Lindsay Donahoo

Reflection Guest Speaker #1

Dr. Newton
8-25-15
What Great Teachers Do Differently
Dr. Newton stressed highly on how important showing a growth scale of students
throughout their elementary school career. I think this is a great way to show parents
students growth, but mostly great for the teacher to see where her/his students are. I
remember when I was in elementary school I was very quiet and if I felt like I was getting
behind I wouldnt say anything and it would only get worse. I didnt learn as quickly as
most students and I think a growth chart throughout my schooling would have been
helpful for teachers to see exactly where I was. The power of a teacher is shown with
these student learning growth tracks. When teachers can see where their students are,
then they can see what they need to spend more time on, and what students may need
more time learning certain things. I completely agree that a growth track is very
important so see the progress of students.
Also Dr. Newton listed 5 important things that great teachers do. Even though
they are all very important for great teachers, 2 of them stood out to me. First its
extremely important that teachers convey that its okay to make mistakes. I never made
perfect grades and didnt expect to, but I was always very hard on my self behind closed
doors about my mediocre grades. Everyone around me made perfect grades, all of my
friends were A+ students and I felt dumb. But if it were stressed more that mistakes teach
us to improve our product and or performance and great learners embrace failure, it

would have been uplifting. Another point she made about great teachers was that they
plan constantly. Just being in the block so far I see how important it is to plan ahead as a
teacher. Not only do great teachers always plan, but also they have to be willing to
change and tweak those plans often. Teachers should make sure everyone is learning
and on the same page before moving on to the next thing. I experienced this first hand
from several teachers in elementary school, but the other side of it. When you have 20
students its a challenge to make sure that everyone is ready to move on to the next thing,
but a great teacher finds a way. The biggest thing I took away from Dr. Newtons
seminar was that teaching is all about the student and great teachers will embrace their
responsibilities and do all they can to maximize students learning experience. I hope to
do those things and be a great teacher for my future students to bring out the best in them.

Reflection #2
Video
8-29-15
It was very eye opening watching The Art and Science of Teaching, seeing all of
the strategies that can be used to help students learn. As stated in the movie, its very
important for teachers to know their students and engage with each of them individually
at least once everyday. I experienced first hand what it feels like to be invisible to my
teacher. It wasnt a good feeling, and I didnt think my work was important. I would try
so hard in school but I was very quiet, but not having any interaction with my teacher was
disheartening. The most interesting thing that I took away from this movie was that
students should be involved with making the rules and procedures of the class. Sharing

this responsibility makes students feel important and it makes having rules more fun for
them. Since they know they created the rules then its easier for them to follow them. I
never really thought about it that way but I think that its a wonderful idea and would be
extremely beneficial.

Speaker Reflection # 3
Dr. Rogers-Dispositions
9-1-15
Dr. Rogers discussed the significance of having a knowledge base and teaching
skills but most importantly disposition to be an effective teacher. I could not agree more
with this, but I really havent thought about it this way before. I have gotten my
knowledge based learning from my several years in college, even before I decided on this
major. Also I know that I will continue to learn teaching skills through the students in my
clinicals and observations. They will teach me more than I could ever learn behind a
desk, because nothing can beat first hand experience. On the other hand, I dont think
dispositions can necessarily be taught. I think everyone is raised differently and goes
through all different types of experiences, which there in turn affect their dispositions.
But I do believe that other peoples dispositions can rub off on one another. I have
experienced this first-hand and have been impressed with someone elses behavior and
attitude before and thought, wow I really wish I was that organized and optimistic. I
know that there is always room for improvement in my life, whether its in my personal
or professional life. I know to never limit myself, because I want to strive to be the best
future teacher, mother and wife. And to be those things I have to possess a positive

disposition. Another thing I took away from this seminar that I really needed to hear is
that we cant always do something to change a students bad situation. Although, when
the students are in the classroom that is the time when I can make a difference. I know I
can make it the best, most enjoyable classroom they have stepped foot in. I want my
students to feel safe and loved, because they might not get that at home. I know its
going to be hard for me to not get involved when I find out about hardships in students
lives, but I know that I cant be every students saving grace, but I can give them love.

Speaker Reflection #4
Dr. Hannah
9-5-15
I absolutely loved hearing Dr. Hannah speak, she had so many points that I really
needed to hear. I appreciated the fact that she said assessments are important, but do not
stand-alone. They show teachers if students have learned what was taught or not. First
teachers should start with the standards (which are a great guide), then focus on the
assessment, and last the activity. Teachers spend too much time on activities and I think
this is something I would struggle with if I were to jump into teaching right now.
Although I know that I shouldnt fit a lesson into an activity, but fit the activity into the
lesson. It really stood out to me when Dr. Hannah shared with us that its an issue for
teachers not knowing their students and not personalizing learning. I really think that
this is an area where I will shine, because at the end of the day this is what its all about.
If you dont know your students, connect and engage with them and have personalized
learning, then it will be much more difficult to get draw students attention and keep them

interested in the subject that you are teaching. Lastly she mentioned the sad fact that
33% of students have to take remedial classes in Alabama after they graduate high
school, which wasnt a huge shock to me, because my brother and I both had to do the
same. Although this shouldnt be the case, but it is according to ACT scores. Teachers
should prepare their students for college and not leave they in the dust trying to catch up.

Speaker Reflection #5
Dr. Bluiett-Early Literacy Assignment
9-10-15
I loved Dr. Bluiett seminar, mostly because I learned the importance of
assessments, especially in literacy. We have been learning about assessments and how
important they are to show if students are making progress, but also because teachers
need to know if they are meeting the proficiency benchmarks and most importantly, if
they are being taught effectively. My organizational skills will definitely shine in the
classroom even more so than I thought, because I will need to keep large amounts of data
on each student. I want to constantly have progress-monitoring assessments, and reevaluate my students and make adjustments in my data. Also if I need to make changes
in my teaching strategies, according to my students assessments I will. We all know
teachers have to be flexible and this is one of the most important areas that teachers must
be able to do so. Having my students date will help me plan exactly how I should plan
my further instruction. I dont want my future students to feel they are being tested
constantly, but practicing and working towards a goal. There are so many ways to assess
reading proficiency and progress, but the best way to do this is read-alouds, this way

teachers can see exactly what students are having trouble with. I think that I would be
more interested in reading if I had more time committed to my progress. I want my
students to enjoy reading and want to improve, and mostly keep them on track.

Speaker Reflection #6
Dr. Wood-Gifted Learners
9-11-15
I found this entire symposium very interesting, because I have always learned
differently than my peers. In 3rd grade I was diagnosed with attention deficit disorder. I
have always felt like it has held me back, but in reality it has made me work harder.
Throughout elementary and high school gifted/talented learners surrounded me, and it
was very frustrating. Its hard to be the student that has to work ten times harder than
everyone else to catch up. It was not surprising that Dr. Wood stated that gifted children
are probably the most under achieving of school populations. To me it seems as if gifted
children dont apply themselves because they feel like they dont have to and they are not
worried about the grade. Where as high achievers on the other-hand are organized and
strive for good grades. I remember very vividly these students that fell in both of these
categories, because I was always jealous of their abilities. I always felt as if I was
behind, but if the majority of the class was caught up or was ready to move on then the
teacher would usually make the decision to move on. I was on the other-side of the
spectrum, and I was left in the dust with several other students on numerous occasions
because the gifted learners and high achievers were ready to move on. I dont think that
that situation was fair for anyone, because as we have discussed previously in class

teachers shouldnt move to the next topic unless everyone is ready to move forward.
Unfortunately teachers dont always do that and when this happens students can fall
behind and never catch up. On the flipside, the gifted and high achievers get bored
waiting for the other students to catch up. In the long scheme of things, I think it is better
for all students to be on the same page than to appease the high achievers and the gifted
learners. Teachers can always have worksheets on standby for the students who are
ahead, while they are waiting on the other students to grasp what they are learning.
Lastly, when we went over our myth vs. reality worksheet I realized how much I really
didnt know about gifted learners.

Speaker Reflection #7
Dr. Underbakke
10-7-15
I found Mr. Underbakkes points and ideas extremely interesting and helpful,
because I am very open to the idea of reading chapter books to younger students and I
can see how this would be helpful. Also the fact that more difficult text is better
understood when they are read to students. I think that if I read chapter books to students
I would be able to help them comprehend material that they wouldnt be able to read on
their on. I definitely will be reading chapter books to my future students. Although I can
definitely see how trying to meet curriculum standards would get in the way and might
me feel pressured for time. At the end of the day I need to realize that helping my
students experience a higher level of vocabulary than they are exposed to would be a
huge asset to them. Also I think that reading chapter books to them would not make them

think about things that they might not usually open their minds to. Thinking opens the
door to discussion and discussions are invaluable! I will most definitely have open
discussions for students to talk about their opinions. So far, in the classrooms that I have
observed, when students get back to the classroom after lunch, it takes about 30 minutes
to get students to be able to sit down and focus on something. I think that this time after
lunch would be a good opportunity for me to bring my future students to the front of the
room and sit down in front of me as I read a chapter book. I could read at least a chapter
or 2 a day and discuss the story along the way. I found it very interesting that these
strategies can be used for students of all grades and ages!

Speaker Reflection #8
Dr. Cheshire
10-28-15
I absolutely loved having come speak to us today! One of the most crucial things
that stood out to me that she sais was that students must have set goals and objectives,
because if they dont then they dont have anything to reach for. When I am a future
teacher if I didnt inform my students on what I expected of them to do or learn then they
would probably never do it because they would not have a set goal to work towards. I
think that goals and objectives are also important to teachers when it comes to their
lesson planning and classroom management. But goals and objectives are especially
crucial when it comes to assessments. Also I think that its extremely important that
teachers not only give assessments but use those assessments for the greater good of the
students to help them better succeed. Theyre one of the best tools a teacher can use to

not only keep track of how her students are performing, but also informs her of how she
is doing herself as a teacher or if she needs to make any adjustments in her teaching
strategies.

Speaker Reflection #9
Trace Crossings Teachers
11-9-15
Debbie Dray
Teachers are responsible for the funds that are given to them by the state and the school.
They are given a manual in the form of a drive from Trace Crossing that helps them plan
out and manage their expenses for the year. Teachers also have the help of a bookkeeper
to assist them with managing money for the year, but its purely the responsibility of the
teacher. These expenses will assist students and improve their performance in academics.
There are little things within the school year that these expensive cover that are very
important to the students growth. An annual cost of field trips should be given to the
parents at the beginning of the year. Teachers cant keep money in the classroom and
students cant carry money around unless its their lunch money. I love the idea that
teachers can raise money for field trips, classroom supplies or anything they need for the
class. Thats a wonderful idea to get the community involves with the school.
Specials Mrs. Roebuck
The specials classes at Trace include art, music, library and physical education. These
teachers work try to work with every class and every student. Specials have a huge
impact on student achievement. These wonderful specials teachers integrate other

subjects and do projects with students once a week. All specials programs are different in
each school, but they way they are implemented
at Trace seems to work very well and the students really enjoy them. Students spend at
least thirty minutes in each of the specials classrooms, once a week. One resource that
students use in several of their specials classes is their chrome books. All of the specials
are beneficial to students, but physical education is especially helpful for students that
arent active regularly at home. Also, art benefits students because students that have
behavioral issues do really well in art.
Funding for specials.
Lunchroom
Mrs. Collins
I absolutely love the way that Trace Crossings handles meals for the students. They allow
every student to receive a free breakfast, which includes all of the nutrition that they
need. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day and students focus better when they
start their day with a nutritious meal and not an empty stomach. The state will continue to
provide free lunches to the students as long as each breakfast contains the proper amount
of nutrition and every teacher makes sure that every child is offered breakfast every
morning. They also provide free lunch for 47% of students and a large number also
receive a reduced lunch.
The fact that everything in the kitchen is baked, because it is mandated by the USDA,
ensures that the food they are serving is healthy and beneficial to students. Everything
must be documented, from the portions to the different food groups offered.
ELL David Pitts

One resource that he mentioned was called iNow where the students data is organized
and their LEP status is managed. All of this information helps students succeed because it
checks on them and where they are. This is extremely helpful to students for them to see
where they are along with their parents and teachers. Its also extremely helpful to Mr.
Pitts because he has to keep up with about 75 students. He works with a limited number
of proficient students, which makes his job even more challenging. The students he works
with struggle with literacy more than any other subject, but he has to be proficient in
many languages not just Spanish. He helps in meetings with parents who dont speak
English and interprets for the teachers and the parents. This is an absolutely amazing
asset that the school provides that is helpful for the students to learn English and to
support them and their families.
Carol Barber Principle
Mrs. Barber stressed that she looks for perspective teachers that are willing to go above
and beyond their job description. Great teachers will benefit students in ways that a
worksheet or reading a book couldnt. She looks for teachers that want to make a
difference in schools and arrange lesson plans in a away that will help students succeed to
the best of their abilities. I absolutely love the profession that I have chosen, but I could
easily see that it would be a difficult job to enjoy if I didnt love the job that I was
teaching. I feel so blessed to have an education from Samford University and experience
all of the opportunities that come along with this wonderful institution. Mrs. Barber
speaks so highly of Samford and the reputation

of the students, graduates and staff. I would love to teach at a school like Trace Crossings
Elementary School where the principle is so involved throughout all aspects of the school
to help make it successful.
Title 1
Karen Viper, Jennifer Norris, & Donna
This is a federally funded program that is based on the poverty in the school. I think that
this is a wonderful program that is offered for everyone in the school, not just the poverty
stricken students. This helps students achievement because they help students that are
just below their grade level where they should be. They use resources such as data they
have collected and scantron test that designate students for groups. These teachers are so
amazing they change grades, subjects and content every thirty minutes. They teach what
the students need to work on, always having the students success in mind. I always felt
as if I was a boarder line student that was always on the edge of catching up to the other
students. I think that if this was available to me that I would have been more successful in
elementary school. I love that they give every student a chance and they try their best to
move students up and bring new students in. I hope that whatever school I end up
teaching at offers these types of accommodations because its absolutely wonderful for
both the students and the teachers.
Special Education Mrs. Paige
Mrs. Paige made it clear that a majority of her job consists of teaching, but a large chunk
of about 30% is filled with paperwork. Special needs teachers have a
large amount of paperwork that they must fill-out. These special needs students
collaborate with the students classroom teachers. This impacts students achievement

because they are able to learn things that might not exactly be the same as their peers, but
share similarities and this gives them confidence. She teaches speech, math and reading
to 14 students that are on her caseload. The fact that these students receive this help is
huge because they wouldnt be able to grow in a regular classroom the way that they can
in these special needs classrooms. The resource that she uses to plan her course load is
from the Alabama Learning Exchange website for the criteria that she teaches.

Speaker Reflection #10

Lari Valtierra- ELL
11-11-15
This training was extremely helpful and I will use this information throughout my
teaching career. I thought that everything we learned was extremely important, but one
of the most important things that we learned would have to be that EL students should be
taught in steps. Also not all EL students learn at the same rate and they must be taught
according to their proficiency. This is extremely important to me because I want all of
my students to succeed and not just the ones who are proficient in English. I know that
these students will be challenge, but I know that being a teacher isnt always about
stickers and field trips. These students will be even more of a challenge to teach if the
school that I end up teaching at doesnt have an ELL teacher. I have learned in this
training that not every school offers an ELL class/teacher. This would mean that I would
100% be in control of making sure that the students who struggle with learning English.
I also found it interesting that schools are required by law to allow students to enter
school at any grade, even if they cant speak or understand English at all. Children are

given the right to attend school from age 5 to 21 and can enter elementary or high school
at anytime in those age ranges. I think that this presents an even larger challenge for
teachers because the older a student is the more he/she will have to catch up on
unfortunately. But if the student does have prior education and is proficient in reading in
their 1st language other than English it will definitely help when learning the English
language.

Speaker Reflection #11

Mrs. Joyner
11-18-15
I love that Mrs. Joyner started off by saying that teachers should only use
technology to enhance learning and not force learning on technology. I think this is very
true and that many teachers dont abide by that and try to use technology because they
have to or want to try something fun. But if that fun thing that they want to try
doesnt enhance the learning of the students then it doesnt need to be used. She also
showed us several ways that technology can be used specifically in the math classroom:
apps, links, interactive white boards and games. I have seen the interactive white board
being used almost everyday in math in the class I am observing. I think that with these
white boards and the elmo projectors students can be in involved together as a group and
thats extremely useful and helpful. I also loved that she talked about how math can be
integrated into almost every subject and that is so true! Some ideas of integrating math
could be counting things in a book, figuring out years and dates in social studies adding
and subtracting to check a timeline, or in science when students have to measure things.