Test Day

Domain: I Content/Subject Matter Expertise: V Methodology
Order of Events:
B-fast (1st graders recognized me)
Spelling Tests/Reading Story Comprehension/Fluency Passage Reading
I do reading recovery with 2 students, individually though
Helped students with seat word
Students finished up at their centers
10:00 Movie and Snack (Friday reward for 4 "Plus" Days), watched "Flipper"
11:00 I teach math, adding double digits-money
Crazy special schedule, much repetition and many gone

12:30 I did 1st grader Herman reading.
Watched the film strip for M/H/A
Used Tucker sign
Make Letters with our bodies
Used playdough to make "H/h", (yesterday used M&M's to make M's)
One 1st grader gone b/c he had head lice (the second case in our room this week)
Did reading recovery with the 2 first graders. I took "E" and Mrs. M took "S"
Co-op did math with 1st graders
I ran errands and got things together for the reading lessons I am teaching next week.
After school my teacher and I were to conference, After many interruptions of teachers checking in on their students, custodian coming in to ask us about our overhead, having to make our book fair wish list, then we finally got to quickly conference about week and plans for next week. My teacher changed the order of some of my plans for next week, now I have to go rewrite those different lessons.

B. Elaboration of significant episode/C. Anaylsis of Episode
Today all the students had a special during the morning. It made the morning quite crazy because we had to give spelling tests about a million times. Some students missed the reward day due to their special of art, music or p.e. Things will get crazier in the next couple of weeks when library, speech, OT, PT, and counseling starts. With the reading units being based upon a week period, it seems hard to find another more effective plan for testing. It is too hard to have a reading book carry over from week to week.

Today we had had our first graders for 4 days total. Each day we have done the same routine of the Herman reading program, film strip, letter scramble, making letter with manipulatives, using suppliments to re-emphasize letter, and reading recovery. Today my students came in and still had a hard time naming the letters, they did a bit better when it came time to make the sounds of H/M/A. Either way it was a bit discouraging to realize how much time this process would take. One of the first graders "E" has been through half day kindergarden and another year of full day kindergarten. Even so, he still only knows a handful of letters. I know all the boys are stuggling in their regular classroom because they are so low in their reading levels. My teacher has never had students this low before and it frustrated trying to figure out what to do. I have worked with the LiPS program before and would love to try it with these young ones. I don't feel as if I can suggest it because I am the student teacher. The LiPS program takes total dedication and I'm not sure my teacher would be all for it. I guess we'll just take it a day at a time and see how things go.

After a crazy week it was hard to stay late on a Friday. One of the other girls in the IWU carpool was getting sick on Friday and the other had a hard day. I think it will be better in the future, if at all possible, to work hard during the week and then leave on time on Fridays. Friday evenings I just need a bit of time to relax and take a break from the school work. I will then be more refreshed to plan more lessons during the weekend.