In the Classroom!

This past Monday, was really no different than it has been. I have noticed that everyday that I am in the classroom, that the students are looking at me more like their teacher. This of course is so great, because I am able to make connections with my students, and it has been eye-opening on how it has changed since I started in the classroom in August until now.

Monday I had literacy groups again, and I have noticed that my above grade level students have more behavior management problems, than my below-grade level students. It's sad to say but I love to teach my ruby reds, so much more than my emeralds or goldens. I think there are behavior issues because the work is not challenging enough for them. Monday I had to verbally express that the emeralds were being very rude, and not putting first things first during the literacy group.

I expressed to them that it is important that we listen so that we learn. I used a trick that I use in my Sunday school classroom, to get children's attention, I said "ears open, mouths shut!" This seemed to work very well with the students in my classroom, when they begin to get out of hand, I would say "ears open, and they would reply with mouths shut" and they would quite down.

I know without a doubt that I will have to plan my instruction to be more rigorous in my upper literacy groups. I wanted to learn more about how to manage behavior effectively, while also making sure understanding was being taught. I don't want my students to suffer because of behavior mismanagement.

I found an article, Education World: Behavior Management Tips

This article gives great examples that can be used in the classroom, that may help alleviate the problems arise from misbehavior.

Making Literacy Groups Fun, Fun, Fun!

It is official I have completely taken over doing literacy groups from 8:15 to 9:15 in the morning. I am not yet able to plan for instruction but I am teaching them. I am trying so hard to make these groups fun for them. I have noticed that the gleam of excitement is beginning to wan from their eyes. Literacy groups has now become something they have to do rather than something they want to do.
I too have a love/hate relationship with literacy groups. I love being with the students and helping them learn, but I have fallen into the rut of doing the same old thing with each week. I just want you to see the steps that are taken each week during literacy groups.

Monday:

1. Vocabulary
2. Teacher Read-Aloud of text
3. During and after reading ask comprehension questions
4. Do something that applies the skill being taught

Tuesday

1. Popcorn Reading
2. Fill out flow chart

Wednesday

1. Choral Reading
2. Finish up flow chart

Thursday

1. Partner Reading
2. Use completed flow chart to write a three paragraph story

Friday

1. Individual Read
2. Complete three paragraph story

The reading style may differ each week on placement, but the other is about the same. I want to make it new and exciting for them again. Thankfully, I am able to do that in my unit plan for my literacy groups. My students have now received their Ipads, so for next spring the students will be creating flags, listening to rap songs for children, and many other things I have planned for them. Hopefully, I planning for their needs but also for their enjoyment as well. I can look back many times from my educational career and see a lack of luster in instruction. I don't know about you but I want my students to want to come to school. 

Unit Plan on Demand!!!

Welcome everyone to the life of elementary education majors!

Is it safe to say that life is at its all time high level of stress for us that are facing, the task of creating a unit plan for 435/436.

I myself have gained the understanding that some schools/counties have pre-made or programmed material that must be taught in the classroom. This puts a damper on my free-range idea during my student teaching experience. To me that is somewhat scary because I will have to teach what is required and also not loose myself because I am having to teach the pre-made material. I am hoping that it is possible to teach what is required and also put my own spin on things.

I don't think that the pre-made instructional materials are the best for all students. As we know all students learn different and develop differently as it comes to education. We have the "goldens" who are above grade-level, "emeralds" who are grade-level. and our "rubies" who are below grade-level.

I am thinking forward to how to differentiate my instruction in the classroom based off of what I will be teaching them. I have to be honest and admit I do not see much differentiation in the lessons at my placement. What I think that is being brought forth as differentiation is separating the students into groups for literacy based on their level, and this is also the same way for RTI in which the students are separated for reading and math.

I want to be intentional in my differentiation and assume the position of following the NCPTS. Providing intentional and appropriate differentiation follows 1a, 2a, 2c, 2d, 4a, and 4c of the standards.

I found a really great video on youtube: I went and followed a great channel called Smartatmath:
This video focuses on differentiation in the classroom, so if you are struggling with how to implement this into your classroom you should watch this video.

Good Luck with your Unit ! You Can Do It!

Horses

This past Monday, I worked with my below-grade level group in our literacy group time. We reread a book called Horses, the students loved the book. Once we finished reading the book we were to make a flow chart of the story. I did not realize how hard it would be for the students because they have completed this flow chart many times with other stories that they have read during literacy groups. So, I thought to myself what in the world is going on. The flow chart was a disaster for them so I read the book again. I had not dealt with the group the week before when they first began the book because I was teaching science while they were doing literacy.

I read the book and stopped to check for understanding. Once, we finished we then attempted to do the flow chart again. Honestly, I thought to myself that this time would be worse. In actuality it was so much better, I guess the group was just having an off day.

Here is an example of the flow chart :

Once the flow chart was finished on Monday, on Thursday students were to take the information that they had put on the chart and create a detailed paragraph about the story. This group does so well following this flow chart into making their paragraphs.

Using technology to research!

So my students are doing research, on the footprints in the wild. The students were to find evidence on the footprints of animals and they were supposed to use their iPads that was to be assigned to them at the beginning of October. Of course teachers are known for their resourceful nature so my CE and I just had the students to do research from a book based upon their groups type of animal that was picked.

Some students did really well with doing the research and worked in groups just fine. While others had problems working together. I was working with one of the groups in the floor they were doing so well, and then I had another student come to me and tell me that one of the boys in her group was being mean.

The students were working on a chart in which they were to put what they learned, what they wonder, and something WOW! from the book. The girl that came up to me wondered if a porcupines claws were sharp so she wrote it in the "I wonder" column of the chart. The boy that was being mean told her "DUH of course a porcupine's claws are sharp!" So I when over to the group and asked what was going on. I was told, and I asked the boy if he meant to hurt the girl's feelings, and replied with a "no". I told him that even though he did not mean to hurt her feelings, he did. I asked the girl how it made her feel when he said that and she said " it made me feel dumb", when the boy heard this he apologized to her, and said that he was sorry for making her feel that way.

This all happened in less than two minutes. Not only did the group begin to work together better, their work was also better than all of the other groups. It amazed me how much it helped fix the problem when the other student was able to see exactly what the student that was hurt was feeling.

This made me think of my classroom management plan, and second grade standards for health education. We are supposed to teach students about bullying and teasing both of which happen so much to other students. Also, one of the goals for my school's improvement plan is to alleviate bullying and educate students about it. It is so awesome to be able to put things into practice that we have been doing in our classes at GWU.

Did I really just hear that?

Monday was a pretty normal day, if you call a day "normal" in a second grade class. It amazes me that even though teachers have free time while the students are at specials, its not really free time. I know that every time our students go to specials we are doing something. Monday I had the opportunity to stand at the copier, making copies of homework for the next two weeks. My CE and I stood there talking like we always do when we are alone. We began to talk about math curriculum in the classroom, and how I am to do it when I begin to student teach.

My CE explained to me that in one of her meets last year that they discussed with all of the second grade teachers to follow the pacing guide and not to worry about mastery. As I hope all of you would feel I was somewhat concerned. Many times we have been told to modify our teaching instruction so that it may reflect what our students need to grow. She told me that they were to follow the pacing guide, and they were told that the students would catch up. My CE then explained that this meeting took place because they were going back and focusing on mastery and not completing the pacing guide that had been planned for them.

As I said this concerns me because it has been drilled in us to make sure the students are picking up what we are throwing out. I explained to my CE that I would have to make sure that mastery is happening in the classroom, as well as following the pacing guide. Standard one of the NCPTS explains that we take responsibility for all students' learning.  My CE told me that the people that created the pacing guide that work in the main office have not been in a classroom for a long time, and do not understand that Common Core is so much more in depth than what they were probably teaching in the classroom.

I am reminded of a quote by Ernest Hemingway, "When people talk, listen completely. Most people never listen." Hopefully some of you other student teachers are gaining the knowledge needed to get you through student teaching, so that you are able to apply it to your career. I know now that I am going to have to create lesson plans that not only follow the pacing guide, but remain with what I have been taught and making sure that the students are mastering the skill that is being taught.

Behavior Savior!

Oh, the joys of misbehavior in the classroom. Don't get me wrong I have a wonderful class with only sixteen students, but even these "angels" have their bad days. I just want to tell you about the experiences that I have had the pleasure of being apart of while being in the classroom. This past week has seemed to present many obstacles concerning behavior for my students.

Situation 1:
Students were working on their research for the bulletin board, and two of the girls are the "Alpha Female", both of them have their correct way of doing things, and everyone else is wrong. We had a struggle over the pencil and who would write down the information about their farm animal. I had the girls to take turns on writing sentences for the information that they had gained.

Situation 2:
The students were playing a compound word game that are paper fly swatters and bugs. The students started to smack each other in the face with the fly swatters. Starting a ripple affect of being loud, and rambunctious. I had to make a rule that the students must leave their paper fly swatters on the table. I stressed this rule three times, and after the third time and  one of the students wanted to see how firm I would stay with the rule, I made him clip down. The students seemed to learn from this action and they were able to complete the game with mastery.

Situation 3:
A group of above-grade level students were participating in  a Contraction Bingo game. The students were doing well, and I was reading with a student in need, and my CE was working with another group. When I looked over to check on the group on student was propped up against the wall with her hands on her head and seemed to be having a hard time. I walked over to the group and sat in the floor with them and everyone got quite.  I asked the group what was going on, and that opened up the flood gates. I finally gained intel that two of the girls in the group were mad at each other and one was wanting to fight the other. Of course the girl denied, and I had to reiterate to them that if we don't have anything nice to say we shouldn't say anything at all. Once the girls apologized to each other I told them that if this happened again that I would have to resort in having them stay at their desk during groups, and reading the whole time. This seemed to curb their desire to be uncooperative.


I have found while being in the classroom that there are many times that we have to think on our feet as teachers when it comes to behavior. We cannot send a child to the principal's office after every infraction. We must become the "Behavior Savior" of our classrooms. We are preparing students that will one day be apart of this big world, and we must be fair but consistent when dealing with behavior in the classroom. We want to make productive citizens that follow the rules and excel in everything they are involved in. We shouldn't let behavior hinder their learning because we fail to address it properly.