Mini Teach 2

 Introduction

    The second lesson was that I had the opportunity to teach Mrs. Kiihnl's fourth-grade Literacy class about Nature's Fury, in a National Geographic magazine. Mrs. Kiihnl had provided me with the students' bellwork, and a copy of Nature's Fury.

Lesson Plan Overview 

    When the students came in they began working on bellwork, and after that I went over the answers with the students. Once that was done the students took out Nature's Fury, and I began reading The Eruption of Vesuvius. When I had finished reading, I had the students go back to the text and underline all the vocabulary words for the week. Then we went over the vocabulary words. 

 Changes to the Lesson

    Some of the changes I could've made to my lesson, was the pronunciation of some of the words in the passage. When I was checking over bellwork with the students, I should've read the answers options to the question. I think that if I did this the students would have a better understanding of the questions. 

Conclusion 

    In conclusion, I had a wonderful time teaching this lesson to Mrs. Kiihnl's class. I have started picking up on some changes I can make in the future, in order to become the best teacher I can be. I have loved getting this opportunity to teach a class, even though I'm not their teacher, it was still so much fun.  

Mini Teach 1

 Introduction

    I had the wonderful opportunity to teach Mrs. Kiihnl's fourth-grade Literacy class. While I was teaching I was able to understand a little bit more about classroom management. 

Lesson Plan Overview 

     The lesson I taught was all about Comparative and  Superlative Adjectives. I taught this lesson with two worksheets, one of which was to demonstrate to the class, and the other for the students to work on.I taught this lesson for the last ten to fifteen minutes of the class period.

Changes to the Lesson

    One of the changes that I could've made to the lesson is to give the students clearer directions during the lesson. At some point the students would ask me what to do after they finished the worksheet. One of the other problems I faced was students thought “gooder” was a word. So I had to tell them that the comparative and superlative adjective was better and best for the adjective good, this is another example of when I should've given the students more directions.

Conclusion

    In conclusion, I had a wonderful time teaching Mrs.Kiihnl's 4th grade class. I learned many things during the short amount of time of teaching. I learned that you need to give clear directions for the students to completely understand what is going on during the lesson. Other than that I had a wonderful time teaching my lesson to students. 

4.2 Observations 4-6

Introduction

    These past three weeks I have had the wonderful opportunity to observe Mrs. Kiihnl's 4th grade Literacy class. While observing I have learned different methods on teaching and how to manage a classroom. I have also learned how to make myself clear when I'm teaching, for the students to be able to understand the concepts of what is being taught.

Whole Class 1

    My overall favorite part of observing the class was the positivity that the students had, every time I was there. They didn't complain about the work that Mrs. Kiihnl would give out. I thought that the students would have some sort of complaint about the work, you know because they're kids, but that never once complained. I remember thinking to myself I hope I have a group of kids that don't complain about the work I give them. 

Whole Class 2 

    I also really enjoyed how the classroom was set up. The layout of the room was very well designed, Mrs. Kiihnl used circle tables with 4 seats at each table. The tables worked really well with the classroom, between each table there was plenty of room for movement. The seating arrangement was in group pods, so it allowed the students to work together, but during a test the students had privacy folders, so the other students couldn't look at the others. I also loved the design of the classroom, Mrs. Kiihnl uses different kinds of inspirational posters, to encourage the students to try their best. 

Teacher Methods 1

    When I was observing Mrs. Kiihnl, I learned many different teaching methods to use while I was observing. One of the methods that she taught me, is that it's okay for students not to get the information the first time. She showed me that sometimes you need to give some students a little extra help on things. During a test one day on paper, one of the students understands the information being read to them, so Mrs. Kiihnl read the questions and answers to them so that the student would have a better understanding of the test.

Teacher Methods 2

    One of the other teaching methods I learned while observing Mrs. Kiihnl, was how she used the Chromebooks with her class. In some classes all the students do their learning on the computer, but Mrs. Kiihnl split up her class time with worksheets and then Chromebooks. She told me that she found with this particular class they picked up more information when it was on worksheets for the students. Mrs. Kiihnl also said that she found worksheets to be more interactive than the Chromebooks were.  

The Overall Impact

    The overall impact that I had while observing Mrs. Kiihnl, is to always be paying attention to the students needs. I learned that there are some students who have accommodations that need some more help than others, such as reading aloud so that they comprehend the information better. I also learned to be paying attention to how the whole class takes in information. Mrs. Kiihnl taught me that some of her classes take in information better on a worksheet than on a computer. 

Conclusion 

    In conclusion, I had a wonderful time observing Mrs. Kiihnl's class, I really enjoyed the time I spent with the class. While observing I learned many different teaching methods, that I hope to use in the future. I'm so blessed that I had the opportunity to observe a wonderful teacher who taught me many things. 

4.1 Observations 1-3

 Introduction

    The past three weeks, I have had the wonderful opportunity to observe Mrs. Kiihnl's 4th-grade Literacy class. I go to observe this class two days a week, so in total I have been there five days. While observing, I have learned many different teaching methods that I hope to use in future as a teacher. I have had a wonderful time observing this class.

Whole Class 1

    My number one favorite part of the class, was how well-behaved the class was throughout the class. The teacher had clearly set some ground rules. The students also knew what the day would look like, once students came in they all knew it was time for bellwork, and then read. While observing Mrs. Kiihnl, I noticed that Mrs. Kiihnl noticed a student who was struggling, but before she could help the student, another student asked if they could help the student. I thought this was very interesting because you could tell the students were aware of other people in the room. 

Whole Class 2

    I also really enjoyed, how involved the students were throughout the class. There was never the awkward silence after Mrs. Kiihnl would ask a question. After she would ask a question the majority of the class would raise their hands to answer. Also, when the students had the opportunity to read aloud in class, Mrs. Kiihnl would draw ducks that had their class numbers on it, and if the students didn't have their number called you could hear audible complaints about not being called upon. I thought this was  cool, because this was my first time observing a class who  wanted to be involved. 

Teacher Methods 1

    I  enjoyed seeing all the different methods Mrs. Kiihnl used. My favorite one that Mrs. Kiihnl used every time I was in the class, was the hand motions she used for the students to remember the structures of words. It seemed that all the students knew the hand motions for each of the structures. I personally thought this was a great way for students to remember different things and a great visual representation. I definitely see myself using this method in my future teaching job.

Teaching Methods 2   

    I also  enjoyed the slideshows Mrs. Kiihnl used in her class. The slideshows would give the students which would explain what the day would look like and what the objectives were for the week. I thought this was a very interesting concept to show the students what the following week is going to involve, and what is being taught. This also gives the students a visual representation of what to expect for the week and what is being expected of the students. I plan on using slideshows for students in the future, to give a visual representation, and what is expected of my students. 

 The Overall Impact

    The overall impact I had while observing Mrs. Kiihnl's class, was how Mrs. Kiihnl knew how to handle some outburst while she was teaching without getting completely off track. She knew what the class and that student needed at that moment. I thought the way she handled it was very professional, she simply said wait in the hallway for me and that was that. She didn't let the student interrupt the whole class, and she didn't let the students' behavior take her off track. I thought the way she handled the situation was very professional and I hope that one day I can be just as professional when handling a situation like that. 

Conclusion

    In conclusion, I had a wonderful time observing Mrs. Kiihnl's class. I really did enjoy my time that I got to spend with this class. I learned many different things that I hope to establish in my own classroom one day. I hope one day that I'll be able to have a class that was just as involved with me, as Mrs. Kiihnl's class was involved with her. 

3.2 Middle School Observations

 Introduction

    This past week I had the wonderful chance to observe two Middle School classes. The first class I observed was Mrs. Prince's 4th grade math class. The second class I observed was Mrs. Young's 5th grade science class. Observing these two classes gave me the chance to see different teaching methods I could potentially be using in my future teaching career. 

Middle School Observation 1

    The first class I had the chance to observe was Mrs. Prince's 4th grade math class. While I was observing this class the students were learning about fractions in word problems and how to convert them into mixed numbers. Mrs.Prince would have a student read the problem aloud to the whole class, if the problem was a harder one she would work it out with the class on the whiteboard. On the easier ones she would have the student work it out, then have one come to the whiteboard to work it out. I thought this was a great way to have the whole class involved in the lesson the whole time. I noticed that mostly every student was on task the entire class. I had a wonderful time observing Mrs. Prince's class, I will be using some of her teaching methods in my near future.

Middle School Observation 2

    The second class I had the chance to observe was Mrs. Young's 5th grade science class. While I was observing this class the students were learning about River Erosion, using a science website called Gizmos. I really enjoyed how Mrs.Young would walk around her classroom, while teaching. She also worked the Gizmos with the students, so they knew exactly how to work out the problem. Mrs. Young later explained to me that the students ATLAS test looks a lot like the Gizmos do, so that is why the students use that website. I really enjoyed observing Mrs.Young's class, I hope I will be using some of her methods when I begin teaching. 

Greatest Takeaway

    My greatest takeaway from observing these classes were definitely the different teaching methods I learned. My greatest takeaway I got from observing Mrs. Prince's class was the different callbacks she used in her class in order to get their attention. My greatest takeaway from observing Mrs.Young's class was the layout of her tables, I had never seen group pairing the way she did it, there was not a single student who had their backs turned to the front. I really enjoyed observing these two classes.  

Conclusion

    In conclusion, I had a great observing Mrs. Prince's and Mrs. Young's class. I cannot wait to use some of their methods that I learned this past week while observing. Overall, I learned a lot over this past week, and I enjoyed my time while observing these two classes. 

3.1 Elementary Observations

 Introduction:

    This past week I have had the wonderful opportunity to observe two Elementary classes. This was a great opportunity for myself because one day I see myself teaching an elementary class. I hope one day I can use the experiences I had with these classes in my future to be a better teacher.

Elementary Observation 1:

    The first class I had the chance to observe was Mrs.Elder, who teaches Kindergarten. When I was observing this Kindergarten class, I changed my mind about teaching Kindergarten, I really enjoyed the hands-on learning that was taking place while I was there. Secondly, I enjoyed how the teacher was using outside sources in order to teach her students, such as videos. The students had been focusing on the letter "K" so after teaching the students the difference between a "K" and a "C" she played a video to give a better understanding of the letters. I found this to work very well for the students, because some students take in information in different ways. I loved observing Mrs.Elder's Kindergarten class, who showed me that being a Kindergarten teacher may be in my near future.  Also, I will be using some of Mrs. Elder's teaching methods in my career. 

Elementary Observation 2:

    In the second class I had the chance to observe Mrs.Lancaster's 2nd grade class. When I was observing this 2nd grade class, I got the chance to see a new method of teaching that I have never seen before. Mrs.Lancaster handed out a passage for her students to read on their own. But, in this passage there were different grammatical errors, so the students had to find the errors. One thing that really stood out to me was that Mrs. Lancaster noticed one student who was struggling and falling behind, so she paired one of the students who was caught up and was able to help the another student. I thought this was very interesting because everyone had their own individual desk, while these two students were sitting at a pair of desks. I will be taking the method of using one student to help another out, once I begin teaching. I really enjoyed observing Mrs. Lancaster's class, and will be using some of her methods in my teaching. 

Greatest Takeaway:

    My greatest takeaway from observing these classes was the different methods that both teachers brought to attention that could potentially be used in my career as a teacher. My greatest takeaway from Mrs.Elder's class was the layout of her classroom. She had different tables at different lengths, some table were short for the students sit on the ground and do their work, others had chairs for the students to sit at, others were tall for the students to stand and do their work. With this layout each student could do their work comfortably. Then in Mrs. Lancaster's class, the way she interacted with the students, she was always giving words of encouragement to the students to motivate them more. Also, her wall decor was also encouraging for the students. I really enjoyed observing these classes. 

Conclusion: 

    In conclusion, observing Mrs. Elder's and Mrs. Lancaster's classes was a great opportunity for me to take the methods they both used to teach their classes. But, also the layout of both classrooms gave me insight on what I would like my future classroom to look like. Overall I had a great time observing both of these classes, and I can't wait to use what I learned from them in my teaching career. 

 

2.2 Junior High Observations

 Introduction:

    This past week I have had the wonderful opportunity to observe 2 Junior High classes. This was a great opportunity for myself to be able to observe two very experienced teachers, I hope that one day I will be able to take my experience from this week into the teaching field.   

Junior High Observation 1

    The first class I had the chance to observe was Mrs.Vines, who teaches 8th grade Science. One thing that I really enjoyed was that Mrs.Vines gave out multiple sheets of paper in order for students to understand the curriculum.  I also thought that Mrs. Vines's use of videos was really useful, because she made sure that every student was understanding the curriculum. I had a great time observing Mrs.Vines class, I most definitely will take away some of her strategies in the future. 

Junior High Observation 2

    The second class that I had the chance to observe was Mrs.Sweat, who teaches 8th grade History. One thing that I really enjoyed was that Mrs.Sweat did an activity for the students to have a complete understanding of the curriculum, while doing this project she had the students work individually as she walked around the room just in case anyone had any questions. Then she had students work with one another in order for the students to have a better understanding. This activity was really interesting because not only did Mrs. Sweat's activity involve history, but also English, which I thought was very interesting. I also enjoyed that Mrs. Sweat was very active throughout the lesson, she was always moving throughout the whole entire class period. I had a wonderful time observing Mrs.Sweat's class.   

Greatest Takeaway

    My greatest takeaway, was that each teacher used many different teaching methods in order for all the students to understand. One day I will most likely be taking my experiences observing these classes into my classroom. Observing these teachers was a great opportunity, for me, I really enjoyed the time I spent in these classrooms. 

Conclusion

    In conclusion, I had a wonderful time observing these two Junior High classes. Watching these two teachers was an extremely great opportunity. I will be taking these experiences that I had in these classes, I will be taking them into my classroom in the future.