Blog #11

 Candidate Name: Caitlyn Hamrick

Week of Reflection: November 1st, 2024

   

• Rate your overall experience of the week: 4

• Seven questions to end your week:

• Observe: What pleasant surprises / accomplishments did I achieve this week?

Pleasant surprises and accomplishments that I achieved this week would be filming footage for portfolio video, drafting my educational philosophy, experiencing my first glow day with my students, which is a tradition at Boiling Springs Elementary where the students have a glow in the dark party on Halloween and complete a series of math challenges. We also did a squid dissection today, so I got to have an extremely hands-on experience with my students and have a learning experience with them that they will remember for the rest of their lives. I also completed my second global awareness lesson on global government types as an extension of my integrated studies lessons the previous week on elections. I also completed Math and Reading Check Ins with my students, and I completed my first independent test proctoring experience during this time. Also, I won a staff halloween competition where staff went around the school and asked if they had a ghost, and if the staff member had a ghost, then the staff member had to give it to you. At the end of the day, if you had a ghost, the school paid for your lunch from a food truck on Friday. I ended up winning because no one suspects the student teacher! 

• Reflect: What lessons did my work/experiences teach me that I will build upon next week?

Lessons I learned from my work experiences that I will build upon next week would be that I learned the importance of extension activity and taking the time to plan these events no matter how overwhelming or tiresome they can be. It very much enhances the learning experience of your students, captures their minds because of the tactile experience that enlightens a whole new world to them. They will remember this experience for the rest of their lives. We did a squid dissection, as part of the Wit & Wisdom curriculum, for our book The Giant Squid. I will be sure to integrate these types of experiences for my students as much as possible. I also learned the importance of strong and positive relationships with your co-teachers and administrators. There was a tough and school-related experience for my clinical educator this week that kept me involved during it, and she remained strong during a hard situation, and a big part of the reason for that was the strong support and understanding from her co-teachers and administration. One of the reasons why no one at the school let go of keeping support for her, and that was because they all knew that she was a strong educator, and this showed me the importance of remaining confident in those situations and being sure that you have a positive relationship with your administrators and displayed to them that you are a hardworking and committed educator.

• Focus:  How are my short-term efforts and my long-term goals still aligned?

My short term goals of completing lesson plans for the week, completing my educational philosophy, and passing my Science of Reading Exam this week are aligned with my goal to complete student teaching and become a strong, confident, and independent educator because all of these endeavors will show evidence of progress towards that end goal. 

• Be Productive: What could I have spent more or less time doing?

I could have spent more time writing lessons earlier in the week, I could have spent more time videoing for my portfolio though I was able to get more in than I have in previous weeks, and I could have spent more in depth time working on my educational philosophy. I could have also spent more time prepping for my upcoming exam. I could have spent less time decorating for the activities coming up, and also discussing possibilities of plans rather than just following through and doing. 

• Have Courage:  How did apprehension and indecision impact what I did and didn’t do?

Apprehension and indecision always seems to affect my accomplishing major tasks in the earlier part of the week because I have a hard time predicting exactly how things will look over a week from now, and I like my choices to be extremely responsive to student data. 

• Begin Anew: What is the first logical step(s) for next week? What mental clutter can I clear? 

The first logical step for next week would be to make sure that I am thoroughly prepared for my Science of Reading Exam and that I have a plan for how to execute my goals for the coming week. 

• What were some data you analyzed this week and how did it help guide your decisions?

Some data I analyzed this week would be the students’ Math and Reading Check in data, focusing most heavily on the students’ math check in data to my larger amount of math deficits in my group, and I made considerations when reviewing the data, was this score a true reflection of what they know by considering variables of their performance that day, lucky guesses, and also students that are very capable but are not reading or not applying themselves or taking the assessment as seriously as they should. 

• NC Professional Teaching Standards (be sure to reference activities from your lesson plans to solidify your answer)

• Pick an element from standard one of the evaluation tool and explain some activities/strategies you implemented this week to increase your rating for the element.

I would say that I increased my rating for this standard by taking my first official position as a test proctor because I took on another position as a leader in the school and then the classroom, and also it gave me assessment data that helps me to plan and respond to students based on their level of need, and I will take that into consideration in the coming weeks. 

• Pick an element from standard two of the evaluation tool and explain some activities/strategies you implemented this week to increase your rating for the element.

This week, I had a parent teacher meeting alongside my CE, my principal, and the EC specialist in my school with the parent of the EC student in my classroom to address concerns made by the parent of this student for the student’s experience in the classroom and how to ensure a positive and enriching experience for him despite some of his deficits and personal grievances going on at home. It was a tough meeting in the beginning, but I think an agreement was reached in the end, and this was an approach to ensure needs are being met in the classroom with the consultation of a specialist. 

• Pick an element from standard three of the evaluation tool and explain some activities/strategies you implemented this week to increase your rating for the element.

This week, I taught a global awareness lesson on global government structures and how they vary from the United States government and the advantages and disadvantages of each, I made sure that the students were emphasized the differences and similarities, and I also made sure that the students were made aware of current day nations that have these types of governments. 

• Pick an element from standard four of the evaluation tool and explain some activities/strategies you implemented this week to increase your rating for the element.

I addressed this standard during my global awareness lesson where students were required to work with a group with defined goals of researching, information about their topic, recording the information, designing a poster to present the information, and then giving a presentation to the whole class with the poster with someone explaining key points of information about their topic. 

• Pick an element from standard five of the evaluation tool and explain some activities/strategies you implemented this week to increase your rating for the element.

I did make plans of adaptation for my upcoming week during math instruction based on the students’ math scores on an online quiz on IXL that informed me of misconceptions that the students have that I had not originally considered, and I plan to address. 

•  Other:

• What components of your portfolio have you started to complete?

I have started working this week on really focusing on capturing moments in the classroom to put towards my videoed philosophy. 

• What support does your clinical educator need from your University Supervisor?

• What support do you need from your University Supervisor

The only support that the two of us need, is that we do have a busy week coming up not this coming week but the next, where there will be little to no in classroom instruction due to school events and school field trips.