Weekly Reflection - February 24th-28th

Week of Reflection: (list the date of the Friday for week just completed)

Weekly Reflection- Week of February 24th-28th

  

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

I would rate this week a 3. It has been so stressful. My class attended swim lessons Monday-Friday, which took away about two hours of instructional time. Additionally, we had a parent event on Friday and lots of preparation throughout the week to get everything ready. Overall, the week was stressful on top of getting everything done for EdTPA.

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

This week, I was proud of myself for working so hard to get everything finished at school, as well as staying grounded after school to complete as much work as I could. I utilized all of my instructional time at school, as well as worked about 5-6 hours after school to write lesson plans and EdTPA.

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

This week I started writing lesson plans on Saturday night, and I was able to get almost all of them done by Tuesday night. This helped me clear my mind a lot, and focus on EdTPA for the remainder of the week.

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

My goals are still aligned to pass EdTPA, and finish lesson plans in a timely manner. This week I have worked on EdTPA more than anything, making sure that I have everything ready to submit by next week.

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

I feel like I managed my time very well this week. I knew that EdTPA was the main priority, and I decided to put as much time as I could into completing all of the tasks.

• • Have Courage:  How did apprehension and indecision impact what I did and didn’t do?

With so much going on at school and BSE and GWU this week, I had a lot of apprehension that not everything would get finished. With the time allowed, I was able to successfully catch up on the work that was missed because of school the Friday before, as well as teach everything that needed to be done this week.

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

The logical steps for next week is to begin finalizing everything for EdTPA. I need to make sure that my documents are properly labeled, and everything is finalized for submission. The mental clutter I can clear is getting past the stress of a mini field-trip every day this week, as well as the parent event that was finished on Friday afternoon.

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

This week, I looked at the progress reports that each student was sent home with. I looked at the grades to see what students need supports or additional help for the rest of the nine weeks in order for them to pull their grades up.

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

One piece of advice I would share is to make a to-do list of everything that needs to be submitted for EdTPA. As you read through commentaries and documents, check off what you have, and what you still need to complete in order to have everything ready to submit.

• NC Teacher Candidate Standards (be sure to reference activities from your lesson plans to solidify your answer)
• • Standard 1 - Teachers lead in their classrooms - This week, I was able to lead in my classroom by making sure that all academic work was completed, due to the time restraints of swimming lessons every day this week. I upheld high expectations for my students to complete their work and not be distracted by the activities planned for the week.
  • Standard 2 - Teacher provide a nurturing environment - This week was so exciting for my students. I felt as if I was able to build stronger relationships with my students as we were outside of the classroom every day. This definitely made our schedule flexible, not knowing exactly what time we would be returning each day.
  • Standard 3 - Teachers align their content with the North Carolina Standard Course of Study - This week, I was able to continue to integrate the Social Studies Standards into ELA during our American Heroes projects and parent event.
  • Standard 4- Use a variety of instructional methods - This week, I was able to implement a lot of technology and activities into lessons. Students were watching videos, using manipulatives, and interacting with peers to learn new information.
  • Standard 5 - Teachers function in a complex environment - This week, I tried to integrate fun and new things into my lesson plans. For my WIN groups, I engaged my students in working on a "place value breakfast" to build numbers. This new lesson presentation engaged my students, and they became so excited to learn about place value! 
• Other:
• • What components of your portfolio have you started to complete?

This week, I was able to work on my parent communication log, as well as update my PD log for some previous meetings that I have attended throughout the school year.

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

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

• • What support do you need from your university supervisor?

I do not need any specific support from my university supervisor at this time.