WEEKLY REFLECTIONS FOR STUDENT INTERNS
Student Intern: Barbara Edwards Week Ending:
Placement: First Grade Clinical Teacher(s): Mrs. Hallmets
If you did not teach a full load this week, please indicate which subjects you taught.
1. The main discoveries that I made from teaching this week are:
This week the main discoveries that I made were getting to know the children as well as the daily routines and schedules of the classroom. I did not realize how many times you have to repeat yourself and break each activity down into steps for the children to fully understand and comprehend what you are asking them to do. I have taught one mini literacy lesson. The book I read was Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse. This is a very cute book about a mouse who has a prized possession of a purse. She loves this purse. I made a huge purple purse and had the children pick out items that began with the phonemic sound of /p/ and they put the items in the purse. Then after this they wrote three sentences about their own prized possession. They loved this activity.
2. When I think about being a teacher, I am concerned about:
* Coming up with creative lessons even though the curriculum is already set by DPS.
* Keeping the children's interest.
* The different skill levels that are present in the class and meshing a child who reads on an 20 level with a child who reads on a 4. Its difficult and I learned the first day that the child with the level 20 got extremely bored and became a behavior problem so I have to keep him engaged and interested.
3. I feel...
* Like I have learned so much just in these two days. I can not believe how different it is from field experience and how much more a teacher has to do. I feel so much more respect for every teacher.
4. Questions I have after working this week are:
* Why did you stop in the lesson and move on to something else before finishing that lesson.
-Answer: What she was teaching was clicking or sticking with the students, they were lower then she expected. She needed to re-evaluate it and come back to the lesson.
5. I rate my experience this week as:
Inadequate Marginal Excellent
1 2 3 4 5 **
6. Other reactions:
* I actually had the opportunity to be in the classroom prior to the first day. I thought it was amazing at the amount of work that teachers accomplish in only a few days. My teacher had nothing on the walls or anything set up and in the matter of days everything was in place. I really did not realize the amount of work that each teacher does. I also was very surprised to see that out of 25 children 3 children and their parents did not show up for open house. From experience in different LEA's I thought the number of no shows would be greater then 3. I was very surprised at the parent support that the school had.
7. After discussing this week with my clinical teacher(s), next week I will focus on:
* Starting to have a lesson each day instead of every other day. Also to start opening up more to the students as well as fellow staff members.
