Book Reviews

This semester I read, Through The Crack, by Carolyn Sollman. This book helped me gain a tremoundous awareness to those students who "slip through the cracks." This book was an "ah ha" moment for me and helped me truly understand which students fall through the cracks through their lives. It is my duty to ensure I help these students understand the importance of learning and provide differentiation strategies in order to ensrue all students are learning. This book is an easy read with colorful photos. A must read for all educators!

Another helpful book I read during the semester was, Shouting Won't Grow Dendrites, by Marcia Tate. This book provided several techniques to utilize in the classroom. The book suggested several techniques such as; using color on marker boards instead of black, using color to grade tests, providing humor in the classroom to engage students, and making learning relevant. This book is full of helpful techniques to improve as an educator. Every tip suggested I have taken back to my room and implemented.

Observation

This semester I have been blessed with a very understanding and helpful mentor, Stacey Huggins. I could not ask for a better "lean" on and "go to" person. She has provided outstanding suggestions, tips, and advice on classroom management, teaching strategies, and time management. I am thankful to have her advice and opinions.

The Semester Is Coming To An End...

I can't believe how fast this semester has gone. Friday, my students will take a Chunk Test that covers all material taught for the semester. I feel they are prepared for this exam and am anxious to see the results! Today, we had an excellent review game, which all students enjoyed.

Alice in Wonderland

On Tuesday, the 6th grade students and teachers walked to a local church to view a play. The play was sponsered by the Children's Art Museum. The students were very well behaved during the play and have been excited all week to go. Our school is very proud of the outside resources we have.

Outdoor Adventure

On Monday I took a group of students outside for the days lesson. The students planted there own plants and we held a discussion on plants. The students were engaged during the lesson and enjoyed being in the outdoors, as well as I!

Canned Food Drive

Last week our school hosted a canned food drive for our community. It was very rewarding to see the enthuastism from our students to support the cause. The students understod the importance of giving and were pleased to bring canned food items. The drive was a success.

Science Job Alike

I have the great opportunity to attend Sciecne Job Alike. I am proud my school allows me to attend. We meet one day every month. At the workshop I obtain resources for my classroom and ideas to incorporate hands on learning in my classroom. The picture below displays last months meeting and the Solar Bag experiment. I gain a lot of knowledge from the workshops and am excited to go every month.

Native American Festival

We recently went on a field trip to the Native American Festival in Greenville, MS. This was my first field trip and I was really pumped about it. The festival was amazing! Students learned A LOT and were able to see firsthand Native American customs, rituals, and artifacts. The students shot bow and arrows, played Native American games, purchased Native American products, and ate Native American food. The field trip was a huge success.

Lab

Every Thursday we have our Science Lab. A retired Science teacher creates the labs and I get to help. She is a great asset.

Last Thursday, we dissected a sheep, cow, and pig eye. The students loved the lab as well as I.

Last week the students also created the steps of Meiosis using various art projects. The students did very well on this project.

We also have started a classroom ecosystem as well as planted classroom flowers. The students enjoy observing the ongoing projects.

The Weeks Continue....

School continues to move forward, ready or not! I continue to have great difficulty with the behavior in some of my classrooms. At times, I feel like leaving the room and screaming. I wonder if this would make the situation better? Maybe not. As an educator, I have to improve this skill. I hope it's not too late for this school year. I'm not sure how much more disrespect I can take.

On the bright side, I am enjoying teaching. I enjoy a lot of the students and appreciate their willingness to learn. Currently we have started an ecosystem that houses a lizard, frog, grass hopper, and cricket. The kids look forward to adding to the collection. We also have a cocoon that is ready to come out! You can actually hear the wings flapping inside the cocoon. We have watched the caterpillar transform into the cocoon and are excited for it to make its appearance. It's sooo cool :)

My Teaching Experience Thus Far

This week has honestly been a challenge for me. I have definitely understood the importance of "modify and adjust." I have done a considerable amount of modifying and adjusting.


I am teaching 6th grade Science at McGehee Elementary. I feel I am lacking confidence in my teaching and this is showing. I definitely need to improve on this skill.

This week has been very busy. On Tuesday I participated in the Back To School Carnival. We had a great turn out with numerous students, parents, and the community. I was in charge of the "Ring Toss." The students enjoyed the game and it was very nice to see all the students have a great time. Our school is in Fiscal distress and we are currently trying to get a Milage passed. The school and community are very supportive.

On Monday I provided my students with a list of vocabulary words. We reviewed the words and I explained to the students there would be a vocabulary test on Friday. The class completed an exercise with the terms; Write a definition for each word in your own words and draw a picture that resembles the word. The students performed very well with this task; however, I was very disappointed in the scores. It felt like a "slap" in my face. I will modify and adjust this as well!

I have also had the challenge of students respecting me. A few students have mentioned to me, "The reason they act like this is because you are a new teacher." I need improvement on my discipline skills!

On a positive note, the students really enjoyed lab this week and I have my lesson plans ready to start a new week tomorrow! (With all the modifying and adjusting in place) :)