I am done!!!

So I know that I haven't blogged lately, but today was my last day of student teaching.  It was a half day due to Good Friday and it was pretty boring.  However, I did go out to a little farewell lunch with a lot of the teachers and that was a lot of fun.  When I told the kids that I was leaving they did get sad and 7th period almost made me cry.  They were a great group of students I will definitely have to go back and visit them.  I had a great time with student teaching and I am looking to forward to doing this again in the fall.  Now it is time for me to go to work and finally make some money!!! 

16 days down...9 to go

So I am in my 4th week of student teaching so I am teaching at least 3 lessons everyday.  Today I was observed by my ULV supervisor for the 4th time.  All of my observations have went well and this one did too. He came during 1st period so I didn't have a chance to practice at all, but the material is very step by step so it was easy to do.  

I am really loving my student teaching experience and I cannot wait to have my own classroom one day.  I may even come back to the same school and master teacher next year for my 10-week student teaching if I don't get a job somewhere else first.  Well, it is time for me to get some homework done for other classes and then I have to grade papers! 

My first observed lesson

Today was the first time that I was observed by the ULV supervisor.  I taught a lesson about Acids and Bases with a pH lab.  I taught periods 1, 2, 6, and 7.  The students were great and I loved teaching and just having the class to myself.  A day like today is what makes me confident and excited about teaching.  According to my supervisor I did well and i got almost all 4's (scale of 1-4 with four being the highest) across the board.  He will be coming next week Monday to observe again so I hope that I do as well again.  Tomorrow I will be going more in depth about acids and bases with the different types and theories regarding them.  Monday will be a continuation of the same so I guess I should go get some work done! 

Day Two of Student Teaching

I just finished my second day of student teaching and I gave a mini lecture during 6th period.  It went well alright...nothing too exciting.  Tomorrow I will be helping Mr. Kopecky run a dry lab which I made the worksheet for.  It is on solutions and calculating concentrations.  Today I also graded some papers and entered grades into the gradebook.  I also learned how to use the copy machine and where a lot of things are located.  All in all it was a good day and I am starting to get use to it.  The hardest part is waking up at 5:45 because school starts at 7:30.  I really need to start going to bed earlier!

On Monday, I met one of the Assistant Principles, Mr. Delgado, and he was very nice and helpful.  I also have keys to the school and a key to the faculty bathroom...it is so cool being a teacher! That's all for now...be back later.

Chino Hills High School!!

Yay!!!! I finally got placed on Friday and I start my student teaching tomorrow morning. I am very nervous about this whole process especially because my teacher teaches Honors Chemistry and Honors Physics.  I am not a huge physics person so I hope I only have to teach Chemistry.  The students should be more well behaved than regular Chemistry but I am still scared of the unexpected. 

 School starts at 7:30 so I am going to get to school at 7:00 so I can meet the teacher and get all situated.  This first weeks is just observation so it shouldn't be too bad.  Also, I met the ULV Supervisor who will be coming to watch me once a week every week.  His name is Art and he was a teacher and a principle for many years and now he is retired and does this for ULV.  It is his third year as a supervisor so he should be pretty helpful.  

Well, it is time for me to go to bed now since I have to wake up so EARLY!!! Wish me luck!

Stressing.....

So I still have not gotten confirmation of my student teaching placement and I am starting to stress a little.  My roommates haven't heard either, but my friend Katie did. Hopefully, I will learn something on Wednesday during the classroom management seminar.  Friday is our student teaching orientation so I will have to know for sure by then.  So much has to happen over the next 5 weeks and I am not in control and I hate it! I wish we could meet with our teacher a week or two before so that we can start to prepare stuff, but we don't get to.  Well, enough of my whining...I will post again when I find out my placement and after orientation! 

What I have to do during Student Teaching

I thought I would tell you what student teaching consists of.  I have to be in the classroom for the entire school day, five days a week, for five days.  I am supposed to get to school when the teacher does and leave when the teacher does.  

Week 1: I observe and get to know the teacher and students.

Week 2: I teach one lesson everyday

Week 3: I teach two lessons everyday.

Week 4: I teach three lessons everyday.

Week 5: I teach four lessons everyday. 

I am required to make lessons plans for all of the lessons that I teach and I will be turning those in at the end of the 5-weeks. I will also be formally observed by the classroom teacher twice during the 5 weeks.  In addition, a person from the University of La Verne will be observing me once or twice a week. It seems like a lot to do but I am looking forward to it!