As my student teaching experience is winding down, it is definitely bittersweet! With two weeks left, I am starting to give my coop her classroom back and absorb as many strategies, materials and advice as possible. With that, I’ll share some experiences and advice I have for the end of student teaching!

1. Have the principal observe you- I know a lot of you are probably thinking “No way, that sounds terrifying”. That’s what I thought at first too, but it’s a great way to get your foot in the door either in your own school district or other districts; Principals talk! I am lucky enough to have a wonderful principal who is nothing but uplifting and encouraging, so approaching her to come observe me wasn’t so scary. After she came in to watch a shared reading lesson, I met with her in her office to discuss the lesson. She gave me a lot of valuable feedback, and it was nice to build a professional relationship with her. She even encouraged me to apply for some openings in the district. Your principals word, along with your coops, can go a long way with getting you a job interview!
2. Go see other teachers! Now that I am no longer in full-takeover, I have a full schedule of other teachers I am going to see throughout these next two weeks. I am seeing every elementary grade, including ELL, Special Ed, and Reading Interventions. You never know what position you may be interviewing for, so take advantage of the time you have to observe as many teachers and grade levels as possible!
3. SAVE EVERYTHING. Again, this is the last time you will be exposed to so many ideas, strategies and materials. Whether you have a file folder for paper copies, or a google doc for electronics, keep every worksheet and project you come in contact with! You never know what grade you will end up teaching, so saving these things can help in the long run.

I still can’t believe how fast this semester has gone by. I’m looking forward to making the most of my last two weeks!

P.S. I passed the edTPA! 🙂

One thing I learned this week is the importance of going over classroom expectations. When coming into a new placement once the year is already half-way over, its easy to settle into the fact that your cooperating teacher has already set up the classroom expectations for students. Although this is true, it does not mean that the students are good to go for the rest of the year.

Throughout my placement, I have found myself re-teaching the classroom expectations on multiple occasions. First grade students are young and need reminders of what is expected of them. Although it seems repetitive, it makes a huge difference in your classroom management. Expectations for students at the carpet are one thing I have found really beneficial to go over. The students and I made a list of things they should be doing at the carpet such as being quiet, sitting on their pockets, etc. It’s important to keep these lists positive, writing things such as “Sit quietly” and “Sit on your pockets” rather than “Don’t talk” and “Don’t shout out”, where the statements sound negative and more like rules than expectations.

I have also found myself going over expectations for guided reading, daily 5, bathroom breaks, and math lessons. Role playing, creating lists, and having students remind others of what is expected are all ways you can reteach expectations to students in order to ensure the best learning environment possible for students.

This week, I was able to attend my first Teacher Institute Day. While other teachers seemed bored and complained about being there, I felt like a sponge soaking up information, and enjoyed my experience just being there.

Throughout the day, there were various meetings and times for teacher collaboration. I got to observe how the teachers took scores from state wide assessments such as the PARCC test, as well as district wide assessments like Discovery, and analyze those scores in order to improve student learning for upcoming years. They compared their scores to other schools in the district, as well as the state, and I thought it was really interesting to see how they used this data in order to guide discussion on areas of improvement and goals the school could made.

I also got to attend a presentation on Guided Reading. I found it really beneficial to attend this meeting, as teaching students to read is a fundamental part of their elementary education, and the teachers presenting had a lot of great information, strategies, and theories when it comes to small group reading instruction. I have already seen improvements in my guided reading instruction after utilizing the materials and knowledge I gained from this meeting.

Overall, this day was a professional learning opportunity for me. As I sat there and engaged in this day, I really started to see myself less as a student teacher and more as a professional educator.

Hello!

This week is my Spring Break, and it is definitely a much needed time of relaxation! I also got my edTPA turned in which is a HUGE weight off my shoulders. I am so happy to finally be able to focus all of my attention to student teaching and enjoy the experience!

As I am thinking about my time in placement so far, some of the most positive experiences are my interactions with the students, and relationships I am building with them.  Believe me when I say, first graders are hilarious. From the beginning of placement, I have put in every effort in order to personally get to know each and every student, from things as small as saying good morning, to things as big as being there for them to discuss personal issues in their life. Listen to what they have to say, show them you care, and celebrate their differences. As I am nearing the end of placement, I am really seeing the positive impacts of these efforts, so I really encourage everyone to set aside time everyday to get to know your students! I have built a relationship with the students where they are excited to come into class and share stories and ideas with me. It is so rewarding to hear things like “You are the best teacher ever!” and “I’m really going to miss you over Spring Break”.

Not everyday is perfect or easy, but having a positive relationships with your students makes learning fun for them, and teaching fun for you!