Fulfilling the Promise Chapter 1 & 2

The main idea of this chapter, I feel, is setting the stage for differentiation. I realize it begins with the teacher setting an environment that all children can flourish in. Although it is the teacher that sets this feeling she must realize that she is as much the student as her students are the teachers. When differentiation is set into motion the teacher is the one who begins but not always the only leader. In chapter 2 it gave suggestions on how to reach a level with your students that will make them want to be there and to learn with you. This goes back to setting the classroom environment. The classroom needs to be one of wonder and exploration with a sense of self worth and acceptance is always felt. This can be accomplished by letting your students know the importance of the subjects they are studying. When students can relate the information to everyday life or things they are interested in they will more likely listen and enjoy the learning. Curriculum needs to be challenging enough to push students out of their ZPD but not so challenging that they are not comprehending and have feelings of “I’m not smart enough”. Students need to see the good in them as well as good in others. Understanding differentiation is knowing who and how you are teaching.

Morning Mettings

Morning meetings, I feel are a vital part of building a community in the classroom. I enjoyed the reading on what constitutes a morning meeting. During the greeting hour it’s not just to know each other’s name it’s to build a sense of belonging in and out of the classroom. I feel for each of us to have the sense of belonging we have to know more about each other than just a name. Morning meeting help students to feel that. The other aspect of morning meetings I love is that the students take control. This brings that teaching to a student – teacher level that not all classes experience. I have truly been converted to the benefits of morning meetings. I want to implement them into my class. I found the question and comments to be very useful in explaining to parents and administrators why morning meetings are important. Moring meeting is not just for fun and getting to know each other. It is for building a community, reviewing and reinforcing curriculum, helping student be excited about the day, and giving them part of the decisions making about their education.

Being a true differentiation teacher

As I started this chapter I thought the definition simply meant teaching different ways and adapting to your students needs. In the reading it said you have to get to know your students, not just academically but really know them. Know their interests and expand your curriculum to meet their needs and interests. That is the key factor in becoming a differentiation teacher; you must know your students. Just adapting your curriculum to need their need in school doesn’t help them meet their needs in the real world. Once you know your students tap into their knowledge of interest and work with what they give you. When I read the various student abilities I thought, I would have such a hard time with that range of differing students there’s no way I could reach all their needs. Then it hit me, I will face this in my classroom I need to learn now how to approach it. I love how Tomlinson states that a teacher needs to set her own sights high and be a continual learner. If something seems that it is out of my reach I know I can turn to the specialist in my school to help me achieve it. This chapter helped me to see the true definition of what a differentiation teacher is. It is learning your student’s abilities and interests while making connections to each student’s life experiences or experience they will someday encounter. Work to adjust your curriculum and watch your students closely to see if the adjustments are working. If you need to readjust until something reaches to each student.

Plimoth.org Findings

Listen to the Gabcast under the heading "Welcome back from Thanksgiving break" an post your comments on what you have found in the website. Di scribe a new item of interest, how the people got a long, and what they lived in. Be prepared to discuss this in class on Monday.

My Favorite Season

I love to watch the snowflakes as they gently fall from the darken sky. I love the way the snow absorbs the sound making the traffic almost deaf to the ear. I love stillness of the night sky and the soft cold blanket underfoot. I love the trees as the bare the weight of the snow from the night before…

http://static.flickr.com/24/100279695_b25bc0e1db.jpg

What is your favorite season? Write a descriptive story or poem why you love or like a certain season. This will be due next week. You can be as creative as you would like. Good Luck and Have Fun!

Just a Reminder...

As you prepare for this Christmas break I hope you are not going to completely forget about school. Remember you have your book reports due on January 7. Start working on them now so you can have a stress free holiday. Your report can be a diorama, oral report, play, puppet show, or video. It must portray the characters in the book, the setting, and plot of the story. I hope you all have a wonderful time creating and preparing for your presentations. If you have any questions you can email me or post a comment on our blog. I will check the blog daily. Have a very Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year! See you soon!

Last Week Already!

I can't believe this is the last week of field! I have had such a good time I can hardly stand to leave my students. I have learned so much about myself and my future teaching style. For our final week we are filming the class production of Miss Wicked and Apyrl, yes our very Apryl in our class will be the teacher who leaves her class to the substitute teacher Miss Wicked. This week will be full of fun for us as we help them film! I hope you all have had a great time getting to know your strengths and weakness as a teacher. I look forward to seeing you all very soon! Have fun this week see you next Monday!

Teaching is... AWESOME!!

This week is our week to teach. The students have been so good and so interested! I can’t believe how intently they listened and asked questions. When I showed them my power point on the art of ancient Egypt they couldn’t get enough. We have had such a great experience so far. I was nervous to teach on Monday, but once I stood up there the nerves settled and all was well! Today we made our papyrus… yeah a little crazy! The students loved it and learned from the experience so I guess that’s all that matters. On Friday we have a substitute and our teacher has asked us to prepare a longer lesson to take up the morning, so Apryl and I are planning extra. I actually really like planning and watching the students get excited about learning. I hope everyone has had a good time and is learning lots like I am!

One week gone already!?

Well a week of field has come and gone. I can’t believe how fast it went. Halloween was fun and crazy at the same time. We walked in the school parade with our students and had a party afterwards. I have learned that you lose a complete day when it’s Halloween; our students didn’t want to do anything! I start teaching this week… I’m actually looking forward to it, crazy I know! Well I’ll let you know how it goes this week!