Last Wednesday was my third observation and my final one in my first placement. It was for a reading lesson, I was being observed for my questioning techniques. I had the entire lesson typed up and it was ready to go! And then...naturally...the snow came, canceling school on Tuesday. This snowday moved my entire lesson back a day, so instead of the students reading the story for the second time and answering the questions, they were reading it for the first time! As the lesson went on, I was just making up the lessons on the fly, coming up with prediction and open ended questions to ask the students. It turned out that my supervisor liked what I did on the fly even better than what I had planned! She understood that the lesson was different because of the snow and said I did fine adapting. In this visit, we also had a small meeting with my second co-op, the teacher that I will be going with next week. You will be hearing more about that very soon.
My Mid-Term Meeting...something that I was honestly not sure what to think about. I did not know if I should be nervous or worried, so I just went in confidently and hoped that was the way to go! It was just a small meeting with my supervisor where she went over my binder and over the evaluation forms that she filled out, that my co-op filled out and that I did. She said my binder was very well organized and was looking good (Yay!) and as far as grades, looks like I am off to a very good start! My co-op and myself both gave me in the B+ range for a grade (I always grade myself on the low end, I hate grading myself!) and my supervisor almost gave me a perfect score! I was beyond shocked, but very happy!
As for today, I finished my final day of solo teaching in my first placement, which is beyond crazy! Where has these last 7 weeks gone?! Now all that is left is the report card day tomorrow, Thursday I start transitioning the class back to my co-op and Friday, I say good-bye to the class. :(
Showing posts with label snow. Show all posts
Showing posts with label snow. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Student Teaching Shenanigans: The Early Dismissal
Last Night, some of the teachers and I stayed a bit late to get some work done for the classroom. We ended up talking about the weather and how not a single meteorologist seemed to know what the heck was going on. They all forecasted snow and rain mixes, starting and ending at all different times, from Tues night through Wednesday. All we could hope was that we had off for the next few days. After our planning and our "See you on Friday" wishes, we went home, keeping our fingers crossed for, if nothing else, a delayed opening.
I woke up to my alarm at 6:30 disheartened. No phone call had woken me up to say that we were delayed or off. Mom tells me that it has been snowing, there is probably about 2 inches outside and no end in sight. My dad takes my sister to school at her high school and calls to say that the roads are awful! My co-op even calls me when she was on her way in to tell me the roads are crap and the students shouldn't be going in under such conditions.
I got on the road to school and they weren't exaggerating. Slush, snow and black ice were everywhere, a hazard for not only buses, but for cars and for the poor students who would have to walk to school. I finally get to the school and begin to set up for the day, ready for a crazy, workless day.
We had 18 of our 23 students show up to class, which shocked me. The kids arrive around 8:20 to the school on average, but today, we had buses still pulling in around 9:00 because of the conditions. It was an absolute wreck. People were very upset with the day and the phones were ringing off the hook in the office.
After everyone finally got settled and we did a bit of our usual routine, we decided to do a butterfly project with the kids to go with the book we were reading. Around 10:00, as Maria was explaining the instructions, her phone went off. I looked at the number and it was 411-000-000, which made no sense to me at all. She said to ignore it, but I was curious, so I googled the number on my phone. Here's a tip for anyone: If you see this number, answer it, it means there is a school announcement of some kind! The website I found said they got a call from this number and it was a school calling about a school closing announcement. I tell my co-op this and she has me listen to the message that was left. The internet was right, it was a school announcement, we were going to have an early dismissal. We were getting out at 1:00. We inform the kids of this and then begin the project.
About 10 minutes into the project, the principal enters the room. My co-op was out, so the aide and I were the only ones in there. He tells us that the lunch schedule has been changed to accommodate the early dismissal and that there would be no recess. He also tells us that we are now responsible for calling all of the students parents and finding out how they are to be getting home. At hearing this, I will admit I was pretty upset. Not only were we called in under crap conditions only to be sent home in a few hours and waste a day, now our day was made completely insane for us! How are we supposed to take care of a classroom and try to keep an order while making at least 18 phone calls???
I say at least because just calling a phone number and getting the answers you need is never that simple. You get an answering machine at the house, so you have to call the cell phone, but that is turned off, so you have to call the work, but they are not working so then you have to call the emergency contact...And then you get the houses that are no longer listed under the numbers on the emergency card or the number is no longer a working number.....get the picture? Making these phone calls was beyond insane. I am glad that the aide, Feo, was there though to help with the Spanish speaking callers; I got a couple calls where the first words were "You speak Spanish?" where I would simply say, "No, un momento" and hand the phone off.
So after the phone call fiasco, it was time for lunch, where Maria and I had duty. We warmed up our lunches and went to the cafeteria where we proceeded to stuff our food down our throat while making sure the kids did the same. After this, there was only about an hour or so left before dismissal, so we did calendar and another butterfly worksheet and then got the kids ready to go home. This was probably one of the only times that I will see all of the buses there in time for dismissal. We got the kids where they needed to go and sent them on their way. And once they were gone, I had a brief chat with some other student teachers about their crazy days, grabbed my things and went home!
Moral of this story: When you think you are going to have to send the kids home early, Do Not Bother Sending Them At All!! It is dangerous for both parents and children who not only have to make the dangerous trek to school, but then turn around a few hours later and do it again! Not to mention, its a pain in the ass for teachers and a waste of a day! We would much rather make up one day than waste one in this fashion!
Oh! and of course I have a couple one liners. To show how out of it my co-op and I were, she had this great one liner while trying to tell the students to do a page in their "I'm Done" books: "I want you to do I'm one done page one. (Said after I burst out in laughter)....That didnt make sense did it?"
And this lovely one liner came from a boy who was in the cafeteria. He was strutting with his food to his table and randomly burst out "I had a dream about Twilight". Completely random but hey, that's what these one liners are all about! :)
I woke up to my alarm at 6:30 disheartened. No phone call had woken me up to say that we were delayed or off. Mom tells me that it has been snowing, there is probably about 2 inches outside and no end in sight. My dad takes my sister to school at her high school and calls to say that the roads are awful! My co-op even calls me when she was on her way in to tell me the roads are crap and the students shouldn't be going in under such conditions.
I got on the road to school and they weren't exaggerating. Slush, snow and black ice were everywhere, a hazard for not only buses, but for cars and for the poor students who would have to walk to school. I finally get to the school and begin to set up for the day, ready for a crazy, workless day.
We had 18 of our 23 students show up to class, which shocked me. The kids arrive around 8:20 to the school on average, but today, we had buses still pulling in around 9:00 because of the conditions. It was an absolute wreck. People were very upset with the day and the phones were ringing off the hook in the office.
After everyone finally got settled and we did a bit of our usual routine, we decided to do a butterfly project with the kids to go with the book we were reading. Around 10:00, as Maria was explaining the instructions, her phone went off. I looked at the number and it was 411-000-000, which made no sense to me at all. She said to ignore it, but I was curious, so I googled the number on my phone. Here's a tip for anyone: If you see this number, answer it, it means there is a school announcement of some kind! The website I found said they got a call from this number and it was a school calling about a school closing announcement. I tell my co-op this and she has me listen to the message that was left. The internet was right, it was a school announcement, we were going to have an early dismissal. We were getting out at 1:00. We inform the kids of this and then begin the project.
About 10 minutes into the project, the principal enters the room. My co-op was out, so the aide and I were the only ones in there. He tells us that the lunch schedule has been changed to accommodate the early dismissal and that there would be no recess. He also tells us that we are now responsible for calling all of the students parents and finding out how they are to be getting home. At hearing this, I will admit I was pretty upset. Not only were we called in under crap conditions only to be sent home in a few hours and waste a day, now our day was made completely insane for us! How are we supposed to take care of a classroom and try to keep an order while making at least 18 phone calls???
I say at least because just calling a phone number and getting the answers you need is never that simple. You get an answering machine at the house, so you have to call the cell phone, but that is turned off, so you have to call the work, but they are not working so then you have to call the emergency contact...And then you get the houses that are no longer listed under the numbers on the emergency card or the number is no longer a working number.....get the picture? Making these phone calls was beyond insane. I am glad that the aide, Feo, was there though to help with the Spanish speaking callers; I got a couple calls where the first words were "You speak Spanish?" where I would simply say, "No, un momento" and hand the phone off.
So after the phone call fiasco, it was time for lunch, where Maria and I had duty. We warmed up our lunches and went to the cafeteria where we proceeded to stuff our food down our throat while making sure the kids did the same. After this, there was only about an hour or so left before dismissal, so we did calendar and another butterfly worksheet and then got the kids ready to go home. This was probably one of the only times that I will see all of the buses there in time for dismissal. We got the kids where they needed to go and sent them on their way. And once they were gone, I had a brief chat with some other student teachers about their crazy days, grabbed my things and went home!
Moral of this story: When you think you are going to have to send the kids home early, Do Not Bother Sending Them At All!! It is dangerous for both parents and children who not only have to make the dangerous trek to school, but then turn around a few hours later and do it again! Not to mention, its a pain in the ass for teachers and a waste of a day! We would much rather make up one day than waste one in this fashion!
Oh! and of course I have a couple one liners. To show how out of it my co-op and I were, she had this great one liner while trying to tell the students to do a page in their "I'm Done" books: "I want you to do I'm one done page one. (Said after I burst out in laughter)....That didnt make sense did it?"
And this lovely one liner came from a boy who was in the cafeteria. He was strutting with his food to his table and randomly burst out "I had a dream about Twilight". Completely random but hey, that's what these one liners are all about! :)
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Winter Adventure in Canada
I was going to call this post the "Winter Adventure in the Great White North", but since Philly is going to be hit with over a foot of snow in the next 24 hours, I didn't think that title was too appropriate.
Yes, in the next couple days I will be flying out to Winnipeg, MB to share the holiday and new year with Chris. I was supposed to be leaving tomorrow (Monday) early in the morning, but because of the fit that mother nature decided to throw, my flight has been canceled and I am leaving a day late. Starting on Tuesday and going through next Monday, my blog and twitter will be relatively inactive. You can follow my trip to Canada via Chris though! http://twitter.com/chrisreid1983 is his twitter account and you can watch that page for our trip adventures, including my first Manitoba Moose game and the first time I will get to see Chris perform on stage as the Grinch!
Yes, in the next couple days I will be flying out to Winnipeg, MB to share the holiday and new year with Chris. I was supposed to be leaving tomorrow (Monday) early in the morning, but because of the fit that mother nature decided to throw, my flight has been canceled and I am leaving a day late. Starting on Tuesday and going through next Monday, my blog and twitter will be relatively inactive. You can follow my trip to Canada via Chris though! http://twitter.com/chrisreid1983 is his twitter account and you can watch that page for our trip adventures, including my first Manitoba Moose game and the first time I will get to see Chris perform on stage as the Grinch!
Friday, February 26, 2010
Random Snow Rant
Ok, I just need to vent a little. I don't do this very often, so please bear with me.
The east cost of the USA has gotten 4 storms in the last 3 months. The first one was right before Christmas, I was not in school, it was not a big deal. I actually had fun in that storm, made some snowmen, it was a good time. These last three storms....not so fun. The last three storms have been in the last 3 to 4 weeks, which happen to coincide with the field experience that I have to do for this semester. Today, Friday, should be my 4th field experience at Chester Community Charter, but it was canceled due to snow. I have only gone to the school once!! I have to make up all of the days I have missed, so I am going over my spring break next week to make all of them up because that is the only time I have available to make up days. But, as luck would have it, the weather people are calling for some more snow in the middle of next week! INSANITY!!!!!!
*breathes* ok, I feel a little better now, thank you for putting up with my little rant, just had to get that out. Now, time to move on to more fun things, like Disney!!
The east cost of the USA has gotten 4 storms in the last 3 months. The first one was right before Christmas, I was not in school, it was not a big deal. I actually had fun in that storm, made some snowmen, it was a good time. These last three storms....not so fun. The last three storms have been in the last 3 to 4 weeks, which happen to coincide with the field experience that I have to do for this semester. Today, Friday, should be my 4th field experience at Chester Community Charter, but it was canceled due to snow. I have only gone to the school once!! I have to make up all of the days I have missed, so I am going over my spring break next week to make all of them up because that is the only time I have available to make up days. But, as luck would have it, the weather people are calling for some more snow in the middle of next week! INSANITY!!!!!!
*breathes* ok, I feel a little better now, thank you for putting up with my little rant, just had to get that out. Now, time to move on to more fun things, like Disney!!
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Breaking Records with Cans
Ok, so I have been soooo out of the loop recently, I did not even know about the Celebrate Volunteers Live Cast until about a half hour of it happening! But I rearranged my schedule (not like that was hard, being snowed in by over 3o inches of snow) and was able to watch the live broadcast in its entirety!
And Oh Boy What a Broadcast!! Ty Pennington, Kermit, Tom Staggs, Sweetums, the Fab 5...Everyone was present! They had some volunteers parade in who had already one their Give a Day, Get a Day service. There were a ton of them to be sure! They announced that a few, including a family in my home state of Delaware, could not make it due to the snow, I felt so bad for them!
After recognizing the volunteers, they talked about the celebrations and how, after only 6 weeks, there have already been over 600,000 people who have signed up for volunteering, over half of the alloted tickets! So, I guess here's my main question....What is going to happen after that 1 million? At this rate, we will hit 1 million by about Easter, if not before, so what happens after that? Do we just not have a celebration until the end of the year? Highly Unlikely. I know that Disney had to have come up with some kind of plan for if this happened, so I will be very curious to see what this plan is. Personally, I would LOVE to see the Year of a Million Dreams come back! Yea, I know it won't, but I can dream, can't I?
The program ended with the unveiling of the sculpture that now holds the World Record for the largest structure made out of canned foods. Ty Pennington from Extreme Makeover Home Edition, along with the Fab 5, sent balloons flying to reveal the structure. It has more than 115,000 cans and took about 500 hours to complete. The structure will be up until about 3pm today and then will be taken down and the cans distributed to shelters in Miami, Orlando and Atlanta.
And Oh Boy What a Broadcast!! Ty Pennington, Kermit, Tom Staggs, Sweetums, the Fab 5...Everyone was present! They had some volunteers parade in who had already one their Give a Day, Get a Day service. There were a ton of them to be sure! They announced that a few, including a family in my home state of Delaware, could not make it due to the snow, I felt so bad for them!
After recognizing the volunteers, they talked about the celebrations and how, after only 6 weeks, there have already been over 600,000 people who have signed up for volunteering, over half of the alloted tickets! So, I guess here's my main question....What is going to happen after that 1 million? At this rate, we will hit 1 million by about Easter, if not before, so what happens after that? Do we just not have a celebration until the end of the year? Highly Unlikely. I know that Disney had to have come up with some kind of plan for if this happened, so I will be very curious to see what this plan is. Personally, I would LOVE to see the Year of a Million Dreams come back! Yea, I know it won't, but I can dream, can't I?
The program ended with the unveiling of the sculpture that now holds the World Record for the largest structure made out of canned foods. Ty Pennington from Extreme Makeover Home Edition, along with the Fab 5, sent balloons flying to reveal the structure. It has more than 115,000 cans and took about 500 hours to complete. The structure will be up until about 3pm today and then will be taken down and the cans distributed to shelters in Miami, Orlando and Atlanta.
To see pictures and a time lapse video of the structure, visit the Disney Parks Blog.
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