One Down, Four To Go! 1/30/2017

Rate
I would rate this week a 4 out of 5!  I feel like I have gotten what I had planned for this week accomplished and my students have really connected to the book that we are reading.  I am really excited and kind of nervous to try out some new methods of learning with them for my EdTPA ELA learning progression coming up this week.  

Observe: What pleasant surprises/ accomplishments did I achieve this week? 
This week was my first observation and to be honest it went better than I thought it would!! I had given myself a pep talk the morning of and told myself to just do "my thing" and it would be natural.  I am pleased with the outcome of how my students behaved, for the most part and how comfortable I was during my observation.  Although, I am not perfect, I am proud of the growth that I have seen in myself over this past year and also just throughout the beginning of the semester.  

Reflect: What lessons did my work/experiences teach me that I will build upon next week?
After my observation, I received some feedback, which was really helpful, I am going to use some of those strengths and weaknesses that were highlighted, to drive my future intentions and actions within the classroom.  I have always known that reflections have been tough for me.  I need to work on my lesson plan and daily reflections. My reflections need to be more specific and state whether or not I met my objectives for that particular lesson.  Also, I learned that documentation is key throughout student teaching.  

Focus: How are my short term efforts and long term goals still aligned?
My short term goals are going to be to immediately reflect on my lesson plans and rearrange them as need be when changes occur.  This will help me reach my long term goal of reflecting on my practice on a consistent basis.  I also am continuing to familiarize myself with the content so my confidence continually is building as I am teaching the material.  
  
Have Courage:  How did apprehension and indecision impact what I did and didn’t do?
I have been apprehensive about making my resume.  I have been looking up some tips on how to create one, and researching some great things to put on there in order for me to stand out.   


Be Productive
I am continuing to build my Portfolio and Classroom website!!! I have revised my Philosophy of Education, but still need to send it in for approval.  Also, I need to create my resume and schedule an appointment with Career Development soon!!! 


Begin Anew: What is the first logical step(s) for next week? What mental clutter can I clear?
I want to go into next week having full confidence in my learning progession for EdTPA.  Now that I have clarified some things during the EdTPA seminars, I feel ready to implement my ideas in the classroom.  I feel confident my students will not only learn a lot in the unit, but will also enjoy participating in these learning experiences.  

Data
This week I have been rotating students on Lyrics 2 Learn, which is a reading fluency program that my students are new to, but are loving it!  I have been looking to see if their comprehension scores are at mastery level each day they log on.  If the students score below an 80%, they have to retake the comprehension quiz at the end of the story that is set to a beat.  My struggling students seem to like this and their scores have been improving throughout the week!      

Advice
If it isn't working, change it!  My CE and I decided to switch up centers this week because I had talked with her and noticed that the students were misbehaving because they were bored.  Routine is great and all, but sometimes students need something different to keep their attention.  We switched around the center activities and they seemed to flow a lot better!  

NCTCS
1a. Teachers lead in their classrooms - I have taken it upon me that all 24 of my students are relying on me to plan my instruction so they can learn and succeed in order to move onto the next level.  I use data collected from assessments to determine what kind of activities and my delivery of instruction for particular lessons. 
2b. Teachers treat students as individuals- I try to seek out every student and ask questions like "how was your weekend?", or state to them "I am excited I get to see you again tomorrow" as they are leaving for dismissal.  I want them to know I care about each and every one of them outside of their performance in my classroom.
3a Teachers align their instruction with the North Carolina Standard Course of Study.- I am becoming more and more familiar with where to find certain concepts within the Common Core and Essential Standards.
4d. Teachers integrate and utilize technology in their instruction. I feel as if my students have earned the privilege to use technology in their center time and will use this resource to enhance their learning experience by providing them with content that is relevant to the standards they are learning.  
5a. Teachers analyze student learning.- Everything that the students are turning in, I am not just looking at their grades, I am looking to see what particular questions the students are missing and see if I see a trend in the class as a whole.  This is a way for me to assess how I should address the situation.

Support from Supervisor- N/A