April 19, 2011
The first half of this week we continued working studying saber/conocer and information about Cuzco. We played jeopardy to review this information. The students were given a paper to fill out before coming to class about Cuzco so that they could use that to answer questions during the game. I was disappointed in the number of students how actually had completed their homework and was prepared for class.
April 21, 2011
Because of Good Friday, we had a short week. Thursday we did a few different types of activities to continue working with indirect object pronouns. I think the students are getting the hang of these and did really well with the activities. We also practiced the newly mandated earthquake drill today. The students did well with this, we had already talked about it and practiced it earlier in the week.
Behind the scenes, I have been helping grade the semester two projects. The students did pretty well with creating their projects, despite some technology issues that were out of our control.
Friday, April 22, 2011
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Week 14
April 12, 2011
The first half of the week we spent one day in the computer lab to allow students more time to continue working on their semester two projects. The second day we were back in the classroom and we continued worked with saber/conocer and learning more about Cuzco. The students are doing well with saber and conocer and we will be quizzing on it early next week. I am happy with their progress.
April 15, 2011
The second half of the week we spent some more time working with saber/conocer and then we began working with indirect object pronouns. IOPs can be challenging but I was pleasantly surprised with how quickly the students seemed to be picking up just after working with them for thirty minutes. We also spent Friday back in the computer lab to work on projects. For the most part, the students used their time wisely in the lab and worked hard on their projects.
The first half of the week we spent one day in the computer lab to allow students more time to continue working on their semester two projects. The second day we were back in the classroom and we continued worked with saber/conocer and learning more about Cuzco. The students are doing well with saber and conocer and we will be quizzing on it early next week. I am happy with their progress.
April 15, 2011
The second half of the week we spent some more time working with saber/conocer and then we began working with indirect object pronouns. IOPs can be challenging but I was pleasantly surprised with how quickly the students seemed to be picking up just after working with them for thirty minutes. We also spent Friday back in the computer lab to work on projects. For the most part, the students used their time wisely in the lab and worked hard on their projects.
Saturday, April 9, 2011
Week 13
April 1-April 10
Spring break!! I have spent a lot of time this week finalizing my LAMP unit (77 pages). I am now working on my portfolio and a few ESL essays. Only a few more assignments left. The end (of college) is near!! Bittersweet!
Spring break!! I have spent a lot of time this week finalizing my LAMP unit (77 pages). I am now working on my portfolio and a few ESL essays. Only a few more assignments left. The end (of college) is near!! Bittersweet!
Week 12
March 29, 2011
The first half of the week we continued learning new material and covering material from last week. We are working on circumlocution and learning to how describe something when we don’t know the word. We do this a bunch on English if we can’t think of a word, we talk in circles to describe it. This was challenging at first for some students. I think after multiple examples, most everyone was getting the hang of it..
The students are doing well and accepting me as their teacher. The time is flying by and I can’t believe it is almost spring break. We are all kind of trying to “survive” this week and I am anxious for the break and time to put together all of my information from my LAMP unit I am finishing up.
March 31, 2011
Today was our last day of the week (we all got Friday off). I still had students leave on vacation even earlier than Friday. Today was also block day aka busy day! We spent the first part of class working on material from earlier this week. The second half of class we spent time playing review games.
The students did well with the review games. The first one was a triangle word puzzle and it was very difficult. I designed it and used information we learned during my LAMP unit. The students worked in their pods to complete it. Later, we played a version of the casino game Craps practicing the preterit. This was pretty fun and some of the students got really competitive with it!
For the last few minutes of class we did something different ☺ The current YouTube hit is a song called “Friday” by Rebecca Black. There are MANY parodies of this song. First, I showed the students the English version; most students had already seen it. Then I showed them the Spanish version created by Zachary Jones, a Spanish teacher. (http://www.zachary-jones.com) Each student received a copy of the Spanish lyrics and were encouraged to sing along ;) It was a fun way to end class before spring break.
The first half of the week we continued learning new material and covering material from last week. We are working on circumlocution and learning to how describe something when we don’t know the word. We do this a bunch on English if we can’t think of a word, we talk in circles to describe it. This was challenging at first for some students. I think after multiple examples, most everyone was getting the hang of it..
The students are doing well and accepting me as their teacher. The time is flying by and I can’t believe it is almost spring break. We are all kind of trying to “survive” this week and I am anxious for the break and time to put together all of my information from my LAMP unit I am finishing up.
March 31, 2011
Today was our last day of the week (we all got Friday off). I still had students leave on vacation even earlier than Friday. Today was also block day aka busy day! We spent the first part of class working on material from earlier this week. The second half of class we spent time playing review games.
The students did well with the review games. The first one was a triangle word puzzle and it was very difficult. I designed it and used information we learned during my LAMP unit. The students worked in their pods to complete it. Later, we played a version of the casino game Craps practicing the preterit. This was pretty fun and some of the students got really competitive with it!
For the last few minutes of class we did something different ☺ The current YouTube hit is a song called “Friday” by Rebecca Black. There are MANY parodies of this song. First, I showed the students the English version; most students had already seen it. Then I showed them the Spanish version created by Zachary Jones, a Spanish teacher. (http://www.zachary-jones.com) Each student received a copy of the Spanish lyrics and were encouraged to sing along ;) It was a fun way to end class before spring break.
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Week 11
March 22, 2011
The first half of the week has gone pretty well. We are working with new material, mainly vocabulary and culture. My students acted shocked when their desks were rearranged and some made sure to tell me their opinions (both positive and negative). It is going to take some getting used to and transition time. Now that the students are in groups there are more opportunities for communication practice, which is both a positive and a negative within itself. I need to make sure students are communicating with each other in SPANISH. Obviously, the goal of learning a new language is to communicate and use it effectively. But this is a huge challenge that I have faced in Spanish II. The students feel restricted with their level of knowledge, so they resort to English, but they know more than they think. I need to help them believe that they know more and they are full capable of communicating ideas in Spanish.
Another goal I have been working on this week is getting my resume finalized and ready to go. Thanks to my colleagues and friends who have given me great tips and advice with my resume! I am also making sure that I have everything lined up for graduation requirements, signed up for the ceremony (yes, you have to register for graduation, etc.). I think I am pretty much set, still need to purchase my cap and gown though. I also registered for the BSU Teacher Fair and began making a profile on the DOE website and looking at their job postings. I have a feeling a lot of big changes are going to be happening soon. I am anxious and excited to see where God will lead me and where I will be come August.
On the downside, just as I am finally building relationships with colleagues/other teachers, my time at CHS is running out. I am thankful for a wonderful group of teachers that I have been able to work with during this experience. They are all supportive and encouraging.
March 25, 2011
The second half of the week went well. On Thursday the students were in the language lab to record themselves for a 3rd quarter oral assessment. After a few technical difficulties got worked out, everything went well. Everyone then worked on a mini-project for my LAMP. The chapter we are studying now is about Cuzco, Peru. Students did some more research about the city and wrote some sentences about it. The purpose of this activity was to practice the process that they are to use when completing their semester two project. I think it was helpful for the students to practice on Cuzco, and work with a partner for collaboration help.
Friday our main focus was to continue working with the culture section about Andean music. We watched some videos to see authentic examples of the instruments and listen to the music.
Next week we only have four school days and then spring break starts. I have a feeling it is going to be a quick week packed with information we are trying to cover before they go away for a week and don't use or think about Spanish ☺
The first half of the week has gone pretty well. We are working with new material, mainly vocabulary and culture. My students acted shocked when their desks were rearranged and some made sure to tell me their opinions (both positive and negative). It is going to take some getting used to and transition time. Now that the students are in groups there are more opportunities for communication practice, which is both a positive and a negative within itself. I need to make sure students are communicating with each other in SPANISH. Obviously, the goal of learning a new language is to communicate and use it effectively. But this is a huge challenge that I have faced in Spanish II. The students feel restricted with their level of knowledge, so they resort to English, but they know more than they think. I need to help them believe that they know more and they are full capable of communicating ideas in Spanish.
Another goal I have been working on this week is getting my resume finalized and ready to go. Thanks to my colleagues and friends who have given me great tips and advice with my resume! I am also making sure that I have everything lined up for graduation requirements, signed up for the ceremony (yes, you have to register for graduation, etc.). I think I am pretty much set, still need to purchase my cap and gown though. I also registered for the BSU Teacher Fair and began making a profile on the DOE website and looking at their job postings. I have a feeling a lot of big changes are going to be happening soon. I am anxious and excited to see where God will lead me and where I will be come August.
On the downside, just as I am finally building relationships with colleagues/other teachers, my time at CHS is running out. I am thankful for a wonderful group of teachers that I have been able to work with during this experience. They are all supportive and encouraging.
March 25, 2011
The second half of the week went well. On Thursday the students were in the language lab to record themselves for a 3rd quarter oral assessment. After a few technical difficulties got worked out, everything went well. Everyone then worked on a mini-project for my LAMP. The chapter we are studying now is about Cuzco, Peru. Students did some more research about the city and wrote some sentences about it. The purpose of this activity was to practice the process that they are to use when completing their semester two project. I think it was helpful for the students to practice on Cuzco, and work with a partner for collaboration help.
Friday our main focus was to continue working with the culture section about Andean music. We watched some videos to see authentic examples of the instruments and listen to the music.
Next week we only have four school days and then spring break starts. I have a feeling it is going to be a quick week packed with information we are trying to cover before they go away for a week and don't use or think about Spanish ☺
Friday, March 18, 2011
Week 10
March 16, 2011
This week has been flying by! On Monday and Tuesday we did conferencing with the students to prepare for their test. We did this before the last exam as well. The students had to prepare a composition before class and they brought it up to John and I and we made corrections. The students then had to correct their errors and continue bringing up their essay to us until they got the “stamp of approval”. This is a great learning process for the students because they will write a similar composition for the test and this time around they have feedback and they have to search for the corrections.
After being in the classroom for more time, (10 weeks, ah!) I have noticed how much other “things” teachers must squeeze into their days minus just their lessons and teaching their lessons. I am constantly writing passes for students to make up work, rewriting quizzes, planning ahead, finding pencils for students who don’t have one (do they ever remember?!), standing in the halls between passing periods, taking the attendance on the computer during class/changing the attendance when students come late with a pass, running to the copy machine, finding dry erase markers that work, and the list goes on. There are so many “little” things that occupy time and I am finally getting to the point where they are coming more naturally and I don’t have to think about it all as much. So, that is a relief!
March 18, 2011
Yesterday I reviewed with my students and then they tested on the most recent material, all of which I had taught them on my own. I was kind of nervous to see how the students would do compared to past scores. I am still working on grading the essay section of the test and will have them done for Monday. I am so thankful that my CT is helping me with grading. We have a lot of assessment this week besides the test, so he is definitely a blessing.
Today the students completed the formative for the third quarter. This assignment is a quick check to see if students are at where they should be for Spanish II. All Spanish II students took this assessment, which asked the students to write five sentences using the preterit tense. I also explained the project for semester two. We then had to swap out our textbooks and change them for the new books. We had about twenty minutes to begin working with the new vocabulary for my section of the LAMP project. I have been wanting to rearrange the seating chart and desk arrangement, so after school today I moved the desks into “pods”. I assigned the students to their new seats and tried to mix up the order and have student sit by different people than normal. We will see next week how the new seats go and how/if it changes the classroom atmosphere.
We have two weeks left until spring break and then after break I really only have three more weeks left of student teaching. It is going by so quickly!
This week has been flying by! On Monday and Tuesday we did conferencing with the students to prepare for their test. We did this before the last exam as well. The students had to prepare a composition before class and they brought it up to John and I and we made corrections. The students then had to correct their errors and continue bringing up their essay to us until they got the “stamp of approval”. This is a great learning process for the students because they will write a similar composition for the test and this time around they have feedback and they have to search for the corrections.
After being in the classroom for more time, (10 weeks, ah!) I have noticed how much other “things” teachers must squeeze into their days minus just their lessons and teaching their lessons. I am constantly writing passes for students to make up work, rewriting quizzes, planning ahead, finding pencils for students who don’t have one (do they ever remember?!), standing in the halls between passing periods, taking the attendance on the computer during class/changing the attendance when students come late with a pass, running to the copy machine, finding dry erase markers that work, and the list goes on. There are so many “little” things that occupy time and I am finally getting to the point where they are coming more naturally and I don’t have to think about it all as much. So, that is a relief!
March 18, 2011
Yesterday I reviewed with my students and then they tested on the most recent material, all of which I had taught them on my own. I was kind of nervous to see how the students would do compared to past scores. I am still working on grading the essay section of the test and will have them done for Monday. I am so thankful that my CT is helping me with grading. We have a lot of assessment this week besides the test, so he is definitely a blessing.
Today the students completed the formative for the third quarter. This assignment is a quick check to see if students are at where they should be for Spanish II. All Spanish II students took this assessment, which asked the students to write five sentences using the preterit tense. I also explained the project for semester two. We then had to swap out our textbooks and change them for the new books. We had about twenty minutes to begin working with the new vocabulary for my section of the LAMP project. I have been wanting to rearrange the seating chart and desk arrangement, so after school today I moved the desks into “pods”. I assigned the students to their new seats and tried to mix up the order and have student sit by different people than normal. We will see next week how the new seats go and how/if it changes the classroom atmosphere.
We have two weeks left until spring break and then after break I really only have three more weeks left of student teaching. It is going by so quickly!
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Week 9
March 8, 2011
At the beginning of this week I tried some new games and activities with my students and they went over pretty well. As a review warm up I created a matching type game with index cards and put students into groups and each group got an envelope of cards and had to put the information together with the correct category. I also borrowed mini dry erase boards from another teacher and worked with those. Each student got to use a board and a marker and we practiced conjugating ER/IR verbs in the preterit. It was an easy informal assessment for me. I was able to see pretty quickly if students were getting the conjugations or still struggling. And the students liked having something tangible to hold and play with. We are planning to test next week so we have mainly been doing a lot of practice lately and reinforcement activities. The grammar has been getting more and more challenging and often times it just takes practice and different types of input to help students and to allow the material to “click”.
March 11, 2011
The second half of this week went smoothly. I was able to include some more technology in class this week and the students seemed to really like it. On Thursday we were in the language lab and for part of the class students were able to play some “videogames” I found online that practice the grammar skills we had been working with. They seemed to enjoy them. On Friday we used the Clickers again and the students were excited when they walked into class and saw the Clickers sitting out.
I have really been working on my pacing and including a variety of activities within a class period. I was the pacing of the class to feel as though “it went by quickly” for the students. I don’t want them to be sitting in their desks with bored looks on their faces and eyes glancing at the clock every minute. So for now, my challenge is to make the class as interesting to 15 year olds as I can. I try to do 4-5 activities in a normal class period to keep things moving. Also, by including technology, songs, relating the material to their lives/pop culture I think I have been getting better at this. Of course, there will always been some students who choose to not be engaged, but I am trying hard to reach all students.
At the beginning of this week I tried some new games and activities with my students and they went over pretty well. As a review warm up I created a matching type game with index cards and put students into groups and each group got an envelope of cards and had to put the information together with the correct category. I also borrowed mini dry erase boards from another teacher and worked with those. Each student got to use a board and a marker and we practiced conjugating ER/IR verbs in the preterit. It was an easy informal assessment for me. I was able to see pretty quickly if students were getting the conjugations or still struggling. And the students liked having something tangible to hold and play with. We are planning to test next week so we have mainly been doing a lot of practice lately and reinforcement activities. The grammar has been getting more and more challenging and often times it just takes practice and different types of input to help students and to allow the material to “click”.
March 11, 2011
The second half of this week went smoothly. I was able to include some more technology in class this week and the students seemed to really like it. On Thursday we were in the language lab and for part of the class students were able to play some “videogames” I found online that practice the grammar skills we had been working with. They seemed to enjoy them. On Friday we used the Clickers again and the students were excited when they walked into class and saw the Clickers sitting out.
I have really been working on my pacing and including a variety of activities within a class period. I was the pacing of the class to feel as though “it went by quickly” for the students. I don’t want them to be sitting in their desks with bored looks on their faces and eyes glancing at the clock every minute. So for now, my challenge is to make the class as interesting to 15 year olds as I can. I try to do 4-5 activities in a normal class period to keep things moving. Also, by including technology, songs, relating the material to their lives/pop culture I think I have been getting better at this. Of course, there will always been some students who choose to not be engaged, but I am trying hard to reach all students.
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