Last Day in Practicum Placement

The moment I found out I was placed in a High School Sped room, I was extremely nervous. You are probably wondering why. Well, the fact that they are only 2 or 3 years younger than me worried me! As the semester progressed, I built relationships with the kids and was able to help them with numerous things. My teacher was great as well. She was easy to get along with and laid back so I was not stressed for my first placement. She had me start teaching in front of the classroom from their Economics book they were working on at the moment. 

I also was given the opportunity to help a student bring up his math grade. Math is definitely my all time favorite subject so I did all I could to help him. 

The final week, I assigned them a report over an animal we learned about from an Antarctica book we were currently going through the last couple days. They researched on Wednesday and then my last day was Friday and they presented in front of me. I critiqued their presenting skills as well as facts they found out. They did great. I was very pleased; I even found out some interesting things about seals, dolphins, krill, etc. My cooperating teacher brought snacks and gave me a gift to help me get through studying for finals as well. She is such a sweetheart! It was kind of funny because after they finished their presentations they all agreed it was my turn to present. They said I had to go to the front of the room too! So I went up and they asked me questions about school and I gave them the best advise I could. 

I really enjoyed my first Placement. Even though I was tentative at first, I grew to enjoy my classroom as well as the students. All in all, it boosted my desire to become a teacher. When they asked me why I wanted to be a teacher, I answered with I had always wanted to! It is all I can see myself doing. I grew up loving school, played school with my friends, and here I am attending school to live in the school atmosphere the rest of my life. They laughed at that but I was just being honest! So that is that. I cannot wait to see where I am placed next semester, but will I miss this classroom? Absolutely!

Classroom Experience

Have you ever looked up videos on Antarctica? Well, I had not really done so until I was in my high school class at Crete High for my Practicum placement this semester. My teacher has assigned me a book on Antarctica for me to come in and teach to my Juniors Monday, Wednesday, and Fridays. After we read the section on Climate and such, I showed them a video and of course they wanted to look up fun ones afterwards to waste the rest of time. So we looked up penguins :) Here is the link!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2GqVK_dvS80 

The next class time I had with them, we finished the reading for the day as well as the assignment so we had time to spare. I decided to make up an activity with them! I asked the class who was artistic. They all shouted "Johnny!" So, I had him come up to the board and draw a big blank picture of Antarctica. I then had them each come up individually and label it with names of things such as shelves and bodies of water that we had just learned about! I found a globe and they searched for everything. It was fun overall I would say; pretty sure the kids enjoyed a break from the daily routine as well. I let the kids play victim and choose the next person that went up to the board after them as well. They enjoy picking on one another. Plus it is a small class of around 6 or 7 per day; therefore, they are all close and familiar with one another which makes it even more fun! All in all, Friday was a fun class day and I really enjoyed it. I can not wait to spend Monday afternoon with them and then enjoy Thanksgiving Break!

  

Weekend Again!

Here I type on this chilly Monday night as I babysit little Taylin due to the fact that her parents and brother are on their way back from the semi finals football game. Her brother is off to the championship! They had a great game apparently.

So this weekend was great if not better than the last!

Friday I watched Sinister with my lovely quad mates as well as Trevor and some of his friends! I jumped as usual. Then I watched The Lion King to keep me from having nightmares. 

Saturday I had my first 4th grade girls basketball game. Sadly, we were a bit younger than the opposing tall, experienced, decent team. I am coaching with Nicole Reetz and we both thought the girls did alright for their first game ever; however, we now have a wonderful list of things to work on! Practice this week will be interesting. Afterwards, my best friend and I went to Gateway in Lincoln. I got my Amigos fix and then we went back to Friend and hung with old friends!

Sunday came around and I did some homework, just trying to be a scholar and all. At 6: 45, I was picked up by Trevor and we went to Olive Garden! He was such a gentleman; opened the door for me, held my hand, just being himself! We then went and parked at the top of a parking garage and had time to waste before we went to Captain Phillips. (Great movie by the way, I advise seeing it) How many of you can say you have actually done the pretzel on top of a parking garage? I can now! Trevor made me get out of the truck and we danced in the cold. Basically felt like I was in a movie. It was precious I tell you what! I will definitely remember that night forever. He then gave me a piggy back ride all the way to the Grand Theater. When we got home, I crashed and got up for lovely Biology at 8am! So there was my weekend in a nut shell.

I am pretty easy to please and do not need great things to make me happy. I really do believe it is the little things in life, whether it be seeing the shocked faces on little 4th grader girls' faces when they realize they have to actually guard a girl when they are shooting or dancing on top of a parking garage. Appreciate what you have. "Don't cry over the past, it's gone. Don't stress about the future, it hasn't arrived. Live in present and make it beautiful."  :)

I Love Surprises

A large proportion of my high school weekends consisted of watching two adorable little kids. This kept me out of trouble for sure and I still babysit on weekends when they go places. 

Shown below are some pictures we have taken in the past years and weekends we have enjoyed!

Taylin loves to be wrapped up like a baby. She also loves attention but is the sweetest little girl!

Last year's Halloween

Breckan and Taylin's older brother had a playoff game on the night of Halloween. Their parents asked if I would take them trick-or-treating so I said of course! We had a blast. Breckan was John Cena and Taylin was a la la lucy doll. 

We're crazy. 

Wedding this summer!

This weekend was a pretty memorable. I went to their house on Friday as soon as I finished teaching at Crete High School for my practicum. I stayed there until 10:30a.m. on Sunday morning. Generally they get home much later but due to the fact it is rifle season, they arrived earlier. Friday we played games such as candyland, monster's inc style of guess who (awesomeness), and kickball in the basement. It was a thrilling night. Taylin passed out with her head on the counter after she had lucky charms and Breckan passed out on the couch with me while we watched a movie.

Saturday was full of relaxing, Breckan had a birthday party to go to, and Taylin and I went for a walk during the nice fall day. My best friend Ashley visited along with my other good friend Linsey. After the Huskers won, a person I have been talking to for quite a while journeyed to Friend (where I was babysitting) from Crete and hung out with me and the kids all night. His name is Trevor! He's a looker ;) He was great and adorable with the kids. We played kickball. My friend Linsey was the ref and the teams were Breckan and me verse Trevor and Taylin. I am proud to say Breckan and I won! 

This all follows to the big event of my weekend. I do not want to say that I was not watching Taylin but Trevor had to of pulled her aside for a bit that night because later on was quite a surprise. Trevor told me to sit down and waved Taylin off to get something. She came back with this: 

Yes of course :)

So basically in a nut shell, my weekend was pretty great. When Sunday came around and the parents got home I went home and talked to the fam bam. After a while, I traveled back to Doane and did some homework and then went to bed. So that was my eventful weekend!

New Techniques for the Classroom

November 5, 2013

Last Thursday along with Tuesdays class, we were really learning to be familiar with a variety of techniques used on mac computers and other softwares available out there. Since I do not own a mac computer and stick to my handy hp, I am definitely familiarizing myself with all the settings and such on the mac. Many of the settings on the computer are helpful for students with certain needs, also. For example, a blind student could use the voiceover accessibility to learn readings and such things.

Main Settings Page

**On a side note, one of my favorite keys learned was the command+shift+3(or 4) to screen shot your screen! That is the coolest thing to me. By using 4 we may crop what we want on the screen displayed.

There are a ton of speaking qualities to the mac as well. One may change the voice to male or female or even princess! Along with the computer speaking to you, you may speak back to it. Someone that struggles with their typing skills has the ability to speak to the computer and it will type papers for you. Apparently there is even an iPhone App available out there; however, that should not really surprise me.

We also found out an easier way to send folders and multiple files through email in an easier way. This is called a zip folder. You must compress the folder and it duplicates it into a zip that is faster and easier sent.

In the classroom, Inspiration 9, I feel, would be very beneficial. It is a fun way to categorize things in learned from a lesson and kids are able to have fun with it and use the picture icons in it. Along with graphing and organizing information learned, students are able to transform that knowledge into a presentation as well on the exact same software! For students that are more visual learners, this software can be highly beneficial.

Lastly, we discussed pixlr.com. I was not aware that there was a free website just like photoshop! This excites me and I will definitely be using it. It would be beneficial in the classroom as well due to the fact kids can express themselves in their own unique way and show their creativity!

Author of Holler if you Hear Me

On October 28, 2013, Doane College was lucky enough to have a wonderful author, by the name of Gregory Michie, come speak to its students. 211 Practicum students are required to read his book Holler if You Hear Me this semester; it has stories from his experiences and voices from his past students as well while teaching in a Chicago school. Many people did not picture him to be as laid back as he was! 

Throughout all the questions he spoke about, made by the students, he had a lot of "it depends" answers. Every circumstance is different. If colleges were able to hand a teacher a book on how to be an exceptional teacher, they obviously would. However, because all kids are different, have different backgrounds and beliefs, no one can tell a teacher how to deal with these situations. A lot of things come from experience. Learn by dealing and coping when situations come up. 

He also discussed the teacher program "Teachers for America" where people could go to school for six weeks and after that be a "qualified" teacher. That seems absurd. We Doane students attend for four years here, have practicums, numerous lesson plan writing experiences, and lots of time and effort put into the program, yet people are able to take those six weeks and be as highly educated and qualified as us? I would understand if there were a shortage on teachers, but should these students attending four years, paying bookoo bucks, and focusing all that time on teaching be on the same level as them? 

In addition, he seems like a very humble and honest guy. One of the questions he was asked involved if his students knew he has a famous book. None of his co-workers seem to care about it. Some of his students even read the book after he told them due to being questioned about leaving because he had to go speak somewhere. I think that he is honest because he told us he is not highly qualified for teaching reading, yet he still is.

Overall, I thought the night was great and beneficial. His stories were very interesting and he had great feedback to all that was thrown to him. I highly advise anyone who has not read it to do so!

Doane

Doane Experience

If you are having trouble where to go after high school, Doane is definitely a place to visit. We have a beautiful campus along with very friendly students, professors, and everyone else! There are so many resources available whenever you are having trouble. Everyone is so helpful when I am in search of information. Whether you are a scholarly student or love to be involved, there are options for both. If you like to sit back on the weekends and relax, there are usually opportunities as well as other things. We have what are called Butler Dances. If you like to get your dance on, this is the place to be!

We have an excellent Education Program. Doane students have high expectations for their Education students. All of us are lucky to be placed into the classroom as early as Sophomore year so that you are able make the huge decision if you are cut out for this career. There are many education classes required and they all build you to become the best teachers out there.

Doane's Lovely Campus.

Dress up for a Dance!