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Finale

Now that you have completed this course and the Service Learning component, what have you decided about becoming a professional teacher?   I have decided that being a teacher is a really complex job. You fulfill a lot of different roles in the lives of the children you teach, mom, nurse, councilor, and teacher. You are not simply there to teach. You are to be there for them. But one of the ways you will be able to help them in the rest of their lives is to help them learn. A teacher has so many roles but together they make the most important role of a teacher. Do you think this is the career path for you? I do. I love the kids. I want to do all that I can to support them and give them all an equal chance at life. I realize they all come from different backgrounds in life. I know I did. And I was very grateful to my 6th grade teacher who made me feel loved and supported during hard times at home. She also helped me stay on top of my school work and encouraged me to be the best I ...
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Portfolio

Are you making connections between course topics and Service Learning?   Yes the blog posts have really helped me to make connections between ideas discussed throught the course and experiences in my service learning.  Have you been able to articulate your own learning and understanding?    I feel that I have done fairly well at explaining and describing the connections I have made between the two during my blog posts Is the process of blogging helping you to think and notice things in your Service Learning?   Yes! Often during my service learning I now make connections to the topics in the course. I begin thinking about how I see different teachers apply the principles and how I would apply them as a teacher.  In what areas do you see growth or learning from the first blog post to the last?   I feel I have been able to make more connections recently. I have been able to see a lot more connections the more time I spend in the school. instead...
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Core standards

I noticed a lot of the fine arts being fulfilled in art projects weather it related to science or language arts by the first grade teacher I observed. She instructs them to draw their scientific observations and has them draw illustrations for original books.   I think she gives a lot of emphasis to science and library/media. She always makes sure they have books to read and gives them time in class to read. She makes them excited to read. She teaches them to think about things like a scientist by asking questions, making observations, and forming a hypothesis. Then preforming an experiment. I spend a lot of time in her class during science and centers which combines math and reading with fine arts and a few other things. I have never seen social studies taught in class but I assume it is done while I am not there. I spoke to a special needs kindergarten teacher and she likes the direction that the standards give but thinks that using the standards in class and working with c...
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Diverse learners

In my classrooms I see a lot of spanish speakers who dont understand english. I also see kids with learning disabilities、 and kids who have difficulties with social interaction. I also see kids who have trouble following rules that are there to keep them safe. The teachers address these issues individually. With extra help and different resources for spanish speakers. And assistance and guidance for those with learning disabilities.  Those who don't dundersta d how to fit in specially or follow rules that keep them safe hard harder to help. But we try hard to work with parents and I see a lot of patience and 1 on 1 coaching.  Sometimes diverce learners go to a resource classroom or work with speach teachers etc. But they make sure they are supported in as many ways as possible. In the places those individual students need them.   
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Equal education

At my school I see that the laws for equal education have affected so many kids. Especially those who are learning another language. It makes it vary hard to make learning equal when they dont understand the language it is being taught in. So we take measures to help them understand both those around them、 and the material that is being taught. I spend a lot of time helping teachers teach native spanish speakers english. Because they know that if they can learn english it will open the flood gates to their education in America. Not only that but will allow them to build relationships with their peers and teachers. We also have many textbooks and resources in spanish for children in their situation. Between math textbooks. Spanish books in our library. And online resources for things like history.
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Meaningful activities

A few meaningful activities I have seen in the class rooms are: avoiding dead time、 using projects and presentations、 and using movement.   one teacher avoids dead time and engages the students by doing centers. Kids work on individual projects at each table while she works with struggling children at the back table.  one teacher does a lot of projects I feel like I am almost always putting in grades for one project or another. She teaches the advanced 6th grade class. But her students help lead the teaching by doing presentations and working in groups. Often times she helps them teach each other.  another teacher uses movement. He has the kids get up and do a times table challange. This helps the kids wake up physically and mentally in the morning before taking a math test. I have noticed times when class could be more engaging and meaningful. But most often that is when the leather has left very little instruction or sub plans for the substitute. An...
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Student Encouragement

Describe a time your cooperative teacher has offered choice to students. the first grade teacher I observe does something called centers with her kids. This allows them to choose which activity they will do and when. the kids get to collect a colored stick at the completion of an activity and try their hardest to collect as many sticks as possible. I love that the students get to pick because it makes them so excited to do the activities even if they are related to math or spelling.  What does the cooperative teacher do to encourage a positive classroom community?   a sixth grade teacher I observe treats the class as a team and encourages them to work well together. during the first few weeks of school she kept the whole class in from recess to help them understand what they had done wrong and then encouraged them to do better. the whole time she was reassuring them that the would rather be with them then anywhere else. that she knew they could do so m...
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