Journal Entry 3

Journal Entry 3

            I noticed on my first day of pre-student teaching that the teachers in my classroom were nice and friendly with me but extremely strict with the students.  I commented to one of the teachers, “you run a tight ship.”  She told me that they have to run a tight ship in order to keep the behavioral issues under control.  She explained to me that this year they have it under control, but in the past they did not always.  They are strict with the students when it comes to rules and following directions, but they also laugh and joke around with the children.  

            When transitioning the students from the rug to their tables to do work, the teacher will either call students by their tables or the group that they are working in for that period.  When transitioning to lunch, the teacher uses eye contact to individual students to let them know that they may line up.  If a student is rowdy or making any noise on line, the teacher will send him or her back to their table until they are ready.  The teachers both feel that these techniques help them with their classroom management skills.  

Journal Entry 2

Journal Entry 2

I was thinking about my goals and expectations for my pre-student teaching placement.  I need my goals to be clear in my mind in order for me to gain the most out of this experience.  Firstly, since I am in an ASD nest program, I would like to become more comfortable working with students on the spectrum.  Secondly, my working experience is at the Pre-K level in a play based setting, I would like to become more comfortable planning and implement lesson plans in reading, writing, and math. 

At my placement, I have been paying attention to the teachers’ use of time management and assessment.  The class has a schedule with different periods that the teachers make sure to follow.   When the children are arriving and unpacking, the teachers take care of attendance and any other paperwork that needs to get done.  When the students have specialties, the teachers either have meetings with other professionals in the school, professional development session, or prep time.  The teachers use the time appropriately, so that they will always be prepared for the students.  The teachers in my classroom are really lucky that they are a team of teachers, because if a teacher has something that they want to take care of, the other teacher can always cover for her. In terms of assessment, the teachers assess the students for reading levels 3 times a year.  I was lucky enough to observe a teacher assessing children and moving them up a level or two last week.  They also give out math assessments for the children to do after completing each math unit.  Assessments are very important because they allow the teachers to know what the students know and they show progress.  

Journal Entry 1

I am doing my Pre-Student Teaching in a 2nd grade ASD nest program at P.S. 112 in East Harlem.  This was my first experience in a classroom with students with special needs.  There were only 3 students on the spectrum and there are times throughout the day where they are pulled out of the room and I can not come with them.  Each day they have leave for a PE session which is mandated in their IEPs.  A couple of times per week, when the rest of the class is doing "word study," they leave to work on their social skills.  The classroom has co-teachers; a general education and a special education teacher and there is a cluster teachers that is shared with the other 2nd grade ASD nest program class.
The curriculum at PS 112 is great.  They have a standards based literacy program that includes read alouds, readers workshop, word study (phonics instruction), and writers workshop.  In math, they follow the Everyday Math books.  In social studies, the students are starting a community study where they will choose things in their NYC community that they want to study and present to a school in South Carolina via video conferencing.  The children also have science, art, library, technology, and gym.  The teachers use different models at different times throughout the day.  Sometimes they co-teach a lesson, other times one teacher teaches and the other serves as a push in. 
I spent my first two days observing.  After reading through the syllabus today, I am not sure how I am going to push myself to take a more active role in the classroom.  The teachers do such a wonderful job, that I am really enjoying watching them and feel like I am learning through that.