Student Teacher Visit

Today we were able to hear first hand from someone that student taught within this last year. I believe that I learned a great deal from him.  The biggest thing his presentation reminded me was to take advantage of the experience. This will be the last time I will get help before my own classroom. With that it is important to get all of the advice I can get.

With that I learned that sometime your cooperating teacher might not be as good at giving you the feedback you would like. He discussed how he had a difficult time with one of his teachers. He said that he really had to ask him to get any sort of feedback what so ever.  As, someone that can be reserved I think it is important for me to realize as well that it doesn’t hurt to ask him or her for advice. They might not be saying it out loud but maybe they do have something to say. Also have your cooperating teacher help you take care of classroom management issues. Let them stand by as you take control of a situation. Do to liability issues it is important for them to be there thought.

The other thing that came to my attention while he was student teaching was lesson plans. He implied that he spent a lot of time working on lesson plans and therefore had many late nights. I don’t doubt that this will happen either way but it made me realize that I should probably put together some sort of binder or something of lesson plans that I can take from in the future. One is going to need a lot of them for many different grade levels. I think my sleep is important to me so working ahead of the game with a lot more lesson plans then I currently have would be a really good idea. 

Unions

Today we had a couple speakers come in to speak to our class about unions.  What I learned was the unions were really and advocate to the teaching profession. They helped to make agreements within districts to make teaching situations fair to the staff. They negotiate what is in the contracts. This means they help to decide things such as the duties you will have, how many sick days you are allowed, and more. Even though a lot of good can come from unions there are some negatives as well. For instance if you are not tenured they cannot really help you. For instance if you are being fired for unjust reasons they wouldn’t be able to do anything unlike someone that was. They might also support ideas that you do not agree with but you are forced to pay into them.

Overall when I think about unions I think that its nice knowing that there is someone looking out for you and for your best interest. Its seems like for the most part they want the conditions for the teacher to be fair which in return makes a better environment for not only the staff but also the students. In ways I hope that we can find a way to bring back some of the powers of the union that the state took away. So, hopefully in the future there will be someone to stick up for the teachers again. 

Reflection of teaching experience.

Throughout my classroom experience I learned many things from the students and my cooperating teacher.  I discovered that there are going to be ups and downs in teaching as well. I think I am someone who tries to be extremely positive and sometimes conditions will challenge that. In the end though it is important to remember the students are my main priority.

Being the end of the year with my experience I was there at a time when schools are trying to decide what they are going to be doing the following year. I definitely felt the stress of the teaching staff with the lurking possibilities of whether they would or would not make the cut.  So, It came to my attention that as much as I might love my job there will be some negative and stressful aspects that come my way. One teacher even asked me, “So, are you sure you still want to be a teacher?“  My answer to them was yes. I realize teaching is a tough career but I hope that I can make light of things. I noticed some of that negativity traveled into the classroom and I feel like no matter how hard things maybe the classroom is about the students. Making sure the students come first and that they are being brought up in an environment they can strive in. So, my hope is that in the future if I am going through some challenges of my own I will continue to keep a positive outlook in the classroom.

In terms of teaching I learned a great deal. I learned that it is so important not to assume that students just know things.  They really do need to be reminded every time you take out the paints or other materials how you properly use them. Even if you have been using them everyday for a week it seems like they sometimes just forget. So, reminders are not a bad. They will only help you keep your materials longer. 

Some great advice I also received through out the semester was getting to know your teaching staff and community. When you are in need of supplies there are many people that would be willing to help you out. For instance get to know your principal, secretaries, and librarians as I was told that they would help work wonders.  Also I was told don’t be afraid to ask local businesses if they have extra supplies. Sometimes they are willing to help a lot.

Overall I think this experience has helped me grow a great deal. I have worked a tremendous amount with elementary students so this opportunity to work with an older age group was rewarding. I learned that the high school students were really independent with their work. They didn’t need as much help as the younger students. What I learned about middle school also surprised me, as they still really do need a lot of guidance. Once they get started they are typically fine but in order to reach that point they really do need to be taken through step by step. Either way this experience has me truly excited to have the opportunity to work with all age groups and learn more about them as I start student teaching in the fall. 

Final day in the classroom.

Today in the ceramics room the students were still finishing up their mugs.  It was interesting to see the though process that some of the student put into their creations. I watched one boy that really though about the placement of his handle and what his intentions were for it. He wanted it to resemble the rest of the mug but be comfortable for use.  He was really the only student I saw that put as much effort into their handles in terms of making it really a part of the piece and not just there because it needs to be.  Today was the day before prom as well so it seemed like many of the students had checked out already for the day. In general it really just seemed like the students were too excited for the weekend to really focus on their work. So, I am thinking that some of the projects might have had more effort placed into them if they were in the right mindset. Fortunately they still have more time to work on the mugs.

Today was a day with no fifth grade, which was ok because this gave me more time to think about setup for my lesson plan on tints and tones with the 6^th grade.  During the time I also had a chance to grade projects on my own with my cooperating teacher making the final call. It was nice because he told me what he thought of my grade. Sometimes he thought I was being generous especially when I didn’t know the participation factor. Most of the time he agreed with the grades given. So, for me it was kind of nice to be able to talk through what I was giving the student for a grade as well as receive the input of another teacher.  Even though I absolutely love being able to work with the 5^th grade class I am glad that on this last day I had to opportunity to grade lessons again for the second time.

In the 6^th grade I got to start my own lesson this time. This was a lesson I had created on tints and tones. I decided that I didn’t want to do the usual value scale I wanted them to learn about tints and tones by creating a project that actually allowed them to create something. So I wanted each of the students to create a tints and tones tree. Tints for the leaves and tones would be for the trunk.  I think I took a lot of what I had learned from teaching the other lesson and really tweaked things when giving this lesson. I did things step by step and gave all the directions as well as ask for questions before I had them begin. Which was extremely important to get everything squared away. The only change I thought about was that I maybe would have like to see what they do if I give them the paper right away. So, that they could draw the tree with me. This way the lesson probably would have made it closer to the one-day mark and I may have been able to see the finished product.  Most unfortunately I only got to teach day 1 of my project, as I couldn’t take off work anymore to teach more then one day.  From what I was able to see it seemed like the students were getting it and I have no fear that they will have a great tints and tones tree at the end of the project. 

Day 8 in the classroom!

I started the day off with ceramics in the high school. I learned that they were starting to finish up platters and begin mugs. I also was lucky and got to help a few students on the wheel.  I have taking ceramics twice now because I too struggle with the wheel but I am a hundred times better now. So, i really connected with these students and tried to give them some pointers when I could. My cooperating teacher was helping them most of the time but when he stepped away I would ask how things were going. I asked what they thought of the wheel and they both thought that it was extremely challenging.  I think that it’s almost too bad that there is only a few wheels for a whole class to attempt to throw on. Throwing is something that takes time and only being required to throw once in a semester just is not enough to really learn how. I had to take 2 semesters worth of college ceramics and I still feel like I need more. I just think it would be nice if each student could even have a week that they were designated to use the wheel just so they could have a something that they might feel a little more ownership over. Other

In the 5^th grade they were continuing to make their still life fruit. So today I had lots of students to help as they were starting to create fruits they wanted to make. I found myself reminding students that they were going to be cutting things out. The fruits would be cut out and pasted onto another piece of paper. Some of them also needed to be reminded that it was ok to make things bigger versus the size of finger. The other things that I found myself helping students understand where to put their shadows and highlights. Some didn’t seem to grasp that the highlight and the shadow should really be next to each other. So I tried to draw little sketches for them to remind them to think about where the light is coming from and what happens to the spots nearest to the light and farthest away. That helped most of them.  Even with the challenges the students seemed to be getting close to the finish. Each of them had several fruit made and were getting ready for the final stages of placing the fruit and platter on a piece of paper made to look like a table with a table cloth.  I look forward to seeing the finished product.

Today was the final day for the mask project.  For me and for the students I think this was by far the most enjoyable day as well. At the beginning I reminded the students to respect the tools they would be using. From there it was time to start adding thing to their mask. I really saw students getting into things that weren’t really before at this point. Students were excited to show me what they had thought of doing for their mask as well as asking for advice. I think the best part on this day was seeing how proud everyone was of the masks they had created. I think the room was all smiles. My cooperating teacher even thought they did such a great job that he would allow them to have a little more work time in the next class if they wanted to add some finishing touches. Over all though the project turned out great. 

About the classroom

How do students act upon entering the classroom? How does the teacher act?

In the high school students enter and begin work right away.  The teacher seems to be doing his own thing for the first couple minutes and then goes on to remind the of what needs to be worked on for the day.

In the middle school students begin by sitting in their assigned seats. When the bell rings class begins promptly.  This means that the teacher will start giving the lesson at the front of the classroom.

How does the teacher get their attention to begin class? Is there a procedure for listening?

My cooperating teacher has a strong voice that he is able to lift over that of the students. It seems like the minute he lifts his voice the students bring down theirs. So typically all he needs to do is raise his voice in order to get things started.  This method seems to work in either class. In the middle school his also stands in the front, which implies he is ready to start.

What is current project?  What are the objectives? What are the materials used?

The current project in the high school is the sushi platters. The objective of this project is to hand build 3 sushi platters out of clay. 

In the 5^th grade they are making a still life. The objective of this project is that a student will create their own still life that involves a platter and 4 fruits. They will display the knowledge of highlights and shadows. They will also understand how to depth through the placement of their cut out images.  The students will use pastels and paper to create this project.

Comment on teacher’s instruction?

I only ever see workdays for the ceramics course, which basically just involves a short reminder of what needs to be done at the beginning of class. He also reminds them at the end when it is time to clean up.

In the 5^th and 6^th grade the demonstrations typically take place in the front of the classroom. They are generally a step-by-step approach that allows them to really see how they do certain skills. Other projects are a little more independent but today’s 5ht grade lesson is step by step. Through this he is able to make sure each student is on the right track.

In the past he has also introduced projects with a power point. During the power point he allows the students to sketch out their ideas. I am unsure whether I like this method or not. It keeps the students busy but it does make me wonder how much they are actually getting out of the power point.

How is classroom management?

The teacher manages the classroom by making the students aware of his expectations. When a student isn’t working in the high school he makes them work on something. He does raise his voice to makes points often but it does seem to make his students listen. In the middle school the students don’t really talk back to him at all if he tells them to stop the pretty much do it right away.  

Are the rules posted what are they?

I could not find the rules in the ceramics room besides reminders on the kiln shelves as to where certain items should go. For example if it’s a high fire or low fire item. This room is also not his typical room except for the ceramics classes.

His room does have rules posted.   They are to be safe. Which means no sink without permission and use materials and tools correctly.  Be responsible. Which was described as all regular school rules apply. Stay in seat and not talking if teacher is.  The last rule was to be respectful. This rule implied that you raise your hand, be patient, and arguing is not allowed.

How does the teacher address safety issues?

He addresses safety issues with each lesson. He gives special directions when different issues arise. For instance he limits who is allowed at the sink. He also engraves what the students need to know about each material so that it is used properly and many times that comes with safety too.

How dose the teacher handle breaks, radio or ipods, cell phones, cleanup, ect.

In the high school students are allowed to listen to ipods and the radio is always playing. They are also allowed to have their cell phones as I see them texting away in class. If they get their work done they are allowed those freedoms. It’s when they take advantage of them that they will be taken away.

In the middle school they are only allowed to listen to music during work times if my cooperating teacher feels like they are working hard. Cell phones and ipods are not permitted though.

In terms of cleanup there is a reminder during the last ten minutes of class where he tells the students what they need to do to clean up. In the highs school they just need to be told to start cleaning up as they know how to clean up the clay. In the middle school depending on the lesson he adjusts how he tells them to clean up. For instance today he simply told them to clean up and have one person put the pastels away nicely.

Does the teacher use a lesson plan, curriculum map, or a calendar to plan units?

In term of know what he is teaching he generally goes by the grade book from the year before and adjusts it as needed.  In terms of lesson plans he doesn’t actually have any on hand but he has some rubrics and power points that he uses with the lessons he planned in years past. With his years of experience he implied that he basically knows now what needs to be done so having the lesson plan is not as important.

Questions to the students:

What is their favorite project so far?

In the high school the students in the group I asked seemed to enjoy the current project the most. They liked the idea that they could use the sushi platters when they were done with them.

In the 5^th grade the students really enjoyed being able to work with clay. The students liked it since it wasn’t something that they didn’t always get to do.

What do you like about this project?

Again the students were working on sushi platters in the high school. The students were truly enjoying the project. They liked it because it was quick. This meant that they were able to spend a lot more time creating designs for their platters. They also liked that they were able to use different materials. They hadn’t been able to use the stamps until today.

In the 5^th grade the students enjoyed learning how to draw in 3d. They thought it was cool that they were able to make things not look flat anymore.

What do you like to draw?

In the high school I found a couple students that were interested in drawing people. They liked the challenges of drawing the face. I also found a few people that enjoyed doing things that were more nature based. This made a lot of sense when I noticed the flowers that I recalled seeing on their pieces a lot throughout the semester.

In the middle school I ran into all kinds of answers. The guys seemed to enjoy drawing action scenes where the girls where more interested in drawing a nature based project. 

Day 7 in the classroom

Today the ceramics classes were working on sushi platters again. What many of them were finding was if they had left the wood blocks in that made the shapes of their platters their pieces had cracked apart. The reason being clay shrinks and as it shrunk it became smaller then the blocks therefore causing them to crack and break. So several students found themselves disappointed but they definitely learned what they needed to do for next time.  One of the girls was also working on some of her own projects at the same time. She likes to ask for advice but its usually more of a what path should I take. Her project was of a clay head that she had made. I really enjoyed the piece as she did an excellent job carving features for him. This time she knew her path but I look forward seeing what this girl is capable of.

In the 5^th grade they begin their still life drawings. Normally with still life you would think that you would set up things for the students to look at but he decided to do things differently. The students were going through a step-by-step process of how to create an orange.  They had learned how to do a sphere the other day the biggest concern now was how can I add color to what I already learned.  Things seemed to be going well and students understood the concepts a great deal better then they had in the previous class.  So, I felt good knowing that they didn’t need my help as much this time. Some still did, as the challenging part was the highlights and shadows. By the end of the class each of the students had an orange that seemed to look, as it should. Next class period it will be interesting to see what they come up with for the rest of their fruit as I was told there would be more freedoms.

Today was the painting day of the plaster mask project.  What I learned from today is that you really need to have a good system setup for the students or everything gets crazy!  Paint requires a lot of materials and potential mess. Fortunately the 6^th grade is aware of the expectations when painting. They know that one person is to handle each of the chores for instance getting the paint, paint trays, water, and brushes. I ask and one person automatically volunteers. What I know though. Something I mental noted from today’s teaching was to make sure I tell them everything I want them to understand before I start asking for volunteers for the chores because once that happens they are on a whole new mindset. I did do better keeping them informed but I could see where that could have been a problem.  Today was a really fun day though because one really started to see the student’s masks come to life and I think they were truly starting to enjoy it. The plaster day was kind of the wait before the big event so now they are starting to get the rewards. They also seemed very excited to see the potential of their masks and what they could do on the final day when they are able to add things to the mask.  Many of the students also decided to change their project ideas from their sketches. It was nice though after Tuesday to feel better with the direction of the project.