Day one reflection

2. Discuss factors affecting teaching and learning in the classroom
Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) are efficient positive factors that impact teaching and learning. Currently the sixth grade teachers at my school do not spend much time in these PLCs. However, the teachers are aware of the benefits and are working to implement more of these communities this year. A roadblock is the absence of other teachers sharing the same subject matter. At my school there is only one sixth grade math teacher, one social studies/science teacher, and one English/language arts teacher. They expressed a need to talk and reflect on their teaching practices within the disciplines. Currently they do the best they can by aligning their curriculum with one another.

3. What are the different ways student learning is assessed?
At a staff meeting today different types of assessments were briefly discussed. Not much detail was gone into. Basically the administrators made us aware that there are daily versus quarterly assessments and they have different functions.

8. What do you notice about the broader school context and how it affects student learning?
Being in a large school, it appears it may be more difficult to establish a sense of inclusive and solid community around the staff. Administration leadership needs to be strong so that a staff community can be developed.

Friday post 1

1. Describe one thing that you learned
From my Special Topics: Special Education course, I learned to discard deficit thinking and look at Special Education as a place unto its own. It helps to think of Special Education with the metaphor of traveling; you have traveled to Holland instead of Paris. People idolize Paris, but there are a lot of good things in Holland. Holland even has things Paris does not. The metaphor is further explained in this Youtube clip we watched in class:



(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tehcysu03EI)

Also, from the Introduction to Field Placements class, I liked Robin's comment- if you fail teaching a student math, oh well, someone will teach them math next year. But, if you are a bad influence in the student's life, that can screw them up forever. It is difficult to remember the exact quote, but it was along those lines.

2. What questions do you have and/or what do you still want to know
I want to know how reflecting on student teaching will help us become better teachers. Also, I want to know if there is anything we should focus on while reflecting.

3. What are you anxious about regarding student teaching/teaching?
I am anxious about the students not liking me or my teaching style.

4. What are you excited about regarding student teaching/teaching?
I am excited to be a positive role model and influence in the students’ lives.

Two Paragraphs

Robin loves kayaking. She has been a sea kayaker for a while, and with her recent move to Washington, two years ago, has begun whitewater kayaking. She made a commitment to reinvent herself and consequently joined a local kayaking club. Robin prizes her new black, Wegner, kayak paddle. She loves her padel so much, she has a facebook picture of her in Kid Valley with it. As far as personal history, she is divorced with one daughter. She taught for about ten years in North Carolina. Robin loves math and liked that her graduate studies allowed her to explore math to a new depth.

I have been unusually busy this spring and summer. I went whitewater rafting for the first time, this spring, on the Wenatchee river. I went to two Mariner games this summer, attended my friend’s wedding, and spent a lot of cherished time with my girlfriend. She got us amazing seats for the Mariner game yesterday. Even though the team did not do well, her and I had a great time. After all this, I spent a few days, when I had time, crabbing in Edmonds. But wait, that’s not all. I also graduated from UW Bothell in June with my Bachelor’s degree. As far as personal history, I am a former Marine reservist, I have a younger brother who is a Sophmore at Western Washington University, and I love math.