The day started off slow. The kids had to read about magnetism and design a maglev train and a train track. The reading was very frustrating and stressful. The kids were off task most of the time. I had to stop several times to correct behavior and make sure everyone was paying attention. The reason for all the sidetracking behavior, break was coming up and the kids seemed really excited for break. We managed to read through our packet and started to design our maglev train. The kids started drawing what there trains looked like. And what features a maglev train would have. throughout the day the kids were off task and it was an extremely frustrating day. i really want to understand how you teach a kid who is constantly off task? I don't have a "silver bullet" solution. the only thing i can do is to keep redirecting the kids back to there work. Even when i use this strategy the kids still get off task and don't pay attention to what they are learning. I know that copying is a learning strategy but is it really an effective one? Several students in my group copied each other and i don't think they were understanding the material. It just doesn't make sense to me that students can be so distracted, i thought what we were learning about was interesting and fun. It seems to me as teachers, we redirect the kids back to there work, but then we repeat the process several minutes later. This seems to be an ongoing occurrence right up until the bell rings. My question is how do you teach like this? How can you get students excited for what they are learning? In the age of TV, Technology, Gossip, Drama. Its hard to get students excited about learning. And I see a pattern that is going on with teachers, they automatically out the students in front of a text or in front of worksheets and have them do worksheets. It doesn't seem like an effective way to teach. It seems like a cop out way to do things. I like my small group and i enjoy learning with the students but, what we are learning is all paper work. Its not interactive or fun. In my classroom I want my students to be able to interact with things. Answer questions by exploring and using there creative minds to find solutions. Not just plopping them down in front of a text or a worksheet and asking them to fill it out. I wold like my classroom to explore and have field trips!

This week was tough. The students were very excited because of the snow. It was really hard to keep them on task and keep them motivated. The excitement of snow was enough to keep students off task all day. It was particularly frustrating with this one student, she was very sassy and was not following along at all. She was giving me a lot of attitude but, i was having none of it. I asked her several times to read and she couldn't find where the group was in our book, so i skipped her. I told her that if she wasn't paying attention and was getting off task then she wouldn't be able to participate in the reading. This didn't sit well with her so, she gave me a dirty look put her head on the table and wouldn't participate. I was not about to let her get away with her behavior. I had tried encouraging her, disciplining her, everything i could think of but she made choices to be a disruptive student. I often see a lack of focus in students when there are outside forces that are distracting to the students such as snow. Needless to say, it was a hard day and i felt like my group got very little accomplished.

This week went really smoothly. The teacher was back in the room and so it was business as usual. As a third grade class we have started to integrate science into our reading structure. This allows students the opportunity to learn about science and also to read the text. The teacher mentioned that reading was a top priority for these students as certain exams were coming up and they needed to get in all the reading practice they could. So, for the first hour it was strictly reading material. My group got to popcorn read and share there ideas about the book at the table. We read about trains and magnets. The students were a little off task. I am coming to the conclusion that the students tend to get antsy and off task when they are reading. I am not sure if the material is interesting to these students. They seem to be bored with the books and consistently get off task. I am not sure the teacher has noticed this yet but, it seems to be an ongoing problem. Another interesting theme i have noticed for a lot of classrooms, teachers assign a lot of seat work. students are given tons of worksheets and papers. I wonder if the school system is treating students more like secretaries then actual students. Children like to move around they like to be interactive with materials, we as teachers need to find a way to engage students otherwise we lose them. If students are not being engaged and are not excited about learning, they will get bored and check out. I have seen it time and time again, teachers who don't engage there students and don't make learning fun. As a teacher i want to make learning fun but, i also want to maintain a level of calm and order in my class. Students engage so much more when you are excited to learn with them. As teachers we need to come to school excited to learn. We can't come to school with this "its my job so i have to do it" attitude. Because if you are checked out your students inevitably check out.

Today was a really intense but wonderful day. The reason was, we had a substitute for Ms. Smith and the sub didn't really understand what she was doing. So, I took charge of the classroom. The sub and I worked together to manage the classroom and help the kids in their individual groups. It really gave me insight into the life of a teacher. Teachers have to deal with a lot every day. It was my first glimpse into the life of a teacher. I have come to the conclusion that teachers work hard, very hard. I have gained a lot more respect and admiration for my profession. Being put in the drivers seat was tough. It was a challenge but, I took it in stride and I handled it wonderfully. I will admit there were moments of sheer panic and chaos. At some points during the day I wanted to just scream but, I kept a level head and I maintained control. I gained a lot of confidence and wisdom. It was a very trying day. It made me realize that this profession requires not just the skills of a teacher but that of a counselor, nurse, peace keeper, listener, P.E. teacher, etc. A lot of my friends think that this profession is easy and a cop out to doing real work. I would disagree with them wholeheartedly. This profession is one of the most stressful but rewarding profession I have ever been in. It is teaching me patience, wisdom, confidence, and most of all its teaching me compassion. I hope that one day I will be able to share what I've learned with my own classroom. Teaching is for the bold and not for the faint of heart.  

This week the kids were a bit chatty and off task. I assumed it was because they were excited for the short day. However my kids while sometimes chatty showed exceptional behavior and really listened to my instruction. When it was time to do the worksheet, they didn't complain or make excuses. I observed a lot of talking between 2 students so I separated them and we didn’t have any more issues from then on. The kids had sack lunches and we watched Bill Nye the science guy. In our groups we are learning about magnetism while also reading and doing literature. I thought it was really smart how the teacher combined the 2 subjects by using reading and science. We were reading the Magic School Bus in our groups and it was very informational. Because of the short day there was no recess and no formal lunch plans.  Overall today was a good day no real struggles or problems. I wanted to also touch on the subject of technology in the classroom. I am very passionate about this issue. It is my firm belief that technology in the classroom is a privilege and not a right for students. Students should be allowed to use technology when all their classwork is completed and they have extra time. Ipads and computers are great for learning however it can lead to fights, jealousy, anger, and bitterness and cause huge disruptions in your classroom. For example if you have only 3 Ipad’s in your classroom and 25 students then, I would assume that not all of your students would get to use the Ipad’s. This could lead to angry outbursts and screaming. Also, running your finger over a screen is not writing and it’s not helpful. Using ipads to read and to do math exercises is good but with writing I believe that kids should use a pencil and a piece of paper. Also, Ipad’s have a lot of educational games attached to them. Which is a great strategy! However, if used in excess students will be coming into your classroom expecting to play games all day on the Ipad. This can also lead messy and incomplete papers, temper tantrums and angry behavior. If children know they might have a chance to use the Ipad’s they will most likely do poor work and not focus on the important things you will be teaching them. Like I said technology is a privilege and we should treat it as such in our classrooms.

The morning started off really well. We switched groups this week so I had a brand new group of kids. The kids were well behaved and they really listened to me and respected what I was saying. They were not distracting and didn't try and get me off task. They had exceptional behavior and really listened to my suggestions. I was really impressed with how they read the text looking for clues and analyzing the pages. When it was time to do the activity, they didn't complain or make excuses. They were very diligent and used the book as a resource. During recess I was able to observe how the kids interacted with one another. I saw a lot of kids getting along and showing respect. But I did observe some girl drama and some rude comments. For 4 summers I have worked at a summer camp in Spokane, WA. For 3 summers I was a camp counselor and for my 4th summer I was in a leadership position. Every single summer I have observed the same behavior with boys. They simply cannot refrain from touching each other. I don't know if its genetically programmed into the male psyche but, boys cannot resist grabbing each other, touching one another, pushing and shoving. This is what I observed on the playground.  Boys touching and grabbing. Now I understand it's all fun and games but the touching and grabbing aspect can escalate pretty quickly if not dealt with. Back to my job, this camp caters specifically to low income families, foster kids, etc. So I have seen fights escalate from just a playful shove. It's always a good idea to make sure that we respect our boundaries and not touch anyone. At the school, I observed a lot of playful touching and I almost wanted to run in and break it up. That's one thing that I really get nervous about, we need to make sure and teach our children to have boundaries and respect our bodies. because I've personally seen the aftermath of just a playful shove or touch. It can lead to a full on fight. So, with that being said overall my experience was very good and i am slowly but surely beginning to become more comfortable in the classroom.  

The second time in the classroom I was a lot more comfortable with my teacher and my surroundings. I was more comfortable speaking up and letting my voice be heard in the class. We started with group work again and I was placed with the same group I had the previous week. Needless to say it was extremely frustrating. My experience with the kids was the same as last week. The kids were not showing me respect and were very disruptive. However I was not about to let them run all over me. It was still very hard because, one of the female students put her head down on the table and started to cry. She wouldn't read or speak to me. Now, I knew she was doing this to get attention and so I ignored her behavior. I wasn't about to let her get the rest of my group off task. I was still feeling discouraged as we headed to lunch. But right before we headed to lunch the teacher came over and had a private meeting with our group. She told the children that there behavior was disruptive and disrespectful. She asked the children whether they wanted to have teacher partners or not? She encouraged the children to think about there behavior and what they can do differently next time. I felt slightly embarrassed but also very supported. She told me how I was doing a good job and encouraged me to keep them more on task next time. I was receptive to what she was saying and took away a lot of good tips. Overall, it was a better experience. I felt supported and cared about. The teacher emphasized that the classroom is a team we are a family that looks out for each other. I am slowly but surely becoming more assertive and direct in the classroom.