StudentTeachingWeeklyLog

Directions:Answerthesequestionseachweekandemailthemtoyourstudentteaching
supervisorbySundayevening.

Name:KennanCammack

Week:4

1. Howdidyouspendyourtimethisweek?Whatresponsibilitiesdidyouhave?
ThisweekItaughteverysubjectexceptforreading.Readingtakesupagood
chunkofthemorning,butItaughttheentireafternoon.Thisweekwasalotofmath
review,soplanningformathwasrelativelyeasy.Wearestartingafewnewunitsthough,
soIthinktheplanningwillgetmoredifficultnextweek.Ialsoplannedthemorningwork
andmorningmeetingsthisweek.Everydaythestudentssharesomethingnewabout
themselvesduringmorningmeeting,inordertobuildtheclassroomcommunity.Wealso
gotanewstudentlastweek,sowewantedtomakesureshegottoknowtheclass.On
Friday,mymentorteacherstayedhomewithhersickson,soItaughtthefullday.The
schoolcouldntfindasubintime,sowehaddifferentpeoplefromthebuildingcoming
inthroughoutthedaywhileItaught.Fortunately,thestudentshad4specialsonFridayso
theywereoutoftheclassroomforagoodchunkoftheday.Althoughitwashectic,the
daywentreallywell.
2. Whatwereyourmostsatisfyingexperiences?Whatwereyourmostchallenging
experiences?
IthinktakingovertheclassroomonFridaywasboththemostchallengingandthe
mostsatisfyingexperience.Iwaskindofthrownintoitatthelastminute,butitendedup
workingoutreallywell.Withmymentorteachergone,mystudentsrealizedthatIreally
wastheoneincharge.Theyweremoreresponsiveandwellbehavedformewhenshe
wasgonethanthedaysshewasthere.Ifeltveryunpreparedfortheday,butwegot
everythingdonethatweneededto.InsomewaysitwasbetterthatIwasthrowninto
teachingwithoutpreparingbecauseIdidnthavetimetoworryabouteverylessonand
howwellIhadplanned.Ithrewsomelastminutethingsinthatturnedouttoworkreally
well.ThestudentsdidstartusingSpellingCityonFriday,whichisanonlinetoolfor
takingspellingtests.Becauseitwastheirfirsttimeusingthewebsite,ittookforeverto
geteveryoneonandgoingwiththeirtest.ThisprocesstooklongerthanIhadhoped,but
mymentorteachersaidthatthishastohappenthefirstfewtimesinorderforthemtodo
itquicklyandindependentlylateron.Sheoftentellsme,Wejusthavetojumpinand
getourfeetwet,thenitwillbeeasyswimming.ThisisaquotethatIwillremember
forever,becauseitremindsmethatIhavetobepatientthefirstfewtimesstudentsare
learningnewprocedures.ItalwaystakeslongerthanIthinkitwill,butitisnecessaryfor
theirlearningprocess.
3. Whataretheplansfortheupcomingweek?
ThiscomingweekIstartteachingthefullday!Iamalittlebitnervous,butIhave
torememberthatIdoknowwhatImdoing.Ihavetaughteverythingbefore,butitmakes
itfeelalittlemorerealnowthatIamofficiallybelltobell.ClayElementaryrecently
addedanInstructionalCoachtotheirstaffandIwasabletomeetwithherandtheother
thirdgradeteacherswhenplanningforthisweek.Therearetwonewteachersinthird

grade,soshewantedtocollaboratewiththemandhelpthemplan.Thisworkedoutgreat
formebecauseIwasabletositinonthatmeetingandworkwiththem.Thiswas
extremelyhelpfulformeasIwasplanningforthecomingweek.Wecreatedactivitiesfor
comprehension,vocabulary,spellingandfluencytogether.Readingisasignificant
portionoftheday,soitwasnicetoworkwithotherteachersinplanningthistime.Ifeel
confidentinteachingwritingandsciencebecausetheconceptsarenotverydifficultthis
week.However,IamalittlenervousaboutmaththisweekbecauseIthinktheconcepts
aremoredifficultthantheywerelastweek.Wearestartingsubtractionwithregrouping,
whichwasverydifficultforthestudentsontheirpretest.Iamgoingtotrytofind
concreteactivitiesforthekidstopracticewithinordertogivethemmore
comprehensibleinput.
OneotherthingIamstrugglingwithismyplanningfortheELLstudent.Iwanttowork
withheroneononewhileteachingtheseconceptsbecausewhenIorallyexplainthings
toher,sheunderstandseverything.HoweverIcantteachthewholeclassandworkwith
herindependentlyatthesametime.Itrytoaddvisualsandmanipulativestohelpher,but
IthinkshekindofchecksoutwhileIamteachingthewholeclass.Icanonlyimagine
howdifficultitwouldbetokeepupwiththeotherstudents.Luckily,mymentorteacher
istheretoworkwithher,butIwishIhadmoretimetoworkwithher.