Haven't Forgotten

I haven't forgotten about-cha. I'm trying to figure out how to edit my photos to block my students' faces. Haha! I'm working on it. I think I found a program that might work that came with this computer! :D! Any suggestions would be helpful. Haha!

Simple Kinder Centers Pt. 1

Okay. In the last blog, I said that I was gonna post pictures of my centers. So, I'll start now. :)
Again, let me remind you that I am not a master teacher. I, technically, have not officially taught as a teacher. Since I subbed in kinder for like 8 months, the centers are designed to meet the Common Core Math standards for Kindergarten. These centers are no where nearly as amazing as all of the stuff that teachers post on my favorite website, TpT, or if you follow all of the amazing teachers that post awesome things. Haha! :D But these centers I'm presenting to you are made with things that are in every classroom. I didn't need to make or spend lots of time on them. 


Alright... I'm ready.


First center: Counting

Standards Met When Working by Self:
K.CC.1. Count to 100 by ones and by tens.
K.CC.4. Understand the relationship between numbers and quantities; connect counting to cardinality.

• When counting objects, say the number names in the standard order, pairing each object with one and only one number name and each number name with one and only one object.
• Understand that the last number name said tells the number of objects counted. The number of objects is the same regardless of their arrangement or the order in which they were counted.
• Understand that each successive number name refers to a quantity that is one larger.

Standards When Working with Adult or with Each Other:

K.CC.5. Count to answer “how many?” questions about as many as 20 things arranged in a line, a rectangular array, or a circle, or as many as 10 things in a scattered configuration; given a number from 1–20, count out that many objects

K.CC.6. Identify whether the number of objects in one group is greater than, less than, or equal to the number of objects in another group, e.g., by using matching and counting strategies.

Materials:
21 Plates (I used plates, but some other teachers used cheap place mats or cups or card stock/construction paper)

Permanent Marker

Math Manipulatives (I had an abundance of counting tiles so I used those)

On each plate, I wrote the numbers 0-20 at the center using a permanent marker. Then the student would see the number and count out the math manipulatives to place on the plate. I encouraged my students to have each other check their work before moving on to the next plate.
If I was able to work with the kiddos at this center, I would ask how many questions as well as get the students to compare the numbers. This goes for all the students at the center.

Accommodations:

-For low students: Provide them with a few plates. So, for example, I had a student who can't count past 8 consistently and struggle with one-to-one correspondence. I gave them a different set of plates numbered 0-10, with dots drawn on the plate corresponding with the number (to count to help connect with number recognition and the 1-to-1), and only worked with them on these plates until the student was able to count higher, adding additional numbers as the student improved. At the end of the year, I gave the student the plates to take home in hopes of practicing over the summer.

-For high students: They would receive additional plates with higher numbers, since the kinder standard is to count to 20. If my kiddo mastered counting, I would pull them aside to practice addition and subtraction depending on skill level, using plates and the tiles.

So... yeah... That's it. Pretty simple, huh? Haha! :) This center worked well for me in my classroom and was easy to manipulate to meet the student's needs. 

Wow. It's been a really long time since I've posted. Like, a really long time. As I write this, I'm wrapping up my first year (even though it doesn't count). This year, I started off subbing for a first grade classroom for a teacher that was no longer there. So, I was able to build a classroom with the help of all the amazing teachers and staff at my school. The school I am at is the school where I student taught at. Is there a better place? Haha! Anywho, I taught first grade for six weeks and then was moved to a kindergarten class, where the class was built for me in October. And I've been the long term sub for this class since then. I LOVE IT! Although, this year was really tough with all of the testing and publicity that my school has gotten (and so very thankful for all the support we received). But I wouldn't change it for anything.
But, now the school year is wrapping up (four and a half days with kids, five days I'll be there total) and I've been feeling the pressure build. I want to teach. That is what I want to do. There is no doubt in my mind that THIS is what I want to do.  However, I am coming to my first roadblock that might set me back. There are no places that are hiring. I'm so bummed. But, that's okay. I have learned so much this school year and I'll take it with me where ever I go. I will promise this: I will try to make blogging more of a habit for me. Haha! I follow some really awesome teachers who blog on a regular basis and I hope to be like them one day: teaching and blogging. :) One of my other goals will be to post pictures of the activities I have made this school year. Granted they're not the business. I wasn't able to create elaborate center activities or lesson plans because of the madness. But they're easy enough to whip out whenever and where ever without needing to print things out or anything. Things that can be found around any classroom. I will do my best!

For those who are finishing up their school year, hang in there. And for those that are done... well... :P

Student Teaching

Oh wow. I just started my fifth week of student teaching. After this, I will be one-third of the way done! It is going by so fast. But, it has truly been amazing.

My first two weeks I spent getting back into the swing of things. I kinda did what I did during my second Practicum, where I floated, helped students, and took over small routines in the classroom. However, during my second week, I was given the job of being the line leader and take the students to their specials (i.e., art, music, PE, and library) every day. At first, I was terrified! How the heck am I suppose to get 32 five-year olds from one side of the school to the over in just a matter of a few minutes?! But, I did it and I have been doing it. Haha! Somehow. :]

January 13th started the next step in student teaching where I take over one subject and teach it every day. I ended up teaching math. I have been using a packaged Math program called enVision math. It is a pretty popular math program that this school district uses. It's like Saxon math. enVision math has quite a few components to it and I actually really like the program. Everything comes ready for the teacher to use with hardly any preparation. But, my mentor teacher (MT) doesn't use enVision. She uses mostly Saxon math. So, enVision was not what my students were use to. Anyways, before I taught my very first math lesson, my MT and I spent a good half hour trying to find all the materials and everything that goes with it. It came time to teaching my math lesson and holy crap! I didn't have enough materials. I figured "no sweat, we'll just do it all together as a class on one paper." Uh... no. That didn't work out so great. I got really flustered and the kids caught on really fast. Let's just say that my first lesson was a bust. Lesson learned: Count your materials!

I learned from this crappy first lesson and improved my next few lessons. My MT evaluated me every lesson that  first week and by my fourth lesson she had a tough time trying to give me criticism on what I need to improve on. So, I have been trying like CrAzY to make sure all my lessons match that lesson. One way I have achieved this is by rearranging my students schedule. We use to do math in the afternoon, however now we do math at 9:30 in the morning and that has mad a HUGE difference in student participation and focus. I actually think that my MT might consider keeping this schedule after I'm done with student teaching.

Today was my first day of the next stage of student teaching. Today I have started teaching two subjects everyday. I know teach math and reading, as well as have taken over many of the daily routines. Now, my teacher moves freely in and out the classroom (more out recently because we're testing for progress reports and such), and it's so exciting for me! I love when it is just my students and me. My site facilitator came in to observe me during my math lesson. Last semester, she thought I didn't teach, but today was a surprise for her! She gave me awesome reviews and said that she enjoyed my lesson! It is really comforting knowing that I'm doing something right and that this (being a teacher) is really what I want to do. I'm enjoying it every minute! And I am learning so much and I will never ever forget this experience!

Oh! I'm also using and becoming comfortable with the SMARTboard! If you don't know what that is, it is like an interactive whiteboard/ touchscreen computer. It is so much fun! I mainly use it for math because enVision has many of the interactive components of their program online. My kids absolutely love coming up to the board just even to touch it. So, I use this to my advantage. Haha! It makes sure I have the 100% participation 100% of the time, which is the big main goal. And many times I am reaching this goal because of the use of the SMARTboard.

So, my next step in student teaching will be in two weeks. This step is the bulk of student teaching. I will be teaching all day every day for three weeks. It is going to be such a rush! I can't wait!

:)

Getting Ready for Student Teaching

So, I start my student teaching January 3rd. My second practicum ended earlier this month, but I've still been visiting my kinder class twice a week. I stayed with them all day the Friday before they went out on break. It was really exciting seeing the school and my class get ready for Christmas. On Monday (12/13), the principal came into my class and read them The Polar Express and gave the kids bells to wear around their necks. (You'll have to read it to find out the importance of the bell. :P)

Then, on Friday, I stayed all day. It was fun! I got to see how to run a party, which my mentor teacher can do so easily! For the Christmas gift that my students gave to their parents, it was a super cute idea. I'm totally going to steal it. Last year (and again this year), the student would receive a blank ball ornament (this year we used silver). Then we took some green paint and painted a hand of the student. The student would place their hand on ornament leaving their hand print. How cute is that?! I'm totally going to steal that idea! It's cheap on the teacher salary but cute!

But, yeah! I'm excited for student teaching! I will be with my kindergarten class for it. I'll be there all day, every day. I can't wait! Student teaching will end April 15. Graduation is May 14. Even though I'll be done with student teaching and even graduated, I still plan on going back to see my class and how my mentor teacher finishes the school year.

Oh, and if you want some giggles, this website it AWESOME! http://whatdidthatkidjustsay.blogspot.com/

Soooo Behind

Oh, man! I apologize for slacking on this blog. I've been busy, busy! But, my semester/Practicum 2 has now ended! :) Yay!

Quite a lot has happened since my last posting. I taught quite a few lessons! One Friday, I went and stayed all day. Well, my mentor teacher had a meeting all morning long, so I ended up teaching the class for the first half of the day! And, then later on, I taught a science lesson, which was a bust, but I was really excited because my kids were working together in small teams! Woo!

Overall, this practicum has been a very fun and awesome experience! I'm looking forward taking over the classroom in about a month! :)

Quick Post

Lost a kinder teacher, now up to 30 kindergartners! Ahhh!!! But, it's all okay. I'm beyond nervous about any whole class lessons I have to do. Haha! :)
First kinder field trip on Thursday to the Las Vegas Natural History Museum . That should be very interesting! But, definitely looking forward to it!
Probably will be doing my first formal small group instruction tomorrow. Excited for that too! I have three students I'll specifically be working with (it's part of a semester long project).
And, yeah! That's pretty much all that is going on!
Off to class now! Will post about the field trip. :)