300 Block Goals
Goal: Improving and modifying my interviewing skills
Action Plan: Arrive at new placement with a well thought out, written, and prepared topics and questions for my Cooperating Teacher
Goal: Developing, modifying and refining my observation skills
Action Plan: Start a journal and record (with labeled sections) what I’ve learned during my pre-service placement observations
Reflection During my pre-service experience, I was reminded that children at this development level need to be spoken to and listened to a great deal of the time that you spend with them. I had forgotten how much they need your undivided attention almost continuously at this early age. While working with the pre-school, I became aware of the ability of written text and storyline to impact the mood and tone of an atmosphere, and how reading a story about a subject children are experiencing can be supported through literature. This encourages the development of their receptive and expressive language. Additionally, these are influential ways to manage a classroom.
When there are situations in the classroom that need addressing or discussion, a story can be chosen for its theme and resolution message for dialogue, understanding, and application to the circumstances present in the classroom. Children are very keen on applying what they have learned to their own lives, especially when there is a happy ending. In addition to the story, insightful, thought provoking questions can be used to guide the children to implement and adopt problem solving and critical thinking skills, even at this early age. Finally, an activity can be done that reinforces the concept of the lesson learned and how it can be applied in their lives and situations.
While at the preschool, I observed that a preschool teacher can offer free choice (with clear parameters), restate what is seen, reinforce what is desired to be seen, ask questions to initiate self-reflection, and utilize positive talk and direction to better facilitate the successful participation and learning of students. I observed that the directors and workers in the preschool were very adept at these skills and were exemplary models of how to put them to use. I learned a great deal about how and when to implement these strategies from them.
Offering choices to a child leads to empowerment and a connection to self-control. However, it is especially important before offering the choices that you are confident that every outcome will lead to acceptable results. Restating what is seen communicates to the child that you are paying attention to them. Reinforcing positive choices and actions let children know what is acceptable and desired by the adults. They have a natural desire to please and this gives them a sense of recognition and achievement. When noticing an undesired action (that the child is known to be aware of), asking the child questions that causes self reflection on what they know is the expectation, most commonly they will arrive at the place of knowing this and now there is an opportunity to discuss choices, which again, leads to self empowerment. Using positive talk stressing the things that children can understand and do rather than what is not allowed which gives them the necessary guidance and direction to get on the right track. Always hearing “no” and “don’t” can introduce feelings of frustration, disappointment, and failure.
During my pre-service placement at Lolo Elementary I learned that a successful teaching/learning experience begins with being well prepared, being able to assess the students’ understanding of a concept as you teach and revise strategies, and using language that clearly expresses your expectations. In addition, I observed teachers in every classroom and every grade using the type of reflective, reinforcing, and restating language already noted above.
While I was observing in a second grade classroom, the teacher had an aide take six children over to a small table for a portion of the lesson where they were required to write responses for reading comprehension questions (these children had various limitations which required a great deal of attention). The rest of the children worked with the classroom teacher doing the same activity, but they finished more quickly and moved on to another lesson. They teacher used remediated instruction and team teaching.
In a first grade class, the teacher was introducing a new poem and was losing their attention, so she switched gears and introduced the poem through “the mystery bag” where the kids became engaged guessing what was in the paper bag and then she introduced the poem.
In this same classroom there was a young man who was challenged by a short attention span and the inability to be quiet. Much of the time the teacher stood close to him frequently just touching his arm shoulder or head lightly which seemed to help him with him with his self-control. She amazingly ignored most of the noise that he constantly made, as did the students. When she could see that his inability to self-regulate was increasing, she very discretely and quietly called the “behavior specialist” on the phone and he came in to help her with him. All the while, she was supportive of his positive actions. It was obvious that the young man trusted her and they had a good rapport with one another. He was able to return to participate with the rest of the class shortly after recess.
Teaching my lesson plan, I used schemata building, predicting, vocabulary building, reading comprehension questions, and map reading. My teacher assisted by relating other recent readings into our discussion for a greater understanding about cultures and traditions in other countries.
During my pre-service placement, in addition to teaching my lesson, I was able to participate in language arts instruction in the many various ways: schema building, story mapping, literature circles, making predictions, naming literary elements, book walks, read to children individually, listened to reading, assisted with journal and creative writing activities, handwriting lesson, library research, and poetry study in ten different classrooms.
One of my goals on improving and modifying my interviewing skills was topped out through this pre-service situation. I went to school at the same time for each observation and recess was during my last ten minutes. Because I was left alone with the teacher, it gave me the opportunity to develop, modify, and refine my interviewing skills. Each time I interviewed a teacher, I had more questions that I hadn’t even thought of until that day.
Additionally, being an observer in a classroom has allowed me to attain another of my goals. I was able to watch how students react when they are spoken to; including their facial expressions, body language, and of course their verbal responses. Without the burden of the responsibilities of maintaining the classroom, my mind was free to connect what I was seeing with the information I have read about in texts and novels and the experiences I’ve had to be recorded. This pre-service experience has allowed me to accomplish my goal of developing, modifying and refining my observation skills while at the same time adding to my journal.
I have started a collection of ideas and formats of developing classroom management plans. I learned a great deal in this short time from many different perspectives on classroom management and teaching strategies which added a much to my journal under planning and organizing instruction. Although I have seen several different methods (depending on grade/age) of development and involvement of the class, I have not decided what I think will work best for me as I see the pros and cons of several that interest me. I have formally and informally interviewed several of the teachers whom I have had the benefit of working with and included these in my journal.
Additionally, what I have observed is that relationship seems to be the most valuable tool for implementing and assisting growth, learning, and responsibility in students. This will require the further development of my effective verbal and communication skills focusing on reinforcement, reflection, redirection, and positive behavior support language.
In the 400 block of service, I will maintain my journal, and continue refining and developing my interviewing skills and classroom management strategies. My new goals are to assist in organizing learning environment, learn more effective planning techniques, teach more lessons and increase the effectiveness of implementing lessons by integrating modifications as assessed by teachers. I believe the 400 block will provide the platform for a successful action plan through lesson planning as a team with a cooperating teacher, co-teaching lessons, and developing lesson plans as I assume more responsibility to achieve these goals. Many of these goals I have previously had the opportunity to put into practice during my experience as a substitute teacher for two years and a paraprofessional for two years prior to entering the university program.
The C&I 300 Field Experience that was most beneficial to me was being put in several new and unfamiliar classroom environments in a very short period of time. Unfortunately because I was in so many classrooms, I wasn’t able to form relationships with the individual students or teachers, however the experience was rich with opportunities to jump in and help where I saw that there was a need and I was able to exercise my resourcefulness. The teachers’ responses were very positive and grateful. They were not at all offended by my stepping in wherever I noticed a need in the classroom. This circumstance allowed me to become more confident in my ability to adapt proficiently to new situations.
I would recommend that anyone placed into a classroom report, communicate, and correspond directly with that teacher as to allow for clear communication and expectations between them. I found it to be very challenging to have a liaison between myself and the classroom teacher. This particular situation was not conducive to developing relationships with students or a teacher and lacked the opportunity to develop familiarity and security in the classroom experience.