What an exciting week!
I loved every second of being in the elementary school Monday! The excitement that filled the air was marvelous. I truly am among wonderful people in this class. As we walked down the hallways we saw all the personalized artwork from the students on the walls. All the students stopped and stared, waving as we walked by.
Four of us walked into the first classroom. It was second grade math, and ironically we were all in the same elementary education math class. The students came in after their lunch. Normally, the time after lunch is when the students are more tired. But our teacher had them all up and working immediately. She was using the new method of doing math, and the four of us onlookers were surprised to see it was exactly what we were learning in class. She had an eye on each student the entire time, it was very impressive. They then got into three groups, one group was learning a game from someone's grandmother who had come in, one group was playing on the iPods, and the other was getting individual help with the math from her. Every student was very respectful towards her and did exactly what they were told to do. Once the students with her had a grasp of the math, she had a student come to us individually and teach us how the math works. I absolutely loved it, I do not think there was a moment I was not smiling.
Teachers are some of the greatest at multitasking. We could see how she strategically placed the groups, how she set her desk so she was able to see everything that went on in the classroom, and how she decorated the class to make the learning environment more fun for the students. I was thoroughly impressed with what we saw and what we learned from the other schools.
"I do not think there was a moment I was not smiling."
ReplyDeleteThis phrase just made my night. How great experience! It seems the teacher is just want we aim to be.
Just by reading this post, it's evident that you have a real passion for elementary school. The joy you have from every moment of that thirty minute session shows you're going to be GREAT when you have little ones like that. Seeing what you're learning put into action as a lesson in class can be a real aid to both your enthusiasm for learning and seeing how it can be applied in your classroom. This is a solid connection to make as you learn the material you will be teaching in a few short years.
ReplyDeleteBrittany,
ReplyDeleteI am glad to see that you enjoyed the experience! Thank you for taking these experiences seriously. It is our hope that these visits will start to link the things we are discussing in class to the real world. What are some specific things you saw that you want to continue in your classroom? What are some things you would change? What NCTCS did you see in action?
I enjoyed the experience too, especially since we were in the class together! The kids were very good. Reading your post shows that you was really paying attention to your surroundings and got a few things from the teacher. I did too!
ReplyDelete