My I.C finally decided to let me borrow the First Grade teacher's mentor. So I finally have some experienced wonderful woman to help me figure out my life! Yes!
We have been working on ways to refine procedures and helping me to find a way to balance my voice level and discipline procedures. As a teacher, you have to be able to have eyes all over your head. You are teaching a whole group while watching individual students, coaching, managing naughty kids, keeping track of your materials, where you are in your lesson, answering questions, giving out tickets, taking away class points, giving class points, staying happy and staying firm. I sometimes struggle to notice and take care of specific problems because I get so involved in my teaching.
The key, I've found, is to keep things very subtle. When you have to stop teaching to fix a behavior problem it is distracting to you and the rest of your class. I am trying to use quick one word warnings, stern looks and proximity.
I need to be more firm, with out being 'mean' which is exactly what I'm afraid of becoming. I have yet to actually send a kid out of the classroom, mostly because I just forget to enforce it. When in reality sending a kid out for a few minutes would fix so many problems. So I'm working on that.
I finally was able to put in a few desks today. We were only able to scrounge up six. I stuck some of my harder kids in them, so they can better keep their hands and feet to themselves. Now all the kids are jealous and want one. I told them we're working on it.
I am trying to find some great ideas for literature centers. Currently I have a writing center where they can choose from three prompts, with instructions on how and what to write. I have a word work center for them to practice spelling and vocabulary words. I'm using laminated sentence strips, whiteboards and magnetic alphabet letters. Reading center, where they can choose a book and fill out a reading response form. At lastly a teacher table where my staff assistant works with small groups. Rotating is tricky and messy. I'm debating on using the Daily 5 program. I'll keep you updated. Any advice?
My mentor is helping me make my room more inviting. I now have a pine tree in my reading center!
I am so happy to have help- someone to talk things over with, who has actually seen me teach!
The kids are still obnoxious. I started Utah Studies with a group of 30 kids today... yikes!!!
Getting better, learning more, getting help. Keep Swimming!!!
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
Saturday, September 1, 2012
Reflection on the first week.
This week has not been all bad. I know I sound like all I have done is complain, however, I am actually loving it. I love having a career and being all 'grown up' and responsible, I love that huge amount of money that magically showed up in my bank account and I LOVE the kids. Yes, it is hard and I am struggling to maintain control, but I am having a great time. The tears, the frustration, the headaches and the heartache is all totally worth it. These kids are tough, but they are sweet and I love being able to get to know them. I love being their teacher. I just hope I can be a better teacher. I want them to know that I am on their side and that I care about them.
Successes!
-We have hit our goal of 98% attendance!
-We have began our language arts centers.
-We were able to take most of our end of week assessments.
-My kids have perfected our tricky hallway procedure.
-They know how to do their bell work and move their attendance clips each morning.
I will continue to post successes because a good reflection states what I did right. I need to be able to praise m myself for my hard work while constantly refining to make things even better. I would also like to use this blog to ask for advice. Several people have messaged me with tips for my classroom. I appreciate this and am open to any suggestions anyone can offer. Feel free to also post any comments either on the blog, my FB wall or the comment bar on my blog links. I would like others to benefit from each other's advice. I am so happy to have so many people following my blog. Tell your friends!
I have some great support. I will be getting some help in my classroom refining procedures, planning lessons and rearranging the classroom to the very best learning environment. I welcome this help. We are working on getting desks. Currently my kids sit at trapezoid tables. I hope that having desks will help with the classroom management. Next week is going to be much better. We are treating it almost as if we were starting over. I just hope that I can continue teach as much curriculum as possible.
This morning my older brother came over to give me a priesthood blessing. It is wonderful to have the Spirit with me to support me through these trials. I know this will help this as I continue on next week.
Thanks for reading, thanks for supporting me! I can do this!!!! :)
Successes!
-We have hit our goal of 98% attendance!
-We have began our language arts centers.
-We were able to take most of our end of week assessments.
-My kids have perfected our tricky hallway procedure.
-They know how to do their bell work and move their attendance clips each morning.
I will continue to post successes because a good reflection states what I did right. I need to be able to praise m myself for my hard work while constantly refining to make things even better. I would also like to use this blog to ask for advice. Several people have messaged me with tips for my classroom. I appreciate this and am open to any suggestions anyone can offer. Feel free to also post any comments either on the blog, my FB wall or the comment bar on my blog links. I would like others to benefit from each other's advice. I am so happy to have so many people following my blog. Tell your friends!
I have some great support. I will be getting some help in my classroom refining procedures, planning lessons and rearranging the classroom to the very best learning environment. I welcome this help. We are working on getting desks. Currently my kids sit at trapezoid tables. I hope that having desks will help with the classroom management. Next week is going to be much better. We are treating it almost as if we were starting over. I just hope that I can continue teach as much curriculum as possible.
This morning my older brother came over to give me a priesthood blessing. It is wonderful to have the Spirit with me to support me through these trials. I know this will help this as I continue on next week.
Thanks for reading, thanks for supporting me! I can do this!!!! :)
Thursday, August 30, 2012
Practicing.
I finally broke down today to a few people and cried.. and cried. It felt VERY good to get things out. I needed to hear things that I was doing wrong. I also needed assurance that I am trying and that I am doing things right. I know that it is my first week of school, however, I feel so discouraged because I wish I was better. I feel like I have no control of this class. I am trying everything possible that I can think of to keep up with them. And then the problem comes that I get angry, then I raise my voice. I get mad. And that- is totally unacceptable. I need to find a way to keep my cool and stay calm. Always. Always. Alway. Stay positive.
Getting spiritual here. I have always felt that my 'calling' in life is to teach. It's the only thing that I have ever wanted to do with my life. I have been promised that I will be an example to the children. I am not trying to sound prideful, I am just trying to explain one reason I feel so frustrated. I feel like.. if this is what I am supposed to be doing, then why am I so bad at it right now?
I went to my Institute class tonight and really felt spirit. I came to a resolution that these kids need me. I need to love them unconditionally. In this life, we are practicing to become the very best that we can possibly be. This life is not a test, it's practice. I am practicing patience. I am practicing to be a better teacher, a good parent to my future children, and a good friend to everyone around me. And nobody is a master at something in the very beginning. It always takes practice.
A good friend that I made this summer was very excited for me to begin teaching. He told me there are only two careers that will exist in the afterlife. Teaching and Farming. Now he never explained to me the importance of farming, but I will always remember the part about teaching. The world needs good teachers. Our God needs good teachers. And what I learn here in this life is what I will take me when I leave it.
I will love these children. I will do my absolute best to build them up, to support them, be there for them. I will help them learn and grow. They will leave my class better that they came in, because I will work my butt off this year. I will vow to be happy and positive. I will continually find ways to improve my teaching and my classroom management. I will not yell at my students.
I will just keep practicing. :)
Getting spiritual here. I have always felt that my 'calling' in life is to teach. It's the only thing that I have ever wanted to do with my life. I have been promised that I will be an example to the children. I am not trying to sound prideful, I am just trying to explain one reason I feel so frustrated. I feel like.. if this is what I am supposed to be doing, then why am I so bad at it right now?
I went to my Institute class tonight and really felt spirit. I came to a resolution that these kids need me. I need to love them unconditionally. In this life, we are practicing to become the very best that we can possibly be. This life is not a test, it's practice. I am practicing patience. I am practicing to be a better teacher, a good parent to my future children, and a good friend to everyone around me. And nobody is a master at something in the very beginning. It always takes practice.
A good friend that I made this summer was very excited for me to begin teaching. He told me there are only two careers that will exist in the afterlife. Teaching and Farming. Now he never explained to me the importance of farming, but I will always remember the part about teaching. The world needs good teachers. Our God needs good teachers. And what I learn here in this life is what I will take me when I leave it.
I will love these children. I will do my absolute best to build them up, to support them, be there for them. I will help them learn and grow. They will leave my class better that they came in, because I will work my butt off this year. I will vow to be happy and positive. I will continually find ways to improve my teaching and my classroom management. I will not yell at my students.
I will just keep practicing. :)
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
Pencils
Day 3- check!
The kids are slowly getting better... slowly... slowly. They did a great job during rotations today. While they were rotations I was told by my I.C (Instructional Coach) to walk about the school and observe some awesome teachers. I saw some things that I need to do. Mostly just better procedures. I thought I had procedures. We talk about how to do everything, every time we do it. But I didn't think of having a pencil procedure chart or making large posters to explain how to work during every part of the day. I have lots of work to do. :)
Pencils. The kids are obsessed with the new steel pencil sharpeners I bought at Utah-Idaho Supply with my precious P.O order. However, they have severe troubles sharpening their pencils. As we cleaned the floor today, we found about twenty pieces of pencil lead. I am going to sharpen all the pencils every morning- and then have an assigned student to do if needed during the day. The kids simply need to walk back and grab a new pencil and replace their old pencil. I will keep a nifty steel pencil sharpener on my person at all times in case the kids badly need a pencil sharpened during the many times I don't want them running about the room sharpening pencils.. over and over.. and over... again. I am pretty sure that they break them on purpose. Poor Ticongeroga pencils... :(
I have been making it to the school between six and six thirty every morning and then staying untill five thirty. I am working nearly 12 hour days and it is beginning to wear me down. I wake up about four and can't sleep, so I just get up and get to work. And staying up until twelve thirty doesn't help much either.. thanks friends. Thank you crazy family who is driving me crazy. :)
I am still flying by the seat of my pants. I feel guilty because our schedule this week has been so out of order. It's been so much about rules, procedures, practice.. practice.. practice. I feel like next week is going to so much better.
I'm taking an Ambien and going to sleep. :)
The kids are slowly getting better... slowly... slowly. They did a great job during rotations today. While they were rotations I was told by my I.C (Instructional Coach) to walk about the school and observe some awesome teachers. I saw some things that I need to do. Mostly just better procedures. I thought I had procedures. We talk about how to do everything, every time we do it. But I didn't think of having a pencil procedure chart or making large posters to explain how to work during every part of the day. I have lots of work to do. :)
Pencils. The kids are obsessed with the new steel pencil sharpeners I bought at Utah-Idaho Supply with my precious P.O order. However, they have severe troubles sharpening their pencils. As we cleaned the floor today, we found about twenty pieces of pencil lead. I am going to sharpen all the pencils every morning- and then have an assigned student to do if needed during the day. The kids simply need to walk back and grab a new pencil and replace their old pencil. I will keep a nifty steel pencil sharpener on my person at all times in case the kids badly need a pencil sharpened during the many times I don't want them running about the room sharpening pencils.. over and over.. and over... again. I am pretty sure that they break them on purpose. Poor Ticongeroga pencils... :(
I have been making it to the school between six and six thirty every morning and then staying untill five thirty. I am working nearly 12 hour days and it is beginning to wear me down. I wake up about four and can't sleep, so I just get up and get to work. And staying up until twelve thirty doesn't help much either.. thanks friends. Thank you crazy family who is driving me crazy. :)
I am still flying by the seat of my pants. I feel guilty because our schedule this week has been so out of order. It's been so much about rules, procedures, practice.. practice.. practice. I feel like next week is going to so much better.
I'm taking an Ambien and going to sleep. :)
Monday, August 27, 2012
First Day of School- ah!!!
I talked to a woman this morning who is a retired teacher, and now just volunteers to play the piano and read to kids and stuff. She tried to console me when she saw how nervous I was. This is her 49th 'first'. I can't even imagine right now being that good, that experienced. I feel so overwhelmed by everything right now.
I KNOW that I'm a good teacher. I've had.. some experience. Student teaching at least. Granted, summer camp, piano lessons and hanging out with kids after school doesn't make me a master teacher, I know that I need more classroom experience. However, I've always felt relatively comfortable in the classroom, I feel like the kids like me and that I do a good job. But the first day of school is so hard!! I expected it to be hard, but I guess I sort of hoped that it wouldn't be.
You see, the first day, week... month.. possibly the whole year- is about procedure. Procedures, procedures, procedures. So I taught the procedures. We discussed countless times how to walk down the hall, how to stay quiet and to be respectful. And you would suppose that by the fourth grade kids would know how to behave in a classroom. Apparently not! I spent half the day just trying to get these kids to follow instructions! I pulled out all my old tricks. I used a variety of cues, and we practiced them over and over again. I moved kids, put them in seats, walked about the room, tried to keep things moving quickly. I pulled kids aside during recess to discuss behavior. I waited for kids to be respectful and quiet. I reviewed the rules again and again. The principal came into the room and even had to have a chat with the kids. Boy, that made me feel like crap. I feel like the faculty is looking down on me and thinking that I'm a bad teacher. I think that I just need to accept the challenge and keep going. I'm not super upset.. just frustrated!!
I wish that I could give you a super nice blog about how much I love my students and how wonderful of an experience that I had my first day of school. Many of the students are wonderful, sweet children who cause no problems. But most of the kids are monsters!
So- I can't just complain. I need to find a way to solve the problem.
I will commit to:
Be more organized in my lesson plans and make sure that the day is fast paced and interesting.
Be positive in my conversations with my students and continue to give praise.
Create a classroom atmosphere that allows for better instruction and class participation.
Continue to constantly review rules and procedures.
Don't let the students win. I'm the teacher, I set the rules and stick to them.
Learn the names of my students and get to know there personalities and skill levels.
Tomorrow will be better!
I KNOW that I'm a good teacher. I've had.. some experience. Student teaching at least. Granted, summer camp, piano lessons and hanging out with kids after school doesn't make me a master teacher, I know that I need more classroom experience. However, I've always felt relatively comfortable in the classroom, I feel like the kids like me and that I do a good job. But the first day of school is so hard!! I expected it to be hard, but I guess I sort of hoped that it wouldn't be.
You see, the first day, week... month.. possibly the whole year- is about procedure. Procedures, procedures, procedures. So I taught the procedures. We discussed countless times how to walk down the hall, how to stay quiet and to be respectful. And you would suppose that by the fourth grade kids would know how to behave in a classroom. Apparently not! I spent half the day just trying to get these kids to follow instructions! I pulled out all my old tricks. I used a variety of cues, and we practiced them over and over again. I moved kids, put them in seats, walked about the room, tried to keep things moving quickly. I pulled kids aside during recess to discuss behavior. I waited for kids to be respectful and quiet. I reviewed the rules again and again. The principal came into the room and even had to have a chat with the kids. Boy, that made me feel like crap. I feel like the faculty is looking down on me and thinking that I'm a bad teacher. I think that I just need to accept the challenge and keep going. I'm not super upset.. just frustrated!!
I wish that I could give you a super nice blog about how much I love my students and how wonderful of an experience that I had my first day of school. Many of the students are wonderful, sweet children who cause no problems. But most of the kids are monsters!
So- I can't just complain. I need to find a way to solve the problem.
I will commit to:
Be more organized in my lesson plans and make sure that the day is fast paced and interesting.
Be positive in my conversations with my students and continue to give praise.
Create a classroom atmosphere that allows for better instruction and class participation.
Continue to constantly review rules and procedures.
Don't let the students win. I'm the teacher, I set the rules and stick to them.
Learn the names of my students and get to know there personalities and skill levels.
Tomorrow will be better!
Thursday, August 23, 2012
Firsts.
To everything in life there is a first. Your first word, your first step, first day of school, first day on the new job. The first time. And no matter how many firsts you have been through, the new first is always the worst. Doing something new can be a most challenging and exhilarating experience. Terrifying, nerve wracking, frustrating, exciting and totally unpredictable.
This is my first year of teaching school. It's the first, but it won't be the last. And because it isn't the last, I know that I can only continue to grow. This blog will document my first year of teaching. The ups, the downs, the new ideas and new knowledge that I gain. This isn't my classroom blog, this isn't for my students or for my parents. It's for me, it's for you. It's for new, terrified teachers everywhere.
I'm teaching fourth grade this year. I never dreamed that I would end up working for this district. I always assumed that I would begin my career somewhere else. However, this is a first. Now that I am part of this district, my alliances have changed. I think that a person needs to feel pride for where they are. I refuse to start out in this district with a pre-constructed bias and a bad attitude. There are changes here, oh yes, big ones. However, I am beginning to realize the power and influence of this district. There are amazing things happening. Programs, goals, data digs. We will make a difference in these children's lives.
First classroom. It's finally set up. Pictures are soon to come. I am trying to go for sort of a camping theme. It won't be extreme, but enough to be fun. I am finishing up tomorrow, continuing to put up all of the required posters, pocket charts, and bulletin board stuff.
First Back to School Night. Sure, only about half of my 26 students showed up, but I loved seeing them and getting to know them and their family's. I can't wait to begin teaching them!
First time in a school like this. My school was built in the 70's in what they call an 'open classroom environment'. The school is shaped as a large dome. We have no actually walls. Rather, large cubicle like dividers separating all of the rooms, no doors. They all form in a large circle with the library in the middle. I love it. It feels so comfortable and friendly.
First day of school is coming up. I'll let you all know how it goes.... yikes!
Wish me luck!!
-MISS TAYLOR
This is my first year of teaching school. It's the first, but it won't be the last. And because it isn't the last, I know that I can only continue to grow. This blog will document my first year of teaching. The ups, the downs, the new ideas and new knowledge that I gain. This isn't my classroom blog, this isn't for my students or for my parents. It's for me, it's for you. It's for new, terrified teachers everywhere.
I'm teaching fourth grade this year. I never dreamed that I would end up working for this district. I always assumed that I would begin my career somewhere else. However, this is a first. Now that I am part of this district, my alliances have changed. I think that a person needs to feel pride for where they are. I refuse to start out in this district with a pre-constructed bias and a bad attitude. There are changes here, oh yes, big ones. However, I am beginning to realize the power and influence of this district. There are amazing things happening. Programs, goals, data digs. We will make a difference in these children's lives.
First classroom. It's finally set up. Pictures are soon to come. I am trying to go for sort of a camping theme. It won't be extreme, but enough to be fun. I am finishing up tomorrow, continuing to put up all of the required posters, pocket charts, and bulletin board stuff.
First Back to School Night. Sure, only about half of my 26 students showed up, but I loved seeing them and getting to know them and their family's. I can't wait to begin teaching them!
First time in a school like this. My school was built in the 70's in what they call an 'open classroom environment'. The school is shaped as a large dome. We have no actually walls. Rather, large cubicle like dividers separating all of the rooms, no doors. They all form in a large circle with the library in the middle. I love it. It feels so comfortable and friendly.
First day of school is coming up. I'll let you all know how it goes.... yikes!
Wish me luck!!
-MISS TAYLOR
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