It's all come to an end!

Of course the last two weeks of practicum are always the best ones! The last two weeks I really got to connect with a lot of the students and really had a lot of fun. But at the same time, it was super stressful especially with all the assignments and marking for those assignments!

The assignments I gave all the classes were positive and winners! They had a lot of fun with their projects and enjoyed presenting them, well those who were actually ready for it! And I've got to say I was super surprised as to how good they came out!

Overall, I am a little sad that it's all over and that we are back to reality!!! =( The kids made it really difficult for me to leave as well, BUTTTTT at least I'll be back for volleyball and soccer!! WOOT WOOT!!!!

"If you don't come visit we'll come find you!!"

After the long week of work aka March Break, I am back at Jesse Ketchum for my second last week! It is actually really sad because this week as been freaking awesome! I am really starting to create some strong friendships with many of the students in all my classes!!

Not to mention, it has been great to have such a supportive AT! He has been great and has been providing me with great insight and plentiful resources! One thing I do wish I got to do was Co-teach because essentially all three of the teacher candidates here have been doing the same things for language. But that didn't stop us!! It feels really great to have a support system between the TC's that I am working with. Sharing ideas and resources has also been a great help and for that I am greatful! Not to mention the feasts at lunch, pft no one could top the all you can eat buffet me and Mack seem to have happen every day!! hahaha

Also, this week co-ed volleyball has happened and it is great to be helping out with that! I feel that with this extra activity, it has helped me to further build stronger friendships...

It is sad to hear responses like "You better come visit us or else we will come find you" or "Miss D do you HAVE to leave", really makes you feel great about being there because you know that you have made an impact on these kids!!!

That's all for now, one more week to go!!

Miss D

Don't Jump The Gun Miss D!

Thanks to my English peeps I got some great feedback and great information about getting through persuasive writing!!

I realized how important it is to get a writing sample before hand so it makes it easier to really know where and how to start the unit. By doing this, I realized that my "perfect" unit outline was in fact NOT going to work out. It's so easy to just assume that writing will be super easy and it could get done in 2 weeks. Reality check Miss D, students cannot fast track or work at your speed, they need time to understand the various parts of writing!

So here I am, a week into persuasive writing and as a class we have yet to finish introduction writing. Students will have a nice week to relax and then delve into the good stuff of an essay...The Body!!

Any feedback or useful tips that I can use to help students to write body paragraphs? I will be using graphic organizers and some sample essays so they can look at various examples, but is there anything else that would be useful for them?


Mel

First Weeks A Done!

Well, it's been one long first week! Who ever said teaching would have been easy!! Yes perhaps it was when you were teaching once or twice a day, but when your starting off with almost the entire day, it is a whole new playing field!!

The kids have been great, although super different then what I experienced last term! Have to say, this class is more realistic with talkative children!! It will definitely be a different and more challenging few weeks that's for sure, but I have to say one thing....Bring It On!! =P

This week is the easy stuff, but next week is when we start persuasive writing! It should be interesting, I need to start contacting my English Peeps for some help!!


Mel

Just when I thought the tears would stop!!!

@ 10:32am I received an email in my inbox, it was titled "I MISS YOU". And just as I thought the tears ended yesterday at 3:30pm creeped around the clock, but of course it just never does!!

Because I set up a blog where I would post their homework and had them create their own blog, somehow she sneaked my email and sent me this...

Hey, Miss D!

So, I won't tell you when or how, BUT I got my hands on your email!!! I was so sad yesterday when that bell rang and really wished it was just the first week that you were starting! I miss you already!!!!!!!!!! Just so you know, you were the best student teacher that we have ever had! It won't be the same without you.

OOOH! And can you tell me my mark for my blog? I am dying to know! AND make sure that you visit! AND AND you're good at soccer.... sorrry already told you that...

Btw... my aunt's b-day is a day after yours...so I will be sure to remember yours WHICH MEANSSSS you'll get a warm birthday wish from me =)

OH AND don't think I didn't see you kick the ball and make it hit Alex... but I forgive you!

~Kassia (the one who loves you most)


YES THE WATER WORKS CAME ON.....AT WORKKKKKK!!!!

And to top it all off, one of my other students emailed me, and he wrote..."So, I knew Kassia had your email so I got it from her, it's important I promise!! I've been working on this for a few weeks now, and it's finally finished. Yes, you've seen the working progress but YOU haven't seen the finished product. This is my goodbye gift to you from me. You are an amazing teacher and it is amazing that you still make the time to tutor and help students who need extra help after school with such a busy life. You are amazing at what you do and I am so jealous that other students will have a chance to have you....why can't we just keep you =( I think I am going to email your professors and tell them that your too good to leave, or I will have the school petition to give you a job here so we can spend the next two years with you everyday, even if your not our teacher you'll still be in the school, anyway it wasn't published before, but it is now ANDDD I hope you like it!!!!!"

A grade 6 student created a website for me, for my tutoring services because I had told them that my dream was not only to be a teacher, but to open my own tutoring company to ensure that all students are being provided the equal chance of a bright future and he remembered this and in turn made me this.....

http://www.brainaidtutoring.co.cc/ or if this doesn't work www.wix.com/mdionisio16/brainaidtutoring

Technology Rocks!!

So coming to the end of practicum I have come to find out how important technology is to this generation! Because the school I am in has some limitation to resources - more smartboards than projectors - it makes it quite difficult to always provide the technology for the students. But nonetheless I try what I can to make learning fun and engaging!!

The second that smartboard turns on, you can see an imediate glow on their faces. They are so into what's going on and want to be involved. When I use the smartboard for math I see a huge change in the participation of the students. Everyone seems to be so into what's happening and and want to all be involved. Everyone all of a sudden participates, regardless of whether or not they have the right answer, they want to be involved and wanted to learn. They even don't worry about being wrong, they are okay with being wrong and are okay with getting the support and assistance of their classmates.

I also see the use of the smartboard creating an amazing feeling of togetherness, in the sense that when a student volunteers to come up they all help each other. Again showing how engaging the use of technology can be with the learning of students. Plus it's always good to know that since ive been teaching math with the smartboard, how much students are liking and enjoying "my math". It's nothing like a great interview experience then to hear a parent tell you that their son/daughter really likes me and is now very excited about math and lives to do math now.

In conclusion.....TECHNOLOGY ROCKS!!!

Don't Worry, Be Happy!!

Sorry, I thought I published this post but it seems like it was just saved!! This is supposed to be for the third week!! !

Monday, November 14th, 2011
Starting on the first day of my third week, I realized something small. I realized how much students appreciate when a teacher admits they made a mistake! As I was teaching my math lesson, I had realized that I made a mistake on something I explained to them on the Friday. As I starting taking up some of the answers in class, I had a few students with their hands up, only to realize that they had all noticed a small mistake when I was explaining something which had them making errors on the final answers.

At first I did seem a bit embarassed. I quickly appologized for this mistake and went back to clarify what had to be done with NO mistakes. At the end of the day, it's important to note that, even teachers make mistakes. Feeling a little off about it because I still felt a little embarassed, I nervously went about my next lesson in the afternoon. I guess the students noted my nervousness, to them me being nervous = odd, crazy, WHERE'S MISS D types of feelings I guess because one at a time the started telling me that it's okay to make mistakes because it shows I'm human and puts them at ease to know that everyone makes mistakes and that no one is perfect. Indeed this is true, and I guess at times as an adult hoping to become a teacher, at times you may lose sight of this and try to be perfect, but in fact it is very important that we all make mistakes because it is the only way we learn!!

Wednesday, November 16th, 2011.
The night before, I had prepared a great religion lesson for the kids. Filled with activities and a lot of discussion. Of course, things don't always go as planned. I had a lesson about the Ten Commandments and as we discussed the first three, we started having a conversation about what it meant to believe only in one God.

Now, remember these are grade 6 students...as debates were being had back and forth about different religions, one student asked, "What about if we have parents with different religions, does it mean we are not being faithful to our God even though we consider ourselves Catholic?". As I smiled, ready to explain, another student quickly responded, "Listen, I don't think what the commandment is saying is to not believe in more than one thing, I mean in many situations if we have parents with different religions then you cannot betray the other commandment that you have to honour your mother and father which means if they want you to equally celebrate both religions then you must. And it also doesn't mean that you cannot just believe more strongly in one then the other because it also depends on what your parents want for you as a child, BUT as you grow up although you shouldn't turn your back on your faith, if you feel more strongly connected to one over the other then maybe that was your calling from God. Now, as for the commandment, I truly think what God is saying, is that we should not worship fake God's like money and material things like cars, big houses, luxury, nice clothes, etc because those things are not God's they are not real, they are just things we may attain based on status...."

My jaw dropped and at that moment I sat back blown away from the words that came from this students mouth! I couldn't believe how well she explained that, I think better than me!! From there more conversation broke out and it was the best teaching moments for me because I saw how things can turn out for the best sometimes with no lesson plan needed. At this point I also saw how many times kids are underestimated based on their ability to comprehend and really, they know more than we think!!!