By Chelsey Elliott

This far in residency one, we have completed many observations and assignments to gain experience in the classroom.

-Each week we are required to do observations about the classroom and reflect on what we have gained through this experience.

-We also are required to do a case study on a struggling reader. With this task, we conduct multiple assessments to see where the student needs help the most then teach four lessons that incorporate reading into the classroom. Thus far I have completed the majority of the case study and one of the lessons.

- For practicum class, we are responsible to teach four lessons two, which are formal, and the other is informal. I have completed one informal lesson over the cardiovascular system and the importance of exercising

IEP – which was over a student withAspger’sdisease that struggles with comprehension and is on a fifth grade level in the eighth grade. His mother has many concerns about her sons learning in the classroom and how to provide more help at home.

3 Team meetings with all of the 7th grade science teachers: I have attended two of these meetings, which the vice principal attended also. The teachers discussed common assessments and test scores and how they can improve their teaching.

I plan on attending a basketball game this semester. Oakland Middle’s basketball season starts very soon.

This assignment is in the process of being planned with my classmate Crystal over heredity. We will then take this learning approach and turn it in to a three-day lesson to use for our formal lesson plans.

Oakland Middle School

Seventh Grade

Science

Mrs. Webster’s classroom

1st: Science 8-8:50

2nd: Planning 8; 54- 9:38

3rd: Science (smallest class) 9;42-10;27

4th: Science with Aide 10:31-11:15

5th: Lunch 11:19-12:03

6th: Science enrichment 12:07-12:51

7th: Science 12;55-1;38

8th: R&E

9th: Science with Aide 2:16-3:00

This semester in seventh grade we have discussed Tn state standards 707.1-707.5 which include levels of organization, the body system, plant and animal cell, organelles, and diffusion. In Mrs. Webster’s class, she had developed a daily routine that she follows in each class that consists of daily work of two to five questions on the board that they fill out in their composition notebook, lecture which they take notes in their notebooks, and a quick assessment or activity at the end of class. She uses a lot of power points and quick assessments in her teaching style. The quick assessments will help the students get ready for tcap.

Long-range- To increase their t-cap scores each level.

Short-range- To be at mastery or advance for each standard being taught.

Individual- the teacher works with students one on one by communicating with them through edmoto and meeting with them during enrichment or R&E time for extra help.

Small group- The teacher’s strategies while working with the students are the best during small groups during enrichment. She actually teachers and give the students fun way to learn the material rather than just lecturing. Students need engaging activities to want to learn and retain the information that they learn in schools.

Whole group: Mrs. Webster’s weakness in instructional time comes from whole groups instruction because she just lectures. There is never use of engaging activities or technology, which I believe, should be incorporated in to the classroom daily

In Mrs. Webster’s lessons she uses technology by having the students do projects that the students must research information in books or on the Internet. She also uses it by making PowerPoint to go with her lessons.

During my lessons, I used technology to show you tube videos, PowerPoint, and I will have the student’s research information about heredity for my formal lessons

The flow of the lesson is developed by routines in the classroom. The students know what they are expected to do when entering the classroom and how they are supposed to act. The students know that they are supposed to get their composition notebooks and begin working on their daily work assignments. The teacher then directs them to what she wants to do for the lesson that day.

Mrs. Webster never speaks over her students. If the students are talking when not directed to she waits quietly until they do so. This does not work for me. In my classroom, there will be incentives for good behaviors and informed when doing something wrong. There isn’t any control of controlling misbehavior unless in 9th period in Mrs. Webster’s class she makes them stay after school and clean the classroom before allowed to leave. Luckily for her this is her worst behaved classroom so it works but I don’t know what she would do in other classroom situations. When the students leave the classroom to go to lunch with Mrs. Webster it is chaos. There are no transitions into the next activity or to go to the next location. I would do this differently in that I would have students line up in different ways such as alphabetically, by height, birthday, etc. This would keep the students quite while walking down the hall way and in line. Mrs. Webster does maintain a group focus and get through her lessons each day but they could go more smoothly if she controlled her classroom in a more efficient way.

Mrs. Webster uses transitions such as having students come straight in to the classroom and get their composition notebook to start on daily work. The teacher then goes into lecturing or into an activity. In my classroom, I would like to use fun transition to get the students attention, move from one activity to the next, begin class, and end class. I feel as transitions are important to have in the classroom because it redirect the students attention and focus’s them on what they should be doing or moving them to the next thing. Transitions are an effective way to help classroom management in daily routines in the classroom.

Behavioral problems are addressed by pulling the student out in to the hallway of speaking to the student one on one about the issue that needs to be dealt with. Mrs. Webster has created relationships with these students and they know that she is there to help them learn and have their back when needed. She is great when dealing with students personally about what is going on and how the student can reevaluate his or her behavioral problems.

The lesson template format that I have viewed from Residency one is similar to the one that the teacher’s at Oakland Middle follow. Most of the templates that I have seen contain the same content it is just worded differently of organized in a different order. With lesson formats there should always be an engaging question or video to gain the students attention and focus what the lesson will be over that day. Mrs. Webster does this with her daily questions in the composition notebook that are used for everything. Rather it be a test, quiz, lecture, activity it normally takes up the rest of the class period. One thing that I like about the relationship between Mrs. Webster and her students is that she trusts them with grading and their progress. The students grade most of their work their self and then she enters it in the grade book. I feel like this is a great way for her to take grades but she must emphasize to her students how important it is to be honest.

Composition notebooks- Mrs. Webster uses these to keep track of everything through the nine weeks through these. Students are required to label each day, do daily work, take notes, and glue in any activity that they do into their notebook that way when it come time for a quiz or a test the students have everything they need to study in one location. This is a great tool to use in any content matter because it is a great organizational guide and helps the students keep up with their progress in the class.

It is important to have relationship with your students. Mrs. Webster does a great job of this. As a teacher you must develop relationships with your students in order to teach them personally. Each student comes from a different background and may have issues going on at home that would impact their learning. Being an inspiring figure in my student’s life is a goal of mine. I would like to be that teacher that stands out to my students ten years from now and see that I made a difference in their lives. Teaching is valued more if it is personal and engaging.

I have gained a lot from residency one this semester that I will implement into my classroom as a future teacher. From this class, I have taken away great classroom management skills such as point systems, smart beads, transitions, I have seen how it is important to organize you classroom in to a manageable work area for the students and for me as a teacher. I have learned that it is important to get to know your students and engage them in learning instead of just standing up in front of the classroom and teachings. Residency one is a great preparation for student teaching and I will be ready to fully to use my skills and learning from my observations in the classroom.