Blogging Assignment
Hello and Welcome to our Special Populations Blog site!
If you haven't voted as to whether this is your first time to blog or not, please do so just above the welcome.
On Monday, March 19, 2012, you will explore a few educational blogging sites. You may even decide to join and participate in or begin a blog. Browse through the education blog sites I provided in the handout and see if one interests you.
Next, share the "insights" you gained from your educational blogging experience with your colleagues in this class.
Give a brief summary of your experience. What did you observe from the blogging conversations? Was there one or more blogs that peaked your interest? Did you choose to participate in the blogging on any of the sites? If so, what blog did you join? What was the topic of your interaction? What insights did you gain from interacting with individuals to whom you would not normally have access? What knowledge or insights were you able to offer others that seemed to be beneficial to them?
Last, before coming to class on Monday, March 26th, return to the blog and see what others have written about blogging and respond to at least two others in the class that had similar, or very different, experiences than you.
Later, you will return to this site to begin your "Case Study" documentation.
Enjoy Your Blogging,
Dr. Hill
Case Study Blog
This where you will begin posting your documentation for your Case Study. Remember you are responsible for 10 days of documentation concerning your Case Study student; and responding to five others in regards to their Case Study student.
Remember, if you have to document profanity, for the case of this "Blog" remember to use: #?*!. Are you singing the song now? Country fans probably will be.
Dr. Hill
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ReplyDeleteThat is so awesome you are building his confidence and being a great role model. It is so sad that there are are tons of students that think the same way. Keep up the posativity and you will make a huge difference in that students life.
DeleteApril 12, 2012
ReplyDeleteTutoring- Today was a breeze for Eli because he is pretty good in math. Thursdays are usually math tutoring but his teacher feels he could benefit from it. When doing math problems, you need to know how to read so this gives him extra practice. Out of the 20 questions he missed 4. Again, he works a lot better when he isn't around the entire class.
April 10 Day 9
ReplyDeleteMiguel had an accident today; he was crawling and got up quickly and hit his head on the corner of the desk. He did not now he was hurt until one child said he was bleeding.
He was calm and the teacher walked him to the nurse and he left for the day.
:(
Aw! poor guy! At least he was calm and not scared. Hope his head feels better!
DeleteApril 11 Day 10
ReplyDeleteMiguel came to school with two staples in his head. He told me the events of the accident which were without emotion. He was getting embarrassed when the children were asking him how he felt.
I explained to him that the students in his classroom and I were concerned about him. He seemed surprised and ask Why? I said because we all care about you. And he said hummm.
Today Miguel was uncharacteristic he was on task the whole time I was there he sat down and completed his work.
I think he was still in shock due to the accident and the realization that he was cared by the classroom.
That is sad what happened to him but it is good to know that he got to see how the class cared about him. I am sure that made him feel good!
DeleteHe will probably remember that concern for a very long time. Little things can have a big impact on young lives. I hope he remembers for years to come what he felt knowing you all cared.
DeleteIt is always so heartbreaking to me to here about a child not knowing how much they are loved and cared for. Even sadder is that this is usually stemming from some form of low self esteem. I want to contribute to every child knowing how special they truly are and never experiencing a reason to doubt that. I am so glad you and your class got to show Miguel that you all care for him.
DeleteTamera Barba
Day 3
ReplyDeleteToday I went and observed Isiah for about an hour. I usually don't go in on Monday so it was nice to see him with out having to be the "teacher". He took his medicine today. He was very quiet while eating breakfast. He didn't do his hw so he didn't get a sticker which didn't seem to bother him at all. It's almost like he has no emotion when he is on his medicine. Every morning the students go to reading centers. Once the class got up and started moving around he got wild. He was running around the classroom and bothering other students. Eventually he joined the student teacher at the back and read a book with her. We will see how he is tomorrow :)
Wow this morning didn't seem like a very good morning for him. But hopefully the rest of the day went better. I think it's sad when kids don't seem to care about thier school work.
DeleteAPRIL 12: DAY 7
ReplyDeleteToday was a good day. So far this has been the first day that I have seen him behave very well. He came into the classroom happy and ate his breakfast without whining about the food. During lesson time he sat quietly and paid attention the the teacher. He raised his hand first before asking a question and he wasn’t shouting out answers when he wasn’t called on. He walked in a straight line to lunch. He also behaved and had good manners during lunch. During centers he was sharing the things with the other students. When it was time to do their independent work he worked without whining and was one of the first ones to finish. The teacher put a movie for them to watch and I was surprised that he was being still and paying attention to the movie because he usually talks a lot or moves a lot around the carpet.
What a change! It looks like these students perform miracles unexpectedly. when they misbehave, it is a trauma for the teacher but when the clock turns, they put on good manners which is very hard to believe. Teachers need to be patient for all is not lost. I'm glad to hear good news from your end.
DeleteMarch 20, 2012
ReplyDeleteDay 1
The child I chose is an 8 year old Hispanic boy in the second grade. This student is very quiet, kind, and helpful. I chose this student because he is unique compared to the other students in the classroom. This child does not socialize with other students, unless he is approached by a classmate. Even when this child is approached, he doesn’t know how to communicate with his friends. This child has a learning disability as well as a speech problem. There was also another ARD that was held because the child was failing in the general education class.
I know a student like this. Great kid, just has a little trouble socially. I always speak to him and ask him questions to get him talking during the day. He knows he has a speech disorder, but the more I ask him to speak, the more he opens up. Keep talking with him and watch how far he can come. I'm glad he still gets along with his classmates.
DeleteGetting the student to become more open is key! Sounds like an awesome student but just needs a little push to have him become more social. A speech disorder cna be rough so just stay positive for the student.
DeleteMarch 22, 2012
ReplyDeleteDay 2
Today’s observation took place on the playground. The child ran to the playground like the rest of the students but instead of running to a group he ran to a spot alone. This child then played alone for the remaining of the time. I thought it was odd that he acted like someone was playing with him. To me it looked like he was playing tag, but alone. He would run and laugh then freeze and run back from where he came from. He repeated this for a good while then walked alone around the playground. When playground time was up the teacher ran her bell and he ran to the line and stayed there quietly.
I cannot help but wonder if he is a bilingual student. If so, perhaps he feels isolated is because he feels like he cannot communicate with others? How do the other children react to him? Hopefully, he is just shy.
DeleteThat's a good point! I don't think he is. I observed him in the content mastery room and he was totally different. He was a lot more verbal and interactive. The students in the general education classroom treat him great. Maybe he is intimidated by the teacher? Not sure...
DeleteToday Eli caused some trouble in the cafeteria. I was told that he was making fun of another student but this is unlike him. I feel that he was influenced by other students in the class. I notice that he is influences easily especially by some of the boys. I graded their count down to S.T.A.A.R math worksheets and I found that he got all of them correct! He seems to be improving as the weeks pass because even his reading passages aren't as low as they used to be. With testing coming up next week, this is a good sign!
ReplyDeleteI'm sure it helps that he has you thee to encourage him. Hopefully, small successes will give him more confidence and he won't be as easily influenced by the others
DeleteTutoring- After school my C.T had me go over a math benchmark with the students. Eli seemed to be getting the answers correct. So to make sure, I would ask him often to explain to me why the that was the answer. With almost all of the problems we went over, he was very enthused when answering. He doesn't seem to hesitate much and I am glad his confidence has gone up. Praising him impacts so much!
ReplyDeleteHe recognized that he likes the attention he receives from success! This is a big moment that will impact his education for a while. This student will continue to work hard at his schooling as long as he gets the recognition from the adult in the classroom. Achieving success at a young age is vital in life-long learning. Keep providing praise and watch him grow!
DeleteMonday March 19, 2012 #1
ReplyDeleteMy student who we are going to call “Maddie” is a seven years old Hispanic girl; who enjoys playing with her little pocket pets. They had always said that Maddie would never talk or be able to read but in first grade Maddie starting showing signs of being social, and wanting to doing what the other students were doing as far as school work goes. That’s when her teacher decided to put her into Ms. V class a few days out of the week to how she does, and that’s when she surprised everybody and went from not reading to reading full sentences in a matter of weeks. She is now in second grade of courses with Ms. V and better than ever, she can now count to a hundred, read on her own, and write, of course she still needs guidance and modification but once you get her started she does well. This is just a bit of background information of who she is and I look forward to sharing more.
How great for "Maddie" that she was paired with what sounds like a great teacher (Ms. V). Someone to give her the tools she needs to learn and show her the way to a successful learning experience.
DeleteTamera Barba
Monday March 26, 2012 #2
ReplyDeleteToday Maddie had a bit of trouble staying still and on track, I’m sure it’s just an off day for her because she usually does really well as far as behavior goes. Today they were learning fraction so I am sure it was a bit overwhelming for her. During the time that Ms. V was teaching the lesson Maddie keep saying “I can’t don’t it, Maddie no no, I can’t do it”. And that because the teacher wasn’t even calling on her to answer any question. When Ms. V finished up her lesson she ask Maddie to go to the teacher table (this is normal after every lesson most of the time) so that she could do a one on one. As I walked over to the table with Maddie, Ms. V sat down and started work with her with fraction but in a different way. Instead of word problems Ms. V set objects and pictures in front of her and was teaching the same lesson but in a different way. Maddie caught on real quick and really enjoyed what she was doing. When ask a question she answered with no hesitation even though she had been saying earlier that she couldn’t do it.
Monday March 27, 2012 #3
ReplyDeleteToday the class was given a math test and a GT test; although Maddie didn’t have to take either of them she was still given work today. The teacher sat with her and had her count 1-100 using the number chart and used flash card (out of order) #1-20 to see if she still could recognized the number even though they were out of order. Maddie has this way about her where she starts to shut down a little bit because she doesn’t feel like working and that’s what happen after awhile of working on number. Instead of trying to get her focus on what the teacher wanted her to do, Ms. V just switches up the routine and allows Maddie to go into the library and read, just like she had been wanting to, to began with. Maddie enjoys being in the library because that is her favorite spot in the class.
Thursday March 29th 2012 #4
ReplyDeleteToday Maddie was learning a new book called what do you want to do? but she has been having trouble with the title. I was able to work with her during her station time today and the first thing that we did was read the book, I would read one sentence and I would have her repeat it, but she would get frustrated because she couldn’t get the words in the right order. When we were done with the book we started on some flash cards, I flashed some words to her that she has been having trouble with in the book, and then we moved on to her writing them out. This was a fun experience for me because I actually was able to work with her one on one without the teacher being there or guiding me through the process.
The flash cards are a great idea! Instead of moving forwards you were able to help her one on one. That is awesome! Great job!
DeleteTuesday April 3rd 2012 #5
ReplyDeleteToday when I walk into class I notice that Maddie was a little flustered, I could tell that she didn’t want to do any of her work or listen to instruction. I was a little worried because I was teaching one of my lessons and I was really looking forward to having her participate without being distracted or frustrated. As time went on Maddie started coming around and getting her work done. Before I started my lesson Maddie was working on her science project, she was making a flip chart of the parts of a plant roots/stem/leaves/flower, seed. I have to say she did a very good job on making her flower within the time allowed and within distraction, I was very pleased. Soon after that I started my lesson and it went well because the activity I had planned for Maddie (and the rest of the class) went really good, and she was focused and enjoying herself. All and all Maddie ended up having a good day, even though it started off a little rough.
Being prepared to teach your lesson made Maddie's day as good as it was. I'm sure that you did your lesson with confidence and were able to change the entire mood of the classroom due to your confidence alone. Being prepared is a must as a teacher, especially a new one, and you managed to turn the day around because of it. Keep it up and I'm sure there will be plenty more days like this. Days where your lesson and confidence in presenting it will make everyone an interested learner.
DeleteThursday April 5th 2012 #6
ReplyDeleteToday was a half for the campus so our morning was a little crazy my CT had some work planned for the students for the first half and then “fun work” the second half. Maddie was in and out of the classroom working with SPED teachers, but they ended up bringing her back early because of the threat that was called in at flour bluff. Maddie ended up just work on the “fun work” which she seemed to really enjoy, she just colored it but she enjoyed it none the less, it was Easter stuff which made it fun. The class ended up eating lunch in the class which Maddie liked because they were able to watch a movie and free play for the 45 min. Even though it was a short a lot of work got done and Maddie had a great day even thought we were on a fast pace.
Tuesday April 10, 2012 #7
ReplyDeleteToday the class that Maddie is in had a practice math test that they are preparing for this Thursday called the benchmark test. Maddie doesn’t have to take the test but during the test her teacher had called her over to the table to do some one on one work. She first had Maddie count to one hundred using the number chart, and then she had several objects that she had presented to Maddie and asked her to say whether they were big or small, tall or short, and which one has more questions. I have to say Maddie did very well and answered all question right. Maddie had a good day and followed direction well. For science I taught a lesson over animal characteristic and I paired Maddie with a buddy to help her with the animals and when it came time for the writing portion I walked over to Maddie and asked her to do the same thing as everyone else. I listen to what she had to say and I wrote it down and had her copy it on her own paper. Over the time I have seen Maddie progress and I will be sadden when this comes to an end. I can’t wait till my next observation.
Thursday April 12th 2012 #8
ReplyDeleteToday when I showed up to the class I was told that the students were going to be doing their benchmark test. I noticed that Maddie was just sitting there doing nothing and when I ask the teacher what she was going to be doing during the time students take their test the teacher just said that she was just going to be able to sit in the library and read book . I thought to myself “wow, she really isn’t going to nothing” and so I just went with Maddie to the library and listen to her read. After 30 minutes her special ED teacher came to pick her up and she was gone for the rest of the morning. When it was all over I realized that I could have followed her to whatever class she had gone too.
Listening to her read for 30 minutes is way better than her doing nothing. You gave her company and the attention she needed probably since she was not taking the test.
DeleteTuesday April 16th 2012 #9
ReplyDeleteToday was a crazy day I went to FBISD to make up some hours and Maddie was in a bad mood from the very beginning because she forgot to bring her little pet shop pocket pet. She keeps this pocket pet clipped to her jeans, I am assuming for comfort reasons, but she forgot it at home. So we started off the morning with some math and that’s when they called for students that were attending good choice club to walk over to the high school so that they could watch a movie. Well, when we started to walk over to the high school it started to rain and at this point Maddie was freaking out and crying for her pet shop. Shortly after we arrived the schools were put on lock down because of tornado warnings. We ended up staying in the gym until 1 with no break and no lunch. We finally made it back to our class, eat our lunch, and just finish up our math work because we were unable to do anything else.
Sorry this should say Monday not Tuesday.
DeleteIt used to be so weird to me that students get so attached to small things, well what we think small things, that they act out or cry for them. There was a student in my classroom who would always need to have her jacket on, no matter what, even if they were outside for recess and it was 90 degrees, she needed it on and if they asked her to take it off, she would throw a fit and cry and close up. Once day I asked her why she always needed her jacket that it was so hot outside and that she would be able to play more comfortably without it, she said her dad gave it to her before he left and that is all she had from him, it broke my hear to hear that coming from a kindergarten student, but it sure did give me insight as to why she always wanted her jacket.
DeleteTuesday April 17th 2012 #10
ReplyDeleteToday was going to be a busy day because of what happen yesterday, we had a lot of work to catch on and I was also teaching another lesson. Throughout the day Maddie was focused on spelling words, she had to pick to seven words from a list of words we put together, rewrite them in her spiral notebook, the rewrite them on her on her white board. Once she has completed all of the assignment, she then moves on to spelling them out with letter tiles but only once she has completed everything else. It was a short day for Maddie because she left early but, all in all she has a good day.
Day 4 - 4/17/2012
ReplyDeleteToday was beyond crazy. In the mornings we meet with Dr. TD and then go to our classrooms. By the time I got to the classroom it was 8:30. Isaiah was not there. Around 9 he came in. I asked him why he was late and he replied with, " I woke up late because I was up late playing video games." He also mentioned that his mom "slapped" his arm because he wouldn't wake up. (It irritates me and bothers me that parents do that) By then it was time for PE and he was acting up in line to the point where my CT had to hold his hand. He said that he didn't take his medicine because he's mom said it makes him not eat. She clearly does not have to deal with him all day and doesn't realize how bad it is to take him off his medicine then take it for a few days then stop again. When I picked him up for PE he was sitting out because he got in trouble with another boy. My CT decided to call his mom when we returned to the classroom to either come talk to him or bring him his medicine. She said she would bring it during lunch. She of course didn't.....after lunch not much had changed. While the student teacher was teaching he was out of control and had to go to a classroom across the hallway. He returned back to the classroom for the last 15 minutes before the bell rang. Unfortunately he attends Century 21 so it is extremely hard to talk to his mom or get her to follow through with what she says.
It's sad when a child really needs their meds to accomplish things, and their parents don't bother to give them to their child. I wish his mom could put two and two together and realize this will only put him further behind in school. This must add frustration for the child.
DeleteDay 5- 4/18/2012
ReplyDeleteI went in the morning for about an hour and half. He again didn't take his medicine. When I came to observe the students were already in morning stations. Isiah was at the back table drawing with another student that has "behavioral issues". I have mentioned him before. They have started hanging out more. The other little boy (we will call him Mark) is very smart and is more advanced than Isiah but they get along. They didn't really talk much just a joke every now and then. Drawing is not part of the stations, they just don't get along or corporate with the other students so they "get" to get color. For Mark this may be ok because he is ahead of where most of the students are but for Isiah it is not appropriate. But on a positive note the scoring for his TPRI was on point. When he takes his medicine he is very successful. I kind of want to take him home and take him off his medicine and give him proper discipline and let him have a good childhood ( kind of dramatic but I feel bad for him). When I left stations were over and the class left to PE. He was a little hyper in the line but not anymore than the other students.
I felt that way about some students also, I wanted to take them home and take care of them. Sometimes I feel as though parents put them on medication so they don't have to take care of them, it is sad to see children neglected.
DeleteObservation #9 04/17/12
ReplyDeleteToday, Bobby was very well behaved. He was sitting quietly throughout all of his lessons. He wasn't disruptive to any other students, although there were still times where he was caught either picking his nose or biting on his finger nails. Every time that I catch him doing this, I ask him nicely to get up and wash his hands. He doesn't get frustrated about it. He does what he's told and then goes back to his seat. Then, it happens again. It just seems to be a bad habit of his that's definitely not reinforced at home. He does things like this so often that I wonder if manners are cared about and/or practiced at home.
I don't know what it is about biting nails or even like picking in their ears but A LOT of my students do that!
DeleteApril 17, 2012 - Day 6
ReplyDeleteToday I taught my final lesson in the Art classroom over ceramic handles, I must say all the students were very attentive and followed along with my lesson, so I was very pleased.
At this time, everyone should be done with their pinch pots and those have been set aside to dry, and are now starting their coil pots. Mack has made little progress with his coil pot since the last time I was here, I think he is having a hard time rolling out the coils and remembering to score and slip before applying them to the base. He is not the only one though. A lot of the students are getting really frustrated because their coils are not coming out correctly. I did another quick demonstration for all the students who are struggling, especially Mack. Afterwards, I told him to just be patient and take his time and told him that pottery is a very therapeutic form of art. Hopefully he remembers this every time he gets frustrated.
I am glad you got the opportunity to give those struggling a refresher lesson, and maybe Mack seeing that others are struggling too will help him be less frustrated.
DeleteTamera Barba
Day Nine
ReplyDeleteApril 10, 2012
The class is once again meeting in the library to finish their project on the novel, "The Catcher in the Rye". The class has an option of making a collage on a poster board, a map on a poster board, a soundtrack with art and description of why the songs are used, or a video. The class split up into groups to work as I noticed that "Michael" is at the computer looking up pictures to use on his poster. He did not have his notes, which he insisted broke down his project, nor a poster board so he could not do any work that particular day. I tried giving him ideas to look up various pictures for his collage. I eventually checked on the other students in class and noticed "Michael" was playing games on the computer. I asked him if he was done for the day and he said he would finish his work at home. I believed him but was wondering why he chose to sit away from his other classmates.
Day Ten
ReplyDeleteApril 12, 2012
Today the class is presenting their presentations on their own projects. The following week will be review for TASKS and STARR testing which will occur one whole week. Today was a fun class as each student showcased their project and "Michael" actually had a neat poster. His collage was not in color as his pictures were in black and white but he used markers to focus on several images. His rationale to each of the images were quite insightful and always seems to astound me to his brightness. At times, however, I feel sorry for his situation, as most students in my school because of their economic status. I do believe that "Michael" will have a bright future and will be in a better place than most of his peers after his graduation.
It's really exciting when you see their accomplishments and their potential come together. Hopefully the interest you've shown Michael will encourage him into the future.
DeleteDay 7 4/19/2012
ReplyDeleteToday was a good day! Isiah took his medicine. Honestly nothing happened today. I have been helping him a lot more with his work and sitting near him. After lunch he got a little hyper but nothing too crazy!
If only there were more days like these, but then teaching would be no fun! :)
DeleteObservation 8: April 17th
ReplyDeleteJack had a really rough day today. He knows that the STAAR testing is coming up and I honestly think that he is just burned out from everything along with being super frustrated. He has been talking about his family moving for a while now and I came to find out that he did. He was removed from tutoring for a couple of days and I really think that hurt him more than I thought it would. He walks/rides his bike home and is home alone majority of the evening after school. Its so upsetting to see this poor kid have more stressors than he should.
Observation 9: April 19th
ReplyDeleteJack was in the office for most of the day up until it was lunch time. He had a test that was given to him on Tuesday and by Thursday morning he was still on question one. My CT sent him over to the office for hopes that he would focus better and get his work done. Jack in fact did his work but when my CT and I looked over his work he had just guessed and every single question.
*at every single question.
DeleteObservation 10: April 20th
ReplyDeleteI went up to my school today to give my students their little going away packets and observe Jack one more time. While observing him (its test day today) he had several worksheets that he needed to complete before the end of school today and he had not even started one yet and it was about 9:30 - 10:00ish in the morning. As I continued to watch him nothing was different than it has been and his lack of focus was in full force. When I go back on Tuesday I hope to see that it was finished since he gets some extra time to finish his work.
My 1st grader has a hard time focusing too. No matter how hard I try to get him to focus, especially in reading and writing, I'm not very successful.
DeleteApril 19, 2012
ReplyDeleteEli spent all morning trying to catch up on his A.R goals so he was constantly in and out of the library returning and checking out books. I was very proud to see him actually reading one book after another and testing. He looks forward to the rewards that they get such as free dress day. After lunch, during recess, he had to sit out because he didn't bring his spelling homework from the night before so he was upset. He hardly forgets his homework but this may have taught him a lesson. Other than that today he had a great day.
I'm glad to see him working hard on his AR goal! My 1st graders love to work hard on their AR goals so they can get their rewards.
DeleteApril 19, 2012
ReplyDeleteTutoring- Today after school was the last tutoring session since the S.T.A.A.R test is next week. They started a lesson on probability so my C.T had them use the learning pallets. They are pallets that use colored circles to mark your answer. For example, the orange circle is one question and around the pallet are number/answer choices. The student place that circle according to the answer. At the end the worksheet can be flipped over to see if the colors match. I they match, that means they got the right answers. Eli loves working with these because they're fun to work with. He didn't need any help and he was busy for the whole hour of tutoring.
Day 8 4/20/2012
ReplyDeleteToday I had to go into the school to do my modification interview, so I thought I would observe Isiah also. Every Friday is test day and today is also their assembly. He took his medicine today. He was very calm and concentrated while taking his tests. His award for the assembly was Good Citizen. I think he mentioned his mom wouldn't be coming.I was only able to stay for about an hour and half but nothing exciting happened. No more crazy stories....but I have 2 more observations so you never know!
APRIL 17: DAY 8
ReplyDeleteToday was another good day. He came in the classroom and sat down to eat his breakfast without making a mess. He sat quietly and paid attention while I read the classroom a book. He was being actively engaged because he would ask good questions. He also behaved in lunch and walked in a straight line even though I had to tell him a few times to keep his hands of the papers that are on the wall. At centers he was well behaved and was sitting quietly at his computer playing games. When it was getting time to leave he started getting a little hyperactive, he kept rolling on the carpet and playing with his folder. The teacher had to move him to the table and wait until his parents came to pick him up.
Sounds like your student had a good day. The things that you describe he does (such as touching the papers on the walls) is, to me, normal for kids to do. Maybe because he was so quiet all day he had stored energy to release when he got home :)
DeleteAPRIL 19: DAY 9
ReplyDeleteToday went okay. The students were a little excited today because they were going to get to see some small farm animals. He was misbehaving a little during the teacher lesson and was playing with his shoes. During lunch he behaved but when it was time to get in line he wasn’t following direction and he kept jumping and playing with the other boys while in line. During center he started to behave better and played with the toys quietly. I had to play bingo with the students and he was having fun…I was surprised that he played well because when he usually plays bingo he gets mad if he doesn’t win first he get frustrated and won’t play anymore…but he was happy and having fun even though he didn’t win …all he would say was “aw man…I’ll get it next time”. After the game it was time to go see the animals. He walked quietly in line while going outside. When it was time for them to see the animals he followed directions...he stayed against the wall and waited his turn to pet the animals. I was happy that he behaved really well...I thought he would get a little hyperactive and start playing around but he stayed calm and I could see that he had fun looking and petting the animals. When it was time to leave school he got hyperactive again and started playing in the carpet and was asked again to wait in the table for his parents to pick him up.
APRIL 19: DAY 9
ReplyDeleteToday went okay. The students were a little excited today because they were going to get to see some small farm animals. He was misbehaving a little during the teacher lesson and was playing with his shoes. During lunch he behaved but when it was time to get in line he wasn’t following direction and he kept jumping and playing with the other boys while in line. During center he started to behave better and played with the toys quietly. I had to play bingo with the students and he was having fun…I was surprised that he played well because when he usually plays bingo he gets mad if he doesn’t win first he get frustrated and won’t play anymore…but he was happy and having fun even though he didn’t win …all he would say was “aw man…I’ll get it next time”. After the game it was time to go see the animals. He walked quietly in line while going outside. When it was time for them to see the animals he followed directions...he stayed against the wall and waited his turn to pet the animals. I was happy that he behaved really well...I thought he would get a little hyperactive and start playing around but he stayed calm and I could see that he had fun looking and petting the animals. When it was time to leave school he got hyperactive again and started playing in the carpet and was asked again to wait in the table for his parents to pick him up.
APRIL 19: DAY 9
ReplyDeleteToday went okay. The students were a little excited today because they were going to get to see some small farm animals. He was misbehaving a little during the teacher lesson and was playing with his shoes. During lunch he behaved but when it was time to get in line he wasn’t following direction and he kept jumping and playing with the other boys while in line. During center he started to behave better and played with the toys quietly. I had to play bingo with the students and he was having fun…I was surprised that he played well because when he usually plays bingo he gets mad if he doesn’t win first he get frustrated and won’t play anymore…but he was happy and having fun even though he didn’t win …all he would say was “aw man…I’ll get it next time”. After the game it was time to go see the animals. He walked quietly in line while going outside. When it was time for them to see the animals he followed directions...he stayed against the wall and waited his turn to pet the animals. I was happy that he behaved really well...I thought he would get a little hyperactive and start playing around but he stayed calm and I could see that he had fun looking and petting the animals. When it was time to leave school he got hyperactive again and started playing in the carpet and was asked again to wait in the table for his parents to pick him up.
March 27, 2012
ReplyDeleteDay 3
Today I observed my case study during the lunch period. He walked in line like the other students and sat at the table. He sat there waiting on his mother who eventually brought his lunch. The mother brought his lunch packed with two corn dogs, twinkies, and a coke. I thought it was odd that she packed everything so unhealthy. I voiced this concern to his general education teacher and she said that his mother brings him the same lunch every day. The mother continued to sit with her son and unwrap his food for him. She sat with him for the remaining of the time. His mother even took him to the restroom and brought him back to the seat. The child didn’t seem to communicate with his mother. I was concerned about his unhealthy meal and how she babied him.
March 29, 2012
ReplyDeleteDay 4
Today I had a lesson to teach. “Student” was able to participate in the lesson at the beginning before he left to the resource room. I was worried on how his reaction would be to see me teach but he sat there quietly like if it was any other day. I went about my lesson and then I started to hear some laughing. I kept teaching but I noticed “student” laughing by himself. He was throwing his head back and making a silent laugh and clapping. I didn’t know why he was acting this way. I hadn’t said anything funny. The students around him started to stare and I had to get their attention back on me. After the lesson was over I asked Ms. Villarreal why he was doing that and she said that wasn’t the first time he started laughing on his own. She explained he has done that kind of behavior several times before. Today was a very unusual behavior day!
April 3, 2012
ReplyDeleteDay 5
During today’s lesson Ms. Villarreal was showing the students a book on different kinds of fish. Out of know where “student” had so many stories to tell. Ms. Villarreal and I were so surprised. This was the first time we had ever heard him talk so much and in sentences! He told stories about him and his father going fishing and how they catch fish. “Student” would say “fix” instead of fish, but we all understood what he meant. He seemed to know a lot about fishing. It was nice to see and hear him engaged and interacting at this time. “Student” had so many stories to tell. He also mentioned that he caught a turtle and tried to stab it with a knife but it wouldn’t die so he returned it back to the beach. I wasn’t sure if he had made that story up but I was still pleased that he was sharing his thoughts. Today to me was an overall good day. “Student” seemed very happy with today’s topic on fish. I think we finally found something he is interested in.
How sad for the poor turtle, haha, I hope he made that part up too. What a break through for you guys to have found something your student is passionate about. Now his teacher has a "go to" topic of interest to hopefully grab this student's attention and get him to participate more often.
DeleteTamera Barba
April 10, 2012
ReplyDeleteDay 6
Today was another good day for (student). Ms. Villarreal read a book on “Bones and Muscles.” Many of the students in the class were raising their hands sharing stories and then (students) hand raised. I was very pleased to see him interacting again. He said “I twiped and crack my head me hurt.” That was all he had said, and it wasn’t said in the correct way, but it was the effort that mattered. The other students around him were interested and wanted to hear more of his story but (student) had nothing else to say.
April 12, 2012
ReplyDeleteDay 7
Today I went with (student) to the resource room. He was working on a writing assignment. It was a totally different setting. There was one teacher to two students. (Student) was a lot more interactive with his teacher and friend than he is in the general education room. He was asked to write about somewhere he went. (Student) wrote about Sea World. He seems to really love fish. The previous observation he had so much to say about fish. (Student) wrote some words like “wit” with, “obpoos” octopus, “steanxas” stingrays, “seeth” teeth. During this lesson the student couldn’t sit still like he normally does in the general education classroom. The student was stretching, laughing, making noise by himself, moving impulsively, hands in the air/all around, and standing. I also observed him putting is head in his shirt. The resource teacher asked him to put his name on his paper and he said “coming right up.” He wrote his name at the bottom of the paper. He also doesn’t write in the line. His writing is intertwined with one another. (Student) looked very comfortable in this setting.
April 17, 2012
ReplyDeleteDay 8
Today I went back to the resource room to continue the observation in this setting. Today they were practicing reading. The teacher explained that he is trying to get them ready for the STAAR testing. The teacher started the reading assignment with site words. He asked (student) to read the word “bring” and the student said “there.” The teacher then did a popcorn reading with two of the students. (Student) started it off and to my surprise he can read! I had never heard him read before. It was simple words and short but it was something. I noticed he was even reading with expression. By the tone of is voice he could tell the difference between a question mark, exclamation point and a period. Once they had finished they had to read a passage on their own. (Student) said he was done very early. I noticed he never even looked at the book. He was just staring at the wall in front of him. The teacher then asked him questions and he wouldn’t answer him back. He asked what type of passage it was and (student) said “story”, it was a letter. The teacher continued with asking questions and (student) had no idea what he was talking about. The teacher had him read the passage again. This was an Okay day. I was happy that he was reading, but then he spaced out and didn’t read on his own when he was asked.
April 18, 2012 - Day 7
ReplyDeleteToday I came in only for half a day (in the morning) so I got to spend some time with 1st-4th period students and was happy to help Mack continue his pot. The day before Mack had gotten really frustrated but I helped him through it and we continued to make the coils for his coil pot and attached them. Well it was pretty much the same situation today, I helped him score, slip, and smooth his pot. It's still fairly small but it needs to be at least 6 inches so hopefully by the end of the week, we'll get there. :)
Tuesday April 17: Day 7
ReplyDeleteToday was the day I taught a lesson and incorpated voice thread--all to be evaluated by my site professor. Part of the activity was to bring in a snack which included bagel and cream cheese. Amelia stated that she had never had that snack before and she seemed to thoroughtly enjoy it! I wanted to use Amelia to be one of the students recorded on my voice thread, however, I was only allowed to use students that did not have any check marks for being "bad" that day...unfortunately, Amelia had not only one, but 2 checkmarks for the day. Today I was in and out of the classroom and did not get as much time with her as I would have liked.
April 19, 2012 - Day 8
ReplyDeleteMack was not having a good day at all today. I could tell right when I walked in that he looked a little down. He didn't even want to work on his pot so I left him alone but came around to ask him if he was okay. Eventually my CT gave him permission to go to the nurse because his stomach was hurting so much he said he just wanted to lie down. I walked him over to the nurse and told him I hope you feel better. Poor Mack did not return to 4th period at all that day.
Tues April 17: Day 7
ReplyDeleteToday was the day I taught a lesson incorporating voice thread; this lesson was evaluated by my site professor. As part of the activity I served a snack which included bagel and cream cheese. Amelia stated that she had never had that snack before and that she liked it a lot. I had wanted to use Amelia as part of my voice thread by recording her voice-- answering a question from the lesson. Unfortunately I was told that I could only invite students who had not received a check mark that day for being “bad”. Unfortunately, Amelia had 2 checkmarks already that day. I’m sure she would have done a good job. I was in and out of the classroom today and did not really spend as much time with Amelia (or any of the students) as I would have liked.
April 20, 2012 - Day 9
ReplyDeleteToday was another half day for me, I came in during the morning periods since I had an exam that afternoon, hoping to get some more time in with my student Mack since the day before he was not feeling so good. Well it turns out that he missed today because he really was feeling under the weather. Even though I didn't get to help him out I was able to help other students make progress I really hope I get to see him one more time before the semester ends!
Tues April 17: Day 7
ReplyDeleteToday was the day I taught a lesson incorporating voice thread; this lesson was evaluated by my site professor. As part of the activity I served a snack which included bagel and cream cheese. Amelia stated that she had never had that snack before and that she liked it a lot. I had wanted to use Amelia in my voice thread by recording her voice-- answering a question from the lesson. Unfortunately I was told that I could only invite students who had not received a check mark that day for being “bad”. Unfortunately, Amelia had 2 checkmarks already that day. I’m sure she would have done a good job. I was in and out of the classroom today and did not really spend as much time with Amelia (or any of the students) as I would have liked.
As soon as I heard about this assignment I knew which student I wanted to "study." He is a seven year old, hispanic boy with dyslexia. I also think he has a few behavior problems. His teacher and parents are very supportive of him and keep an open line of communication. Everyone has a really good relationship and it works well. I am so interested in watching and helping him as much as I can this semester.
ReplyDeleteMarch 6: Day 1
ReplyDeleteSince the little boy has been diagnosed with dyslexia he has been trying to use it to his advantage. Everytime the teacher asks him to do something such as his work or read he responds, "But, but I have dyslexia and it's too hard." He also throws fits and hides under the pillows in the reading center. It is often distracting and sometimes hard to control.
March 8: Day 2
ReplyDeleteHe had an awesome day today! He has been harassing older girls and recently got in big trouble for it. He has kept his hands to himself and played well with his classmates. Today he has been doing what he is asked and does not overreact when I ask him to do something. When I worked with him today I remained very patient with him and constantly rewarded him for doing well.
I have a little girl in my class who has a problem with keeping her hands and her feet you herself. But the Assistant Principal came up with a reward system and by the end of the day she if kept her hands and feet to herself she gets a sticker. A sticker might not seem like much but she loves to work towards her goal of getting a sticker everyday! So I think rewarding for good behavior is great!
DeleteMarch 20: Day 3
ReplyDeleteThe more I work with him the better (it seems) he does. We read 4 books together today and he tested on all of them with 100%. He can comprehend these books with no problems. I am not sure if they have found any solutions to help him read better or not. What worked for us was me reading the story once, then him repeating after me the second time and finally him reading by himself. I think he liked it and it helped me to know that he was following along.
March 22: Day 4
ReplyDeleteToday was another not so good day. I guess just getting back from spring break was a little rough on everyone. If the entire class is out of control this little boy is definitely off. He would lock himself in the restroom and would not come out. He slapped a girl on her butt and tripped a boy so that landed him in the principal's office for the remained of the day.
March 27: Day 5
ReplyDeleteToday while I was reading a book to the whole class the little boy say at the front of the carpet by my feet. The entire time I was reading he tried playing with my shoes, finding and killing the smallest bugs, talking, messing with other students and just being annoying. I think everyone was tired of him by the end of carpet time. He was just out of control and wouldn't ever stop what I wanted him to stop. It constantly continued.
March 29: Day 6
ReplyDeleteToday was another bad day. For most of the day he laid his head on the desk and slept. He claimed to be very sleepy because he had gone to bed late the night before. A tired, dyslexic boy does not mix well. He refused to do tutoring or go to P.E. During recess he wanted to stay in the room but we practically had to drag him outside where he just say by himself. Needless to say it was one if his worst days.
April 3: Day 7
ReplyDeleteToday he had an afternoon doctor's appointment so he constantly asked what time it was and when it was time for him to go. He could not focus on anything. It was tough but I was able to get him to do some work one on one. We worked on site words and read more books together. I really do think he likes the attention.
April 5: Day 8
ReplyDeleteThank goodness for a doctor! He got put on ADHD medication and I thought there was another child in the classroom! He was absolutely wonderful today and did ALL of his work perfectly! He even got to go to the treasure chest. Not once did the teacher or myself have to tell him to do his work. It was awesome.
It's so great when they finally get put on medication. This reminds me of a student in the Algebra I class that I tutor. You can tell if this student had taken their medicine easier than you can tell night and day. Never forget what seemed to work before he was put on medication because there will be days when he "forgets" to take his pill.
DeleteApril 10: Day 9
ReplyDeleteToday was another good day, thanks to the medicine. However it did not last all day. At about 2 p.m. he got a little crazy. The kids were at recess and he got wild but not like normal. The teacher talked to his mom after school and she was going to talk to the doctor about going up on the dosage a little more to make it last. Other than that he was a perfect child.
April 12: Day 10
ReplyDeleteI found out today that the boy has to repeat 1st grade again. I was saddened by this but I know the school is doing what they have to do for him. My teacher wants him back to work with him more. She knows how to handle him so well and can control him. He is comfortable with her and knows his limits. I think that too much change will affect his learning. He was a wonderful child again today. Since he missed part of the afternoon the other day I helped him make up a spelling test and math test. Which he made A's on both of them. It was so wonderful to work with this precious boy and I truly hope I made a difference in his life.
That is good that he will be in good hands. I also get sad when I find out about students who have to repeat the grade, but then again it is in the best interest of the student. Ultimately the student will be benefiting from this.
DeleteObservation #10 04/19/12
ReplyDeleteToday, Bobby left the room the majority of the day. I haven't quite understood the routine of when he leaves and when he stays. My CT says that it's mainly die to his behavior in the classroom in the morning. So, every day is a new day and she makes that decision on whether or not she needs to deal with it or not, I guess? I haven't asked anymore about it because I don't want to be stepping on any toes. It seems as though his behavior is somewhat the same everyday, but what do I know? We were testing today, so he'll get more focus with the other toom and the individual help anyway.
March 20 Day 1
ReplyDeleteThe student I have chosen to do my case study on is a young 1st grade boy whom I will call Raul. Raul is a Hispanic boy who seems to have a speech problem- sometimes it is hard to understand him when he speaks. Ever since my very first day, Raul seemed to stand out to me because of his speech problem and his behavior- sometimes acting out and not wanting to cooperate. I remember thinking I wanted to do all I could to help him and not exclude his. (I still think this way) Over the course of this assignment I hope to get more insight on Raul and understand him more.
It is very frustrating to a child when they are not understood by others. It breaks my heart and the weird thing about this is that sometimes their peers do understand them (smile). They start interpreting for them. Every positive role we play in the life of a child goes a long way!
DeleteMarch 27 Day 2
ReplyDeleteA little background information my CT is very big on reading and especially silent reading. So whenever the students are silent reading, they can also read to me so I can note if their fluency and comprehension is good. Well for Raul as soon as it's silent reading time, I always hear from him "Can I read to you?". Raul's reading level is 'A', which is pretty low. I always try to focus on him being able to distinguish his letters. Because I have found out over the course of this semester that Raul cannot read or write and does not know mostly all the letters. One of the books he has focuses on E so I had his repeat E with me and try to find all the E's in the book, while pointing and saying 'E'. I was super excited when we came back from lunch and he pointed out 'E' on the book! I really hope I helped him out. I just find it odd that I don't see any type of special aid he receives. I would think if you didn't know the alphabet in first grade that was a big red flag. I plan to ask my CT next time.
March 29 Day 3
ReplyDeleteI just found out today something that may influence why Raul seems to be very behind in his reading levels and speech. Unfortunately, his mom cannot read or write. My CT was explaining to me that she usually comes in to have my CT read her letters or help her fill out forms. This made me very sad, because now I see why Raul isn't getting the practice at home. This motivated me more to pay close attention and help out Raul whenever possible.
Today I had one of my lessons and I have noticed that Raul relies heavily on my help. But I try to not give up on him and give him the answer, but rather ask him questions that will help him get to the correct answer. I do know that I have to make modifications on some activities with him, I just try to do what is beneficial to him.
By the way, during silent reading we got out the book over the letter E and Raul read 'A'. I kindly said 'That says E'. :( I guess it's back to square one. I mean I don't know was it silly for me to think that he would learn 'E' in one day?
April 3 Day 4
ReplyDeleteToday seemed to be a bad day with Raul. During stations I noticed that he was being very stubborn. This one student was trying to tell Raul that he was working on the wrong assignment, and he flipped out. He got very angry and pushed his work away from him. Also during the math stations, I was helping him with a problem that required him rolling the dice, but he threw them pretty far. I told him, he had to go pick them up, and he reacted the same way as before- didn't pick them up and got very upset. I wasn't able to react to much to this because the song to clean up came on. The student-teacher saw and she mentioned that he has been acting out very strangely lately.
April 5 Day 5
ReplyDeleteI was hoping today would be a better day with Raul- not the case at all. He seemed to be acting out again throughout the day. Constantly getting mad and refusing to do his work when someone mentioned something to him- anything it didn't even matter if it was a good thing. He just didn't seem to want to interact with anyone. During lunch, Raul seemed to hit a breaking point. Some students began to tell me Raul was behaving bad during lunch, and he yelled, "It's not true!" and ran to the nearest corner and began crying. While the whole class kept walking down the hall, I stayed with him. He didn't seem to want to talk so I told him, I wasn't going to question what happened, I was just going to wait patiently while he calmed down and was ready to go. A teacher walked by and helped me out by telling him that no one was in the bathroom, so now was a good chance to go to the restroom and clean himself up so no one would see him crying. This seemed to work. On our way back to class, he didn't want to talk, and I didn't force him. I just wonder why he seems to be acting out so much lately.
It always worries me when they start acting out, something could be going on with them at home or any where, I know as adults we have our bad days, it is horrible when children have them as well. I think that when a child is already having a bad day and then their peers are the first to tattle on them it makes it so much worse, as if they can't catch a break. I like how you didn't push him to talk to you, I am sure you just showing you cared impacted him.
DeleteApril 26
ReplyDeleteToday John was pretty good. We did have a sub today so he did get really talkative. I had to help make sure he stayed on top of his work and not off topic. He was pretty good I would say. He was excited to tell me that his granny was in town and that she was staying with him.
That is good that he responded well with the sub. I am always interested to see if the students will behave well when there is a stranger in the classroom.
DeleteKirsty Hagen Day One
ReplyDeleteMarch 20, 2012
My student, we will call him Joe, is an only child. He is on an IEP for behavioral disorders. When I was inquiring about him to Mr. W, my CT, he said that he doesn't understand why he is in Metro (a Project-based learning campus) because he is not supposed to be working in groups. Today Joe was in a very good mood, although he did not get much work done, he was not a diciplinary issue. He was talking to us, the PSTs, a lot. He was laughing and joking around, which is not common for him.
Kirsty Hagen
ReplyDeleteDay 2 March 22, 2012
Joe was not in as good a modd today as he was on Tuesday. THe students are reading "The GIver" and Mr. W has found the audiobook online for free so he plays that on the smartboard. He gave each student a book and instructed them to follow along in their book. After the reading of two chapters the students had to take a quiz. Joe doesn't like reading so when Mr. W placed a blinder on his desk to use, he immediately put it up, wanting to avoid the lesson. Because Joe was talking during the quiz Mr. W warned him with an office referral and he kept to himself.
Kirsty Hagen
ReplyDeleteDay 3 March 27, 2010
Joe was troublesome today. In English with Mr. W he was constantly throwing little pieces of paper at other students. Mr. W and I continued to ignore him until it became bothersome and distracting to other students. Then we warned him to stop. Joe is the kind of student that craves attention whether it be positive or negative so you have to ignore his behavior as long as possible until it hinders the other students. Later, in his history class across the hall (a block period that we split up) Joe was sent outside to do his quiz with a few other students. He kept distracting them and talking to them while they were trying to work so the PST and teacher asked him to come back in the classroom. He did not like this and became very combative. In the end we had to call security to come and get him. When the officer came up the stairs he had disappeared down the other stairwell. This was the last I saw of him that day.
Kirsty Hagen
ReplyDeleteDay 4 March 27, 2012
Today (and yesterday when I was not present) Joe was in ISS for the actions and diciplinary problems that occured on Tuesday. When he is ISS he gets all his work done and stays out of trouble because he is alone.
Kirsty Hagen
ReplyDeleteDay 5 April 10, 2012
I did my lesson today. O boy! Joe was very good today during my lesson. When i assigned the group project of designing a movie poster for the novel "The Giver", he was asked to put his laptop away. Although he did not listen but was not told again, he did use it in a productive manner. his group did not get anything on their poster but Joe was googling some ideas of what he should draw on the poster.
Kirsty Hagen
ReplyDeleteDay 6 April 12, 2012
Joe was very quite today. I did not hear a word out of him. The class was working on their essay and he sat in the back of the classroom. He did not talk to any of his peers or his teacher. He just sat there quietly, drawing. Mr. W did not say anything to him because he was not distracting anyone else.
Day 7 April 17, 2012
In the beginning of class I walked by Joe's desk. He began to explain to me that he only had to obtain a 54 in English to pass. I'm not sure if this is some sort of modification or accomidation he is given. It has not been clear about what kind of disablility he has. i believe it is behavior disability, he is not autistic or asbergers as I initially suspected. He left shortly after recieving his assignment. He said he was going to the counselors to be put in honors classes. When he told me about the 54 average to pass I encouraged him by saying I know he can do it. Joe came back to the class about 15 mins. later and showed me a nomination he was given to a CSi event. He was very excited. He let me read the letter and it said he was nominated because of academic excellence. This young man is so smart, he just needs the right motivation.
Testing the site to see if additional blogs can be posted.
ReplyDeleteIt may be getting too full. Remember, I've never had a class this large so it's increased by about 150 blogs.
Okay, I had to delete quite a few blogs so you may not see some of your previous blogs, but don't worry, they all come to my email so I have them all saved in folders.
ReplyDeleteBut it wasn't allowing anyone else to view their blogs or even know that their blogs were posting.
Everyone can continue to blog through Tuesday, May 1 if necessary since many of you are on campuses still on Tuesday.
April 17th
ReplyDeleteIt was a science class about plants. Teacher asked, how do animals help plants? Precious was called and he said some worms make burrows for the soil and in addition, he said he saw worms in his back yard.Did you pick it up asked one student and he said yes, but let it go later. He was still talking when the teacher stopped him. He was a little upset but not for long.
April 18th.
ReplyDeleteI followed Precious to lunch. There were tags on the wall near the counter where two women as servers were standing. the children were in queue to get their lunch however, when they were near the counter, they took their tags from the wall. Precious followed the rest, got his tag and handed to one of the women and got his tray of food. I sat beside him next to a child who brought his own food. He was curious to know what the boy had in his box. Leave me alone the boy said. I'm just looking he said. I adviced him to concerntrate on his own food and he listened. it was a hamburger and salad and sliced apples. He asked me tear the little bag of ketcheup for him and I did. he ate all his food except the salad. I had a good conversation with him as he ate with smiles. I was happy to sit beside him. He liked it.
Thurs. April 19: Day 8
ReplyDeleteToday the student teacher in our classroom was doing a lesson on division. The students were using chips as manipulatives. For example the problem would say, “If there are 15 students total and there are 5 groups, how many students are in each group”? Amelia was having trouble, but she totally got it when I had her count out 15 chips, form 5 groups, and then dole 1 chiip out to each group until they were gone. Then she counted 3 in each group, and her face lit up, and at that moment we both knew that she had gotten it!
Also, today when I walked into the classroom, there was a new little boy from another school that was now joining our classroom. When one of the lessons ended, Amelia came over and told me that he was not putting his work in the right folder. I suggested to her that she go over and help him. The next thing I saw was her with him, and she was labeling folders for him, and telling him everything he needed to know. She was being a really good helper.
Aww! That is so great that the manipulative really helped Amelia! I bet that moment of success is priceless! That is also good that you give her roles to be a role model for others. I hear it is important to give the students some sort of responsibility to help them develop their character.
DeleteAPRIL 24: DAY 10
ReplyDeleteToday was a great day. When I walked in the class he was the first one to call out my name. I had to do a lesson today and the students did really well in their behavior. He was paying attention and sitting correctly in the carpet. When I had them sing along to a song he was actively engaged in doing the movements to the song. He also was answering questions only when he was called. When it was time for lunch…he did great in the line by keeping his hands of the wall and following in a straight line. After lunch and their nap…the teacher took the students to the playground and he played nicely with the other students. When it was time for centers he also played along well with the other students. Then it was time for them to go to their group to do their independent activity and started whining that he didn’t want to do it and that it was hard but later on he started it doing his work and finished on time. When it was time to go home he was being calm in the carpet waiting for his parents to pick him up.
I get the impression that your presence brought joy to this little boy today. I think sometimes a nap is good but sometimes the interruption of it is worse.
DeleteI love when they have good days! I agree with Diane it seems as though he really likes you being in the classroom!
DeleteKirsty Hagen
ReplyDeleteDay 8 April 24, 2012
The student's are staar testing today but I saw Joe. He was going to see the nurse. I'm not sure why he just said he was not feeling well, and I could tell he was not in a very good mood. Later on there was an emergency in the school parking lot, another student had a seizure, so the nurse had to rush to that student's side. The campus police officer stayed with us by the nurses office until his mother picked him up to take him home.
Day 9 April 26, 2012
Another day of testing. I'm not sure where Joe was today. I did catch up with him after school as he was leaving the building. I asked him how he thought he did on the STAAR. Today it was the Science test. He said that he hated those tests and he doesnt really know how he did. He explained that he hates taking tests that's why he applied to Metro, they are supposed to be doing projects not tests. He seemed pretty irritated, but I can't blame him he did have to sit in a class all day today. I hope he is having a better day when I see him on my last day on Tuesday.
March 20
ReplyDeleteAs is the usual, students were given a handout to complete. "M" works well with "E" who sits next to her, unless she's in a mood. Her moods don't consist of acting act, but of shutting down. Today was one of those days. She was mad at someone and so she wasn't going to work. And she stuck to this; no amount of coaxing would get her to pick her head up off the paper. I walked around the room and tried to help others stay on task, as there are a lot of students in this class who get off track easily. As I made my rounds I'd stop at "M's" desk, but she didn't pick her head up until it was time to leave.
March 22
ReplyDelete"M" has baby pictures on the front of her binder, so I asked her about them. The baby belonged to a family friend. She then talked about others who are having babies. She seemed somewhat enamored with the idea. I did my best to convey to her it was a lot of work to raise a child. Hopefully, she won't be one of many pregnant teens who finds out the hard way.
Today students were to copy notes off the overhead. "M" doesn't really engage in this as she knows she will be given a copy. So, she spent the entire period writing notes to her friend, and doodling.
ReplyDeleteSorry, I forgot to date this post. It was March 27th.
DeleteI bet it is difficult when students behave this way. But I wouldn't blame her, copying notes off the overhead does not scream fun to me! Hopefully M will have other opportunities to interact in the lessons.
DeleteApril 3
ReplyDelete"M" was absent today, which apparently is not unusual. So I worked with another student today. Unfortunately, he sees no point in bothering as his grades are too low to pass the class. I tried to encourage him that one purpose to do the work was that he needed to pass the TAKS test, so he wouldn't have to repeat that also. He did some work, but is understandably discouraged. I asked him if summer school would be an option, but he wasn't sure if they would offer it.
Today the class began watching "The Patriot." "M" and a few of the students around her quietly asked a few questions about the movie, as no introduction was given. "M" was interested in the movie, and other than a few questions to help her understand what was going on, she watched intently.
ReplyDeleteoops on the date again --- April 5th
DeleteApril 10th
ReplyDeleteThe mock TAKS tests were returned today. As, the teacher went over the answers with the rest of the class, "M" and I quietly went over her test, which was a modified version. As we did not have the scantron, I had to read through the questions to determine if she'd chosen the correct answers. "M" did very well, especially with the graphs and maps. I'm glad we had the chance to do this. It was quite an encouragement for her to find out she'd made a 78 on the test. She made a point to ask the teacher what her grade with the number of questions she'd missed. It was also a great opportunity for us to discuss the incorrect responses.
Today they were doing a TAKS review and were each assigned a partner. The teacher sent her to CMC so she never even had a chance to sit down.
ReplyDeleteAgain with the date ---- April 12th
ReplyDeleteApril 17th
ReplyDeleteI'm not exactly sure how we got to this topic, but "M" was telling me a little about life at home. Apparently, there are strict guidelines as far as her going anywhere. As long as she's with her older brother, she can go places. (I believe he's an adult living on his own)Anyway, it was nice to hear that attention is being given to her well-being. As with any teenager, she's a bit frustrated with the restrictions.
"M" worked well today and completed most of her worksheet.
April 19
ReplyDeleteMore worksheets today. "M" was in a good mood, but wanted to be left alone to do her work. This was fine as she and "E" worked well together. I hope "E" is in more of her classes, as she's usually on task and is never disruptive. I think this friendship, even if it's only on campus is good for "M."
April 24 & 26
ReplyDeleteThese are TAKS testing days. I did have a brief opportunity to see "M" on the 26th. She smiled and waved at me from the other end of the hall. Later I spoke with her for just moment. She seemed in a good mood, and told me she thought she passed. I'm assuming she meant the TAKS test, but knew it would be inappropriate to discuss it at the time. So I just told her that that was awesome and I'd see her Tuesday.
April 25, 2012 - Day 10
ReplyDeleteLast week was supposed to be the last time I saw my student Mack, but I came in to visit even though this week all the schools were testing. My CT had the students continue work on their coil pots so luckily I got to help Mack for the last time this semester. It made me really sad to know I won't ever help these students, then again most of them in the Art 1 classes are seniors so they will be graduating soon. So this was another half day for me, so I took advantage of the little time I had with my students and went over to help Mack. He has made some really great progress on his coil pot all by himself. The last time I saw him he wasn't feeling good but its been a few days since then and he seemed happy and healthy again. He is at the point where he can begin adding minor details to his coil pot, like a handle and a spout, so I helped him do this and then we set his pot on a shelf with a bag over it to let it dry slowly and soon both of his pots will be ready for firing. After I helped Mack, I asked him to clean up his area and put his tools away. I told him he could talk to his neighbor quietly while I went around and helped other students. Soon it was time for the bell to ring and everyone put their pots away and cleaned up. I said my goodbyes to the class and thanked them for being supportive of me and wished them well on their education journeys.
April 19th
ReplyDeleteIt was an English lesson. The counselor asked them questions about crossing the streets. Previous sometimes go for a walk with his Mon he told the teacher when she called him with his hands up. He said he held on to her Mom at the trafic light and they waited till it was red before crossing. After many answered questions, the teacher read a book about trafic lights to the students. In the end, Precious drew the colors of the traffic lights- Green, Red and yellow. He was so peaceful in his drawings. He sat quietly and finished his work. Great improvement.
April 2oth
ReplyDeleteI went with the students to the playground. precious had to release all his energy built up from sitting down in class. First graders are full of energy and Precious was no different from the rest of the students. He climbed, jumped ran all over the place. I stood there watching him have fun. His face beamed up as he was the first perston to find the one hiding during hid and seek game with friends. " He is here, he is here , he shouted. Truely, a child's work is play! he was sweating as they went in after the recess. He was a changed person as he released tension. A Great day and I was happy to witness it. what a privilege.
This week has been very stressful for all: students, teachers, parents, etc. We stressed so much to the entire school about the noise level and respect to the test-takers. The children know that school is almost over so they are definitely excited about ending the year already. I have our children for P.E. for an entire 45 minutes and I am so had to see them release their energy as well.
DeleteApril 23rd.
ReplyDeleteit was a preparation day for TAKS. The teacher was assuring them not to be scared for it wouldn't be different from what they had been doing. Precious was not scared and seemed calm as he was paying attention to all the details from the teacher. I had to leave as there was nothing new to be taught but going over lessons which would help them to do their work. I enjoyed the class, the teacher and most especially, Precious, my case study student.
Day 6:
ReplyDeleteToday is Monday, Ben walks in with his mom. He is wearing a hoodie. He does not like it when the teacher tells him to put it his cubbie.Next he selects two different kinds of milk. He knows he can only choose one but he repeats this everyday. Then to top it off, he doesn't even drink the milk at all.
About 9:00am, his greatgrandma comes and picks him to take him to the doctor. Ben is back by 1O:50am, so she drops him off in cafeteria. Of course,Ben doesn't eat a thing. He remains quiet throughout the day.
Day:7
ReplyDeleteWow, Ben walks in and heads straight to the sink. I noticed that his hands were hot pink. He claimed he was playing with a stamp so I figured he meant a stamp pad. He even had pink around his mouth. His nails were so dirty as in no bath/shower. This is very unusual for Ben.
Throughout the day I noticed that Ben's fingertips are raw as if he touched something harmful to him. I brought it to the attention of the teacher. I figured she would ask me to take him to nurse but she didn't.
This breaks my heart! It is so sad that parents would even think about sending their children to school this way, I saw many students like that in my classroom. You could tell they hadn't bathed or showered from the day before. One day I had a little girl ask me to smell her hair. I asked her why and she was so excited that she had taken a bath. I just can't imagine what some parents are thinking when it comes to raising their children.
DeleteDay: 8
ReplyDeleteWhen Ben's mom dropped him off, I asked about the pink on his hands and she told me that Ben got a hold of a Bingo blotter and he removed the cap with his mouth. That explains yesterday but today he was very active, talking to himself, bothering the children with his hands and he kicked me. What brought this on: was that I was tying his shoes, he lost his balance and fell on the carpet and his reflex was to kick me. I think he got embarrass so he expressed anger instead. I helped him get up and hugged him anyway.
Day: 9
ReplyDeleteBen is either back with his mom or going back and forth to his grandma. I don't understand his situation but it is not getter better for him.
When I clocked in this morning, I shared with the principal about the pink ink on him. I honestly had this little boy on my mind all night. She asked that I take him to the nurse so she could document this incident with the reaction on the fingertips.
Ben continues to be a loner. He still looks for bugs/objects either outside or on the carpet. He talks so much about the bugs getting him but yet he has even had dead ladybugs in his pockets. Poor baby, never eats! One day this week we had frozen yogurt on a stick for snack. He actually asked me for another one and without the children's knowledge, I gave him anoher one. I was so glad to finally see him eat. He babytalks alot and sometimes walks like a baby too. Unfortuately, his mom is due in June again so Ben will not be the baby anymore. What a shame! My heart goes out to this innocent little boy. I found out today that he will be back next year. Overall, Ben will need help to catch up with his peers when he gets to the next grade level. I pray for his safety and for his siblings too.
ReplyDeleteApril 12, 2012
ReplyDeleteC was not focused much at all in the morning. By, 9am he already had a card flip. He was distracting other students a lot more than usual as well. My CT told the other students that if he is distracting you, it is ok to tell him to stop. Which I think is good because some of the other students really hate getting into trouble. He recieved another card flip in the afternoon so he was on orange. After he flipped his card and sat back on the rug he was very quiet and sat the way he was suppose to. It was a litle unusual. I guess he is really afraid to get his card flipped again. My CT did do a wonerful jon of noticing and verbally telling him she like his behavior and would pick him to do certaing things because he was behaving so well!
April 17, 2012
ReplyDeleteToday was a very interesting day. First off, my CT told me that C has started to not flip his card when told to do so, so she will just flip in for him without asking him to do it. He just stands in front of the cards staring at them. later on in the afternoon, during the independent practice of a lesson C grabbed another students pencil and broke the pencil led. She got up and went and told my CT what happened and the other students at the table vouched for her. My CT confronted C and asked him why he did it and he said he did not do it. The other student brought the pencil to CT and she then showed it to C and asked again and he continued to lie and say he did not do it. She told him to flip his card for breaking the pencil and for lying. She was really frustrated with him for lying. He started to complain more and more and say he didnt do it, he didnt touch it and whatever else he could think of. She told him to flip his card again and he started to cry. My CT then told him that if she has to go over there and flip his card she is flipping two and he went and flipped his card, very unwillingly. He sat back at his table and pouted. I then over heard him tell his table he was mad at them for telling on him...
April 19, 2012
ReplyDeleteI was not in the class for much of the day but later in the afternoon when the students were ate P.E. my CT told me that C hit someone today. I was very shocked, he normally just cant focus but lately has become a little more distruptive (for lack of a better word) to other students. He then took off his pants... really not sure why he did that and it was just as confusing to my CT. What odd behavior from him. I still do not know the entire story. My CT recieved mix storied from the students but they all said the same thing about C. After that, C denied it and said he did not do anything. He lied and lied and would never admit he had done it. C is not sitting wat the table with the rest of the class anymore. He sits by himself at the teachers horshoe table when the students are at their tables and he sits at his table when the students are at the rug. I'm not sure if I agree with this decision but I also do not know what else to do with him. I know my CT is even more confused with his behavior. He does pay attention more and this gives the other students a better chance to focus as well when he is not there to bug them. I taught one of my lessons today, he did well and he sat with the group. I did have to redirect him a couple times but not so bad. It has been worse
April 24, 2012
ReplyDeleteAgain, today i was not in the classroom much today. We are working on decorating the hallways for the kindergarden's Africa Unit starting soon. I really can not say to much about his behavior. I have not heard any crazy stories though so maybe his behavior has imporved slightly. I sure hope so
April 26, 2012
ReplyDeleteAgain, was not in the classroom at all today. It is the last day we are at Webb in the classroom and I did not see the kids at all unless they were leaving the classroom and walking through the hallway oooing and ahhhhing at the hallway decorations. I am going to miss them. I have no new material to report on C.
April 3, 2012
ReplyDeleteM had a okay day, he was not very talkative in the morning. as he was sitting on the carpet with the rest of the students he seemed to be off in another world. He could not seem to pay attention during morning message. During centers closer to lunch M seemed to not be able to use his inside voice or staying on task. He would get distracted by the other students around him. M was very talkative after lunch and could not stop answering questions out loud with out raising his hand. It was not a bad day for M but we just need to work on the staying focused.
April 5, 2012
ReplyDeleteToday my CT tried a new thing with M. She put him in his own reading group. This seemed to help M with his reading (he reads pretty good), he was able to concentrate the entire time because he was the only one reading. M sits in front of the class so that everyone else is behind him. This is a good spot for him because it is hard for him to talk to the other students behind him because he has to turn around to do it. M had a good day and did not talk out to much.
Day 1- March 27
ReplyDeleteAfter observing the students in the classroom I have decided to observe Carlo, he is 5 years old and his ethnicity is Hispanic. I decided to observe this student because I have noticed that he is lacking many skills. He can't count his numbers or recognize them, he has problems writing his name, the only letter he can write legibly is C. He is always in the corner with this thumb in his mouth and has had problems when trying to use the restroom. His grandmother is the one who picks him up so I am not sure what his home situation is.
Day 2- March 29
ReplyDeleteToday I tried talking with Carlo when he was completing the assignment my CT assigned. He did not make any conversation back and kept to himself most of the day. During recess he just wonders around not really playing with anyone. He is constantly sucking his thumb and will not speak to any of his classmates. I asked my CT if this was normal behavior for him and she said yes that he has been that way since the beginning of the school year.
That reminds me of a student I see in the hallways at Ray. When I have to cover for my neighbor on days he has baseball, I've noticed that this student prefers to work alone that converse with the rest of the class. The teacher recommended that I always make sure to prompt the entire class, especially Brandon, before passing out an assignment. This helps his work because not only does he have directions to follow, he was also cued by the teacher. As for talking, I started with baby steps of saying "hi" and smiling, but it has yet to work. Guess we have to just keep on trying! lol If you find a method that works, let me know :)
DeleteApril 10, 2012
ReplyDeleteM was very active today. He seemed to be playing with all of his new pencils all day. M was messing with them in his pencil box from the moment we started school till he left. It seemed like he couldnt help but play with them. M is one to never have his pencil box on his desk but today he had it there all day. My CT and I constantly told him to leave his pencils alone and to put them away. He would leave them alone until he needed to pull out a pencil again. Other than M playing with his pencils he was good today.
My 1st grader is constantly playing with his pencils. If it's not his pencil it's his eraser. It's a constant battle to get him to focus and do his work and stoping playing.
DeleteDay 3- April 3
ReplyDeleteToday I started my Guided Reading Lesson plan, my first group included Carlo and two other students. I was hoping that by asking him questions he might open up and answer. We read a "aa" leveled reader and Carlo had a very hard time with the sight word "the". He shut down and put his head down after the first page. I tried to tell him that reading takes time and I would help him. He watched me as I worked with the other students for the rest of the time.
Day 4- April 5
ReplyDeleteToday I continued working with Guided Reading. I called Carlo to the kidney table to work with me and two other students on the same book. He was familiar with the book this time, and pointed at pictures while we were discussing the book. Still little verbal communication but I was happy with the progress.
Day 5- April 10
ReplyDeleteCarlo was absent today. I am assuming it was due to the Easter Holiday.
Day 6- April 12
ReplyDeleteCarlo has not had a very good day. He had an accident and was sent to the nurse for a change of clothes. When he returned to class he did not want to listen or follow directions, he was rocking back and forth in his chair and coloring on the bin that is in the center of his table. My CT had him flip his card twice today, he cried most of the day, needless to say he did not complete any assignments. My CT spoke to his grandmother when she picked him up and when she asked about his behavior he was spaced out and had no reaction, which shocked me since he had cried almost all day.
Day 7- April 17
ReplyDeleteToday has been a surprisingly good day for Carlo. He called me over to him to help him with his alphabet letters. I was shocked to see that after 15 minutes he had not even written the letter A on his worksheet. I asked him why he had not written the A for apple and he said he did not know what an A looked like. I referred him to the Alphabet wall and showed him that A is the first letter in the alphabet, I traced out the letter and asked him to trace it, I sat with him the rest of the day and helped him with the alphabet. During recess today he played with one of his classmates. I was happy to see him being social and talking.
Day 8- April 19
ReplyDeleteToday was a horrible day for Carlo! First of all we had a substitute in the classroom so the students were already excited about my CT not being there. After morning announcements and breakfast I noticed Carlo sitting on the floor near his table as I walked over he was coloring the floor with a green crayon, a large area of the floor was already colored. I asked why he was doing that and he looked at me with a blank stare. I told him to go and get paper towels and try to clean the floor up, he got up and attempted to clean the floor but it wasn't coming up, I told him to flip his card and when my CT came in later I would let her know what happened. In lunch he was sent to the office by the principal for poking another student in the eye with a corn dog stick. Once my CT came back in the afternoon and noticed the green on the floor she also wrote him a referral and sent him to the office. He was suspended for two days.
Day 9- April 26
ReplyDeleteToday Carlo asked if I would help him with his math worksheet, the assignment was to count the groups and add them together. Carlo was having a difficult time counting up to the number 5. I would count with him up to the number 2 and he would count 1,2,3, 4,6,7, I told Carlo let's count again I don't think there are 7 crabs and again he answered the same. I counted with him all 5 crabs and circled them, I told him you see Carlo how many are there? he answered 5 crabs, I explained to him now that he would write the number 5 on the blank line, he looked at me and said he didn't know what the number 5 looked like. We walked over to the number chart and we counted to the number 5, I pointed and said this is the number 5, he wrote what looked like a large S. It took over an hour to work out four problems. My heart broke today I saw him struggling so much and I could tell he was embarrassed. I told him not to worry about how long it took him, I would help him, he looked at me and smiled.
Day 10- April 27
ReplyDeleteToday was my last day in the classroom. Carlo seemed very sad and did not talk to me at all, he was back in the corner with his thumb in his mouth. I went and told him bye and he turned away from me.
April 12, 2012
ReplyDeleteM was the helper today, this helped him stay on his best behavior. He tried his best to follow the rules. Being the helper adds task that make him feel in charge like squirting hand sanitizer before lunch, getting any materials and stamping everyones agenda at the end of the day. The stamping keeps m on task because if he flips his card he has to choose someone else to do the stamping. M tried his best to stay in his seat all day and to not call out answers. I was very happy he was able to stamp at the end of the day because you could see how happy he was while doing it. :)
April 17, 2012
ReplyDeleteToday M was constantly falling out of his seat because his pencil would fall. He also told my CT that he was not able to do his homework because he did not have any paper. This happens quite often, he will not do his homework because he doesnt have paper or a pencil or his parents just do not tell him to do it. My CT tells him it is his job to remember that he has to do his homework and explains if he does not have paper at home to take some from class so he could do it. Throughout the day he would say he did not have a pencil. M somehow lost all his new pencils from last week and cannot find any. My CT and I cannot figure out where they go. M ended the day on a good note with following directions.
April 19, 2012
ReplyDeleteM had a really great day, he was on task and listening the whole time. As I was talking to my CT I was asking her if maybe M has add or adhd and if it would help him focus if he was on medication. She told me that he is that baby of the class and is just immature. My CT aslo said that he understands what is going while she is teaching he is just distracted by the rest of the students. She thinks he just needs to grow up a little bit more and then he will be just fine.
Observation 1
ReplyDeleteThe student I have decided to observe in my first grade class is a Hispanic male named “J”. He has always been someone that has stuck out to me from the beginning of the semester. He has not identified with anything as of yet but from watching him this semester there is definitely room for concern. Content wise I’ve notice he has a difficult time with reading and writing but does pretty well in math. I have a hard time understanding him as I listen to him read and the fact that he speaks very quietly does not help. No matter how many times you ask him to speak up he just doesn’t listen. Behavior wise his is definitely one you have to constantly redirect him to focus on his work. He is ALWAYS moving around or playing with something. He can definitely test your patience.
Observation 2- March 22
ReplyDeleteToday was an ok day for “J”. The one thing I have always notice about him is that he is constantly getting up to go to the bathroom. I keep thinking there is no way he has to go to the bathroom that much. I mentioned it to my CT and she asked me if I noticed when he does this and I said in the morning time he never really needs to go after lunch which was odd to me. Well then she asked me what are we working on in the morning and in the morning time they read their weekly story and work in their “blue book”, which is a reading and writing workbook. Bingo! He gets up to go the bathroom because he struggles with reading and writing and does not like working in the “blue book”. He thinks by going to the bathroom it gets him out of doing his “blue book” which in reality it’s putting him so far behind. But what do you do you can’t tell him no you can’t go to the bathroom because you have no way of knowing when he really does need to go. So I try and stand by him and help him as much as I can but even with me standing right there he will find something to distract him.
Observation 3 –March 27
ReplyDeleteToday behavioral wise was a good day today. We are still having problems getting him to work in his blue book. He is so many pages behind everyone else so I try to sit next to him to help and encourage but even with me right there he refuses to even try.
Observation 4 – March 27 (Tutoring)
ReplyDeleteJ is in our tutoring group and usually it is a struggle to get him to participate in tutoring activities. Today was not any different. I worked with the group of 5 that stay in for tutoring on what they decodable reading books. We all sat together and I had each one of them read a line of the story so I could hear each one of them read. Well I had a hard time even hearing J and no matter how many time I asked him to please speak of so I could hear him he never did. So I discussed with my CT about just letting me work with him alone because maybe he was afraid to read in front of people and we decided to try that for next time so let’s see if it works.
Observation 5 – March 29
ReplyDeleteI was a little nervous today because today is my first lesson my professor is watching and I found out from my CT that the kids were pretty bad yesterday J being the worst. So I was hoping today is not like yesterday and I was thankful that it wasn’t and J was wonderful during my lesson. My lesson was over living and nonliving things had he was really engaged and very verbal when I was asking question. He wasn’t just giving me one word answers; he was giving me full on explanation which I was glad to hear from him because he is never one to raise his hand to answer questions.
Observation 6- April 2
ReplyDeleteToday during tutoring I worked with J alone and we worked on the decodable books again. I was still saddened when I still could not get him to speak up which disappointed me because from what I could hear from him he was reading great! This is just something I will have to keep working on with him.
Observation 7- April 5
ReplyDeleteToday was the last day of school before Easter break and all the kids were a little hyper. I worked with J on his blue book to see if we could get him caught up on his pages. He made some good progress. I’m trying to really work with him on his handwriting because that is what is causing him to fall behind the most. My CT is extremely strict on the kid’s handwriting so when they go show her their blue books and their handwriting is not to par they have to go back and fix it and this is really killing J. I know that it might seem extreme that she is so strict on handwriting but my 1st graders have the best handwriting I have ever seen from 1st graders. So I’m hoping my at least the end of the year J we can fix his handwriting.
Observation 8- April 10
ReplyDeleteToday was not a good day for J. I can’t even tell you how many times either my CT or I had to get after J about something. It was a constant please stop talking, please stop playing with your pencil, stop getting out of your chair, stop turning around and the list just seems to go on and on.
Observation 9- April 12
ReplyDeleteToday was an ok day for J. But what really made me a little upset was when his mom came in after school on talk to my CT about J. She knows he is struggling but says she never has time to work with him but doesn’t want him to fail and repeat 1st grade which J is on the verge of having to do. So now she had hired him 2 tutors and wants to add another tutor for the weekend. First of all where was this concern at the beginning of the year because it’s not like he just started to struggle. He has been struggling all year and now that he might have to repeat you want to overload him with tutors. Getting him a tutor is a step in the right direction but overloading him like that I don’t think is right. After listening to her she sounded like she just wanted him to get through the year and move on to 2nd grade. I really hope I’m wrong and she wants to continue to help her son after this school year.
Observation 10- April 17
ReplyDeleteWell they had an ARD meeting for J so I’m hoping this is just another step in the right direction to help him succeed in school. Today I worked with him on his blue book during tutoring and he did wonderful. We were able to knock out a couple of pages that he was working on and his handwriting is slowly, very slowly improving. But something is better than nothing right? I do know that I will continue to work with him and I hope see some more improvements from him.
April 3rd- Day 1
ReplyDeleteMy students name is Coral. She is an amazing student but she alays stuck out to me. She will talk in class quite often and strive to get attention from other classmates. She does not pay attention anddoes not take orders well. She is a 13 year old and is busy trying to be the "cool" kid but she is struggling with her school work and disrupts the class.
Day 9: Tuesday April 24, 2012
ReplyDeleteWe did more math (division) today. We are doing the same type of problems we did last week, and although Amelia seemed to “get it” last week, today we are back at square one. It isn’t because she is not trying because when we are working together she is really paying attention and making a sincere effort to try to learn the lesson. And, most of the time she seeks me out to help her; she wants the help. She is not giving up, and surely I am not giving up on her. I have asked my clinical teacher for an update on what is going on with regards to testing Amelia for a possible learning disorder.
April 5th -Day 2
ReplyDeleteToday in class we disected fish. Coral was not staying on task with the assignment and was distracting her group. She was talking and just kind of poking at the fish. So, I got a new fish and me and Coral went to a table where it was just me and her in the group. She was not happy because she was not by her friends and able to act out and talk. Since it was only me and her in a group she was able to complete the lab and learn by herself. She stayed on task while we were working on the lab together.
April 10- Day 3
ReplyDeleteToday was a test day in the classroom. The teacher has gone over test taking strategies and if the students use these strategies on the test then they get a whole 10 extra points added to their grade. Test strategies are underlining, highlighting, crossing out wrong answers and saying why the answer is wrong, and drawing pictures. Coral finished her test and when I say it I noticed she did not do any of her testing strategies. So, I gave her one more chance. She decided to do the testing strategies and get the 10 extra points. She ended up making a 60 on the test and so the 10 points brought her grade up to a 70. She personally came up to me to say thank goodness she ended up doing the testing strategies because when she went back she found she had some answers wrong.
April 12-Day 4
ReplyDeleteToday Coral told me her grades and she was making B's and C's in her classes except for PE she was failing. I asked her why she is failing PE and she said it is because she does not ever dress out. When she does not dress out and change she cannot participate in the activities. She said it was because she lost her gym clothes and cannot afford to get another pair. So, I went to the coach and told her the situation and then we went to the principe and got her new gym clothes. She can dress out now and pass all her classes.
Day 10: Thursday April 26. 2012
ReplyDeleteToday is our last day at our elementary school, and we are only here until 11:15a. All morning I have been debating on whether I will just act like it is just a normal day; I want to avoid the possibility of me being overwhelmed with emotion with having to say good-bye to Amelia and all of the students. As it turned out, the clinical teacher had told the class, and they had secretly written me little notes. Here is what Amelia wrote: “I will mrs Love yoo lucky on yor work. Thank you for teching us alote good by Love Amelia”
April 17- Day 5
ReplyDeleteToday Coral was having a great day! She acted well in class and stayed on task. She asked me after class if I could help her with her homework during advisory period. I met with her and we worked on math homwork. She really was dedicated to her homework that day and was wanting to learn. It was awesome to see her really caring about school and wanting to do well. I gave her a lot of praise and it was obvious from her facial expressions that she was excited to get praise.
April 19th-Day 6
ReplyDeleteCoral came into a class and was excited about softball. She played well in a past game and was really excited. I talked to her for a while since I am knowledgable in sports and we had a great conversation. She said softball was her favorite sport and that she wants to play all the time. She said she got her brothers to play with her and it was the first time her and her family all did something together in a long time. She loves being active and thats how she likes to learn. I immediately thought that I should make lessons more active and she will be invloved in.
Aparil 24th-Day 7
ReplyDeleteCoral came into the classroom in a angry mood. She was not really talking to anyone and just not happy looking. She started arguing with a student in the classroom before class. I looked over and I saw her push a classmate out of anger. I immediately took her to the hallway and asked her what was going on and why did she push him. She had no explaination except that she wanted to so I sent her to the office because that is unacceptable in the classroom.
April 26th-Day 8
ReplyDeleteCoral came into class and was in her normal mood. She was very talkative and disrupting class. I moved her to a different seat because she could not handle sitting next to her friend. She got really upset when I moved her. Her group members were able to complete the lab first and made a 94 on the lab. She was moved to a different group and she did not really disturb that group as much. She found me after school and apologized to me for acting up in class. It showed that we have a mututal respect.
April 27 -Day 9
ReplyDeleteCoral had a test today in class and if the students did the testing strategies again they would get 10 extra points to the test. This time I went to pick up Corals test and she did the testing strategies without me having to ask her to do them. Since she did them, she really analyzed the questions and scored an 80 on the test. She did much better from the last test since she did the testing strategies. I gave her a lot of praise for doing so well.
March 27th
ReplyDeleteI am going to name the student I am observing "TJ". He is a senior in high school who is one of my office aids and is serviced through our special education program for a learning disability. Though I do not witness TJ in his academic classes, the period I have him for is filled with plenty of free time, other peers to interact with, and random tasks the office aids are assigned on a day to day basis to assist our office with. TJ does as he is directed to most of the time, but is very reserved and doesn't really interact with any of his peers, especially not more than he has to.
Tamera Barba
April 10 Day 6
ReplyDeleteToday seemed to go the same as the past few times. Raul still seemed to act out at times, but he seemed really motivated to want to read with me. I worked with him this time again with letter recognition and basic phonics. He asked me if he could move on to the next level in reading but I couldn't find the heart to say no. He told me "I want a real book." the books he has been working with are the ones you print out, cut and staple together. I saw how maybe that does affect a child's wanting to learn. I tried to convince him that if we practiced hard with the one he has, we can slowly switch to the "real" books.
April 12 Day 7
ReplyDeleteOK so I have found out why Raul has been acting a bit troublesome lately. My CT mentioned to me that she just found out that Raul takes medication, and his mom had run out. This saddens me because I just feel uneasy when I find out that young children have to take medications. I mean is it me or is there a ridiculously amount of students now who are under meds? I just don't like them too much, I feel like we may be making the students rely too much on them for them to function properly without it. Raul behaved OK today, it seemed like a regular day, but this new found information just seemed to be in my mind all day.
March 29th
ReplyDeleteI failed to mention on my previous observation that TJ is of course a male and is Hispanic...Most days TJ is very reserved and to himself. He never really visits with his peers and I can get him to talk to me on a minimal basis, but today was totally different. It was obvious that TJ was a little upset and bothered by something, and he joined myself and my coworker in a long conversation about his family (which he has never really done before). Red Ribbon Week gave TJ the opportunity to get a little more comfortable with myself because I think I helped boost his confidence a little bit. I had the office aids painting signs made of butcher paper for each themed day of Red Ribbon Week. I encouraged TJ to paint one with a huge picture of McGruff on it because if there is one thing TJ loves to do, it is drawing and anything related to art. After loads of compliments and encouragement, TJ produced an awesome poster and I noticed from then on he would communicate with me on a day to day basis. Back to today, TJ out of no where got in to a long, personal conversation about his home life. His parents are separated and he spoke about a lot of issues he has with his mother. It was apparent that he just needed to vent a little, and have someone he was comfortable with to talk to and who would just listen. When our class period ended TJ seemed to have left in a happier of a mood.
Tamera Barba
April 17 Day 8
ReplyDeleteToday was a good day with Raul? And yes I did put a question mark on there. Raul didn't act out today, but he also seemed to be very distant. My guess is he is back on these medications. He seemed to follow all rules and wait patiently at the carpet and in the line for further instruction, but in his work, he wasn't too involved. During reading time, I tried working with him once again with the letters. He did well, but I sometimes feel like I'm not teaching him well enough, or I'm not doing all that I can to help him.
April 19 Day 9
ReplyDeleteToday I had one of my lessons, and Raul worked very well with his peers. I was so proud of him! I really saw that he was trying his very best to work well with everyone, especially his partner. They were required to put together a drawing of living things and while they were sharing at the end, Raul was very proud to show everyone their work. I've just found that positive reinforcement really helps Raul's self-esteem, because when I saw him waiting for further instruction, and everyone else was distracted, I gave his a "Caught Being Good" ticket. He was beyond thrilled when his mom came for him and he proudly showed his ticket. I really hope I am making a difference in him.
April 3rd
ReplyDeleteToday was just like any other day for TJ. He sat away from his classmates (as in, at a completely different round table) and was immersed in his art work the entire class since I didn't have anything for the office aids to do. No one seeks him out, and he appears as if he doesn't seem interested in anyone around him. Though TJ appears to be such a loner, I pick up on a sadness from him, almost like if he would rather be involved with the others in his class.
Tamera Barba
April 5th
ReplyDeleteTJ was very reluctant to do as he was asked today. Most days in the office there is nothing for the office aids to do so they can take that time to work on homework, anything related to their college application process, or calmly visit with each other, but on days when I do need their help, I expect them to work. TJ was not in a pleasant mood and was talking back to what seemed like everything I was saying. He fought me tooth and nail but eventually got on task.
Tamera Barba
April 26 Day 10
ReplyDeleteSo today was my last day with the kids. All the kids would come up to me constantly telling me they would miss me. I tried to make sure I paid attention to Raul and had a little talk with him that I knew he could do anything as long as he was determined and he really is very smart. I just wanted to let him know that I really did care about his success, and us teachers are there to help him out at all times. They each wrote me letters, and this was from Raul, "I love you you or The BesT TeaCher Raul" I hope he has a successful rest of the year, and I know the student teacher and CT help him at all times.