Previously, I compiled a list of things I plan to do this summer. This list remains partially completed so I plan to blog about what I have accomplished thus far starting with....Wicked.
I have literally talked about wanting to see Wicked for nearly three years. The last time it was in town, my parents had tickets, but I was stuck somewhere else in a snow storm. Ick. Soooo when Dillon surprised me with two tickets to see it this summer I was ecstatic. I had been listening to the songs from the play all those years without any knowlege of what the play was actually like after all! I would typically say beyond ecstatic, but because he was halfway across the country and couldn't enjoy it with me, it felt only a smidge less exciting.
Because he had bought two tickets, I had to to decide who I would bring along. My mother and aunt talked about buying tickets to see it together so I ruled both of them out. Dillon's mom, Dana, and I had talked about how we both wanted see the play so I decided to ask his mom. I thought what better way to enjoy such an amazing opportunity than with the mother of the amazing man who bought the tickets.
My mom and aunt bought tickets for the same day also. We all decided upon dinner beforehand and going together. The week came that would end in seeing Wicked. I felt the excitement brewing. We had tickets to see the play on Thursday and by Tuesday of that week I worked expressing my excitement about seeing the play into every conversation I had. Thursday came and I anxiously watched the clock. I met my mom at work and we picked up Dillon's mom. The three of us met my aunt at an Italian restaurant not far from the theatre where we just so happened to see Dillon's uncle (Dana's brother) while we ate!
After dinner, we piled in my mom's Jeep and drove to the theatre. My mom and aunt parked the car and dropped Dana and me off right outside. We pushed our way through the crowds and found an usher. As he walked us down to our seats, my eyes widened with each row closer. We finally stopped 8 rows back! Amazing! I was wide eyed and speechless. Dillon had done such a great job getting seats.
The play was even more than I ever could have imagined it to be. I warned Dana that I have a tendency to tear up at theatrical performances and I certainly did during, "Defying Gravity." The next day all I could talk about was how amazing the night was. I couldn't get it out of my head. I was on Cloud 9 for a week after seeing Wicked! I leave you with my favorite song from the play....
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Summer Plans
This summer will mark the first time in nearly 4 years that I will not be worrying about classes. I am finished at the end of this week and I am not even looking back. Haha.
I am both completely broke and entirely eager to make the most of my summer.
Here is a list of things I intend to do during my summer:
1. Find a job. Anything. I realize expecting to get a teaching job is a long shot, but I just need anything for right now.
2. Read. Read. Read. I have read exactly 1 book this school year. It is tragic. I need to compile a list of books I will devour this summer. One that I do know is on my list is Educating Esme: Diary of a Teacher's First Year by Esme Raji Codell. Someone in my student teaching cohort mentioned it at a seminar and I am interested. However, that is only one book and I need suggestions for more, because I will NOT take Oprah's word for it.
3. Take full advantage of everything St. Louis has to offer. There are so many concerts, plays, festivals, etc. that go on during the summertime that for the most part FREE. Laumeier Sculpture Park Music+Movies series and Sara Bareilles at Live on the Levee are two musts for the season.
4. See Wicked!! I have been talking about seeing this show for years. However, it has not come to a theater at a time when I had money to go. LOL. My boyfriend, who is in the nation's capital for an internship, bought me amazing tickets right behind the orchestra pit. He won't be there to enjoy it, but I will have fun with no matter who I take.
5. Go to Washington, DC. I have been spoiled from the two years that Dillon and I have been in a long distance relationship that I have never had to go longer than 2 months to see him. Because, honestly, that's my limit. He moved last week and will be there for an indefinite amount of time. We were talking about when I would visit and what better time than Independence Day. I am so excited. Of all the places I have been in the world, Washington, DC is not one of them.
6. Go swimming. I am going to get a serious tan this summer. I have decided it.
7. Cook. I love to cook anytime of year, but there is something about occupying the kitchen during the summertime that I love.
8. Go for more walks. My dog needs to get out more, but then again so do I.
to be continued...
I am both completely broke and entirely eager to make the most of my summer.
Here is a list of things I intend to do during my summer:
1. Find a job. Anything. I realize expecting to get a teaching job is a long shot, but I just need anything for right now.
2. Read. Read. Read. I have read exactly 1 book this school year. It is tragic. I need to compile a list of books I will devour this summer. One that I do know is on my list is Educating Esme: Diary of a Teacher's First Year by Esme Raji Codell. Someone in my student teaching cohort mentioned it at a seminar and I am interested. However, that is only one book and I need suggestions for more, because I will NOT take Oprah's word for it.
3. Take full advantage of everything St. Louis has to offer. There are so many concerts, plays, festivals, etc. that go on during the summertime that for the most part FREE. Laumeier Sculpture Park Music+Movies series and Sara Bareilles at Live on the Levee are two musts for the season.
4. See Wicked!! I have been talking about seeing this show for years. However, it has not come to a theater at a time when I had money to go. LOL. My boyfriend, who is in the nation's capital for an internship, bought me amazing tickets right behind the orchestra pit. He won't be there to enjoy it, but I will have fun with no matter who I take.
5. Go to Washington, DC. I have been spoiled from the two years that Dillon and I have been in a long distance relationship that I have never had to go longer than 2 months to see him. Because, honestly, that's my limit. He moved last week and will be there for an indefinite amount of time. We were talking about when I would visit and what better time than Independence Day. I am so excited. Of all the places I have been in the world, Washington, DC is not one of them.
6. Go swimming. I am going to get a serious tan this summer. I have decided it.
7. Cook. I love to cook anytime of year, but there is something about occupying the kitchen during the summertime that I love.
8. Go for more walks. My dog needs to get out more, but then again so do I.
to be continued...
Monday, June 7, 2010
I feel as though this blog will go dry until I am back in the classroom...
I am going to try to keep it going...
I did hear of an activity that would be great for the beginning of the year for primary grades.
Find a container of some sort with different compartments (i.e. egg carton) or use sandwich baggies. Paint each section of the egg carton a different color or if you are using baggies paint on slips of paper to each be placed in a baggie. Have students look around the room and/or outside to find items that match that color to be placed in the corresponding compartment/baggie. For upper elementary grades, I supposed you could be more particular or specific or ask them to describe these items. Then, invite students to read their descriptions for their classmates to guess at what the item is. I also thought for upper elementary grades, you could do this activity and use it for students to practice writing sentences using adjectives. Students could also take this home to be completed to get the parents involved.
One person gave me the idea and I guess I just ran with it. Hahaha.
I am going to try to keep it going...
I did hear of an activity that would be great for the beginning of the year for primary grades.
Find a container of some sort with different compartments (i.e. egg carton) or use sandwich baggies. Paint each section of the egg carton a different color or if you are using baggies paint on slips of paper to each be placed in a baggie. Have students look around the room and/or outside to find items that match that color to be placed in the corresponding compartment/baggie. For upper elementary grades, I supposed you could be more particular or specific or ask them to describe these items. Then, invite students to read their descriptions for their classmates to guess at what the item is. I also thought for upper elementary grades, you could do this activity and use it for students to practice writing sentences using adjectives. Students could also take this home to be completed to get the parents involved.
One person gave me the idea and I guess I just ran with it. Hahaha.
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Oh, boy.
I have done it again. I have completely 100% ignored this entire blogging idea. According to my records, I have last checked in to the blogging world on February 10th. Oi!
So much has happened in the 3 short months that have elapsed that I could not possibly fill in every missing detail. However, I intend to do my very best.
Oh, golly. Not long after my last post, I began my full take over of all 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade social studies and science classes. My days went by quickly and I soon realized how physically exhausting teaching all day was. I came home the first few nights sounding like I had been screaming at a rock concert. Quickly, my body adjusted and I was right in the swing of things. When I first began teaching this past semester, I was scared out of my wits to take any chances. I took the teacher edition of each textbook as my Bible. I felt like I would royally screw up anything I created on my own. I continued to everything "by the book."
However, this completely changed when my cooperating teacher and I began planning the first science fair for the school. There was no path to follow, no manual to refer to, and most importantly, NO TEXTBOOK. An entire unit on the scientific method and creating a science fair was created from my cooperating teacher and I brainstorming. Overall, the science fair was a huge success. We held it after school and I had the opportunity to meet a lot of the student's parents. A lot of people came! There was even a demonstration by a group of high school science students who did an excellent job.
After the science fair, I began traveling to each class with the fourth graders. This was another period of time that I had to adjust to the demands of this undertaking. I was hauling around all my books in my arms! I had to build some muscle mass here people! However, I LOVED teaching all of the disciplines. Since I had felt my way through the whole science fair unit and succeeded, I was not afraid to try my own material for the remainder of my experience.
I taught a unit on Sounder in reading and created a unit that combined elements of literature circles. The students completed writing assignments, illustrating assignments, quizzes, etc. I tried to teach a little bit of everything over the course of the 3 weeks that they students read the book.
I realized that I loved incorporating drawing into my lessons. In English, the students were learning about adjectives. I gave them a white piece of paper and told them to imagine it was a place mat. Then, I had them draw their most favorite meal as if they were looking down on it. The drawings turned out completely adorable! After their picture was completed, the students had to write ten sentences using the noun linking verb adjective format. I wanted to emphasize the adjective concept being taught, but I also wanted to emphasize the importance of following all directions for the assignment. The results were great.
My experiences during student teaching were great, but I must attribute must of this to the ladies that I got to know along the way. They took me under their wing and made the experience so rewarding and beneficial. I was never left hungry. I was never completely in the dark. I was never left overloaded without a helping hand. I thank all of those ladies from the bottom of my heart for their kindness and guidance!
All in all, student teaching was one of the greatest academic experiences I have every experienced. At times I may have felt overwhelmed, but I loved every single moment. I realized that I have pursued exactly what I need to be doing. Is it cheesy to call it my "calling"? Oh, well. If it is, I can't help it. I took the chance to change my major three years ago without complete confidence that is was the right decision. However, now I know I am exactly where I need to be.
So much has happened in the 3 short months that have elapsed that I could not possibly fill in every missing detail. However, I intend to do my very best.
Oh, golly. Not long after my last post, I began my full take over of all 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade social studies and science classes. My days went by quickly and I soon realized how physically exhausting teaching all day was. I came home the first few nights sounding like I had been screaming at a rock concert. Quickly, my body adjusted and I was right in the swing of things. When I first began teaching this past semester, I was scared out of my wits to take any chances. I took the teacher edition of each textbook as my Bible. I felt like I would royally screw up anything I created on my own. I continued to everything "by the book."
However, this completely changed when my cooperating teacher and I began planning the first science fair for the school. There was no path to follow, no manual to refer to, and most importantly, NO TEXTBOOK. An entire unit on the scientific method and creating a science fair was created from my cooperating teacher and I brainstorming. Overall, the science fair was a huge success. We held it after school and I had the opportunity to meet a lot of the student's parents. A lot of people came! There was even a demonstration by a group of high school science students who did an excellent job.
After the science fair, I began traveling to each class with the fourth graders. This was another period of time that I had to adjust to the demands of this undertaking. I was hauling around all my books in my arms! I had to build some muscle mass here people! However, I LOVED teaching all of the disciplines. Since I had felt my way through the whole science fair unit and succeeded, I was not afraid to try my own material for the remainder of my experience.
I taught a unit on Sounder in reading and created a unit that combined elements of literature circles. The students completed writing assignments, illustrating assignments, quizzes, etc. I tried to teach a little bit of everything over the course of the 3 weeks that they students read the book.
I realized that I loved incorporating drawing into my lessons. In English, the students were learning about adjectives. I gave them a white piece of paper and told them to imagine it was a place mat. Then, I had them draw their most favorite meal as if they were looking down on it. The drawings turned out completely adorable! After their picture was completed, the students had to write ten sentences using the noun linking verb adjective format. I wanted to emphasize the adjective concept being taught, but I also wanted to emphasize the importance of following all directions for the assignment. The results were great.
My experiences during student teaching were great, but I must attribute must of this to the ladies that I got to know along the way. They took me under their wing and made the experience so rewarding and beneficial. I was never left hungry. I was never completely in the dark. I was never left overloaded without a helping hand. I thank all of those ladies from the bottom of my heart for their kindness and guidance!
All in all, student teaching was one of the greatest academic experiences I have every experienced. At times I may have felt overwhelmed, but I loved every single moment. I realized that I have pursued exactly what I need to be doing. Is it cheesy to call it my "calling"? Oh, well. If it is, I can't help it. I took the chance to change my major three years ago without complete confidence that is was the right decision. However, now I know I am exactly where I need to be.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
I have been entirely negligent of this student teaching blog and I felt that this snow day was the perfect time to catch up.
I am currently in my fifth week of student teaching (eek!). Up to this point, I have taught fourth and fifth grade science, and third and fourth grade social studies. I feel as if this experience is going by so fast!
It took a little bit to adjust, but I am so much enjoying my experience thus far. It presents many challenges, but I feel that's why I love it the most.
Fifth grade Science:
This was the first class that I began teaching the first week. The students were starting a new chapter about cells and it made sense to pick it up from the beginning of the chapter. As I taught the first lesson of the chapter, I realized how dry the material was to these fifth graders. I definitely had some blank stares! I knew that I needed to revamp the lessons to ensure that I wasn't entirely losing these students throughout my lessons. I tried to incorporate as many projects to make the material something the students could relate to. To learn the functions of the parts of the cell, I had the students draw either a plant cell or an animal cell. They had only learned about 5 parts of the cell so I told the students they must research and find one other part to include in their drawing. Once the students were finished drawing the cell, I had them mount it on a piece of construction paper and look in magazines to find items that are analogous to the functions of this cell part. The students had a good time searching for the perfect magazine clippings to paste onto their diagram. As a conclusion to the chapter, I had students write a song about what they learned in the chapter including 5 facts. I divided the class into groups and allowed them one class period to write the song. The next day they performed the songs. They LOVED this. It was so much fun watching these performances! We have just begun a chapter on the human body which I am entirely excited about!
Fourth grade Science:
When I took over teaching fourth grade science, the students were in the middle of a chapter about matter (states of, properties of, measuring). I figured the best way to teach this would be through doing so I planned a day for the students to work in centers. This day turned into 3 days! In these centers students practiced measuring the volume of a box, finding the volume of an object in a graduated cylinder, and measuring items using the metric system. I also did a demonstration in which students had to hypothesize the layers in a density column using vegetable oil, rubbing alcohol, water, corn syrup, and dish soap. It was really neat and the students really enjoyed it!
Third grade Social Studies:
The third graders had been studying about Native Americans for quite some time when I took over teaching. I found a play about Sitting Bull that we worked on for a few days when I first took over. I love incorporating plays into the lessons. The students are always enthusiastic to participate. I feel as if it allows for more conversation about the topic at hand. To better illustrate how the Native Americans may have felt being forced onto reservations, I began talking about if someone were to come to the class and scoop up all the students and take them to a plot of land that had NOTHING to do. On top of having to move, the students couldn't speak language and could only speak Italian...even though they didn't know the language! Once on this reservation, the students had to live be someone else's rules. Instead of waking up in the morning and brushing their teeth and eating breakfast, they must wake up, not brush their teeth, and eat dinner. I asked the class how they felt about this to which a girl in the front row replied, "I'd kick them where it hurt with a pair of high heels!"
This week the students are making buffalo skin drawings on paper bags that the local grocery story donated to me : )
Fourth grade Social Studies:
The students are learning about Lewis and Clark and I was able to find a play for this topic also. As a precursor to the lesson, I had found a "choose your adventure"-like website that we went through as a class on the Smartboard.
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/west/
It has "Did you know?" facts about the expedition, narratives, and real journal entries. The kids really enjoyed it.
I've only been teaching social studies to the fourth graders for a week so I don't have too much to talk about : /
I've been using what I learned in my health studies class and giving the students energy breaks. They love to hokey pokey and tooty ta! As an incentive, I allow each grade to pick a dance that they wish to do at the end of the week. I will write a 5 letter word on the board having to do with the dance they picked (e.g. The fifth graders picked the Cupid Shuffle and I wrote CUPID on the board). If students aren't doing what they are supposed to be doing or getting chatty, I will take a letter away. However, the class can earn the letter back for good behavior. If the entire word is on the board at the end of the week, we move the desks aside and do the dance of choice. This has been working fairly well. Doing the dance at the end of the week is something these students really want to work hard for!
Overall, I have been enjoying myself so much on this experience. I wake up every morning 100% enthused and excited to be driving to school and teaching.
I am currently in my fifth week of student teaching (eek!). Up to this point, I have taught fourth and fifth grade science, and third and fourth grade social studies. I feel as if this experience is going by so fast!
It took a little bit to adjust, but I am so much enjoying my experience thus far. It presents many challenges, but I feel that's why I love it the most.
Fifth grade Science:
This was the first class that I began teaching the first week. The students were starting a new chapter about cells and it made sense to pick it up from the beginning of the chapter. As I taught the first lesson of the chapter, I realized how dry the material was to these fifth graders. I definitely had some blank stares! I knew that I needed to revamp the lessons to ensure that I wasn't entirely losing these students throughout my lessons. I tried to incorporate as many projects to make the material something the students could relate to. To learn the functions of the parts of the cell, I had the students draw either a plant cell or an animal cell. They had only learned about 5 parts of the cell so I told the students they must research and find one other part to include in their drawing. Once the students were finished drawing the cell, I had them mount it on a piece of construction paper and look in magazines to find items that are analogous to the functions of this cell part. The students had a good time searching for the perfect magazine clippings to paste onto their diagram. As a conclusion to the chapter, I had students write a song about what they learned in the chapter including 5 facts. I divided the class into groups and allowed them one class period to write the song. The next day they performed the songs. They LOVED this. It was so much fun watching these performances! We have just begun a chapter on the human body which I am entirely excited about!
Fourth grade Science:
When I took over teaching fourth grade science, the students were in the middle of a chapter about matter (states of, properties of, measuring). I figured the best way to teach this would be through doing so I planned a day for the students to work in centers. This day turned into 3 days! In these centers students practiced measuring the volume of a box, finding the volume of an object in a graduated cylinder, and measuring items using the metric system. I also did a demonstration in which students had to hypothesize the layers in a density column using vegetable oil, rubbing alcohol, water, corn syrup, and dish soap. It was really neat and the students really enjoyed it!
Third grade Social Studies:
The third graders had been studying about Native Americans for quite some time when I took over teaching. I found a play about Sitting Bull that we worked on for a few days when I first took over. I love incorporating plays into the lessons. The students are always enthusiastic to participate. I feel as if it allows for more conversation about the topic at hand. To better illustrate how the Native Americans may have felt being forced onto reservations, I began talking about if someone were to come to the class and scoop up all the students and take them to a plot of land that had NOTHING to do. On top of having to move, the students couldn't speak language and could only speak Italian...even though they didn't know the language! Once on this reservation, the students had to live be someone else's rules. Instead of waking up in the morning and brushing their teeth and eating breakfast, they must wake up, not brush their teeth, and eat dinner. I asked the class how they felt about this to which a girl in the front row replied, "I'd kick them where it hurt with a pair of high heels!"
This week the students are making buffalo skin drawings on paper bags that the local grocery story donated to me : )
Fourth grade Social Studies:
The students are learning about Lewis and Clark and I was able to find a play for this topic also. As a precursor to the lesson, I had found a "choose your adventure"-like website that we went through as a class on the Smartboard.
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/west/
It has "Did you know?" facts about the expedition, narratives, and real journal entries. The kids really enjoyed it.
I've only been teaching social studies to the fourth graders for a week so I don't have too much to talk about : /
I've been using what I learned in my health studies class and giving the students energy breaks. They love to hokey pokey and tooty ta! As an incentive, I allow each grade to pick a dance that they wish to do at the end of the week. I will write a 5 letter word on the board having to do with the dance they picked (e.g. The fifth graders picked the Cupid Shuffle and I wrote CUPID on the board). If students aren't doing what they are supposed to be doing or getting chatty, I will take a letter away. However, the class can earn the letter back for good behavior. If the entire word is on the board at the end of the week, we move the desks aside and do the dance of choice. This has been working fairly well. Doing the dance at the end of the week is something these students really want to work hard for!
Overall, I have been enjoying myself so much on this experience. I wake up every morning 100% enthused and excited to be driving to school and teaching.
Monday, January 11, 2010
Student teaching: The beginning
It has been over a month since I've even signed on to blogger. I have no idea how time flies the way it does. The last semester ended in such a whirlwind that it took me a few days to calm down from the anxiety of knowing that there was ALWAYS something that I needed to be doing.
The weeks following practicum until the end of the semester were absolutely, positively C-R-A-Z-Y. In true V. Ross fashion, I procrastinated beyond what I definitely should have. I spent those weeks working through the night and trying to fit in naps between classes, working at the library, and more more more more school work. I have never been so happy to have a break from school. I probably say that every semester, but I was honestly the most exhausted than I've ever been. However, that hectic semester is past me and it's on to bigger and better things!
Today was my very first day of student teaching. I crawled into my cozy bed in my lonely apartment at 9 o'clock last night with hopes to get plenty of beauty rest and be 100% rested in the morning. However, I was so nervous and excited last night that I woke up nearly a million times. I did wake up ready for the day though....still nervous and excited! I was sure that I would sleep through my alarm clock or something. Haha. Thank goodness I didn't.
As a student teacher, I knew ultimately that I would be taking over the class at some point in the semester. However, the logistics of this feat isn't outlined in any meeting or conversation I have ever had about student teaching. (Duh.) Today, my cooperating teacher and I created a tentative schedule of the semester. I begin teaching on Wednesday. I take over 5th grade science and will continue to teach it everyday until the end of the semester adding another class each week until I'm teaching all her classes. Come March, I will travel with my 4th grade homeroom class to all of their classes. I even get a chance to teach P.E.! Haha. As I was writing down seminar dates and my schedule, I felt a bit overwhelmed, but I am so so ready. This is what I've been waiting for. No more lecture classes. Just doing what I love teaching those little ones everything they need to know!
Before I started today, I worried a lot about student teaching in such a small school. I was able to observe the dynamics of the environment and I really think I am going to like it. It's different than the school experiences that I've had, but I really like what I've experienced thus far. Who knows? By the end of the semester, I may feel so compelled to move to a town with a population of 900.
I got a compliment on how white my teeth were today and I replied that I brushed my teeth just for my 5th graders this morning.
The weeks following practicum until the end of the semester were absolutely, positively C-R-A-Z-Y. In true V. Ross fashion, I procrastinated beyond what I definitely should have. I spent those weeks working through the night and trying to fit in naps between classes, working at the library, and more more more more school work. I have never been so happy to have a break from school. I probably say that every semester, but I was honestly the most exhausted than I've ever been. However, that hectic semester is past me and it's on to bigger and better things!
Today was my very first day of student teaching. I crawled into my cozy bed in my lonely apartment at 9 o'clock last night with hopes to get plenty of beauty rest and be 100% rested in the morning. However, I was so nervous and excited last night that I woke up nearly a million times. I did wake up ready for the day though....still nervous and excited! I was sure that I would sleep through my alarm clock or something. Haha. Thank goodness I didn't.
As a student teacher, I knew ultimately that I would be taking over the class at some point in the semester. However, the logistics of this feat isn't outlined in any meeting or conversation I have ever had about student teaching. (Duh.) Today, my cooperating teacher and I created a tentative schedule of the semester. I begin teaching on Wednesday. I take over 5th grade science and will continue to teach it everyday until the end of the semester adding another class each week until I'm teaching all her classes. Come March, I will travel with my 4th grade homeroom class to all of their classes. I even get a chance to teach P.E.! Haha. As I was writing down seminar dates and my schedule, I felt a bit overwhelmed, but I am so so ready. This is what I've been waiting for. No more lecture classes. Just doing what I love teaching those little ones everything they need to know!
Before I started today, I worried a lot about student teaching in such a small school. I was able to observe the dynamics of the environment and I really think I am going to like it. It's different than the school experiences that I've had, but I really like what I've experienced thus far. Who knows? By the end of the semester, I may feel so compelled to move to a town with a population of 900.
I got a compliment on how white my teeth were today and I replied that I brushed my teeth just for my 5th graders this morning.
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