I learned much more about science and recalled many things I had learned that I forgot about. One of my goals this semester is reviewing all elementary science so I can stay up-to-date with what is new and remember what I have already learned, so I was proud that I read into science articles. I have struggled getting a head start on my assignments this week, which I'm not proud of but will get back on with it. I was most satisfied with thinking about the ecosystem that we made and recalling the information with the plants and photosynthesis and how different living things will *hopefully* stay alive. I have never researched or done much with an ecosystem, I was just familiar with the term, but now I'm excited to see what the outcome will be. I want to work on my assignments right away to get caught up with where I would like to be. This will cause me less stress and help me realize why not procrastinating can feel physically good, because stressing out at the last minute is exhausting. I helped others by being able to stab holes into the bottom of their bottles, and I contributed a lot with class conversations, even if some of my contributions were a little girly. Next week I want to encourage my colleagues more, encouragement goes a long way. All of these girls have worked so hard to be where we are now, in the midst of our stress it's easy to forget this. I looked up some new techniques on studying, like having students work in small groups to figure out a problem, or what a new vocabulary word may mean in a sentence given only the context with the new word. I also looked up NASA's website with many elementary level videos I can show in class to peak student's interest.
I have been following the terrible flooding that has happened in Houston. There are more dangers than just flooding, like chemical fires, no clean water, explosions from power plants, and even over 350 alligators getting loose in the flood waters. There is a lot going on here. There is the excess of rain and not having enough. Rain and the weather is something students can look for every day. In upper grade levels I can talk about how there can still be fire with water depending on the chemicals. In accordance to the NCTCS, I am responsible for my student's learning, that is why I am reviewing science and staying relevant.
My first tweet this week is about classroom rules. These are not rules such as raise your hand before speaking and have sharpened pencils, but a rule of the mind. I love how Amy Fast says lean into your struggle. Most of the time when we struggle the last thing we want to do is lean into it. My second tweet is advice about classroom management. We need to connect and like our students. Being a biased teacher will not help your student or yourself. My third tweet was the 4 C's of modern teaching. Communicating should always be implemented into classrooms. Verbally saying something can help understanding, but it is important we have our students practice communication.
This first week back at Gardner-Webb has given me an insight of what this semester will hold. As soon as assignments were available I turned in what was required. I'm proud of this because I procrastinate frequently and I finally felt on top of things, which is a great start to a class. I have struggled understanding exactly what we need to turn in. I researched many different sources to find the information I agreed was sufficient for my understanding. Right now my thinking is running circles from all the information I have been given in the last two days. I know there are many scientific topics I need to review from my younger years. The work that brought me the most satisfaction was our "Why" we want to be a teacher. The video I watched from Simon Sinek made me think in a new light in the motivation a person has for what they do. Breaking down why, how, and what we accomplish or want to accomplish helped me remember why I am going through school and what the outcome will be. I want to complete assignments earlier than I normally do because if I am confused I will have the time to ask questions. I contributed by making a boat in our groups. I named the boats and remembered that we need our hypothesis before the experiment (which we almost forgot). Next week I hope to bring different ways to look at things which can connect my colleagues' understanding or view. I researched some great experiments that are hands on for students. My first retweet was practicing science safety. Safety procedures are extremely important for anyone practicing science. Repetition is key and there will always be a more dangerous procedure in their future which will need safety instructions followed. It makes me think of different experiments I can conduct that can require safety equipment. My second retweet went along perfectly with what we talked about in class. When science is taught just to memorize facts it will not help critical thinking. Instead, observing how science is involved in our every day lives will become more interesting and get students to think about science, not just repeat statements. My third retweet related to Monday when the eclipse passed over our area. There is no doubt that schools will focus on this subject, but there is so much more happening every day that we have not considered to learn about. Changes in weather, plants, animals, water and more should be looked into just as the eclipse was. This week I learned about why an event like the eclipse can happen with the sun and moon's rotation. This helped remind me of ways that I was taught about space visually and I thought about hands-on ways I can show my students. I honestly just learned that NCTCS was a thing today, so I will research further. This should be very useful for creating lessons.
