The preservice teachers participating in the USA 100 Black Men Summer Enrichment Program are an outstanding group of students at the USA College of Education. This blog is a safe environment designed for journaling reflections, sharing ideas, and communicating challenges and successes during the program.
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Saturday, June 4, 2011
Day One
How was the first day? What were the challenges? What adjustments will you make for next week?
The first day of the program went better than expected for me. I really enjoyed finally having the students in the atmosphere. The students were excited to be there, and they seemed to be interested in what we will be doing this summer. The first day went by very quickly and ran smoothly, for the most part. Although there were some schedule changes, everybody was still prepared for anything and knew how to smoothly instruct the classes. Although the first day went well, there were some minor challenges. The biggest challenge was keeping the schedule together, since it was changing. That is expected to happen on any first day, so that is part of being a prepared professional. Another minor challenge was getting to know the students in each class. Each class is different, and each class will be taught a little differently through the course of this summer. With time being limited the first day, it was difficult to get to know the students who made up the classes. Although these situations were minor and are expected to happen on a first day, I would not say that they were "challeneges". Again, the first day went by more smoothly than expected; however, there will have to be adjustments made for this week. For this week, I will have to simply adjust my day 1 lesson plans, due to the lack of time on the first day. This week will still have to be about teaching the skills but also reviewing procedures, rules, etc. I will also have to get to know my students better, since the first day lacked time for the ice breakers that I had planned. The biggest adjustment I will have to make each week is planning for each class; each class will need more attention on different skills, and each class will need different teaching methods. This week I plan to introduce the skill at hand and get to know my classes, so I can specifically plan for each class and its group of students.
Today was the very first day of the summer program. It started on a Friday so that the teachers could administer pre-tests that will be graded over the weekend so that we will know the students’ strengths and weaknesses. We have been in training since Tuesday from 8am until they locked up the school at 5pm. In 3 days I have had to set up a classroom from scratch, write lesson plans, write rules, create and decorate 3 bulletin boards and a door. Needless to say, it has been a busy 3 days. Last night I made equity sticks with the students’ names on them and finished up their folders. I could finally breath.Then the morning comes and I am so excited/ nervous because I don’t know what to expect. I feel like I have had a good amount of teaching experience and practice from this past year (pre-sequence and sequence), but I know that I still have such a long way to go. This morning I arrived at 7am to make sure that everything was in order. I was a little frustrated because my mentor teacher and I couldn’t get the laptop (that I have to sign in and out daily) to work and thus my Smartboard wouldn’t work. But we got it to work right in time for me to go get my students from the cafeteria. I guess my main frustraition has been the changing of schedules. I am such a planner and when something gets changed it really throws me off. There were, and still are, scheduling confusions, but we are working through it.
I really feel like the day FLEW by. I love love love the students already! They are so bright and ready to learn! The main thing that I need to work on is being their teacher and not their friend. That is my biggest weakness. I really am consciously working on my classroom management this summer and I already know that I will become a better teacher by the end of the summer. I am so excited to get to work with this group of children (about 40 in 3rd grade) this summer and to share this experience with them!
Well that is about all I can think of to say right now. I am so very tired! But I will have plenty of time to rest while grading 40 reading pre-tests!
I must say that I liked that the students first day was a Friday. I was so exhausted from the week. I feel like I am getting the real taste of teaching.
The thing that I found most challenging was classroom management. I know that I will have to enforce my classroom procedures next week in order to have better management of my classroom. I also found it hard to give the pre-test on the first day. The students were really getting frustrated with the material on the tests. I reassured them that this was for me to know what to teach and to be a better teacher.
So, for the following week I will continue to enforce my procedures and be mindful of the time. I want to use my time wisely, so that the students will understand and know all of the materials that we plan to cover these next few weeks. I want to have fun with these students and also learn how to be a great teacher through this program. I really hope that my students can learn as much from me that I know I will learn from them.
The first day was full of pretests, fun stuff! So much has happened between then and now that it would be impossible to go to much in-depth about my experience, but the overall feeling was, "Shwoo, I think I can do this." All the planning from the week was exhausting, especially since we didn't have the high that we get from teaching. Friday was a nice taste of what was to come, but it definitely did not compare to the exciting events that were about to unfold.
Driving to school that morning there were a million thoughts running through my mind. I knew how crucial the first day was and I kept praying over and over that I wouldn’t mess it up and everything would go just as I played it out in my head. The first day came and went faster than I could have ever imagined. Even though we were testing I introduced myself and we played a few ice-breaker games just to get the students up and talking and so I could have the opportunity to interact with them as well as have them interact with each other. I was nervous and I’m sure many of them were as well. It was an adjustment having four different groups of fourth graders for reading and then another of students for CASE.
The most challenging part of the day was carpool. I couldn’t believe how fast-paced everything was. I was so worried about keeping my eyes on my students at all times. I’m thankful I had the opportunity to experience this and thankful for having the opportunity to experience this whole program. I had only spent one day with my class and I feel like I have already learned SO much.
For next week, I would like to work on classroom management. I want to establish and implement my rules and for the students to become adjusted and familiar with my expectations for them.
The first day was a huge mix of emotions for me. I never could have imagined I could have felt nervous, anxious, scared, self- cautious, worried and more excited than ever all at the same time. I was so excited for the first day to come. I wanted it to go well. My main worry was that I would completely blow it. The first class went fairly well. As the day went on each class got better and better. I realzied what issues would be coming up with the pretest and what issues needed to be nipped in the bud first thing on Monday. (Such as friends sitting together) Overall I think the first day went really well. I remember being utterly exhausted as I left school on Friday but looking forward to Monday at the same time.
My first day was filled with excitement and anxiety. I was hopeful that the students would like me but I was anxious about getting their names right. My first day did not have many challenges because the test took most of the time. I did enjoy being able to put names to faces. I was slightly nervous that I would make us late for lunch or completely miss lunch all together. Car pool was a new experience too. Before I had only experienced a very easy going car pool. For the most part everything ran smoothly but I there were a few hiccups. I watched how a teacher just smiled and waved when a heated parent was venting. So smart! =) Overall the first day of school really rocked!
Well let’s start with the night before the first day... I could not sleep. I described it to my mom as the night before Christmas when you know Santa is coming. So the first day of school was like Santa coming for me. I was so pumped to see my kids I would be with for the next four weeks. I was nervous that my students would not take me seriously but because we gave the pretest the first day there was not much room for error on my part, just to follow the schedule and be places on time. The carpool line was a little much to be desired. I hate to be hot and it is hot out there. All the time. But the interaction with the students makes up for the heat! The really great thing I realized on my first day was that the children were not going to eat me and that in time we could respect each other. I look forward to the adventures and challenge my students and I will embark on this summer!
The first day was very crazy for me. I was nervous, I was excited, I was sick, I was energetic, I was sleepy...there was not any emotions I was missing out on that day... I am just happy that the first day is over with now. I loved that I did not have to give a test and I was able to work with the students building cars. This was way more fun for me even though it was not an easy task because I miss read the AMSTI book and neglected to investigate the activity more. The first day I learned a valuable less. I need to try to do the lesson before I teach it, other wise, "winging" it may not always work as well as it did that day.
The first week proved to be quite an experience. Trying to prepare my room, write lesson plans, generate supply lists, and train at the same time was hectic. I spent many days working into the early morning hours only to hear the alarm a little while later, reminding me that a new day was here and I must be on my way, for the students would arrive on Friday and I had to be ready! Friday was met with excitement, nervousness, eagerness and a sense of HUGE responsibility. I really didn’t know what to expect from fifth graders. My experience until now had been with lower elementary and I felt like I was walking into unchartered waters. I realized from the first moment I laid eyes on my homeroom class that they weren’t much different from the little ones I was used to teaching. They were just children and they were excited and full of questions. This was going to be a great day! My goal for the first day was to set the tone for the weeks to come. I wanted to create an environment that was fun, productive, and open to communication. The day flew by as I introduced myself and tried to learn about my students. When the day came to an end I was even more excited about the week to come, but I can honestly say that I have never been so exhausted. I had survived and I was ready for whatever came my way.
The first day went well! My class was the only class that the students did not have to take a test in. They were relieved when I told them that we weren't testing in my class. Instead, I introduced myself, then we did a fun icebreaker, and then short science activity. I believe the students, as well as myself, enjoyed their day in my class.
The first day of the program went better than expected for me. I really enjoyed finally having the students in the atmosphere. The students were excited to be there, and they seemed to be interested in what we will be doing this summer. The first day went by very quickly and ran smoothly, for the most part. Although there were some schedule changes, everybody was still prepared for anything and knew how to smoothly instruct the classes.
ReplyDeleteAlthough the first day went well, there were some minor challenges. The biggest challenge was keeping the schedule together, since it was changing. That is expected to happen on any first day, so that is part of being a prepared professional. Another minor challenge was getting to know the students in each class. Each class is different, and each class will be taught a little differently through the course of this summer. With time being limited the first day, it was difficult to get to know the students who made up the classes. Although these situations were minor and are expected to happen on a first day, I would not say that they were "challeneges". Again, the first day went by more smoothly than expected; however, there will have to be adjustments made for this week.
For this week, I will have to simply adjust my day 1 lesson plans, due to the lack of time on the first day. This week will still have to be about teaching the skills but also reviewing procedures, rules, etc. I will also have to get to know my students better, since the first day lacked time for the ice breakers that I had planned. The biggest adjustment I will have to make each week is planning for each class; each class will need more attention on different skills, and each class will need different teaching methods. This week I plan to introduce the skill at hand and get to know my classes, so I can specifically plan for each class and its group of students.
Today was the very first day of the summer program. It started on a Friday so that the teachers could administer pre-tests that will be graded over the weekend so that we will know the students’ strengths and weaknesses. We have been in training since Tuesday from 8am until they locked up the school at 5pm. In 3 days I have had to set up a classroom from scratch, write lesson plans, write rules, create and decorate 3 bulletin boards and a door. Needless to say, it has been a busy 3 days. Last night I made equity sticks with the students’ names on them and finished up their folders. I could finally breath.Then the morning comes and I am so excited/ nervous because I don’t know what to expect. I feel like I have had a good amount of teaching experience and practice from this past year (pre-sequence and sequence), but I know that I still have such a long way to go. This morning I arrived at 7am to make sure that everything was in order. I was a little frustrated because my mentor teacher and I couldn’t get the laptop (that I have to sign in and out daily) to work and thus my Smartboard wouldn’t work. But we got it to work right in time for me to go get my students from the cafeteria. I guess my main frustraition has been the changing of schedules. I am such a planner and when something gets changed it really throws me off. There were, and still are, scheduling confusions, but we are working through it.
ReplyDeleteI really feel like the day FLEW by. I love love love the students already! They are so bright and ready to learn! The main thing that I need to work on is being their teacher and not their friend. That is my biggest weakness. I really am consciously working on my classroom management this summer and I already know that I will become a better teacher by the end of the summer. I am so excited to get to work with this group of children (about 40 in 3rd grade) this summer and to share this experience with them!
Well that is about all I can think of to say right now. I am so very tired! But I will have plenty of time to rest while grading 40 reading pre-tests!
I must say that I liked that the students first day was a Friday. I was so exhausted from the week. I feel like I am getting the real taste of teaching.
ReplyDeleteThe thing that I found most challenging was classroom management. I know that I will have to enforce my classroom procedures next week in order to have better management of my classroom. I also found it hard to give the pre-test on the first day. The students were really getting frustrated with the material on the tests. I reassured them that this was for me to know what to teach and to be a better teacher.
So, for the following week I will continue to enforce my procedures and be mindful of the time. I want to use my time wisely, so that the students will understand and know all of the materials that we plan to cover these next few weeks. I want to have fun with these students and also learn how to be a great teacher through this program. I really hope that my students can learn as much from me that I know I will learn from them.
The first day was full of pretests, fun stuff! So much has happened between then and now that it would be impossible to go to much in-depth about my experience, but the overall feeling was, "Shwoo, I think I can do this." All the planning from the week was exhausting, especially since we didn't have the high that we get from teaching. Friday was a nice taste of what was to come, but it definitely did not compare to the exciting events that were about to unfold.
ReplyDeleteDriving to school that morning there were a million thoughts running through my mind. I knew how crucial the first day was and I kept praying over and over that I wouldn’t mess it up and everything would go just as I played it out in my head. The first day came and went faster than I could have ever imagined. Even though we were testing I introduced myself and we played a few ice-breaker games just to get the students up and talking and so I could have the opportunity to interact with them as well as have them interact with each other. I was nervous and I’m sure many of them were as well. It was an adjustment having four different groups of fourth graders for reading and then another of students for CASE.
ReplyDeleteThe most challenging part of the day was carpool. I couldn’t believe how fast-paced everything was. I was so worried about keeping my eyes on my students at all times. I’m thankful I had the opportunity to experience this and thankful for having the opportunity to experience this whole program. I had only spent one day with my class and I feel like I have already learned SO much.
For next week, I would like to work on classroom management. I want to establish and implement my rules and for the students to become adjusted and familiar with my expectations for them.
The first day was a huge mix of emotions for me. I never could have imagined I could have felt nervous, anxious, scared, self- cautious, worried and more excited than ever all at the same time. I was so excited for the first day to come. I wanted it to go well. My main worry was that I would completely blow it. The first class went fairly well. As the day went on each class got better and better. I realzied what issues would be coming up with the pretest and what issues needed to be nipped in the bud first thing on Monday. (Such as friends sitting together) Overall I think the first day went really well. I remember being utterly exhausted as I left school on Friday but looking forward to Monday at the same time.
ReplyDeleteMy first day was filled with excitement and anxiety. I was hopeful that the students would like me but I was anxious about getting their names right. My first day did not have many challenges because the test took most of the time. I did enjoy being able to put names to faces. I was slightly nervous that I would make us late for lunch or completely miss lunch all together. Car pool was a new experience too. Before I had only experienced a very easy going car pool. For the most part everything ran smoothly but I there were a few hiccups. I watched how a teacher just smiled and waved when a heated parent was venting. So smart! =) Overall the first day of school really rocked!
ReplyDeleteWell let’s start with the night before the first day... I could not sleep. I described it to my mom as the night before Christmas when you know Santa is coming. So the first day of school was like Santa coming for me. I was so pumped to see my kids I would be with for the next four weeks. I was nervous that my students would not take me seriously but because we gave the pretest the first day there was not much room for error on my part, just to follow the schedule and be places on time. The carpool line was a little much to be desired. I hate to be hot and it is hot out there. All the time. But the interaction with the students makes up for the heat! The really great thing I realized on my first day was that the children were not going to eat me and that in time we could respect each other. I look forward to the adventures and challenge my students and I will embark on this summer!
ReplyDeleteThe first day was very crazy for me. I was nervous, I was excited, I was sick, I was energetic, I was sleepy...there was not any emotions I was missing out on that day... I am just happy that the first day is over with now. I loved that I did not have to give a test and I was able to work with the students building cars. This was way more fun for me even though it was not an easy task because I miss read the AMSTI book and neglected to investigate the activity more. The first day I learned a valuable less. I need to try to do the lesson before I teach it, other wise, "winging" it may not always work as well as it did that day.
ReplyDeleteThe first week proved to be quite an experience. Trying to prepare my room, write lesson plans, generate supply lists, and train at the same time was hectic. I spent many days working into the early morning hours only to hear the alarm a little while later, reminding me that a new day was here and I must be on my way, for the students would arrive on Friday and I had to be ready! Friday was met with excitement, nervousness, eagerness and a sense of HUGE responsibility. I really didn’t know what to expect from fifth graders. My experience until now had been with lower elementary and I felt like I was walking into unchartered waters. I realized from the first moment I laid eyes on my homeroom class that they weren’t much different from the little ones I was used to teaching. They were just children and they were excited and full of questions. This was going to be a great day! My goal for the first day was to set the tone for the weeks to come. I wanted to create an environment that was fun, productive, and open to communication. The day flew by as I introduced myself and tried to learn about my students. When the day came to an end I was even more excited about the week to come, but I can honestly say that I have never been so exhausted. I had survived and I was ready for whatever came my way.
ReplyDeleteThe first day went well! My class was the only class that the students did not have to take a test in. They were relieved when I told them that we weren't testing in my class. Instead, I introduced myself, then we did a fun icebreaker, and then short science activity. I believe the students, as well as myself, enjoyed their day in my class.
ReplyDelete