Brittany and the future

Instead of looking back at the semester, let us look towards the future. We have now observed our cooperating teachers for 100 hours, is there anything that you want to change when you take over the classroom?    Or.................are you  going to keep everything the same? We have talked a lot about different approaches and techniques, is there anything that you want to add into your classroom's daily routine? What are some of your expectations for next semester and what are some concerns that you might have?   Let us discuss!  

Molly is asking for a semester summary

As we are nearing the end of, or have already finished, the first 100 hours of our student teaching experience, think back upon it. 

What were some aspects about the classroom organization and management that you liked? Did not like? 

What, if anything, would you change about how your teacher is structuring/instructing the curriculum? How do you plan on teaching the curriculum next semester when you take over the class?

What's something new that you've learned this semester from your teacher or your students?

Dr. Ries and world language and social studies

Recently,  some school districts have eliminated world-language teacher positions and have insisted that classroom teachers be responsible for this instruction. 

After winter break, it will be mandated (in certain districts within the state) that general education classroom teachers teach world-language in the classroom. They will be responsible for 30 minutes of instruction a week. In these districts, it will be mandated that K-2 teachers infuse world-language into their social studies curriculum. Teachers in grades 3-5 will be required to use digital software called Middleberry. This is the new approach o immersing students into the world of "other"  cultures, by the means of world-language.  How comfortable do you feel with this request by a school district?  How would this affect your social studies curriculum?  How prepared are you to follow such a mandate? 

How does your district in which you are observing meet the state standards for world-language?

Brittany and standardized tests

Educators have debated this topic over many years, but we would like to know................. what is your take on standardized testing? Do you agree or disagree with these types of tests? As K-12 students we have had our fair share of sitting for the NJASK, PARCC, PSATs, SATs and most likely many other tests  throughout the years.  Did these tests provide us with the necessary skills to be successful?   While you were a K-12 student did you think teachers were teaching to the test? Do you think these tests limited our K-12 education? 

Now.............as a future educator,  are you going to teach toward the test or are you going to find other ways to provide your students with the necessary skills to be successful? In your observations, even though it is still early in the year, are your cooperating teachers stressing and teaching toward the standardized tests that their students will be taking at the end of the year?    

Can you think of other ways in which we can assess our students?         

Gianna asks about modifications and accommodations

Throughout my observations, I have seen students with IEPs and 504 plans. I have seen many different accommodations and modifications for these students. This semester, there is a student who is on the road to receiving an IEP and being classified with ADHD. I see the challenge that my cooperating teacher faces with the modifications that she needs to provide for this student in order that the student be successful. This student has great trouble forming letters. As a result of this, we scribe for the student and write words in yellow marker so that he is able to trace the letters. This student is also on a behavior chart with the goal to just stay in his seat. At the end of each subject, we present the clipboard to the student and ask him how he thinks he did, in terms of staying in his seat for that short period of time. If he was able to stay in his seat, he receives a smiley face.  The student receives a prize at the end of the day if there is a smiley face for every subject. The student also has a special seat, a cube chair, and he uses this when the class sits on the carpet. This cube chair helps him stay in his seat for the duration of the lesson. This is the type of data that the teacher collects that will be addressed in the IEP if and when he becomes classified.    

Have you seen modifications or accommodations like this in your classroom? If so, please describe them. Are there students in your classes who are on behavior charts? Do you believe that behavior charts are a good thing? Also, have you ever seen special seating for students who might have difficulty staying in their seats?

Amanda and Halloween concerns

As Halloween approaches, I believe that it is important to remain sensitive to all students. Halloween is an exciting time in elementary school for a lot of students, however, some students may not celebrate that particular holiday for religious or personal reasons. I am very curious to hear what you all think about this topic because it is an issue about which I have little experience. I  personally do not know what I would do if confronted with the situation in which a child is not allowed to celebrate Halloween, for religious reasons.  

Have you ever observed a situation in which a child was unable to participate in Halloween or in any other class celebration, for religious reasons? Have you talked to your cooperating teacher about how they would approach (or have approached) such a situation? For example, would you allow other students to continue Christmas activities and give the student who doesn't celebrate Christmas a seasonal activity?  On the other hand, would you refrain from giving specific holiday activities at so as to avoid any uncomfortable situations? Would you still decorate your classroom for the various holidays, despite the fact that one or two students in your classroom may not take part in those holidays? What are your thoughts?   The article listed below may be of some help to you.     


https://www.notsowimpyteacher.com/2017/12/when-you-have-students-who-dont.html

Aimee asks a technology question

The use of technology in classrooms has always been a topic of great debate. As we take our education courses we have learned the advantages of the use of technology in the classroom in different subject areas. Although teachers agree that technology is a great tool in the classrooms to enhance learning many do not have the technological resources to make that type of learning happen. During my observations throughout the various semesters I have not seen teachers take advantage of the iPads that are offered in their classrooms in order to teach a whole class. The only time that I have observed them use the iPads were during centers when students were allowed to go onto the program  "razkids."  What type of technology infusion have you seen in classrooms during your observations?   How can we implement the use of technology during a lesson? How rigorous do you plan to make technology-based work/projects for your students when you have your own class?  

Molly shares a new type of elementary school teaching structure

Something unique about the 5th-grade classes at my elementary school is that the students rotate between teachers. They are the only classes do rotate, all the others are self-contained classrooms. The 5th-grade teacher team consists of two smaller groups: a triad and diad. (I am only going to write about the triad team as this is the only rotation I am able to see this year).

The triad consists of three teachers: Teacher A (my coop teacher), Teacher B, and Teachers C/D (co-teachers). The schedule is as follows:

8:05-8:25

All students are in their homerooms with Teachers A-D

8:25-9:49

Teacher A: Homeroom students for ELA and Writing

Teacher B: Teaches math for students in class C/D

Teachers C/D: Teaches ELA/Writing for students in class B 

9:49-10:31

Teacher A: Teaches science/social studies for students in class C/D

Teacher B: Teaches math in class A from 9:49-11:13

Teacher C/D: Teaches ELA/Writing for students in class B

10:31-11:13

Teacher A: Teaches science/social studies for students in class B

Teacher B: Still teaching math to students in class A

Teacher C/D: Teaching ELA/Writing to their homeroom students C/D

11:13-3:00

All students return to their homeroom teachers for vocabulary/spelling, math, social studies/science, lunch, and specials.

The reasoning behind this rotation schedule is that it is an  introduction to the middle school schedule that they will follow next year.   Additionally, the 5th-grade is departmentalized in that one teacher is the only teacher to teach math to all students due to her academic credentials. The students have adjusted incredibly well to this rotation. They enjoy changing classes and are adapting to the different styles of teaching they are experiencing. This is also the fourth year that this rotation has been in place. 

My questions to you are the following: 

1. What is your opinion of this kind of a schedule at the elementary level? 

2. Do you think this kind of rotation can be beneficial for students, and why? 

3. Is there anything about this structure that you would change? 

4. Have you seen anything like this in any of the schools in which you have observed?

Abby asks a question about assessment procedures

Through the many semesters in which I have been observing, I have always been curious to see how teachers share assessments of student work with parents. I have seen teachers hand back the graded assessments and require students to get that work signed and brought back to school. I believe this can be difficult because parents can lose track of the many tests their child has taken throughout the week. This year in my 1st-grade class, I have taken note of the fact that my cooperating teacher keeps all the assessments from the week together and every Monday the students are given their red assessment folders in which the students will find their graded assessments taken the previous week. These assessments consist of: math, comprehension, and spelling tests. The teacher will attach notes for the parents to the folders.   These notes let the parent know whether a child struggled more than usual on a test, or how they behaved while the test was being administered. The students are to show the red folder to their parents and get each test signed.   This enables the parents to view their child’s performance over the past week and to receive teacher input as well. My cooperating teacher will then take all the tests back and file them in the student’s individual folders in order to see their growth over the school year. 

What are the different ways you have seen teachers hand back assessments in order for parents to see their child’s performance? Does the teacher just give the tests back after they are graded? How does your teacher grade the assessments? For example, my cooperating teacher does everything out of 100%? 

What types of assessments have you seen so far in your observations this semester? How you do feel about every assessment being shown to the parents? What do you prefer, all tests for the week shown at once or one test at a time?

Erin and mindfulness programs that address stress

A really interesting topic to me in education is the integration of a mindfulness program in schools. Currently, many new mindfulness programs are starting in schools as mental health awareness increases. Research has suggested that meditation interventions and mindfulness have many benefits that address behavioral, cognitive, and social-emotional development of young people Evidence from various studies I have read on the topic shows an increase in self-regulation, social understanding, and behavioral understanding for students due to the introduction of meditation intervention. Meditation intervention appears to help students to "center" themselves, put aside their worries, be more in touch with their own and others’ emotions, and focus on the present.   More specifically, this approach helps students to focus on the work that has to be done presently.

Do you believe that the introduction of a meditation intervention program is something beneficial for classrooms or is it something that you would prefer to ignore? Have you seen any meditation intervention programs that address the topic of mindfulness when you have been observing in different classroom settings? What kind of student do you think would most benefit from a mindfulness program? Why?

I have attached an article that focuses on a specific school in Syracuse, New York where the students struggle with high levels of poverty and trauma. Experience has indicated that this trauma can cause behavioral problems within the classroom. However, the faculty in the particular school highlighted in this article decided to address the trauma that their students were experiencing outside of the classroom by instituting meditation interventions. They have encouraged their students to practice mindfulness daily. Hopefully, this article can answer questions that you may have and provide an example for you as to how a mindfulness program can be effective.   Further, I hope this article helps to give you some background information on the topic!   

Article: https://districtadministration.com/meditation-at-school-leads-to-better-behavior-and-more-focused-learners/

Maria and ELL students

In the class in which  I am observing this semester, there is a total of  21 students. Seventeen of those students are classified as ELL students.   Are there any ELL students in the class in which you are observing this semester?   Have you worked with ELL students in the past?  Have you observed the strategies that teachers use with their ELL students?   Can you share some of the teaching strategies that you feel/felt were successful?  

As a teacher, how would you support ELLs in your classroom? In what ways would you provide differentiation within your classroom? What are some of the resources with which you are familiar that you can suggest to teachers who have ELL students in their classes? 

Bianca poses a flexible seating question

During my observations, I have noticed that my cooperating teacher incorporates flexible seating into her classroom. She allows students to decide where they wish to do their work and with whom they would like to work as the complete their classwork. She has wobble stools, seat rockers, and exercise balls as possible seating choices for students when they are working. 

Have you seen flexible seating in the classrooms where you are observing? If so, what types of seating does your cooperating teacher use in the classroom? Would you be interested in having flexible seating in your classroom? Do you see any benefits this type of a classroom structure? Do you see any drawbacks? 

Attached please find a link to an article that describes the benefits of flexible seating. This may help you to make your decision. 

https://smithsystem.com/smithfiles/2019/05/21/top-10-benefits-flexible-seating-classroom

Megan is continuing the reward chart discussion

What do you think if the best way to reinforce positive behavior in your classroom? Behavior and reward charts can be useful

in tracking and monitoring a student’s behavior. Would you rely

on a behavior chart or do you believe that there is better way

to reinforce positive behavior?

What other methods for reinforcing positive behavior in your

classroom would you consider?

Dr. Ries and Question to Consider for this Semester

As you look forward to your new observation and student teaching assignment what do you anticipate will be some of the difficulties that you may encounter along the way?  What are the  goals that you have set for yourself as you enter a new and more challenging segment of your teacher preparation program?  How, in your opinion, have you been prepared to take on this new role and new challenge in your career?