My final visit to my cooperating teacher! But it is certainly not my final visit to a school.  After this semester I realized that I have a long way to go in a new world of education and excitement for my future. I have learned with all of these great visits, how important is to “feel the experience” of education in order to understand the career I want to excel. Personally, I always knew that I love to share my knowledge and experience with others to help them improve or reach their goals. However, professionally I never knew how wonderful, exiting, difficult and organized the education field could be.  Seeing my cooperating teachers “in action” was amazing to me, because I was able to see how the process of education starts from day one. I learned from Mrs. S. that your students “earn your respect” and then you will allowed them to be part of a great school year. With Miss M. I learned that kids could be more intimidating if you don’t know how to control your class since the beginning of the year; but most importantly that you make your classroom rules for a reason; “to have your students follow them”  

When I started this semester, my goal was to become a high school teacher. I knew that working at a high school level was going to make me to feel happy and exited about becoming a teacher. Although, after I entered into a middle school, I realized that this “unknown” world was as incredible and full of experience as a high school could be. I learned during my field the experience that kids at any age can spark your day with the most amazing questions, but at the same time they can make you feel that you are not providing the necessary tools for them to excel in their learning process. Although, now I know that only experience, dedication and practice can help you to create more great memories and rich experiences for your students.

What I am more amazed about this whole experience is that I though I was going to help students to learn during my hours at the school; but instead, I learned, I learned and I learned. There was so much to learn during this experience that I can end this post next year if I mention everything. But just to mention a few, I learned that everything I was thought during this semester with Professor P. and last semester with Professor S. was put in practice in every classroom I visited. I experienced seeing talented kids, kids with special needs in an inclusion class; I experience special Ed. helping in a teacher’s classroom.  I experience seeing the “classroom rules” to be used, I learned the use of a smart board, I was able to experience so much technology in a classroom that I never thought could be possible because I was in a low income area. I learned that I would never end my learning experience because kids always thought me something new. I learned that no matter how much I knew there was always an opportunity for me to learn something... even as an educator! 

As I always say:  “I will not change anything from my experience this semester because every experience in life has made me the person I am today. I will analyze every single aspect of all of my experiences in order to learn from them, and I will use my knowledge and experience to help others when they need someone to guide them" 
 
During this visit to my new cooperative teacher Mrs. M, I was able to observe a 6th grade classroom. I was fascinated for the energy involved in this class and the different methods of communication the teacher had with her students.

           

            Mrs. M is a language art teacher and she currently has her students on a 30-book marathon. She needs to have them read 30 books by the end of April and it started since February. Because of that, students need to carry the current book that they are reading with them at all the times.  When they walk into her classroom they need to sit in their assigned places and start reading it for the first ten minutes of her class while others are getting ready in their places.  If any of her students do not have their book and they are not reading anything she just needs to ask: “Where is your book?” and they will run to the books shelve and start reading it or they will grab it from their book bag. Students are very quiet during these first ten minutes waiting for Mrs. M to run the class; but they already know what she is waiting for while she stands at the door greeting all of them!

            I believe she does not have an intentional message for any students regarding to their ethnicity, religion or gender; she maintains a fair class with rules and directions to all of them regardless of their background. Mrs. M. physical presence in the classroom brings tranquility and direction to her students because she is not a strict or angry teacher, but she maintains a very organized class with proper directions.

            Also, the correspondence that the teacher maintains with her colleagues and parents is through emails and written documentation. Although the school is trying to go paperless during year 2013-2014 they still have written communication with students and parents because they are working on exploring this new way of communication by having parents and students enrolling on Facebook, emails and other online websites such as Genesis. This could possible end with written communication on a near future but meanwhile this seems like a smooth transition for all of them so far. With all of these changes I think that I can’t get enough of how much school system is changing and trending in an advanced and technologic way for our students’ future.

            

 
Assessments are one of the most important areas in education. It proves knowledge and understanding of any subject matter we want to provide to our students.  Many teachers have their own way and other teachers may drive their assessments base only on the standard curriculum. I believe that whatever is the way they want to do it, what’s important is that we make sure we follow up with those students who were not able to comprehend the lesson we have given them in order to help them be at the same level of their classmates.

I was able to observe a new cooperating teacher at a different school this time; her name is Mrs. M. I was able to analyze her informal evaluation and she likes to explore her students understanding by asking question during the lesson. Mrs. M. also likes walking around the class and reviews her students’ work. She had mentioned that she has talented students in her class and they are not placed in different classroom; therefore, she needs to push these kids a little harder in order to provide them the level they need for their capacity.

Also Mrs. M. has a formal grading where she daily is grading her students’ work base on the experience they are having. For example currently she is teaching them a persuasive lesson where at the end of the marking period students will be graded based on the New Jersey Scoring Rubric for essays writing, on a scales of 6 points. She mentioned that it is so important to use this rubric in order to feel you are providing them a fair grading, and even though she sometimes has to provide more homework for talented kids she keeps them on the same scale.

Homework is also part of grading at all the times; this is what Mrs. M. considers a reminder of what they have learned at school during the day and it helps them to think about questions that students may have and will bring the next day to prove knowledge and help them to improve their understanding.

            Now as a future educator I understand that for every situation our students have there will be a purpose, and therefore we need to look up for our students’ future. We need to think on every single aspect of our day to help them achieve their maximum and help them understand how they will do it. We with the necessary tools as educators we are building an army of educated, responsible and knowledgeable people for the future of our country. Not matter how much we may hate assessments that we have to review or we have to take, they help all of us to be better on what we do, let’s educate! 

    mrs. Gould 

    My blog has the information about the direction I am taking for my future roll as a teacher. Please feel free to be part of an extraordinary world!

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