The End??
As I reflect on my student teaching experience and the journey that led me to this point, I cannot help but think that this is not the end of the journey, but rather the beginning of an even more exciting and challenging voyage. As I stated in my original essay, the road that led me back to the University of Montana after so many years was a long and arduous one with many curves, roadblocks and speed bumps. Once accepted into the College of Education, the road did not get any easier, the challenges simply changed. Was the trip worth the detours and barriers? Absolutely! I cannot imagine being in a better place in my life than I am now.
My student teaching journey originally began with meeting my cooperating teacher in the 400 block. I was fortunate enough to have been placed at the same school, with the same teacher for both my 4oo block and student teaching experience. I feel that this was extremely beneficial to my professional growth; I was able to focus on teaching and learning the curriculum, as opposed to spending time getting to know the students, the school policies, and the other staff. I was able to begin co-teaching right away, and made the most of my time in the field.
My cooperating teacher is an amazing educator, and a leader in her field. Her teaching and classroom management styles aligned with mine, and I feel that I could not have hand-picked a better guide for this part of my journey. From the very first day, she opened the classroom to me, welcomed suggestions, and provided meaningful feedback. She acted as my GPS; guiding me towards excellent classroom management skills and successful content and pedagogical knowledge, and showing me what it means to be an educational professional in today’s classroom.
Along the way, I was able to connect with other veteran professionals and administrators who were gracious about sharing advice and direction based on their many years of experience. I participated in Professional Learning Communities, and experienced the benefit of collaboration. I experienced all the highs and lows of being an elementary teacher: from the high of a struggling student telling me that “this math is kinda fun,” to the low of having to write up my first major office referral. I joined in on staff and grade-level meetings that allowed me to ‘see behind the curtain.’ I was also allowed the ability to solidify my own teaching and classroom management style. After years of theoretical thinking about how I would run my classroom and why, I was able to put those theories into meaningful practice.
Throughout this experience, I proved to myself that I have what it takes to be an educator in today’s ever-changing and ever-challenging classroom. I cannot wait to see what the future holds as I close one door and open another. My journey continues as I move into my Special Education student teaching placement, and again reflect on the good fortune of remaining at the same school.
And so the journey continues…
Midterm Reflection: 5th grade
So Many Balls in the Air, So Little Time
As I reflect on my initial five weeks student teaching in the 5th grade classroom, I have come to realize that I will NEVER be done growing, reaching, and learning. Although my comfort and confidence in being in front of the classroom grows daily, I have come to understand that while I may have spent the last 3 ½ years preparing for this time, a student teacher can never be fully prepared for the juggling act that is the teaching profession.
Ball number one: classroom management. Having entered this environment in the middle of the year, I was not fortunate enough to have witnessed the weeks dedicated to setting routines, rules, and procedures. The students know what is expected of them, and behave appropriately most of the time. My cooperating teacher assures me that this was not an easy task, and is one that must be pursued relentlessly until all procedures are in place. Personally, I have strong ideas regarding my future classroom procedures. I know, for instance that I will have a procedure for when to sharpen a pencil, when and how to ask a question, and how to enter and leave the classroom. I already understand that individual preferences and tolerances dictate many classroom procedures. For example, my cooperating teacher simply gains the attention of the class by vocally calling for attention. I plan on approaching that in a different manner, and have begun to implement my procedure. Whatever the method or preference, I understand the importance of establishing these routines early. These seemingly simple tasks are the backbone of a well-run classroom and lead to many more minutes of academic learning time throughout the day.
Ball number two: the curriculum. As a teacher candidate, scripted curriculum can be seen as a blessing or a curse. On the one hand, a scripted curriculum allows the teacher to dedicate more time to gaining comfort with leading lessons and managing behavior. Scripted curriculum also offers the assurance that district standards and objectives are being met, and that lessons are appropriate for the grade being taught. Lastly, and possibly most importantly, scripted curriculum saves time! Teachers are not required to create every lesson and objective from scratch, and can instead rely on previously constructed (and district approved!) materials and resources.
On the other hand, scripted curriculum narrows a teacher’s ability to individualize her lessons and often requires grade levels to work toward identical objectives and learning targets. Veteran teachers understand this challenge, and work towards differentiating lessons while still reaching the same goals. This aligns with the ‘unpacking’ and implementation of the Common Core standards. The Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) that I have been involved in are another source that have helped me identify appropriate lessons and resources while ensuring all requirements are being met.
Considering both sides of the argument, I definitely lean toward the blessing side. I am thankful that I have research-based lessons that I can rely on to ensure that my students are meeting district, state, and national standards. As my comfort grows, I will (and have) slowly add to these lessons in order to individualize and modify my curriculum, and I look forward to the time when I can meaningfully incorporate many of the creative and in-depth ideas that I was exposed to during my time in the methods courses.
Ball number three: content knowledge. After learning I was going to be placed in a 5th grade classroom, my heart rate increased considerably. With most of my past experience and background knowledge in primary grade levels, I admit I was worried about the content that I would be expected to teach. Not that I thought teaching in the primary grade levels would be easier, it was simply where I was the most comfortable. I worried that my fear of mathematics would show through…I worried that the students would ask me questions that I wouldn’t know how to answer…I worried that I would teach them in such a way that would cause irreparable damage and scar them for life! The answer to these concerns? Preparation! By spending time familiarizing myself with the content, my depth of understanding has grown exponentially. Knowing that I have to explain any and all material in several different ways to ensure that all of my students have the best chance of success has proven to be the best motivator I have ever experienced. I do not want to fail them, scar them, or ruin their chance for success, so I come to school each and every day as prepared as I can be. Do they still ask questions that I don’t know how to answer? Yes, but I am no longer afraid to say, “Let’s find out together!”
Ball number four: assessment. I have discovered that there is a wealth of knowledge, ideas, and lessons available from many different sources. The internet, education books, and other teachers have an endless supply of creative suggestions. The challenge lies in ensuring that these ideas lend meaningful instruction to the lesson and deepen the students understanding. It is wonderful to add creative elements, but they cannot just be “for fun.” They must be used to assess and educate.
A challenge that I have been faced with is incorporating pre-assesments and formative assessments. Summative assessments are, for the most part, already in place for the majority of the curriculum, and I have only been required to create them for lessons that I have fashioned from scratch. Deciding what I ultimately expect the students to learn, and then creating an appropriate rubric is time-consuming but necessary. I have relied on my cooperating teacher and rubistar.4teachers.org. Pre-assessments are simpler to create, but have tended to be more stressful on the students. They haven’t been exposed to them very often, and are often concerned with getting the answers “right.” Formative assessments are, for me, the most useful and are often done informally with questioning during class discussions. Other formative assessments include short worksheets within a lesson or homework that covers the material that was previously explored. These are then used to gauge how successful the lesson was, and how it needs to be modified for more success in the future.
The ‘balls’ listed above are by no means all inclusive; they are just the most encompassing. As time goes on, I expect the juggling act to continue, with balls being added or changed. All in all, these past five weeks have been more fulfilling than I could ever have imagined. I have learned so much from my cooperating teacher, the building administrator, my students, and myself. I know I have a long way to go, but I cannot wait to continue the adventure.
Final Reflection: Special Education
Bridging the Gap
Now that my time spent student teaching is complete, and I have had time to reflect on both my experiences of the recent past, and the changes in my near future, I have discovered who I truly want to be as an educator. My wish is to bridge the gap between special and general education. I have seen how very hard all educators work in order to meet the needs of their students. I know that every single person I have worked with gives everything they have to their school and their students-and then some! I have seen the blood, sweat, and tears (literally!!) put into trying to reach a struggling or inaccessible student. As an educator, I am prepared to do the same. However, I hope to lessen the gap that can sometimes appear between special and general education teachers. With Professional Learning Communities becoming more and more common and with the adoption of Common Core State Standards, it is more important than ever to present a united front when working to guide each student to acquire the essential skills needed to be successful.
Novice general education teachers are often ill-prepared for students with challenging behaviors or varied academic needs. As a future teacher, I hope to use my special education experience in a general education classroom in order to better meet the needs of all students. I hope to model appropriate classroom interventions and work hand-in-hand with my grade-level teaching team and the school-wide special educators. By doing this, I hope to create a truly inclusive classroom community.
Midterm Reflection: Special Education
The Only Constant is Change
As I reflect on my initial time spent in my placement in a 3-5 Resource Classroom, I can't help but think back to my first week in this position. Several times I found myself a bit overwhelmed by the many different directions I was being pulled in at one time. My brain felt like it had this storm cloud of disorganized thoughts and ideas swirling in a dozen different directions. I believe I even used the analogy of "Pigpen" from Charlie Brown! Fast forward several weeks, and the storm cloud has started to settle, and I can once again produce clear and coherent thoughts. That's not to say that I don't still feel the pull of the variety of responsibilities I have; I have simply become accustomed to them.
The resource teacher's job is both similar and dissimilar to that of the classroom teacher. Similar in that both teachers have the best interest of the students at heart, and both strive to guide each student to reach her full potential. Dissimilar in that the classroom teacher works with about 25 students (of the same grade) on a daily basis and over time. The resource teacher, on the other hand, works with students from various grade levels, and sees them for a finite amount of time. The resource classroom has a revolving door, and the only constant is change! This amount of fluctuation and deviations can make a person either thrive or cringe. I chose to embrace it.
During my time in this position I have been able to not only work one-on-one and in small groups with students, but I have been fortunate enough to facilitate meetings with staff and parents, participate in writing goals and IEPs, and complete formal and informal assessments. The paperwork itself could be another full-time job, but it is an integral part of the process. Each student must be protected to the fullest extent.
As of today, I know I still have an endless amount to learn, but I also am confident that my experiences will be a benefit wherever I land-be it in a general education classroom or in a special education placement.
No comments:
Post a Comment