Welcome to Unit II!
This week you will meet some interesting little and big folks. Many of you have had the chance to participate in J Term activities as well. What have you noticed about about the classroom environment? What have you discovered about the room arrangement? How does this room compare to rooms you have seen in the past?
JTerm is a special time where children can explore indepth areas of interest. What experiences have you had so far? Have you seen other special interest group work?
We are REALLY glad you have joined us. The kids are excited to have their new teacher friends here!
Mary Stichter/ Denise Tallakson
During my first week at Price Lab, I have noted that there is a lot of stimuli all over the classroom that relates to the different interests of the students. For example, I instantly noticed the science station/center located against the back wall. In this station there were plants growing, I believe a young chick in a cage, and a few other habitats created by the students and teachers. I also noticed that there appears to be a reading center near the teacher's personal office. Five computers are located near the hallway wall, two of which I have seen the students play on. A half-circular table that the the Mrs. S. or Mrs. T would sit behind, while the students would sit on the other side, and perform tasks such as spelling tests, journal writings, etc.
ReplyDeleteI thought the way the desks were arranged were very similar to the styles that I have seen other teachers use, sort of like pods of four, with one exception, a table of two near the door. I really like this arrangement, because it makes it easier to assess the students as they work, while you walk around. I also feel that having an area such as the circular carpet, that the students can all gather and sit on while the teacher reads or presents new materials to the class is essential. It is a nice way for the students to relax and get away from distractions that they might have at their desk, and listen to what Mrs. S or Mrs. T have to present.
So far through Jterm, I have helped the students with journal entries, writing assignments, such as writing o's and biographies, I have been one on one with two students when they read a book to me that they were reading in class, proceeded by finding three facts in the book, and become acquainted with the students and their learning styles.
I have also had the opportunity to get to know what a classroom is like for substitute teachers, because unfortunately, Mrs. S has been absent. It has been a challenge getting used to schedules for the substitutes, but being in the classroom with a substitute has given me an idea what it could be like in my future, when I substitute.
So far, I have thoroughly enjoyed my time in the classroom. Mrs. S has been very helpful, and the students have been fun to get to know. I have really enjoyed my first week at Price Lab.
Tad Brace
My first week at Price Lab has been very exciting! One of the first things that I noticed about the classroom was that there are some animals in the classroom. There are also many little planter pots around the room from the students in JTerm and also milk jugs that are substituting as planters as well. The room arrangement is like a standard classroom except there is not a wall to enclose the classroom. Besides not having a wall for one side to the classroom, the room has a large carpet area on the South side of the room where the students do a lot of brainstorming with the teacher. I have seen the brainstorming in this area when the kids were coming up with service ideas and coming up with logo's. On the West wall there are the animal environments and books for the students. Also a small, round table for students to write letters which is beside the mail box and the compost area. By the teachers' office there is a semi-circle table which has been the home to a lot of JTerm activities that I have seen with the children planting in their little pots and milk jugs. There is also a small reading area by that table. Also, right when you come in the door there are some computers that are available to the students. Finally, the students desks are to the left of the entrance and before the large carpet area. They are grouped in four's and this seems to be a pretty common room arrangement from all of my experiences in elementary schools. The room arrangement as a whole is very similar to other classrooms I have been in as well except for it not having a wall.
ReplyDeleteThe JTerm I have been involved with has been so much fun. I have been helping with the plant group. So far we have planted flowers in small, clay flower pots and "mystery" flowers in milk jugs that we recycled as planters. The kids have also been working on promoting Recycling. They are really excited about this and are going to make a video to promote Recycling and also composting. The students went around to other classrooms throughout the school and asked teachers if they would like to promote composting by having a compost station in their rooms and all of the teachers agreed to it. I was pleasantly surprised that all of the teachers agreed to this! What a great way to promote recycling and reducing the amount of garbage that is going to the landfill.
At the end of the day when I am there, JTerm ends and students all return to their normal classroom. In Unit II, the students journal the last 20-25 minutes about what they did in their JTerm and have to write about 3 things for sure.
I have really enjoyed my time at Price Lab so far and I can't wait to spend more time getting to know all of the students.
Today was the first day that I have seen first graders interact with technology such as computers, and it was awesome seeing them have the luxury to do so at their desk! In high school, we had rolling labs, such as the rolling lab that is located in Mrs. S and Mrs. T's classroom, and it was a great experience. Seeing the kids online working on subjects such as math and spelling was very cool. The kids had a blast with it, and still used traditional ways to solve math problems, such as number lines, and in a few instances, I saw some fingers being counted. Giving the kids the opportunity to use laptops while studying gives them a base knowledge of how to use technology while studying basic subjects in the classroom.
ReplyDeleteI also wanted to say one more thing that I left out in my first post. When I was in elementary school, the number of boys to girls were pretty even. I found it very, very interesting that there are two girls for every boy. I haven't yet been able to tell which students are in first and second grade, since it is a joint classroom, but I am starting to make my assumptions based on the work that they are completing. Today was the first day that I saw the first and second grade split up, but it happened fast, and wasn't for very long, so I didn't get a really good chance to completely take in the grade level of some students.
Tad Brace
J term is going on this week and it is a unique experience because I have never had experience in J term in either high school or college. There are different groups consisting of different subjects which the students get to pick. I think it is a great way for the student to get excited to learn.
ReplyDeleteThis classroom is also different than any class I have been in because it consists of both first and second grade. Since it is two grades it makes me wonder if it is more difficult to plan units. I have also noticed that the classroom is not like a typical classroom because it has an open wall to the lockers and another classroom. This is different than any classroom I have been in before so it makes me curious if you think it’s more convenient or if it causes some distractions. I have also noticed that the room is very big with many different areas for students with different interests. I think the room set up is a good idea because it gives more space for different group actives, and it would also make learning exciting for all the students.
A couple days this week other teacher friends came to gardenology to do little group projects with the students. The students seemed to have a blast and you could tell it was also beneficial to the teacher friends as well because it gave them practice in making lessons and teaching it to the students. This is a great way to get students excited to learn.
On Wednesday we went to the green house for gardenology and again the students seem to have a blast. I really think J term is a good idea because the kids are having fun learning. Every day they are excited to learn and do the hands on activities.
Thanks for all your reflective thoughts. I spend a lot of time trying to arrange the room in an organized and kid friendly arrangement but often struggle with what should go where. I'm glad that the science area is seen as an observation area... that was my intent. This week we are going to try to add more to our dramatic play area as it transforms into a post office. I sure would welcome any ideas you have.
ReplyDeleteWe are very lucky to have our notebooks. Yesterday was the first time I had all the kids on Lexia Reading at once. I saw every child engaged and on task which is so important. This next week I will model our memio and how it can be used as an interactive tool.
Thank you again everyone for all your help with JTerm. It was a lot of fun to see the children so very passionate. I have to admit I am tired but in a good way!!! This next week will be more routine. You will want to focus on individual children and notice the broad levels of ability, social skills, and interests. They truly all individuals. Thank you again.
Mary
Thanks for all your help during our first week of your participation. Mary and I are so glad to have you helping in our classroom. The week was a different schedule because of J term but a very engaging one!! I was busy with the PLS Puppet Patrol where we made puppets, met puppeteers and wrote our own puppet shows around the guidelines for success. Look for the Guidelines for Success posters around the school! This week we will be back to our regular schedule. We are in the middle of a unit on Friendship and we will be discussing how you can be a good friend to people of all ages. In the afternoon the students will be working at our friendship centers. If any of you have an idea for a friendship center you are more than welcome to create one. The children will be making friendship bracelets, friendship pins, birdfeeders for our friends the birds, and friendly letters in our post office. At our author center we will be focusing on Marc Brown, the creator of Arthur and Friends. Marc Brown will be coming to our school on April 14 and we are so excited. He will also be speaking at the Elementary Literacy Conference at the SEC on April 15. The teachers at PLS put on this conference for educators from across the state. As a UNI student you can attend for free and hear Marc Brown speak, attend literacy sessions and even get a book autographed if you choose. During the second week look at the class as a whole and pick out some student characteristics that you want to consider as you get ready to plan your lesson. Thanks again for all you help!
ReplyDelete"your" help!
ReplyDeleteMy first week at Price Lab has been a great experience. It is interesting to see how students interact and all the different levels of learning there are. I was surprised to see how relaxed everything was in the classroom. It made it feel very inviting and the right environment for learning. The students also made you feel very welcomed because they love working with new people and seeing new faces. With the classroom consisting of both first and second graders, it is interesting to see how instruction works. I feel it would be hard to plan for such a wide range. Especially since they are all at such different reading levels. Although, I have noticed that some students are very independent workers. They work independently on their jobs when Mrs. S is working with small groups on reading.
ReplyDeleteThe room arrangement is very different from other classes I have seen. The classroom being opened up to another classroom is something I have never seen. I feel this would be very distracting at times and make it harder for the students to focus. I like how their are many stations for the kids to work at. It allows for students to work on things they enjoy and focuses on more inquiry based tasks. Students have more freedom and a “fun” learning environment. The seating arrangement allows for group work and to group students who can work with others who need help. You see students take initiative in many activities and this could be because of experience.
Also, working with a sub for two days allowed me to see how students act when their main teacher is not there. During this time, I felt like the second graders stood out because they knew the routine. I also felt the students would come to me because I was more of a familiar face to them. Students did not like the change and the unorganized morning.
Lastly, I was impressed when the students were working with the laptops. They really enjoyed it and worked really well with them. It allowed for them to better their reading on their own. This also showed me the different levels students are at and how spread out everyone is. I feel the computer software was a great way for students to work on their own and gain experience in something that is very important.
Week two wasn't much more "regular" with two snow days!! Hopefully you got to see a bit of the routine on Monday, Thursday and Friday. Look for times you might add in some extra hours but don't worry if you have to go into a fifth week. That happens, especially when we have snow days. This week was a hard one for me because by daughter was in the hospital. Thankfully she is home now and feeling stronger every day. Next week we will begin to discuss lesson planning and begin to look at what you might like to teach and the learning goals for the lessons. Mary and I will help you see how your lesson can integrate into our existing curriculum. We will show you materials you can use and give you ideas on how to structure your lesson. You are all doing a great job!! Thanks so much for your help.
ReplyDeleteThis week the school days were back to normal because Jterm finished last Friday. Although this week was shorter because the two snow days, I still got a feel for what math is like in your classroom. When I get to Price Lab eight students are just coming back from lunch when originally there are sixteen students in the classroom. I found out that this is because the first and second graders get separated because of their math ability. First graders are in Mrs. T’s and Mrs. S’s room and the students are working with single digit addition problems and the number families.
ReplyDeleteThis week I observed the lessons and helped students with problems in their math books. Just from helping the students out for the past three days I can see which students excel in math and which students struggle with math. There are a couple students I have noticed that are really fast at the addition problems and finish way before the other students. With their extra time they get on computers and do a math program to enhance their learning. I didn’t get a chance to watch the students so I am curious if the math program is just several different math problems or does it go along with Everyday Mathematics workbook that they have.
There were also a couple students that I have noticed that have a harder time with math then the majority of the students. These students can figure out the problems but it just takes them longer and they ask for help more often. On Thursday a couple of these students didn’t have time to finish. Since they didn’t finish does this now become homework for them, or do they have free time throughout the day to finish it?
Even though Jterm was fun, it is exciting to see what the “normal” school day is like. Since Jterm mixes up all students from the different classrooms, it was nice this week to get to know the students who are normally in your classroom.
Happy third week of participation. I am looking forward to planning lessons with you all. Tad is working on a lesson featuring author Marc Brown. Amy is working on how to be a friend to the elderly. This will work out well since we are going to be visiting Windsor Care Center. Mrs. T. has awesome ideas to build into the afternoon. In your work sample you will begin identifying student and learning characteristics that will influence your lesson planning. Many of you have commented on the wide range of student abilities and interests. This will be a consideration we can talk about. Thank you again for all your help. It has been awesome having you with us.
ReplyDeleteThis week things were back to a normal schedule for the students. It was a short week because of the snow days, but I still feel I gained a lot from this week. After working with some of the students in reading, I have already seen a difference. They are more confident and you can tell they want to be a proficient reader. Some of the students are so determined and willing to work at it. There is such a wide range of learning abilities, but it is fun to see how they all work together. The students have been working on their biographies and it is amazing to see how they all go about doing things. Some students sit quietly and work very independently while other students need to be reminded. They have really enjoyed working on these this past week. I also have noticed that they enjoy the morning routine and class discussions. No one is afraid to say what they think or feel. I am excited to start working on planning my lesson this week and continue to watch the students grow in their skills of reading and writing.
ReplyDeleteI can't believe we are already into the third week. Amy did a wonderful job presenting her lesson on how to be a friend to the elderly (hopefully the kids will be kinder to me!) I am looking forward to Tad's lesson on author Marc Brown.
ReplyDeleteOne of the hardest aspects of teaching a lesson in our early childhood room is the diverse population, interests and skill levels of the children. Having talked to many educators this is not unique to Price Lab. There are many of our children reading and writing far above grade level. I ask myself constantly how I am engaging them. There also is the group who need additional support. Their needs are just as important. I have found that lessons with an open ended activity that allows for individual student creativity and performance levels works best. This also allows the children to show you what they know without predetermined outcomes and expectations. With this said I'm not implying we don't challenge kids. The opposite is true, but we also need to support all children.
Mrs. T. and I feel very fortunate to have all of you working with us. You are a great bunch of "teachers." Thank you for all your hard work and we'll see you Monday. Get ready, there will be a lot of excitement on this very fun day. Happy Valentine's Day!
This week has been one of the best learning experiences so far. I was able to experience their daily schedule and also teach my own lesson. The different reading levels of all the students still surprises me. I worked with a higher level reading group and was able to see how well they could read. They never needed any help and comprehended what they were reading with very little guidance. It was totally different from the previous reading groups I worked with.
ReplyDeleteWednesday I taught my lesson on how to be a friend to the elderly. Although it was on the spot, I felt it went really well. I liked doing it on the spot because it gave me less time to think about it and gave me more of the full experience. The students responded better than I thought they would to my lesson. It was a good feeling watching them work on their project and to know they took something from my lesson. My lesson played a role in their week because they went to the nursing home on Thursday. I was able to follow up with them to share with them what to expect.
I am excited to see what my last week at Price Lab brings me. It should be fun to watch them celebrate Valentine’s Day and continue to grow as students. They are a fun group of students who really enjoy having people around. I have been very comfortable in the classroom and the students are very respectful towards me.
Last week and these first two days of this week have been a real learning experience. I have enjoyed helping the students with their math. Last week I helped with the lessons by writing on the board and then also I would walk around and answer students’ questions. I have gotten to know the 1st graders very well, by observing and helping out I have realized where each student is in their math ability.
ReplyDeleteOn Monday I had the chance to teach my first lesson. Since it was Valentine’s Day I incorporated the holiday in my lesson. Both the first and second graders were in the classroom and I had them do a Candy Heart Math worksheet. I introduced and gave instructions to the worksheet. The lesson went well and the students seemed to have fun. After they finished the worksheet I taught the students how to play a bingo- like math game, and then we played the game. The students were all really engaged in this game and they all seemed to really enjoy it. The game was perfect for them to get to review their basic math facts in a fun way. Since it was Valentine’s Day the students were more hyper then usual but it gave me good experience in getting to use classroom management techniques.
Today I taught my 2nd lesson. I introduced quarters to the first graders for the first time. Originally my lesson was just supposed to be with 1st graders but something came up and the 2nd graders were also in the classroom for math. For the 2nd graders the quarter’s lesson was a good review for them. This lesson went smoothly and I noticed a few of the first graders understood quarter’s very well but many of them still struggled counting by 25’s. I expected this since it was their first time being introduced to quarters.
Overall both lessons went smoothly. I learned a lot about writing up a lesson and how to teach a lesson. I also learned how to use classroom management to keep the students engaged.
This week was my last week at Price Lab. I have really enjoyed working with the first and second grade students. They are a great group of students and I will miss seeing them everyday. The students are very respectful and listen to what you have to say. I was able to gain a pretty good relationship with some of the students. They were comfortable enough to ask me for help and would come to me for things. They have taught me so much on my road to becoming a teacher. I was able to work with a variety of reading levels this past week. It is amazing to see each student work at their reading skills and how each go about doing so. They are a very hard working group of students who want to better themselves.
ReplyDeleteI was also able to work with a sub the last three days. It surprised me at how well behaved the students were. The first day the students were very quiet and listened very well. They sat in their seats and worked on everything they were supposed to. By the end of the week, you could tell the students had become comfortable with the sub and were a lot more out going. Things went fairly well with the sub. It was neat seeing how the kids responded to a different teacher in the classroom. Some of the students stepped in and explained how things were done. During this time, you could tell which students were second graders because they liked to have the same routine as when Mrs. S was there.
I have learned a lot from my experience over at Price Lab. This experience has made me even more excited to have my own classroom and group of students. It was a good feeling having the students hug me and saying they would miss me when I left on Friday and knowing that they enjoyed having me in their classroom. Thank you for welcoming me into your classroom and I have enjoyed working with Mrs. S.
Tomorrow is my last day with my Level II students, and this truly saddens me! I have had a blast getting to know the students and encountering so many learning experiences, it's unbelievable. My last two days will be spent presenting my lesson plans, I wish that I would be able to see all of the finished Rainbow fish that my kids will be making.
ReplyDeleteI was neat getting to see how the students acted and reacted to having a substitute teacher while Mrs. S and Mrs. T were in Washington D.C. The substitute's style was a lot different from the normal teachers that the students have to it was nice to see how the students acted differently from the norm of what they're used to.
I have loved being surrounded by all types of learners and actually having to change to fit what that individual needed. Certains kids in the class are more trying that others and I have loved that challenge. Tomorrow is going to be very exciting for me when I present my second lesson but also kind of sad for me since it will be my last time with these kids. I have really enjoyed all the experience I have gained in the Unit II room and all the help and guidance that Mrs. S and Mrs. T offered. Thank you for all that you have done to make my experience the best it could be, you two are great! ~Becky
During my first week at Price Lab, everything was new to me! I've taken a couple college classes at the school before and had done field experiences but had never been put in a classroom where I was able to be with the kids for more than 20 minutes at a time and get to know who they are. The classroom is set up in a way in which it provides multiple ways of learning to take place at once. There is always an activity for the students to be working on and a way for the students to advance their learning. Having the science center is creative and unique. I've never seen a classroom before that utilizes space as well as you two do in this classroom. Students are eager and excited to learn. With so many stations and different areas in the classroom the students have options and want to learn.
ReplyDeleteI look forward to getting to know the students even more and being able to use all the different areas in the classroom to further develop students learning and create a fun learning environment for the students!
-Katie
This week was a transition week from Session A to Session B. The time goes by so fast!! We will miss Ms. Machir and Ms. Wuebker in the afternoon. Both of their lessons went so well. Samantha taught two math lessons. One was on Valentine's Day and had fun valentine activities integrated in. Becky did two lessons using the book, "Rainbow Fish" and the children made their own rainbow fish to hang up around the room. This week we had five days of school and we got a lot done. The children also earned ten stars for working together and voted to have a tea party. Fun was had by all, especially when Ahmad toasted the class for doing a good job! It was so cute. Friday ended with our February Citizenship assembly. The February student council made new posters for our lunchroom to remind us to use good manners. We were proud of Sofie for being the representative from our class. Session B participants should begin working on the contextual factors and the student characteristic sections of the work sample. See you on Monday!
ReplyDeleteDuring my first week at Price Lab, I have been getting to know the class as well as the school. This is my first experience with Price Lab so it has all been new to me. Another new thing for me was that the classrooms are open to another room. I have only had experience with completely closed rooms so this was different for me. I have noticed that the classroom space is utilized very well. The separate areas of the room provide multiple ways of learning. I ran a center one day this week which was a lot of fun. It allowed me to talk to the students and get to know them individually. I look forward to continuing that this week. I was able to see the tea party on Thursday. During the tea party I could see the students personalities even more which was so neat. I look forward to learning more about the students and start to plan my lessons.
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