So far, So good!

I am still really enjoying my kindergarten placement. Luckily almost all the parents of my students are very active at the achool, so I have really been able to get to know the families well. Many of my students also have older siblings in the higher grades, so I’ve met most of my students’ imeadiate family. THis is much different from my privious placement. I feel like I am better able to incorporate culturally responsive lessons becasue I know my students on a much closer level.

New Found Love

This semster I am placed in a DeKalb County Kindergarten classroom. I always anticiapted on teaching 3rd grade or higher. I assumed I would be more compatible with the more independent children that were responsib;e for learning more complex curriculum. After being in my fifth grade placement last semester, I had alot of fun, but this semester I am having more fun than I thought teachers were supposed to have.   I am having so much fun with my 5 and 6 year-olds! They see the world completely different, and seem to have a much more genuine interest in..everything! I adore reading them animated stories just as much as they love hearing them. I am looking forward to getting to know my students better as I go back tomorrow for my second week, hopefully my interest will continue to grow!

ESOL Placement

I LOVE my ESOL placement!  I am at Woodward Elementary in DeKalb County and the teachers and students couldn’t be any nicer. This school has a definite difference in culture than my previous teaching placement. (94% of Woodward’s students are hispanic, and 49% of Woodward’s students are receiving ESOL services.)  Aside from the different demographic of the school, the administration is much more supportive of creativity and community cohesion in the classroom. I think I lookforward to hearing the “song of the day” that plays in one of the third grade homerooms more than the students do!  The atmosphere of Woodward is just the gravy on top of the wonderfully eager-to-learn students that I get to work with everyday! I am not looking forward to leaving in a couple weeks.  : (

(Oh..and the ELLs know much more English than I anticiapted. I was afraid that there would be this huge language barrier, but so far there is only one student that really struggles with following instructions and participating in dicsussion due to his lack of English.)

May’s Lecture

I really enjoyed attending the may’s lecture last night at the Rialto Center. I found Ms. Edleman’s speech impowering and motivating. As a teacher of our youth, I also feel a bit overwhelme with responsibility. I am begining to see the lack of support many of our students receive at home and feel like I am the only one trying to make a powerful influence on some of my students. Although I am greatful to have the opportunity to be a postive role model for these adolesences, I am a little bit nervous that I will not provide the best education or influence in general for my students.

ECE 6365 One Word Check-in

Stressed

Pangea

Such a  small word for our big acchievment! 

Many of us put our individual wants behind ourselves and supported the group as a whole in deciding a name for our cohort.  Although “Pangea” was not my initial desire, I appreciate the thoughts and discussions this word provoked and support its meaning.  Although the scratch/keep process was difficult and took a while to complete, it forced everyone’s feelings to be discussed allowing our name to have a stronger meaning that the original definition found in the dictionary.   I’m glad we finally have a name for ourselves and can’t wait to continue the path of our long journey together!!

Idlewood Elementary

It was so energizing to spend time at Idlewood Elementary today.  Although we cover so many important topic in class, I was in very much need of being around children half my age!  I absolutely cannot wait for more of our hands-on experiences!!!

It was nice being able to observe the teachers that graduated from the UACM program, and talk with them about their experiences.  The one thing I learned that will be of much use when I begin teaching is how to establish better parent-teacher relationships.

Censoring Books

I enjoyed our class discussion on censoring books within our public schools.  Many of us raised some interesting points.  I personally have the opinion of allowing all types of books in our school libraries.  Students will have access to such books outside of school and I think it creates more teachable moments when students have them in the classroom.  I think that parents having an active role in educating their children to think critically will prevent them from falling victim to some of the “controversial” books that are outside the family’s beliefs.  I think that allowing the government to censor books from our public school libraries will provide a more slippery slope.  If parents think there are books that should be “off-limits” for their children, the parents should be having discussions with their children on why, because these books will not be out of reach even if they aren’t in the school library.

Pedro Noguera’s Article

After reading Pedro Noguera’s article on the modern education institution I became more aware of the type of cycles occurring in schools that foster the grouping of unruly students which leads them down the path of failure.  Reading his article enlightened my perception on how to interpret students that misbehave and how such situations should be approached.

As we discussed in class, I intend on implementing practices to break the cycle of ignoring students with non-traditional classroom needs by nurturing all, raising my expectations of all students, encourage other teachers to question the traditional means of disciplinary action, while promoting student advocacy.

Tracking Students

I was very alarmed when I discovered that some students are tracked throughout their educational career as early as eight days into their Kindergarten school year.  This can be detrimental to students emotionally and academically.  Teachers and councilors make  invalid judgments on students that will affect them for the rest of their lives!  I am really glad we were able to discuss many of the issues surrounding intelligence so that when I am teaching my own classes I will be able to distance myself from such obscurities.  I am still unaware  of the importance or assumed validiity that is placed on the practice of tracking students  among  administrators and teachers within schools today, but I will do as much as I can to inform others of the potentials that are related with tracking.  If this is only a habitual practice that takes place beacuse teachers actually think that it is valid, we have a responsibility of informing them otherwise.