Blog #12 Week with a Low that Became High

 Candidate Name: Caitlyn Hamrick

Week of Reflection: November 1st, 2024

   

• Rate your overall experience of the week: 3- I would give this week a 3 because there is nothing that I can say that was exponential about the week but nothing too awful either. 

• 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 writing and submitting my educational philosophy because that was great to get out of the way and have lifted off of my shoulders. I would say that another accomplishment this week would be that I also wrote my final 2 global awareness lessons for the semester and I have set instructional dates for them. Also a pleasant surprise that happened today would be receiving sweet and complimentary notes from my students that made my heart flutter. 

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

Lessons that I learned from my work/experiences this week that I will build upon for next week will probably be to never schedule major tests remotely for licensure. I tried to take my Science of Reading test remote, and the test refused to let me in because the test said that I had windows and tabs open that I did not realize, and I found and closed, the tab, and I was told it took too many tries, and so the test canceled and made me reschedule. I rescheduled for an immediate retest, and then the test did not approve my network and the network was the same network I was using before that was initially approved, so I have learned to note take major exams remotely. I also have learned to just follow through on intentions and plans rather than being indecisive and hesitant because I have lost more hesitating and not doing out of fear than I would have if I had followed through and just did it. 

• 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, finalizing my instructional resources and online resources, along with completing my professional development plans will all contribute to being a 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. 

• 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 have set up all appointments and communications with people that I will need to meet with. I should also update my records and fine tune my lesson plans. 

• 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’ performance on their Math check ins, morning work math, and their reading passages for the morning. It gave me a birds eye view of which students to identify as being struggling reading versus math students. 

• 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 working in the classroom independently. I had many times this week when I worked in the classroom without my CE in the classroom, so I did not have that safety net, and it really makes me even more self aware to managing classroom behavior and maintaining the classroom schedule. There are times when I can go a little long on time, and my CE sometimes has to remind me that time is cutting close, and I have gotten better about that, but when she is not there, it does make me more self-aware. 

• 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 worked alot on making sure that the needs of my EC student were being met because we had to recently make adjustments after a recent meeting, to the behavioral plan and some academic accommodations as well. My CE and I have conferenced and made the decisions to give the student some more modified work and even some substitution assignments as well to build him starting at the level he is at rather than making him overwhelmed by grade level work that has a tendency to make him shut down. 

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 would say that I increased by rating for this standard by reviewing the work that students work doing for their reading passages this week on government structure, and though the passages were 2nd grade level passages, there were some vocabulary words in the passage and information in the passage that I knew would be above many of my students’ comprehension level, so I had to stop and and make some additional accommodations and do some additional instructing with my students on these reading passages to their ability to comprehend the passage and understand and relate to the information in the passage appropriately. 

• 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 this week by encouraging more independent and small group work rather than consistent guided work during our Wit & Wisdom lessons and math lessons because I have noticed a deficit in their stamina for thinking and working independently, so I have really tried to structure my lessons, especially my Wit & Wisdom lessons this week with some great time for my students to have time to try and think for themselves, and I make it a bit of a fun competition and challenge for locating information in the text and drawing conclusions, and the students really seem to engage and enjoy themselves more during the lessons when this is done. 

• 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.

This week I am reflecting on my practice of my students’ displayed deficit with rounding from last week has paid off, and I recognized strong improvements on their independence levels with rounding, and I was very proud. I also recognized, looking over their math tests this week that the students are having a hard time calculating elapsed time in a word problem, so that is material that my students could use some practice and review in next week prior to their module test. 

•  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. I have also been researching instructional and online resources to use in my portfolio. I am also making goals for other components of my portfolio to complete in the week coming up. 

• 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 are both dealing with very full plates and just trying to keep our head above the water in work that just keeps coming, but we are trying to keep going no matter how crazy the to-do lists get.