
So far, I have a pretty good rapport with the students. They respect me, while thinking I am the young teacher that they can relate to. Yet, there are a few students that I can foresee thinking I am their friend, but I need to show them that I am their teacher and not their friend. Along with having a good relationship with the students, I am starting to develop a good relationship with some of the faculty and administrators at FSHS. They offer their assistance and guidance, which makes me feel that I am part of the community. Hopefully, this continues because this seems like the making of a good year.
The classroom is run the same way as before, we like it loud and for the students to participate. So if someone came into the room, they might be shocked but it works. This is something that I think I will continue into my classroom once I have my own. Looking back at my first semester of the program, I have definitely improved my teaching methods and confidence. I am no longer nervous at the front of the room and I can teach a lesson without planning, if needed. In fact, this week I took the reins and started teaching a few lessons without planning it out because my mentor teacher was busy. I still need to be a little more assertive and develop a solid management plan nonetheless I think it will come in time.
Thinking about AR, I am still kind of at a loss on what to do. After thinking about some of the ideas I saw last year, portfolios, bell ringers and primary sources are a few that I am looking at. I would use the bell ringers to see if they affect how the students’ attention, while the primary sources would be used to measure achievement, and portfolios would measures organization. I am still not 100% sure what one I am going to use, if any of those, but it will come, ready or not.
Week 8 Reflection (October 11-15)
This week was rough; it was spirit week so the students were very hyper. It really put me to the test. I’ll admit I lost patience a few times but nothing too drastic. My fifth period was by far the loudest and most hyper class of them all. However, I decided to give them a reward for being good one day. The reward being going back to their original seats……….BIG mistake. The day when they were moved to the old seats, they ate me alive. I could not get or hold their attention. My host teacher realized what was happening and he stepped in. I was really frustrated with that class and myself because I didn’t have the tools to handle them that day.
Although I was frustrated, I turned to research. I looked at a few different Google searches to find out some information. I found about ten ways, that I liked, to keep a room quiet, including: lower my voice to make them listen (worked) and proximity (worked). On the other hand, a few members of the class were gone due to decorating for homecoming. So, I’m going to try these things again with them to see if it works. Some interesting things I found that I want to use are playing soft background music and not letting them in the class until they are quiet. I guess this is what this year is all about…..trying things out.
AR is going good. Nest week, I’m going to collect my third set of exam scores and the 2nd sets completed notes. It still seems like it is helping but we will see. Planning is going according to plan, too. Nothing has really changed from before. This Friday, I will be crowd control for the homecoming football game, and on Saturday, I will be chaperoning the homecoming dance. It will be interesting to say the least. The semester is half way done, and full-time teaching has roughly a five or so weeks left. Man, how times flies. Hopefully, it goes as well as it has been going……if not better.
Although I was frustrated, I turned to research. I looked at a few different Google searches to find out some information. I found about ten ways, that I liked, to keep a room quiet, including: lower my voice to make them listen (worked) and proximity (worked). On the other hand, a few members of the class were gone due to decorating for homecoming. So, I’m going to try these things again with them to see if it works. Some interesting things I found that I want to use are playing soft background music and not letting them in the class until they are quiet. I guess this is what this year is all about…..trying things out.
AR is going good. Nest week, I’m going to collect my third set of exam scores and the 2nd sets completed notes. It still seems like it is helping but we will see. Planning is going according to plan, too. Nothing has really changed from before. This Friday, I will be crowd control for the homecoming football game, and on Saturday, I will be chaperoning the homecoming dance. It will be interesting to say the least. The semester is half way done, and full-time teaching has roughly a five or so weeks left. Man, how times flies. Hopefully, it goes as well as it has been going……if not better.
Week 7 Reflection (October 4-8)
Week 7 and it is going faster and faster. Thinking back, people told me how stressful the intern year was but I am not seeing it. There is definitely more on my plate but not too much for me to stress over. Since I am getting my feet wet, this week I tried a few different things. We discussed a current, controversial event over the Westboro Baptist Church and the Supreme Court hearing on it. It was very interesting to see how my kids reacted. For the most part, the classes really took it and went with it. After seeing how they acted, I may try to incorporate more debates into my classroom because almost every student had something to say, even the quiet ones. Another thing I have done is I’ve implemented bell ringers into the day, as well as, some creative lessons with drawing or imagining things. So far, everything has gotten positive results.
This week did have its success, but it also had its bad areas. I am still struggling with behavior management in the class. Rewards seem to have been working but I can’t rely strictly on them. I have been trying different cues to correct things, too. I guess this is what this year is about……figuring out what works for you. I can say I have am getting more adapt to deal with disruptive behavior. I even had to write a student up for unhooking the Ethernet from the back of a computer to avoid work; since then, he has been an angle in my class. One thing that has helped a lot is giving them a schedule, posted on the front board, everyday. The structure must help them……. Hope it all continues to go well…….but we will see.
This week did have its success, but it also had its bad areas. I am still struggling with behavior management in the class. Rewards seem to have been working but I can’t rely strictly on them. I have been trying different cues to correct things, too. I guess this is what this year is about……figuring out what works for you. I can say I have am getting more adapt to deal with disruptive behavior. I even had to write a student up for unhooking the Ethernet from the back of a computer to avoid work; since then, he has been an angle in my class. One thing that has helped a lot is giving them a schedule, posted on the front board, everyday. The structure must help them……. Hope it all continues to go well…….but we will see.
Week 6 Reflection (September 27- October 1)
O, how I love short weeks; it was a four day week with students plus a IS day today, Friday. Today, I got to see how an IS day functions. It is definitely a lot of meeting, listening, and sitting. Despite sitting in a hard chair for around two hours, it was interesting to see how a faculty senate meeting functions. …..it gave me some knowledge for later. Also, we went into our PLC groups. Since I am in social studies, I went in the social studies group where we had to complete a focus journal on something we had to analyze and figure out how to improve it; we chose WV Writes.
Teaching is going good. I have my days where I have to scrap things but so far so good. I had a little trouble with my 5th period class being too loud and rowdy. However, everything is better due to some help from my host teacher. I am still struggling with gaining respect and control of this class period. As time will go on, I know I will but it’s frustrating.
Testing is going good, as well. On Thursday we had the chapter 3 exam. All of the classes I am teaching got very high scores. It made me feel good because I must be doing something right. Additionally, I attempted an incentive system for a few of my classes to get high scores. How I did this was I offered the students a free day if everyone in the class got a 92.5% or above on the exam. Now, no class got the required scores but I am still going to reward them for how well they did. As of now, I am trying to develop an incentive system that rewards good behavior. I plan to have a point system in which the class with the most points at the end of every nine weeks gets a fun day. However, I have not decided what I can do for this fun day.
This week was also interesting because I got to play around with EdLine a lot more, as well as WV Writes. Both programs are fairly simple to use. To me, it seems like WV Writes is a good program. Hopefully, it is better than Writer’s Roadmap, which was last year’s writing program. It had a horrible grading system and just liked big words. After talking to another teacher about it, he said that it’s harder on grading but still has its mess-ups. I guess we will see. As of today, ten more weeks until my internship teaching is done…….I can’t believe it.
Teaching is going good. I have my days where I have to scrap things but so far so good. I had a little trouble with my 5th period class being too loud and rowdy. However, everything is better due to some help from my host teacher. I am still struggling with gaining respect and control of this class period. As time will go on, I know I will but it’s frustrating.
Testing is going good, as well. On Thursday we had the chapter 3 exam. All of the classes I am teaching got very high scores. It made me feel good because I must be doing something right. Additionally, I attempted an incentive system for a few of my classes to get high scores. How I did this was I offered the students a free day if everyone in the class got a 92.5% or above on the exam. Now, no class got the required scores but I am still going to reward them for how well they did. As of now, I am trying to develop an incentive system that rewards good behavior. I plan to have a point system in which the class with the most points at the end of every nine weeks gets a fun day. However, I have not decided what I can do for this fun day.
This week was also interesting because I got to play around with EdLine a lot more, as well as WV Writes. Both programs are fairly simple to use. To me, it seems like WV Writes is a good program. Hopefully, it is better than Writer’s Roadmap, which was last year’s writing program. It had a horrible grading system and just liked big words. After talking to another teacher about it, he said that it’s harder on grading but still has its mess-ups. I guess we will see. As of today, ten more weeks until my internship teaching is done…….I can’t believe it.
Week 5 Reflection (September 20-24)
Another week is done. This semester is going by FAST! As always, I have my good days and my bad days. So far this week, I have been fairly successful dealing with the volume of my students during class. I have tried a few different approaches, such as moving talkative students and raising my voice to grab their attention. The best way, thus far, is by raising my voice a little and being stern. I have never had to yell at them but a stern, loud voice does the trick. I don’t know why they response really well to this but they do. It may be because some of the students need this reinforcement, which was brought up during my observation by liaison, due to the fact they don’t get it at home.
My observation went pretty good. My liaison, Rosemary, had some insightful information for me. She gave me some solutions that could definitely help me in my teaching. She noted about the vast amount of questions and need for my attention. She thought giving them a time to ask questions and giving them something concrete, perimeters, would do the trick. I agreed. So, I have been putting up a schedule at the beginning of each day telling what was going on that day. It has been working pretty well. I went over what I expect from them when they come (e.g. sit down, be quiet, get out their homework, etc.) and they understood what I wanted. I will say this, the start of class and expectations are a lot better because the students are acting better.
Now, action research is starting and the baseline data is collected. I collected the first test scores for my 2nd period world history and my host teacher’s 7th period world history class. The test scores were very good. I introduced note taking to 2nd period with some difficulty. They just did not respond to it. Out of the different methods I showed them, they all still use their own way of notes, whether it be outlining, summarizing, or bullets. On Monday, September 27, 2010, I will start giving them guided notes. I just have to wait and see how it works out; time will only tell.
Today, Friday the 24th, I came in with a plan to teach my class content related things but my host teacher came up to me with an idea. He thought that since so much was going on in the news it would be a good idea to hit the kids with some of it. Iranian president gave a speech at the general assembly of the UN that 9/11 was a U.S. government conspiracy, Katy Perry and Elmo’s controversial video of Sesame Street, and few other topics were in the headlines. With my host teacher’s help, I showed them videos of the speeches and topics. The students were to write on the topic after we were done, by a given prompt. This was an awesome lesson that was spur of the moment. Plus, the kids really liked it and responded to it. Despite the down parts, this week has been good and I have actually learned a lot about my teaching practice.
My observation went pretty good. My liaison, Rosemary, had some insightful information for me. She gave me some solutions that could definitely help me in my teaching. She noted about the vast amount of questions and need for my attention. She thought giving them a time to ask questions and giving them something concrete, perimeters, would do the trick. I agreed. So, I have been putting up a schedule at the beginning of each day telling what was going on that day. It has been working pretty well. I went over what I expect from them when they come (e.g. sit down, be quiet, get out their homework, etc.) and they understood what I wanted. I will say this, the start of class and expectations are a lot better because the students are acting better.
Now, action research is starting and the baseline data is collected. I collected the first test scores for my 2nd period world history and my host teacher’s 7th period world history class. The test scores were very good. I introduced note taking to 2nd period with some difficulty. They just did not respond to it. Out of the different methods I showed them, they all still use their own way of notes, whether it be outlining, summarizing, or bullets. On Monday, September 27, 2010, I will start giving them guided notes. I just have to wait and see how it works out; time will only tell.
Today, Friday the 24th, I came in with a plan to teach my class content related things but my host teacher came up to me with an idea. He thought that since so much was going on in the news it would be a good idea to hit the kids with some of it. Iranian president gave a speech at the general assembly of the UN that 9/11 was a U.S. government conspiracy, Katy Perry and Elmo’s controversial video of Sesame Street, and few other topics were in the headlines. With my host teacher’s help, I showed them videos of the speeches and topics. The students were to write on the topic after we were done, by a given prompt. This was an awesome lesson that was spur of the moment. Plus, the kids really liked it and responded to it. Despite the down parts, this week has been good and I have actually learned a lot about my teaching practice.
Week 4 Reflection (September 13-17)
This week was a usual week. Planning is going according to plan. I am keeping up with it, which is a good thing. I am not really stressed about many things. However, some of my periods are very hard to control. I haven’t quite figured out what the best approach is to keep them on task due to the fact that I am still at a stage where I do not want to be the mean teacher and have everyone like me; eventually, it will eat me up. So, I need to work on my classroom management, namely the area of controlling my students’ loudness. I have used a few methods to gain and keep control. The one that’s has not worked has been using “I” and “me” statements; they sometime work but not always. So, I still am trying to gather up ways that work and don’t work.
Teaching everyday is nice. It gives me the experience I need while still having support from my host teacher when things go astray. I am getting more excited as my favorite time periods are coming up. The Revolution is one of my favorite time periods so I will be more enthusiastic about the time frame; although I am always enthusiastic, I just cannot help being more excited about this time period. AR is starting to come together. Check the action research area for an update.
Teaching everyday is nice. It gives me the experience I need while still having support from my host teacher when things go astray. I am getting more excited as my favorite time periods are coming up. The Revolution is one of my favorite time periods so I will be more enthusiastic about the time frame; although I am always enthusiastic, I just cannot help being more excited about this time period. AR is starting to come together. Check the action research area for an update.
Week 3 Reflection (Septmber 7-10)
Being a short week, due to Labor Day, it went fairly quick. Teaching each day helps the days go by faster, even when I am teaching just a few periods. Teaching is going pretty good. I am starting to get more comfortable with my kids. I’ve started expanding on my lessons, too. I am not just using lecture and discussion but group work and activities. I have also used some various positive and negative reinforcements to aid in my instruction. One of the positive being where I let two friends that talk a lot sit next to each other with the consequence of moving them if they talked too much,. Needless to say, they were moved shortly after the agreement was made. I am usually an advocate of unassigned seats, but I am using them in two periods because I got so tired of talking over the class. Don’t get me wrong, I love class to be louder and interactive but there are boundaries. With being in the classroom full-time I am really starting to get a feel of what it is like to be a teacher. It is not easy, by any means, and can be very tiring.
With this week being the week prior to 9/11 we have spent a lot of time working with issues surrounding 9/11. For instance, we have been using class discussion to cover the issue around the mosque being built in NYC and the projected burning of the Qur’an in Gainesville, Fl. These issues have made it really easy to incorporate current events, along with 9/11, in our daily curriculum. With Friday, 9/10, is the day before 9/11 we devoted the whole day to discussing the terror attacks and watching a CNN documentary. I feel that this is a good way to keep these events fresh in our mind along with teaching younger students about the events, since they were very young when it happened.
Planning is going according to plan. I created a lesson plan format, with help from a Google search, which my host teacher and I agreed on for me to use. This coming week I will be covering the rest of chapter 2 for my U.S. class and some of chapter 2 with my world class. Along with these classes, I will be adding another class into the mix. One thing for sure, I have to cover the U.S. Constitution in observance of Constitution Day. As of now, I think I am going to have them complete a fun fact worksheet and either create a bumper sticker (Thanks Clay) or an amendment of their own as a class. This week I am probably going to start gathering some data for my AR. Since there will be a test, I am going to see how they do without notes. After this test, I will give an intro on note taking and start giving them guided notes. I will tier the notes until the students are taking them on their own.
With this week being the week prior to 9/11 we have spent a lot of time working with issues surrounding 9/11. For instance, we have been using class discussion to cover the issue around the mosque being built in NYC and the projected burning of the Qur’an in Gainesville, Fl. These issues have made it really easy to incorporate current events, along with 9/11, in our daily curriculum. With Friday, 9/10, is the day before 9/11 we devoted the whole day to discussing the terror attacks and watching a CNN documentary. I feel that this is a good way to keep these events fresh in our mind along with teaching younger students about the events, since they were very young when it happened.
Planning is going according to plan. I created a lesson plan format, with help from a Google search, which my host teacher and I agreed on for me to use. This coming week I will be covering the rest of chapter 2 for my U.S. class and some of chapter 2 with my world class. Along with these classes, I will be adding another class into the mix. One thing for sure, I have to cover the U.S. Constitution in observance of Constitution Day. As of now, I think I am going to have them complete a fun fact worksheet and either create a bumper sticker (Thanks Clay) or an amendment of their own as a class. This week I am probably going to start gathering some data for my AR. Since there will be a test, I am going to see how they do without notes. After this test, I will give an intro on note taking and start giving them guided notes. I will tier the notes until the students are taking them on their own.
Week 14 (November 22-23)
This week was a very short week. Not a lot happened due to it being the week before Thanksgiving. With it being a short week and a holiday coming up, I was at a loss on what to do. I discussed what I should do with my host teacher and continued thinking what I was going to do. I did not want to start anything new, since they ended their last chapter either on the Friday before or this Monday, because they probably would not remember anything over the break. So, I decided to do a mixture of make-up work, an intro into the new material, and a intro into the next WV Writes topic.
The kids were definitely more rowdy than usual. I contribute it to the fact that it was a holiday week. On top of being rowdy, there were a lot of my kids out due to hunting and family trips. Thus, I am going to have to catch everyone up once they come back; this is one reason why I was at a loss on what to do during this week.
Lastly, I collected the last of my data for my action research. As f right now, it seems like my notes really helped my 7th grade, ninth grade class, but I still need to analyze the data from everything.
The kids were definitely more rowdy than usual. I contribute it to the fact that it was a holiday week. On top of being rowdy, there were a lot of my kids out due to hunting and family trips. Thus, I am going to have to catch everyone up once they come back; this is one reason why I was at a loss on what to do during this week.
Lastly, I collected the last of my data for my action research. As f right now, it seems like my notes really helped my 7th grade, ninth grade class, but I still need to analyze the data from everything.
Week 13 Reflection (November 15-19)
So, this week was the big week. My U.S. honor classes’ projects were due. Overall, I must say the process went better than expected, besides pushing the due date back. The students were not afraid to ask questions when they needed them answered. Also, they utilized the e-mail created for the assignment.
The projects, for the most part, were awesome. Although they had full freedom to choose their own project type, most of them used a PowerPoint/presentation or a video. Some of the projects were very serious and others were very funny. However, all of them were informative. After seeing the final products, it shows that my students really did have some fun with this and that they actually learned something. I was very impressed with the effort put forth by some of these kids. I am definitely using project based learning in the future.
Besides seeing some awesome projects, I saw something else that was amazing. The grades were made up by 100 points from me using a rubric and 100 points from the peers using a rubric; the peer grade was made up by an average of all of the grades given by their peers. Since I gave the students the power to grade their peers, I thought everyone would get 100s in the peer grading. Man, was I wrong! The kids were actually pretty tough with their grading. I must say, in some cases, they were harder with grading than I was. I was really shocked. Even with the tough peer grading, there was no grade below an eighty-seven percent.
Contracts were due this week. After having a few meetings with the interns and our coordinator the hours came together pretty well. My theme is special education. I did not really have a lot of experience with low achieving students so I thought I would gain my experience from the contract hours. Some of the things that I am going to do are co-teach in a social studies, inclusion class, observe a special education teacher, and tutor low achieving students. I feel pretty good about these hours, and I hope everything turns out the way I want it to; however, we all know how that goes.
Lastly, my action research is done! On Friday my students in my world classes took their last test using notes. On the other hand, I was not there to see the data. I had to go home to get my new glasses and will not see the data until Monday. After talking to some of the students, there were mixed feelings about the notes. Some students liked them and thought they were beneficial and other hated them. According to the previous data, they have increased achievement, except for the exam after homecoming. Once I have the last bit of data, I will update on the AR section.
The projects, for the most part, were awesome. Although they had full freedom to choose their own project type, most of them used a PowerPoint/presentation or a video. Some of the projects were very serious and others were very funny. However, all of them were informative. After seeing the final products, it shows that my students really did have some fun with this and that they actually learned something. I was very impressed with the effort put forth by some of these kids. I am definitely using project based learning in the future.
Besides seeing some awesome projects, I saw something else that was amazing. The grades were made up by 100 points from me using a rubric and 100 points from the peers using a rubric; the peer grade was made up by an average of all of the grades given by their peers. Since I gave the students the power to grade their peers, I thought everyone would get 100s in the peer grading. Man, was I wrong! The kids were actually pretty tough with their grading. I must say, in some cases, they were harder with grading than I was. I was really shocked. Even with the tough peer grading, there was no grade below an eighty-seven percent.
Contracts were due this week. After having a few meetings with the interns and our coordinator the hours came together pretty well. My theme is special education. I did not really have a lot of experience with low achieving students so I thought I would gain my experience from the contract hours. Some of the things that I am going to do are co-teach in a social studies, inclusion class, observe a special education teacher, and tutor low achieving students. I feel pretty good about these hours, and I hope everything turns out the way I want it to; however, we all know how that goes.
Lastly, my action research is done! On Friday my students in my world classes took their last test using notes. On the other hand, I was not there to see the data. I had to go home to get my new glasses and will not see the data until Monday. After talking to some of the students, there were mixed feelings about the notes. Some students liked them and thought they were beneficial and other hated them. According to the previous data, they have increased achievement, except for the exam after homecoming. Once I have the last bit of data, I will update on the AR section.
Week 12 Reflection (November 8-12)
This week was just another week. Nothing too drastic took place, nor did I go home wanting to quit teaching. Ultimately, it was not a bad week.
With my big project for my U.S. class coming next week, a lot of student were asking questions and sharing concerns. There were even a few that had never turned in their group list; so, I had to catch those students up since they did not have a topic or anything. In the end, I ended up changing the due date because so many students weren’t sure when they were presenting. Despite having a website with their topic, group members, and due dates and constant updates/reminders in class, my students still did not know their dates. I was a little upset because everything was already given to them in a concrete form that they cannot lose. However, if it lets them create a better project I am all about it. I am starting to wonder what I am going to get as a final product from a lot of my students. Next time I do something like this, I am going to give a sheet of due dates out and instructions and the web site. Also, I am going to list things around the room to remind them what is going on.
I am really starting to see the effect that assemblies and other activities have on a class. Lately, we have been having constant interruptions and assemblies due to the football team being in the playoffs. Don’t get me wrong, I am proud of the team, but it does mess up your plans. I can now see why teachers get irritated by these things. Next week, due to my schedule to get this chapter covered before Thanksgiving and the assembly, I have to combine two sections into a day, if not three, for my one U.S. History section. This will be one thing that I can never get used to, but it is just another thing thrown on a teacher’s plate that must be overcome.
Lastly, I am at a loss at what to do the two days before break. I know that they should be used to educational purposes but how much will the students retain. Many of my students will be out at least one of those days to go hunting. So, do I start into a new chapter, show instructional videos (intro into Rome and the colonists struggles before the Revolution), or give some worksheets/fun facts to them? On a plus, and sad, note, my internship is almost over. Three week left!
With my big project for my U.S. class coming next week, a lot of student were asking questions and sharing concerns. There were even a few that had never turned in their group list; so, I had to catch those students up since they did not have a topic or anything. In the end, I ended up changing the due date because so many students weren’t sure when they were presenting. Despite having a website with their topic, group members, and due dates and constant updates/reminders in class, my students still did not know their dates. I was a little upset because everything was already given to them in a concrete form that they cannot lose. However, if it lets them create a better project I am all about it. I am starting to wonder what I am going to get as a final product from a lot of my students. Next time I do something like this, I am going to give a sheet of due dates out and instructions and the web site. Also, I am going to list things around the room to remind them what is going on.
I am really starting to see the effect that assemblies and other activities have on a class. Lately, we have been having constant interruptions and assemblies due to the football team being in the playoffs. Don’t get me wrong, I am proud of the team, but it does mess up your plans. I can now see why teachers get irritated by these things. Next week, due to my schedule to get this chapter covered before Thanksgiving and the assembly, I have to combine two sections into a day, if not three, for my one U.S. History section. This will be one thing that I can never get used to, but it is just another thing thrown on a teacher’s plate that must be overcome.
Lastly, I am at a loss at what to do the two days before break. I know that they should be used to educational purposes but how much will the students retain. Many of my students will be out at least one of those days to go hunting. So, do I start into a new chapter, show instructional videos (intro into Rome and the colonists struggles before the Revolution), or give some worksheets/fun facts to them? On a plus, and sad, note, my internship is almost over. Three week left!
Week 11 Reflection (November 1-5)
Another week down; it was fairly interesting due to the fact that it was a really short week. I did not come on Monday because of an eye appointment, Tuesday was Election Day, and Friday was an early release with a pep rally. Ultimately, we really did not do a whole bunch of stuff. My 10th grade U.S. honor classes had a benchmark test, a review on chapter 5 and a test on chapter 5. My 9th grade had benchmark, reviewed some political cartoons, touched upon democracy in Greece, and had some debate/discussion on the elections. So, we may not have done a lot pertaining to the book, but we did do a lot of things dealing with the election.
I am slowly getting better at classroom management. I still have a few problems (e.g. gaining control after we get off topic or a student remark) and am trying to cope with them. After discussing some things with my host teacher, I am trying to work on my comfort level within class. I really feel that I am comfortable with my kids but there are times that I could be more comfortable. On the other hand, I can see myself being more uncomfortable with my 9th graders. I think it may be because of the content and their maturity level. The content is denser; since it is world history, sometimes they have a hard time taking it in and I have a hard time coming up with ways for them to get it. Though, despite the difficulties, I feel that I am doing a good job and my students are learning. After giving a review on the first two sections, I feel that they really have a grasp on it because majority of the class participated and knew the content. One conclusion that I came up with it is that the section notes are actually making them read, thus improving their retention. Additionally, I feel that the more emotion, energy, and enthusiasm thrown into a lesson helps them retain it that much more.
The last big thing of the week was parent-teacher conferences. They went over pretty well, and it was nice to talk to some of my kids’ parents. In fact, I got to hand a few on my own which was nice. The parents had a lot of input and good reviews on me from their kids. However, there was one that kind of downgraded me because they threw around the idea of me not knowing a lot and still learning. Mind you, I am a student and I am still learning but it still belittled me to an extent. I know I should get used to things like this because teachers, at times, can be accused as the problem not the student.
I am slowly getting better at classroom management. I still have a few problems (e.g. gaining control after we get off topic or a student remark) and am trying to cope with them. After discussing some things with my host teacher, I am trying to work on my comfort level within class. I really feel that I am comfortable with my kids but there are times that I could be more comfortable. On the other hand, I can see myself being more uncomfortable with my 9th graders. I think it may be because of the content and their maturity level. The content is denser; since it is world history, sometimes they have a hard time taking it in and I have a hard time coming up with ways for them to get it. Though, despite the difficulties, I feel that I am doing a good job and my students are learning. After giving a review on the first two sections, I feel that they really have a grasp on it because majority of the class participated and knew the content. One conclusion that I came up with it is that the section notes are actually making them read, thus improving their retention. Additionally, I feel that the more emotion, energy, and enthusiasm thrown into a lesson helps them retain it that much more.
The last big thing of the week was parent-teacher conferences. They went over pretty well, and it was nice to talk to some of my kids’ parents. In fact, I got to hand a few on my own which was nice. The parents had a lot of input and good reviews on me from their kids. However, there was one that kind of downgraded me because they threw around the idea of me not knowing a lot and still learning. Mind you, I am a student and I am still learning but it still belittled me to an extent. I know I should get used to things like this because teachers, at times, can be accused as the problem not the student.
Week 10 Reflection (October 25-29)
To start off, the week wasn’t too bad. The kids were welled behaved and everything else was good. The only downfall is that I found out that planned doesn’t always go according to plan. I had planned to get a little farther than what I did in my world classes but with assemblies and everything else I didn’t. I guess that is why it’s called a plan and you have to be flexible.
I decided that I have having my kids do a big project as their special assignment this nine weeks. They will be required to follow out class web page (Google wiki site) and create a project that they have approved by me. This is kind of a trial run to see how students can handle freedom, outside of the school work, and if they can get the project done. I am giving them ideas on what to do but I am not giving them a definite idea. Hopefully, my students outperform my hopes. One thing I am hesitant about it the time frame that is left in my internship and the time before Thanksgiving break; I have the tentative due dates before Thanksgiving but who knows if we will hit them or not.
Today was an interesting experience. My host teacher has had a lot going on due to a tree hitting his power lines and messing up a little of his house. In other words, he was not there this afternoon and they could not find a sub. So, I was there by myself with a teacher checking in on me here and there. This was really cool because it felt like I had my own classroom. I must say…..it felt awesome. My last class gave me a little trouble but nothing too serious and nothing that I couldn’t handle.
Another week done! I cannot believe how fast this semester is going. I know I say this almost every week but WOW! Around a moth left before I start handing the classes back over to my host teacher. Once this happens, I will feel relieved because it’s over but then I will also feel sad because I’ll miss my kids. However, since I am doing contract hours there, I plan on stopping in and seeing them whenever I have the chance.
Bringing up contract hours, I am not 100% sure on everything I plan on doing. I know my theme is going to deal with special education/special needs. Given that I may go back to get a certification in SPED, I think it would be a good idea to get some more experience with it. After doing an internship in an autistic classroom over the summer and attending a seminar on autism, I am really thinking about going back. I may not do it right away, especially if I get a job, but eventually, I would like to. I guess time will only tell.
I decided that I have having my kids do a big project as their special assignment this nine weeks. They will be required to follow out class web page (Google wiki site) and create a project that they have approved by me. This is kind of a trial run to see how students can handle freedom, outside of the school work, and if they can get the project done. I am giving them ideas on what to do but I am not giving them a definite idea. Hopefully, my students outperform my hopes. One thing I am hesitant about it the time frame that is left in my internship and the time before Thanksgiving break; I have the tentative due dates before Thanksgiving but who knows if we will hit them or not.
Today was an interesting experience. My host teacher has had a lot going on due to a tree hitting his power lines and messing up a little of his house. In other words, he was not there this afternoon and they could not find a sub. So, I was there by myself with a teacher checking in on me here and there. This was really cool because it felt like I had my own classroom. I must say…..it felt awesome. My last class gave me a little trouble but nothing too serious and nothing that I couldn’t handle.
Another week done! I cannot believe how fast this semester is going. I know I say this almost every week but WOW! Around a moth left before I start handing the classes back over to my host teacher. Once this happens, I will feel relieved because it’s over but then I will also feel sad because I’ll miss my kids. However, since I am doing contract hours there, I plan on stopping in and seeing them whenever I have the chance.
Bringing up contract hours, I am not 100% sure on everything I plan on doing. I know my theme is going to deal with special education/special needs. Given that I may go back to get a certification in SPED, I think it would be a good idea to get some more experience with it. After doing an internship in an autistic classroom over the summer and attending a seminar on autism, I am really thinking about going back. I may not do it right away, especially if I get a job, but eventually, I would like to. I guess time will only tell.
Week 9 (October 18-22)
Looking back at how far I have come, it astonishes me. Recently, I looked the video of me teaching last year and I see a huge difference in my teaching. I don’t get nervous often at all, and, now, I have a better handle on classroom management. Mind you, I still have lots of room to improve but I am slowly getting there. It all just comes with experience.
Something that I have learned thus far this year is that I really need to teach and review a concrete set of expectation and consequences. I feel, after talking with my host teacher, that this will drastically improve how my students react in class. However, it’s too late in the semester to try to start fresh with them. Ultimately, I’ll just have to wait to use this later on.
This week was the week after homecoming. I was crowd control for the homecoming football game and chaperoned the dance. Both were eye-opening experiences. Let’s just say, my children are not going to dances. I cannot believe how kids dance these days. On a better note, the football game ended without any conflict or bad behavior. Not only is this a few checks on the good, ol’ rubric but some valuable experience with my kids outside of the classroom. They seemed really excited and surprised to see me out and about. I will say this, it was an experience I won’t forget and I have fun.
Now, back to the classroom; the kids were so much better this week. The behavior was back to normal, if not better, and the classroom was a little quieter. My lesson plans were due to the principal this week, and after getting them all ready, I got good reviews. Maybe, I actually do know what I am doing……imagine that. As I touched upon last week, I researched a few different ways to get a room quieter. So, this week I used them and they work pretty well. I have only used a few but it seems to work. However, I see myself slipping back into my old rhythms and have to correct myself here and there. Thinking about my relationship with my students, I really do, for the most part, think my kids like me. I feel that they respect me - well as much as they can respect a student-teacher- and can joke around with me, too. I guess you can say, I am having a good year, but each day is its own battle.
Now onto the fun stuff, action research. Everything is going according to plan. This last data collection of averages and scores was a little rough. Yet, I do not blame my students for the decrease in the scores because I blame homecoming. Homecoming weekend, I feel, had a big part in why the scores were low. Despite giving the test on the Tuesday after the test, I feel that my kids still were amped up from homecoming and chose not to study. The scores were by no means low, just below usual. Additionally, the notes were not as complete as usual, which could be another factor in why they were low. I will just see what happens on the next exam; this exam being a big one because we are going into ancient Greece.
Something that I have learned thus far this year is that I really need to teach and review a concrete set of expectation and consequences. I feel, after talking with my host teacher, that this will drastically improve how my students react in class. However, it’s too late in the semester to try to start fresh with them. Ultimately, I’ll just have to wait to use this later on.
This week was the week after homecoming. I was crowd control for the homecoming football game and chaperoned the dance. Both were eye-opening experiences. Let’s just say, my children are not going to dances. I cannot believe how kids dance these days. On a better note, the football game ended without any conflict or bad behavior. Not only is this a few checks on the good, ol’ rubric but some valuable experience with my kids outside of the classroom. They seemed really excited and surprised to see me out and about. I will say this, it was an experience I won’t forget and I have fun.
Now, back to the classroom; the kids were so much better this week. The behavior was back to normal, if not better, and the classroom was a little quieter. My lesson plans were due to the principal this week, and after getting them all ready, I got good reviews. Maybe, I actually do know what I am doing……imagine that. As I touched upon last week, I researched a few different ways to get a room quieter. So, this week I used them and they work pretty well. I have only used a few but it seems to work. However, I see myself slipping back into my old rhythms and have to correct myself here and there. Thinking about my relationship with my students, I really do, for the most part, think my kids like me. I feel that they respect me - well as much as they can respect a student-teacher- and can joke around with me, too. I guess you can say, I am having a good year, but each day is its own battle.
Now onto the fun stuff, action research. Everything is going according to plan. This last data collection of averages and scores was a little rough. Yet, I do not blame my students for the decrease in the scores because I blame homecoming. Homecoming weekend, I feel, had a big part in why the scores were low. Despite giving the test on the Tuesday after the test, I feel that my kids still were amped up from homecoming and chose not to study. The scores were by no means low, just below usual. Additionally, the notes were not as complete as usual, which could be another factor in why they were low. I will just see what happens on the next exam; this exam being a big one because we are going into ancient Greece.
Week 15 Reflection (November 29- December 3)
This week is my last few days of teaching. It was an interesting week; even though, nothing really happened. Teaching went as usual. The week started off a little rough due to it being after the holiday but it was not anything too bad.
Now, that the teaching part of the intern year is done I am looking back at everything. I can recall my strengths (connection with the kids, content, etc.) and weaknesses (some aspects of management and being too lenient). However, I have learned a lot of things about myself and my teaching. Plus, I have learned so much about my kids. It is actually sad that I am done because I miss teaching and I know I am going to miss my kids when I leave.
On another note, my action research is done. I have all of my data done and put into charts and number forms. All I need to do now is finish my write-up.
Now, that the teaching part of the intern year is done I am looking back at everything. I can recall my strengths (connection with the kids, content, etc.) and weaknesses (some aspects of management and being too lenient). However, I have learned a lot of things about myself and my teaching. Plus, I have learned so much about my kids. It is actually sad that I am done because I miss teaching and I know I am going to miss my kids when I leave.
On another note, my action research is done. I have all of my data done and put into charts and number forms. All I need to do now is finish my write-up.
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