I cannot believe this semester is almost over. I have learned so much during my field work and thru this course. I think that one of the most important things that I have learned is that teaching isn't just a job. You need to do a lot more if you want to be successful. You need to know each of your students. Get to know them outside of the classroom. This could help with many things as they are learning. I didn't realize that a teacher is more than a teacher. You are a listener, judge, caretaker, nurse, helper, and friend just to name a few.
I also didn't realize that there are different ways that your students learn. I think I knew this but I never really thought about it too deeply. Teachers need to apply all of the learning strategies into their lesson plans. This could be a challenge but if you do what you need to then you will have a successful lesson.
The last thing that really struck home to me is classroom management. this is key to being an amazing teacher. I have seen a teacher who's main goal is to be the students friend and her classroom is out of control. There has to be an in between. Classrooms need structure. You can achieve this and still be a friend if you are willing to try. I cannot wait until I become a teacher. This course made me so excited for what is to come.
Friday, November 15, 2013
Tuesday, November 12, 2013
Blog Entry #7
There are a lot of procedures in the classroom that makes Kindergarten run smoothly. The children know that the first thing they do when they walk through the door is to hand in their homework folder. Then they go sit on the rug. They know that recess is after math and that snack is after recess. This makes it so they don't ask every ten minutes when snack and recess are. The students also know what to do if they get done with an assignment earlier than the other students. This is book time. Kindergarten procedures are very important. I think the students like it better if they know what is going to happen next.
The classroom management that Mrs. Wolf uses is bucket filling. At the first of the year they read the book that goes along with this classroom management plan and then they discuss what it means to be a bucket filler and a bucket dipper. Mrs. Wolf has a paper bucket for each child. In these buckets there are four sticks. If they are miss behaving she warns them that they will get a stick pulled if they don't change their behavior. If they get two sticks pulled they get a note sent home to their parents. If by chance they get all four pulled then they have a parent teacher conference. Its funny to watch these Kindergarteners because they know what all of this means. They are devastated when they get just one warning. I have witnessed one student so devastated because she got her stick pulled out of her bucket she was in tears for a while. I think that it is working because the buckets and sticks mean so much to them. Mrs. Wolf does allow them to earn it back by showing her how they are supposed to be acting. I really like this management plan. The students really get involved in it. I love it when I over hear someone that they need to fill Mrs. Wolfs bucket. :)
The classroom management that Mrs. Wolf uses is bucket filling. At the first of the year they read the book that goes along with this classroom management plan and then they discuss what it means to be a bucket filler and a bucket dipper. Mrs. Wolf has a paper bucket for each child. In these buckets there are four sticks. If they are miss behaving she warns them that they will get a stick pulled if they don't change their behavior. If they get two sticks pulled they get a note sent home to their parents. If by chance they get all four pulled then they have a parent teacher conference. Its funny to watch these Kindergarteners because they know what all of this means. They are devastated when they get just one warning. I have witnessed one student so devastated because she got her stick pulled out of her bucket she was in tears for a while. I think that it is working because the buckets and sticks mean so much to them. Mrs. Wolf does allow them to earn it back by showing her how they are supposed to be acting. I really like this management plan. The students really get involved in it. I love it when I over hear someone that they need to fill Mrs. Wolfs bucket. :)
Friday, November 1, 2013
Blog Entry #6
There are many situations in kindergarten to get the students actively involved in what they are learning. One of the many examples is Color Bingo. Mrs.Wolf has a colored Bingo song. She holds up the pictures and they sing along to the tune of Bingo. I think I have heard those kids sing this song a thousand times when they are writing or working on their own. I have also noticed that each student recognizes the words of the colors. I was reading to a little girl the other day and she saw the word yellow. She was so excited, sang that part of the song and then said, "Yep, I'm smart I can read Y E L L O W!!" ha ha it made me smile because she was so proud of herself.
Another way that Mrs. Wolf engages the whole class is when they are finished learning about a fairy tale they discuss what it was about. She reads them at least three versions of the same tale and they tell her the differences and similarities. Then they go over what the fairy tale is about. Mrs. Wolf calls on some that volunteer and some that don't and by the end of their talk they have a big list of what the stories were about. After the discussion is over Mrs. Wolf has them write in their journals. For a kinder this is hard so they draw pictures of what they remember from the story and then before they are done they have to let her see what they drew.
Mrs. Wolf is great at asking questions and keeping her students engaged in what they are doing. she has different strategies. Some I have seen and I am sure there are some that I will see soon. I am just grateful for the example of teaching that she is giving me.
Another way that Mrs. Wolf engages the whole class is when they are finished learning about a fairy tale they discuss what it was about. She reads them at least three versions of the same tale and they tell her the differences and similarities. Then they go over what the fairy tale is about. Mrs. Wolf calls on some that volunteer and some that don't and by the end of their talk they have a big list of what the stories were about. After the discussion is over Mrs. Wolf has them write in their journals. For a kinder this is hard so they draw pictures of what they remember from the story and then before they are done they have to let her see what they drew.
Mrs. Wolf is great at asking questions and keeping her students engaged in what they are doing. she has different strategies. Some I have seen and I am sure there are some that I will see soon. I am just grateful for the example of teaching that she is giving me.
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