October 30th, 2012

I had another unordinary day at the Geneva School District. Due to the tropical storm that affected our region I was not even sure if school would happen today. All of the other districts were closed, and I cannot say that I agree with that decision. Much of the storm had already passed midway through the night. Even though the Geneva School District was not closed there was a two hour delay. This caused many of the students to unfortunately miss the second day of the Great Pumpkin unit. The first class I had today was so small in numbers. Eight of the students were missing because they did not show up to school, a pattern I would soon see in all my classes today. I was not teaching two classes either for this lesson, so having fifteen students for the Great Pumpkin activity was quite a new experience. We were able to get all of the students to be the Great Pumpkin, and I even was able to participate a few times. At the end of the class the students said I was the “best gym teacher” I do not really agree with the whole “gym” thing, but I took it as a complement and it made my day start off right. We can always work on grammar. The next class was a double class, and these were the two “off” classes of the year. I made sure I was extremely clear cut with these students and I did not let anything go. Unfortunately I had to sit a student out today for a few minutes. They did not want to follow my safety rules, and after repeated reminders they still did not follow me. They cried and I felt horrible, but that is what need to be done sometimes I suppose to get a point across. It was my first experience punishing a student, I did not like it. My last classes went much better. I had one of my favorite third grade classes, which listen so well, and after that was my A.P.E. class. That combination made my day end right. 

October 29th, 2012

Today was a good day. I taught the first day of the Great Pumpkin unit. Now this for me was not a traditional type of activity I am used to teaching. It is a type of tag game that does not really have any type of skills objective, but the one thing that it most certainly has is cardiovascular and muscular properties. I performed this activity with some of the students and I can attest for these properties in the severe burn I had in my legs and chest after I did it. It was quite the workout! The great part about it was that it was a workout disguised in a fun activity. The students did not even know that they were exercising until they left the gymnasium dripping in sweat. To start the day I observed my host teacher in the instruction of this lesson. In the later classes I taught every aspect of the activity. Now I was teaching two classes, one I barely knew and another I did not know at all because one of the teachers was not in. To say the least this made teaching today quite interesting. My host teacher had really big expectations for me at first and wanted every part of my lesson to be perfect, but it was somewhat difficult because I never taught the lesson before and I was teaching students that looked at me like I was basically a substitute, and in this type of atmosphere that is not a good thing. I felt as though I did well considering, and he soon came to say that I did good as well. At first though I was nervous my teaching was not up to par. Tomorrow though is another day and I have one more chance to perfect this lesson. My highlight of the day was my A.P.E. class. The student in that class always seems to make my day better, and it was a positive ending for an up and down day. 

October 26th, 2012

Today I felt went quite well. This far it was some of my best teaching here at the Geneva North Street School. My host teacher unfortunately was not in today due to personal reasons, but I really took this time to try and build a respecting relationship with the students. Every class I treated like a test. I would try new instructional devices and see how they worked with different students. I am starting to understand how some students work with others, and I really think this is an important concept to know. If students can work well it allows for more class time on task and less distractions to be had. I actually like the quick paced classes. It allows me to almost get a lot of reps in at teaching that subject. The only downfall is I do not have to to reflect and then respond. I almost have to respond on the go. I think this is almost a better type of action to have, and luckily I had many weeks to prepare myself for this type of thinking at the Victor School district. It is funny I find that when I am outside of the gymnasium the students find it to be the most exciting thing to see me in the hallway. I really enjoy this. It is something I did not receive at such a level when I was teaching middle school students. It is good to know you are appreciated. I am looking forward to the weeks to come. 

October 24th, 2012

Today was quite a day. It did not start as well as I had hoped for it to be, but with the kids helped it slowly turned around. I feel as though I have brought that ability to adapt quickly to teaching situations with me from Victor. It was only my third day her, but I have already taught as many lessons here as I would in a week at Victor. I attribute this to the busier schedule and the shorter class periods. The students are somewhat reluctant I have noticed at first, but Mr. Lauer has reintroduced me to the importance of the anticipatory set, and the role it can play on the student’s involvement. I have found the more I say a lesson will be fun the more the students will be involved in it. Also I have been getting the students ready for the two “fun” lessons they will be performing which are the “tumbling obstacle course” and “the great pumpkin” lesson, which I have come to understand is a favorite traditional game for the students. Today with the students was great. To be honest they say some of the most hilarious statements that really make teaching great. All of the students seem to want to do all of the skills independently which I think is great, because it shows confidence. I attribute this to their environmental influences, and the mindset that is needed to grow up in a more urban type of environment. Along with this mindset I have noticed some students try to almost feel me out with how far they can get away with certain behavioral situations. I am being quite firm with the students, but at the same time trying to develop a positive relationship with them. I think that respect is gained in time. Respect of the students for me is my main goal along with educating them physically. If I earn that trust I feel as though I can be a more effective teacher. Only time will tell though. 

October 23rd, 2012

What a day it has been. For being only my second day here at the Geneva School District I have already taught three classes with my host teacher observing me, and two with a substitute watching me teach the lessons. I felt as though it was important that I step up as soon as possible and teach because this afternoon I knew my host teacher would be out and I did not want the students to fall behind in their tumbling lesson. I feel as though all of the lessons went quite well and the students really appreciated my teaching and what I was trying to teach to them. I think in every class I was able to get through all of the activities that I needed to get through. The first three classes I taught went well, but as each class went I tried to set a personal goal of bettering each lesson. I feel like I was successful in this personal goal, because my organization and transitional time decreased and my activity level went up in return. For my fourth class I observed my host teacher teach the second part of this lesson, because depending on the day you may teach two different lessons. I observed this because I would be teaching it when the substitute arrived. I took notes on each station and how to perform/teach them. The last two lessons of the day went well. The class I taught the new lesson to had some behavioral which I did not tolerate and took care of immediately. I do not think this was because of my teaching, because as I understand this class has had behavioral issues for some time now. The last class though was amazing, and did quite well at the first lesson that I had been teaching. I had no complaints about them. Unfortunately my A.P.E. student was not feeling well today and she did not come in. Today was a wonderful second day here at the Geneva School District. 

October 22nd, 2012

Today was the first day of my second placement. Now this I found was a completely different experience then I thought it would be. I do not think this was for the bad at all. The students that I expected would be more tough and rebelling against Physical Education. To be honest I have heard almost horror stories about teaching students that live within large cities. What I found was what I believed in the first place, kids are just kids. I found that the students were extremely well behaved, and that they really enjoyed being in Physical Education class. I observed for most of the day, but at the end of the day I taught a few parts of the lessons I observed. I taught some of the tripod, and the cartwheel in the gymnastics tumbling unit. I was really enthusiastic and the students responded well to this. My favorite part of the day I would say was the Adaptive Physical Education class that I had at the end of the day. My host teacher has a one on one student in Adaptive Physical Education with which we performed a modified tumbling unit. The student was so amazing and just really made my day even better. She would say some of the funniest statements, and was smiling the whole time. I am really looking forward to working with her more. I hope to bring in some of the A.P.E. ideas that I learned at Cortland. I feel as though she would benefit from these greatly. 

October 19th, 2012

I walked in to the school today with a somber note I looked around the campus trying to take in everything with all of my senses. I knew this was my last day to be a student teacher at the Victor School District. The fact is though I do not feel like a student here. I have been here since before the beginning oft the year, and at first people within the school were some what wherry of me, but now I am more close to an equal. I feel at home here. I drive in the morning in to the school with out any thought, just my body guiding me there, I come in and prepare for the day without a thought. It is all a good thing though  because I am comfortable and into the routine of how a teacher should be. I truly enjoy it, for I am not one that goes into situations so comfortably, but here it has come so easy. When I prepped for the days classes I had a smile on my face, but inside it was masking the sadness I was feeling. My joyful talk, and smiles were just a front for the emptiness I felt inside. The students, like always helped to lift my spirit. Many of the classes today were eighth graders, and they new I was a student teacher because they had been in the Middle School the year previous. They were surprisingly sad to see me go as well. One student shook my hand as he left and under his breath as he turned he said, "You shouldn't go, you're a good teacher." The surprising part of this was, the student that said this had been a student I did not think liked me at all for these past couple weeks, but in the end he was the one to make a comment like this. It got to me, it made me feel somewhat sad. Later though when I thought about it, I realized I truly had an impact here at the Victor School District for the positive. I was truly blessed to be allowed to be part of this program.