Spring Break Fever

Spring break begins today! It has been a long week leading up to a much needed break.  Classes kept getting smaller and smaller as students left early for spring break.  Everything is coming together and the work load has increased.  I am now teaching science, reading, and helping with math.  What is most fun for me is getting to know my students better and building relationships with them.  One thing that I have really come to enjoy is connecting with a few students that are somewhat overlooked.  One very quiet girl doesn’t really talk to anyone other than her best friend, and doesn’t participate or say much to my cooperating teacher, but I have been able to connect with her and she willingly and eagerly talks to me many times a day.  She even participated three times in one of the grammar lessons I led today.  It’s nice to see that she can open up and bond with someone when my co-op was unable to make this connection.  She does such a good job with the “troubled” students but sometimes it takes away attention for the other students. I hope to continue to build these relationships with my students as the year continues after break!

ISAT Testing Takes Over

This week has been pretty low-key because ISAT testing began.  5 of our 17 students have been taken out to work either one on one or in small groups with an adult.  We had one student work one on one and the other 4 were in small groups.  There was one student I was surprised by because he is in the high math class and middle reading group; however, he has an IEP and major test anxiety so it makes sense in the end.   The 4 of the 5 students who were taken out are our lowest academically, so the students who were left with us make up the middle and high reading and math classes. The students who were left in my room breezed through the tests and had so much time left over.  Despite this, it was interesting to see how stressed all the students were about testing, which is a shame.  I remember these tests and thinking it didn’t much matter as long as I tried.  But now, unfortunately, parents and schools put so much pressure on the kids to get good test scores that the students worry.  It is truly sad to see.  Next week we will be back to normal, I hope testing doesn’t take too much out of them!

My Teaching Validated

The most enjoyable part of this week was when I got to help one of the girls in the math class on something she did not understand.  The day of a test she stayed in with me instead of going to gym and we identified the problems she was having and I made a few practice problems for her.  I showed her some steps to take with that particular type of problem and showed her a little trick to remember what to do at the end.  After about 5 practice problems she seemed to have it down pretty well.  After lunch we had math and sure enough, problem #11 was exactly like the problems we had practiced.  I didn’t see the test before helping her so it was exciting and nerve wrecking when I saw a similar problem.  I watched her work through the problem with such diligence.  While giving the test, #11 was a very tricky problem for the class.  We had to explain it a few times and let the students give it their best shot.  But the girl I worked with didn’t need extra time or explaining.  As she was finishing the problem and double-checking her answer I saw her do a little fist pump to herself and say “yesssss!” quietly.  It was obvious she had gotten the right answer and she was so happy about it.  (This student doesn’t particularly enjoy math and this past week she has been coming to the back table to work with me and get help).  This was such an exciting moment to see that she understood the problem, was proud of herself, and to know that what I was teaching her was working and I had gotten through to her when it hadn’t for before.