Mrs. G's class: This is how I will be able to tell you about what is going on in Ireland - through videos!
Hopefully, we will be able to set up a live session, too!
Preparing for Lift Off!
Sunday, October 10, 2010
I thought that maybe posting a little background about my semester would be a good idea before everything gets really hectic in 19 days when I leave for Ennis, Ireland where I will be completing my semester of student teaching!
I am teaching at the second grade level, as I was last year, and therefore I have become very familiar with the curriculum and standards that these students are learning and working toward. Currently, I am solely in charge of teaching mathematics and phonetics in the classroom. I am also picking up a majority of the language arts, social studies, and science lessons. We are working on our basic addition and subtraction facts in Math, a unit focused on soil in science, a rules, laws, and government unit in social studies, long and short vowel sounds in phonetics, and reading for comprehension in language arts. Each day is a full plate of hard work and learning for these second graders, but my mentor teacher and I make sure that there is a lot of time for laughs in between.
This semester has been so rewarding thus far, and I cannot wait to see what the next three weeks bring, as well.
On a side note - I have heard a lot of funny, thoughtful, and insightful things from my students over the past month - but there was one comment that really resonated with me. It was on a Friday a few weeks ago, walking out to the buses with one group of students. One boy from my class turned to me and said, "I really like school, I don't want to go home." I was so shocked that all I could come up with was, "Oh that's so great! Can't wait to see you on Monday!".
I would have liked to talk to him about it and see what he really liked about school, but there was no time. Instead, I am left to conclude that the child likes school because we (the teachers) make it an enjoyable experience. Sure, all of the students' friends are in school with them and that can be fun - but it is about the environment that they play, work, think, and try new things in that makes it truly enjoyable. Teachers are a big part of that enjoyable experience... and hearing from a student that we have done our jobs correctly is the best feeling in the world... and I went home that Friday with a huge smile on my face, not wanting to leave school either =)
Photo credit: http://www.trantham.net/Ireland_Photos.htm
(I do not own this image)
Right now I am teaching in Central Pennsylvania. I completed my pre-student teaching at this school and I am now in the process of completing my student teaching here, as well. Needless to say, I absolutely love it! The teachers are all welcoming and friendly and any outsider can easily see that these women are a close group of educators who love what they do and love those that they teach.
I am teaching at the second grade level, as I was last year, and therefore I have become very familiar with the curriculum and standards that these students are learning and working toward. Currently, I am solely in charge of teaching mathematics and phonetics in the classroom. I am also picking up a majority of the language arts, social studies, and science lessons. We are working on our basic addition and subtraction facts in Math, a unit focused on soil in science, a rules, laws, and government unit in social studies, long and short vowel sounds in phonetics, and reading for comprehension in language arts. Each day is a full plate of hard work and learning for these second graders, but my mentor teacher and I make sure that there is a lot of time for laughs in between.
This semester has been so rewarding thus far, and I cannot wait to see what the next three weeks bring, as well.
On a side note - I have heard a lot of funny, thoughtful, and insightful things from my students over the past month - but there was one comment that really resonated with me. It was on a Friday a few weeks ago, walking out to the buses with one group of students. One boy from my class turned to me and said, "I really like school, I don't want to go home." I was so shocked that all I could come up with was, "Oh that's so great! Can't wait to see you on Monday!".
I would have liked to talk to him about it and see what he really liked about school, but there was no time. Instead, I am left to conclude that the child likes school because we (the teachers) make it an enjoyable experience. Sure, all of the students' friends are in school with them and that can be fun - but it is about the environment that they play, work, think, and try new things in that makes it truly enjoyable. Teachers are a big part of that enjoyable experience... and hearing from a student that we have done our jobs correctly is the best feeling in the world... and I went home that Friday with a huge smile on my face, not wanting to leave school either =)
Photo credit: http://www.trantham.net/Ireland_Photos.htm
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