Last Day 1/1/11

Today is the last day of my field study today I would complete my 40 hours, and I can start my papers and stuff. Today was a very calm day. The kids are just extremely excited about the snow storm coming and no school tomorrow. Today the students in the 11th and 12th grade took test. I find it hilarious that 11th grade students cannot write an essay in 40 mintues they cried and whinned and complained about it the whole time they were doing it. The HSPA don't give you 40 mintues to prewrite and 40 mintues to write an essay, and colleges don't do the same thing. I think she should have explained that also. Yes, college does ask you to do more with stories then summarize a story. In the 9th grade the students were working on the novel "Anthem" as they were reading they were getting really into it and asking a lot of questions and stuff about the story. The teacher sent the book home with a contract for boht student and parent to sign agreeing that they will be careful with the book and return it in one peice or have to pay for it. The teacher actually paid for these books out of pocket for the students which is crazy, but I gues sometimes you have no choice. On one of the slips a parents writes "this is ridiciulous" or "this is so stupid" well if the children were trust worthy and not careless then they wouldnt have to have a contract. I think in part of the students irresponsiablity its past teachers and parents who let them get away with to much. Just like homework in grammar school they never did it because teachers didn't grade it or because parents didnt check it, so students now in high school when homework is part of the grade are failing because they can't depend on themselves. But over all a good day.

Day 6 January 11, 2011

Today there was a subsitute in the 11th and 12th grade class, so it felt like I had the run of the classroom since I kind of knew their routine. The teacher's mother who is also an English teacher in the school gave me a movie that the students were supposed to watch and I set up the Tv for them. They were supposed to have a test today, but they will be having it tomorrow instead. In the 9th grade class they had a outline of their research paper do, but to the disappointment of the teacher, only 8 students in both the 2nd and 5th period actually did the work. She says she expected this and she always has 2 lessons set up because they are so not prepared for what high school has to offer. In grammar school they can miss homework and it barely reflects their grade, but in high school homeowork is a grade you need. She said that most of them are failing because they refuse to hand in homework. The part of the day that I enjoyed was in 4th period the 10th graders reading "Lord of the Flies" were watching the beginning part of the black and white movie, and comparing it to the book. At certain parts she stops and says whats different about this? Whats not right about this? I like that because it deffinitly show a difference in the actions when reading the book compared to the movie. Movies are way different from the book in so many ways, because they details are not allthe same and always adapted differently. It was an interesting day to say the least.

Day 5 January 7th 2011

Today was a test for the 11th graders an in-class essay which for the most part it was a quiet day, while everyone was taking the test. The 8th period 11th grade class is a very needy class ' in the words of the teacher' they have an in- class essay that was discussed and told to them a the whole week I was there, and all they are doing is complaining that they just want to do pre-writing. On the HSPA they don't give you 40 mintues to prewrite then 40 for the test. You have only 40 minutes all together, and these students wanted to be babies in a way. It's not nice to say, but thats the truth and the purpose is to teach them not to be dependent for help because even when they get into college you aren't going to have time to prewrite you need to learn to think on your feet. The 9th graders got an inclass essay which is a prereading writing activity for the book 'Anthem" that they will begin reading on Monday. The question being " what if you were told that you were not allowed to be what every you wanted to be when you grow up, that a council looked at you and got to choose the job you were going to do for the rest of your life, and that job was a chimney sweeper. what would your reaaction be, how would you feel. I think that was a really great way to begin the book, because it makes the students empathtic to the characters in the story before even reading it, and it gives you a lot of motive to read the book to actual figure out what is going on. I liked that lesson idea a lot.
Today was actually a pretty relaxing and calm day, nothing really to exciting today or Monday another inclass essay for the Seniors and an objective test for the 11th graders.

Day 4 January 6th 2011

Today the class was going over the Vocabulary for "Rip Van Winkle". She made a copy of the deffinitions and terms on the overhead. The teacher spoke the words and the students repeated the terms afterwards. She asked the students to begin the worksheet with anologies and the sentences using vocabulary words. While students were working on the study guide the teacher was walking round the room helping and answering questions. They have an essay tomorrow in class about Romantism, Gothic, and American hero and comparing them to points in the story. Today students were still curious about my presences so even though 4 days late I introduced myself to the class and explained why I was there. The next class the Freshman are going to begin reading "Anthem" and I also introduced myself to the class also. Some students said not so appropriate words and the teacher calmed them and addressed it on the spot which is the right hting to do. Just tell them put ur filter on and use approporiate words or get a write up. The teacher wrote notes on her website for students to copy as homework for the book. I think that's a bad idea..Read a few pages first and let them ask some questions before you give them notes, because the great part of the story is that when you begin to read it you are so lost and you make crazy assumptions. I think the notes will lose that effect for the students. Today the 10th grade reading "Lord of the Flies" acutally used the smart board to discuss the significance of piggys glasses in the novel. The students are having a hard time ont he novel. It's funny how honest they are they are suposed to read Chapter 7 for tomorrow, and she aksed who is finished and they all said they didn't even start reading it yet. This is why just assgining a reading is never a good idea. Sometimes the more difficutl chapters should be read together so that students who are behind can catch up a little bit. It was a pretty productive day. It goes by so fast lately.

Day 3 January 5th 2011

Its very difficult to dress the part, when I have been in school all year long. I guess I have to start collecting more professional clothing, but I managed to dig deep in my closet for very appropriate outfits. The 11th graders have a in class essay on Firday which they are allowed to use their notes for "Rip Van Winkle", and they alos have an objective or multipal choice test on Monday. Again the teacher checks the homework that was assigned to students, while also taking attendence as well. Sometimes watching these lessons its like I really wish i could jus be done and over with college and be in a class of my own and maybe have a little bit more fun with the lessons. I still think I'll be nervous when I do offically become a teacher because its going to be a big jump from college and then actually being in a real classroom everyday with the same lessons and students everyday. In the other class Period 2 the Freshman have a persuavive essay to do. The teacher gave each student a different type of government to research and they have to persuade a council why that goverment would be good for their new country. It's interesting because I think this is a really really really great way to begin the book ' Anthem' beacuse of the fact of the type of government that they use in the book. Both go very well with each other. One thing that struck me with her class is when she walked round the room when students were reading she poked them and said where's your book. Now some students would take offense to that teachers are not suposed to have any hand touching on students. This teacher is also getting married to a history teacher who teachers down the hall, and many students know that they are gettin married and are in both classes and they talk about how why cant they organize their lessons so that the papers arent due at the same time. I believe that a teachers personall life should try to remain as seprate from the class as humanly possible because you deffinitly dont need any awkward moments.

Day 2. Shesh January 4th 2011

What a day, it would have been so great if the school was organzied, because they just threw me with any teacher, and didn't warn the teacher at all. Which made everything a little more awkaward for me. This was a very long day. Periods 1 3 6 7 8 I am with 11 and 12th grade teacher Ms. Mcfadden, during her breaks I am with Mrs. Spizzorali, Period 2 4 5. Well today was really a simple day, yet I also learned new things as a student as well. Period one was a continuation of "Rip Van Winkle" Checking homework from yesterday. This class I have to say is very well behaved. I remember how it was when I was in high school no one payed attention and yelling was always happening. As the lesson was progressing on the Study Sheet I realized I can use the questions for my Bloom's Taxonomy report and started assessing which questions best fitted where. Second period teacher Mrs. Spitzz as the students call her teachers 9th and 10th grade. The students always have the homework on white bored in the back of the room and is the first thing to be written down as the stuents come into the classroom. This class was extremely active, but it could be that they are freshman and freshman still tend to be on the grammar school level, because for a few moments she seemed to have lost control then turned off the lights. She had a very nice powerpoint, and I have notice that there are smart boards in the classroom but not used all the time. They are going to be reading ' Anthem' by Ayn Rand, which I never heard of. The presentation was on Objectivity which is the authors philosophy. Its a short 110 page book. I never heard of this author and I was curious so she gave me a copy of the book to read. It took me at least 2 hours to read. It was very short, and extremely interesting. The freshman are really going to enjoy this book I feel. I would like to teach this book, there are so many topics of discussion I thought of while reading it its unbelieveable. Period 3 there was a lock down drill and a fire Drill period 4 which was in the Main building I was in the annex building. Usually they dont do firedrills during lunch periods so it was a little strange. Someone said that the wiring malfunctioned. Period 4 was Level B sophonmores. The teachers told me the class was working on 'Lord of the Flies' which I had read in 8th grade as a replacement for a book report. She said that this class has no motivation at all. They don't read, they don't hand it papers or homework, some dont even hand in test that were given in class. 50 % of the class is failing and the students dont seem to care. I admit 'Lord of the Flies' is not abook I would recommend because it is difficult to follow and understand, but maybe if i were to teach it I would want to motivate it to make the students want to get into it more. Think ahead to rewards like a Jepordy game quiz, hand out simple worksheets for extra credit. As they to present or get into groups and present a part of the book and explain why they had choose it or give an essay about being stuck on an island how would they govern so they dont start to go crazy? If the kids arent motivated find a new way to motivate them. After that the day went slow, Period 6 and 7 are Seniors, and I must say that they arent the most well-behaved class. She repeatedly had to ask students to be quiet and turn around. They are finishing up the Story Macbeth and are soon, and have already completed most of a study worksheet that was handed out. A lot of the work sheet is fill in the blacks and questions. Like whats the famous whitches lines and which three things do the whichs show Macbeth and what do they mean. A lot of the classes at the end of the day are small. It would be nice to put them in a circle but they are so staggered across the room... 4 on one side in a cornor 7 in the back no one upfront. That really makes a difficult class to teach. I would either want them in a circle or all up towards the front of the classroom to make the learning and teaching easier for everyone, but watching the powerpoints and stuff makes me look forward to actually having my own classroom and doing things MY way one day. I hope student teaching isn't going to be as horrible as this observation was planned. =[ I might have to do it at a different school where I would feel comfortable not knowing any teachers.

Day 1 January 3rd 2011

Today was a very unorganized day. I arrive at 8am to be early and to see which teacher they have placed me with. To my suprise the head of the department is not in. I wait for a little while and she still had not come to her office. So the secretary makes me a list of 5 different teachers to see. I figured day 1 FINE! I haven't been to high school in 5 years this ought to be amusing. I thought one teacher I was supposed to be placed with not more then that. The evaluation will be a mess. Tomorrow I plan on fixing it and trying to stay put with one teacher. Well here goes my day....
Period 1 was with Ms. Macfadden a teacher I had in my Jr. Year for creative writing her class was 11th grade English. The lesson was on Romantic period of the 1800s and the first story they were doing was 'Rip Van Winkle.' The first thing she did was hand out a 6 page study guide with missing infromation for the students to fill in for homework.. Homework was written on the blackboard before students walked in. The first page was A-K kind of like an ABC Chart but not really looking to start with the first letter of the alphabet just ten straight facts about the 1800 romantic period. The teacher had a presentation on the computer which consiste of mostly lovely pictures of the time of the rennisance, and child labor and the gothic period. She had notes in front of her which she looked back to repeatedly... which is not a bad thing because no one is perfect. She used alot of english vocabulary like artitypal characters and asked the students to renforce their knowlegde of what the terms mean. When they read the story she played the audio cd which for me is good, but WHO DONT LIKE A GOOD OLD FASHION GROUP READING. Yes, a lot of students don't like that but it keeps them paying more attention then they would just listening. The classroom was decorated with a lot of work made by the students.

Period 2 : Again very crazy schedual. They sent me to a classroom that was already in progress because its a double period honor 10 course with my 12th grade english teacher Mrs. DeLuca. I felt so bad walking right into her lesson, but thats where they told me where to go. She still uses overhead projector, feels like a dinasour compared to the spoiled usage of computers and smartboard we had. This was a more serious classroom filled with alot of political images and no student made decorations. The lesson was on the book ' The Last of the Mohecans" by Cooper. She made an outline and discussed characters.

Period3: Mrs. Scarpelli 12th grade English was working on the 'Canterberry Tales' whats funny is they each have a character to play and have to dress up and research them which is really cute. =] This classroom had a double teacher in it. This class is very outspoken. This students are lucky they get to read the modern version, I was forced to read it in Old English.

Period4: Mrs. Finnerty is Mrs. Scarpelli's mother also an English teacher. At first seems very strict, because students were unprepared without text books. Then as she went over the vocabulary list for THE BET...

Period 5 Mrs. Weeks and my homeroom teacher Mrs. Farely. Board again has homework on it. 10th grade. Alot of kids were falling alseep. They have a test tomorrow on irregular verbs. To be honest I havent touched any concept of grammar since high school. and its was my last class of the day. It felt werid going back, everyone couldn't believe that I was about to graduate college in May. They all said they fell so old. Interesting day one.. Hopefully I can have a better rest of the next 2 weeks of my life.