Week 7

The aspects of this week that I found to be most valuable were being able to teach a full day of school. Being able to change and update my lessons from class to class to teach the best lesson possible. I was very sick and just did it anyway because I wanted to see what it was like and I am very happy that I did. It showed me that I want to become a teacher that I have fun in my job and that is want I really want. It also help me see how planning and preparing is so important to the teaching profession.
The one thing I would change this week would be one of the lessons I taught in webpage design I was allowing the students to work a project as I went over various things that they already accomplished. I loved seeing them so interested in their work and wanting to learn more tags that I let them work while I was teaching. I didn’t think anything of it at the time but now when I look back I should have had their attention on me then let them do work.

Week 6

The aspect of this week I found to be most valuable was teaching the first class of the week. It was terrible, the kids were unresponsive, they were talking all the time, and it was first period. I feel in that class I have been focusing too much on getting the content down that I forgot to engage these kids. After a talk with Mrs. Wiscount I feel I understood what she was saying to me. I took a step back that day, looked at all my material and noticed that from the first lesson I taught this year to now I got away from the initial engaging of the students. I don’t know why, maybe due to how busy I was or the fact that I was coaching but it was a good wakeup call for me. From now on my lessons have had a good introduction and I am incorporating my personality into the classroom. I am a goofball sometimes, which the students seem to like when I goof around with them in class and do strange things to them. Today a student wanted to a certain topic that I said someone else already chose for a project, he pleaded with me until in the middle of class I said, “How many pushups can you do?” (This is one of the kids I coach on the wrestling team.) He looked lost, he said, “I don’t know?” I said guess, how many pushups in a row. He replied, “80 I think.” I gave him an option right now in the middle of class if you can do more pushups than me I will let you have your topic. I even offered to go first, the student behind him was laughing historically, he contemplated then said, “No.” I am ok with my topic. One thing I would change about this week again is the first class, I don’t know what happened but it was bad. I would change the whole lesson top to bottom, think harder about getting their attention and have a different review game ready for them.

Week 5

The aspect of this week I found to be the most valuable was being able to deal with students during a lot of working periods. Seeing where the students were in understanding the material, it also gave me a chance to view their working habits. They try to get me to give them more time when most of them were goofing around, talking, or playing games. I just let them know that I knew what they were doing and there time has run out so they need to print what they have.
The one thing I would change about this week was in my computer applications class. I had presentations this week for PowerPoint and I wanted a good presentation to set the tone. The student who went did not do a good job and goofed around the whole time. Setting the tone would have shown others how it should be done and the guidelines they should follow because when I explain it they only get so much out of it. I also had to move students today who kept talking during presentations I gave them one warning then I moved them. I let them know after class that if they kept it up they would be sitting in their new seat the rest of the year.
I have to go chaperon a dance in 5 minutes and go to an in-service day tomorrow. Hope you all are having fun.

Week 4

This week was a very fun week for me. I was definitely very busy but it seemed to be all worth it in the end. The students are starting to trust me more, they love coming in and talking with me. I also enjoy seeing them every day, talking with them, and just listening to them in class cracks me up most of the time. One of the students used, "That's what she said" comment in class which was probably one of the funniest things I've heard. I did talk to that student and told him he can’t say that, he argued that I laughed, I just let him know just because it’s funny doesn't mean it’s not inappropriate. Aspects of the week I found most valuable was definitely see the students outside of school, I went to their home wrestling match and I was sitting with the team since I'm one of the coaches, the students that showed up had no idea I was a coach. It’s good that the kids get to see you in a different atmosphere, I was in jeans and a t-shirt and the kids kept saying, "Mr. Letts! What are you wearing" I told them that I can’t look so good all the time. Things that I would change would have to be a class on Friday, I was teaching PowerPoint and the students were creating their own Slide Show when the network went down. Let me tell you how these students went from calm to crazy in about 2 minutes. I was in such awe, they started writing on the board, getting loud, doing crazy stuff. I had them sit down, however I probably should have reviewed what we were going over, some presentation skills and other things in that class. I am loving student teaching, these kids do make it all worth it, and I am starting to care if they don't get a good grade or not and how they are outside of school. I hope you are all feeling the same way.

Week 3 Snow Week

Week 3 or as some of my students called it snow week was very hectic at first. I was a little nervous about teaching on shortened periods and how the kids would react to having a day off then a 2 hr delay. They acted as if it was a Monday, a boring slow start to the week, and to top it Mrs. Wiscount shows up at first period, by now I'm so relaxed as you could imagine. However everything seemed to go very well, the lesson went smooth even though the students were not energetic at all. So i would have to say the most valuable thing for the week was being able to teach in shortened periods, also seeing how students react to having days off and 2 hr delays. It shows that I need to engage them more than a normal day.
I started teaching 2 classes this week instead of one due to the fact I was only able to teach one lesson the previous week. I was nervous about it but yet excited, I like a challenge and it was a little bit. Having to juggle two courses and perfecting them is something that wasn't easy at first but I got the hang of it and it became much easier.
I did however run into a problem like Chris did while teaching web design. I was teaching the students how to put the HTML tags in notepad, save then bring it up in Internet explorer, well it wasn't working, the computer system in the high school wouldn't allow the students accounts for some reason bring it up in Internet explorer. I was going nuts, kids started playing games, complaining when i told them to get off, they kept saying, "well I'm done". I said I don't care, if your done help one of your classmates until we figure this thing out, by the end of the period everything worked out but to say the least I wanted to throw one of the computers out the window. This was probably the one aspect I would like to change this week, I should have stopped took a deep breath and said to the students, "Now lets trouble shoot this together, whoever can get it to work will get bonus points" because honestly I had no idea what to do.

Week 2

My second week started with an in service day on Monday, I didn't know what to expect since most of the teachers seemed upset that they had to attend it. It wasn't that bad at all, the teachers had to collaborate in their department at outline for lesson plans. They had to find which outline would help them succeed the most. This was a great value to me to see how different things happen in a school when it is not in secession. Learning how experienced teachers go about creating lesson plans and connecting to their students.
By now I know basically every students name, even if it takes a little time to remember you can tell they appreciate it. I had the students make note cards with information about themselves on it including hobbies, likes and dislikes, and put down something no one knows about you. The students are so funny and creative with them that i found myself laughing when reading them in the middle of class. One student put down his nickname is Captain Awesome, when I was teaching I called him that unless he was being disruptive. This was very valuable because he helps me know the students better, have more fun with them, and helps me create lessons plans that relate to them better.
Last week i had to fill out an evaluation form to help coach wrestling and baseball, on Tuesday I received an email and a letter letting me know that the school board approved me to do both of them. Which is fun because he helps me better interact with my students and they seem to appreciate the effort that I put in.
Due to some delays from weather and the students being in the middle of a project in both classes I didn't start teaching till Friday, which I hated. I was ready to just go out there and do it. The lesson I taught was only 15 minutes long but it was fun and i definitely engaged the students with examples and through discussion. They all seemed to be on task and knew exactly what to do for the work.
The only thing i would change if I had to start the week over would be to videotape my first lesson, to see what mistakes I made, which i already know one and just see what I am know and view my progression throughout the semester. It is going to be a fun ride and cant wait to teach again.