FieldBlogPost2-GESU

My second day at GESU Middle School went very well! When I write about my field experiences, I am going to stick to the same format. I will talk about three main things: the classroom setting, what I got to do in the classroom, and how the teacher was. First, the classroom setting. I mentioned in my last field blog post that the class was starting a new lesson on anatomy. Mrs. Nemeth has a bulletin board and every time they start a new lesson she decorates it according to the lesson. So, she decorated the board with skeletons, muscles, and bones. I thought this was really cool and important because the kids will be able to stay on topic and maybe be more intrigued. Mrs. Nemeth hangs up "I CAN" statement on the board according to the lesson they are learning. For example, they read a story about pueblo Indians in reading and she put up a piece of paper that said something along the lines of, "I CAN ... learn ... pueblo Indians." I got to hang up graded assignments on the walls in the hallway. This can give the kids confidence in their work. Second, what I did. I got to do a lot more on my second day than my first day. One of the biggest things was that I actually got to assist her in teaching a reading lesson. I read them a short story and we went over it after by doing activities. On thing we did after was we made a chart in the shape of a lowercase t and in one corner we put a "C" representing characters. In another we put a "P" standing for plot. The other two we put an "S" and those represented setting and solution. I got to call on kids and they came up to the chalk board and filled in what they had. The next thing we did after reading the story was talked about the characters behaviors. We made a chart and labeled one side "good" and one side "bad" and like before, I called on kids and they came up and filled one thing they had in either the good or the bad column. One thing I learned from reading and teaching the class is that you have to have a resonant voice and just put yourself out there. On the second day, I also made copies and I helped the same girl on her accelerated reading test. She got a 10/10 this time! Lastly, I will talk about how Mrs. Nemeth was. Once again, she was outstanding with interacting with her students and making them feel comfortable. She lets them talk about their own experiences and keeps them focused at the same time. She does a really good job of reviewing material after they read or talk about something. She also is really good with giving physical examples. For example, she was teaching about muscles and had the kids grip their biceps and move their arms to feel it. Overall, I had a very productive day at GESU and I cant wait to see what is in store for my next day.