All week I was hard at work on my Unit Plan. I feel like it's coming together slowly, but I'll have it finished before spring break is over. Just have to get through this week! Hopefully I can get a lot done...
I'm using Prezi to teach them the research skills, and then I'm also going to teach them how to use Prezi to make their final presentation! I'm definitely excited for it :-)
On Wednesday, I finally felt comfortable enough to step in and work with the kids. They were dissecting owl pellets, and it was hilarious!!! My CT2 let them use their senses while it was still wrapped in foil to figure out what it was... then had them unwrap it... then showed a video of what an owl pellet REALLY is. I swear, their reaction was PRICELESS!!!!!!!!!!! One student even looked at her and said "What did I ever do to you???" Too funny!
Wednesday was a big day. I also got to sit in on a collaboration meeting for students who had IEPs. Once I finish the unit plan, I'll have to share it with the team to get feedback about how to fit it to the students' needs.
Wednesday afternoon I went to a 5th grade classroom and taught a math lesson! I was THRILLED with how it went! I was more nervous doing that than I was when I started teaching in 1st grade, but once I got going I felt much better. I was even able to stray a little from the written-out lesson when I saw that they needed more help understanding one of the concepts. It was very smooth :-) One of the students in there was super funny. When I left he came up to me to shake my hand and said something like "I appreciate you teaching our lesson. Good luck in 6th grade." (or something like that...).
Thursday was an early release and conferences. I went back to 1st grade for conferences, since I knew those students and could actually understand how to translate what happens in the classroom for parents. It was a good experience, and I got to catch up with my first CT :-) I went back to see a 6th grade conference... and this student is apparently friends with my brother! I found that out when he commented on my brother's Facebook status... awkward!!!!
Friday we didn't have school, what a nice break!
Today was a good day, too! I taught my first 6th grade lessons, which I didn't do quite as well as I would have liked. I was too nervous, so I spoke too quietly for the first one (which was really just going over morning work). The second lesson was a little better, but choppy and I think I let them get a little too silly. That's OK, this is why student teaching is called a learning experience!!!
I also went into another 6th grade teacher's room to observe--it's a guy teacher, so it was interesting to see how different it was! I mean, it wasn't THAT different, but there were little things. I'm going to teach a math lesson in his room tomorrow -- hope it goes well!
Tomorrow my CT2 won't be there, so I'm going to actually teach for a good portion of the day! I'm pretty excited for it, because hopefully having that longer period of time will get me into some sort of "groove" for 6th grade. I'm just ready to stop feeling nervous in the classroom, but I remember it was like this for the first week or two of first grade, too, so it'll be fine!
This weekend I read The Glory Fields, because that's the book for the high-level reading groups. It was fantastic, and I'm pretty excited to be able to do it with the students after spring break! I've got some new reading material for tonight, too, so I'm going to get started on that!!! :-)
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