- Content Knowledge
- Human Development and Learning
- Diversity
- Planning for Instruction
- Learning Environment
- Instructional Delivery
- Communication
- Assessment
- Collaborative Relationships
- Reflection and Professional Growth
- Professional Conduct
Making lessons meaningful for all students is extremely important. To teach fractions and measurement, I taught my students how to make smoothies. Showing the students that fractions and measurement are part of our everyday life is important. Some of the students would even go home and teach their parents how to measure with pints instead of cups.
[Back to top]
Human Development and Learning
Students must know that you care about them beyond the classroom. I volunteered to work for the Young Authors Conference. My students were extremely excited to see that I was as enthusiastic about after school activities as I am at regular school. As a teacher, I must understand how individuals grow, develop, and learn and provide learning opportunities that support the intellectual, social, and personal development of all students.
[Back to top]
Diversity
Students do not learn at the same pace or exactly the same way. In the picture above, I show a math lesson that I taught outside. My students were able to learn about making wholes. I had students pretend that they were a certain amount (like cups, inches, etc.) and find groups to make different amounts. My students were very excited to go out of the classroom and move around. I tried to incorporate Gardner’s Multiple Intelligence’s throughout my lessons.
[Back to top]
Planning for Instruction
Power Point Presentations
Before you even think about starting a Power Point:
1. All of the questions must be answered on the worksheet.
2. There must be AT LEAST 7 interesting facts about your plannet /or whatever you are doing. Make this juicy!
3. Both partners must agree about the information you are using.
4. You must check with Miss St. Germain before you start the Power Point.
5. Your partner, you, and Miss St. Germain must all agree that you are ready to start the Power Point.
While you are working on the Power Point:
1. Right now you are only putting the information on the slides. This means that you SHOULD NOT be adding color, WordArt, or any animation.
2. The first slide should have both the names on it along with the plannet.
3. We need to have at least 5 slides for the presentation.
When you think that you are done:
1. Check to make sure that everything is spelled correctly.
2. Look in the books to see if there is anything else you could possibly add to the presentations.
3. After both partners believe that you have done your best, raise your hand and Miss St. Germain will look at the presentation.
* When the Cool Timer goes off, put the books back in the box, save your presentations, and sit at your clean desk.*
After teaching a lesson, I always go though the lesson and decide how to teach the lesson more effectively. Above I have shown an outline I made for the students for a Power Point Presentation we were making. Before making the outline of the day, my students did not know what the expectations of the lesson were. Yet after I made an outline, my students knew what was expected of them.
[Back to top]
Learning Environment
A learning environment must encourage positive social interaction, active engagement in learning, and self motivation. In my classroom, my mentor teacher and I invited guests to come in and talk to our class about different topics. We invited a Master Gardner to come in our class and discuss planting, the water cycle, recycling and the stages of a plant’s life. The students were enthused about someone outside of the class teaching.
[Back to top]
Instructional Delivery
As a teacher, I understand and use a variety of instructional strategies to encourage students' development of critical thinking, problem solving, and performance skills. The picture above shows two of my students using a website I provided for them. Using different types of media in the classroom enhanced the atmosphere and kept the attention of the class. I tried to incorporate technology usage anytime possible.
[Back to top]
Communication
Subject:
[Starke] Science Website
From:
"Nichole St. Germain" <nstgermain@pekin.net> Add
Date:
Wed, March 8, 2006 11:03 pm
To:
<starke.list@pekin.net>
Priority:
Normal
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/scienceclips/ages/5_6/growing_plants.shtml
This is a really cool website dealing with many of the science standards.
Thought it might be helpful to most of you. Have a great rest of the
week!
Nichole St. Germain
Collaboration and communication between staff can make the world of difference for students. I sent out an email to the entire L.E. Starke School staff to share a website I used in my lessons. Many of the other staff members were very excited that a student teacher shared a very valuable resource with them. I also worked with the psychologist, principal, substitutes, mentor teacher, and other teachers on a daily basis. Parents also knew what was going on in our classroom, because I sent out weekly notes about the week to come.
[Back to top]
Assessment
As we all know, assessment is incredibly important. Without assessment, what good are my lessons? During a unit on African Americans I had my students make collages while listening to Louis Armstrong. I taught them about shape, size, contrast, color, shade, and line during this lesson. They had to listen to the music and decide what kind of picture the music sounded like. I later had my students explain why they made the shapes and colors to make their pictures.
[Back to top]
Collaborative Relationships
I must develop and maintain a collaborative relationship with colleagues, parents/guardians, and the community to support student learning and well-being. My mentor and I had an excellent relationship throughout my student teaching experience. We would work together to create lessons and reflect on lessons taught. I am so glad that I had such a great mentor teacher. I also shared my lessons with a substitute for another second grade class while I was teaching. Not only did this collaboration help her, but it also helped me to write my lessons so that someone else could pick them up and understand them.
[Back to top]
Reflection and Professional Growth
Subject:
Re: [Starke] come watch?
From:
"Karen Legge" <klegge@pekin.net> Add
Date:
Tue, April 25, 2006 10:47 am
To:
<nstgermain@pekin.net>
Priority:
Normal
>
Nicole, Mrs. Heffren does a great calendar time. Wed. at about 8:55 -
9:30 or so would be fine. Karen Legge SpEd. Instructional Room 16
Hello everyone one!
>
> As many of you might know, next week is my last week at Starke School.
> I was wondering if anyone would be as kind as to let me observe their
> classroom next week (Monday-Wednesday). I would like to see how other
> classrooms are organized and run. I am by no means critiquing your
> teaching, just mearly observing to build my teaching skills. If you
> will allow me into your class for a period of time, could you please
> email me the day and time available. Thank you for the help!
>
> Nichole St. Germain
While I was student teaching, I decided to visit other classrooms to see how they were run. I realize that not all teachers teach in the same manor or have the same management plan. I went into different classrooms and saw many different ways to run my classroom. I am very glad I was given the opportunity to visit other classrooms.
[Back to top]
Professional Conduct
I understand education as a profession, maintain standards of professional conduct, and provide leadership to improve student learning and well-being. A student in my class needed clean water for his neighborhood. As a class, we sent Valentine’s Day cards to the Governor asking for money for the water. We had to be very professional while working with the government. The students were extremely excited when this student did end up getting the money to get clean water and when we were invited to take a fieldtrip to the Governor’s mansion. This is a picture of Robert's experience at the mansion.
