Being a Student and a Teacher: A Student Teaching Experience

On the day that we observed the verbal patterns of our classroom the students were working on a group project.  During this project the students were supposed to work with their group without much help from any teachers in the room. In doing this all of the students used their voice at some point during the lesson.  There were for sure some that talked more than others.  Each group had a "leader"  that was never mentioned.  Just based of of the students personalities in the group someone just took the lead and started giving instructions.  While observing one group I thought it was interesting that one student seemed to be leading the group and asking everyone questions to what they were doing.  Then as soon as another student came back from the nurse she became the more spoken "leader" of the group.  With the lesson was highly student led have some student interacting with the teachers but less than a normal day.  The students interacting ...

If the student is labeled with an N the were Not on task. Students were on task unless otherwise noted. The lesson that we did this particular observation on consisted of us reviewing problems for solving for x.  We also introduced some new concepts, but it was all going along with algebra and solving for x just like we have been doing for awhile. There was 23 students in class on the particular day that we made our observations.  When the lesson started there were two students that were off task but after the first five minutes all of the students were engaged in what was going on.  Then at the 10:00 check some of the students that were able to get the problem figured out before the other students started talking to each other.  This was one of the times that most students were off task.  Student 11 usually does really well but on this particular day we were reviewing something that he had a firm grasp on and he was extra talkative.  Student 14 also...

The homework that is given out by my cooperating teacher (CT) usually is between 5-10 problems.  Never more than 10 problems.   My CT says she would rather have quality problems than a large quantity of problems.  Whenever I present a question or a problem for the class to do while planning a lesson my CT usual asks what the goal is in asking that question or problem.  So if there isn't a reason for encouraging learning or advancing the knowledge in doing something why would we do that.  I think that goes along with homework too.  When putting an assignment together if there isn't any reason for doing any of the problems, why do them? When going over homework the district only allows for it do be reviewed the last 10 minutes of class.   In the class that I am in we usually take 5 minutes max at the end of class.  During these 5 minutes my CT posts on the TV the answers to the homework and the students will check the questions that they got wrong ...

There are numerous ways that my Cooperating Teacher (CT) assesses the students during the period of a class.  One of the most resent ways that she is implementing that is the day after we review a concept we take a short 5 min "quiz" the next day.  The students submit their answers in a Google Forum so that my CT has instant feedback.  The reasoning for starting this was to pinpoint what topics need to be hit harder again before the next Retention Test.  There is also numerous ways that my CT assesses understanding during the instruction itself.  We walk around when the students have time to work and just make sure that they are doing to problems currently.  Something that we did the other day was gave each student a dry erase marker and let them do the work on the desks.  It was crazy to see how many students that don't usually participate take part in class and do well.  We also call all students in a couple of different way during class. ...

Warm up - Review past material to help with the upcoming lesson.  My cooperating Teacher was sitting in the front of the room observing the students.  This is a good time for the students to recall past material and make sure that they still understand it.  The repeated retrieval also helps the students with the recall of material when it comes to the test.  Most of the students sit and do the warm up everyday.  During this time one student seemed distraught so my CT talked to them and checked to make sure he was doing okay.  5 min.   Warm up  instruction- This was time that we took to reteach some aspects of the warm up.  The TV was not working, it would not display the step by step instructions of how to do the problems.  So instead my CT stood at the board and wrote it all up and explained it.  She called on students so they could tell her the next step.  There was a couple of times that no students were ...

When walking into the classroom for the first time, there was not much that caught my eye.  It appeared to be a "normal" math classroom.  The kids sit at tables that are in rows all facing the front of the room.  There is a teachers desk in the back corner and in the front of the room.  The front wall of the room is covered in marker boards and a large flatscreen TV.  One side wall of the room has cabinets and the other has a pasteboard and windows.  The back of the room has two desks with room around them.  Upon further inspection there was some aspects of the room that caused me to think a little bit more.   The students are seated at tables.  There are two students at each table and four tables in each row.  My cooperating teacher (CT) said she would like them to be in clusters of two or three tables but the students said they would rather not do that.  Their reasoning was that not all of them would be facing the front of the ...