During my half hour drive to the Baker School, I started thinking about my understanding of teaching. I must admit that I considered my excellent primary education at schools in the town of Belmont, Massachusetts gave me sufficient background to teach any subject I encountered.
My assumption was incorrect. Taking my knowledge of the subject content, then coupling it with the pedagogical strategies necessary to inculcate the skills and knowledge required for my students to then be able to pass the MCASTS is not so easy. (MCASTS is shorthand for standards here). It is difficult. My attempts are woefully inadequate. HELP!!!!!!!!
I don’t know right now what exactly I have to change. This uncertainty is leaving me very scared about the prospect of three more months at this. How do you get the hang of it without appearing not qualified to teach?
This concern has sent me off on a research endeavor. As such, I am culling all my teaching texts, looking texts at Borders, Barnes & Noble, and Amazon to uncover the solution. Yet speaking to my cooperating teacher or my supervisor is dangerous, I think.
Is this a problem all student teachers encounter early in their practicum? I feel like a fish out of water, flapping on in the halls and classrooms of the school. I return home from a day at Baker, exhausted, the heat driving my to my bed to rest from my MS.
Anxiety and fear are swallowing me. How do I fake it to I make it? Perhaps next week will be better.
I enjoy the staff, teachers, and students so much. To finally be almost achieving my goal and becoming at MSN, and as such, to be considered a “new” professional with respect for the first time, not part of the support staff. YEAH!!!!!
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
September 20, 2010
My first week
September 15th I arrived dressed as if on a job interview –nylons, etc. I arrived at the front office of the Ezra H. Baker elementary School. The weather was not really conducive to such formal attire, in other words, the heat made me hot and uncomfortable.
The secretaries expected me, but not my cooperating teacher. The principal, Kevin Depin, had neglected to tell her I was arriving today.
Mr. Depin had assigned me to the STAR room. This program has been an initiative created by the Superintendent, Carol Woodbury, several years ago as a means to contain special education costs.
“Why did I become a teacher?” is a question every student teacher gets asked at some point the first week. For me the desire to teach came out of my experience as a day habilitation instructor. Starting in 200, I was employed by Habilitation Assistance Corporation as an instructor in their communication classroom. Three professionals supervised me: a speech pathologist, an expressive therapist, and an art and music teacher. From time to time each professional worked with my con-instructor and me to create curriculum.
After two years assigned to this group, the agency started to accept young adults who had just passed their 22nd birthday, the birthday when students age out of their public school funding. I started working with consumers who had the benefit of a public school education that met their needs. The difference in the level of functioning of these young adults was startling. Individuals with the same diagnoses of consumers I had worked with extensively could read, write, and express themselves much better. Thus their quality of life was far greater than the other consumers I had experience working with each day over the past several years.
The only difference between these two groups I could perceive was the younger adults access to education and training.
I decided to gain a teaching degree to ameliorate future consumer’s situations. I never wanted to see another person’s life compromised due to their lack of access to an education.
September 15th I arrived dressed as if on a job interview –nylons, etc. I arrived at the front office of the Ezra H. Baker elementary School. The weather was not really conducive to such formal attire, in other words, the heat made me hot and uncomfortable.
The secretaries expected me, but not my cooperating teacher. The principal, Kevin Depin, had neglected to tell her I was arriving today.
Mr. Depin had assigned me to the STAR room. This program has been an initiative created by the Superintendent, Carol Woodbury, several years ago as a means to contain special education costs.
“Why did I become a teacher?” is a question every student teacher gets asked at some point the first week. For me the desire to teach came out of my experience as a day habilitation instructor. Starting in 200, I was employed by Habilitation Assistance Corporation as an instructor in their communication classroom. Three professionals supervised me: a speech pathologist, an expressive therapist, and an art and music teacher. From time to time each professional worked with my con-instructor and me to create curriculum.
After two years assigned to this group, the agency started to accept young adults who had just passed their 22nd birthday, the birthday when students age out of their public school funding. I started working with consumers who had the benefit of a public school education that met their needs. The difference in the level of functioning of these young adults was startling. Individuals with the same diagnoses of consumers I had worked with extensively could read, write, and express themselves much better. Thus their quality of life was far greater than the other consumers I had experience working with each day over the past several years.
The only difference between these two groups I could perceive was the younger adults access to education and training.
I decided to gain a teaching degree to ameliorate future consumer’s situations. I never wanted to see another person’s life compromised due to their lack of access to an education.
September 17, 2010
What is your classroom management style?
I took a test to learn my classroom management style and it is authoritative!!!!
An authoritative teacher places limits and controls on the students but simultaneously encourages independence. This teacher often explains the reasons behind his or her rules and decisions. If a student is disruptive, the teacher offers a polite, but firm, reprimand. This teacher sometimes metes out discipline, but only after careful consideration of the circumstances.
The authorities teacher is also open to considerable verbal interaction, including critical debates. The students know that they can interrupt the teacher if they have a relevant question or comment.
This environment offers the students the opportunity to learn and practice communication skills. Mrs. Brown exemplifies the authoritative teaching style. She exhibits a warm and nurturing attitude toward the students and expresses genuine interest and affection. Her classroom abounds with praise and encouragement. She often writes comments on the children’s homework. She also offers positive remarks to the students liberally throughout the day.
This authoritative teacher encourages self-reliant and socially competent behavior. This fosters higher achievement leads and better motivation of her students. Often, she will guide the students through a project, rather than lead them.
She is the kind of teacher I want emulate.
I took a test to learn my classroom management style and it is authoritative!!!!
An authoritative teacher places limits and controls on the students but simultaneously encourages independence. This teacher often explains the reasons behind his or her rules and decisions. If a student is disruptive, the teacher offers a polite, but firm, reprimand. This teacher sometimes metes out discipline, but only after careful consideration of the circumstances.
The authorities teacher is also open to considerable verbal interaction, including critical debates. The students know that they can interrupt the teacher if they have a relevant question or comment.
This environment offers the students the opportunity to learn and practice communication skills. Mrs. Brown exemplifies the authoritative teaching style. She exhibits a warm and nurturing attitude toward the students and expresses genuine interest and affection. Her classroom abounds with praise and encouragement. She often writes comments on the children’s homework. She also offers positive remarks to the students liberally throughout the day.
This authoritative teacher encourages self-reliant and socially competent behavior. This fosters higher achievement leads and better motivation of her students. Often, she will guide the students through a project, rather than lead them.
She is the kind of teacher I want emulate.
September 16, 2010
The demographics of the Ezra H. Baker Elementary School
The Ezra H. Baker elementary school, built in 1931, is located on Route 28, West Dennis, and Massachusetts. During its lifetime the school has served as the K – eight schools for Dennis, and the K-5 school for Dennis. The school currently serves the children of the residents of Dennis from kindergarten to third grade. In some fashion since the 1630s, Dennis and Yarmouth residents have educated their students together. The relationship between the residents of the two towns has not always been cordial. Presently the school is part of the Dennis-Yarmouth Regional School District on Cape Cod.
The school population has a 71 percent rate of free or reduced lunch, which means that the school also serves as a Title 1 school. The scores from last year’s MCASTs had only 39 percent of the third grade students passing or needs of improvement. Since the 1950s, traditionally the town of Dennis has been a vacation spot for mostly working class residents from Greater Boston area. In the early 1950s many builders put up small two bedroom ranches and capes, which they then sold at low prices. Today, those houses have mostly been converted to year-round homes. Their owners frequently rent the homes to individuals who have obtained Section Eight housing vouchers. Thus the socio-economic class of the town consists of mostly lower middle to working class adults. These adults frequently have little exposure to post-secondary education. Thus the children who attend the Ezra H. Baker Elementary School frequently need a lot of remedial services. Many of the students also qualify for ELL services.
The Ezra H. Baker elementary school, built in 1931, is located on Route 28, West Dennis, and Massachusetts. During its lifetime the school has served as the K – eight schools for Dennis, and the K-5 school for Dennis. The school currently serves the children of the residents of Dennis from kindergarten to third grade. In some fashion since the 1630s, Dennis and Yarmouth residents have educated their students together. The relationship between the residents of the two towns has not always been cordial. Presently the school is part of the Dennis-Yarmouth Regional School District on Cape Cod.
The school population has a 71 percent rate of free or reduced lunch, which means that the school also serves as a Title 1 school. The scores from last year’s MCASTs had only 39 percent of the third grade students passing or needs of improvement. Since the 1950s, traditionally the town of Dennis has been a vacation spot for mostly working class residents from Greater Boston area. In the early 1950s many builders put up small two bedroom ranches and capes, which they then sold at low prices. Today, those houses have mostly been converted to year-round homes. Their owners frequently rent the homes to individuals who have obtained Section Eight housing vouchers. Thus the socio-economic class of the town consists of mostly lower middle to working class adults. These adults frequently have little exposure to post-secondary education. Thus the children who attend the Ezra H. Baker Elementary School frequently need a lot of remedial services. Many of the students also qualify for ELL services.
September 15, 2010
Today I arrived at the front office of the Ezra H. Baker Elementary School dressed as if on a job interview - nylons, etc. The weather was not really conducive to such formal attire, in other words, the heat made me hot and uncomfortable.
The secretaries were expecting me, but not my cooperating teacher. The principal, Kevin Depin, had neglected to tell Mrs. Richter I was arriving today.
Mr. Depin had assigned me to the STAR Program. This program started as an initiative of the Superintendent, Carol Woodbury. She inaugurated the program as a means to contain out-of-district costs several years ago.
I was nervous about my performance and how I would be judged. I had no idea that the STAR Program would be similar to the environment I had worked in at the May School, Chatham, and Massachusetts. The May School is residential school for children on the autistic spectrum, which now is in Randolph, Massachusetts. After my initial foray into the room and meeting the head teacher, I felt at home. Mrs. Richter had also taught at the May School. She had been hired away from the school by Mrs. Woodbury to start the program.
I relaxed, a little. It was awkward for me to be there, not really knowing how to interact. Mrs. Richter and her assistants put me at ease. Yet how was I to fit in? I didn’t want to be the new professional too far above the assistants who really do the work in the room.
The heat was overwhelming for my MS. I have a very difficult time not showing how the heat was affecting my level of energy and thus my attention to my new environment and responsibilities. But the familiar environment kicked in and it helped my mask my MS symptoms and perform up to par.
The secretaries were expecting me, but not my cooperating teacher. The principal, Kevin Depin, had neglected to tell Mrs. Richter I was arriving today.
Mr. Depin had assigned me to the STAR Program. This program started as an initiative of the Superintendent, Carol Woodbury. She inaugurated the program as a means to contain out-of-district costs several years ago.
I was nervous about my performance and how I would be judged. I had no idea that the STAR Program would be similar to the environment I had worked in at the May School, Chatham, and Massachusetts. The May School is residential school for children on the autistic spectrum, which now is in Randolph, Massachusetts. After my initial foray into the room and meeting the head teacher, I felt at home. Mrs. Richter had also taught at the May School. She had been hired away from the school by Mrs. Woodbury to start the program.
I relaxed, a little. It was awkward for me to be there, not really knowing how to interact. Mrs. Richter and her assistants put me at ease. Yet how was I to fit in? I didn’t want to be the new professional too far above the assistants who really do the work in the room.
The heat was overwhelming for my MS. I have a very difficult time not showing how the heat was affecting my level of energy and thus my attention to my new environment and responsibilities. But the familiar environment kicked in and it helped my mask my MS symptoms and perform up to par.
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