Well, there have been a lot of things going on since my last post. I have finally come to terms that my students behavior is not going to get any better if I keep doing what I have been doing. This is changing everyday.
A few things have happened since my last post and one of those was I was observed for the final time this year. This observation was moved back a couple of times because of the snow and cold weather. I was overly worried about this observation because the students had been acting like a caged animal that was just released. I was surprised that they were acting exceptional for their normal behavior. I did, however, have one student who decided to take it upon themselves to act out and be off task for most of the class period.
Whats going on in 7th Grade:
1. Students just finished up a short Microscope Unit
* Finally got to use the microscopes I wrote a grant for at the beginning of the year.
2. Students are currently in the middle of a Measurement Unit
* Trying to help out the math teacher and get this covered.
3. Going to start an Ecology Unit soon
* Hatching eggs with the Kindergartens
Whats going on in 8th Grade:
1. Finishing up the Reteach Unit on Plate Tectonics
* Feels like its taking for every and that is because all of the snow days
2. Going to have some guest soon
* Tech Coach is coming to visit on Monday to help teach Kids Blog
* I was asked if I would allow other teachers to come in to the room and see what I was doing with Google Drive and Kids Blog.
* I created an ITunes U course for the review day that consist of Google Forms, a Responder Scavenger Hunt and Create Your Own Assessment Blog
3. Going to start a Weather PBL soon
* Creating an ITunes U Course for the students to use during this unit
* Students are going to be blogging and creating a weather broadcast
So much going on.......
Ashley
Sunday, February 9, 2014
Sunday, January 26, 2014
Teaching in January
I labeled this blog "Teaching in January" because that is what I am doing currently. That makes no since but if you have every taught in January then you know it is one of the hardest months to teach in; well it is for me. I am so burned out that it is unbelievable that I make it to school the days we actually have school. I go though and not for any other purpose then to prove to myself that this month will be over and my urge to teach will come back. I switched my career paths in college because I did not want to be shut up in a basement somewhere doing lab test. I wanted to get out and share my knowledge and love of learning with someone.
Many things have happened since my last post and I am sorry that I have not posted before now.
First, I had to go back and reteach the Earth's systems and Earth's Place in the Universe Unit. I had the students complete a Prezi, most students loved it, and it was a major fail. In grading their projects over Christmas break I found that not many of the students understood what each term was and how they were related. I sat down with our awesome instructional coach and worked on reteach unit that was supposed to take 3 weeks and now has moved back because of the snow days. Regardless, we are moving on and finishing up the unit. This unit includes four squares, foldables, smelly eggs, graham crackers, homework and various other activities. I gave a pre-assessment to judge what knowledge that my students retained from last quarter's projects and the results where not very exciting. I expected it. The students just had their first quiz of the reteach unit and I have to say that it seems like they are retaining more information.
This is where I sometimes wish I taught one grade of Science and not two because then I would feel like I can focus more on the grade then being divided between two. However, I do like seeing the growth from year to year that my students have.
Last quarter I started using menus with the 7th graders. I found that a lot of my students have no organization skills at all. They think that once they get something back they do not need it anymore, which is not true, so I started making them keep folders with all of their information in it. I need to get back to that. The only problem with menus is that I have to make so many copies. I did do an interactive notebook but I need to step this up more this quarter.
There are so many different aspects of teaching that they do not tell you about in preparation of becoming a teacher. I do not know if they can really tell you everything. I have to keep this in mind when I am teaching my students. You can only do so much as a teacher and you have to rely on what other people do and say in order to feel the student is prepared for the next grade.
Going to make an effort to blog weekly. Setting a reminder!!!
Sincerely,
Ashley
Many things have happened since my last post and I am sorry that I have not posted before now.
First, I had to go back and reteach the Earth's systems and Earth's Place in the Universe Unit. I had the students complete a Prezi, most students loved it, and it was a major fail. In grading their projects over Christmas break I found that not many of the students understood what each term was and how they were related. I sat down with our awesome instructional coach and worked on reteach unit that was supposed to take 3 weeks and now has moved back because of the snow days. Regardless, we are moving on and finishing up the unit. This unit includes four squares, foldables, smelly eggs, graham crackers, homework and various other activities. I gave a pre-assessment to judge what knowledge that my students retained from last quarter's projects and the results where not very exciting. I expected it. The students just had their first quiz of the reteach unit and I have to say that it seems like they are retaining more information.
This is where I sometimes wish I taught one grade of Science and not two because then I would feel like I can focus more on the grade then being divided between two. However, I do like seeing the growth from year to year that my students have.
Last quarter I started using menus with the 7th graders. I found that a lot of my students have no organization skills at all. They think that once they get something back they do not need it anymore, which is not true, so I started making them keep folders with all of their information in it. I need to get back to that. The only problem with menus is that I have to make so many copies. I did do an interactive notebook but I need to step this up more this quarter.
There are so many different aspects of teaching that they do not tell you about in preparation of becoming a teacher. I do not know if they can really tell you everything. I have to keep this in mind when I am teaching my students. You can only do so much as a teacher and you have to rely on what other people do and say in order to feel the student is prepared for the next grade.
Going to make an effort to blog weekly. Setting a reminder!!!
Sincerely,
Ashley
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