Weekly Reflections: April 26th

   This week was finally our spring break!  It was so nice and the weather was beautiful!!  I was able to make some final marks on my portfolio.  I would rate my week as a five.  My pleasant surprise this week would be making some well deserved time for myself.  We did have one teacher work day this week, this experience taught me how amazing this days are.  Teacher work days are very helpful in allowing teachers time to get the classroom organized, cleaned, and lessons planned.  I would say my short-term efforts for next week and the remaining of student teaching is to really focus on the blooms taxonomy and asking the higher level questions to students.  This is one of my weaknesses when I am teaching.  I have been able to add more of these questions in my lesson this week, but I would like for them to come more as second nature at some point.  I want to build more off of students responses and help them to dig deeper into their understandings.  This short-term goal aligns to my long-term goal of being successful in my student teaching and as a future teacher.  By including the blooms taxonomy in my teaching.  I will be able to push my students to take their understandings to the next level.  I could of spent more time on my letters to my students and less time on cleaning.  I had courage on giving my ideas for some things they could do for the father daughter dance this week.  My first step for next week is to make sure all of my portfolio is ready to go and I have practiced presenting before Thursday.  The data I analyzed this week would be my students sight word data.  I was able to use the data to determine which students were getting which rewards next week.  The advice I can share with other student teachers would be to embrace student teaching and enjoy it.  You will learn more than you ever thought possible during student teaching and this knowledge will help you in your future classroom.  
NC Teacher Candidate Standards 
 Standard 1a- Teachers lead in their classrooms.  I was able to be a leader in the classroom by performing my teacher duties during teacher work day. 
Standard 2a- Teachers treat students as individuals.  I was able to treat students as individuals by determining what rewards each student will receive based on their sight word endeavors.  
Standard 3d- Teachers make instruction relevant to students. I was able to help plan the instruction for the next week.  
Standard 4d- Teachers utilize technology in the classroom.  I was able to help work on the May calendar we use on the smart board each month. 
Standard 5b- Teachers link professional growth to their professional goals.  I was able to see what my students have been able to accomplish through the formative assessments performed. 
No support needed at this time.   
I wish you all the best on your future endeavors as educators and I know your students will be lucky to have you as their teacher!!! Congratulations Everyone!!!!

Weekly Reflections: April 12th

     This week has been different and felt a little weird.  By today I have transitioned all of my lessons back over to my CE.  It is really hard to be in the class and to not teach. I have really enjoyed the student teaching experience this semester and have learned more than I could have ever imagined.  I hope to be as good of a teacher as the teachers I have been able to work with this semester.  I have learned so much from all of the teachers this semester, I will be able to use what I have learned to help me in my future classroom.  This week I have been able to observe some other grades and teachers.  All classrooms are unique and are ran differently even in the same grades.  It is so neat to see how every room is set up and the different classroom management strategies used.  I would rate my week as a 5.  I have had a great week with my students and with the other students in the school I have been able to work with.  Are students are becoming very active and losing focus sooner than in the past.  I believe the students are ready for spring break as much as the teachers are.  My pleasant surprise and accomplishment this week would be having my observation completed by the principle of the school I am placed at.  The observation went well and I was able to receive valuable feedback, I can use to strengthen my teaching.  The lessons my work experience taught me this week would be that it is okay to stop and redirect behavior before continuing an activity or lesson.  I have done this most of the semester, but this has become very important to do even more here lately.  This has had to be done more lately because of the students’ short attention spans and increased energy levels.  I will build upon this next week by making time and activities to give the students a brain break when my CE is not teaching.   I would say my short-term efforts for next week and the remaining of student teaching is to really focus on the blooms taxonomy and asking the higher level questions to students.  This is one of my weaknesses when I am teaching.  I have been able to add more of these questions in my lesson this week, but I would like for them to come more as second nature at some point.  I want to build more off of students responses and help them to dig deeper into their understandings.  This short-term goal aligns to my long-term goal of being successful in my student teaching and as a future teacher.  By including the blooms taxonomy in my teaching.  I will be able to push my students to take their understandings to the next level.
      I could have spent more time helping with guided reading if I had set the expectations for group work more clearly before beginning centers.  My apprehension to talk to others I do not know, kept me from going to them in person to ask if I could observe them.  I feel like this would have been a better approach then sending an email, which is how I set up the times to observe the different teachers and grades.  In thefuture, I will push past my apprehension and will talk to others I do not know in person. The first steps for next week is to make sure all order forms and money are in and where they need to be for our field trip next week.  I will also gather any other items we may need for the field trip today and Monday, to ensure we are ready to go on Tuesday.  This week I was able to observe and analyze other teachers’ data.  I was able to determine how their students have grown and how they are doing now.  I was also able to see the different ways teachers keep their data.  I will be able to use what I observed to help me decide exactly how I want to keep my data in my future classroom.  One piece of advice I would share with other student teachers is to go to and see as many meetings (IEP, tier, etc) and classrooms as you can.  This will help you to gain the necessary knowledge on every aspect that takes place in the school before you experience them with your own students.
NC Teacher Candidate Standards 
 Standard 1a- Teachers lead in their classrooms.  I was able to be a leader in the classroom by leading the students through their day, no matter what came up or erupted.
Standard 2a- Teachers treat students as individuals.  I was able to treat students as individuals by building on the relationships with each student.  I take time to talk with each student individually throughout the day.  
Standard 3d- Teachers make instruction relevant to students. I was able to make plants relevant to students by letting students experience planting their own seeds.  
Standard 4d- Teachers utilize technology in the classroom.  I was able to use the smart board activity games for greater than, less than, and equal to.  Interactive smart board activities hold the students interest and therefore increase their understandings.   
Standard 5b- Teachers link professional growth to their professional goals.  I was able to see where my students are and I am able to see how I need to change my goals and teaching to help the students be successful in all subject areas and with all standards.       
No support needed at this time.    

Weekly Reflections: April 5th

    I wish I could see through the eyes of my students!  I love witnessing how excited and fascinated they are when learning new information.  I am so proud of my students and their growth.  It is encouraging to know I was able to help set them up for success.  I would rate my week as a 4.  The students had a pretty good week as far as behavior, until the end of the week.  I believe the students are ready for a break and are losing focus much faster than they did in January.  The pleasant surprise from this week would be I passed my edTPA tasks!!!! Praise the Lord!!!  The lesson my work experience taught me this week would be to stand by my decisions for students behavior.  If I don't hold onto my word, then the student will think they can do anything they want and get by with it.  I have to stay consistent, even when it breaks my heart as much as theirs.  I will build on this next week by encouraging the good behavior as much as possible!!   I would say my short-term efforts for next week and the remaining of student teaching is to really focus on the blooms taxonomy and asking the higher level questions to students.  This is one of my weaknesses when I am teaching.  I have been able to add more of these questions in my lesson this week, but I would like for them to come more as second nature at some point.  I want to build more off of students responses and help them to dig deeper into their understandings.  This short-term goal aligns to my long-term goal of being successful in my student teaching and as a future teacher.  By including the blooms taxonomy in my teaching.  I will be able to push my students to take their understandings to the next level.  I could of spent less time less time worrying, if I would of checked my email sooner.  I did not experience apprehension this week.  The first step for next week is to gather and prepare the materials needed for the lessons I am teaching next week.  I also need to double confirm the observations I have planned.  I am excited to observe other classrooms and grades, to see how different they are ran.  The data I was able to analyze was the students report cards.  I was able to see which students have improved and where.  I also was able to see which students need extra support and in which areas.  One piece of advice I would give to other student teachers is to keep your eye on the prize.  The light is at the end of the tunnel and it is getting closer!!!  
NC Teacher Candidate Standards 
 Standard 1a- Teachers lead in their classrooms.  I was able to be a leader in the classroom by leading the students through their day, no matter what came up or erupted.
Standard 2a- Teachers treat students as individuals.  I was able to treat students as individuals by building on the relationships with each student.  I created a stronger relationship with one of the students by discussing how the outcome of their day is their choice.  If they want to have a good day, they need to make the choice and choose to make the right choices during the day. 
Standard 3d- Teachers make instruction relevant to students. I was able to make plants and seeds relevant to students by finding plants outside, showing real life examples, talking abut their experiences with plants, etc.  
Standard 4d- Teachers utilize technology in the classroom.  I was able to use the smart board activity games for subtraction.  Interactive smart board activities hold the students interest and therefore increase their understandings.   
Standard 5b- Teachers link professional growth to their professional goals.  I was able to see where my students are and I am able to see how I need to change my goals and teaching to help the students be successful in all subject areas and with all standards.       
I am working on my portfolio stuff.  No support needed at this time.    

Weekly Reflections: March 29th

     I can't believe this was my last full week of teaching!!!  It has been an awesome journey this semester!!  I have really enjoyed my placement and my students!!  I have learned more than I could of ever imagined this semester.  I will use what I have learned in my future classroom and in life.  I will begin to hand the class over gradually to my teacher over the next couple of weeks.  I believe she is excited and has missed teaching.  I believe teaching is a second nature and when your. in the classroom and not teaching, it feels weird for teachers.  My pleasant surprise this week would be how  well my students were able to learn and absorb all the information we learned about frogs.  The students were interested, engaged, and were able to remember the information we had learned the previous day.  The lesson I learned this week was to incorporate some sequencing pictures for the students to follow when they are in their groups.  Even though you take time to explain what they should be doing the students still become confused, some don't pay attention, this keeps them from knowing what to do next.  The students who become confused end up finding activities they want to do causing disruptive behavior to erupt.  I believe if I was able to have picture cards for each activity they were supposed to do next, this would help.  The students would have a visual representation to guide them.  For example, I would have a picture of group work, name on paper, a picture of sight words, and lastly I would have a picture to grab the extra work.  I will try these next week.   I would say my short-term efforts for next week and the remaining of student teaching is to really focus on the blooms taxonomy and asking the higher level questions to students.  This is one of my weaknesses when I am teaching.  I have been able to add more of these questions in my lesson this week, but I would like for them to come more as second nature at some point.  I want to build more off of students responses and help them to dig deeper into their understandings.  This short-term goal aligns to my long-term goal of being successful in my student teaching and as a future teacher.  By including the blooms taxonomy in my teaching.  I will be able to push my students to take their understandings to the next level.  I could of spent more time on my portfolio, if I would of had my copies and material ready for each day.  I had courage this week to try a more challenging book to read for one of my reading groups.  I was pleasantly surprised at how well they were able to read this book choice and really enjoyed the story.  I have found if I am able to find interesting stories about topics the students are interested in, they are more excited to read and really enjoy the whole experience.  The first step for next week is to finalize the schedule on how my CE and I would like to transition the content.  This way I know what lessons I need to plan for and teach.  I was able to analyze my students counting data and their performance with subtraction.  This data will help me determine which students need interventions and one on one help with counting.  This data will also help me determine which students need extra support or even a re-engagement lesson on subtraction.  One piece of advice I would share with student teachers is to enjoy the experience of student teaching, take in all the information you can, and decide what aspects you would like to use in your future classroom and which ones you might not want to use in your future classroom.  Every classroom is different and ran differently even in the same grade level.

NC Teacher Candidate Standards 
 Standard 1a- Teachers lead in their classrooms.  I was able to be a leader in the classroom by leading the students through their day, no matter what came up or erupted.
Standard 2a- Teachers treat students as individuals.  I was able to treat students as individuals by building on the relationships with each student.  I created a stronger relationship with a few of the students by discussing how the outcome of their day is their choice.  If they want to have a good day, they need to make the choice and choose to do the right actions throughout the day. 
Standard 3d- Teachers make instruction relevant to students. I was able to make the theme of frogs relevant to students by bringing in real frogs, eggs, and tadpoles for the students to observe.  
Standard 4d- Teachers utilize technology in the classroom.  I was able to use the smart board activity games for subtraction.  
Standard 5b- Teachers link professional growth to their professional goals.  I was able to see where my students are and I am able to see how I need to change my goals and teaching to help the students be successful in all subject areas.      
I am working on my portfolio stuff.  No support needed at this time.  

Weekly Reflections: March 22nd

What a beautiful week it has been!  We were able to go outside and play everyday this week.  I feel like being able to go outside, really helps the students to burn their energy off and focus better in class.  Who doesn't benefit from beautiful sunshine and warm weather?  I know my students are getting so excited for spring break!  I would say my pleasant surprise this week would be how well my guided reading groups went each day.  The students were all excited to read their books and to participate in the guided reading time with me.  I also love how I am able to help students individually as soon as I hear or see them struggling with a word or letter sound.  I feel like this is so beneficial for the students and prevents frustration with reading from erupting.  The lessons my work experience taught me this week is to be patient and try as many techniques as I can to help the students who continually struggle to behave in the classroom.  I will build upon this next week by continuing the techniques that worked with the student or trying new techniques if it did not work with the student.  I also have come to realize what works with one student will sometimes not work with another student and what worked one day may not work another day for a student.  Our students need support, love, and patience in order to prosper and be the best they can be.  I would say my short-term efforts for next week and the remaining of student teaching is to really focus on the blooms taxonomy and asking the higher level questions to students.  This is one of my weaknesses when I am teaching.  I have been able to add more of these questions in my lesson this week, but I would like for them to come more as second nature at some point.  I want to build more off of students responses and help them to dig deeper into their understandings.  This short-term goal aligns to my long-term goal of being successful in my student teaching and as a future teacher.  By including the blooms taxonomy in my teaching.  I will be able to push my students to take their understandings to the next level.  I could of spent more time on my portfolio items and less time on preparing items for the next day at the end of each day.  I plan on making sure all copies and materials are ready and organized for each day before next week.  I would say I had courage this week as I participated in family night at my school.  I was able to interact with the parents and students in a very welcoming way.  I did not let my shyness keep me from being involved and talkative during family night.  The mental clutter I can clear is to make sure all copies and materials are ready for next week and organized.  This week I was able to analyze the assessment data I took on the students understanding of subtraction word problems.  I was able to use the data to determine who needs more help with subtraction and who is understanding subtraction well.  This helps me know how to plan my next lessons and remediation groups.  One piece of advice I would share with other student teachers is to realize how impactful you can be in your students lives.  I want my students to be encouraged, feel loved, and learn how to treat others.
NC Teacher Candidate Standards 
 Standard 1a- Teachers lead in their classrooms.  I was able to be a leader in the classroom by leading the students through their day, no matter what came up or erupted.
Standard 2a- Teachers treat students as individuals.  I was able to treat students as individuals by building on the relationships with each student.  I created a stronger relationship with a few of the students who felt comfortable discussing their situations at home.  These students opened up to me more this week and felt comfortable to talk with me about why they were sad and what they were feeling.  
Standard 3d- Teachers make instruction relevant to students. I was able to make the signs of spring relevant to students by having them look outside and see what is going on in the word around them.  Also, I related it to their own experiences in the spring. 
Standard 4d- Teachers utilize technology in the classroom.  I was able to use the smart board activity games for subtraction.  
Standard 5b- Teachers link professional growth to their professional goals.  I was able to see where my students are and I am able to see how I need to change my goals and teaching to help the students be successful in all subject areas.      
I am working on my portfolio stuff.  No support needed at this time.  

Weekly Reflections: March 15

Wow!  What a week it has been this week!  I had a teacher workday Monday where we were actually able to just work in our classrooms.  It was so nice to have this time to get ahead with my week.  I also took the time to clean as much as I could to help kill some of the germs going around.  I would say overall this week I would rate my experience as a three.  My students did well this week with their lessons and activities.  We had a new student join our group this week.  I have been a little stressed over how to help this particular student.  He has some behavior challenges that we are trying to help him with.  It is also stressful waiting to get information on your new students and not knowing more about them when they first start your class.  My pleasant surprise from this week would be how well my students are able to do with their academics when they are at school.  Many of my students go through a lot when they are at home and probably more than I will ever know about.  It is comforting to know and observe how safe and comfortable they feel in our classroom.  This allows these students to excel in their academics and perform to their best potential.  The lesson my work experience taught me this week is the importance of continuous assessments on the students understandings.  You also need to recheck their understandings from previous assessments to make sure they still understand.  I will build upon this next week by continuing to assess students and making sure each student is receiving the support they need.   I would say my short-term efforts this week are to continue to focus more on giving very clear and specific instructions for activities.  I even want to take time to have students model the correct way to act during the activity and how not to act during the activity.  This way students will have a visual on how they are supposed to act and what they are supposed to be doing during the activity.  This short-term goal aligns with my long-term goal of being successful in my student teaching and as a future teacher.  I could of spent more time preparing my lessons then cleaning.  This week I wanted to clean and get the germs out of the classroom.  My first steps for next week are to collect all of my materials I will need for next week.  I will also make sure to fix all of my centers to match the students needs.  The data I was able to analyze this week was our students phoneme segmentation data.  I will use this data to help me plan which students need more interventions.  I also reviewed the students sight word data.  I will use this data to guide the intervention groups I plan for sight words.  One piece of advice I would give other student teachers is to keep your head up and just keep swimming and swimming, we are almost there!  
NC Teacher Candidate Standards  
 Standard 1a- Teachers lead in their classrooms.  I was able to be a leader in the classroom by leading the students through their day, no matter what came up or erupted.
Standard 2a- Teachers treat students as individuals.  I was able to treat students as individuals by building on the relationships with each student.  I created a stronger relationship with a few of the students who felt comfortable discussing their situations at home.  These students opened up to me more this week and felt comfortable to talk with me about why they were sad and what they were feeling.  
Standard 3d- Teachers make instruction relevant to students. This week we talked about physical properties.  We were able to relate to the objects and examples discussed to our everyday lives.
Standard 4d- Teachers utilize technology in the classroom.  I was able to use the smart board activity games for subtraction.  
Standard 5b- Teachers link professional growth to their professional goals.  I was able to see where my students are and I am able to see how I need to change my goals and teaching to help the students be successful in all subject areas.      
I am double checking my edTPA task.  No support needed at this time.  

Weekly Reflections: March 8th

     This week felt very long for some reason.  I feel like my students are becoming very antsy.  The students are ready for spring break and warmer weather.  I know it will do the students some good when the weather is warm enough for them to be able to go outside and play.  I would rate this week as a three.  I was able to have two more students meet their goal of counting to 100, who had been struggling with this concept!  I was pleasantly surprised by this and excited for them.  I would say the lesson I learned this week is everyday is going to be different, you win some and you lose some.  I learned that when nothing seems to go right one day, its okay.  You just have to breathe and remember tomorrow is another day.  I will build upon this next week by pushing through and continuing to believe in myself and my capabilities.  I will know not everyday is going to go smoothly as we plan and that is okay, tomorrow is a new day.  I would say my short-term efforts this week would be to continue really spending time on making my directions/instructions clearer to the students before giving them a task or activity.  I also will make sure the expectations during any activities are explained to the students, so they know how they are supposed to act.  This will allow the students to know exactly what they are supposed to be doing, so they are not confused during the activity.  This short-term goal aligns to my long-term goal of being successful in student teaching and as a future teacher.  I could of spent more time teaching and less time correcting behaviors this week. We had one student who was not getting his medicine and we had a new student join the class this week.  This added some chaos to the room and the behavior this week.  By the end of the week, the students were adjusting and doing much better with their behaviors.  My apprehension of the worry of not being able to do everything perfectly as a teacher impacted me this week.  I was able to see and be reassured that I was doing what I was supposed to and I do have a good control on the class, its just the fact that everyone and every class has its days.  I do believe in myself and I know that I can do everything I need to as a teacher to the best of my ability.  I feel like I am right where I am supposed to be at this time in my career and will learn more each and everyday as a teacher.  The first steps for next week is to use my teacher workday to get ahead.  I will use this day to change groups around, review data, finalize group work, differentiate, and clean.  I am looking forward to having this day to be in the classroom and to work.  The data I was able to review this week would be the students writing.  I was able to use the data to determine who needs writing interventions and who is strong in writing.  This will help me to differentiate the writing activities for the students.  One piece of advice I would share with other student teachers is to always believe in yourself and to never doubt yourself.  God put you here for a reason, this is your gift, and you are doing great!
NC Teacher Candidate Standards 
 Standard 1a- Teachers lead in their classrooms. I was able to lead the students through their lessons, activities, and each part of their day.  I was able to show my control of the classroom and change the behavior around by the end of the week.Standard 2a- Teachers treat students as individuals. I was able to build closer relationships with the students by making sure I am available to talk to them and get on their level when they are upset or have questions.  I also allowed students to have time throughout the day to tell me anything they wanted to.  
Standard 3d- Teachers make instruction relevant to students. I was able to help students see how we can relate to Dr. Seuss books. Especially, with "Green Eggs and Ham," helping students to see the importance of trying new foods or activities because they might end up enjoying them.  
Standard 4d- Teachers utilize technology in the classroom.  I was able to use the digital read aloud book for students so they could play the rhyming words game.  
Standard 5b- Teachers link professional growth to their professional goals.  I was able to see where my students are and I am able to see how I need to change my goals and teaching to help the students be successful in all subject areas.      

 No support needed at this time.    

Weekly Reflections: March 1st

       This has been a very interesting week.  My CE was out for the first two days of the week with her children because they were sick.  My TA was also out for the week.  I was able to carry on both days with the students normal routines and lessons.  This was Dr. Seuss week and read across America at my school.  The students were able to have guest readers come to the class and read to them Dr. Seuss books.  The students have enjoyed the festivities this week and learning about Dr. Seuss.  I believe having the volunteers from the community come in to read with our students, helps us build a strong bond with our community.  This act results in positive influences being available for our students.  I would rate this week as a three because the students were very wild from excitement and I did not feel well all week.  I have two pleasant surprises this week.  The first pleasant surprise would be how well the students responded to just me being in the room.  The students behaved and responded to my instructions.  I was so proud of myself for being able to handle any situations that transpired with the students both days.  My second pleasant surprise would be how well the students took to the chief of police and how well the chief of police interacted with the students.  The lessons my work experience taught me this week would be to find time to cut up and have fun with the students.  The students need to see this side of their teacher just as much as his or her serious side.  The students need to see that you are real and like to have fun too.  I have seen how much this has helped me to build closer relationships with my students.  I hope to build on this next week and incorporate mini session times throughout the week where the students and I can act silly and give our brains a break for a minute.  I would say my short-term efforts this week would be to focus more on giving very clear and specific instructions for activities.  I even want to take time to have students model the correct way to act during the activity and how not to act during the activity.  This way students will have a visual on how they are supposed to act and what they are supposed to be doing during the activity.  This short-term goal aligns with my long-term goal of being successful in my student teaching and as a future teacher.  The students need clear instructions so they know what they are supposed to be doing, helping them to learn all they are supposed to be during the activity.  I could of spent more time on my portfolio if I would have had more of my copies done and my edTPA task done.  I would say I was courageous this week and was able to go with my gut while I was on my own with the students this week.  The first steps for next week is to double check over my edTPA task 1-4 and make sure they are 100% ready to submit by Sunday night.  I was able to review the students assessments on the standards included in their progress reports.  This data collected and reviewed helps me know what each student needs to focus on and have more practice with, so they can master the standard.  The one piece of advice I would give other student teachers is to keep pushing on.  You can do this!
NC Teacher Candidate Standards  
 Standard 1a- Teachers lead in their classrooms.  I was able to be a leader in the classroom by leading the students through their day, no matter what came up or erupted.
Standard 2a- Teachers treat students as individuals.  I was able to treat students as individuals by building on the relationships with each student.  I created a stronger relationship with students by showing them I can have fun too. 
Standard 3d- Teachers make instruction relevant to students. I was able to help students see how we can relate to Dr. Seuss books. Especially, with "The Lorax," helping students to see the importance of trees and taking care of the environment.
Standard 4d- Teachers utilize technology in the classroom.  I was able to use the digital read aloud book for students so they could find different items and wacky things in the Dr. Seuss books.  
Standard 5b- Teachers link professional growth to their professional goals.  I was able to see where my students are and I am able to see how I need to change my goals and teaching to help the students be successful in all subject areas.      
I am double checking my edTPA task.  No support needed at this time.  

Weekly Reflections: February 22

   What a whirlwind of a week this week!  I feel like it was just Monday.  I am seeing more and more all of the aspects teachers have running through their heads every minute of the day.  There is so much to be done, taught, assessed, etc.  I am really learning to value every minute of the day and how to use every second to benefit the students and their learning.  I would rate my week as a four this week.  The students did great for the lessons I had planned this week.  I have about four students who are still having behavior challenges.  I have had them on behavior plans and I have reached out again to their parents this week to figure out the best strategies to use.  I would say my pleasant surprise this week would be my students having successful transitions to anywhere in the school from the classroom.  This is a big for my students and I can see how well my classroom management techniques are working.  The lessons I learned this week is to take the extra time to explain and walk students through activities before they take part in them.  I have noticed the students do not remember what they are supposed to be doing in their centers and will try to interrupt me during guided reading.  I am going to build upon this lesson next week by taking time Monday to go through each centers activities with all of the students so they know what is expected of them when they come to the particular center.  I will also have fast finishers folder for the students to have when they finish early and I am still with the guided reading groups.  This will prevent the students from interrupting the guided reading time and they will know what to do.  I would say my short-term efforts for next week and the remaining of student teaching is to really focus on the blooms taxonomy and asking the higher level questions to students.  This is one of my weaknesses when I am teaching.  I have been able to add more of these questions in my lessons this week, but I would like for them to come more as second nature at some point.  I want to build more off of students responses and help them to dig deeper into their understandings.  This short-term goal aligns to my long-term goal of being successful in my student teaching and as a future teacher.  I could of spent less time redirect students and repeating myself, if I would of taken more time to explain the activities and expectations before hand.  I would say my apprehension took place when one of our students had an episode in the lunchroom.  My apprehension kept me from handling the situation with more authority.  This act held up the lunch line and the progress of lunch, when I was trying to reason with him.  The first steps for next week is to make sure I have all of my materials ready to go.  I also need to make sure all of my edTPA task are ready to go for Friday.  The data I was able to analyze this week would be how the students are doing with addition up to 10.  This helped me determine who needs more help with addition and who understands it.  One piece of advice I would share with other student teachers is to stay confident, believe in yourself, and stand by your decisions and reasons.
NC Teacher Candidate Standards  
 Standard 1a- Teachers lead in their classrooms.  I was able to be a leader by taking control of the behavior in the class with my classroom management techniques. 
Standard 2a- Teachers treat students as individuals.  I was able to treat students as individuals by building on the relationships with each student.  Also, by assessing the strengths and weaknesses of each student.  
Standard 3d- Teachers make instruction relevant to students. I was able to relate the black history content to the changes we see today.  The students were able to connect how we are able to go to school together, play together, eat together, etc. no matter our skin color. 
Standard 4d- Teachers utilize technology in the classroom.  I was able to use many smart board activities for math with addition this week.  The students loved these and were fully engaged in the material by using these.
Standard 5b- Teachers link professional growth to their professional goals.  I was able to see where my students are and I am able to see how I need to change my goals and teaching to help the students be successful in all subject areas.      
I am working on my resume.  No support needed at this time.  

Weekly Reflections: February 15th

      High ho, heigh ho, off to student teaching we go!  I can not believe how fast my student teaching weeks are going by.  I have really enjoyed this experience thus far and have learned more than I had imagined.  This week went well with my lessons and the students behavior.  I feel with each day I am becoming stronger and more confident with my classroom management techniques.  I would rate this week as a five.  Although, most of the week was good we still had a few behavioral challenges in the middle of the week.  My pleasant surprise this week would be how well the 100th day centers went.  The kindergarten teachers had never done these centers before, but wanted to try them after I had suggested it.  Each center had different activities for the students to take part in for their 100th day celebration.  This was a great way to control the chaos and the snack time.  The students really enjoyed this experience.  The lesson I learned this week would be to stay consistent with my classroom management techniques.  The students haven't felt good so I had not been as consistent as the week before.  I learned this does not work and I should stay consistent with the classroom management techniques so that the students respond well at all times.  I will build upon this next week by staying consistent with the classroom management techniques so the students behavior will not erupt. I would say my short-term efforts for next week and the remaining of student teaching is to really focus on the blooms taxonomy and asking the higher level questions to students.  This is one of my weaknesses when I am teaching.  I have been able to add more of these questions in my lessons this week, but I would like for them to come more as second nature at some point.  I want to build more off of students responses and help them to dig deeper into their understandings.  This short-term goal aligns to my long-term goal of being successful in my student teaching and as a future teacher.  By including the blooms taxonomy in my teaching, I will be able to push my students to take their understandings to the next level.  I could of spent more time teaching if I would have been more consistent with my classroom management.  Instead, of spending more time correcting behaviors in the classroom.  I would say I was apprehensive about sharing my ideas with the PTO during the meeting.  I will feel more confident for the next meeting to share my ideas.  The next week my steps would be to make sure everything is ready for my lessons and centers.  I will then have more time to work on my edTPA task.  I was able to review the sight word data this week to determine which words we need to focus on next week for the students.  One piece of advice I would share with other student teachers is to start your own collection of resources to use for your class next year.  For example, the 100's day items I can save and use with my class next year.
NC Teacher Candidate Standards  
 Standard 1a- Teachers lead in their classrooms.  I was able to be a leader by taking control of the behavior in the class with my classroom management techniques. 
Standard 2a- Teachers treat students as individuals.  I was able to treat students as individuals by greeting each student individually each morning at the door. 
Standard 3d- Teachers make instruction relevant to students.  I related the instruction to students by having them think about a time they took part in an event the characters in our stories did.
Standard 4d- Teachers utilize technology in the classroom.  I was able to use many smart board activities for math with addition this week.  The students loved these and were fully engaged in the material by using these.
Standard 5b- Teachers link professional growth to their professional goals.  I was able to see where my students are and I am able to see how I need to change my goals and teaching to help the students be successful in all subject areas.      
Other 
I was able to work on the global awareness piece of the portfolio this week.  My CE and I do not need any support at this time. 

Weekly Reflections: February 8th

      This week I have learned and witnessed the effects of the flu, stomach bug, and other illnesses have on a classroom and a school.  Our school has had a lot of staff and students out for the flu.  My class alone we had many students out for the flu and stomach bug.  The students who were in class did not feel good and we were constantly sending students to the office.  I was out Monday with the stomach bug and have not felt very well all week.  I have taught and done the best I can this week for my students.  We have discussed many times this week how important it is to wash our hands and to keep our hands out of our mouth and face.  The reward system is still working very well for the students this week.  I would rate my overall experience this week as a four.  Although, we all did not feel very well, we were still able to have a successful week at school.  I was able to teach the students who were here and the students participated in each lesson.  My pleasant surprise this week would be that one of the students who has challenging behavior was able to have a great week and was rewarded with a trip in the treasure box.  He was so excited and could finally see how when you have good behavior you are able to receive rewards.  The lessons my work experience taught me this week were to always be flexible.  Since, the students were sick and I was sick, I had to change the schedule of some of the lessons around.  I have learned how to be more flexible with my lessons and teaching when unexpected events take place.  I will build on this knowledge by making sure I am able to fit all of the lessons I need to in next week and always remaining flexible, you never know when events will take place.  I would say my short-term efforts for next week and the remaining of student teaching is to really focus on the blooms taxonomy and asking the higher level questions to students. This is one of my weaknesses when I am teaching.  I have been able to add more of these questions into my lessons this week, but I would like for them to come more as second nature at some point.  I want to build more off of students responses and help them to dig deeper into their understandings. This short-term goal aligns to my long-term goal of being successful in my student teaching and as a future teacher.  By including the blooms taxonomy in my teaching, I will be able to push my students to take their understandings to the next level.  I could of spent more time teaching and less time helping students who did not feel good, if the students would have felt better.  This comes with the territory so it is just learning how to help the students feel as comfortable as possible when they are at school, especially when they are sick.  I would say I was a little apprehensive about throwing my ideas for the 100th day of school out to the whole kindergarten grade level.  I ended up having courage and sharing my ideas of what we could do with our students on this day.  The ideas included dressing up like 100 years old and having fun centers where students could have a 100 snack at one, build a tower with a 100 cups, use their 100 board to count, etc.  The teachers ended up loving the idea and are excited to take part int he festivities with their classes on Monday!  The first step for next week is to make sure I have all the materials ready for the 100 day of school activities and to make sure I have all of the other materials ready for the rest of the lessons for the week.  The data I was able to review this week was on the students understanding of their sight words.  I can use this data to help guide me on which sight words to focus on during my teaching and guided reading groups next week.  One piece of advice I would share with other student teachers is to wash your hands as much as possible and to take your vitamins.  I will definitely make sure to wash my hands more and pray I do not get sick anymore this semester!
NC Teacher Candidate Standards 
 Standard 1a- Teachers lead in their classrooms.  I was able to lead in my classroom by taking control of the unexpected events that took place.  I had plans ready for when I had to be out.  I helped the students when they became sick and needed to go home.  I also was able to more lessons around to help give my students the best learning possibilities I can.
Standard 2a- Teachers treat students as individuals.  This week we have had two boys who do not get along when they play together.  We have taken steps to keep them apart in the room and outside.  I have been able to treat the students as individuals and help each one see who they should play with and who they should not.  I have helped the students see how they need to make good choices for themselves.
Standard 3d- Teachers make instruction relevant to students. This week we talked about jobs and related the content to the students real life.  This was done by asking students what jobs their parents have, what jobs they have, and what jobs they want when they are older.
Standard 4d- Teachers utilize technology in the classroom.  I was able to use many smart board activities for math with addition this week.  The students loved these and were fully engaged in the material by using these.
Standard 5b- Teachers link professional growth to their professional goals.  I was able to see where my students are and I am able to see how I need to change my goals and teaching to help the students be successful in all subject areas.      
Other 
I have worked on my edTPA stuff this week.  My CE and I do not need any support at this time.
         

Weekly Reflections: February 1st

    This week I think I have finally found my teacher voice!  Monday I had a classroom meeting with the students.  I explained how we need to respect each other so that we can learn as much as we can.  I had the students come up with rewards they would like and they came up with the consequences we should use for our behavior system.  The students suggested having iPad time if they were able to get clipped up to blue, this would be either at the end of the day for a few minutes or in the morning for a few minutes.  The students have responded so well to the new rewards and consequences.  Yesterday the whole class was able to go home with smiley faces!  The students were rewarded with a special surprise, this was chocolate chip cookies.  I am really trying to strengthen my classroom management techniques and have made great strides toward this goal this week.  I have seen when you have more control of the classrooms behavior they become more engaged in the lesson and seem to absorb more of the content and skills.  I would rate my overall experience as a four this week.  Although, the students did much better this week.  We still had a few students who we are still working with on their behavior.  We had one student who had four outburst in one day.  My CE and I are working with their parent, assistant principal, and counselor to figure out some research-based strategies to help this student.  I would say my pleasant surprise and accomplishment this week would be getting a better hand on my classroom management techniques.  Seeing the whole class be able to go home with smiles was an awesome accomplishment and proud moment for me this week.  I would say that the lesson I learned this week from my work experience would be that some students need different ways of communication when they are upset.  I have learned with one of the students that he responds so much better to me when I get on his level and really listen to why he is upset.  I am then able to talk to him and we are able to calmly find a way to fix the problem together.  Also, I have learned that some students need consistency in their day or their whole day is messed up and they cannot function to the fullest extent.  I will use this knowledge and build on it next week to help strengthen my relationship with the students individually.   I will help them to be able to learn and grow to the best of their learning abilities by creating the safe environment and relationship with them to gain their trust and respect.  I would say my short-term efforts for next week and the remaining of student teaching is to really focus on the blooms taxonomy and asking the higher level questions to students.  This is one of my weaknesses when I am teaching.  I have been able to add more of these questions into my lessons this week, but I would like for them to come more as second nature at some point.  I want to build more off of students responses and help them to dig deeper into their understandings.  This short-term goal aligns to my long-term goal of being successful in my student teaching and as a future teacher.  By including the blooms taxonomy in my teaching, I will be able to push my students to take their understandings to the next level.
       I could of spent more time on my portfolio this week if I would have made sure I had all of my materials ready to go for the week, instead of taking time to do this at the end of each day.  I would say I was able to let my apprehension subside this week and was able to do what I felt was right and I was able to follow my gut.  I stopped worrying about the students liking me and took on the role of the leader in the classroom.  These moves paid off and I was able to gain more control over my classroom.  The first steps for next week are to create signs for the new rewards and consequences for the class.  I will also make sure to have all of the work ready to go for the week, instead of taking time to do this after each day.  I will also upload the new signed video forms I have received this week into the signed forms file.  The data I was able to observe this week would be the students sight word assessment data.  I was able to see which words the students are struggling with so I know to use more of them in my instruction next week.  I will also plan opportunites during the week to help students to have more practice with the words they are sturggling with.  One piece of advice I would give other student teachers is to try as many strategies as it takes to help a student either emotionally or for their education.  Students needs are all different and how students respond to different techniques is different.  You have to keep trying till you find what works for that particular student.  This will help the student be successful in their development emotionally and in their educational journey.
NC Teacher Candidate Standards 
Standard 1a-Teachers lead in their classrooms.  I would say I really was able to portray this standard this week by taking control over my classroom and helping the students to see me more as a leader then as their friend.  The students seem to respect me more and are more in tuned to the lessons.
Standard 2c-Teachers treat students as individuals.  I was able to connect and build more on my relationships with the students individually.  I was able to see what techniques worked to communicate with a particular few of our students when they become upset or angry.
Standard 3d-Teachers make instruction relevant to students.  This week we discussed wants and needs, I was able to relate the material back to our everyday lives and what we want and need.  The students really enjoyed this and were able to really relate to the material by relating it to real life situations.
Standard 4d- Teachers utilize technology in their instruction.  This week I have been able to utilize a lot of smart board activities in the classroom.  These activities were used for phonics, reading, and math.  The students love the interactive aspect of the smart board programs and seem to really stay more engaged in the lesson when I use them.
Standard 5b- Teachers link professional growth to their professional goals.  I worked on completing steps to help me reach my goals in my professional development plan this week.
Other 
I have completed my PDP this week.  My CE and I do not need any support at this time.

Weekly Reflections: January 25th

     This week has been exciting and challenging.  It was a short week for us with the holiday, teacher work day, and three hour delay.  I really enjoyed participating in the teacher workday professional development opportunities.  I learned a lot of useful and helpful information during this time to use in the classroom I am in now and in my future classroom.  The week was short and I found it challenging to squeeze in all of the material we needed to teach the students, especially during the  three hour delay day.  I am realizing just how valuable every minute of the day is to teach the students all they need to know.  I would rate this week as a four.  The week went well overall, we are still working on some behavior obstacles with a few of the students.  I am also working on improving my classroom management skills.  I am seeing how some techniques work well one day but do not work well the next day.  I am learning how to adapt and change classroom management techniques to meet the needs of my students.  I plan on researching more ways to manage behavior in the classroom this weekend.  I would say my pleasant surprise and accomplishment for the week would be how most of the students in the class were able to count, identify, and write their numbers 10-15 after taking part in two lessons with these numbers.  I was able to determine this outcome through formative assessments of each student.  The students already knew how to write and identify their numbers 0-10 and now I am building on their prior knowledge and teaching them the next set of numbers.  The students will be able to identify and write their numbers 0-20 by the end of the year.  My work experience this week taught me to be patient and slow down when explaining directions to the students.  I realize I have not explained every step to the students during activities at certain points of the week.  I know now not to assume they know to do certain steps until I have explained each step to them.  I will build upon this next week and really take time to explain each activity and step to the students before they participate.  I would say my short-term efforts for next week and the remaining of student teaching is to really focus on the blooms taxonomy and asking the higher level questions to students.  This is one of my weaknesses when I am teaching.  I have been able to add more of these questions into my lessons this week, but I would like to add more.  I want to build more off of students responses and help them to dig deeper into their understandings.  This short-term goal aligns to my long-term goal of being successful in my student teaching and as a future teacher.  By including the blooms taxonomy in my teaching I will be able to push my students to take their understandings even further with the content.
      I could of spent less time correcting behavior during activities if I would have taken the time to explain the activity and steps to the students before hand.  This would have kept students from fighting over materials, becoming upset, or not participating in the activity.  My apprehension came into play today when a student refused to walk back to class after enhancements.  I was apprehensive on what to do and I believe the student could sense this, which made things worse.  I was finally able to talk him into coming into the hallway with his class, but then he would not go any further.  The music teacher was able to get him to walk back to the class with her.  Although, the next time it happened today when coming in from recess I was able to get down on his level, hear him out, and encourage him that we could go fix the line order and help him to get back in his spot.  I am proud of myself for sticking with my gut instinct the second time and successfully getting this student back to the classroom.  The first logical step for next week is to prepare all of my materials for morning work, lessons, and group work for the whole week.  This way I can work on my portfolio and touching up my edTPA tasks next week.  I also would like to go ahead and get ahead on my lesson plans for the next week so I can fully focus on being in the classroom and strengthening my classroom management techniques.  This will require a full nights rest each night, so I am recharged for the next day.  The data I was able to review this week was the data from my observation.  I was able to see exactly which areas I need to strengthen and improve on and which areas I was strong in.  I will use this feedback to help me improve and grow in my areas of weakness.  This will help me to be the best teacher I can be!  I really appreciate the feedback I was given from my university supervisor and ce.  I agree 100% with their comments.  One piece of advice I can share with other student teachers is everyday is different.  Try to be as flexible as possible and always be patient with your students.  Take time to understand what is truly bothering your students who are a little more difficult then the other students.  These students really need you, your attention, and a positive relationship with you.
NC Teacher Candidate Standard 
Standard 1a-  Teachers lead in their classrooms.  This week I officially took over so I was the main leader in the classroom.  I lead the students through all lessons, to/ from enhancements and lunch, and to their dismissal areas.
Standard 2a-  Teachers provide an environment in which each child has a positive, nurturing relationship with caring adults.  This week I was able to build closer positive relationships with some of the students who have behavior issues and with the new student in our class.
Standard 3a-  Teachers align their instruction with the North Carolina Standard Course of Study.  I made sure my lessons were aligned to the North Carolina Standard Course of Study and to the correct parts of the standard for each quarter according to the curriculum guide.
Standard 4f-  Teachers help students work in teams and develop leadership qualities.  I was able to have the students work in teams this week for math in groups of three.  The students seemed to enjoy the activity.  I just need to work on clarifying and really explaining each step and giving roles to the students in their groups before starting the activity.
Standard 5a-  Teachers analyze student learning.  I was able to analyze the students understanding/learning of their sight words and their numbers 10-15.  This data will help me know which students need more practice with either of these concepts and which students have mastered these concepts.
Other 
I am continuing to work on the website for my portfolio.  This week I will work on my PDP as well.  My CE and I do not need any support at this time.  I appreciate the time my university supervisor has taken to observe me and his feedback.

Weekly Reflections: January 18th

      This week I was able to have more time with just the students and I.  My CE had to be out a lot this week for TRC testing and assessing math task.  My TA and I worked well together this week in the classroom.  All in all this week has been good in the classroom.  All of my lessons went well and the students seemed to really enjoy them.  I could tell the students enjoyed the lessons because they were all engaged in their learning by answering questions and asking questions about the content.  As far as the students behavior it was better at the beginning of the week then toward the end of the week.  We had a student who had been out for awhile come back this week and this made some of the other students act out.  We are working on checking ourselves and making sure we are making good choices because the students know they are in charge of their own actions.  I rate my experience this week as a level three.  I would say a level three because of the behavior back tracking that took place this week for some of the students.  My accomplishment this week would be taking over the roles of the teacher while she was out of the room.  I was able to teach all subjects this week successfully, I was able to keep all of the students in their routine, and I was able to get every student where they needed to be for dismissal.  The lesson my work experience taught me this week is the importance of time management during the day in the classroom.  Being in the classroom all day with the students I have seen how every minute counts and is valuable learning time for the students.  I have also seen how there is not enough time in the day.  Any minute I can use reviewing important concepts/skills with the students will benefit their learning in a positive way.   I will build upon this realization next week by making sure I have mini activities to do with the students during the transition times throughout the day.  I will also make sure to have extra educational activities for the students to do if they finish their work early that will benefit them and help the specific student with what they are struggling with.  I would say my short-term efforts for next week and the remaining of student teaching is to really focus on the blooms taxonomy and asking the higher level questions to students.  This is one of my weaknesses when I am teaching.  I forget to incorporate the higher level questions and build off of students responses.  This comes from not being taught in this way when I was in school.  Sometimes I am nervous when teaching in front of adults in the room and will forget to include the higher level questions I had planned to include while I am teaching.  This short-term goal aligns to my long-term goal of being successful in my student teaching and as a future teacher.  By including the blooms taxonomy in my teaching I will be able to push my students to take their understandings even further with the content.
     I could of spent more time with my edTPA task and my portfolio if I had been ahead with my lesson planning this week.  I am spending too much time working on my lesson plans and gathering the materials needed for the next day each afternoon.  I will focus my efforts this week on completing my lesson plans early and gathering all the materials needed for each day at the beginning of the week.  This way I will have more time to spend on my edTPA task and my portfolio.  I would say I was apprehensive this week with some of the letterland and phonics strategies.  I was scared I would not do them right.  I ended up doing well with them, I just had to get over my apprehension about them.  I went through exactly what I would say and do with my CE before I taught this aspect to the students.  This was a big help to ease my apprehension.  The first step for next week will be to have all of my materials ready for the whole week.  Also, I will begin on my lesson plans for the following week so I can get those done early.  This way I will be able to spend more time fixing my edTPA task and working on my portfolio during the week.  The data I was able to review this week was the middle of the year mclass data on each of our students.  This includes their dibles and TRC scores.  We also looked at the students understandings on the book and print concepts.  We reviewed all of the mclass data for kindegarten during our data analysis day.  We were able to take the data and determine which students need to be pulled for intervention strategies throughout our class and all of the kindegarten classes.  I was also able to see how each student in our class has grown or not grown from the beginning of the year data to the middle of the year data.  This data helped us determine our guided reading groups and helped us identify the specific needs some of our students have individually that we can work on with them.  One piece of advice I would give other student teachers is to take part in any meetings, goal teams, data analysis discussion, etc. that you can.  I have really been able to learn so much more about many aspects in teaching such as data and teaching stratgies by taking part in these meetings.  I will use all of the information and wisdom I have learned in these meetings to help guide me in my teaching as a future educator.
NC Teacher Candidate Standard  
Standard 1d- Teachers advocate for schools and students.  I was able to see during the data analysis how the teachers advocated for their students and their school.  The teachers stood up for their students and explained how far they had came from the beginning of the year with the concepts they had been focusing on.  The teachers then explained how they had not spent as much time on other concepts so the students would not have known how to do any better in those specific areas.  The teachers advocated for their school by expressing how much the school had grown in percentages each year and how they will this year as well.
Standard 2c- Teachers treat students as individuals.  I was able to observe this aspect during the data analysis meeting the teachers went through each child to determine what each child individually needed to be successful with the content and the standards.
Standard 3c- Teachers recognize the interconnectedness of content areas/disciplines.  I have been able to incorporate and connect all of the subjects together when teaching a lesson.  I have been able to help students to see the relevance of the content and help strengthen their global awareness.  We were able to use google earth, maps, and experience the live of a snowflake through the lens of a snowflake, etc.  The students really respond well and stay more engaged in the lesson when global awareness is involved.  
Standard 4d- Teachers integrate and utilize technology in their instruction.  I was able to use technology in my lessons this week.  Our technology is fixed as of this week!  The technology aspect I really liked the most this week was the life of a snowflake through the eyes of a snowflake in a video.  I was also able to use the smart board for some of my lessons this week, this allows the students to be hands on with the material.  The students really enjoy any type of technology aspect in the classroom.
Standard 5a- Teachers analyze student learning.  I was able to analyze the students learning by reviewing their data from their middle of the year mclass testing for my class and the whole grade level.  This was completed during the kindergarten data analysis day, I was able to attend.
Other
I was able to complete my educational philosophy this week.  I am working on the global awareness aspect this week and the website.  We do not need any support at this time from my university supervisor.