Journet - Week 12

This week I felt like a "Real Teacher."  I feel like a professional in my field.  Being a special education teacher is so different.  Also I see multiple groups of students with a variety of needs.  When I work with learning goals, I may have one student working on dividing small numbers like 12 cookies divide into 3 plates.  I might have another 4th grade student working with dividing 3 digit numbers using long division.  I go onto the Intervention Center website to search for research based interventions for the students.  The reading levels are also very different.  I might have a student reading at level c and then working with a student at a level m.  I see differentiation in full effect in this classroom.  In the guided reading groups, I select reading strategies according to their needs and their reading levels.  I use resources like the book The Reading Strategies Book by  Jennifer Serravallo.    I also refer to the book Next Steps Forward in Guided Reading by   Jan Richardson. Standard 1 Teaching Diverse Learners: The competent Teacher: 1J) differentiates strategies, materials, pace, levels of complexity, and language to introduce concepts and principles so that they are meaningful to students at varying levels of development and to students with diverse learning needs.

On Monday, I was invited to join my CT and Co-Teacher to lunch and that felt nice to be included as part of this 4th grade team.  It is nice to get out and get some fresh air.  We planned for our afternoon.  I also was able to discuss the IEP process and I will get to see the beginning of an evaluation process.  On this day I also, met with the parents of one of the students who are concerned with their child who is struggling in reading.  They have heard about my experience in working with students who struggle with phonics and reading.  They came to me and asked if I would tutor their child.  I said that I would love to help and that I feel very experienced in this area.  I will tutor their child and devote more time to this after I'm done with my student teaching/edtpa.  

On Tuesday, I provided support to all of the students that have IEP's and also to the students that do not.  I will never turn away a student because they are not on my "caseload."  Today I progress monitored the students based on their goals.  It feels good to see the students and how they improve and when they are not improving we try different strategies.   As we did guided reading groups today, I feel that the students are responding very well and feel comfortable working with me.  It is interesting to be able to read their files and predict their needs and how to teach them before you even know them.  However,  when you get to know them better by actually working with them, you are able to see all of their personalities.  This was a personal insight for me.  How we can see the student records and predict how to teach them but it isn't until you meet and get to know them that you actually get to connect with them or push them away depending on how you treat them. Standard 1-Teaching Diverse Students: The competent teacher 1H) analyzes and uses student information to design instruction that meets the diverse needs of students and leads to ongoing growth and achievement.

On Wednesday, I had my observation and I always take the feedback very seriously.  Overall, I feel that it went well.  I am able to reflect on my own growth as a student teacher from January until now.  I know that I am growing and I am continuously getting better.  In my personal life, I feel the strain of tight finances and the worries of not being good enough try and seep in but I remember why I started this journey and I stay positive.  I think of my own kids and the role model I want to be for them.  I think of my students now and in the future and how they deserve a loving and highly qualified teacher.  I also think of how close I am and how God has brought me this far and I stand on his promise and continue to show up and stay on the path to finish.  

On Thursday, my CT and I had to spring into action as the Co-teacher was sick.  We brainstormed rapidly to plan our day.  She took on Math and I took on reading.  When someone calls in sick, it can throw everything off.  However, because we made a game plan we were able to co-teach throughout the day because we know the class and we know the rhythm of the classroom.  We had to do our best because it is hard when you follow someone elses lesson plans without really preparing.  I know when we write our own lesson plans we know what we want the lesson to look like.  We know what we want to really get the students to do.  We also know what we can just review and move on.  So it was a bit tricky but i think we did a great job.  Standard 8 - Collaborative Relationships: The Competent Teacher 8K) participates in collaborative decision-making and problem-solving with colleagues and other professionals to achieve success for all students.

Today we had an off day because the teachers were getting a guided reading training and we had visitors in the classroom.  The coach modeled a lesson and then she watched the co-teacher and provided feedback,  Then she watched my CT and provided feedback.  I just supported the students as best as I could.  We also had fire drill.  My students appeared a bit scared and so I reassured them that they were OK and that we are just practicing.  We counted our kids and made sure that they were all safe with us.  Everyone was a bit cold but thankfully the weather wasn't too bad.  Standard 9 - Professionalism, Leadership, and Advocacy: The Competent Teacher 9C) understands emergency response procedures as required under the School Safety Drill Act [105 ILCS 128/1], including school safety and crisis intervention protocol, initial response 8 actions (e.g., whether to stay in or evacuate a building), and first response to medical emergencies (e.g., first aid and life-saving techniques).

This student teaching placement is so much different because I collaborate with 2 others as a special education teacher and in my first placement as a general education teacher, it was pretty much me making all of the decisions under the support and guidance of my amazing CT.          

   

Goals for the next week:

My goals for next week are to learn to really dive into the IEP process.  I am learning about the first evaluation.  I am also learning about how the student goes through a series of tests to determine what services will be needed.  I hope to really sit with my CT and learn everything that goes into the creating and maintaining of an IEP and the paperwork and meetings behind the whole process.