Entry 8

During my fieldwork I have learned two very important things. First, I have learned that a teacher is there for the kids. To protect them and help them learn. Providing a safe and fun learning environment is of the utmost importance. If students feel safe it is easier for them to express themselves and learn new things. If students have a learning disability you need to make adjustment in the classroom so that all your students can learn. I have seen this time and time again in Mrs. Cullimore's classroom. She has a few students with learning disabilities that need a quiet environment to learn. As a result her classroom is always very quiet and all of the students have responded positively to this type of environment. 

I believe the second most important thing I have learned is incorporating different learning modalities in the lessons. Mrs. Cullimore does this everyday. Even given instructions is done multiple ways so that each student is able to understand and complete the task needed. She will tell the students the instructions, show the kids how to do it and then answer any questions they still have about the activity. I think incorporating all the learning modalities makes lessons more fun for both the students and the teacher. It helps you be more creative with the activities you complete in the classroom. 

I have learned so much this year while doing the fieldwork. I have loved every minute of it and know that I will love being a teacher some day. I grown to love this class of second graders and have made arrangements with Mrs. Cullimore to continue my fieldwork until the end of the school year. I am so excited to continue getting experience in the classroom and learning more about what it takes to be a great teacher!

Entry 7

In the videos we watched this week there were ideas for morning activities to get the students involved and ready to learn. For example one teacher asked each of his students a question about what they had learned with a firm handshake. If they answered correctly they were allowed to enter the classroom. It seemed like the students enjoyed it and it motivated them to retain what they learned in class. In another video one teacher explained why she the organization and having a routine is the utmost importance when it comes to good classroom behavior.  All of the videos watched were very helpful and informative this week. 

Mrs. Cullimore incorporates her own morning routine for her students. First the kids complete their daily journal.. 

They can write about whatever they like and draw a picture. Then she has the morning meeting. All the kids will come sit on the alphabet rug. She gives the students the opportunity to share what they have written in their journal that morning. Then they discuss what will be happening that week, school events, holidays, class activities, etc. I think it is a great way to start the day because it helps the kids learn more about each other while practicing writing and sentence structure. Mrs. Cullimore is also very organized and keeps to a routine. I think this is a great way to run a classroom. The kids know what they will be doing and are prepared to complete the tasks. It is important to have an environment where the students feel safe. I believe that Mrs. Cullimore has accomplished this task. 

Entry 6

It is very important to actively engage the students. As a teacher my goal will be to engage the entire class during activities and lessons. I believe a great way to get the kids engaged is to first, start with a mind warm-up using a mix of collaboration and competition. The mundane warm-up that we are use to is question and answer where kids work silently and usually results in some students disengaging. Using a mind warm-up that is creative and fun will help engage the students and get their minds ready for the next task. Next, it's great to use movement to get the kids focused. For example having the kids stand behind their desks and doing a physical movement (like clapping their hands while chanting a song) will not only get the kids focused on the task but it is also an easy way to monitor full participation. Two other important concepts are incorporating different teaching styles.

Below is a list of techniques and activities that a teacher can incorporate to actively engage students.
1. The jigsaw technique: The class is divided into several teams, with each team preparing separate but related assignments. When all team members are prepared, the class is re-divided into mixed groups, with one member from each team in each group. Each person in the group teaches the rest of the group what he/she knows from the assignment completed previously. 
2. The gallery walk: post several questions around the room. Form the students into as many groups as there are questions. Each group moves from question to question. After completing all the questions together in the groups the students can then do their own reflection. 
3. Effective discussion: Rather than just having a discussion with teacher-student interaction, students can also discuss with their peers.
4. Concept Sketches: sketches or diagrams that are concisely annotated with short statements the describe the process, concepts, and interrelationships shown in the sketch.

Some effective strategies Mrs. Cullimore uses in her classroom are as follows. She uses random student selection to get the kids to answer questions. She has a cup of craft sticks with the names of the students. This helps the class pay attention because they could be called on at any moment. Individual dry erase boards are also used in Mrs. Cullimore's classroom. Students love writing on their own white board and solve math problems or give silent direct feedback to the teacher. Sometimes Mrs. Cullimore will separate the class into small groups and they will go to specific learning centers. Here they receive small group instructions and more one on one time with the teacher. Another fun activity Mrs. Cullimore incorporates is reading theater. She has the students dispersed into small groups and given a story/play. Each student is given a part in the play and then each groups performs a reading for the class.

I believe that having actively engaged students is very important. I plan to use most of the ideas previously discussed in this entry. I believe most of these ideas to be more effective than the usual mundane day to day activities that most students dread.