On another note, I gave birth to my son Connor Roberts Jude Minnicozzi – 8 pounds 1ounce, 21 inches long – cute as a button – on Wednesday, April 15, 2009.

Until next week, I thank God for the many beautiful blessings in my life.

Discoveries I made from teaching this week are that observations are much more productive now that I have the hindsight of having led the classroom for the past few months.  I notice more of Mrs. Cook’s  strategies and am also better able to gauge student learning outcomes during the day.

When I think about being a teacher, I am still most concerned about pacing and transitions.  I am constantly amazed by how Mrs. Cook is able to fit the curriculum within a given period and pace her instruction to meet the needs of the students.  I understand that this is a product of years of teaching and that it will take my own experiences to improve my skill in both pacing and transition.

I feel more confident in my ability to instruct students and look forward to having my own classroom next year . . . provided that I can find a job in these tight times.  I know the first years will be rocky, but I have gained so much insight from student teaching that I feel I will survive and thrive in the classroom.

I had an excellent experience this week and look forward to observing more of Mrs. Cook’s lessons as well as observing other classrooms and grade levels.  Now that I have a better understanding of what I am seeing in the classroom, I am eager to “see” these things in other classes.

Until next week, Happy Easter!

When I think about being a teacher, I am concerned about parents trying to railroad a new teacher, maintaining discipline during transition times, and encouraging my students to achieve without trying to be “their friend.”

I feel that, for all I have learned, that there is still so much to figure out about maintaining a positive learning atmosphere.  I have been with these students for three months now and, I will admit, sometimes my patience wears thin when you know you have told the same student to focus on his/her work at least a dozen times, or when you know a student is rushing through work to be done rather than to be correct.  I can see  a student’s potential, but they can’t – not yet – or they don’t care.  I have a lot to learn about how to foster that potential in a positive and beneficial manner.

Questions I have after working this week are about the AIG program, which has to do with academically and intellectually gifted children.  We have one student who came to us from another class and is in the AIG program.  However, when I look at her work, I wonder what qualifies a student for the program.  I have other students in the class that are better at math, reading, or both subjects.  True, these students are now being tested, but this other student was already in the program and I have to wonder if the decision was based on parental influence, straight intelligence testing, or some other criteria because, frankly, I spend more time having her re-do her work than I do with many other students who would not qualify for the program.

My experience was excellent this week.  I am, of course, still working on many aspects of being an efficient instructor, but the pieces fit better and I am better able to understand how to translate all my academic knowledge into practical application.  I am still excited about becoming a teacher!

After discussing this week with my clinical teacher, next week I will focus on how to keep assignments and grades updated and organized.  I have been focusing on instruction, but now I need to make sure I understand what to do with all the products of learning that instruction results in.  While I am aware of what happens with all the paperwork, I have not focused much on the “nitty-gritty” of it all as my attention has been more on instruction and not bookwork.  I am working to correct that oversight.

Until next week, remember that nothing is ever accomplished by wishing it were done.

When I think about being a teacher, I am concerned about . . . everything, still.  Only natural, I suspect.  I have concerns about content and comprehension, grades and social dynamics, reaching the one who need it most and lifting up the ones who will get bored otherwise.  I am concerned about testing and pacing and praise and discipline.  I think the important thing is that I am concerned, that I do care, and that I strive to understand and address those concerns every day.  I don’t think that will ever change; I don’t think it should, if I am continually striving to be the best educator I can be.

I feel good about the semester, and I am excited that my student internship is winding up and I still like being in the classroom!  I have learned so much, including that I still have much to learn.  I am eager to reduce my workload in the classroom and once again observe Mrs. Cook in action, as well as to observe other teachers at various grade levels.  I have “new eyes,” so to speak, and feel like I will gain better insight into instructional strategies and approaches now that I have spent some time “on the front lines.”

Questions I have after working this week are about developing summative assessments that give each student a chance to succeed, but that don’t “give” them a good grade.  At the third grade level, so much of what they learn is foundational.  They are still learning the basic vocabulary and low-level concepts upon which their future instruction will be based.  What they need to know, and know well, is basic – but crucial if you want them to be able to successfully scaffold their knowledge in the upcoming years – things like multiplication and division, reading comprehension and basic writing skills, simple concepts about light and soil and the planet Earth, an understanding of the community around them and how it is connected to the rest of the Nation and the world.  No pressure.

I had an excellent experience, as always.  I have such a good support system in the classroom and at UNCP that it is hard not to have a good week.  Things aren’t always perfect, but each week is educational, eye-opening, terrifying and terrific at the same time.  What more can you ask for in a fluid and dynamic setting?

Until next week, don’t forget to breathe – it’s the secret to surviving.

When I think about being a teacher, I am concerned about surviving the first year – probably without a teacher’s assistant.  I love what I am learning and doing, but I am nervous about being placed in a second grade or fourth grade class when most of my experience is in third grade.  Then I become nervous about pacing the curriculum, guiding my students towards comprehension, dealing with the parents, finding time to gather resources – oh, and I’ll have my own infant to care for at home on top of that . . . assuming I manage to find a job during this recession.  I know it can be done.  I know I can do it.  I know I will (eventually) be a great teacher.  I just have to survive the first year or two.  Wow.  I’m trying not to let it all overwhelm me.  One day/week at a time.

I feel that teachers don’t get enough respect for the job they are asked to do with the nation’s children.  It’s a shame.  I sometimes felt that when I was in the Army, but we were sort of segregated from the community so it wasn’t so blatant.  Teachers are on the “front line” of the community.  People see them everyday, they know their children are being taught by teachers, the administrators know the role of the teacher, the Nation cries out for the children to be educated. . . But where’s the respect?  Parents blame teachers for a child’s bad grade.  Communities blame teachers for a bad AYP.  Administrators withhold funds or push agendas that ignore the needs of the teachers.  The Nation blames teachers for not doing “enough” – as if it is ever “enough” when you are striving to reach a child’s mind.  Sorry for the soapbox, but I’d love for every parent and administrator to teach for a week and then see if they think teaching is a push-button process with only one correct sequence for implanting knowledge.

Questions I have after working this week are how do I get my phone number unlisted so parents won’t call me at home?;  Why do some textbook adoptions have material the students won’t need for another year and omit material the students need for this year?; and How do you squeeze hands-on learning (which is more time consuming than other forms) into 20 minute blocks and still retain comprehension?

I had an excellent week, especially with math and science (they are becoming my favorite!).  I am slowly understanding pacing and feel more confident that the students are actually learning something.  No, not perfect, but getting there.  All things in time.  With science, I still have many questions about using hands-on materials, but I learned a lot this week about conducting – and adapting- such experiences to meet the daily planning requirements and feel confident that I will find my stride . . . eventually.

After discussing this week with my clinical teacher, next week I will focus on ensuring subject comprehension for all students, including the one who gets pulled out twice a day and therefore misses important math and/or science content.  He must still be tested, but our time to do that has been superseded by EOG prep (strategies, small groups from various 3rd grade classes, and so on).  I have spoken with Mrs. Cook and will be using every spare moment to ensure this student receives the instruction he requires to succeed on the upcoming science test while refraining from “teaching to the test.”  Seems like a tall order.

Until next week, keep your chin up and your eyes open – the best is before you!

When I think about being a teacher, I am concerned about:  finding a job in the current recession, becoming overwhelmed with the material that I must manage to teach the students, making sure the students are learning the material I am teaching them while making sure that I am not teaching to the test.

I feel that being a teacher is an ongoing educational process.  During my internship, my perceptions and points of view are continuously shifting.  For example, at first I did not see much sharing of resources, but recently I have seen the teachers supporting each other – and myself – when someone in the grade level is searching for material.  Also, I have seen my own education grow through “on the job training” as I make sure that I understand the concepts of various subjects so that I can adequately teach them to the students.  I see now that the other teachers do the same thing, even if they have been teaching the subject for many years, because the how and what of what is being taught constantly shifts and evolves.  It is amazing to me the amount of thought and effort that teachers put into everything they teach and how the best teachers constantly alter the ways that they teach material to better reach their students.  It is one thing to learn about these theories in the classroom.  It is quite another to see these things in action.

The biggest question I have after working this week is:  How long until I find my balance?  I am trying not to feel overwhelmed by all that I see and do, and I have confidence that I will find my footing, but as I envision my first year of teaching (probably without a teacher’s assistant the way the economy is going) I have to wonder how mentally and physically draining it is going to be.

My experience this week was excellent.  I created a study guide and assessment tool for our recent science unit on the sun, moon, and earth, and I feel pretty good about it.  I tried to match what was taught to the NCSCOS for third grade, and – of course – Mrs. Cook, my clinical teacher, guided me to help keep me on course.  This is the first time I have developed such materials on my own, and I am grateful for the experience.  Now I need to work on the pre- and post-assessment tools for my soil unit . . .

After discussing this week with my clinical teacher, next week I will focus on the variety of strategies that students are learning for solving multiplication and division problems.  Math is taught in a far different manner since I was in elementary school.  I learned much about strategies in my math course at UNCP, but there is a long leap between theory and practice.  I have brought materials home and will be studying them in depth to ensure I introduce materials and concepts with as much focus and clarity as possible.  Should be interesting – and educational.  In addition, I will also begin teaching my soil unit.  Pacing will be a big issue . . . this will be a great opportunity for me to see what I have learned about transition times and classroom management as they effect pacing.

When I think about being a teacher, I am concerned about teaching the children what they need to know to prosper in 4th grade and beyond, making an idle comment or remark that might shut the door on a child’s willingness to learn, and leading my classroom to perform at a high enough level that I will keep my job for the next year – I am hearing a lot these days about “performance-based” jobs/salaries, and it is making me nervous.

I feel as if I take two steps forward and one step back:  I get some transitions down, but lose time elsewhere;  every week something unexpected happens that I must adapt to and schedule around if I am to get the curriculum in;  one part of my day goes well and then I feel like I “lose” the students the other part of the day.  It’s a never ending daily struggle to lead the class towards content mastery – exhausting . . . and yet rewarding at the same time.  To see the proverbial light bulb go off in their eyes, or to have a child raise his/her hand and say “I got it!” – joyful, until you realize there are 5 more students that still need additional support.

Questions I have after working this week are:  How long until I “get it?”  Meaning, when does it get easier to survive the day without feeling like you simultaneously won and lost the day?  Is that even realistic?  Where is that line between classroom discipline and unrealistic/detrimental behavioral expectations?  How do you know when you’ve crossed it?  How do I let my enthusiasm for teaching bubble up and into the class without compromising the structure and discipline necessary to forward the learning process? (When I get excited about a subject, the class becomes more “rowdy” – my enthusiasm, while infectious, is disrupting my classroom management).

I had an excellent week, despite my many questions and concerns.  I can continue to rate these experiences as “excellent” because I realize that when learning any craft or skill there is always a learning curve, some steeper than others.  This means that every day or every week will not be perfect, but every day and every week that I strive to learn from brings me closer to mastery – the ultimate goal – even if some crafts can never truly be “mastered.”  I feel that teaching is one of those crafts/skills/professions/and, yes, even a type of art form that you can spend a lifetime striving to master and yet never reach true mastery – kind of like life, love, and many other things work giving your heart to.  And I think that’s one of the things that makes the teaching profession so admirable.

After discussing this week with my clinical teacher, next week I will focus on classroom discipline and management.  Several times this week, my clinical teacher had to interrupt a lesson to remind the class that their behavior was unacceptable.  While they were not “out of control,” they were being a little to loud, or a little too distracted/unfocused, and she was right to call them back to order, so to speak.  I sincerely appreciated her interjections, as they made me conscious of the situation and brought home the fact that the class behaved better for her than for me.  I expect this, of course, as she has been their teacher for most of the year.  But it showed me how important it is to establish classroom discipline and management from the outset, and how necessary it is to constantly reinforce the established structure.  Point in case, Mrs. Cook has a behavioral point system for the class that works very well, but I have been reluctant to take points.  The students have become aware of this and, to a certain point, take advantage of me.  I did finally take some points the other day, and the world did not come to an end – HA!  I don’t know why this aspect is causing me trouble, but I will continue to work through it and have no doubt that I will figure out the proper mixture of management and guidance.

Until next week, remember to learn something new everyday!  We are never too old to learn.

When I think about being a teacher, I am concerned that I am going to fast for some students to keep up, but that other students could benefit by a faster pace of instruction.  How do I find a happy medium?  We have time in the morning and a few other spots in the day to remediate/reteach, but is it enough?  Time will tell, but it makes me nervous.  Also, I am concerned about whether I am successfully teaching the curriculum to 3rd graders – who have an EOG for reading and math at the end of the year.  While I know my clinical teacher won’t let her class fall behind, I still worry about it.  In addition, I have some concerns about the clarity of my instruction.  Are they having trouble understanding something because it is new, or because of my delivery of the material?  These all seem like natural concerns, but there you have it.

I feel pretty good about my student teaching experience and think that most of my nervousness and concerns are natural and normal.  Again, my clinical teacher is not going to let me get too far astray and it makes me feel better knowing that she has not felt the need to seriously divert or correct my instruction methods/delivery – to date, anyway.

Questions I have after working this week are again about pacing and instruction.  Am I going too fast/too slow?  Am I teaching this “right?”  Am I doing more harm than good?  Am I doing enough to bring every child along?

I had an excellent week, really, despite my concerns.  Overall, I feel more comfortable in front of the class and, as I mentioned, I feel my concerns are natural and try to use them to help me be a better teacher rather than hinder my professional progress.

After discussing this week with my clinical teacher, next week I will continue to focus on my transitions and my pacing during math instruction (I still take too long to get a concept across – is that me or the subject matter?  I’m still not sure.).

Until next week, remember that growth, while necessary, is not always a painless process.  Work through the pain.

When I think about being a teacher, I am concerned about the usefulness of materials provided with textbook adoptions, the fact that it sometimes seems that the adoptions teachers vote for are pushed aside for reasons that cannot be explained despite what appears to be a majority vote, and the pressure for teachers to maintain textbook/state pacing guides regardless of student comprehension and mastery of particular objectives.

I feel that the politics and administrative decisions that occur within the school system often lose sight of the overall objective of providing children with the knowledge they need to succeed; it seems as if the “powers that be” often take a short-sighted view that revolves around immediate political approval and short-term monetary gains – which objectives do not always serve the teachers or children that are the heart of the educational system.

Questions I have after working this week are about networking with other teachers to find resources when textbook materials are not provided to help fulfill specific objectives.  While I am certainly not above finding my own materials and resources (and have already expressed concerns with some of the materials that are being provided), gathering materials and sorting through resources is a time consuming process that can quickly turn a 40-50 hour work week into a 60+ hour work week.  I assume that it would be the first year or two of acquiring material for a grade level that would be the most difficult, but what happens when teachers are “asked” to switch grade levels every 2-3 years?  The teacher networks I have seen (regarding the sharing and exchanging of materials and resources) do not seem very efficient.

I had an excellent experience this week.  As previously discussed, I worked on my transition times (which appear to be improving).  While this helps me keep on track and reduces disruptions, I am discovering that it also means that I must really be “on the ball,” so to speak.  Let me tell you, it is not as easy as it looks to speak about one subject while simultaneously lending one part of one’s brain to the task of ensuring that all is ready for the next subject/transition and doing both of these things while watching the clock for pacing and ensuring that learning is actually occurring!

After discussing this week with my clinical teacher, next week I will focus on finding and using appropriate materials to teach science when very few materials and little guidance are provided by the school.  I am learning that it is simple enough to gather materials, it is much more difficult to ensure they meet the objectives  and can be presented to the students in small enough chunks (20 minutes a day, 4 times a week, if I’m lucky) so that the essential question of the day is met within the limited time frame and overall pacing guide.

Until next week, know thy limits – and then gently push past them.

When I think about being a teacher, I continue to be concerned about pacing and how quickly the students can absorb information in a meaningful way.  Also, Mrs. Cook is doing PEP (Personalized Education Plan) follow-up’s and I think about the extra time and effort she is putting in to have all the parent/teacher conferences as well as addressing individual student progress.

I feel that I have a better understanding of the day-to-day schedule and instructional process, but I am beginning to wonder how I would do everything without a teacher’s assistant.  I know that not every teacher gets one and that teacher’s did not used to have them, but they help so much with getting everything done in a timely and efficient manner that I am nervous about ending up in a class without one – especially for the first year.  Mrs. Anderson helps to keep materials ready and available after we discuss lesson plans, she helps with grading, and she helps observe the class during lessons and individual work so that forward momentum and attention are maintained.  I really hope I get and assistant next year!

I don’t have a lot of new questions after this week, so much as I continue to worry about pacing guides and lesson plans.  It’s easy to see how teacher’s can end up spending much of their “off” time planning curriculum and instruction.

My experience was, again, excellent.  I have heard some of the other interns shudder when they talk about their clinical teacher, so I know I am blessed with a patient and understanding teacher who remembers her own less than perfect experience.  I continue to learn more about “edutaining” on a daily basis and am growing more confident in my position every day.

After talking with my clinical teacher, I will work on shortening transition times.  Just as we learned about in our Classroom Management class, transition times offer students opportunities to become disruptive or unattentive.  I have another teacher and an assistant in the room, so all is well, but I definitely need to transition more quickly and smoothly to keep the class focused.

Until next week, remember that whoever said, “those who can do, and those who can’t teach” – well that person was obviously never a teacher and would be eaten alive by a class of elementary students!