Brace yourselves! There's a hurricane on the horizon....

I hope everyone stays safe and dry during this time. Time for another blog!

This has been an enlightening month so far. I have gotten to know my students in my classroom and have their names memorized, now I'm excited to learn about their interests! I got to experience the first day of school which I have always been excited to see so I can learn about what to do when I become a teacher. I learned a great way to get students to do what they are supposed to be doing is saying "(so and so) is being a great role model" and point out students that are doing a great job until all other students settle down and do the same. The first day is also very important. Things to go over can include: materials, utensils to write in, how to "take in praise", being respectful, showing what not good listeners do and what good listeners do, manners expected of them in class, what to do when the teacher is talking, and a tour of the room.
The first day I was there, I was able to Establish a respectful environment stated in NCTCS standard 2 by helping the students feel calm about being in a new place. We read first day jitters to help students feel comfortable about their nerves their first day. The following Wednesday I got to read Chicken In The City, and asked questions such as who is the author, what do they do, who is the illustrator, what do they do, etc. There were also many questions I was able to ask students about the story. I learned one student came from a new school and was never taught how to write, I learned we have AIG students and lower students like any normal classroom, but we also have students that were never meant to be placed together. It's going to be a fun year for us!
The next week we had a substitute and I was able to take over many of the responsibilities like giving out tests while she helped the lower students. It was a great experience to have with these new students and learn how to take control of the classroom. This was great experience with NCTCS Standard 1 Teachers demonstrate leadership by taking leadership in the classroom.
I can use these experiences by using the same strategies such as tour of the room and using proper techniques for the beginning of the school year. I can also read "First day Jitters" to help students feel better about their first day nerves. I can use the apps I have found outside of the classroom inside my first class such as www.abcya.com which is a great site students K-5 can use to learn about special occasions, letters, numbers, (ELA and Math), strategies and skills they can use in the classroom.