Gettin' that certification one step at a time!

Alright, so today I was observed by my supervisor during my math lesson. This is also referred to, here in South Carolina, as an ADEPT observation. We have to have so many ADEPT observations a semester in order to get our certification when we graduate. This semester I have to have 3 by my coaching teacher and 3 by my supervisor.

Now, about this observation... My children have PE on Wednesdays and math follows immediately. As I'm sure you can guess, this is usually pure chaos for our math on those days. So today when I picked them up, I told them that my teacher was here to watch me and give me a grade and that I expect them to be on their best behavior because I would much rather spend my time teaching than discipline. They responded with a solid, "Yes, Ma'am!" Once we left the gym, they went wild in the hallway- they weren't in line, their hands were on the walls, etc. So I stopped them and had them fix their walking, we got water, and went into the room to begin math.

We started the lesson very well. We were continuing our unit on patterns and building and extending patterns, so I knew my children would do well. I had made a smart board presentation for them to do with me- making our own patterns. WHen it came time for me to pick volunteers they went crazy because not everyone gets a turn- there's just not enough time in the day unfortunately. When we were done with the direct instruction part of thelesson, they went back to their seats to make their own patterns with paper and crayons. They worked well and were very cooperative. Overall, the lesson went well but I still felt exhausted and not so great about the lesson. I thought that I had to talk over them the whole time and that I didn't have their attention; however, my supervisor was thrilled and thought that I did a wonderful job.

Now it's time for me to brag... She said that she could tell that I was enjoying myself and that this was where I was supposed to be. She said she felt like the children were very engaged throughout and I did a great job with them. One of my favorite comments she said during our meeting was how when a child is speaking, I pay attention to them and actually listen to what the child has to say- no matter what it is. She said that this is rare because often times we are so busy thinking about what to say and do next we don't actually hear what the child is saying to us. She loved the intimacy that was created when the children were speaking. She said that my tone was soft and gentile the whole and that this helped to create a relaxed environment for the children to learn. I was so pleased, especially since I wasn't feeling that great afterwards. To just hear her praise and reassurance that it was good and I'm doing well was so nice.

Yet again...Another day of wonderful surprises in second grade!