Field Experience Reflection 8

On October 19, I started my day at Alice Carlson by greeting the students as they entered

the classroom, giving them smiles, and asking if they wanted a shoulder touch or fist bump. The

students smiled the biggest when they saw me walk into the classroom, which melted my heart.

One of the girls in my third-grade classroom stated, “My favorite teacher in the world is here!”

while running up and giving me a huge hug. I told the students in my classroom how excited I

was to see them.

The day began with me conducting my second big mathematics lesson. I was excited to

facilitate a lesson around measurement because this is a concept I felt confident in. I was very

proud of myself and my accomplishments, and I think the lesson went well. I felt way more

comfortable during my second lesson than my first one. I asked all the students to sit on the

carpet while I wrote on the poster paper in my classroom. I could tell that the students were

engaged, and I felt I communicated the material in a calm and appropriate tone of voice. All the

students seemed to understand the material I was teaching and were very engaged; the students

were very involved in the activities. The students loved measuring their feet, and I observed

them as they used the ruler. The students seemed to grasp the material I taught when I walked

around and looked at their workbook answers. Some students had a few questions, but most

understood the U.S. Measurement System well when I asked them questions. Only one struggle

or negative would have been I was still a little nervous even though it was my second lesson.

Also, one of the students was shouting out during my lesson, but I kept reminding them to think

quietly and wait until I called on them. However, I was extremely pleased with how my lesson

went, and I felt very well prepared. Cara did not step in during my lesson; I appreciated that

because she wanted me to practice teaching on my own.

 I want to feel more confident for my last lesson since I have taught two successful

lessons. One thing I could improve on was developing more differentiation strategies for students

and providing extra resources for struggling students. Only two students struggled during my

lesson, but I want to give them more support by providing them with worksheets or having them

come to the back table to do individualized instruction. Furthermore, I want to think more

in-depth about the anticipated student responses to feel more prepared, as some of my expected

student responses do not align with my expected thinking. Some students think about

mathematical concepts differently, and I want to be able to differentiate towards all students’

needs. I will continue asking my professors for feedback.

After the math lesson, Cara taught a social studies lesson about Spanish explorers. The

students watched a video about Christopher Columbus and his journey to the New World. They

talked about how he was looking for another route to China to find spices and ended up in

present-day Florida. I wanted to make sure this video covered various perspectives. I learned in

many of my classes about the dangers of a single story. In my elementary school experience, we

only learned about colonists as the “good guys”. We did not learn about the torment and unjust

treatment the native people endured, as this was cut out of my curriculum. I am very aware of

this now and appreciated that my lead teacher showed a video of the perspectives of the native

people and how their land was taken from them harshly and unfairly. I am grateful my teacher

does not only introduce them to a dangerous single-story narrative. I then went to a PLC Meeting

with Cara and took notes to learn more about how the teachers implement curriculum and make

learning goals connected to the TEKS.

The students ended the day by reading their independent reading books. Cara allowed me

to watch her implement a running record with individual students to assess their reading levels
and monitor their progress over time. I was able to watch her monitor student reading levels and

comprehension. She explained that she has parent-teacher conferences in the coming weeks and

wants to ensure she finishes running records for all students before meeting with their families

and forming progress reports. She communicates to her students what their progress is looking

like. For example, she told some students they would be able to read up to a certain level. For

example, a student could move from a “Q” reading level to an “R” reading level. I appreciated

the opportunity to watch Cara complete running records so I could gain more knowledge on

reading assessment. I am learning about this in my Reading class, so it was interesting to see my

lead teacher implement running records in her classroom.

In conclusion, I had a great day at Alice Carlson, and I am saddened that the ten weeks

are already approaching their end. I have developed deep connections with my students and have

appreciated getting to know my children. I am going to have a difficult time leaving these

fantastic children. They all have unique and different personalities and characteristics that make

them unique. I am grateful for the opportunity to observe and interact in the classroom with these

students. I am excited to have one final big lesson remaining and to teach the lesson in a

whole-class setting.