Week 9 & 10

Read a Louds:

• This week Hannah M had her second read a loud, where she read a passage from No Limits by Michael Phelps. It was a passage about how people say the want to be the best but few truly try and succeed, I really liked the passage and would use it as motivation before a big soccer game or when we are setting goals for the season.
• Hannah S also had her second read a loud, she choose the book Just Listen by Sarah Dessen. I LOVE Sarah Dessen's books!! The part she choose to read was about when the main character's sister is dealing with body issues and who she is. This was a good choice to read to the class because we were learning about barriers and body issues are barriers so it tied in very nicely to class.
• Mary Beth read Come Fly with Me by Satomi Ichikawa. This was a book about the weather and airplanes, which would make it a good book to read before a math lesson where you compare the rates of two trains or work on word problems.

Learning Experiences:

• In class we finished up learning about Special Ed this week but before we did we had the chance to met with the adaptive P.E. teacher. She showed us video of the kids during P.E. and how she has changed various activities to allow them to do them. Then she took us to the Special Ed rooms to visit with the kids, which was really good! Hannah and I decided that we were going to start helping out with P.E. during our study halls. I really enjoy it! We also started working on our presentations of the barriers to the class. Jordan and I had teen pregnancy which was really interesting to look at all the statistics and how many young girls have babies each year. That is all I really got to do this week because I got sick and was out for three classes :(

Current Event:

• http://bangordailynews.com/2012/10/11/news/midcoast/school-district-sending-entire-staff-to-technology-conference/
• I really like what this school district is doing by sending their teachers to the conference. I think it is a good idea so that way the teachers can better engage their students. A lot of times I feel like we have the technology but we don't always know how much we could be utilizing it. I think our district does a pretty good job incorporating technology in the classrooms but not all districts are as fortunate.

Quote of the Week:

"Education is not the filling of a pail,but the lighting of a fire."
-Wiliam Butler Yeats

• I really like this quote because education isn't just about talking and hoping that your students grasp it, it is making sure the understand and have something to build upon. It is also about engaging your students and wanting them to be inspired and continue to learn.

Observations:

• While I was working with the kids who have special education I realized how some people just ignore them and treat them differently when all they want is is to be treated like everyone else. They really can do more than you think.

Reflection:

• I'm looking forward to helping out with P.E. now that I'm not sick anymore. It is hard to miss a lot of school especially in a class like teacher cadets because we do so much each class.

Week 7 & 8

Read a louds:

•  On the sixteenth day of class Mrs. Jackson read One by Kathryn Otashi. This was a simple book with simple concepts but it had a strong message about bullying, it only takes one person to stand up against a bully. This book used colors and numbers as characters, so it would be a good book to use in a math lesson for younger kids or maybe in an art lesson where you learn to make the different colors from the primary colors.
• On the seventeenth day of class Sarah read Your are Special by Max Lucado. This was a story about wooden people and if you did some thing well then you received a star and if you did some thing bad you would get dots. Well the main character had a lot of dots, when one day he meet a girl who did not have any thing on her. She took him to the wood carver who told the boy it didn't what the others labeled him, all that mattered was what the carver thought. This would be a good introduction to a lesson about self image and self worth.
• On the eighteenth day of class Margaret read The Very Little Boy by Phyllis Krasilovsky. This book was about how every one feels so small and powerless when they are younger but eventually they will become bigger and more powerful. You could use this in an activity about height and track the students height all year long. Also this could be used in a science lesson where you give students a seed and watch it grow into a plant.

Learning Experiences:

•  In class we had a disability day which was very enlightening. I used to think that people with physical handicaps could just use the elevator instead of stairs, but its harder than that. When I was in the wheel chair trying to roll up the ramp I broke a sweat. When we had to put the goggles on to see what it was like to have a vision impairment I felt so alone and scared because I couldn't see anything, like I had to put the book up to my face to read the title. We also had to do a maze in the mirror without looking at the maze, which made you feel like some one who has a dyslexia. This was very frustrating because you had to learn how to move your hand in the opposite direction than what you saw. It was also frustrating when you had to pick a letter out of a bag while you were blind folded. It was so frustrating because a lot of the letters look similar so it was hard to distinguish between the two. We also spent several days talking about autism and how we do not know what exactly causes it. I think it is so awesome that kids with autism are being able to show how they feel finally with the help of technology, especially with ipads.

Current Event:

• http://www.forbes.com/sites/michaelvenables/2012/10/09/engineers-study-lego-bricks/
• I find the article to be very true and I don't see why other teachers have not thought of it! Lego's are a great way to get kids involved and keep their attention. This is also a good way to have students test their theories on how they would build some thing for example in an engineering or science class.

Quote of the Week:

• "The beautiful thing about learning is that no one can take it away from you."
  B.B. King
• This quote is so simple but so perfect and true about education. Once you learn something, no one can ever take it back. It also relates to the fact that knowledge is power so when you learn some thing you have power over the others.

Observations:

• Now that I am more knowledgeable about those with special needs I am noticing than more and more people may have a special need and they have just hidden it. It is great to see that people can over come their disability and live a normal and happy life.

Reflection:

• Learning about special needs has made me realize how hard it is on the parents of kids with special needs. Also when we learned about all the paperwork that teachers have to do to make an IEP for their students, especially when my mom is one of them.

Week 5 & 6

Read-alouds

• On the eleventh day of class Lexie read Who said Moo? by Harriet Ziefert and Simms Taback. It was a really cute story that would be perfect for preschool kids who are learning about animals and the sounds they make. The lines in the book were very simple so it would be a good book to help some one learn how to read.
• On the twelfth day of class I had my read about! I read Cosmo's Moon by Devin Scillian, which was one of my favorite books when I was little. I really liked it because the author signed it and I loved the pictures. Cosmo's Moon was a story about a boy who had a moon following him, which affected certain things in the story. Since the book talks about the effects the moon has on things, I would use it as an introduction into an astronomy lesson.
• On the thirteenth day of class Hannah S. read Muddy Paws by Mira Butterfield. It was a story about a boy who just got a puppy and was trying to name it. He kept asking others what he should name him and then he decided to name him after one of his own traits. It would be a good book when you are talking about who you are as a person with a class. You could have them write a journal entry about why they think they have the name they have. I loved this book because it had such a cute puppy in it!!
• On the fourteenth day of class Sandy read The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle. I remember hearing this book alot in school when I was younger. The story is very simple but it would be a good book to use in a science lesson about butterflies. After reading this story to a class you could have some caterpillars and watch them change into butterflies. I remember when we watched them change in to butterflies when I was in second grade. I also really liked how the pages weren't full pages, it made the book so much more interactive.
• On the fifteenth day of class Ellory read A Little Something Different by Cathy Scott. First of all, it was really cool that her mom wrote the book! The book talked about two characters, one who was normal and the other who was really small. It talked about how they could use their differences to accomplish something. I really liked the book because it talked about their abilities and not their disabilities with their sizes. This would be a good story to show how when you work together you can accomplish something that you may not have been able to working alone. It would be good for a math lesson as well, you could give the class a work sheet to show which one is smaller and bigger.

Learning Experiences

• In class we learned about different learning styles and multiple intelligences, which we did an activity to learn what style of learning we had. It was interesting to see how other people in the class learned. We also developed lessons to teach to the class that incorporated multiple intelligences. I created a lesson where I read a book while showing the pictures on the smart board. Then Amanda placed different types of Jolly Ranchers around the class room and had the class identify with what flavor they felt most like. It showed me that a lot of planning goes in to making a lesson to teach.

Current Event

• http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2012/09/26/05personalize_ep.h32.html
• I found this article to be very interesting, but also very true. I know it helps when your teachers get to know you as more than just a kid in a seat. When my pre-cal teacher uses examples that dealt with soccer I remembered them more because I made a connection with them. I think that personalizing education is very beneficial to those who struggle especially in math because that can be very challenging for some.

Quote of the Week

• "Be the first one to the window" -Carol Jackson
• I really liked this quote because when Mrs. Jackson said it in person you could tell she truly believed that. Also I liked it because teachers who incorporate whats going on around them always make learning easier and more fun.

Observations

• After talking about the different learning styles and how people learned, I realized that I like it  when I have shorter notes and bullets. I do not like when I take notes in rows. I also realized that most people learned better when they can move around and group up with people who are similar to them, when I taught my lesson in class in realized that the class responded better when there was movement involved and of course, food!

Reflection

• Fabulous Food Friday is always soo good! I also really like reading the about The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night, it's really cool to see things how some one with autism does and how they write.

Week 3 & 4

Read-alouds

• On the sixth day of  class Selina read Kitten's First Full Moon by Kevin Henkes. The story was about Kitten thinking that the moon was a bowl of milk, which she was trying to get. This was a very cute story with really good black, white and gray illustrations. You could use this in an art class when you are studying color schemes. This could also be used as an introduction to an activity about giving directions, just like the ones that described Kitten's actions.
• On the seventh day of class Taylor read I Knew You Could by Craig Dorfman. This was a story about a train traveling through several different obstacles along his way. One of them was learning to accept his abilities as a train. You could use this in a journal activity where the class responds to a time they were scared or unsure and how they over came it.
• On the eighth day of class Amanda read Mr. Tall and Mr. Small by Barbara Brenner. In the first part of the story Mr. Tall and Mr. Small were bragging about their abilities to the other, but when a forest fire came they had to rely on the other to get out safely. Through out the story there were a lot of comparisons between tall and small so this could be used in a lesson about opposites or comparing and contrasting.
• On the ninth day of class Kyle read Big Black Bear by Wong Herbert Hee. This is was really good read-aloud because Kyle was really well practiced and had different voices for each character. The Big Black Bear in the story did want he wanted to without considering others feelings. This book could be used in a lesson to help teach manners to the students.
• On the tenth day of class Hannah  read The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn. This story was about a raccoon afraid to go to school because he would miss his mother while he was there. His mother kissed his hand and said when you miss me just look at your kissing hand and my love will be with you. This would be a really good book to give as a gift to someone when you leave for college because it is a way to tell someone that you love them and will miss them when your gone. This would be a good introduction to a lesson about overcoming your fears or about nocturnal animals.

Learning Experiences

• These two past weeks in class we have been learning about self-esteem and self-worth. In class we did skit about self-esteem, which was a fun way to let our creative side out. My group did a skit to the book I'm Gonna Like Me by Jamie Lee Curtis. We decided to pick different characters from the book that some what resembled ourselves. It was fun to act out and to watch the other groups work on theirs.

Current Event

• http://www.edweek.org/tm/articles/2012/09/11/fp_mixon_football.html?tkn=LOCFwUVMFoRbEED5q%2BdzPYb0%2BO91UiWAJFvm&cmp=clp-sb-teacher
• This article talks about how teachers can help tailor their lessons to help their students, just like football coaches do. Teachers should plan their lesson to have some built in feedback to gage the success of the lesson. They should also be able to increase the activity level to challenge them or to slow it down so more people can grasp the concept. I wish some of my teachers did this because some times you take too long with one thing or you go way too fast for the students to understand. I think school can always be related to sports to help your students understand.

Quote of the Week

• "Tell me and I'll forget. Show me, and I may not remember. Involve me, and I'll understand."
-Native American Saying
• I think this quote needs to be shared with teachers everywhere because just telling a student something doesn't mean they grasped the concept. Same with showing them, I personally learn better when I am engaged and involved in a lesson than when I am just sitting in a desk and listening.

Observations

• In these past two weeks I noticed that a girl was dressing differently than others at school. And then the next couple days I continued to notice her more and more. She wasn't afraid to be her self and wasn't going to change to fit in. This made me smile because she was going to stay true to her self -concept, which we talked about in class.

Reflections

• I just love Teacher Cadet class because it is so engaging and fun. I really like doing the in class skits alot and I loved having Fabulous Food Friday. Also the pot notes are as great as everyone said they were. I'm really looking forward to our field trip this coming Friday.

Week 1 & 2

Read-alouds

• On the first day of class Mrs. Jackson read to us Through the Cracks by Carolyn Solloman. It was about a girl who had "fallen through the cracks" in her school, which was a metaphor about how she really did not fit in with the teaching style. While she was "in the cracks" she met a friend whom helped her find fun and engaging classes. I think this was a good book to read on the first day of school because we were working direction connection and it made myself more aware to look for kids who had "fallen through the cracks". It would be a good book to use as a segway in to an activity about different types of learning.
• On the second day of class Mrs. Jackson read Mrs. Spitzer's Garden by Edith Pattou to the class. Mrs. Spitzer's Garden is story of a teacher who knows how to make gardens grow and flourish every year. Mrs. Spitzer is also able to help her students grow and flourish by giving them love and care. This would be a great book to read on the first day of school to the students like Mrs. Jackson did.
• On the third day of class Mrs. Jackson read My Losing Season by Pat Conroy. This real-aloud was different than the first one she read, it was an excerpt from Pat Conroy's book as opposed to a picture book. The excerpt was of Mr. Conroy talking about a teacher who inspired him. The teacher caused him to work hard all year long, and finally he realized that all his hard work had paid off. Mr. Conroy thinks that that teacher was one of the best teachers he had because he caused Mr. Conroy to push himself in his academics. I share a similar experience to Mr. Conroy with my English teacher from last year, so I too can appreciate a hard teacher. You could use this book in a class at the beginning of the year to foreshadow what a class's year ahead might be like. Or you could use as a motivational speech to show how hard work will pay off for a class or sports team.
•  On the fourth day of class Melanie read the story Teacher's Pet by D. Jakobs. When she first told us the title I was honestly thinking it was going to be a story about a student who tries to flatter the teacher. But instead it was a story about actually pets and the different activities they were able to do at school. It was be a good book to lead into an activity about pets and what they can do.
• On the fifth day of class Cortni read These Hands by Hope Lynn Price. It was a story showing how our hands are used in daily activities. I really liked this because it made me realize that our hands can do so many things. You could use this as an opening into an anatomy lesson or you could use it as an example for a writing activity about what your hands can do.

Learning Experiences

• These first two weeks of class were great! I was actually glad to come to school and especially Teacher Cadet class. This week we got to learn alot about the qualities that make up good teachers. I think we were able to determine what makes a good teacher by having some great teachers and some not so great. We also learned alot about our classmates, we are starting to become a family. We did a paper bag activity where you put words, pictures, and objects that help describe you as a complete person. Ir was a great opportunity to get a glimpse of some one's and what they want in life.

Current Event

•  http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/campaign-k-12/2012/08/romney_2.html
• In this article it talks about presidental canidate Mitt Romeny's effort to allow students to pick which schools they go to. He compared it to buying milk in the store where you have 1%, 2% skim, whole, and chocolate. He believes that it will help increase the academic performance, which it has is Massachuesetts. I think this is personally a good idea because it allows students to pick a school that has programs that interest them, will may help increase academic performance.

Qoute of the Week

"Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world." -Nelson Mandela

• I love this quote! It is so simple yet so powerful. It is so true that education and what you do with it can change the world. Education often leads to inspiration to change something big or small. Facebook was invented while Mark Zuckerburg was in college working on this education.

Observations

• In one of my classess this week I saw a kid about to fall through the cracks, but then the teacher went over and helped them one on one. I feel like this has probably happened more than once in some of my classes but this was just not the first time I was realizing it. It made my day when the teacher made sure he didn't fall through. I am glad we have teachers like that at Dutch Fork.

Reflections

• These two past weeks have been great! I loved all the activities we did in class to get to know our classmates. I really got to know people alot better and make new friends. I really liked working direction connection as well because I felt like I was actually helping some one on their first days of school. I think this year is going to be so much fun!

Welcome!

Welcome to my blog for Teacher Cadets! I am a senior at Dutch Fork High School. I am not really planning on being a teacher when I get older but I thought it would be a good experience. I plan to be a nurse practioner in the field of pediatric endocrinology. I feel that Teacher Cadets would be a good experince because I can learn how to interact with children better.