1/10/2014

DAR Journal
1-10-2014

Describe

        Today was Friday.  Starting the day off I arrived at the same time as my mentor teacher.  Shortly after me arriving the students had arrived.  The day started off with the announcements.  Again, students from my class helped participate in the announcements.  Shortly after the announcements,  students reviewed their spelling words before their spelling test. As the students worked on their spelling  tests, I walked around and observed.  Students seemed to know their words.
        After the spelling test, the students reviewed their vocabulary words from "A Bushy Mustache".  Then following this review, the students did a vocabulary test where they had to fill in the blanks.  Similar to the spelling test, the students seemed to respond well to this test.

            After the vocabulary test, students moved on to their Daily 5s.  Today, students worked on getting their Daily 5s all complete.  I had to continually remind students to get back on track with this activity.  Because it was Friday, students were extra loud and out of control. 

            Math followed after the Daily 5.  Math consisted of a recap on counting money.  Students worked on pennies, dimes, and nickel.  The class worked with quarters day; how many quarters equals $1.00.

            Today's schedule was an easy one.  The majority of classroom subjects occurred in the morning.  The entire afternoon was filled with lunch, recess, and specials.  My mentor teacher had to leave today at 11:30.  He is a wrestling coach for a local high school and had a tournament today.  So with the assistance of a substitute teacher, we watched over the class in his absence. 

            When students returned from specials, there was about 15 minutes in the schedule that was open.  My mentor teacher had left students to read through a National Geographic magazine of insects.  This was the portion of science.  It was interesting teaching a science lesson, for it was the first science that had been taught all week.

            Today was another great day students teaching.

Analyze

            Today was a great day because I got to witness occurring classroom management from my mentor teacher.  Students knew what needed to be done and didn't ask a lot of question.  There was a few students I had to speak to about their behavior.  I was given the opportunity to manage the students without my mentor teacher being present and with a substitute teacher.  I enjoyed being in control of the classroom.  It brought me back to my substitute teacher days. 

            The lessons that occurred today seemed short and I felt as though the lessons could have been planned better.  I think that because the day was Friday, students become excited for the upcoming weekend, and their focus abilities are worse than previous days.

            I got to experience the spelling and vocabulary tests today, and it was nice to see a model for when I take over spelling.

Reflect

            My fifth days was the best day of the week.  I entered the school excited and energized to end the week!  Wrapping up my first full week of student teaching makes me happy that I'm that much closer to being completed and on the track to having my own classroom someday.  I'm eager to take over the spelling lessons next week.  I'm ready for more responsibility in the upcoming week!  Looking back on this week, I felt as though I was simply an object observing, but I know with time I will be assigned more responsibility and make the days go by faster and with less boredom.