Student Teaching Week 15 Reflection

Week of Reflection: Friday, April 12, 2019
 

• Rate your overall experience of the week: 1-Very difficult | 5 – Great week

This week was a 5! I got to observe so many amazing teachers around my school. And now, it is spring break!

Seven questions to end your week:

• Observe: What pleasant surprises / accomplishments did I achieve this week?

I finally felt confident in my ability to handle behavior management issues on my own. My CE needed me to take care of a behavior issue while she took the rest of the class to the library, and I was really proud of myself for how I handled the behavior. I handled everything in a very calm and effective manner!

• Reflect: What lessons did my work/experiences teach me that I will build upon next week?

Next week, over spring break, I will be working a lot on my portfolio-- specifically the portfolio video. However, the next week, I will be teaching only math. It’s hard to believe how fast time has flown by, but I am so excited about getting one step closer to having my own classroom!

• Focus:  How are my short-term efforts and my long-term goals still aligned?

This week I gave back reading, and the week after spring break I’m giving back phonics. I am getting closer and closer to being done and graduating! I am so excited!

• Be Productive: What could I have spent more or less time doing?

I could have spent more time working on figuring out how to use Livebinder for my portfolio. From what I hear, it’s pretty hard to navigate.

• Have Courage:  How did apprehension and indecision impact what I did and didn’t do?

N/A

• Begin Anew: What is the first logical step(s) for next week? What mental clutter can I clear?

To relax, sleep in, and get some portfolio work done over spring break!

Adapted from: Cernoff, M. (2013, August 7). 7 Questions to End Your Week With. . Retrieved July 21, 2014, from http://www.marcandangel.com/2013/08/08/7-questions-to-end-your-week-with/

• What were some data you analyzed this week and how did it help inform your instructional decisions?

This week I analyzed phonics data, seeing if my students were mastering the syllabication method. They are getting it, for the most part!

• What is one piece of advice you can share with other student teachers?

Go out and observe teachers and soak up everything you can from them. Take lots of notes on cute ideas in their classroom like decorations or even behavior management techniques!

NC Teacher Candidate Standards (be sure to reference activities from your lesson plans to solidify your answer)

• Pick an element from standard one of the evaluation tool and explain some activities/strategies you implemented this week to increase your rating for the element.

Standard 1a. “Teachers lead in their classrooms.” This standard includes positive behavior management techniques, and this week I felt really confident in that!

• Pick an element from standard two of the evaluation tool and explain some activities/strategies you implemented this week to increase your rating for the element.

Standard 2c. “Teachers treat students as individuals.” This kind of goes hand-in-hand with the above standard, because I realized that kids are so different and unique from each other and you can’t teach nor discipline them all in the same ways. You have to figure out what their individual likes, dislikes, interests, etc. are and then go from their.

• Pick an element from standard three of the evaluation tool and explain some activities/strategies you implemented this week to increase your rating for the element.

Standard 3d. “Teachers make instruction relevant for their students.” This week we did a lot of cute things for literacy week, with this week being centered around mysteries. The kids got to dress up as detectives and we did a lot of fun activities involving mysteries.

• Pick an element from standard four of the evaluation tool and explain some activities/strategies you implemented this week to increase your rating for the element.

Standard 4c. “Teachers use a variety of instructional methods.” This one goes hand-in-hand with the one above. We even did a skit for the kids and took all the cookies out of the lunch room on Monday and had them solve the mystery on who ate them all. (It was the K-2 custodians! haha)

• Pick an element from standard five of the evaluation tool and explain some activities/strategies you implemented this week to increase your rating for the element.

Standard 5c. “Teachers function effectively in a complex, dynamic learning environment.” We made it to Spring Break! Praise the Lord. First break since MLK day in January-- we haven’t even had a single teacher workday since then!

Other:

• What components of your portfolio have you started to complete?

All of it! I will be sending components in for feedback next week.

• What support does your clinical educator need from your university supervisor?

None that I know of.

• What support do you need from your university supervisor?

None that I know of!