Impressions

North Carolina Week 1: (Aug 1-5)

I have just completed my first week of Student Teaching at BCES. I am beginning to realize that there is not enough time in the day. Time goes so quickly therefore, it is truly important to manage your time. During this first week the students were well behaved and shy. As the week progressed the students began to open up and talk amongst themselves. In regards to teacher planning and preparation, it is evident that some lesson plan ideas will be taught and others ideas will be created as you go. It has also been made clear that teachers are similar to entertainers. The students react well to teachers who are lively and full of enthusiasm.

Week 2: (Aug 8-12)

Week two of Student teaching is now complete!!! This week I picked up two subjects, Writing and Social Studies. I developed a Social Studies Unit on citizenship and implemented it this week as well! The students are coming out of their shells and that is seen through lots of volunteering and chattering amongst classmates. The Social Studies unit went extremely well. Through my review of assessments and anecdotal records it was evident that the students understood and met the unit objectives. The most influential moment(s) for me this week were seeing the student's faces and hearing their excitement. Observing the student's excitement was encouraging and made me push to continue to find unique ways of engaging and holding their attention. Oh, what a difference it makes when you create positive classroom climates!

Week 3: (Aug 15-19)

During this week I had my first formal observation. It still baffles me how nervous and anxious we all can get when we know someone is watching us. Overall the observation went well. I became aware of how important it is to maintain a set schedule that does not change to drastically. Due to my observation and other schedule adjustments this week the students began to become very fidgety. This was the first week where I noticed that it became important to put into place a behavior chart. Also during this week the students were released early. When the students left early the teacher were required to stay and attend Professional Development workshops. I was able to attend the workshops and felt they were beneficial and very informative. Great week...Next WEEK I TEACH ALL DAY :)

Week 4: (Aug 22-26)

This was my first week of teaching all day! I am truly exhausted!! I enjoy teaching all subjects except math. The new math program that the school has chosen to follow is not very interesting. I am thinking of ways this weekend to modify and make it fun for the students. If I am not excited about teaching math, how can I expect the students to be?? The students haven't seemed to recognize that I have taken over the classroom. The transition was very smooth!! The students began electives this week and I enjoyed some of the sessions myself such as "Out of the Box"! One week down...Two to go!

Week 5: (Aug 29- Sept 2)

I have successfully completed my second week of full time teaching!!! I also had my second formal observation this week. One key area that I focused on this week was Reader's Workshop. When I read the material taught in my Literacy/Reading courses it was difficult to picture Reader's Workshop at best! Now actually implementing Reader's Workshop in the classroom I see how beneficial it is. The key is explicit teaching and modeling during the mini-lesson. This year the teachers have been using the Beanie Baby Decoding Strategy. The student are able to remember the strategies and are using them. I also found some "cool" math songs that incorporate singing and dancing. The students LOVE them and I do as well!!!! I am getting into a routine and even starting to enjoy Math better than the week previous.

Week 6: (Sept 5-9)

My three weeks of full-time teaching is OVER!!! I am interested to see how I will adjust to dropping two subjects. This week I taught schema to the students. I did not realize how difficult and abstract schema was to teach. I had to think of ways to teach the students the concept as well as confer with other colleagues to get some ideas. Initially I was reluctant to ask for help but I am glad I did. Many of the other teachers were excited to help and enjoyed helping!

Week 7: (Sept 12- 16)

Not having complete control over the entire classroom was truly an adjustment. The students would still come to me and ask for assistance of other things. I had to help redirect them to the Lead Teacher so that they would re-adjust. I began teaching a Culture Unit specifically focusing on China this week!!!! From passports to sunglasses to happiness to moon festivals.... I myself am learning more and more about China. The students love learning the culture, customs and language. We have begun to incorporate the topic of China in all subjects!! At such a young age the students really absorb new concepts rapidly.

Week 8: (Sept 19-23)

<span style="background-color: #c0c0c0; color: #404040; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">This week we continued to learn about the Culture of China. We focused on the food this week and made "FRIED RICE"!!! The students loved the rice and even used chopsticks to eat. I also taught making words this week! The students are truly developing their vocabulary, phonemic awareness, and beginning to recognize sight words. Some exciting new this week is that I re-tested all the students on high frequency words and ALL of the students made huge growth. Some students jumped from knowing 20 words to 56 words!!!! That was the highlight of my week because seeing the results of assessments can show teachers what they are or are not doing well!

<span style="background-color: #c0c0c0; color: #404040; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">Week 9: (Sept 26-30)

<span style="background-color: #c0c0c0; color: #404040; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">My student teaching experience is now COMPLETE!!!! I can now believe how fast time passed. This week we went on a field trip and took the students on a walking field trip of the community. The walk was soooooo long but the students loved walking and learning about their community. We visited the pharmacy, grocery, orthodontist, bank and chick-fila!!! The managers of each store were very helpful. Also this week my students and teacher presented me with a Thank You video and other gifts. It was heart touching and warming. To hear student comments, teacher comments, and even parent comments really confirmed my choice of entering the classroom!! I really learned a lot during my student teaching experience!!

<span style="background-color: #c0c0c0; color: #404040; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">China BOUND!!!!!

<span style="background-color: #c0c0c0; color: #404040; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">China WEEK 1: (October 9-14)

<span style="background-color: #c0c0c0; color: #404040; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">Just completed my first week here in China. It has truly been an experience. I witnessed a whole lot, some of which I can share and others I can not. Besides the obvious difference of being in a whole new place there are a lot of differences that are only recognizable once on the "inside". The younger students are very enthusiastic and respect their teachers. I have witnessed the importance of organization and a clear plan. Looking forward to the next few weeks to see what will unfold.

<span style="background-color: #c0c0c0; color: #404040; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">China WEEK 2: (October 17-21)

<span style="background-color: #c0c0c0; color: #404040; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">Week two of China is now complete. This week was amazing! I worked with the 12th grade students in the College Writing class. With the assistance of my cooperating teacher and two members of my cohort we put on Mock interviews for the students. This opportunity aided the students in practicing for college interviews. The students were very excited and even dressed up as if they were going to attend an actual interview. We received great feedback from the students!!! This week I was able to go to the elementary school. I observed a first grade class. The students were very excited and full of energy. After the class, I was to meet with the teacher and have a PLT!!! YAYYYYYYYYYYY :) I was really excited to be in my element and offer suggestions to the teacher. It was a great week!

<span style="background-color: #c0c0c0; color: #404040; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">China Week 3: (October 24-28)

<span style="background-color: #c0c0c0; color: #404040; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">The first two weeks here in China did not go as quickly as this week did. This week zipped by and I can feel myself becoming attached to the staff and students. This week in my College Writing class the students began to open up. To be an effective teacher it is important to have a positive teacher to student interpersonal relationship where the students feel comfortable coming and asking questions. Walking into a foreign classroom, I was uncertain that I would be able to make a close bond with the students. The uncertainty stemmed from language barriers. This week the students eased my uncertainty through their responses and questions. Typically, I have four students who attend class regularly. The class size should be 19 students however there is no strict attendance policy therefore, the student come and go to class as they please (still baffling to me). This week a few more students trickled into class because their peers have been talking about how much they enjoy coming to the class. I pondered this question: What stimulates students to become engaged in instruction? In my opinion, I believe that learning is stimulated through interest, delivering varied instruction, and allowing the learner to participate in teaching. Though I am certain that there is more involved in engaging students in instruction, my student teaching experience in the States and here in China has shaped my definition.

<span style="background-color: #c0c0c0; color: #404040; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">China Week 4: (October 31 - November 4)

<span style="background-color: #c0c0c0; color: #404040; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">This week was very encouraging! I reflected back on the courses that I took at NCSU and thought about how much I learned and gained from each class. Often times when you take classes you do the work necessary to complete assignments and get good grades however have you thought back on the course later? I did that this week and realized that I must have been very attentive and absorbed the majority of the material taught in each of my classes. The skills taught, I was able to use in the classrooms here and used the skills without hesitation.

<span style="background-color: #c0c0c0; color: #404040; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">I had a great week and can not believe that I have reached the end of this journey. I have built a relationship with the students. I can get around Beijing without much struggle now. The crowded spaces and not having personal space, I have become accustomed to. I have learned a lot while in China and I am ready to return home to see my family and friends.

<span style="background-color: #c0c0c0; color: #404040; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">China Week 5: (November 7 - November 11)

<span style="background-color: #c0c0c0; color: #404040; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">This concludes my stay in China!! I am heading back to the U.S.! My teaching experience here furthered my awareness and understanding of cultural competency and global languages. It was a great experience to see so many educators with the same passion to diversify schools and classrooms. Though my time here was brief, it impacted me deeply.

<span style="background-color: #c0c0c0; color: #404040; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 120%;">HOMEWARD BOUND:)