Dear Stressful Teachers,
This past week has been crazy at 123 Elementary! Everyone has been so busy teaching and planning for the state standardized tests. As a student, I never realized what all teachers and administrators have to do for the best tests at the end of the school year. This week I attended a training to be an administer/proctor for testing. I understood the rules in place, but it was A LOT. I never thought teachers would have to cover up classroom posters! That is how I spent my Thursday afternoon. I had to cover/take down anchor charts that would benefit students on the tests. For example, the number line had to be covered. Overall, this week has been a great learning experience and I am reading for testing next week! Stressed teachers, worry no more all of your hard work will show from your class's results!
There is no time for stress,
Miss Hester
Sunday, March 30, 2014
Monday, March 24, 2014
Reflect & Connect 3/16
Dear Reader,
Sorry I have not blogged recently! My brain has yet to leave spring break. The past couple of weeks, besides spring break, I have been working hard in my Instructional Planning class creating my first lesson plan unit. As of today I have completed Stage 1 and Stage 2. I like how this concept of planning has me look to the big idea of what I want my students to learn. First I started by planning what CCSS to use, man in goals, my essential questions, and what students will know/be able to. Next, I complete Stage 2 by planning how I will assess my students to one of my essential questions. At first this was tricky for me because I like planning step by step, in order. Now I have learned the big picture I want my students to understand. All of the details will be planned in Stage 3, but for now I know how I want to teach and ways I will assess my students. After learning about lesson planning, and seeing it in action in the classroom, I have a new love for creating essential questions. They are so important for students to understand the purpose of what they are learning and what their goal for the lesson should be. As a teacher I love essential questions from how they benefit students and how it is the big picture of lessons.
In my gallery there is pictures of my unit plan in action!
Thanks for keeping up with my process of becoming an effective teacher. Hope you like my unit plan!
-Miss Hester
Sorry I have not blogged recently! My brain has yet to leave spring break. The past couple of weeks, besides spring break, I have been working hard in my Instructional Planning class creating my first lesson plan unit. As of today I have completed Stage 1 and Stage 2. I like how this concept of planning has me look to the big idea of what I want my students to learn. First I started by planning what CCSS to use, man in goals, my essential questions, and what students will know/be able to. Next, I complete Stage 2 by planning how I will assess my students to one of my essential questions. At first this was tricky for me because I like planning step by step, in order. Now I have learned the big picture I want my students to understand. All of the details will be planned in Stage 3, but for now I know how I want to teach and ways I will assess my students. After learning about lesson planning, and seeing it in action in the classroom, I have a new love for creating essential questions. They are so important for students to understand the purpose of what they are learning and what their goal for the lesson should be. As a teacher I love essential questions from how they benefit students and how it is the big picture of lessons.
In my gallery there is pictures of my unit plan in action!
Thanks for keeping up with my process of becoming an effective teacher. Hope you like my unit plan!
-Miss Hester
Sunday, March 2, 2014
Reflect & Connect 3/2
Dear People Who Know How to Garden,
This week I found a new weakness of mine, gardening. I never thought it would be hard. Actually, I looked forward to growing flowers and vegetables at my future house, but no, not anymore. My collaborating teacher got a grant to build an organic, hydrogarden. I thought it would be so simple to set up and let the kids explore, but once again I was wrong. My CT and I had to build the garden from scratch. We assembled the equipment, which had way too many steps, then got to the dirty work. We had to wash off pebbles, then break apart bricks of hard soil once they were in water. Next, we had to mix up all of the soil with more pebbles. The sun was beating on us and this was only the beginning! Tomorrow during planning period, we will be adding chemicals to see the waters acidity to see if our plants can grow. If the pass tests, then we will start planting but out students will not be able to because of the risk from the acid. I wish they could be more involved instead of just observing!
As much as I am not of fan of gardening, I am a fan of science. I cannot wait until fall semester when I get to take Teaching K-6 Science. But for now I am on my own, using my prior knowledge and following my CT.
Please keep your fingers crossed plant grow! I will keep my blog updated when there is excitement in the garden. As for now, please comment or like the gardening picture under the gallery tab!
Thank you Gardeners,
Miss Hester
This week I found a new weakness of mine, gardening. I never thought it would be hard. Actually, I looked forward to growing flowers and vegetables at my future house, but no, not anymore. My collaborating teacher got a grant to build an organic, hydrogarden. I thought it would be so simple to set up and let the kids explore, but once again I was wrong. My CT and I had to build the garden from scratch. We assembled the equipment, which had way too many steps, then got to the dirty work. We had to wash off pebbles, then break apart bricks of hard soil once they were in water. Next, we had to mix up all of the soil with more pebbles. The sun was beating on us and this was only the beginning! Tomorrow during planning period, we will be adding chemicals to see the waters acidity to see if our plants can grow. If the pass tests, then we will start planting but out students will not be able to because of the risk from the acid. I wish they could be more involved instead of just observing!
As much as I am not of fan of gardening, I am a fan of science. I cannot wait until fall semester when I get to take Teaching K-6 Science. But for now I am on my own, using my prior knowledge and following my CT.
Please keep your fingers crossed plant grow! I will keep my blog updated when there is excitement in the garden. As for now, please comment or like the gardening picture under the gallery tab!
Thank you Gardeners,
Miss Hester
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