newest development

A smartboard has been added to my classroom. I really can't believe it. I mean this doesn't really happen, especially in a Title One school. So props to CMS for following through on something pretty cool. It is a little overwhelming but my goal is just to use it in simple ways at first and then find small ways to dive in. So far we've used it for attendance, math lessons, writing. The simple ability of typing something and projecting it, along with the ability to have the internet projected is a huge gift of possibilities. This new toy may help with some of the bumps I've found myself facing this year. So here's to the possibilities.

Mission: Accomplished

Thoughts of Reflections...
Well I would like to proudly announce that I survived student teaching. In Detroit. Take that ego. As I look back over it now (being absent from the classroom 3 weeks already) it amazes me of what I actually remember. I can honestly say that I don't remember the year (as a whole) as being so terrible. Maybe because I've had some time to remember what summer actually is. When people ask me now "How was student teaching?" or "So how terrible was teaching in Detroit?" To the first question I generally answer "Well it was an experience." And quite honestly it was just that. I learned all about my students as 9 year olds, city-kids, Detroit-kids, urban-kids and just silly-kids. My answer to the second questions is usually sprinkled with a bit of attitude. Don't judge Detroit and don't label my kids as just "kids from Detroit". They are kids, first and foremore, and then they are kids who are growing up in an environment where learning isn't their top priority - and I don't blame them for that. It's my job to push education to become a priority. Along with that second question - teaching anywhere is hard work. Every environment in every location will have it's challenges, sometimes it's the kids don't eat dinner other times it's a kid who is torn apart when they don't receive a 100% on every single assignment. There are challenges everywhere, so teaching in Detroit naturally had some too.

I do clearly remember many days and nights of no-sleep, anxiety, colds, pimples, snot, worries, frets, apprehensions, anxiety (yes more) and self-doubt...but even remember those feelings I did actualy complete the year in one piece. And I managed to keep my boyfriend, friends and family relavity happy with me. I did discover that excerise it a must. A must for my mental stablility and general health. I also discovered the joys of Yoga, which let me just say has also been a life saver and hopefully will continue to act in such a way throughout my career. I discovered:
-teaching is very hard
-I will not have all the answers (or even some of the answers most days)
-I have a hard time with doing a job where I am still very much learning
-I need to understand that even when a lesson bombs, there is still positive learning that comes out of it (sometimes by the students and sometimes by myself as the teacher)
-the good-morning greeting is essential to everyone
-sometimes smiling (even when you are down right mad) can bring your mood into a more positive light
-I will never be caught up or on top of my game (but that is very OK)
-whatever I do in the classroom as an individual my students will pay attention to and possibly mimic (weird, i know)
-a strong support system is essential
-flexibility, flexibility, flexibility
-having small goals (like only using positive comments) is just as important as big goals
-passion is helpful and contagious in learning
-students should be observed and interacted with in a non-classroom environment early in the school year in order to learn about them as people and not just students (because they are two very different personalities)
-I can make a daily difference in someone else's life
-preparation, preparation, preparation

I know these thoughts are kind of rambled but that goes to show what the year was really like...more to come I'm sure

Internship Year Thus Far

Sucesses:

• Learning 60 kids names
• Getting to know my 30 on a better level
• The transformation of DA
• 2 math lessons (good practice)
• 5 spelling lessons (as well as learning the vowel sounds myself)
• creating and implementing my own classroom managment plan
• creating a weekly newsletter that is also posted on a blog
• having the kids on my own two days in a row

Trials/Bumps

• DA on my own
• familiaring myself with the curriculum (all 4 subjects)
• writing and planning a typical lesson plan
• trying to figure out how to keep 30 kids engaged
• trying to figure out how to teach 30 kids at a time

Internship Placement

Three days prior to graduation I have finally received my internship placement. Davison Elementary in Detroit. Let the butterflies begin.

Submission Successful

My only assignment for finals week this year was to write a Notebook entry for TE 402 describing how to teach Language Arts effectively. After 2 1/2 pages I was pretty satisfied with my paper, so I started the process of turning it in. We were to upload the file into a drop box on Angel. I saved and closed the document. I logged onto Angel, found the drop box, browsed for the file, uploaded it and clicked Finished. The message I received was Angel was "Submission Successful". The exact moment I read that message my stomach dropped to the floor, I instantly felt nauseous and my hands began to sweat - I had just completed my final requirement for my Undergraduate degree. I was absolutely blown away by this concept. Yes I knew graduation was coming up. Yes I knew that I would be student teaching next year. Yes I knew that I would be moving out of my current house. But No - I did not think a simple click of the mouse would cause me such intense and sudden feelings. And that my friends was my final moment of undergrad classes.

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Possible Technology Integration Plan

In order to prepare for my upcoming internship year my Technology and Teaching course assigned a project where we were to design and write up a proposal detailing one particular way to integrate technology in the classroom. I have not been placed yet for my internship so I wrote my proposal for an upper elementary classroom and I will be adapting it to whatever grade level I am placed in. I have created a Social Studies/Geography unit where students study their community through digital photography and Map Mashups. Students in 3/4th grades study communities and I thought it would be a good idea to actually go and take pictures of places in the community, tag and locate the places on a map. Then each student would write and upload a short report on their assigned place to our Map Mashup. The final product would be an online map with pictures and information about the community.
To find out more about this proposal go to by Website and click on the link that says Technology Integration Plan!