3-23-09

Today I was in the classroom for approximately six hours, or nearly the whole day. Mrs. Bartholomay had more paras in the class than usual when I got there. She informed me that she had a meeting to attend for a while starting at 8:30. So she asked me to watch the class for her while she was gone. The paras took about six of the children with them to their other classroom, and I kept the majority of the class with me. First, I gave them a spelling test, then after that I gave them a timed math assessment, where the students get one minute to complete the problems then after one minute I say "switch" and they use a crayon for the next 2 minutes to complete as much as they can. We then went over the answers and they checked their own papers. They then had to put the paper in their homework folder to complete at home. Next, I did a math lesson on geometric shapes. I introduced the students to the different shapes, then they had a worksheet to walk around the classroom in pairs and find objects that were geometric shapes, and write them down. After the class completed this, I gave them another math assessment, but not timed, and let them work until they were all completed. By this time I was sure Mrs. Bartholomay would be back because it had been about 2 hours. So I went by her normal schedule and let the students go to recess, where after about ten minutes of them being out there Mrs. Bartholomay showed up. When we came back in, the students watched a film on germenation, and how to plant flowers. Then, the students went to computers where they took reading counts, or accelerated reader, tests. After this they went back to the class, and got ready for lunch. After lunch, the students started their reading, which consisted of Mrs. Bartholomay keeping a majority of the students in the room with her to read aloud to them, their new story in their reading book. I took 4 students in the hall with me and we did the same, while I asked them questions pertaining to the story. Then the students went to music and P.E., during this time I graded papers and put the students papers that were to go home in their folders. After they got back, they started their centers which I did not get to participate in for long because I was about to leave for the day. Before I left, I went to write down my time for the day, and the whole time log was gone from its usual spot. I about had a heart attack. So I asked Mrs. Bartholomay if she had moved it, then I wondered if Mrs. Luft had picked it up sometime when I wasn't there. We were frantically searching for it for about 10 minutes and finally Mrs. Bartholomay stumbled across it. Over the break, the janitor, for some odd reason, took it off the clip board that was hanging on a file cabinet, and put it in a pile of papers on the file cabinet. It was a close call.

3-10-09

I stayed for about 3 hours today. Had the usual day. There was a student who moved the previous Friday, when I subbed for the class. It was very sad to see her go because she was so close to her classmates. She had also been my neighbor when she was a little bit younger so I knew her pretty well. No one cried in the class when she left, but her sister is in kindergarten and you would have thought someone died over there the way everyone was crying. It was too bad to lose them. I did more observing this day than I usuallly do. I did grade some papers as well.

3-2-09

I stayed for most of the day this day. It was a pretty normal day including the following activities: a new spelling test, math assessments, and a new story in their reading books. Mrs. Bartholomay gave the spelling test, I checked them over, determining who all had to retake the test on Friday. They did their usual math assessments where they get to use a pencil for so many seconds and do as many as they can, then switch and use a crayon for the rest until the remainder of the time she keeps is gone. Then they do another math assessment that has more word problems than just simple addition and subtraction. They started a new story in their reading books today, being that it was monday. I took a few of the students out in the hall where I read the story to them, asked them questions, got responses, and discussed key terms. The other students inside the classroom silently read the story. Many students were gone with illnesses. One was having her tonsils taken out, which Mrs. Bartholomay planned on having the students make her "Get Well" cards, but never got around to it while I was there. She was also going to send her a gift from the class. I noticed something from eating lunch with the children sometimes, no matter who their friends are/aren't they sit by who ever happens to be next to them in line. They talk to that person during lunch, and get along well like that. It is a good way to mix things up instead of letting them stay in their comfort zone and never meet new people or have new friends.