Feb 27-Mar 10

I emailed you last week telling you we will start reading the Lily Yeh, Awakening Creativity: Dandelion School Blossoms. There are three copies in B-12 that you can use. You can docscan the pages or read it there, but do not take them out of B-12. This is an interesting book. We will slowly go through it throughout the semester. Please make sure that you take time to read it because it will make sense as you progress through your practicum experience this semester. I docscanned the pages below and shared them with you with an invite from DropBox. You will have this and next week to answer my posted question from the readings below:

Foreword pp. 6-7

Preface  p. 8

Chapter 1: My Development as an Artist pp. 10-21

First week and second

Hey. My first week of classes was really cool! The only thing is that. The teacher I am shadowing got really sick my first week and wasn't in class the last part of the week. They are finishing projects for 4 shows and for the Texas Tech open house. This week I have been helping them with their projects and being shown how she grades and also how to make everything look professional for the shows.

Feb 20-24

Feb 20-24

So how was your first day? What did you notice about the school, your teacher, students, and/or the neighborhood? How were you received? Exactly what day/s and times are you at your school? Keep in mind, that we will be doing this for the next 21/2 months. I will post when a reading is due from the books in B-12, so you will have plenty of time to read them. Hope your week is off to a good start. Ed Check

Teachers assistant day 1

My first day as a teachers assistant was this past Thursday from 12:15-3:15. I immediately started with kindergarteners where my teacher ms. Higginbotham read to them A Very Hungry Caterpillar. They looked at the pictures and we pointed out that anything is made more interesting when using more than one green or one yellow to make an object like a leaf for example.  In each class There  aren't very many kids which is so nice. Similar to what Lauren wrote in her post about the teacher gaining respect and strictly enforcing rules and procedures at the beginning and then loosening up and becoming more friendly and joking with them seems to work great. After that we see 5th, 4th, and 3rd each 45 minute class periods. Each class was different as far as what they were working on but every time they came in, they systematically and happily grabbed their work, working together to distribute materials all with little help from the teacher. They are mid-project and EVERY student was happily working and talking amongst their friends but there was little bad behavior and lots were involved in what they were making. Asking questions about concept and form, most of the classes are working on pieces to symbolize equality and justice :)

Student Teaching up to February 19th

It's been really fun so far!

My teacher, Ms. Zesiger, is really sweet. They like to keep the kids pretty quiet and orderly there, which makes sense since elementary school kids generally tend towards the opposite of quiet and orderly. It's funny though, because she tells me a lot about building up a repertoire with the kids. At the beginning, she said she couldn't really let them get away with things because she needed to establish herself as a figure of authority, and solidify the rules as things that could not be bent. Then, after that, she could let up a little bit and joke around with them occasionally.
I only come on Mondays and Fridays for the 3rd and 5th grade. Though they're the older classes, Mondays and Fridays are the worst days because on Monday the kids are missing the weekend, and on Friday the kids are excited for it. I guess it's good I'm there though, because I can at least help make things less crazy on the worst days! Plus I get to experience the hard bits of teaching, which is what I want to know about. You just gotta raise your voice to be heard sometimes, it ends up. And some kids are just going to be grumpy and you can't do anything but set them in timeout to cool off. It's so fast paced, and Ms. Zesiger literally has 600 students. They change out every week to a different class, so I'll be meeting a new group of kids tomorrow (Monday.) I'm excited!