Elena Clark

Week 3 Feb. 10-14

1. How did you spend your time this week? What responsibilities did you have? This week I enjoyed teaching part of the second and third investigations of rocks. It was really rewarding to see the kindergarteners noticing different features of the earth materials they got to examine with loupes. In addition to teaching science, I taught vocabulary and word study. The difficult part about this task was meeting the needs of the high, middle, and low-ability students at the same time. For example, during the word study activity at the end of the week, propelling the whole group forward at once was hard because some students could not make the consonant-vowel-consonant words very easily while some could complete the task easily. I got to observe Mrs. Lee conduct guided reading groups. I have tried to observe her in the past, but I found myself being interrupted by students questions who were doing other Daily 5 tasks. I figured out that if I observed Mrs. Lee while the high-ability students were working independently on Daily 5, I would have less interruptions. In addition to certain instructional responsibilities, I walked the students from class to their specials and back. I have learned the importance of managing the class by singing songs. For example, to get the kindergarteners ready for the hall, we sang a song. I have learned a variety of songs from Mrs. Lee. These songs have helped me immensely to quiet down my students at different parts throughout the day. 2. What were the most satisfying experiences? Greatest challenges? One of the most satisfying experiences was on Valentines Day. I read two books aloud to the class (once in the morning, once in the afternoon.) They listened very attentively and seemed to enjoy the experience. Additionally, several students gave me little gifts. One challenge was keeping my students focused. For example, during the word study activity on Friday, each student had a set of letters to spell the words that I called out. This was easy for some students and difficult for others. It was difficult to keep the struggling students on task without waiting too long. I wrote a few names of students on a piece of paper because they were interrupting or disrupting other students. Reflecting back on that activity, I wonder if part of the reason my students were loud and distracted is because they were either bored (waiting for the struggling students) or struggling (having no idea how to switch out certain letters to change words.) 3. What are the plans for the upcoming week? This next week, I will begin teaching guided reading groups. I look forward to this because I think that it will be challenging for me. I will also teach during the morning routines, beginning with the opening songs, phonemic awareness, and also writing. I will continue teaching other subjects that I taught last week. For science, we will further our rock investigations of magnets, pumice, and other rocks. On Monday, Mrs. Lee, Mrs. Low, and I will observe two teachers outside of our school. On Wednesday, I will have a mock interview with our principal. Following the interview, I will assist Mrs. Lee with conferences.