EDUC 435 // Blog 1 September 20, 2018

Hey y'all!
This month has been busy, busy, busy. I have been getting really involved in my clinical placement with my 2nd/3rd grade combination class, and I am starting to feel like I am getting the hang of it!

References to Learning Experiences this month:
     This month I completed a classroom management system, classroom management plan, and my lesson plans and commentary for task 1. I really enjoyed taking pictures around my C.E.'s classroom for the classroom management system because it helped me to get acquainted with how she runs her classroom and the expectation she has for her students.  I also really enjoyed making my own classroom management plan, because I think that this was a good thing to go ahead and have completed so that I can "work smarter, not harder" and have my procedures set into place. I think that it will be more helpful than we all realize to go ahead and have 3 days worth of substitute plans done. Writing task 1 this month has really helped me to feel more confident and relaxed about edTPA. I feel like I am finally starting to make connections in my mind between my practices and what the prompts are asking me. I think the light bulb might finally be coming on for me with edTPA!

References to outside learning/research:
     One thing that I have really struggled with this month is grouping for guided reading stations in my task 1 lesson plans. This is because two students were removed from our class just this past Monday. Also, the way that I have always done grouping in my lesson plans is much different than how my C.E. groups students for literacy stations. This isn't a bad thing AT ALL, it's just different and something for me to adjust to! She is very flexible and supportive, and she told me that I can do grouping how I want. However, I don't want to change the grouping too much from what the children are already used to. She was so sweet to send me an email last night with a book that she read that inspired the way she groups for literacy stations. The book is called Practice with Purpose (Literacy Workstations for Grades 3-6) by Debbie Diller. I looked into this book, and basically, the author that wrote this book was a teacher for 30 years. She decided to look at classroom practices with a questioning/inquiry point of view. She asks the questions "What are the purposes for these classroom practices, and why?" I am glad that my C.E. shared this book with me, and I can't wait to dive into it more. It might change the way I see grouping students for literacy stations as well. One thing that I love about my C.E.'s practices is that they are all research based.

Learning Experiences related to the NCTCS:
     Planning and writing task 1 is connected to the NCTCS in so many ways. It is directly related to Standard 4, "Teachers facilitate learning for their students." When we write task 1, this is exactly what we are doing! We are not just planning for the whole class, but for our students who need modifications and supports, as well. We are planning to facilitate learning for ALL of our students... not just the students who are "on grade level." Completing the management plan with substitute teacher lesson plans and the management system are directly related to Standard 5, "Teachers reflect on their practice." These learning experiences are also directly related to substandard c, "Teachers function effectively in a complex, dynamic environment." You never know when you might get sick or have some kind of emergency and have to miss school during student teaching or in your own classroom. By having these plans already in place for our substitute teacher to use for 3 days, we are planning ahead and preparing for anything. When we first went into our C.E.'s classrooms in August, we had a lot of information thrown at us. By creating the management system and taking pictures for artifacts, we became better acquainted with the classroom and how our C.E.'s will expect us to keep those procedures going in January. This is directly related to functioning in a complex and dynamic environment.

Connections to my Future Classroom:
     This month, I have made so many connections between my learning experiences at Gardner-Webb and my clinical placement to my future classroom. I have been taking care of my student with diabetes so much this month, and it has taught me a lot about life. First, I realized how blessed I am. I am 20 years old and by the grace of God I have not yet known struggles that this sweet child has already faced at 7 years old. She goes through a lot every single day with her condition, partly because she does not have a pump and in a 24 hour period she can have up to 4-5 shots of insulin and 10 finger sticks. She's so brave! She faces every single day with a smile! She keeps us on our toes, not just because of her severe diabetes, but because she is so sassy too! She is a constant encouragement to me because she tells me "Ms. McDaniel, I think you're getting the hang of this teaching thing. You're learning fast." I think we all need a kid like her in our lives. 💗 I feel like I was placed in this classroom with a purpose that is bigger than me, and I am already feeling more prepared for my future classroom. This placement has been tough and intimidating at times, learning to teach two grade levels at the same time, but it is only building my confidence for my future classroom.