The Last Day

The Last Day

The last day of field experience seemed to go by really fast. I would have been okay with time slowing down a little bit. The students didn't know it was our last day until midmorning. I noticed after they knew we wouldn't be coming back on a regular basis like before, they were vying for our attention. During read-to-self, many students wanted us to sit next to them so they could read a book to us. I had one student read five books to me without much help. It was incredible because I had heard him speak very little up to that point. Another student was so proud of reading the book without any help that she smiled the entire time she read. They are just a great group of kids.
I can't say enough good things about my cooperating teacher. She would point out teaching strategies she used to encourage behaviors or stop a behavior. She told us how the room was set up and how she uses colors, numbers, and letters for organization. Keeping her classroom clean is very important to her, so she would tell us about things that are not allowed in the classroom like snow boots, food, or beverages. The students know that she expects a lot from them and they expect a lot from each other.
This class was an exceptional bunch and I'm going to miss them.

Recess...Snowy Recess (11/22/16)

Snowy Recess (11/22/16)

The students have so many layers to put on now that there is snow on the ground. Some of the students look like marshmallows when they head outside and I find myself wondering how they can even move around in all their bulky clothes.
The neat thing about the snow is that it has created an additional playground of sorts. There are students that are content with walking around in the snow or climbing on the snow pile for the entire recess. I even saw one student laying down in the snow, peaceful as can be.
Then there are the students that have discovered how much faster you go down the slide in snow pants. That area of the playground is filled with a constant flow of laughter. You can't help but laugh right along with them.
Unfortunately, many other parts of the playground are very slippery just like the slide. Kids are resilient and most of them take a little tumble and jump right back up to keep playing. Some take some nasty falls though. I witnessed one student running around the playground and his feet went right out from under him while taking a sharp turn. He actually got up fairly quickly, but I noticed how he would stop to rubbing his elbow and hip throughout the rest of recess.
Kids get bumps and bruises, it's as simple as that. I would much rather see them out playing and having fun instead of sitting back and being afraid to be active.

Let It Snow (11/18/16)

Let It Snow (11/18/16)

There is a new student in the classroom that had never seen snow until today. The snowflakes started falling midmorning and it was quite a show. The flakes were bigger than normal, falling faster than normal, and actually accumulating on the ground to create a white blanket over everything. There is something about the first snowfall each year that is exciting for children and adults alike, but the look of astonishment on this student's face is something I will never forget.
My cooperating teacher took the student outside to touch the snow. The student came back into the classroom with a handful of snow with the intent to keep it. Adorable. Naturally this student was unaware that snow melts and the snowball was quickly moved to the classroom sink before creating a puddle.
I don't remember what it was like to see snow for the first time because it has been such a regular part of my life, so being able to witness this moment for one of the students was pretty neat.

Art Class (11/8/16)

Art Class (11/8/16)

Today I stayed in the classroom for an entire day. My time with the class is usually finished when the students are finishing up lunch and getting ready to go outside for recess. I was excited to stay the entire day to experience what they did for their specialist time.
Art class was an eye-opening experience indeed. I joined the students for a painting day and it was best described as controlled chaos. It was worth it just to be there and watch them try to put on paint shirts. Quite a few students ended up with their heads coming out of an arm hole and it was pretty humorous. They were using watercolor to fill in a circle as part of a two-class project. I was impressed by how many students listened and started with yellow and worked their way to the darker colors. Some of the students were very precise and particular about the colors and some students didn't seem to care and enjoyed the act of using the paints without any concern for the outcome. It will be interesting to see how they all look once they've had a chance to dry.

Reflecting

Reflecting on my experience as a whole, I'm happy with how my field experience went. I'm sad that it is over and I'll miss many parts of it. There were downsides, but I'm going to miss waking up and seeing my kiddos each day. I made a connection with many of them, including some I never thought I would. I think I gained a lot of insight from this experience. It was my second field experience in a Kindergarten classroom, and while it is not what I expect to want to teach in the future, seeing it from two different perspectives and classrooms is very interesting and beneficial. It was my first time in a St Cloud area school as well, which was also very different from what I am used to. It was 5 weeks of hard work, but I'm happy to be moving on closer towards the ultimate goal. Field experience is great, but I cannot wait to student teach.

Last Day

The last day of field experience was bittersweet. I lead the morning meeting and smartboard slides instead of the CT and it was a great learning experience. I received a book from the students with their names signed on the cover. It was nice to see that I had made some strides in my classroom management and gained valuable experience.

The benefit of building relationships

On my second to last day I had the opportunity to spend the entire day in my classroom. There is one student that I have been spending a little extra time with to try to encourage him to stay in the classroom. That morning, I told him that I had a secret for him, that I was going to spend the whole day with them and that we had some fun activities planned. I kept reminding him throughout the day of the fun activities throughout the day. We were able to have a lot of really good conversations about his favorite things to do, who his friends were, and more.

By the end of the day I was shocked. This student managed to spend the entire day with his class besides the small portion that he was pulled out to talk with the social worker. This is the same student who has not spent an entire morning in his classroom, let alone the entire day since kindergarten. On the last day, he unfortunately had a rough morning and ran away within the first hour. Before I left the building I found him and talked with him for a little bit before I left. I believe that the positive relationship that we have made was a big reason of why he stayed in the classroom that day. That experience gave me hope for his future as well as mine. I hope that I can make a difference like that on many other students as well.

Taking Over

On my final two days of field experience I had the opportunity to teach multiple lessons. The teacher I was working with took Thursday and Friday off to go hunting, leaving us with two different substitutes. On the first day I ran the morning meeting, read a book and ran class discussions about the book. I also had the privilege of teaching math both days. In those two days I learned more than I learned this whole semester. There is nothing like first-hand experience.

On the first day, no-one wanted to be the bad guy. This made the students a little rowdy and talkative. The substitute teacher only told the students to be quiet. On second day I decided to give out warnings and give them choices between behaving and losing privileges (recess in the morning and free time in the afternoon). This made the whole day run more smoothly. The students listened and completed their work. I got through everything left on the sub notes. It was a great lesson for me in classroom management. Even though I dislike taking away recess, it is what they are accustomed to losing for misbehavior. I had to stick with the management style their usual teacher used and it worked. Only warnings were issued and no one had to lose recess, thankfully.    

What We Don't Hear About

My last day with the kiddos was not like anything I've ever expected. I thought that it would definitely be hard to say goodbye, but I never thought of a scenario like what happened. One of my students shut down on Friday. After we, my cooperate partner and I, gave the class a thank you card for this opportunity to learn, one of my students shut down and went into the fetal position. This student does not usually carry behavioral problems nor does he do poorly for staying on task. The student, I noticed from the beginning of the experience has a difficult time keeping his hands to himself. What I wasn't told, was that this student spent most of his life living with his mom, was sent to a refugee camp, then flown to North Dakota to live with his dad. His dad then moved them to St. Cloud. My student was in the fetal position for 30 minutes. Five different adults had attempted to get him up and active, but each failed. It wasn't until we notified the vice principal that we, teachers, were informed of the student's living situation and that the chances of me and my cooperate partner may have triggered something. What we don't hear about is the trauma some kids experience and how to bring them back to an active participant in class.

Last Day

Friday was the last day of field experience and it was a laid back day to just enjoy with the students I have gotten to know through these past couple of weeks. I got to experience an assembly that the students had for the end of trimester one. As usual went to the library to pick out books, did an activity, and had fun Friday. During fun Friday, the students gave my partner and I handwritten letters by them. They were all fun to read. Our cooperating teacher gave us "starting teacher kit" with some things that teachers need when they start teaching. That was a very cool idea. As we said goodbye, our students said goodbye and gave us a hug. Most of them said "feel free to come back and visit us." It was a fun last day we got to spend with them.

This is see you later, Ms. Ashley!

Friday was the last day of field experience. The whole week the Kindergarteners kept asking when my partner and I would be leaving to go back to our school. Though they did not want us to leave, they were eager to give us a surprise they had been planning for us (without telling us there was a surprise for our last day)!
When Friday hit, the Kindergarteners were very sadden to say their final goodbyes to my partner and I. Right before we got the students ready for lunch, my cooperating teacher gave us our surprise she and the students made for us (a book of pictures they colored and wrote about themselves so we would not forget them). We were given our books and had time to talk to each student about what they colored and why they chose that. During this time, the students were excited to describe their picture, forgetting that in 10 minutes we would be leaving to go back to our school.
On the way to lunch, I was walking with one little boy who was attached to my hip at all times during my field experience. He said to me, "Can I tell you something, Ms. Ashley?" I surely said "Yes, what's up?" He says to me, "You know, since you are going to be a teacher, one day I know you will be my teacher so I'm giving you a see you later hug!" As cute as his statement was and as much as it made me happy he was eager to have me as his teacher later on, it was very hard to explain to him that I would not be his teacher as I hope to teach Kindergarteners or 1st graders when the time comes. So instead of disappointing him, I said, "You know what, maybe one day I will be your teacher!"The smile on his face made me think I made the right choice of becoming a future educator!
This experience brought with it happy times and memories, challenges with multiple personalities of the students, but most importantly made me realize that teaching is what I am supposed to do with my life. I want to be the teacher students are excited to see each day. I want to be a positive role model in young children's lives. I want to show children they can succeed even when given challenges they have no control over in their lives. Because of this experience, I cannot wait to have my own classroom!

Final Week

       My last week during field experience was surely a sad one.  During my last day, I was assisting students with their snowman art projects.  As an educator, I was calling students up one by one, telling them how the project was to be done.  In my personal opinion, hands on time is the best time to get to know your students more and understand their specific learning styles.  Beings this was my last day, the students couldn't stay on task due to the fact that I was leaving in an hour.  Despite it being such a hard challenge, I had to keep a lot of the students on task.  The ending was hard, saying goodbye to everyone and knowing how everyone in that class would grow up to be exceptional students.  I must say, I had a great time in the field.  I can't wait for next semester!

Last Week

The last week of field experience was awesome as I had the opportunity to work on running the morning meeting and daily 5 by myself. I was able to get a better understanding on the preparation and time it takes to set up even the littlest things during a school day. My teacher gave me helpful feedback on different ways to keep students on track while not disrupting the flow of the classroom. I enjoyed my last week as I was able to do things I had not done previously.

Last Day Blues

Well yesterday was the last day and it was a lot harder than I anticipated it would be. Saying goodbye to all the students who I had become so close with was so very hard. They each made my partner and I cards and I received a hugs from each students about 3 times. my partner and I went together to get a few books for their classroom, a new pencil equipped with an extra eraser for each student and a new stapler for our co-teacher (we may have been to aggressive with her old one and caused it to break). Over all I loved this experience. I connected so well with my co-teacher and each student  I really felt like I belonged in the classroom. I already have a day scheduled that I am going back to volunteer in my own time. I know that my co-teacher  is someone that I can go to with anything and she will be there to answer any questions that I may have. This  is a chapter  in my life that I am sad to be closing but I am so excited to see where the next chapter will take me.

Last day...

Friday was our last day in our field experience classroom. It was a bitter sweet day for me. I'm excited about it being the end because that means I am one step closer to getting my license while it is sad to leave the class that I have become so fond of.  My students each made myself and my other student teacher cards while her and I gave them cupcakes for their snack that day.  Many students told me that they were going to me and to be honest, I am going to miss them too.
My overall experience was something that I will never forget. There were times that were difficult and the students really tested my limits but overall this experience was so rewarding.  I have learned so much about classroom management and about how to effectively teach literature in the classroom. This class was the most diverse class I have ever observed and so this field experience really taught me to see the different learning styles. We can always read about how to be a good teacher and see the differences in how students learn but it's these hands-on experiences that really show us how to be an effective teacher.

--Nicole

Last Day!

Yesterday was a very sad day for me. I grew very attached to my class and my cooperating teacher, and leaving them all was difficult. My kids were always willing to learn, ready to help out in any way they could, and always excited to be at school. It was such a fun group, I’m thankful that I got to spend my first field experience in Minnesota with this class. I learned a lot about classroom management, guided reading, integrating technology into my class, and how to help students succeed. It’s a bittersweet moment because I am excited to say this marks the end of my Block 1, and I get to move closer to my career as a teacher. But I am also extremely sad to leave such a wonderful group of kids. I learned so much this passed month, and I cannot wait to learn more as my semesters move forward.

Last Day

The last day was extremely difficult for me. I was extremely connected with the students and I wanted to stay. I definitely am sure that I picked the right major now and I think that I am going to be an excellent educator. I made some connections with some extremely challenging students and even my cooperating teacher commented that I worked with students that have behavioral issues extremely well. It has made me reconsider getting just an elementary ed major and instead double majoring in special ed as well. I also have decided that I am going to volunteer at the school in a para aspect. They definitely need help there and I have made some connections and think I could continue doing good things in that school.

Last Day

Today was my last day with the kindergarteners, as well as their last day of the trimester. They started out the morning with an assembly that gave recognition to kids K-6 for sports, academics, ect. A couple kids from my class had their named called and stood up with the biggest smiles. It was so cute to see and I think that was a great way to make them feel special and finish off the trimester on a positive note. Afterwards, we went back to the classroom and the kids made my partner and I goodbye cards. They were so excited to give them to us and show what they drew/wrote. One student tried to write I will miss you and spelt it like- iwilmisyu and I thought that was so adorable, especially because they are just learning how to spell those kind of words. Their kind words make me really excited about the future and reassures my choice to be an elementary teacher. :)

Last Day

Today was the last day and it was very bittersweet. It is nice knowing that the semester is at an end, but sad to leave the kids. I've grown so close to many of them throughout the last 5 weeks and I'll miss them a lot. We had a school assembly for half an hour today and went to library. The kids have been much better behaved this week than during previous weeks, which was a nice change of pace. My partner and I made every student a bookmark with a Dr. Seuss quote and their name typed on it. The students absolutely loved it and I got many hugs before we left :) It was so sad to leave them. They were all great and I had such a great experience with the kids. They were a great group.

Looking Back

Looking back at the last few weeks I have been extremely lucky! At the beginning of my Field Experience I was very unsure of my cooperating teacher and how she runs her classroom. She is very organized, yet also very strict. She has high expectations for her students, myself, and my field experience partner. She kept us very busy with morning meetings every morning, grading papers, working or rhyming, sight words, guided reading groups, read alouds, and art projects. I also can't forget about the not-so-glamorous jobs of wiping desks and chairs, cleaning up crumbs off the ground, and cutting endless amounts of apples for snack time. During the times that we needed help, my cooperating teacher was always there to lend a helping hand, whether she was annoyed or happy to help, she used every moment as a teaching moment for my field experience partner and I. I'll take everything that she has taught us and use that in my future field experience and in my own classroom one day.

Looking back I have learned so much throughout the past five weeks and I wouldn't trade any of these moments and memories for anything! Most student teachers don't do anything during their field experience expect what they have to do for assignments. I never thought that I would be given these opportunities and such freedom in the classroom and I'm forever grateful for this adventure!

I never thought that I would get attached to a classroom so quickly. As I left today and saying good-bye to the students it broke my heart a little bit. I can't wait to see each other these students grow into great students and see where life takes them on their own adventures!

Baby Bears

Yesterday I taught the reading lesson to the 2nd grade class. Every tuesday and wednesday we read a story out of our reading wonders book. Last week my co-teacher asked if I would teach the lesson this week. The story was about Baby Bears and the genre was expository text. My co-teacher told me to prepare several questions throughout the story that I can ask the students to check their comprehension. I gave the lesson yesterday and it went great. The students were engaged during the story and participated much more than I thought they would. My co-teacher said she was very pleased with how it went!

Last Day :(

Today was our last day in our field experience, and I was very sad to leave! It was really fun being in a real classroom everyday. I learned a lot from my cooperating teacher. I have found many classroom management tools that worked well in my cooperating teacher's class, and I have learned just how important the words you choose when teaching are. My favorite part of my field experience was doing a morning meeting. When I conducted my morning meeting, I got to plan an actual activity. I loved leading something that required some planning. This experience has made me very eager to become a teacher in my own classroom.

Small Group Lesson

Today, I taught two small group mini lessons for a higher level and lower level reading group. There were multiple different parts to this mini lesson. With the lower level group I laid out flash cards of different words with the middle "E" sound, for example the word red. Each word had a matching pair word, so when these cards were flipped upside down each student had to try to find each matching pair of words. Then, once each student had at least one word pair I would have them say the word, then come up with a sentence that has that word in it. The next activity the lower level group had to do was I gave them a paper book with a story that had words with that same middle "E" sound. Then, I would tell each student that "I see two words with that "E" sound and they are bed and red." "Can you find those words in this sentence and highlight them?" After they got done finding all the words with the "E" sound we read the story together. Another activity that both groups had to do was, I gave each student a sheet with five sentences that were incorrectly put together. The students then had to find out what was wrong with each sentence and write it correctly bellow. With the higher level group they did a different activity than the matching and story. For them, I gave them each a chapter book and I assigned each of them to read one paragraph to read.

Teaching these different level groups was very striking to me because, I had to be very specific with the lower level group on directions. With the higher level group I had to tell them directions once and they understood it. I think this just goes to show that with small group lessons you can really get that individual work in with students, if they are in groups with other students at their same level. Rather than if you are teaching the whole class you kind of have to go with the flow because, if one student isn't getting the lesson you don't want to hold up the whole class when that student is struggling. But, after you are done teaching the lesson you can go sit with that student individually and help him/her.

Birthdays!

Today was one of my student’s birthdays so I got to experience what my cooperating teacher does for birthdays! The first thing I noticed was the birthday girl got a crown, a balloon on her locker, and a cute card with a pencil. During our morning meeting (or circle time), the kids got to “bake a cake.” The birthday girl chose what flavor cake and what flavor icing we made it with. We all stood in a circle and pretended to make a cake! We poured in the flour, the sugar, the milk, the butter, and then we mixed it all up. The birthday girl got to choose how long we “bake” it for, and then we get to ice it. Then she stood in the middle of the circle, we all acted as candles and walked around her singing “Happy Birthday”. It was such a cute little idea, and the kids LOVE it. She also explained why we were celebrating two of the students’ birthdays on the wrong days. One of the students had a June birthday so we celebrated her half birthday, and the other student had a birthday during winter break!

It was so fun and exciting to see the kids celebrate a birthday, and it was fun to get to see how my cooperating teacher does a birthday celebration.

Eating Orange Peels

I have really appreciated the memories and great moments this field experience has provided me.  Every single day I have found myself laughing and smiling with my students.  I'd like to share one of my favorite moments.  There is a student in my class who has quite the appetite and an appreciation for everything the school lunch has to offer.  During one of the lunches I noticed that this student was eating an orange, peel and all.  It was eaten in the style that one might eat an apple, and it didn't seem to faze the student in the slightest.  The next day at lunch I noticed that this same student had apple slices, but would only eat the actual apple fruit and spit out the apple skin.  To each their own, but I couldn't get over how funny I thought this students dietary habits were.  If teaching will allow me to keep having these great experiences and moments of humor, I can't wait to start my career!

Go Noodle

Everyday the class gets to participate in a activity online called Go Noodle. Go Noodle is a website that has catchy songs that get the kids to stay active but also have fun with it at the same time. Everyday at 9:00am our teacher plays two skits for the students to let them release some of their energy. I think it is a great idea and the kids love it. It's easy to incorporate into an elementary classroom and takes only five minutes. The kids usually don't get too crazy and us teachers get to participate in it too. It is a nice brain break for the students and I would recommend all of you to look it up and see how you like it.

Lesson Plans

Lesson plans are something I have been curious about since starting my education in this field.  I realize that we have to go over and above making very detailed lesson plans in our college classes to better understand the process.  I have often wondered what "real" lesson plans look like.  I had a chance to ask my cooperating teacher about her lesson plans.  Her lesson plans look more like a weekly schedule, broken down by day and then by hours in the day.  She has notes to herself about what work is going to be done at what time, when the kids have which subjects and reminders of important things to cover.  It seems to work really well for her.  She is very organized and keeps on track with what needs to be accomplished.  I am looking forward to my next field experience to see how my next cooperating teacher handles their lesson plans.