I was decided before I took this class that I was going to be a teacher and I think I am sticking with that decision. My dad was a teacher so it has always been an option for me. I wasn't always going to be a teacher but in my journey of finding out what I wanted to do, I circled back around to teaching and decided I loved it. Every experience I have in the teaching field just keeps reaffirming for me that it is what I want.
My chosen career path is teaching but I will say, I am not going to go into any administrative positions after teaching for a while. My dad did that with his career and I didn't much care for his job. Teaching and directly working with the kids is what I want. I get that being a teacher forever isn't always going to make me money but I believe it is fulfilling enough to make me happy.
The service learning didn't sway my opinion too much one way or the other. It was fun and I enjoyed getting time with the kids and the teacher but, I do everything I did in that class every day in my job as an instructional assistant. I had already decided through my regular job that I wanted this. I didn't need to do extra time in a classroom to figure that out.
My next steps are too finish my schooling at my own pace, so that when I am ready I can start my career with confidence. Im going to continue to work at Franklin Elementary until I can't manage it anymore with school. I plan to stay within Provo school district as well, even when I become a certified teacher. I have never been to a more supportive and hard working district as Provo's. I love it there and I plan to stay there with the people I've come to know and love for as long as I can.
Friday, December 8, 2017
Wednesday, November 29, 2017
Blog Entry #8
From rereading all of my blog entries I saw many different concepts that we learned. There was at east one in every post. I feel that I have articulated my own learning and understanding as clear as I can. I wrote academically as often as I could, but the majority of my writing was done conversationally to convey how excited I was to get to see these things up close and personal and not just watch them from the confines of my normal job there.
In general, the blogging was not my favorite part of this course because it felt a bit like busy work. But, I did have to examine my experiences more closely to try and find connections to our learning. It made me at least think back on my experiences and determine what they meant more than once. I feel that I have remained pretty consistent through out my writing. The best example of growth throughout is just seeing me really apply and describe our learned concepts. It's like a map of what I have experienced, paired with what I've learned.
In general, the blogging was not my favorite part of this course because it felt a bit like busy work. But, I did have to examine my experiences more closely to try and find connections to our learning. It made me at least think back on my experiences and determine what they meant more than once. I feel that I have remained pretty consistent through out my writing. The best example of growth throughout is just seeing me really apply and describe our learned concepts. It's like a map of what I have experienced, paired with what I've learned.
Monday, November 13, 2017
Blog Entry #7
The evidence I see of the students in my service learning getting the standards met is in the things Mrs. Wilcox has me help out with. For instance, I am helping kids with their counting, writing numbers, and recognizing numbers. I know that they are supposed to be able to count to 100 by the end of the year. I am helping them reach that goal by assisting them when they are having troubles with the numbers. Numbers seem to be taking the most emphasis. The second most would be writing. Third most would be letter names and sounds. This may vary a little though as I am only in there during a certain time of the day and I might just see their numbers the most because its their math time.
The subject that seems to be put to the side most often is science. I would say that is what I see the least amount of. I have seen them learn about flowers and how they grow, and their five senses, but other than that I have not seen very much emphasis put on science or anything to do with science. This could be because they don't start testing on science yet. I am not sure how Mrs. Wilcox specifically feels about standards and standardized testing because I have not asked her. I would say, she is definitely putting in her best effort to teach to the standards by what she seems to be putting emphasis on. She loves her job and always has good energy when teaching so as far as I know she is fine teaching to the standards and helping kids to learn so that they can meet them to the best of their ability.
Thursday, November 2, 2017
Blog Entry #6
The areas of diversity I see in Mrs. Wilcox's classroom are mainly cultural and racial. She has many pacific islander children, many Hispanic children, and one black child. This is common in Franklin elementary as we are the most racially diverse school in the Provo school district. She addresses this by teaching many different ways to look at families and traditions. She has touched upon both subjects with racially diverse story books and even powerpoints to teach about different traditions.
The diverse learners in Mrs. Wilcox's class are being addressed through me and other instructional assistants and volunteers. She gives us many different activities to do one on one with the kids that are learning at a different pace or who learn better with different tactics and environments. They also have a time everyday where each kindergarten teacher takes all the kids who fall into a certain category in their learning process into their classroom. This way, all the students are at the same level and they are receiving help in the areas that they need it. All these extra learning times and opportunities include games, reading activities, writing activities, interactive computer time, and rewards. And from what I have seen it seems to be creating progress in their learning.
The diverse learners in Mrs. Wilcox's class are being addressed through me and other instructional assistants and volunteers. She gives us many different activities to do one on one with the kids that are learning at a different pace or who learn better with different tactics and environments. They also have a time everyday where each kindergarten teacher takes all the kids who fall into a certain category in their learning process into their classroom. This way, all the students are at the same level and they are receiving help in the areas that they need it. All these extra learning times and opportunities include games, reading activities, writing activities, interactive computer time, and rewards. And from what I have seen it seems to be creating progress in their learning.
Monday, October 23, 2017
Blog Entry #5
Laws Affecting My Service Learning Classroom:
One thing that is a very common things to see in our school is English learners. We have many different children from many different backgrounds whose parents don't speak English at home. We provide special programs like National Geographic and ELL programs from our instructional assistants to students who are still picking it up. They start getting pulled as early as preschool. I know this not only because of observing in Mrs. Wilcox's classroom but also because I work there and help to provide some of the intervention programs. This help that we provide is made mandatory by the civil rights act of 1964. We cannot discriminate against, and let these children fall behind because they are from a different place or were raised in a different environment and/or culture. Lau vs. Nichols also helped to affirm that students needed to be assisted so that they could participate meaningfully in school programs.
I am seeing children of different race all in the same classroom because of Brown vs. Board. For instance one of the children I work with, Jamarri is black and I never would have gotten the chance to help him with his reading and math if he wasn't able to attend the same school as the other children in our school. Sputnick has influenced even Mrs. Wilcox's kindergarteners in the way that they have even started learning very basic levels of science to start building their interest in it now. For example: they have learned about the sunflower and how it grows, they have learned about nutrition and what is good and bad for their tummies and bodies, and they have learned about different places and their climates and ecosystems. Because we don't want to fall behind as a result of the launching of Sputnick in 1957, beginners to education are learning the ropes of science to give them a head start. Maybe one of these kids will be the future of our space programs because we are getting them excited about these concepts now.
One thing that is a very common things to see in our school is English learners. We have many different children from many different backgrounds whose parents don't speak English at home. We provide special programs like National Geographic and ELL programs from our instructional assistants to students who are still picking it up. They start getting pulled as early as preschool. I know this not only because of observing in Mrs. Wilcox's classroom but also because I work there and help to provide some of the intervention programs. This help that we provide is made mandatory by the civil rights act of 1964. We cannot discriminate against, and let these children fall behind because they are from a different place or were raised in a different environment and/or culture. Lau vs. Nichols also helped to affirm that students needed to be assisted so that they could participate meaningfully in school programs.
I am seeing children of different race all in the same classroom because of Brown vs. Board. For instance one of the children I work with, Jamarri is black and I never would have gotten the chance to help him with his reading and math if he wasn't able to attend the same school as the other children in our school. Sputnick has influenced even Mrs. Wilcox's kindergarteners in the way that they have even started learning very basic levels of science to start building their interest in it now. For example: they have learned about the sunflower and how it grows, they have learned about nutrition and what is good and bad for their tummies and bodies, and they have learned about different places and their climates and ecosystems. Because we don't want to fall behind as a result of the launching of Sputnick in 1957, beginners to education are learning the ropes of science to give them a head start. Maybe one of these kids will be the future of our space programs because we are getting them excited about these concepts now.
Monday, October 2, 2017
Blog Entry #4
Examples of engaging learners:
First example: Mrs. Wilcox engages her students through art activities. For instance, when they were learning about the number 0 she named it zero the hero and had each of them make their own hero based around a 0. Then she had each student fly their zero and tell about its super powers. She does similar activities with other letters and numbers by giving the kids creative license to draw around the numbers based on what they think it looks like. She described how she thought the number 5 looked like a butler with a big belly and drew on it to make it look like that. Not only did the kids get practice writing the numbers but then by creating their own pictures around it they also created memory devices unique to themselves.
Second example: Mrs. Wilcox also engages her students through dancing and singing. She has many choreographed songs for numbers and letters. This makes it fun for the kids to do actions to a song when they are learning the sounds the letters make. For example, slithering like a snake and wiggling their bodies while they make the s sound.
Last example: Mrs. Wilcox engages her students through prompting them to use their 5 senses. First she did and activity where she gave them many different things to smell, touch, taste, hear, and see. Next, she read a book to them about many different flowers and how to grow them. She also let them tell her how we know what flowers are like using our 5 senses. Then she had them describe a sunflower that she has growing in her windowsill and make it out of random materials on her back table. Each student's flower was unique and walking around to each student to have them tell you how their flower is like a real sunflower was very fun.
One lesson I thought could have been more engaging was today's lesson about different parts of the world. She told them about the different places and showed them pictures on the smart board but I noticed many kids becoming disinterested. One way it could have been more engaging was maybe to have them try simple moves from cultural dances in the areas she was talking about. Or she could have had them draw themselves but as if they lived in the pictures she was showing. This would get them moving or demonstrate what they learned about the different places by how they draw their pictures, which engages their creative side.
First example: Mrs. Wilcox engages her students through art activities. For instance, when they were learning about the number 0 she named it zero the hero and had each of them make their own hero based around a 0. Then she had each student fly their zero and tell about its super powers. She does similar activities with other letters and numbers by giving the kids creative license to draw around the numbers based on what they think it looks like. She described how she thought the number 5 looked like a butler with a big belly and drew on it to make it look like that. Not only did the kids get practice writing the numbers but then by creating their own pictures around it they also created memory devices unique to themselves.
Second example: Mrs. Wilcox also engages her students through dancing and singing. She has many choreographed songs for numbers and letters. This makes it fun for the kids to do actions to a song when they are learning the sounds the letters make. For example, slithering like a snake and wiggling their bodies while they make the s sound.
Last example: Mrs. Wilcox engages her students through prompting them to use their 5 senses. First she did and activity where she gave them many different things to smell, touch, taste, hear, and see. Next, she read a book to them about many different flowers and how to grow them. She also let them tell her how we know what flowers are like using our 5 senses. Then she had them describe a sunflower that she has growing in her windowsill and make it out of random materials on her back table. Each student's flower was unique and walking around to each student to have them tell you how their flower is like a real sunflower was very fun.
One lesson I thought could have been more engaging was today's lesson about different parts of the world. She told them about the different places and showed them pictures on the smart board but I noticed many kids becoming disinterested. One way it could have been more engaging was maybe to have them try simple moves from cultural dances in the areas she was talking about. Or she could have had them draw themselves but as if they lived in the pictures she was showing. This would get them moving or demonstrate what they learned about the different places by how they draw their pictures, which engages their creative side.
Monday, September 18, 2017
Blog entry #3
1. To make her students feel loved and safe, Mrs. Wilcox makes sure that when students are acting out that they get time to themselves but that they also have a discussion with the teacher about why they are acting this way. Instead of fully focusing on what was wrong Mrs. Wilcox supports validating the kids and what could be upsetting them that day. Then we go over what ways could be better in dealing with our feelings and identifying them. Many times we find out something has happened at home or with a friend that has upset the student and made it hard to focus for them. By venting to the teacher and identifying the feeling they build a relationship and trust with you, they also increase their emotional intelligence.
2. Mrs. Wilcox recognizes students' individual skills by giving them a chance to share them. She often hands them the mic for the classroom so they can demonstrate the skill they are working on. For instance, we sing the ABC song every day in the afternoon. During this time when Mrs. Wilcox spots a child singing and following along fairly accurately, she lets them use the microphone to help lead the class. They can also lead the class in dance moves while they do it. It makes them feel important and I've seen every kid go up at one time or another when they are doing particularly well that day or they are at least putting in some good effort.
3. A clear routine that is set up amongst all the kindergarten classrooms as well as Mrs Wilcox's room is lining up. Later in the afternoon the teachers divide their kids up amongst each other based on what skill the child is working on. Despite being in a mixed up group of all classes the children always know where they line up, what is expected and which assistant they wait for to come pick up their line to take them back to class. I assume they have this so well down because for the first week they focused on practicing classroom behaviors and where they should go when in groups. This was rehearsed many times and much praise was given to "friends who followed directions".
2. Mrs. Wilcox recognizes students' individual skills by giving them a chance to share them. She often hands them the mic for the classroom so they can demonstrate the skill they are working on. For instance, we sing the ABC song every day in the afternoon. During this time when Mrs. Wilcox spots a child singing and following along fairly accurately, she lets them use the microphone to help lead the class. They can also lead the class in dance moves while they do it. It makes them feel important and I've seen every kid go up at one time or another when they are doing particularly well that day or they are at least putting in some good effort.
3. A clear routine that is set up amongst all the kindergarten classrooms as well as Mrs Wilcox's room is lining up. Later in the afternoon the teachers divide their kids up amongst each other based on what skill the child is working on. Despite being in a mixed up group of all classes the children always know where they line up, what is expected and which assistant they wait for to come pick up their line to take them back to class. I assume they have this so well down because for the first week they focused on practicing classroom behaviors and where they should go when in groups. This was rehearsed many times and much praise was given to "friends who followed directions".
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