Observing in an elementary school made me confident that that's where I belong. Everyone's always smiling, and they're all excited to be there. Every day, I would walk in and all of my troubles from Davidson just disappeared. All of the students were so eager to learn and share with me what they were learning that it made it difficult to leave. So many of the students were willing to share their personal lives with me, through their work, and just the bonds I created with each of them. That meant so much to me, knowing they wanted me there almost as much as I wanted to be working with them. Something I struggle with during TGIF, is communicating with my students as to what they're supposed to be doing and how they're supposed to be doing it, especially since there are so many of the groups, and only one of me. Mrs. Chamberlain did a fabulous job of explaining the purpose of the activities to each of the students, and showing them the right and wrong methods to accomplish each of those tasks. That is something I've already started to apply to my genius hour class, and I know I can use that in future times down the road. From a student's perspective, I assumed the best way to handle a classroom is to be extremely sweet, and of course that's something that should be utilized in the classroom, I've learned from these observations that sometimes teachers have to reprimand students to refrain them from executing tasks that might potentially be dangerous or distracting to other students. I gained a great opportunity to establish how to deal with students misbehaving or struggling, without feeling too strict. Additionally, I learned how to use technology to its greatest potential, not just on the student's side, but on my side as well through the use of Evernote, and other applications. I know that'll be very helpful, as technology continues to make a lasting impact on our education system. Finally, I learned the best methods to help students grow from their level of intelligence as they start first grade, and as they end. And most importantly, I've learned how to help them achieve that goal, using all sorts of methods like "picture walks" and teaching them to really think about the story. What I enjoyed most about this entire experience was gaining the opportunity to work with students and help them achieve their "aha" moments. It was such a spectacular experience, that only excites me for my future and prepares me for teaching.
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The Map of the Learning WorldAlong with me as your tour guide, you'll also find I've added my daily journal entries, or blogs, to help guide you through the learning world. Feel free to check them out! Archives
May 2016
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