During this past week, we had PARCC testing, and I was able to see the effect that testing had on these young adolescents. I had a student who worried that he would not be able to pass 6th grade because of this test due to that being the message he got from home, and another student started to cry due to worrying. It saddened me that this testing culture has led these students to view themselves as a test score instead of the amazing qualities that they have that cannot be measured such as passion, excitement, and many more. Our school has such a positive culture, and we make sure that every student knows that he/she should try his/her best. I also had time to give the students the reward which was approximately 6-10 minutes of free time depending on how behaved they were the week before. My students enjoyed the reward especially due to it being PARCC testing and them needing a break, but for me, it was hard to let go of that control due to some students choosing to not play a math game and just sit there. After reflecting on whether or not that system worked for me, I though it worked well to an extent, but I felt like some students did not seem to care whether or not the class would lose time. Due to that being the case, while implementing this system, I was trying to think of another one. I saw a teacher post about a system where, if a student is talking, he/she gets his/her name written on the board. If the same student talks again, the students gets a check which is like a warning. If the student talks a third time, he/she would get a check and a consequence. I wrote names of students on the board for my EDTPA forms, and when a student sees his/her name on the board, they begin to ask questions and wonder what this is for. I am planning on trying out this new system and seeing if it works better for me. I would have to explain what the new system is to my students so that we are on the same page, but at this point, I want to try new things to see what works particularly for this group of students. Also, I was focused on consistency last week, and I felt like it paid off because the students began to see that, if they were not doing what I asked them to do, they would have to go sign the caution log. Although this system works, I know that, as a teacher, I do not always update the caution log online as much as I should, and, because of that, the students do not get an immediate consequence following 3 cautions. I feel like, if I did update it on a daily basis and assign consequences the day after, this would be more effective. I also started using Google Keep to keep track of to- do lists and suggestions. It has kept me focused on what I strive to accomplish on a daily basis because, as a teacher, my brain has many file cabinets open. I learned that I need to write things down in order to remember them, and for me, Google Keep is a system that I will utilize next year as well to keep me from feeling overwhelmed. I am doing my EDTPA this upcoming week, so I have been busy planning my lessons, but I am excited to reflect on my teaching so that I can get better. I aim to be a reflective and responsive educator, and I am amazed by my PLN on a daily basis . A teacher on my team told me that she should be more active on Twitter due to seeing me bring in these new ideas. I introduced her to SeeSaw, and she said that the students loved it. It made me smile when a student came up to me thanking me for introducing that platform to the other teacher, and it also made me smile when I forwarded a blog post from Danny Steele (@SteeleThoughts) called Every Kid to my team teachers. A teacher on my team shared the information, and as a school, we are going to do that activity that was mentioned with our students. Through this, I learned that change can happen if a group of individuals wholeheartedly believe in the change and take initiative to make it happen. I think my favorite part of the week was getting to email 17 teachers/ professors/ faculty members at my school. We had Safety Week at our school following the tragedy that occurred at Stoneman Douglas, and we had a challenge to give 17 high fives or 17 smiles. I took it upon myself to spread kindness and thank my former teachers and other individuals who made a difference in my life. The responses I got are below, and the responses truly made me tear up. While I was figuring out which teachers to email, I saw the name of a biology teacher I had who I have not emailed since I left high school. She mentioned below that she had tears in her eyes after reading my email, and it made me realize how much a small act of kindness can truly go a long way. How often do we forget to thank the individuals who make a difference? Do the people who have made an impact in your life know that they made a difference? Even though I try to express gratitude, I fall short, but I promise that the time you invest will reap many benefits.
2 Comments
Robyn Harris
3/17/2018 12:59:59 pm
Thank you for your post; I've been able to share with a few student teachers in my district! Inspiring!
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3/19/2018 04:41:13 pm
Hey Susan! Great work. I love watching your journey via your blog. It is great to see your growth through the process of your weekly reflections. As far as kindness is concerned, keep on speaking from your heart. There is so much negative noise in the world; it sincerely makes me smile when I see how you fight against this with your positive mindset. Never grow tired of doing good, Susan. You are making a difference.
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AuthorMy name is Ms. Jachymiak, and I am a pre-service teacher currently attending Illinois State University. This blog follows my journey as a student teacher. @MsJachymiak Archives
May 2018
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