We still couldn't have recess outside, because the sun hasn't come out since Tuesday and it has been raining on and off all week, so indoor recess was a must and we watched videos online about weather (we are studying weather this 9 weeks) between lunch and recess.
The experience that I got this week was great! I actually felt, for the first time since I started teaching, that I was a real teacher. Since my teacher was away at a conference and my sub left immediately after dismissal every day, I had the room to myself every afternoon to prepare for the next day. I always set a time limit though, because its true: you can spend all night there trying to get things done! It was my goal to leave by 3:30 or 4:00 every night, and I did!
Now...I'm prepped and ready to go for the next two weeks of my REAL full time teaching. I have all the plans made, the supplies ready for Monday and I am resting up big time this weekend! I am not very nervous about the teaching part of the day, since I know I can teach all day adn get everything done; I am nervous about this Action Research Project that I have to implement while I am teaching.
The ARP ( that's what we call it at USC) is a project that I have been planning all semester with my supervisor and professor of my seminar class. This is something every education major has to do at some point before they graduate. It is done during your student teaching. You have to observe your room and find a weakness and make a plan on how YOU want to try to make it better. The key is, you have to do this during your full time teaching which is only 2 weeks. We are expected to put this into our plans and do this study and research while we are teaching!! It's crazy! I noticed that my students barely know any of their high frequency words, so this became my concern because without being able to read these words or write them, etc. they are not going to be able to progress in their reading and writing. I am going to try to increase their knowledge and usage of the high frequency words through a culturally relevant pedagogy (study).
This is where I am becoming nervous. I am so scared that I am going to fail my children in this two weeks. I want them t be successful so bad, that I hope I'm not making my expectations too high!! I am hoping for an increase in their ability to read and write and recognize their high frequency words at the end of my 2 weeks. I plan on getting this done by focusing on their community and making the lessons relevant to them. I am going to point out the HFW every time we read or write and make an ongoing chart for them to display in the room. In the end, they will produce a written book about what they have learned and underline the HFW they use. They will also take a recognition test for me. I hope that this works! This is my concern since I have worked so hard all semester to plan this and I have to do a presentation for the college of ed. at the end of semester all about this project!!
In the meantime, I am trying to have happy thoughts about the next two weeks and I keep telling myself that my children will not let me down!
Let's hope for the best!!
This is long, I know...but concerns are just part of the job and a big part of my upcoming weeks as a teacher!
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