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.