This week was slow, but fun. This was the first year I had experienced all the Halloween festivities that go on at North. Pumpkin Patch was a lot of fun. The kids really seemed to enjoy all the stations. And because I could see all the kids were so excited and having such a good time, I did, too! And of course Oktoberfest was a hit. The kids liked being able to share their costumes, and the parents did a great job of planning the party.
Unfortunately with all the activities, I did not get to do as much teaching as I normally do. But what we did do went pretty well. I especially liked my echolocation lesson on Wednesday. With the experiment, the kids could really experience what a bat does, which I think helped them better understand echolocation. Then when I played the echolocation music video, I could not believe how well the kids responded to it. It is amazing how quickly they learn information when it is set to music. The rest of the week, the kids wanted to listen to the song, and they would refer to it when I asked them questions about bats.
I also thought my lesson on Thursday with the laptop video clips went well. During our small group discussions about the clips, we had some good dialogue. The kids really showed what they had learned through the great information and facts they were able to relay to us.
My Thursday math lesson on sinking and floating with the tin foil and pennies was a little frustrating. During the portion of the lesson we got to complete, the kids were really on task and did what they were supposed to do. They were inquiring and experimenting with the foil. While I know they had good intentions, the lesson was interrupted and shortened because the other adults in the room were so concerned with cleaning up the water. They emptied the tubs of water before the lesson was even half-way over. This meant that the fun part, the contest, never happened. While I was frustrated at the time, I was ultimately in charge and could have stepped up and requested that the other teachers waited until the lesson was finished to worry about clean up.
Over these past three weeks of full-time teaching, I have really been doing a lot of science lessons. Since there is already so much emphasis put on reading and math, I think it is important to incorporate more science and social studies. Science and technology are such a big part of our lives now, and it is amazing how little people know about our world and it’s history. I especially think it is important for girls to become more interested in science. We need to overcome the stereotype that science and math are for boys.
Saturday was Make a Difference Day, so I volunteered for the Center for Civic Engagement. I was assigned to the Caritas House, which houses people in Morgantown who are chronically homeless and/or have a mental illness. As part of my volunteer experience, I got to help the residents of the Caritas House cook in the kitchen and clean up their living space. This was such a rewarding experience, and I was able to connect it to teaching. In my classroom, I will have students from a variety of backgrounds and socioeconomic statuses. I may have students who are not living in the best conditions or who are living in a place like the Caritas House. Because I volunteered at the Caritas House, I believe the experience will help me be more empathetic and knowledgeable about things that my students may be going through. The Caritas House is a good starting resource to refer to when I may have a student or family in need of help. This center would be able to provide further resources that would be more specific for the needs of the student and his/her family.
Glad that you enjoyed the experience--you're really putting yourself out in our community--that's super. And you're right--you will have students who experience and will need services such as those.
This week was slow, but fun. This was the first year I had experienced all the Halloween festivities that go on at North. Pumpkin Patch was a lot of fun. The kids really seemed to enjoy all the stations. And because I could see all the kids were so excited and having such a good time, I did, too! And of course Oktoberfest was a hit. The kids liked being able to share their costumes, and the parents did a great job of planning the party.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately with all the activities, I did not get to do as much teaching as I normally do. But what we did do went pretty well. I especially liked my echolocation lesson on Wednesday. With the experiment, the kids could really experience what a bat does, which I think helped them better understand echolocation. Then when I played the echolocation music video, I could not believe how well the kids responded to it. It is amazing how quickly they learn information when it is set to music. The rest of the week, the kids wanted to listen to the song, and they would refer to it when I asked them questions about bats.
I also thought my lesson on Thursday with the laptop video clips went well. During our small group discussions about the clips, we had some good dialogue. The kids really showed what they had learned through the great information and facts they were able to relay to us.
My Thursday math lesson on sinking and floating with the tin foil and pennies was a little frustrating. During the portion of the lesson we got to complete, the kids were really on task and did what they were supposed to do. They were inquiring and experimenting with the foil. While I know they had good intentions, the lesson was interrupted and shortened because the other adults in the room were so concerned with cleaning up the water. They emptied the tubs of water before the lesson was even half-way over. This meant that the fun part, the contest, never happened. While I was frustrated at the time, I was ultimately in charge and could have stepped up and requested that the other teachers waited until the lesson was finished to worry about clean up.
Over these past three weeks of full-time teaching, I have really been doing a lot of science lessons. Since there is already so much emphasis put on reading and math, I think it is important to incorporate more science and social studies. Science and technology are such a big part of our lives now, and it is amazing how little people know about our world and it’s history. I especially think it is important for girls to become more interested in science. We need to overcome the stereotype that science and math are for boys.
Saturday was Make a Difference Day, so I volunteered for the Center for Civic Engagement. I was assigned to the Caritas House, which houses people in Morgantown who are chronically homeless and/or have a mental illness. As part of my volunteer experience, I got to help the residents of the Caritas House cook in the kitchen and clean up their living space. This was such a rewarding experience, and I was able to connect it to teaching. In my classroom, I will have students from a variety of backgrounds and socioeconomic statuses. I may have students who are not living in the best conditions or who are living in a place like the Caritas House. Because I volunteered at the Caritas House, I believe the experience will help me be more empathetic and knowledgeable about things that my students may be going through. The Caritas House is a good starting resource to refer to when I may have a student or family in need of help. This center would be able to provide further resources that would be more specific for the needs of the student and his/her family.
ReplyDeleteGlad that you enjoyed the experience--you're really putting yourself out in our community--that's super. And you're right--you will have students who experience and will need services such as those.
ReplyDelete