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.