First 2 Days at Practicum Site

Previously I mentioned that my Practicum Site is at North Salem High School aka North. haha. Yesterday was my first day! I've been so exhausted that I haven't been blogging... Time to catch up.

Fire Drill @ North [9.29.11]

It has been quite the experience being back in a high school.  I was getting used to being at Waldo Middle School with the younger students... When I arrived on-campus yesterday at 7AM I was excited, sleepy, & curious about how my day will go. I forgot how old high schoolers look! I guess they are "young adults," but maybe at North they just look like adults to me... But really... some of the students look so much older. 


Anyhoo... enough about that... so on Thursday I stayed with my mentor teacher all day.  She teaches a Robotics class for 1st period, then a variety of math classes the rest of the day. I will be taking over one of her Geometry classes, which I am looking forward to! Today I went around to observe other teachers around the school.  I went to a different Geometry class, Newcomer ELL class, AP Stats class, and PE.  It was quite the day.  For the past two days... after lunch I felt so tired that I was practically falling asleep in class... as I was observing? OH MY... so embarrassing... The AP Stats class asked for my opinion... and I had no idea he was talking to me... ><" It was funny though. Hopefully, I will be used to being up early on Monday & Tuesday. I think I have been extra tired after lunch because I haven't had time to eat breakfast... I need to get up earlier? oy vey... Besides all that I am thankful that my mentor teacher is very supportive and I am grateful for her deciding to mentor me in this process of my teacher education... 

Teacher Area of my Geometry Classroom 

The Classroom!!! Room 123

inter.VIEW

Yes, I had an interview today for a tutoring position. It was a group interview, and it went pretty quick! The organization that I interviewed with came about after the NCLB (No Child Left Behind) Act.  It's designed to raise math & reading levels in Title 1 schools who did not raise the scores that met adequate yearly progress scores. Oh yeah~ there's an incentive for students who participate in the program... a free iPod Touch. Lucky lucky!

Cooperating Teacher Notes for ME!

Today I was feeling a bit sluggish... even with the FRS energy chews! I stayed up last night playing Angry Birds. haha. :) That was my choice... Anyhoo... today in one class period a lot of the students reminded me of some Step Up students I know!! AND I received a message from a student today inviting me to visit the school the student is currently at! What a coincidence!!!  I led two warm-ups today for Math 3. My cooperating teacher gave me some notes from observing me yesterday... here it is.


I also went to the 2nd Period 6th Grade ESL Language Arts class to observe a bit and help out a bit here and there.  There is one student who asked me last week... "Are you Asian?" I said, "Yes!"  He replied, "What kind are you?" haha. He's Asian too, and when I was in the room again today I noticed he is more physical with the other boys and verbally aggressive... AND as he was telling me about his parents and grandparents he was calmer and focused.  Randomly when the teacher was talking he turned around and looked at me and asked, "How old are you?" 


I have just started getting to know the students better and knowing their names!! It'll be hard to fathom that I won't be back in their classes until DECEMBER??? eeeeeesh... There is a volleyball game and football game next week that I will go to. Hopefully, I can stay connected through going to games and tutoring. 

Warm-Ups

Sunflowers!

It was a bit gloomy and rain-Y the past few days... Thank God the sun came back out... because I was certainly feeling the SADness coming into my life.  I don't want that right now.  There is a garden full of sunflowers at Waldo. They are soooo tall and lovely! You just can't help but smile. :)


Today I was able to lead the warm-ups for the four Math 3 classes! It was quite the experience.  I need more practice facilitating the classroom, and I need more time to get to know the students' names. I hope tomorrow goes better, but you just never know what could happen.  Some students could be having a good day today, and then a bad day tomorrow or their mood could vary between periods.  Even though I was in my Cooperating Teacher's class the whole day it went by quick since I was able to lead the warm-ups in the beginning and help circulate around the classroom.  It will be interesting to see how tomorrow goes... stay tuned!

The Door (View from Inside the Classroom)

This picture is just the picture of the door as you leave the classroom. Above the door it says "Working Together, Making Connections, Realizing Dreams."  That's their school motto.  You see it when you enter the front doors to the school.


I got a call today to interview for a tutoring position. I applied somewhat randomly to see what would happen... I am not sure how I will find the time to tutor, and it is something that I really want to do.  I'm sure I mentioned it somewhere in a previous post.  Well, I'll go to the interview tomorrow and see how it goes. I would ideally want to tutor at Waldo, so I hope that works out. :) OH!!! UPDATE: It looks like it's a go for being in the ESL Language Arts class for one period for my Student Teaching experience. I'll have to chat with my Cooperating Teacher what periods he's thinking about having me take over... Things are coming along. alhamdullilah

Elvis MATH

I was at my Pre-Student Teaching Site today, and after school I went to hang out with a friend in my cohort. I returned home around 6, and decided to take a nap... and I woke up at midnight!!! OH MY...


EARLIEEEERRR Today... I met the ESL/ELD Teacher and helped/ observed his 3rd period ESL Language Arts class that I could take over next semester.  They were an active group of 6th graders, and it was fun to observe and help a bit.  I also observed another teacher's Math 3 class, and a Math INTENSE (I Need To Employ New Skills Everyday) class.  The day goes by quickly, and there are moments when it goes by slooooowwwly...


In my cooperating teacher's class we did the warm-up, went over some homework, and did Elvis math.  Almost every student asked, "What is Elvis Math??" There were 8 stations around the perimeter of the classroom, and you get one Elvis song at each station to work on the problem.  It was a moving around activity that I think everyone appreciated on a Friday.

My desk on the left... with Elvis behind me

Ms. Leung? Still getting used to that...

Observing.

Today I was back at Waldo, and I observed the same teachers as last week Wednesday.  It was interesting to see how they interacted with the students, especially now that a week has gone by.  I could definitely tell the change between the comfort level of some students in the class compared to last week.


I really enjoy being at the school, and I wish I could have more time there... If time allows I'm thinking about tutoring after school at Waldo.  When??? I'm not sure!!! 


Today I met another teacher where I might be able to teach one of his ELD Language Art classes.  I will talk to him more tomorrow about that... and I also went to talk to someone in the Literacy Center for ELL students.  There are some great resources at Waldo, which I am grateful to be a part of.


I explored the library after school today! It was not too small and not too big. It still had a great selection of books... I didn't browse too much because I didn't want to be a weird creepy adult in a middle school library without any reason. Even though that's probably what it seemed... oy... BUT I had a reason! I need to observe the resources available at the school for my Pre-Student Teaching Observations. :)

Waldo Library (Biblioteca)

Drum Roll Please...

... and my practicum site will be at North Salem High School!!!

Yes, I have a practicum site at a High School to teach math this semester. My first day will be Sept. 28th, and I will be there four consecutive school days and a few other days in mid-October before I start teaching from Oct. 31 to Dec. 2!!!  I'm really excited to be at North because before I thought it would be where my Student Teaching Site will be, but I was placed in a Middle School (which I couldn't be more HAPPY ABOUT!!).  I was unsure when Willamette asked me if I wanted to do my Student Teaching in a high school or middle school. soooo...  Everything worked out quite nicely though!

How to Teach Math...

Welcome to Sprague!

Last night I had my Middle School Math Methods course at Sprague High School in south Salem.  The instructor is a teacher at Sprague, and has taught there for several years.  He gave an introduction of how he starts his classes... And then we researched some "best practices" of middle school math methods.  This course is every other week, and consists of several online activities... I have to start a blog for this course... yay! Another Blog. :) You're welcome Google. Let the learning begin on how to teach Middle School Math classes.

First Day of School!!! Part 2

Second day of First Day of School with 6th, 7th, & 8th graders!!!
*School starts at 7:40 and ends at 2:20.

Period 1: Math 4 (8th Gr.) w/ W.

Period 2: 7th & 8th Grade Assembly in the gym 

Period 3: Math 3 (7th & 8th Gr.) w/ W.

Period 4: Language Arts (7th Gr.) w/ C.

LUNCH BREAK (~30 min.)

Period 5: Math 1 (6th Gr.) w/ S.

Period 6: Math 3 (7th & 8th Gr.) w/ W

Debrief from Classes - Observed 3 teachers (1 female, 2 males) in two subject areas (math 1, 3, 4 & Language Arts) differing in all grade levels (6-8th Grade).  Every teacher has his/her style of teaching, and his/her personality comes out in the teaching and classroom management.  Each room layout is completely different from each other.  My take away from the day is to do what fits me as a teacher, and don't be afraid to try new things out.  Learning to teach is a process, and it won't be perfect.

After school I went to the Salem-Keizer office, which wasn't too far from Waldo. And it turns out to be right next to McKay High School. Waldo feeds into McKay, and there are several people in my cohort placed at McKay.  Here's my fancy new badge:

I'm official now!

And of course I had to grab boba! My favorite bubble tea is Taro with Lychee jelly. yuuuummm!!! It hit the stop today, since it got up to 95˚F. 

TARO

Overall feelings... after the School Partner Workshop in the evening... I am feeling a bit more comfortable with the idea of Student-Teaching next February. I am planning to be out at the school as much as possible... depending on my schedule... so that the students are still familiar with me, and won't be in total shock when I go to teach the class!  The next day I'll be at Waldo will be NEXT Thursday! I may start leading the warm-up in some classes. :) I'm ready to go right now...

First Day of School!!!

Front of the Classroom (West Wall)

South Wall of the Classroom

My site supervisor does not have any 6th Graders in his classes, so I was able to transition a bit more with the 6th Graders! Today I helped students open lockers, locate their classes, played tether-ball with a student, observed Art & Math 1 classes, and finished setting up the room.  There was an assembly at the end of the day, and they had the pledge of allegiance and star spangled banner. I haven't done the pledge of allegiance since I was in middle school!! It brought back a flood of memories... 

Tomorrow the 7th & 8th Graders will arrive.  I plan to observe my site supervisor's 1st period, 2nd period there is an assembly, observe another math class, and observe a Language Arts class.  I am not feeling that nervous, but maybe tomorrow I will have different feelings.  Here is a recording of me and my classmate friend after we both finished our first day of school with the incoming class at our respective sites...

Strolling Down Memory Lane...

Tomorrow is the First Day of School for the 6th Graders at Waldo Middle School. I started thinking about my first day of school in 6th grade. Sadly, my long-term memory doesn't remember that day... BUT I do remember my teacher (Ms. Strong), where my class was located (in "the bungalow"), and my classmates. I started 6th grade in 1998, thirteen years ago... WOW... that seems such a long time ago!!! 

I searched for some information about the middle school I went to, La Merced Intermediate (LMI) School.  LMI was a 5th-8th grade school when I attended.  My site for Student Teaching is at Waldo, which is a 6th-8th grade school. Here are some stats about the demographics of LMI...

In 1998, total population 1776 students.

In 1998, 67% free/reduced lunch.

In 1998, 1 teacher to about 31 students.

And at Waldo Middle School (2009-2010):

• Total Student Population: 756
• Free/Reduced Lunch: 57%
• Student/Teacher Ratio: 1 teacher to about 15 students

When I attended LMI in 1998 it was 87% Hispanic.  At Waldo it consists of 67% Hispanic.  I think it will be interesting to see how I adjust being in a school system around a majority of Hispanic students.  I have grown accustom to the White population of the Pacific Northwest... and since I have attended private colleges for my post secondary education, I have been surrounded by White people for the past 6 years.  I had close friends in middle school and high school who are Hispanic, but some of my most hurtful memories from grade school was when I was teased by Hispanic males and females... 

I don't want my negative experiences in the past to shape how I see specific students... and in this case Hispanic males and females... and maybe by addressing it I will be able to look beyond those negative experiences when I was in middle school. I know I want all students to be successful and learn, AND as a teacher... I don't want to think "I know it all" and I also want to be able to be knowledgeable enough to support my students...  I think I wanted to share a bit about my past in middle school... to look into how I experienced it... to keep in mind how these students that I see/ meet tomorrow may be feeling... and how the administrators, teachers, staff, student teachers, etc. may be feeling... and what experiences they have had that they bring with them in this school... Waldo Middle School.

"Learning the Ropes"

My first day at Waldo!!!


5:00AM - Jumped out of bed and got ready for my first day at Waldo Middle School!!
6:45AM - Arrived at the school, and it was pretty much empty...
7:00AM - Met my Site Supervisor (Drew Withers) and walked to his room (Rm. 309)
7:30AM - All staff meeting in the Cafeteria
11:30AM - Staff meeting ended & then I helped set up the room
12:00PM - LUNCH at Red Robin's w/ Site Supervisor & 2 other teachers
13:00-15:00 - Continued setting up the room... then I walked around the school to get oriented better.


Overall feelings: 

"Done with Day one!"

• Enthusiastic
• Intimidated
• Optimistic
• Curious
• Eager

Main Entrance

Front Lobby