My First Week

My Meaningful Goals for my Pre-Student Teaching Semester:

I will learn the students names.

      By obtaining a seating chart and using their names as often as possible.

I will gain more classroom management experience.

      By practicing redirection and other philosophies that are kosher with my CT.

I will log more lesson planning creation and observe how my CT creates lesson plans.

      By building my assigned unit and other projects my CT allows me to be lead on.

I will examine more closely what being a teacher requires, day to day duties and dramas.

      By observing not only my CT but other teachers in the school when I am able.

I will attend at least one extracurricular activity.

      By listening to announcements and students and choosing on that fits my schedule.

I will read, re-read, and read again Catcher in the Rye.

      By getting my own copy of Catcher in the Rye and marking it up usefully.

I will create an awesome unit for Catcher in the Rye.

      By deep reading, adhering to standards, models from my CT, and online/textbook research

I will impress my CT, the administration and the students.

      By my professional manner and amiable personality.

I will explore new music and literature from the students.

      By listening when they gush, brag, and grumble.

I will complete all tasks on time and well.

      By organization and time management.

I will fulfill my obligations as both a student teacher and a WSU student.

      By keeping track of obligations in my planner, my smart phone/Google, and binders.

I will more closely examine the structure of my placement school, the physical and interpersonal.

      By spending time before or after class to explore, as I was encouraged to by principal.

I will encourage the students think.

     By developing a challenging lesson plan and assessment.

I will urge the students to laugh and smile.

     By incorporating appropriate humor and my self into my lesson plans/presentations.

I will dress professionally every day.

     By buying a few practical items and reorganizing my wardrobe

I will smile.

     By activating the smile muscles of my face and being possitive.

I will practice my “teacher” voice and look.

     By practicing.

I will keep a journal and a blog about my experience.

     By building and maintaining a digital journal and keeping up with our assigned blogging.

I will not lose my name tag. :)

     By leaving it in my classroom bag when not attached to me directly.

Reflections:

My first full day with my CT and class and I spent half of it waiting in a principal's office. The other half was spent watching the Devry representative present to the students. It was pretty interesting though. The students used a PDA device to make selections and get career information. They were placed on teams by the profile answers they had made and competed throughout the presentation. The students helped each other out with questions, the technology, and guessing where to find items they are interested in.

I love this school. It is my favorite, that I have been in. I really hope I get to do my student teaching here.

My CT has the semester planned out with much detail. Hence why I will be reading Catcher in the Rye repeatedly. It leaves me less creative license in my planning than I prefer but it also takes away the stress of starting from scratch. I remember so little from Catcher and it was not a pleasant read back then. I hope it will not be so horrid for these students. I will have new particular challenges. Like how do I created a unit that fits into my CT's plan, teaches, and livens up a somber text.

Query:

If you had to construct a lesson using only images (still and video) and music, what would you choose as a topic? How would you pull it off?