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| Monday, August 11, 2008 |
| First-Year Finish! |
| My year as a first year teacher has ended. Although I do not mind giving up the title, I know that there will never be a year as special as this. This was definitely a year of many, many firsts, not just teaching my first class, but building relationships with other colleagues. When I look back, my favorite memories are those of the ones that I have from teaching small groups. During our literacy block, there were four literacy workstations--three student-centered and one teacher-directed. I organized the students into four different groups of about four people per group. Once a group came to me, this was my time to really gauge how they were doing and not only included making informal assessments of their literacy skills, but assessing how they were doing in life. It gave me a chance to have little, real life conversations and over time, helped us build and maintain a strong student-teacher relationship. Having lived in the same town all my life and attended my home state university with former high school classmates, in the beginning of the school year (for the first time in my life) I found myself at a place where I did not know a single person. Frankly, I was very nervous. Now, I have not only talked with every teacher at my school, but have built friendships with many. I realize that the best professional support comes from other teachers and was lucky enough to have a solid team of second grade teachers AND a teacher who chose to become my mentor. Not only did she support me by giving me suggestions on how to supplement my curriculum, she was always my cheerleader, always reminding me that I could do it. I believe my success as a first year teacher was greatly due to this strong support system. Despite the budget cuts, I was asked back at my school! I will be teaching fourth grade next school year and am so excited! Although this will be another first, I will take what I have learned from this year and adapt to my new experience. I cannot wait to get back to school and start a new challenge! |
posted by njm at
8:21 AM
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| Friday, May 9, 2008 |
| Looking Back at Year One |
| So many feelings and questions have surfaced, knowing the end of my first year of teaching is just around the corner. I feel gratitude, to everyone who has helped me or my class; and satisfaction, in looking back at all we have accomplished. But I am also wondering, did I do everything I could to prepare my second graders for their next year in third grade? Are there some things that I did not do that a veteran teacher would have done or emphasized? I actually feel pretty comfortable answering these questions. Although I could not have done everything a more experienced teacher would have, I followed the curriculum, supplemented it with my own ideas, materials and lesson plans, and even had the opportunities to share with my fellow teachers. So what is my wish for next year? If I could have anything in the world, I would be re-hired at my school and stay in the same grade. This would give me the opportunity to have a strong foundation in a second grade position and add on to all of the techniques and tricks of the trade that I have learned this year. Although I am trying to be optimistic, I have to be realistic. Because of Florida's recent budget cuts, at this time, administration and district personnel cannot grant my wish, no matter how successful this first year has been. The only thing I can do right now is to continue to do my best and be thankful for what I have now. I absolutely LOVE my job, and not a lot of people can say that!!! |
| posted by njm at
8:27 AM
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| Saturday, January 19, 2008 |
| Back to School After the Winter Break |
| Going back to school after the holidays was honestly really frightening for me. What if I forget how to teach? What if I receive an influx of new students? Will the students still respect me? The night before that Monday back I woke up in the middle of the night and could not get back to sleep for hours. I was so completely nervous! I had not expected this at all; however, that Monday morning, I put on a smile and decided that my students were probably nervous too. As each one walked into class, I gave them a big hug and told them I was glad to see them. As I started my regular morning routine, I was still feeling a bit weird, but figured I would get used to it in a day or so. Luckily for me, it just took until mid-morning. I kicked into autopilot and for a new teacher, was reassured that I have that to now rely upon. Establishing a daily classroom routine (one of the many nice aspects of teaching) has really paid off! Now, after about a week back, I realize that after having such a long break, I have more patience with my students. I feel so much more energized and enthusiastic about what I am teaching. My students seem more focused and ready to learn as well. Not only has this been a wonderful vacation, but a perfect way for both teachers and students to recharge. |
| posted by njm at
10:49 AM
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| Friday, November 30, 2007 |
| Fall Festival and Learning Fun |
| Our school recently held its annual Festival featuring fall-themed booths where students and families enjoy playing games. All of our money went to our Parent-Teacher Organization to fund student field trips for those who cannot afford to pay. It was an exciting experience to interact with my students outside of our classroom setting. Every student there was so amazed to see me somewhere other than our classroom! It was enjoyable to interact with the other teachers outside of the typical school day, too. Things are still going surprisingly well. In addition to the second grade curriculum, I am starting to implement extra learning activities that target specific needs of my students. The children really like the Florida Center for Reading Research center activities I use during my small group literacy time and are really engaged with the video clips from United Streaming from Discovery Channel. This is a fabulous teaching tool for the students in my classroom to help build necessary background knowledge and increase their content vocabulary. Both benefits seem to be helping with their reading comprehension overall. The holidays are around the corner with new lessons, activities, and adventures in second grade. We'll see what December will bring. |
| posted by njm at
5:52 PM
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| Sunday, October 14, 2007 |
| Made it to October! |
| A week or so ago, I decided to start Silent Sustained Reading (S.S.R.) at the end of the day. I thought since we talked about S.S.R. basics, why we were including it in our day, and my expectations during this time, it would be smooth sailing. Boy, was I wrong. It turned out that the students could not stay silent AND could not stay reading. While I was trying to get my end of the day stuff done, I would have to reprimand a student every minute or so. I got very, very annoyed. At the end of the second or third day of doing this, I decided I had better either quit this routine or change it. Luckily, earlier in the year, my school librarian gave me a book by Jim Trelease titled, The Read-Aloud Handbook. I had read various sections of the book, but remembered how he made it a point to mention S.S.R. and the keys to implementing it in your classroom. After I read the section, I knew what I was doing wrong. I was trying to get my end of the day stuff done. I was not modeling my expectations, and giving out the message that I myself did not find S.S.R. all that important. The next day at S.S.R. time, I re-visited my expectations. I then dimmed the lights, took out a book that I was currently reading, and sat in my rocking chair in front of the class. I began to read to myself. It actually worked! I did not have to scold my students into reading J instead, I just had to show them that it was important to me. Now, S.S.R. is a pleasant and effective experience for everyone. |
| posted by njm at
12:35 PM
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| Wednesday, September 12, 2007 |
| My Life As a First Year Teacher, in Week Two of School |
| Ahh..the life of a first year teacher!! I have a wonderful class; I feel so fortunate. I also have a spectacular, supportive administration. Although I've only been teaching for about a week and a half, they've already proven that they are "on my side". (I don't want to get too into it, but even though I have wonderful students, I've learned the hard way that PARENTS can also "make or break you" if you let them.) I have been feeling as though I am a mix between a game-show-host and a broken record player. :) In order to prevent any behavior problems, I feel like I need to keep every lesson exciting- if not by content, by my mannerisms and intonation. It is amazing how many times you must express your expectations and reinforce those expectations in second grade. For example, whenever we line up to go into the hallway, I ALWAYS say, "I need your hands by your side, your eyes on me, and your mouths closed". I then follow it up by commenting on who is following my directions..."Thank you Amanda for keeping your hands by your side and your eyes on me. I can tell you were listening to my directions". I do this the whole time we are walking through the hallway. I have also been struggling with the fact that not only must I have my behavior management down, but that my students need to be learning. (I know this sounds like a given!) The only time that I feel like I am actually able to reach all of my students is through small group instruction. I do small groups for both reading and math. This way, it is easier for me to focus on specific strategies that my students need in order to LEARN. On a personal note, I have not had any personal life. :) I get to my school at 7:00 a.m. and don't stop working on curriculum and organization until about 8:00 p.m. in the evening when I must just say "stop". I don't mind too much though because I really like teaching. My "life" will continue again, but for now, teaching is my life. |
| posted by njm at
9:00 PM
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| Thursday, August 9, 2007 |
| Setting Up My Classroom |
| After weeks of waiting, I finally got to set up my classroom! The principal walked me to my classroom, and I couldn't help but show how excited I was; however, when he left, I became instantly overwhelmed. All of the furniture was in the middle of the room and even though I had diagramed a couple of classrooms as requisites for my classes, this was the real thing. I took a deep breath, and then decided to call my aunt. She told me to take it step-by-step. First, I should just make a drawing of how I wanted my room to be. Then she told me to be practical. This would entail thinking about the traffic patterns, what was important to me (such as small groups), and being realistic of everyday classroom life. This was very good advice. I started drawing. After doing so, I got more confidence, and decided to actually arrange the furniture according to my specific needs. Although I know that I will rearrange, I feel as though I have accomplished what I wanted. I look forward to coming back to my room and fitting in all of the teacher texts and student workbooks that I will integrate throughout the year. Take it step-by-step! |
| posted by njm at
4:37 PM
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