Week 1- Music (Social Justice Issues)
Lesson Plan
Song Lyrics
& Link
Teaching
Feedback
PDP
Welcome to my EAE 302 Placement Blog! I am placed at Sunningdale Elementary School in Mr. Campbell’s Grade 8 classroom.
Week 2- ELA (Holes Literary Influences)
Week 1 is finally here and gone! This was a crazy experience. I began by
stopping in to meet with Mr. Campbell a week prior and he asked if I would
do my introductory lesson and meet the students that day. I did my lesson
and stuck around to familiarize myself with the classroom. He gave me a
lesson to teach this week- a music lesson. As we all know, the arts education
conceptual focus for grade 8 is ‘social issues’. I had a lesson about bullying
(check out my lesson to the right if you want to know about it!) that went very well. I can’t stress enough how fantastic Mr. Campbell is, I am feeling more confident and comfortable in front of a classroom and creating lesson plans for the students. I began the day with some “Bell Work” which is basically writing some questions on the board for the students to do before and after the bell. We took them up and Mr. Campbell began teaching math. Next period, I helped ‘edit’ student’s “Worst Day Ever” short stories while Mr. Campbell came in and out dealing with some issues that came up. I was more an observer for the other subjects. When it became time for my lesson, it was right after recess so it took a few minutes to settle in. The students were engaged, answering my questions and were knowledgeable about social justice issues (as they should have been, they’ve been working on them for a month and a bit now). There were a few students that were distracted but I think (and Mr. Campbell confirmed) that I did a good job of getting them back on track. The students loved the music video that went with the lesson, they were laughing, singing and enjoying themselves. I explained that we would be doing skits about bullying and made a big mistake- I grouped the students before I finished instruction. It was around that point that I began losing attention to the assignment. The students dispersed into 6 groups and began to write a loose script. I gave them 25 minutes in my original lesson plan but I could tell they were goofing off so I cut the time down to about 10 minutes. I gave warnings every few minutes (5, 2, 1) so they would be prepared. The groups began to present and I move to the back of the room to give the presenters space but I lost the rest of their attention and it was hard to keep them listening to the groups and serious. I asked a few questions (who was the bully? What was her part in the skit? etc.) and then Mr. Campbell regained their attention and we post-conferenced. I think it went well for the first lesson I’ve taught! I certainly made some mistakes but I’ll be working on them for the rest of the semester!
Week 2! This week was a lot less stressful, I felt like I belonged at the front of the classroom
instead of hovering in the back.
Things I did well:
-I had a well-thought lesson that I was able to follow the entire hour.
-My lesson was flexible enough to run smoothly with last-minute changes.
-My language was much better than last week (no "guys")
-My classroom management was better (the class stayed on track the whole hour)
-The students enjoyed the activity we had and got a little silly (which was okay, they were very good and paid attention through the lesson)
-I had a way to assess the students this week (exit slip)
Things to improve:
-I over-compensated on the class management and didn't let the students talk which irritated them
-Mr. Campbell noticed that I was only calling on the first two rows of students
-I need to go further into student's answers so I know they understand
-Asking students if they understand instead of asking who doesn't understand (thumbs up/down)
-I told the students they would need the computers and they all jumped up... finish instruction before telling them about the 'fun part'
-Let students talk a little at a manageable noise level
Things I will change for next class
-Classroom management (regarding students talking)
-Not 'Shushing' Students
-Asking questions to (or calling on) the whole room
-Giving full directions (and ensuring the students understand them fully) before turning the students 'loose'
PDP
Teaching
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Lesson Plan
ivy sheward
Week 3- Math (Math Word Problems)
Week 3! This week wasn't as great as others, I had a math lesson to teach (which
has never been one of my strengths) and I've taken a lot from this experience.
Things I did well:
-I called on every student in the room and didn't pick any section more than another
-I have officially learned everyone's names!
-I managed a student that often disrupts lessons very well
-I had a well-thought lesson plan going in, I did my research and did the questions myself
-I handed a problematic student very well
-I didn't shush the students
-I'm building good relationships with students, they are comfortable asking me questions for Mr. Campbell's lessons
Things to improve:
-I turned a 60-minute lesson into a 120-minute lesson (which was okay this time but I won't do again)
-I demonstrated the strategies rather than explaining them
Things I will change for next class
-Giving full directions (and ensuring the students understand them fully) before turning the students 'loose'- didn't get a chance to work on
-Focus on time allotment/management
Assessment
PDP
Teaching
Feedback
Lesson Plan
Week 4- Math (Improper &
Mixed Fractions)
Week 5- Visual Art (Paper Making)
Lesson Plan
Teaching
Feedback
PDP
Assessment
Mixed & Improper
Fractions Practice
Week 4! This was the redemption week I needed! I was very
comfortable teaching the students and have a good enough
hold of the classroom that when there was a substitute for
Mr. Campbell in the afternoon, they behaved almost perfectly. I taught lessons 4 & 5 on week 5 and had some general remarks from Mr. Campbell and Ms. Jensen that I'll list below Week 5.
Things I did well:
-I had a well planned lesson that I follwed exactly
-I called on a range of students to answer questions
-I did I do- you do- we do when solving questions on the board
-I have the class accustomed to raising their hands to answer a question
-I instructed the students well enough that 25/28 students understood the content and got 100% on the assessment (which I drew out on the board)
Things to improve:
-I absolutely blanked when doing a question (I solved the problem wrong prior to teachign and couldn't figure out why I was wrong... I laughed it off and we moved on to the next question) Lesson- double check my work before I teach
- When 1-on-1 with a student, I used two different terms (one correct, one not) imperfect fraction and improper fraction which confused him ​
Things I will change for next class
-Ensuring I have the right answers written down
-It would have been easier for the students (and me marking) to have created a worksheet assessment instead of having them write it down because many students didn't copy it correctly
Week 5! This was the redemption week I needed! Mr. Campbell was the
acting Principal this day so he was in and out of the classroom but also had a substitute.
He gave me some overall notes which I'll put at the bottom.
Things I did well:
-I had a well-planned lesson that I was able to follow exactly
-I had very minimal mess to clean up (impressive if you consider 28 13 year-olds made paper)
-I had the student split into groups so the papermaking side wouldn't be overwhelmed and they wouldn't fight/goof off
Things to improve:
-Some drawing students were misbehaving when I was at the paper station
Things I will change for next class:
-To be honest, this lesson went so well, I can't imagine changing anything about it
Overall Remarks for the Day:
-Mr. Campbell didn't give me much direction on what to do today, I mostly filled in where I thought I would be needed:
-I 'managed' the class at the pre-Remembrance Day assembly
-After my Math lesson, I pulled four students aside one by one until I all students understood moving fractions from mixed improper and vice versa
-I contacted a student's parent when they were struggling with their math to inform him what they could be doing at home
-I acted like a teacher, I had a good hold of the students and was productive during dead time
Lesson Plan
Teaching
Feedback
PDP
PDP
Teaching
Feedback
Week 6! I had a lot of fun this week! My lesson went well, I am very comfortable in
front of the class and they are beginning to ask me questions just as much as Mr. Campbell.
Things I did well:
-This was such a fun lesson, the students had a lot of fun while learning how to visualize
-I had the students write stories about a laundromat (given many of them had no clue what that was) and then I read them to the
class since many students weren't comfortable sharing their work out loud. One thing lead to another and all of a sudden I was reading
them dramatically to music (Carol of the Bells, Beethoven's Fifth and The Simpson's Theme) It was very spontaneous, the whole class was laughing and enjoying themselves, surely it was a lesson they will remember
-This week my set, development, and closure were strong
Things to improve:
-I went over my time on this lesson too- about 10 minutes because we were having fun with the dramatic readings
​
Things I will change for next class:
-Timing lessons. What I want to achieve vs. What I can realistically achieve... two weeks left to get it right
Week 6- ELA (Imagination to Visualize Places)
PDP
Teaching
Feedback
Lesson Plan
Lesson Plan
Teaching
Feedback
PDP
Week 7- Health (Consumerism, Decisionmaking & Body Image)
Week 7! Second last week... I'm not ready to be done next week! I'm enjoying my
time here so much! We had fun this week, a lesson that ended with students create
a useless object that they would pitch the class in groups as something that we all NEEDED!
​
Things I did well:
-I taught a sensitive topic well
-I handled a disagreeable student well on my own
-I had an activity for the students that taught them about market ploys in a fun way
-​I fielded some crazy questions well
-This week my set, development, and closure were also strong
Things to improve:
-I asked a student "Do you have any clue?"... I said it nicely (if you can imagine) but I certainly won't say that again
-This lesson was more of an introductory lesson for a unit, picking one of these topics would have made for a better lesson overall
​
Things I will change for next class:
-The way I speak to students (understanding how my words can sound through different interpretations)
Week 8! I can’t believe that my time in Mr. Campbell’s class is over already. It feels like
I just started teaching yesterday. I have so much left to learn!
​
Things I did well:
-I brought a strong Indigenous lesson to the students and they were eager to learn it
-I brought a strong music lesson to the students and they were eager to learn it
-I built on the student's understanding of worldview
-The students played a fun game with a little competition between two teams​
Things to improve:
-There was a little confusion with the point system
-The students tapered off with the musical component half way through and I had to stop their game to keep the music part going
​
Things I will change for next class:
- :( No more classes but if I taught this lesson again I would spend more time on the rules and procedure
-Play this game outside in the spring/summer/fall so the students could be loud, it was hard to stay quiet in the classroom
-Teach the lesson over more than one day, and come back to this game once in a while
Week 8- Music (Slahal/ Worldview)
PDP
Teaching
Feedback
Lesson Plan
Final Pre-Internship Reflections
Kid in my pocket:
Let's call him J. When I began the semester J was one of two kids in my pocket but I've learned the most from him. My initial impressions of him weren't great, he has a big mouth, is quick to fight and needs attention to be on him to do work well. Actually, on the first day he was in school suspended because he was in a fistfight with another student. He seemed like an absolute nuisance but I've seen through him. J is an inner clipboard and an outer puppy. He continued to surprise me all semester. During class, J is looking for attention and requires you to keep on him to get any work done. When his classmates are gone, (at recess and before school when he gets dropped off 30 minutes early every day) J helps me to organize the computers on the computer cart, take our recycling, test whiteboard markers, and so many more things. It bothers him to see that the classroom is messy (his desk is always clean) and it turns out he is a huge team player. I was surprised to hear that he played sports (other than hockey, which is his life) and that he was very encouraging in the gym. After our Rube Goldberg machines, all the other students tidied their machines and sat down, J got out the broom and started sweeping up the mess on the floor. I really came to like J, some days when he would get to school 30 minutes early and ask for some help with his math, I knew that the effort I put into teaching this semester was completely worth it.
1. What did you find the most rewarding about this 8-week experience?
I found a lot of things rewarding, but I think the best thing I accomplished over these eight short weeks, is the relationships that I formed with the students, other interns, teachers, and administration. Once I began to get to know the students, teaching became so much easier. I could put things into worlds they could relate to, could ask them about their dance recital, volleyball game or piano lesson. Once I knew the students, they began to warm up to me, answering questions in class (one student, Mr. Campbell told me, had never raised her hand to answer one of his questions but did mine), speaking out in discussions and just being there in class. I find that I'm quite sad that I won't be going this week... I'll have to go back soon because I miss them already.
2. Where did you think you grew the most?
I think what grew most was my confidence in a classroom. I came to this program incredibly confident talking to anyone- or so I thought. I was very concerned all of a sudden that I had the power to put false information into student's minds and they wouldn't know any better. With the help of Mr. Campbell, I gained confidence because I know that I am allowed to be wrong and make a mistake once in a while. I was more confident when talking to other teachers (which was very intimidating) during breaks in the staff room and even more confident when talking to students, but now I talk to students like people, not just like a teacher would to their students.
3. What did you learn about developing relationships with kids?
I guess I jumped the gun on this one, I learned that getting to know students goes a long way in creating a good relationship with them and that I couldn't imagine a classroom without good teacher-student bonds. I think that when students begin to trust you, (which I was just starting to find before I finished my pre-internship) your teaching becomes that much better and so does the student's learning/understanding and the feeling of safety in the classroom space. I know that as a student I always liked knowing about my teachers and it was surprising when a teacher asked about something I was interested in or asked how my recital was. I want to be the teacher who knows what all my students are interested in so I can bring their interests into the classroom.
4. What advice would you give others now – going into this 8 weeks?
If I had to give advice to someone starting their pre-internship, I would tell them to not worry about making mistakes, that's why we're doing this, to make some mistakes now and learn from them, because we are paired up with some amazing teachers. Take in and implement every change that your teacher suggests, you might not agree but it's great to try different things. Make a great effort to know the students and the teacher you're interning with, you'll learn a lot from both of them. Also, make sure you meet and leave the principal/vice principal on great terms! Learn everyone's names and needs as fast as possible, it's crazy how much these help you to become a better teacher! Lastly, enjoy yourself! It goes by way to fast, I wish I could go back and restart!
5. Going into next semester please indicate:
- What is your major? - What other subjects would you like to have experience with?
Music. If I can't be in a music classroom, I'd love to be in a history classroom. (Or anything... maybe not phys ed, other than that, I'm flexible!)
- Do you have a preference for a partner?
I know we talked about it, I'd love to be alone in Moose Jaw, but if that doesn't work out, I'd be happy with anyone!
- Do you have a preference for Catholic or Public Schools?
Public, please.
Here is the info for the teacher who said he would take me:
Cameron Church
Music Teacher, A. E. Peacock Collegiate
church.cameron@prairiesouth.ca
(306) 693-4626
6. Educational Philosophy:
