Weekly Reflection - February 10-14th

• Rate your overall experience of the week: 1-Very difficult | 5 – Great week

I would give this week a 4. It was tiring and stressful! I received my first unannounced observation this week, and it went pretty well. It is finally settling down that I have taken over full-time, and my students are getting used to me teaching. Overall, the week was good.

• Observe: What pleasant surprises / accomplishments did I achieve this week?

Although it seems small, I planned, and was able to successfully accomplish a "normal" 5 day week of teaching! Although this was my second week of full-time teaching, we were out last week due to bad weather and EdTPA Boot camp. I was able to teach everything I had planned, and did not have any major issues with executing these lessons! I feel that I am improving on my time-management skills, and building great relationships with my students.

• Reflect: What lessons did my work/experiences teach me that I will build upon next week?

After by observation this week, I realized that I had not been reflecting on my lessons with as
much detail as possible. I was reflecting on things that my students liked/disliked, but not
necessarily the data aspect and meeting the standards of each lesson. Next week,
I will plan to look at the data from assessments that I give to see if students need additional reviewing or are ready to move on. 

• Focus:  How are my short-term efforts and my long-term goals still aligned?

My short-term efforts and long-term efforts are still aligned. Talking about one of my goals, I want to pass EdTPA, and I have been working weekly on finishing this assignment so it will be ready for submission.

• Be Productive: What could I have spent more or less time doing?

As always, I could have spent more time working on EdTPA. It's becoming so overwhelming knowing that deadline is approaching and I do not to have as much done as I would like. I am always trying to make time to work on it, but always find myself working on lesson plans for the next week, trying my best to get them finished in a decent time.

• Have Courage:  How did apprehension and indecision impact what I did and didn’t do?
  This week, I feel as if I am gaining more and more courage in making academic decisions for
• students in my classroom. Over the past two weeks, we have been studying American Heroes, and I
• felt like some of my students needed some review over the two weeks, so when there was additional time
• before another lesson started, we reviewed the HOT Questions from all of the heroes.

• Begin Anew: What is the first logical step(s) for next week? What mental clutter can I clear?

The first logical step for next week is to complete a "to-do" list of things that I can complete on Monday for the teacher workday. I am planning to move my students around and rearrange desks, complete most or all of my lesson plans, and print all of the copies I will need for the week.

I can clear the mental clutter of stressing over the small things as I am getting used to taking over full time. I was worried about time management, behavior problems, etc. but my CE and I communicate to ensure that I am handling the situations appropriately when they arise.

Adapted from: Cernoff, M. (2013, August 7). 7 Questions to End Your Week With. . Retrieved July 21, 2014, from http://www.marcandangel.com/2013/08/08/7-questions-to-end-your-week-with/

• What were some data you analyzed this week and how did it help inform your instructional decisions?

This week, I looked at the most recent iStation scores for the 6 girls I have in my tier 2 reading group. I want to meet their needs as best as possible, so I was able to look at the specific areas of weakness to plan instruction for them in the upcoming weeks.

• What is one piece of advice you can share with other student teachers?

One piece of advice I would share with other teachers is to stay organized! I probably mentioned this before, but it is something that I am still struggling with. Make sure that everything you have printed is labeled, and placed in an area that you will be able to access it when needed. I am finding myself placing papers all over my classroom, and wasting planning time looking for things I have randomly placed for a lesson.

• NC Teacher Candidate Standards (be sure to reference activities from your lesson plans to solidify your answer)
• Standard 1: Teachers demonstrate leadership - Teachers lead in their classrooms. Taking over full time, I really cracked down of behavior issues this week. After my observation, I got the advice to use Class Dojo for individual students, instead of whole class. This has been a wonderful tool that has corrected a lot of behavior!
• Standard 2: Teachers Establish a Respectful Environment for a Diverse Population of Students - Each week, I try to build stronger relationships with each of my students. I feel that this week, I did a better job of this. I sit at lunch with my students every day to learn their interests and relate these things to the work my students are doing. 
• Standard 3: Teachers Know the Content They Teach - This week, we started a new unit in math. I LOVE teaching arrays, groups, and repeated addition. I have linked all of my instruction to the Standard Course of Study, and my students have been engaged using the new Smart Panel in the classroom. 
• Standard 4: Teachers Facilitate Learning for Their Students - Teachers use a variety of instructional methods - This week, my students used iPads, place value manipulatives, and more throughout the weeks of the lesson. 
• Standard 5: Teachers Reflect on Their Practice - Teachers analyze student learning. This week, I have done a lot of reflections on what my students have learned after the end of lessons. At the end of the day, I grade assessments and make notes of what students are understanding or need additional practice on. If needed, modify some things for the next days of lessons to aid those students who may need additional practice in a subject. 

• What components of your portfolio have you started to complete?

This week, I have started my parent communication log, and PDP plan to enter in my portfolio. I have created Google Documents for both of these, and plan to keep them updated throughout the semester.

• What support does your clinical educator need from your university supervisor?

My clinical educator does not need any specific support from my university supervisor at this time.

• What support do you need from your university supervisor?

I do not believe I need anything specific from my university supervisor at this time.