November 14-16

I decided to go ahead and tell about this week up to Wednesday, being I am not sure if I will be able to post on Friday. This week I have learned how much fun giving state tests are. They are as fun to give as to take. I did not give them, but I helped pass them out etc. I also learned that there is not always a good way to reward students. Today we showed a school wide movie, through the system. I found that no matter what movie was being shown someone was going to complain about it. I also found that many students would rather get on with regular schoolwork. Well I am off to my first convention tomorrow, looking forward to going. It will be a learning experience. I teach my last lesson of my own tomorrow, and then I have to sit back and watch for a while. Student teaching goes by so fast. This blog will be continued when I return, from the conference. Therefore, I can discuss the end of the week, as well as, the conference.

November 7-11

It was strange this week only being in charge of two hours. I surprisingly found myself getting bored. However, I have plenty to work on. This week of course was the week of Veterans Day. Our school like most others held a Veterans Day assembly. My cooperating teacher was in charge of this assembly therefore she was really on edge. Most of the classes she was in charge of this week watched movies so she could get things done for the assembly. I now do not feel bad about one of the days I got to school and could not do the activity that I had planned for the day; therefore, I had the students watch one of the Founding Fathers videos. At least this video had to do with the subject we were studying. However, if I was in her situation I might have done the same thing. I am finding that the students are starting to realize that I will not be there much longer. Realizing that I am no longer teaching some of the classes and asking why I am not. I have had many students ask me if they can have my e-mail so they can talk to me when I am gone. It is flattering. I am really going to miss most of them I am seeing how easy it is to get to know some of these kids, and how many of them look forward to seeing you everyday. I am also realizing how by just smiling or saying hi to a student can brighten there day, and in some cases change completely how they act in your class. Taking a little time to listen to them goes a long way, not only toughing there heart but mine as well. This makes those late late nights of working on lesson plans worth the time.

I am excited about this coming week; I will be attending my first national convention, for the National Council for the Social Studies. I am really looking forward to the learning experience. However, I am also sad because after next week I will no longer be teaching a class. I do not understand how my cooperating teacher could turn everything over to me; I do understand now why some teachers do not like having student teachers, because they have to sit back and let someone else have the fun, so to speak.

October 31 – November 4

This week went by fast. I had the privilege to ride along on two trips. The first was to the Kansas State Library in Topeka. I hand never been so this was an experience just in going. This was a trip to allow the students participating in National History Day to do some research. So I was also able to help some students research topics for their projects which was also an experience in itself, for I was helping students when I needed help as well, not knowing the procedures and rules. The second trip I had the privilege of going on was for a trip, a group of ten eight graders will have the privilege to travel with other students their age to the east coast, and tour some of the nation’s most historic site. This day was to allow the students to meet one another and to get some of the information they need as well as experience some of the things they will experience on the trip. On this trip I for the most part was just a follower, I followed one of the groups around to get to see what they all got to do. It was interesting and I came away with some ideas that I may be able to use in the classroom. It was nice to get to go on these trips, and see more of what goes on behind the scenes.
This week I gave back my US History classes, it is strange sitting at my desk again not teaching. This experience is going by so fast. This week I also learned to always have a back up plan. I was going to have the students use the class laptops to do some research and to make a PowerPoint, but unknown at the time was that another teacher had requested the laptops therefore I could not use them. However, I was lucky and was able to use the library, so I was lucky and I realize this will not always be the case. That is about all I can think of now, but I may add more later. I am enjoying this immensely.