This week felt like it breezed by. With the regular math classes I was busy teaching 10.1-10.5, which is a review for the students. It's a chapter all on solving equations and inequalities. My cooperating teacher took back over teaching her honor's classes this week, which gave me time to catch up on some grading that needed to be done. The majority of the student's seemed to pick up rather quickly on the review of solving equations. I feel like some of them didn't get it completely the first time and now are again struggling this time around. I don't understand what the difficulty is, but I'm trying to move slowly to get through all the topics and trying to do as many examples as possible.
Last week I set a goal to try to smoothly giving control back to my cooperating teacher. Thus far, it has worked out nicely for both of us and for the students. Last week she took control of the honor's class back. I still worked with the regular classes. I will still be working with only the regular classes this week. I will end Friday with a quiz on chapter 10, where my cooperating teacher will be able to move on effectively and efficiently.
I would love to set a goal for this last week in my placement. I would like to come up with a way to give my student's a gift goodbye from myself that will encourage them to continue trying hard in math.
Looking at my final week in my placement there has been so much that I learned and grew from. I've learned so much more than I could have imagined learning with working with paraprofessionals. They are such a huge assett to teachers in the classroom with LD or BD students in them. Their input and help keeps the classroom running smoothly. I was able to work with a paraprofessional and adapt tests and daily assignments and be able to look at my teaching in a way I never did previously, to see how I can explain things more simplistically so that all my student's could understand.
I have also learned a lot about the school rules for this school alone. I have learned about this school's STEP system as their way of disciplining the student's. I have learned how to use that system within the classroom and have been able to apply it with the students. The STEP program is a program, where student's are given a warning first for minor incidents and if it continues they are stepped. The first step is supposed to be the step where the students are warned and realize that they have gone too far. STEP 2 is where the student has to fill out a written consequence sheet, explaining what happened and how they can prevent it from happening again. They need to bring it home to be signed by a parent, the student needs to sign it, and then the teacher needs to sign it. STEP 3 is where the teacher calls home to a parent. Finally, STEP 4 is a detention and a referral to the office. Once STEP 4 occurs, every incident after it is another STEP 4. There steps are restarted per semester.
This semester I have been able to contribute knowledge about teaching and learning through various methods. I am an active voice in team meetings. I make my opinions known and try to incorporate as much education purpose behind each thing I say. I have also been able to impact my cooperating teacher to get after the district and school to start using the new Common Core Standards. They have not updated yet and looks as if they don't plan on updating soon.
This semester I have also been able to be around and voice my opinion on team meetings with the school's social worker. I have encouraged them to take a deeper look into one of their problem students as being a student with a behavioral disorder. I think that they have decided not to test him at this point, because it's too close to the end of the year, but at least all my team agrees and thinks that the social worker missed testing him a long time ago. I was also able to be at a meeting with a parent and my team where they did begin to test a student for being LD. The testing is still taking place, but it was interesting to learn and grow from being involved in the situation.
This placement has only confirmed more for me that I indeed want to be a teacher and that this is what the Lord is calling me to do. I will be the first to admit that I am not perfect, but I have a passion for teaching, and hopefully that is evident. Because of my passion, I am willing to work at being the best teacher that I can possibly be. Being a teacher can be a job that is often misinterperated, but even so I still find it so very rewarding.
