Week 5- Half Day

Yasmine Mustafa 

2-25-2021

We are in week 5! The weeks are seriously flying by. This week was different compared to the previous weeks we've had. This week we had half  day! The kids were so excited, they were ready to log off before we even got started! In the morning, we began with our morning question which was, "Would you rather eat pizza or spaghetti?" It honestly surprised me how many kids disliked pizza. I loveeeeee pizza, especially as a kid. Anyways, the kids were off to art after that and my MT and I talked about how the rest of the day was going to go because it was a half day. When the kids rejoined, we had them break out into breakout rooms. The students read a story and were given parts that they had to act out while reading. They had a blast doing so! It made my day watching them imitate characters from the stories!

Since we were only able to put in a couple of hours, I was able to watch Atlas videos to make up the rest. Before doing so, my MT invited me to one of their meetings. She asked their principal, and he had stated that it would be great to have me see their planning and what they discuss. It was a pretty short meeting but, it was really fun meeting the other teachers and see what happens in different kinds of meetings. One of the teachers asked "Who is Yasmine Mustafa? Do we have a new staff member?" It was funny, I was able to introduce myself and let them know how I am working alongside my MT and how I am currently a student at Governor State University. My MT tried to have me in their breakout rooms with the other staff members but, unfortunately it did not work. She informed me that they were just discussing things for classes and told me she would inform me more if I was interested. My MT is truly great, she helps me out a lot and teaches me new things everyday.  

Week 5 - 1st Lesson! 1/2 day of school ! Happy birthday!

 

By Brenda Johnson

Today was very different! I thought my first lesson - math WG, it was a half day of school, and it was one of the student’s birthday. My MT had requested that students join the meet a little earlier because I was scheduled to begin at 9 AM (which was really when students start joining). Student were excited for this change and wondered what it was about. While we waited for other students to join the meet, students begin working on their DOL and the question of the day. My MT informed the students that we were going to have a guest in the room (Dr. K), but she was just going to be part of the class learning with us. When it was time for me to begin, I was nervous and worried about a couple of things - tech. issues, classroom management etc. Everything worked out well. There were no tech. issues, and we were able to take care of any behaviors/problems that came up during the lesson.   Students showed great interest in the topic and the activities I had planned. I taught them about currency around the world. When I began my lesson, I was not sure how it would go, but the kids helped make it a little easier for me and it became even easier as the lesson progressed. My MT was very helpful, among other things she informed me of kids that were raising their hands (since I could not see them while sharing my screen). I was able to continue with  and complete my lesson even when Dr. K left.

We celebrated one of the student’s birthday as a whole group. It was so much fun! I like my MT’s choices on ways to celebrate students’ birthdays virtually.  So, he picked his favorite songs, and we had those songs play in the background as we worked. There was also an all about me poster that helped us get to know the celebrant better. There was time allotted to asking the celebrant some questions. We also sang happy birthday to him and did the 2^nd grade cheer. Although the day was short, it was packed with plenty exciting moments!

Week #5 - Sight Words Assessments

 Paulina Kedzierski

February 26, 2021

This week I have observed three days to make up for Thursday's half a day. During my observation, my MT used a lot of free time to assess sight words. First graders, ideally, need to know 130 sight words by the end of the school year. I wrote "ideally" because, unfortunately, some of the students really struggled to read the words. For example, today, one student read 128 words without any hesitation. Yesterday, on the other hand, a student struggled to read simple words as "one" and read-only about 20 words. I asked my MT if the students who struggle get assistance such as RTI, but they cannot get help because of the remote learning. I just hope students who struggle will get extra help once we get back to in-person instructions. 

As far as participating more in a class, I was able to help students with math during break-out rooms. The students are working on tens and ones. They still struggle with determining the different ways a double-digit number can be presented. 

On Friday, I had some free time to collaborate with my MT about my upcoming literacy lesson. Since it is Dr. Seuss's birthday next week, I will incorporate one of his books. I have noticed that I learn to relax every week, and I am aware of different teaching aspects remotely. Multitasking is key to a successful day. Before, I was so stressed about completing my lesson that I did not look at the GoGuardian or the students' list that I prepared ahead. Cannot wait for my next lesson to utilize all my resources. 

Week 5: 1/2 day & Make up day

  By: Jamia Royal  

2/26/2021

 Thursday the students had a 1/2 day and they really excited about it. We started our day with the normal routine with the songs, calendar, weather etc. Students did their scavenger hunt and I also grabbed a few items of my own to participate with their class. Since it was half day my MT informed the students that the schedule would be a bit different today. One kid even noted that we will be in class for 3 hours and 15 mins which I found pretty amazing because he was able to tell time and how long we would be in class. They had a family fun night last night and my MT also informed that next week will be the start of Dr. Seuss week and also spirit week. 

    We moved along to the math lesson where students were learning about number bonds. She uses the if I do it, you do it strategy when learning about number bonds. After they completed place value BOOM cards and an exit ticket. After lunch break, we moved along to writing. Students are learning how to add more detail to their writing labeling their papers "B, M, E" (beginning, middle, end) and leaving space to fill in for detail. Students are also learning how to use transition words in their writing. Art was moved to an earlier time so we went to art after writing for a while and would come to back to continue their writing and breakout rooms. In art students drew among us characters and learned about Vincent Van Gogh, the children enjoy art time. We went back to class and students were put into break out rooms to share their stories. This is my favorite thing to do because I get to talk to the children and listen to their stories. We ended the day with a read aloud Henry's freedom box. 

    I joined my MT class on Friday as well. The schedule was a bit different in the morning usually on Thursday's we do a scavenger hunt but on Friday's it is show and tell. I enjoyed listening to the children share their cool gadgets and drawings at home. The students completed a math sprint where they completed problems in a minute, set a goal for their next set of problems and try to reach their goal. They are also learning how to count the place of ten ex. 10, 20, 30 and how many dots.... These first graders are really advanced and I enjoy watching them show off their skills. They are continuing to work on their writing skills by adding more detail to their stories and learning about story elements. Once the writing was complete they go to their read aloud on Epic and have lunch. 

    Every week is a new learning experience and is preparing me more for my lessons and my future classroom. 

Week 5 - Different Day

Emily Pinto

EDEC 4571/81 

2.26.21

    This week was interesting because my daughter got violently ill on Wednesday evening which caused me to miss the half-day on Thursday. I am thankful that my MT was very understanding and allowed me to attend the whole class session on Friday instead. I got to observe the students in art on Friday, rather than their usual Thursday P.E. class. My MT and I did a read aloud together to help the students get an idea of reading with intonation, emotion and inflection to help the story be more interesting. 

    My MT let the students out a little early today because of it being a beautifully warm Friday, so I had to do 2 discussion posts instead of one. I am getting closer and closer to my first week of teaching, and I am getting very excited. I think I've been fortunate to have been placed with such a great group of kids and I think it will be a lot of fun to teach to them. They enjoy my activities that I do in small groups so I hope I can translate that into a good, whole group lesson. 

Week 5: Half Day/Teach Day 2

 Sara Kent 

2-25-21

Today was an exciting day in the classroom. We had a half day of school and I taught my second lesson today. I taught my second literacy lesson. I decided to do it on the book "Corduroy" and have the kids answer some comprehension questions and then write/draw what they're favorite part if the story was. This lesson went much better than the first I think. It felt like I was more confident and prepared and the pacing was much better than last week. The kids were really into the story with many of them having already read it before. I really enjoyed the read aloud and having the kids take a guess about what would happen next. 

I also got to be apart of two separate break out rooms today which was nice. The first one I was in a break out room with about 4 kids for guided reading and I made sure they stayed on task and was there If they had any questions or needed any help. The second break out room I was a part of was for word work. I had about 4 kids in that room too and I helped them write out there words of the day. We stood up and jumped out each letter of each word and then we clapped it. It was a fun bonding experience with the kids. The kids were all so excited to get out early that many of them told me and MT about their afternoon plans. Overall, today went better than expected and I am getting more confident in my teaching and taking tips from my MT and Dr. Kelly. 

(This is was my example I showed the kids about how to tell about their favorite part of the story)

Week 5 - Half Day

February 25th, 2021

By: Kate Drish

Today was another great Thursday with the kiddos! Our school district scheduled a 1/2 day today so a lot of the lessons were cut a bit short. Of course, the students were excited to sign out of school by 12pm. My MT had told me that the teachers are going to be engaging in different professional development workshops regarding teaching hybrid classes after lunch. My MT also stated that Monday is the day that the school board will decide if the students are able to come back into the classroom. This is a huge step towards getting back to 'normal.' Well, I mean.. as normal as we can get. I know my MT is a bit nervous about going back since she will be teaching online and in person at the same time. She did say she was excited that I might be able to help her through this if we are allowed to experience FE hours in person. I feel as though teaching in person would be so beneficial for the students and for me! Teaching comes natural to me and doing it virtually has been quite the struggle. Fingers crossed that we get some good news soon! 

Class today focused on reading, writing, and math lessons. Lessons and independent work were not as long as usual, but the students were able to focus and get their assignments done. The students were also able to share their Black History Month projects towards the end of the school day. They have been working so hard on them and it was nice to see all their hard work! They all did such a great job with the information they collected regarding someone who contributed to black history. They had the choice to make a bottle buddy or a poster. Some students were so excited about the project that they created both! Below are some pictures showing the students' work! They are just so smart! 😃

A presentation on Martin Luther King Jr.

A student's bottle buddy project on Rosa Parks.

Also, this made my day!

Week 5: Keep up the pace!

Jarrell Harris 

Today, was an early dismissal, and wowzers, it was such a thick and quick day of learning. The students were taught so much within the small chunk of time they had, as my MT and I discussed, the day went by so quick. One thing I am learning by observing virtually- pace is a key factor, I am noticing how we have to go on, moving from one content area to the next per the schedule. Today seemed to be like an accelerated experience, but the students managed to get through it all, I am so proud of them. Although, they are many questions raised, I am learning when to keep teaching and when to pause (provide opportunities) for the students to spill out questions. 

I am so happy I was able to take attendance again,  I noticed that I can literally set the tone through my energy when greeting and taking morning attendance. I truly enjoy assisting through GoGuardian, this allows me to connect w/ the students individually, I am grateful that the students are receptive of me. One other thing, I am noticing that the students are initiating interaction w/ me, this is critical and very pertinent to me growing to know them to better  reach them. I have to admit, connecting virtually w/ children can be sort of intricate, so I keep a close eye on how my MT connects with the 3rd graders in her class- she does a very fine job with delegation of her attention to them. 

Week 5: 100th Day of School!

 2/25/21

Mary Fayta

    Today is a half day for the students but it is also the 100th day of school! To celebrate the students were able to dress up as if they were 100 years old or 100 days old which was really cute. The students also shared 100 things, most of the kids brought 100 pennies. My CT also informed me that the teachers will be going back to the classroom but the students will not. Through my observations I am learning the difficulties of teaching remotely. The students complete activities at home such as drawing a picture or writing a sentence. What could take only a minute or two in person takes up to 20 minutes over Google Classroom. Today the students wrote a few sentences on a piece of paper and it took a lot of time for them to take a picture of their work and post it to SeeSaw, just so that my CT could look it over.

    I made up some of the time for today's half day on Monday. On Monday I was able to collect my data for my interest inventory report in Dr. Kelly's class. I had the students fill out a Google Poll which was really easy. They were all able to access it in the chat and they all knew how to fill it out. Through this activity I got to see how the students interact with Google Polls and if they know how to type answers in. This information will help me for my future lessons.

Week 5, half day!

February 25, 2021

Amy Mustafa

Today was yet another day of not only observing but also interacting so much more with Mrs. Proskurniak's second-grade class. Of course, like every Thursday we began with "three things Thursday". Today the students were asked to complete three different sentences; "One thing I am really good at is…",  "One thing I wish I was good at is…", and lastly "One thing I am really bad at is…". I am truly enjoying learning more and more about these children and as a matter of fact, I have grown to enjoy my time working with second grade students and do see myself in the future teaching or even having my own second grade classroom! I had the opportunity  to work with four students who were struggling with site words. I was able to create my own breakout room with the students and quiz them on spelling different site words. 

Moving on, the students were next put into breakout rooms reading and acting out different characters in shared reading. The title of this reading is A Crow, a Lion, and a Mouse. Oh My! I love hearing the student's different voices for every character being portrayed. Today ended a lot quicker than I thought it would but definitely was an enjoyable & fun day for these second graders! Next week is the first week that I will be teaching & it will be a lesson on literacy. I am more than excited about it and as soon as I knew it would be "Dr. Seuss week" many ideas came to mind. Next week, the students will be joined together in celebration of Dr. Seuss's birthday. This will be celebrated from March 1st to March 5th, on that Thursday, the students will be reading the book, The Cat in the Hat by none other than Dr.Seuss! The theme of Thursday will be "Thing one and Thing two Thursday". I have many ideas for next week & am looking forward to it!

Week 5 - First Lesson: Math

Stefanie Flory 

February 26th, 2021

Today was my first day of teaching! The lesson I taught was in the subject of math. Prior to the lesson, my MT wanted me to teach about money.. perfect, I know my students are amazing at money from previous meetings! However, my MT wanted me to do a lesson on currency in other countries! Wow was I nervous? Personally, I am not very familiar with currency in other countries so planning my lesson, I had to research and learn about it myself. I made sure I educated myself on the topic as much as I could so that the lesson implementation would be that much more impactful for the students. 

    Moving forward to teaching, the students were amazing!!! They did so good at paying attention and participating with me as we talked and learned about the 2 currencies I chose - Japan and Europe. I was so happy that the children were able to understand what I was teaching, it really helped to calm my nerves about it! One thing I will say, is that for the future lessons,  I need to be mindful of those students who may need help to get engaged. I plan to involve those students by making sure I talk with them in the beginning of the lesson because I think that was one of my struggles. Since the children who were  participating are the common students who participate in almost everything in class, I lost the attention of the students who are kind of shy and quiet. So I made note of those students and will make sure next lesson, I can get them engaged, so they will participate more and I don't lose their attention right away!

Overall for this being my first lesson, my MT was really pleased with the lesson and how it went and that makes me so happy :) 

Here is a picture of the game we played together! After completing a couple problems together, the students were able to practice on their own independently! I monitored in GoGuardian to ensure the students were completing the problems. 

Week 4: Building Constructive Relationships

Jarrell Harris 

Hello,

This week involved another interesting day of observation, I was able to finally meet the gym teacher. The gym teacher and I together managed GoGuardian while the MT taught. I noticed how much of a huge load it takes off the MT when I am assisting with keeping the students on track through GoGuardian. Dr.H, as you stated before, the extra monitor would be a great idea as it becomes time for me to fully teach in the virtual world. One thing I really enjoyed is raising my hand to answer questions along with the students, this in a sense inclined their participation. 

I was able to read another Monarch book that related to Black History Month, the students truly enjoyed it, the name of the book is, "LET THE CHILDREN MARCH." How interesting, listening to all the students who chose to participate- share out lessons they learned from the story/their morals of the story. Another great opportunity I had was being in the breakout room with my own group of students, assisting them with math. I was able to connect with my group of students on another level while being the host of a breakout room, learning their favorite games to play and what they had planned for the weekend. I am so grateful that my MT is providing me with lead opportunities, the students are become more acclimated to my way of interacting with them - they ensure that they greet me, etc; constructive relationships are manifesting. 

Week 4- Social Studies lesson

 Yasmine Mustafa

2-21-2021

Today was the day I taught my first lesson!!! I was extremely nervous sine this was technically my first time teaching to students virtually. I was the last one to do my lesson on Thursday, I was counting down the hours until it was my turn to go. I kept thinking about the other girls who were teaching their lessons and I was wondering if they were just as nervous as me! I remember telling my MT how nervous I was and she just kept telling me, "You are going to be fine, it happens to all of us but you will do great." It was reassuring to hear that. I was teaching a Social Studies lesson, and it focused on four presidents! The students learned all about what a president is and all about their roles! They also learned about how these four presidents made huge impacts in our history!!

Teaching my lesson, I was so happy that the students were excited to learn about presidents and how engaged they were. I was so nervous that they would think that it was boring and they would not pay attention but, it was the complete opposite they loved it!!! They continued to ask me questions because they wanted to know more! I did have a couple of things go wrong with my technology. It made me a little upset but, thankfully I had a plan B because I knew with technology something could always go wrong. Although things didn't go as planned I am happy that I was prepared and did not loose confidence in my teaching. I feel that this is a huge thing that educators need to work on. Sometimes when things do not go as planned we get a little discouraged but, that should not be the case because you do not want the students to feel discouraged as well. 

Week 4 - Oh Technology!!!

 

By Brenda Johnson

2/21/21

Today was a day! I taught the students a Social Studies lesson. I decided to do this to help me prepare for my actual lessons. The lesson went well but for some trouble with technology. When it was time for me to share my screen, it did not work. My MT was very helpful. She asked that I send her the materials I needed for the lesson. She shared my materials on her screen. The kids did great! Before my lesson, the students did their DOL and question of the day. Today’s question was Who is your hero and why? Students had so much to write about and were eager to share. I joined the students to play khaoot, they were so excited!

 

During literacy, the students  compared American English and British English. This  was fun for because when I learned English language 10 years ago, I learned British English. I had to start learning American English when I moved here , I am still learning American English . Students were thrilled at the differences between these two dialects. My MT told me about a new program they started using . It used to be called spelling city, but it is now Reading A-Z.

I am now even more involved in the classroom. My MT left me in a room with some of the kids while she worked in another . I answered the kids questions and helped them the best way I could. I was also able to monitor them on Goguardian. The students are  become used to having me in the classroom , in fact they expect it now. During one of the small group sessions just as I was joining, I heard a kid ask my MT” Where is Ms. Johnson”, MT told her I was joining. That made me smile! Even though I am  excited to teach the kids, I am also a little worried about tech. I hope everything goes well.

Week4: Teaching Today!

Mary Fayta 

2-18-21

Today was a very hectic day. In the morning I was logged out of my account and I had to email IT to help me get back in. Then my computer overheated and when I turned it back on my camera was broken. Luckily my brother was able to lend me his portable camera for when I taught later in the day. I missed out on a lot of observation time but I am making up the time on Friday. Once it was 1:00pm I started my first ever math lesson! I have never taught math before and I was appreciative to my CT for helping me pick out a topic and she also gave me an idea for one of the activities.

My lesson was on 2D and 3D shapes. It was a lot of fun teaching the kids! I also got a lot of teaching experience with this lesson. I used household objects to show different 3D shapes. The kids did a great job! I was able to get a lot of experience with students at varying levels. A lot of the kids were doing really great with their 3D shapes, while others were still stuck on 2D shapes. So the kids helped me get experience explaining the topic. I think my lesson went well, the kids were really engaged and they seemed really excited to share their 3D objects. The math lesson was a struggle to create remotely. I would have liked to give the students more materials but we made do with what we had and I think it went well.

Here is a picture of one of the Google Slides I created for the lesson.

Week 4: Reward day!

By: Jamia Royal 

 This week of observation is students reward day. The students were able to vote on the reward of their choice and pajama day/movie day won. So today all the students and my MT are wearing their pajamas! She goes over the normal routine with the morning songs and calendar activities. But this morning one of the songs about the calendar was different and a few students noticed it and said that they really liked the new song. My MT showed the students how they compared and made a connection to the two songs like a book. We moved along to math where they are learning how to answer questions about bar graphs. They were creating bar graphs and collecting data from the information given. Students were making number sentences, adding 3 numbers, and understanding math vocabulary. Words like total, compare to, how many more were underlined or circled and given an explanation of what time of math to do, either addition or subtraction. During this lesson some of the kids seem a bit distracted but I think they are very anxious for the movie part of the day. My MT showed students how they can read the graph in different ways when answering questions. 

We moved along to phonics and writing where they are working on s blends and learned about idioms. During writing time they are learning about the beginning, middle, and end of a story. One thing my MT did that was pretty cool to me was how she went over a book they read quickly but still gave the important details of the story and it sounded like she was reading the story, it tricked me as first, haha! Students were given a free choice topic for their writing prompt, she mentioned that their story should have an beginning, middle and end and to use transition words. We went off into breakout rooms where students shared their stories. This is one of my favorite things to do, join them in breakout rooms. Students are excited that I am in the room with them and they are eager to share. The end of the day was their reward so the students were able to watch a movie while completing work. During this time, I completed another ATLAS video. My MT and I stayed on while the kids went to art, to plan for my inventory and she gave me access to the controls so I could practice my screen sharing since it is different from zoom. Every week is a new learning experience that I look forward to.

Week 4 - MT's Birthday!

 Stefanie Flory 

February 18th, 2021

    Today was my MT's birthday and the children were SO excited!! When we logged on this morning, the students had created a Padlet to wish my MT a happy birthday and it was so sweet. My MT was so excited and the students loved it! We spend almost the first 30 minutes just talking with them and sharing thoughts and comments. It was a nice relaxing way of getting the morning rolling. One thing the children love is my MT's PenPal, Duck. Duck is a little stuffed animal that travels the world and writes to the children and MT, he made an appearance today and left a funny, cute video for my MT and the children really enjoyed it. I love that the children are so happy all the time regardless of having to be on the screen all day long! 

    Moving on, some things we did today was learn about British English words! It began with a whole group discussion about how objects can be called something else depending on where you live! We were able to do breakout rooms to discuss various words. I put the google slide below. To my surprise, the children knew SO much, even more than me! So it was nice to go into a break out room and have them tell me the various words and it was fun because the students got to debate so it was a lot of fun! 

Overall, it was yet another great day! I am SO excited for next week when I get to finally teach my first lesson!! Hope all goes well for me🙏

Week 4 - Science - Exploring the Earth: Erosion and Weathering

February 18th, 2021

By: Kate Drish

Today was the day! I taught my first lesson out of a total of five. Today was a science lesson and I was able to teach the students about erosion and weathering. It worked out perfectly that their last unit was 'pebbles, silt, and sand,' so I knew their prior knowledge would benefit them greatly. If I'm being honest, I wasn't too familiar with these concepts since it has been YEARS since I've taken a science class. So, I had to do my research before lesson planning and find a way to present the information in a meaningful way that made sense to the kids. In class, we learned a lot about science instruction and many of the main points was to make instruction engaging and hands-on for the students. This was something I know I wanted to do but how? With virtual learning, this was something I had to think long and hard about.

As I learned more about erosion and weathering, I started to notice patterns between different landforms that have been effected and their similar textures. I began to wonder if it was possible to take the students 'on a trip' to see the similarities that I saw when researching this concept more. Then I got my 'A-HA' moment. A lightbulb went off and I decided I wanted to take the students to different places around the world using Google Earth. The students loved it and felt like they were really able to travel and see the different landforms that had been eroded and weathered. Google Earth was such a great resource because it provided an HD viewpoint of the different textures that can be caused by erosion and weathering. The students and I were literally able to walk through the Grand Canyon as if we were there! We also visited different islands and cliffs. This helped a lot in my lesson plan and paved the way for a great discussion amongst the class as they were eager to participate. Today went so much better than I expected and I'm so excited to start teaching my other lessons!

Week 4- Celebrating the 102nd day of school! 😀

February 18, 2021

Amy Mustafa

Today marks the 102nd day of school at Crete-Monee! My MT's class does not celebrate the 100th day of school but do celebrate the 102nd day because they are in fact in 2nd grade!! I loved how my MT incorporates the grade she teaches and the grade the students are in , in the day of school they celebrate. The school day began with another fun activity, “Three things Thursday!”. The students were asked, what 3 things they would like to do before they are 102. I loved this activity as it also taught me more about each student as they said a number of different things like; what jobs they see themselves doing in the future, what they hope to do when they grow up, or even the many different places they would love to visit. The students next engaged in a fun drawing activity. My MT read the students a poem called "Green Giant". This poem Included many descriptive imagery and the children were told to close their eyes and draw what they imagine in their heads as the poem is being read to them. We then shared our images & got a number of adorable drawings of what they thought this green giant looked like.

I had the opportunity of playing two fun And educational games with the students. The first game focused more on literacy. This game is called Sight word bingo. I was put in breakout groups of three including myself. My MT would share with us a link that leads us to a drag and drop bingo game. On my end I would have the spinner that had all the different words that I would call out and on the students end would be a bingo board. I would call out the word that the spinner lands on and the students were to drag and drop the word on a bingo sheet. Just like a typical bingo game they would take turns and had to have five words in a row diagonal or horizontal. This was super fun and the prize was a virtual hand-five from me. The second game focused on math in regards to the concept of addition. Students were put in groups of two. This game included dice and a piece of paper in front of them. Two virtual dice would spin with it just a push of a button And the students were to add the two dice together and come up with a number. They would Take turns spinning the dice and add every number the land on. This game was super exciting for the students as it was a competition between each other. Overall today was very exhausting but such a  beneficial day.  

Week 4 - Math Lesson

 Paulina Kedzierski

February 18, 2021

Another week and more funny anecdotes were made by students. So, today students shared more of their picture writings. I talked briefly with my MT about that type of writing, and she mentioned that the kids really enjoy writing funny stories based on pictures. Today, they shared their stories about the picture of an elephant with butterfly ears. One of the students wrote a store where he connected two pictures, one from last week (the giraffe) and today's picture. What a creative student! I could see how eager the students were to share their stories!

Today was my first time teaching a math lesson. Overall, I think it went pretty well. The students were engaged, participated, and answered questions. For my AC, I did a scavenger hunt, and with 19 students, I felt bad picking just a few to share their objects. So, I tried to include everyone, and that took a big chunk of my time. But, we were able to work on some math problems, and they completed the Google Slides exit ticket. I will check the results tomorrow since they have today to complete. 

I almost forgot about one meeting that took place during the free screen break. My MT asked me if I would like to observe her assisting 5th graders with their Exhibition Topic. They were interested in germs and the human body, so we helped them narrow down their topic to flu. There were able to come up with some good questions that will help them when researching the topic. 

Week 4 - Mars Rover!

Emily Pinto

EDEC 4571/81 

2.18.21

    Today was a pretty good day. I once again, worked with my small groups just like last week, and this time I came more prepared with a fun game/activity to do. For the sight words small group, we started out just doing spelling, and reviewing a couple sight words from last week. Then we played a game where I slowly wrote a sight word on my marker board and whoever could guess the word before I was finished writing got a point, and used the word in a sentence. It went over very well, the students stayed engaged with the activity and all participated enthusiastically. I chose to do this because I feel like sight words are hard to spell if you are unfamiliar with them -- that's the whole reason they are sight words, because they don't sound out like regular words. This way, they were able to see them spelled out, and they all read them correctly, as well as used them appropriately in a sentence. I would like to build on this activity next week and try a variation of it if possible. 

    My MT was absent for the second half of the day -- so I instead worked with the substitute. We watched portions of the Mars rover Perseverance landing that happened today. The students really enjoyed it, it was a very cool and different science activity that not many people have had the privilege to experience. 

    Finally, my math small group did a Hangman type math activity. I posed a math problem for the students to solve and whoever solved it correctly first would get to choose a letter to go in my mystery word. It went very well! The students in my group even asked if we could do the game again next week. I noticed a big improvement in one student's borrowing and subtraction work so I think the extra fun practice had an effect. 

    Overall, I am getting more and more comfortable working with this great group of kids. I think we are establishing a good rapport and they are getting comfortable working with me as well. I am looking forward to teaching them in the coming weeks. 

Week 4: Teach Day: 1

 Sara Kent 

February 18th, 2021

I got to teach my first lesson today! it was my first literacy lesson. I did my lesson on Michelle Obama because the kids were learning about important people and black history month. I knew some of the kids had read about Barack Obama in their peer reading groups so I thought learning about Michelle would be a nice touch. Overall I think it went well for my first time. There were some quirks but that is to be expected. I think my lesson was good in theory but it really isn't meant to be taught over a computer. I feel like there is more confusion and miscommunication being remote no matter how hard you try to be clear. I was impressed though with the children's passages that they wrote about Michelle Obama. I saw that even if I felt like I wasn't getting the message across the kids clearly got it with their knowledge that they acquired. They didn't all write the many sentences I wanted them to but it was clear to me that they were paying attention and knew what we were talking about. 

After my lesson was done my MT said that I did really well which was a confidence booster since I didn't think it went as well as it could've and one of the kids in the class said that I did really good and that I was a great teacher like my MT. It made me feel really good and like I did something right. He will never know how much his kind words meant to me. I hope next week when I teach my second lesson that I am more comfortable and confident. 

Week 3: Technical difficulties

 By: Jamia Royal 

During this week of observation my MT was having technical difficulties for a large portion of the day. She was having trouble seeing all of the students, so I stepped in and asked what I could do to help her out. She asked if I could see all of the students and I said yes, she asked if I could call on students since I was able to see them all. I was glad to be able to assist the best way I could. I feel like the students are warming up to me which makes me very excited and more confident when it is time to teach my lesson. Since my lesson is on math I asked what would be the lesson during that time so I can start planning. I found out the students will be learning about regrouping, adding and subtracting. Over the weekend, I immediately start to think about my lesson and how I can make it as interactive as possible. She suggested to show the Eureka math video on YouTube which will help me with the lesson.

    I watched their math lesson very closely to see what the students already know, what they are learning and where some may struggle. The students were learning about tally marks and she had a cool saying "slide for 5" when it was time to make the fifth tally mark. The kids enjoyed saying that part when they were counting tallies. During the reading lesson, students were learning how to make connections, and make predictions in stories. They were also learning how to be kind. The students were anxious about the Valentine's day activities so they kept asking about them. Some self notes I took during this week is to try my best not to have any technical difficulties during my lesson. It may lose the students attention and I do not want to do that. My MT is very helpful and answers all questions I have about my future lessons. 

Week 3- Getting More Comfortable

February 14, 2021

By: Yasmine Mustafa

This is my third week joining my CT and her second grade class. After meeting with them for the third week now, I am super comfortable with them! These second graders are terrific. They are always engaging, excited, and eager to learn. I am truly grateful for this opportunity because I have learned so much just in these past two weeks. The second graders are always excited to see me, they enjoy having conversations with me, and getting to know more about me. They make me feel like I am their other teacher and they make me feel so welcomed in their class. 

My CT allowed me to get involved with the class more! I was able to read a story and explain more about how to read a story! My Ct provided me with numerous tips on how to keep the students engaged and it went really well. I was also able to do break out rooms and help the students who needed extra assistance in Math and Reading! I really enjoyed assisting them, it made me happy to see that they were actually learning and using the tips that I had for them. What I love about these experiences is that my CT actually has me involved and makes me feel like it is my classroom as well. She always asks me questions for my input and that means a lot because it means she truly values my opinion. She is always open to any questions I have as well. At first I was super nervous but, now I feel like I am ready to take on my lesson on Thursday!

Week 3: All about Quotes!

Jarrell Harris 

This week was amazing!

I gained the opportunity to do morning attendance and discuss the 100 days of school journal topic with the students. I was able to explain to the students what Monarch books are. I was able to do a read aloud, I read "The Good Egg." Each week, the 3rd graders are showing more of their personality and it shows through their participation. I was able to connect the story to what the students were learning about, asking them what type of dialogue was printed. 

My MT does really well with connecting prior lessons to upcoming lessons, the is something I observe very closely and a method I hope to pick up. It is quite interesting how the students are apparently learning more and more about their chosen African American Activists. The students were learning about direct and indirect, I admire how the teacher included videos that explained the two quotes. One effective thing my MT did was allowed the students to help her compare and contrast quotes, classifying as direct or indirect. Opportunities for independent practice  allowed the teacher to assess the students on how well they were aware of structuring direct/indirect quotes. 

Week 3 in second grade!

 February 14, 2021

Amy Mustafa

I was very excited to join My Mt's class once again. The students all seem to be much more comfortable with me in the classroom as they all said "Hi Ms. Mustafa!", as soon as I turned my camera on. When I introduced myself on the first day the students struggled to pronounce my last name as it may not be very common to them. I had initially asked the students if they've ever watched the movie, The Lion King & if they know who Mufasa was? I expected most answers to be yes, which was true. I told them my name is said the exact same way but instead, we add the letters "s" and "t". I was glad to know that by the third week they all knew how to pronounce my last name!  We began class going around our houses finding unique things that are round. I wasn't too sure why my MT wanted the students to find things that are round but I had assumed that they may be learning about shapes, focusing on circular objects. I feel that if I teach about circles in my own classroom, I would use that kind of introduction activity to foreshadow what my students will be learning about that day.  

As the day went on, I had the opportunity to split up into multiple different break-out rooms where I had individual one on one meetings with every student. I further taught those who both, mastered and struggled with subtracting. The students were learning how to subtract three & two-digit numbers where they only borrow from the tenth place. Most of the students only knew how to subtract using the new common core standards which I found quite surprising. As for me, I remember learning how to subtract using the traditional right to  left method where we simply start first from the right or tens unit. I myself have always struggled with math so I realized I definitely need to keep practicing what I learned about common core math as I too, will someday have to teach my students that way as well. Overall, it was a great week again with Mrs. Proskurniak's class & I truly cannot wait to continue on in this great journey. 

Week 3 - Takeover Time

February 13th, 2021

By: Kate Drish

This Thursday marked the third week that I've been with this second grade class and I feel so happy after every Zoom meeting with them. The students in this class are so smart and so engaging and have really blown me away with how well they focus and pay attention during class. Though some students keep their cameras off, they are always so quick to respond to a question or raise their virtual hand to participate in class discussions. It is also so heartwarming to see parents, grandparents, and daycare teachers in the students' videos showing support and offering help to the student when needed. It goes to show that education really is a team effort, and especially now being remote... it takes a village. 

In my last blog post, I spoke about the opportunity to take over class this week. It went so much better than I expected and the students responded really well to me, despite my MT not being present. It was comforting and reassuring that the students looked to me with questions rather than the substitute, whom they have met and had before in class. We were able to keep up with the schedule as well as the content that the MT had planned for the day. Even without having the materials and hard copies of the workbook pages and activities, I was able to follow along and teach the kids, just the same! 

After this week, I became so much more comfortable with the fact that I will be teaching a lesson next week. I was not able to grab any screenshots this week of what we were covering because I was actively teaching and engaging with the kids but I definitely provide photos of my science lesson next Thursday!

Week 3 - 100th day of school... Learning about China!

 

By Brenda Johnson

February 11, 2021

We had so much fun in class today,  it was the 100^th day of school , students learned about China, and about some African American heroes. Today the focus was on Rosa Parks and Bessie Coleman; the day’s DOL was on Bessie Coleman. Question of the day was ‘What is your  My MT introduced the kids to Jamboard today. This made me very happy  especially because we are required to used Jamboard when we teach our lessons, and I did not really know how it worked. The kids did well! The students did great at it , I think my MT’s demonstrations and example helped.

During literacy, my MT had the students take turns in reading sentences . She also had them work on the spelling words of the week. Small groups  were a bit different for me today, I participated throughout. We had 30-minute sessions of small groups ( 3) Students were learning about Ancient and modern China. They read some facts, watched  a BrainPOP video and shared their thoughts. I had the opportunity to share my experience in China with the students. They were so thrilled to learn that I had visited China. I talked with the students about the culture in China and how it is different than how things are done here. I did this with each group, they were very interactive sessions. By the time the day was done, I felt happy and fulfilled. Next week I do my ‘trial’ lesson. I cannot wait!

 

Week 3 - 100th Day of School Celebration

 Stefanie Flory 

February 11th, 2021 

The children celebrated the 100th day of school today!! It's crazy that these students have been learning remotely for 100+ days and within only 2 weeks of meeting them, I know that they haven't let the circumstances stand in the way of their success in the classroom.

  Today was the day I implemented my Interest Reading Survey into the morning meeting. The students have never used the format I used which was google forms, so my MT allowed me time to show the students and explain the directions before allowing them to complete the survey. The survey was successful and the students enjoyed telling me about their interests and reading habits. Majority of the students completed the survey on their own while I supervised them on GoGuardian, but there were about 3 students were needed some extra assistance, so my MT put me and the 3 students into a breakout room and I worked alongside them as they completed the survey so this also showed me how I can implement and differentiate with students who may need extra help. I was nervous at first because my MT said they were unable to practice with google form prior to today but the children are very advanced in their technology so it turned out to go very well! 

Another thing that was really engaging and fun today was when we completed the math worksheet, the students use Eureka Math Workbooks, and since they already have their workbooks, I did not have one. However, I was able to implement and participate by using my dry erase board so I could work out the problems with them, and they did wonderful 😊 The children have been so open and willing to let me work with them, even in the breakout rooms they participate and are engaged with me the whole time! We also did a jamboard activity discussing American traditions, foods, and celebrations and it was fun to see how they interact with jamboard, so I will most definitely implement it in my lessons! 

Here are some pictures of what we did today!! 

Week 3 - Breakout Rooms!

Emily Pinto

EDEC 4571/81 

2.11.2021

Today was a pretty exciting day in my classroom, I was able to lead some breakout rooms, and I have to say, I think they went well! The first breakout room was for sight words (spelling, context, and pronunciation). My MT said some students don't show up to class, and I had a couple of those in my room. It's a shame they do not attend, but I am happy to say the students who WERE there participated and stayed engaged with what I was doing with them. 

The next breakout room was for math, and again, I had a couple of students who didn't show up but again, the ones who did were engaged and attended to my lesson. We did subtracting double digits, and honestly, I had to have the students show me how they do the tens and ones method because I am not very familiar with it, but I caught on pretty quickly on how it's done. Overall, it went well, and I was able to successfully keep the students engaged.

I enjoyed doing the breakout rooms today, and I think next week, depending on the content for the rooms, I will have to come up with some creative games or activities to do. Math can be boring so it's definitely essential for the students to have something interesting to go along with the lesson. 

Week 3: Getting Some Experience!

 Mary Fayta

2-11-21

This week was a lot of fun. I haven't been too involved in the classroom so far. I have asked my MT a few times if I could help or if there was anything at all I could do in the classroom but she never ended up giving me any tasks. But this week I took Dr. H's advice and I sent my MT another message asking if I could do something in the class, to get some experience in the classroom for my lesson next week. I was excited when she replied telling me that I could do a read aloud and a "get to know me" activity! For my read aloud I chose the book "The Most Magnificent Thing" by Ashley Spires. I read the book the night before and I wrote down questions that I wanted to ask and I made note of which pages I would ask those questions on. I also wrote down some fun would you rather questions to ask the kids as a "get to know me" activity. My MT suggested having the kids put their hands on their shoulders for one answer and on their head for another which worked out really well. This activity was a lot of fun, I asked a few of the students why they gave me the answer they did and they gave me some silly answers. I also enjoyed reading the story to the kids, they responded really well to my questions and they stayed engaged the whole time. My MT even had the time to critique my read aloud just a little bit. She told me that I should practice slowing down a little. I noticed that myself once I finished reading the book I realized that I read a little fast, so that is something I will be aware of next time I read.

Week 3: Third Day With Students

 Sara Kent 

February 11, 2021

    We started off today like we start off every week which is saying good morning to each other. I always enjoy saying good morning to the kiddos and hearing about their day. Today after we said good morning, I got to do my reading inventory with the kids. They seemed to enjoy it and I got a lot of great data. I was also put in a break out room again this week during guided reading time. My group read a book called "The Drum" today. After the kids were done reading independently a few of them showed me their favorite books. One student even started to read his to me. I was very impressed with his reading. I enjoyed talking to the kids about their favorite book because its just another way for me to connect to them and for them to connect to me. 

Something that I took away from today was how much my MT really knows and pays attention to her students. She generally cares about them and their lives outside of her classroom knowing their family situations, their interests, and pets etc. I know that every great teacher should know these things but to see it first hand is really wonderful. When one of the girls wanted to tell her about their breakfast my MT said to tell her before lunch since we didn't have time right there. Without being promoted again my MT asked the girl stay on right before to so that she could tell her about her breakfast. She remembered and made it a point to bring it up again since the girl was excited about it. I really admire that and strive to be that kind of teacher. 

Week 3: Picture Writing Prompts

 Paulina Kedzierski

Thursday, February 11, 2021

Another day full of funny comments made by students. Working with young students is just a matter of time before one of the students says something funny. Like I mentioned last week, the students have an opportunity every morning to talk during Morning Meeting. Despite having the morning to talk and share, the students will still interrupt others during the math work, for example, to show everyone their new room. I like how my MT gives this student a chance to talk and does not ignore him/her, but quickly reminds them that they have work to do. Next, I had a chance to talk with my MT about my upcoming Math lesson. She gave me some constructive criticisms, which I appreciate, and ideas on engaging the students and how to differentiate my assessment to meet all the students' needs. Also, I asked her about the opportunity of me taking over to gain more practice. She said that she will look over her schedule and let me know. I am definitely excited about that!

This week, on Tuesday, the children worked on picture writing, and today they shared their report with everyone. I have never thought about this type of writing. The children had to write s short story based on a picture, a giraffe clinching on to the tree. 

Another idea that will go into my teaching folder.

After the class, I started reading a tad about the benefits of picture writing. So, the picture writing prompts consist of an image to promote students to begin writing. The intent is to have the students look at the picture and write a story motivated by the image. It is incredible to see all of the diverse ideas that flourish in children's' minds from just one image. 

Week 2: All About Routine!

Week 2: All About Routine! 

Jarrell Harris

2/7/21

So, week 2 of observation I was more so focused on routine. My MT's classroom routine is on point and makes way for maximization in all content areas. I notice that the students were even familiar with the routine as they asked questions like, "Aren't we about to start math now?" It is great that the teacher keeps the routine going, this helps shape the structure of the classroom. I even noticed how the students were more attentive as the teacher moved on the different segments of the day which made up the day's routine. This is really good, this put the students in position to know what to expect throughout the school day. 

As I reflect, I must claim- I am pretty good with routine. Routine and learning goes hand and hand, my MT teacher even says to the students things like, "Alright, we'll come back to that, it's time to move on." This is a component of classroom management. What I like about routine is that it helps students understand that there is a time a place for everything, which connects to creating a sense of classroom balance. Classroom balance makes teaching and learning easy. I look forward to learning diverse mechanisms that my MT uses to keep routine in place in a virtual world. 

Week 1: Classroom management

 Week 1: Classroom management  

Jarrell Harris 

2/7/21

Dr.H, wow, wow and wow!

    I must express, I am 'pleased with the management skills that my MT upholds. I noticed that the MT was very consistent with calling on the students may have unmuted themselves, etc. The students followed the lead of the teacher very well. The teacher was good with multi-managing, using an additional screen monitor to see which students were on a different screen other than the screen they should have been on to follow the along with her. As the teacher stayed on top of keeping the students in-sync, this kept the flow of learning going.

As I think about my observation, it brings me to thinking how I would operate when it comes to managing my class. The 3rd graders that I observed were a very interesting group, inquisitive, respectful and couple of students were even sassy. Closely observing to sharpen and pickup management skills is certainly a goal. I am looking forward to witness the 3rd graders personalities spill out so that I may see how the teacher responds to their uniqueness. In addition to that, I am super excited to learn ways of redirecting students from a virtual platform, so my super observations goggles are on. 

Week 2 - Morning Meetings - Responsive Classroom

 Paulina Kedzierski

Sunday, February 7, 2021

This week was my first week to start observing Mondays and Thursdays. My MT's classroom follows a schedule that provides a routine for the students. The day starts off with a morning meeting. During the meeting, students have an opportunity to share whatever they feel like sharing. On Monday, they talked about their weekend and what they did in the snow. The teacher shared some of her dogs' photos playing in the snow and how much snow accumulated at her front door. The students shared news of making snowmen with their parents, and one student said that he did a volcano in the snow with his mom. After the students had some time to talk, the teacher reviewed the schedule for the day. The review gives students the chance to ask questions about the schedule and determine what is expected from them on that day. The MT incorporated small groups during the day, and the meeting allows students to write down who has a meeting on that day and who will work independently. 

The morning meetings are essential for the students that provide constructive conversations. The meetings allow students to share important events from their lives and talk to the teacher and their peers. Also, listen and provide empathetic comments or ask clarifying questions. The meetings provide an opportunity for teamwork and additional time to practice social and emotional skills. Finally, the meetings allow the teacher to review the schedule and objectives for the day. The morning routine will definitely play an important part in my future classroom. 

The children listened to a read-aloud, Thank You Omu! by Oge Mora, during the Monarch Reading.

Week 2- Getting to Know More!

 Yasmine Mustafa

February 6, 2021

On Thursday, I was so excited to hop onto my Mt's class! I had such a great first day the last week that I was so excited to join them again. Although I wish we were in person my MT makes it a great effort to do just as well online! We started the day off with a question which was, "Would you rather eat a taco without cheese or without meat?" It was a great start to the class because the students had so much fun answering. On Thursday, I was able to do break out rooms with the students. I really enjoyed listening to them read to me. Before reading, I asked students some questions about the cover of the story and what they could assume the book would be about for those who have not read it yet. They did a great job doing so. While they were reading I stopped to ask questions to make sure the students were paying attention and engaging at all times. The students were awesome! I really enjoyed having a break out room with a few kids to work with. 

My MT does so much with her students, that they are so excited to come to class. Towards the end of the class, My MT created a word document for all her students to create funny taco sentences.  The students were so creative and hilarious! My MT does such an amazing job with her students that I am truly grateful for the opportunity to work alongside her. I know that it is only week two but, I have learned so much so far, that I am excited to see the rest of the semester! She has also provided me with tips and ideas for my future classroom that I will definitely carry on with me. My MT has such a great relationship with her students/families that my Mt and I stayed on Google Classroom an extra 45 minutes talking to one of the students and her parents. It was reassuring to see how much the parents confide in their child's teachers especially in these extraordinary times.

Week 2 – Getting Comfortable! More questions from the students..😊

 

By Brenda Johnson

February 5, 2021

I was so excited to join my MT’s class today. The students were equally eager to see me in their class again. They had so many questions for me, but my MT told them that we will save questions for me for the end of class. Today we continued the math lesson on money. We watched the same video as last week  and did a little more practice. My MT introduced the students to kahoot. They had fun doing it while learning some math skills. I will definitely use this when I teach my lesson(s).  In literacy, the students worked on their weekly spelling words. Students wrote the words, wrote down their definitions, draw or found their pictures from the internet, and made sentences with the words. I enjoyed being part of this lesson.

My Mt has an admirable relationship with her students. I was so impressed at how much/well she knew her students in spite of the fact that school teaching and learning have been happening virtually since the beginning of this school year. My MT also never seizes to amaze me with her classroom management. This kid kept saying he was sad, mad, very sad! He said it and also typed in the chat. Other kids started saying they were sad too. The class was becoming rowdy, my MT spoke to the kid that started this in a manner and with words that made every child on the call  feel love and a great sense of belonging. She later informed me that she reached out to the child’s family and found out that the reason behind his behavior in class. I thought it was nice the way she handled the whole situation. I can’t wait to join the class next week!

Week 2 - No More Jitters!

 February 5th, 2021

By: Kate Drish

The second week of observing my MT was just as great as the first! In such a short time, I've already become so comfortable with the students as well as with the content they are learning. It definitely helps that my MT posts the daily schedule so I am reminded of what to expect. My MT is also nice enough to post copies of the worksheets that the students do since I don't have the hard copies. I really appreciated that, as I was able to follow along and better assist the students when working with them in small groups. Every time I was in a breakout room, the students got excited that I was there to help them. We worked on the assignment together before spending some time to talk and get to know each other. In one of the breakout rooms, the students and I were talking about teachers because a family member of his was one. He said he wanted to become a teacher like me and my MT. When I asked him if he wanted to teach big kids or small kids, he said, "NOO, not big kids!!!" It made me giggle because I feel the same way. I will always love teaching the little ones. 

My MT informed me that she was going to be out the next two Thursdays, so I won't see her for two weeks. She gave me the opportunity to "take over" the class while she was gone. Though I'm still a bit nervous, I told her I would love too. Thankfully, I will have a sub to support me. It seems as though my MT has full confidence in me which is reassuring. I just hope that I am able to handle class the same way my MT would and that the students respond well to their teacher not being there. I'm also concerned about not having the exact materials on hand that the students do. Hopefully it will go smoothly, but I will update you all next week! I think it will be a great experience before I teach my first lesson in two weeks!

 

The students were learning about cause and effect within informational texts.