3 MORE WEEKS!!

Wow, Jessica and I have been MIA lately.  I guess that's a sign of our busy lives.  I've missed blogging about all things life, but I see the blogging routine increasing about mid December!!

THREE WEEKS until I graduate, and about a month until I say "see ya later" to my sweet second graders.  I can't believe how quickly the last several weeks have gone.  It feels like just yesterday I was getting nervous to start my first day teaching.  Now it is routine to teach all day every day with the wonderful guidance of my CT.  

Some highlights and updates from the past few weeks:

Last week I finish teaching my 7 week habitat unit.  I learned so much about planning a unit, and teaching the content.  I found myself having to rearrange on a weekly basis due to our rotating specials schedule and several "weird" days like days off and field trips.  The science and social studies block is scheduled for the last 30 minutes of the school day, but we only get about 15-20 minutes to teach because of transition time and end of the day clean up.  It was a struggle to get too creative with my lessons because there just isn't time.  Luckily the topics are embedded into their reading and writing curriculum, so the kids are able to make content connections all day every day.  

One habitat activity I ended up doing almost ever week was a QR code scavenger hunt.  It's a sign of the times when the kids are able to wonder around the class scanning QR codes with their iPads to learn more about a topic.  They asked often if they could do their scavenger hunt during free time, and it was especially flattering to get complimented by the other second grade teachers.  Though the QR code learning isn't my idea, I came up with all of the rhymes and riddles to guide the class and created questions to go with each code.  It was fun to introduce to the class!

I began job hunting a few weeks ago, starting with a job fair.  I made a few connections that day and had a few meetings since then.  My goal for spring, as I may have mentioned before, is to find a long term sub position or some sort of para or aide position.  This would be ideal to ensure full time work in spring and to give me an opportunity to get to know the school and/or district I'm in before accepting any full time teaching positions next fall.  If I'm unable to find a good fit, I will just substitute teach through the spring.  I had a meeting with one principal about a possible long term 3rd grade sub position.  He seemed very interested and really wants me to start subbing for their school so they can get to know me and I can get to know their community.  

Last week I had my first "real" interview.  Wow, that was intimidating.  With a panel of 6 people, the largest group I've ever interviewed with, it was definitely a test of my nerves and confidence.  Luckily, they were all SO warm and welcoming and after a few minutes I felt like I was just chatting with a group of coworkers.  It is a charter school in our area, and they're looking to hire a few para's for the spring. This will likely lead into a full time teaching position in the fall.  I felt really good about my interview, but as a new candidate to the education field, who knows if a great interview will be enough.  Sometimes years of experience is more important.  I'll hope for the best, at least so I have an option for spring!

The end is near:

It's November 24th and there is so much ahead of me in the next few weeks.  My teacher work sample is due by December 1st so that my advisor has time to review it before we submit it.  That means I'll be finishing that TODAY (that's the goal at least).  It will feel SO wonderful to get that off of my to-do list!!  My Capstone presentation is December 8th so I have about two weeks to finish up my unit plan and create a board for the presentation.  At this point, the only thing against me is time.  I've gotten past the difficulty of deciding what I want to create, and the lit review which was like pulling teeth for me to get through!!  The rest is simple to complete, just very time consuming!  If I can complete everything between today and Wednesday, that would be a miracle!

I am SO excited for this next chapter of my life! I never expected to pursue a masters degree as a bachelors student.  I'm so thankful and proud that I did, and that I found a field that I truly love.  I'm excited to put all that I've learned into practice and to create my own exciting learning environment for my future students!

Until next time!
(Which could be a few weeks, hah!)

11 Weeks Down 7 To Go!

…and halfway through the 12th week!

Another 3 weeks came and went in a blink of an eye.  A lot has happened in those three weeks between student teaching and personal life.  

The biggest accomplishment I completed with my second grade team were our conferences.  It was the school's first year doing student led conferences.  There was a lot of push back from families, they were worried they would not get any one on one time with the teachers to discuss their child's progress.

We began preparing for conferences the week before fall break, and the week after is when we began coaching the kids.  They filled out several goal sheets for math, reading and writing, and charted their progress on bar graphs.  We helped them compile a file folder of their work and they rehearsed it several times.  It was pretty cool to see how positive this process was.  Students were proud to share their work with their peers when they practiced, and really took ownership of everything they have accomplished this far in the year.

The moment of truth was conference day when they came in with their parents, and led the whole conference. My CT and I stood back, and only jumped in to answer questions or point out something the student may have forgotten.  Parents were happily surprised at how the conferences turned out.  They were proud to see their children take the lead roll and acknowledge their own work.  They seemed especially impressed with the students personal evaluations of themselves.  They had to choose which behavioral areas they were good at and which they needed to focus on.  EVERY student made an honest evaluation of themselves, and some of their parents were blown away that they were able to honestly reflect on their behavior and performance in the classroom!

Overall, student led conferences seemed to be a success.  I am glad I was able to be apart of this type of conference, I now have experience in traditional conferences and student led…all experience is beneficial for my future as a teacher!

We had a week of fall break a couple weeks ago!  I forgot how necessary the scheduled breaks are. They always seem to come at JUST the right moment.  I was beginning to feel excessively overwhelmed, and the break was just what I needed (and I know the rest of the school needed the break as well).  I was able to spend time with my family and boyfriend, hang out with my cousin who came to town, and love on my parent's new puppy.  On top of that, I caught up on a lot of TWS work, and my Capstone!  But of course, I will feel like my head is just above water until I graduate and ALL of my assignments are submitted!

Yesterday I had the opportunity to attend a job fair at UNC.  I hadn't been back to Greeley since I graduated in December of 2009, wow did 5 years go by in a flash!  I met with a few counties and schools, and overall had a VERY successful visit.  What I'm most excited about is the connection I made with a local charter school's principal.  We talked casually for a bit about my background and what her charter school was about.  As we progressed, it hit me who she was…my 6th grade teacher from way back when!!  Small world, isn't it?!  Before we realized our connection, she seemed very impressed with my SLP & Aud. background and wanted me to come back a little later for a more in depth conversation.  When I went back, she told me about a paraprofessional position opening in January, which could potentially lead to a 2nd grade teaching position in the fall!  She wants me to come into the school for a tour and interview with the rest of her team.  I can't explain how EXCITING this is!  It could be a perfect situation, to have time in the school getting to know its community and culture before (1) deciding if I want to take a full time teaching position there, and (2) taking on a classroom for my first time.  It would make the transition into my first year teaching a lot more graceful already knowing the school and the people!  I'm keeping my fingers crossed, saying my prayers, and telling the universe what I want…I hope it all pans out, and I can finish student teaching and jump right back into a school!

Halloween is Friday (in case you weren't aware, haha!).  I can't wait to share our teams Halloween costume with everyone.  It sure is cute, and the kids are going to LOVE it!!

Just a few more weeks left and so much to do…back to work I go…!