Practicum II Blog

 This week was similar to last week except we worked with third grade. Each class began in the classroom learning how to check heart rate using either your neck or wrist pulse. The students were required to figure out their heart rate using their pulse and their maximum heart rate using their age. This was a skill that was introduced in Kindergarten and touched upon every year. I was happily surprised at their skill with this concept. Next up was running laps outside, the kid's favorite! No, no they really don't like it but my cooperating teacher is great about adding physical fitness and games into their class so they get a small workout as well as some fun. Next on the agenda was coordination, a memory game that I'm blanking on the name. and finally, we spent the last few minutes working on our jump rope skills. I think the excessive use of jump rope is solely based on our lack of equipment this semester. and finally a test about endurance and heart rate to close out the ...

  I do not have a formal PSDA because I started my placement so recently but I will do an informal self-assessment for the purpose of this post.  I would say one of my biggest strengths in the classroom is c ultivating relationships with students. I love getting to know the students I'm working with. I ask a lot of questions, I try to make them feel like I really care about them as people and I'm not just there to make them do things.  An area of growth that I really need to work on is t hinking outside the box, being flexible, and able to change my plan when needed. Sometimes the plan needs to change based on the student's moods or based on the space available to us that day or even the weather is a factor in teaching a PE class especially during Covid. We are required to be outside at all times during PE right now. I need to be more flexible and ready to change my plan based on the space we are using that day. It is fairly consistent but as the weather gets colder and r...

       My placement will be beginning this week! After a late start and a personal tragedy, I'm finally ready to get going. Better late than never! It has been longer than I would have liked since I've done any hands-on work in a classroom but I don't think I'm alone. That's just how this year is going.       The first week my plan is to get comfortable in the space. It always takes me a bit to feel comfortable in a new place with new people, especially right now. My objective for the week is simple, I want to observe as much as I can. I want to get comfortable with my cooperating teacher, learn their style of teaching. A big stumbling block for me has been behaviors and the best way to handle them. I want to take notes on the cooperating teacher's behavior strategies, spend time with the students, and get an idea for the flow and organization of the classroom. For example, what is the beginning of class like? Do the students start with movement o...

 Practicum Blog 1 (9/7-9/13) I'm still waiting on paperwork in order to enter the school I will be working on. I've kept in touch with my cooperating teacher and we are working through this issue! I plan to be in the school at the start of next week.  I hope to be there on Mondays and one other day throughout the week. My goal is to keep the same schedule throughout the semester. It needs to be as consistent as possible. This is the only way I will be able to manage my time.  I envision a learning curve with this school as I haven't been in a classroom for some time and I anticipate some virtual learning. I've never facilitated any kind of virtual learning so this will be a new experience. I foresee the behavior management and keeping the attention of the students to be one of the most challenging pieces of virtual learning. Behavior management will be my most challenging part of teaching for me in general in the classroom and virtually. It is not in my nature to be an ...