Tomorrow is the first day of July! I have officially begun research for the new school year. I consider myself very lucky because this year I will have a SMART Board in my classroom. I am so excited because I know that the technology will have a positive effect on the education of my students. I have used the interactive whiteboard before, but I was searching the internet today to get additional ideas on how to incorporate it into my daily lessons. I found an amazing blog that I wanted to share. It has a lot of wonderful SMART Board resources for students and teachers of all ages. This teacher was nice enough to share some wonderful notebook templates. They can be found on the right hand side of the site under "My Notebook Files." I especially love the "K-2 Reading Intervention." It has a multitude of online games to assist in reading and language arts instruction and remediation. It is a resource that I definitely plan on using a lot this year. You should definitely check it out for yourself!
SMART Board Goodies Blog
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Friday, June 24, 2011
Gearing Up for Year Two
Summer for teachers isn't just about sunbathing and vacations. (Although I have had an incredible summer so far; I got married and went on a wonderful honeymoon.) I have already spent quite a bit of time preparing for the coming school year. I have spent time in my classroom visualizing how to change the physical setup to better suit the environment and my expectations. I have also spent time just thinking. How can I change my approach to behavior management? How can I make my lessons more effective? How can I better differentiate my instruction so that each student is getting the education that they need and deserve?
All of these questions are part of the preparation that goes into the second year of teaching (and the third, fourth, fifth, tenth, and twentieth years). It is a constant re-evaluation of your procedures and techniques so that you are always evolving, always growing, always improving. I don't ever want to become stagnant. I want to try new things even if it means falling down along the way. I will learn from my mistakes and get right back up to try again.
I am so excited to see what the new year brings....although I still have much more preparation to do.
All of these questions are part of the preparation that goes into the second year of teaching (and the third, fourth, fifth, tenth, and twentieth years). It is a constant re-evaluation of your procedures and techniques so that you are always evolving, always growing, always improving. I don't ever want to become stagnant. I want to try new things even if it means falling down along the way. I will learn from my mistakes and get right back up to try again.
I am so excited to see what the new year brings....although I still have much more preparation to do.
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
The Last Day of School...Bittersweet
Tomorrow is the last day of school for students at Mercer, and I have mixed feelings. For one, it is hard to believe that my first year of teaching full-time is over already. Now I know how teachers who have been in the school for a while can forget exactly how many years they have been teaching. Time really does fly. I look back over the year, and some of the months just run together (and in the future, I am sure the years will run together too).
I am sad to see my students go. I have developed such a wonderful rapport with them, and we have become so comfortable with each other. I know, however, that no matter how long I teach, these will always be my first group of students. I will remember each and every one of them for a variety of reasons. :) On the other hand, I am excited to see them move on to first grade. I know that I have prepared them well, and I can't wait to see and hear about all of the wonderful things that they will accomplish next year. They are more than ready.
I am also looking forward to preparing for next year's students. I have learned a lot this year...what worked, what didn't work, lessons that flourished, and those that flopped. I am excited to try new and different things with a new set of students. It's almost as though I get to "try again."
If I had to use one word to describe teaching, I would use "change." Education is full of constant change. Some of it good; some of it bad. No matter what happens, though, teachers must adjust and adapt. It's also not just about a change in students...it involves changes in policy, changes in grade assignments, changes in curriculum, changes in school programming, changes in technology, and quite possibly the most important: changes within yourself. Each new year brings new challenges...especially when no two children are exactly the same. Hey, I guess that's what makes teaching such an exciting profession.
Tomorrow will be an exciting and emotional day. I will probably shed some tears when I get back to my classroom after putting my students on the bus for the last time, but they will be tears of closure, joy, excitement, anticipation, exhaustion, and success after a job well done.
I am sad to see my students go. I have developed such a wonderful rapport with them, and we have become so comfortable with each other. I know, however, that no matter how long I teach, these will always be my first group of students. I will remember each and every one of them for a variety of reasons. :) On the other hand, I am excited to see them move on to first grade. I know that I have prepared them well, and I can't wait to see and hear about all of the wonderful things that they will accomplish next year. They are more than ready.
I am also looking forward to preparing for next year's students. I have learned a lot this year...what worked, what didn't work, lessons that flourished, and those that flopped. I am excited to try new and different things with a new set of students. It's almost as though I get to "try again."
If I had to use one word to describe teaching, I would use "change." Education is full of constant change. Some of it good; some of it bad. No matter what happens, though, teachers must adjust and adapt. It's also not just about a change in students...it involves changes in policy, changes in grade assignments, changes in curriculum, changes in school programming, changes in technology, and quite possibly the most important: changes within yourself. Each new year brings new challenges...especially when no two children are exactly the same. Hey, I guess that's what makes teaching such an exciting profession.
Tomorrow will be an exciting and emotional day. I will probably shed some tears when I get back to my classroom after putting my students on the bus for the last time, but they will be tears of closure, joy, excitement, anticipation, exhaustion, and success after a job well done.
Monday, May 2, 2011
I wonder...
I have caught myself daydreaming on several occasions...Sometimes I sit in my classroom at the end of the day and I stare at the students' tables. I think about what kind of life each student is going home to, and I have cried on more than one occasion for the situations over which I have no control.
Even more than family situations, though, I think about what the future holds for each of my students. I wonder what they will look like 10 years from now. I wonder what college they will attend (if any). I wonder what career they will choose and where it will take them. I wonder how they will handle the tough decisions that they will encounter during their lifetime. I wonder if they will find themselves telling their own children "I remember when I was in kindergarten..." It is hard for me to think about my students without wondering. I think that this wondering is a good indication of the type of devotion and compassion that teachers have for the students that walk through their doors.
The students are not just part of my "job", but rather they become an integral piece of my life. I have an overwhelming concern for their livelihood and well-being. The way I see it, I am the only kindergarten teacher that these students will have. I play a special part in their lives, so why shouldn't they play an important role in mine?
Even more than family situations, though, I think about what the future holds for each of my students. I wonder what they will look like 10 years from now. I wonder what college they will attend (if any). I wonder what career they will choose and where it will take them. I wonder how they will handle the tough decisions that they will encounter during their lifetime. I wonder if they will find themselves telling their own children "I remember when I was in kindergarten..." It is hard for me to think about my students without wondering. I think that this wondering is a good indication of the type of devotion and compassion that teachers have for the students that walk through their doors.
The students are not just part of my "job", but rather they become an integral piece of my life. I have an overwhelming concern for their livelihood and well-being. The way I see it, I am the only kindergarten teacher that these students will have. I play a special part in their lives, so why shouldn't they play an important role in mine?
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Understanding by Design (Wiggins and McTighe)
I had some pretty amazing professors at Thiel College. One of the theories that has really stuck with me is the idea of "backward design." For those of you who have not been exposed to this concept, it centers on the idea that lesson planning should begin by identifying the desired results of a unit or topic that you are going to teach. You then work backwards to develop the instruction rather than the traditional way of identifying the topics that need to be covered and then teaching them.
Backward design is divided into four stages:
Stage 1: Identify desired outcomes and results- what is it that you want the students to be able to do once the unit is completed?
Stage 2: Determine what type of assessments are appropriate to measure the outcomes- is there a project or a way for the students to demonstrate their understanding?
Stage 3: Plan lessons and learning experiences that will get the students to those competency levels- what types of interactive lessons will get the students to that higher understanding in order to successfully complete the assessments and reach the desired outcome?
If you think about it, this method makes a very good point. What good is teaching a lesson if there is not a larger purpose that has already been determined? It was very difficult for me to implement this process at first, but as the year progresses I find myself looking at the big picture now rather than just taking the units lesson by lesson. If I have a bigger goal in mind, then I can make sure that each lesson ties into an aspect of my desired outcome.
If you would like to learn more about it, you can check out the link below. It is an overview of Understanding by Design by Grant Wiggins, and it includes examples and templates for doing it yourself. Give it a shot. I guarantee you won't be disappointed. It may be more work than you are used to, but once you get the hang of it, it becomes second nature.
Overview of Understanding by Design
Backward design is divided into four stages:
Stage 1: Identify desired outcomes and results- what is it that you want the students to be able to do once the unit is completed?
Stage 2: Determine what type of assessments are appropriate to measure the outcomes- is there a project or a way for the students to demonstrate their understanding?
Stage 3: Plan lessons and learning experiences that will get the students to those competency levels- what types of interactive lessons will get the students to that higher understanding in order to successfully complete the assessments and reach the desired outcome?
If you think about it, this method makes a very good point. What good is teaching a lesson if there is not a larger purpose that has already been determined? It was very difficult for me to implement this process at first, but as the year progresses I find myself looking at the big picture now rather than just taking the units lesson by lesson. If I have a bigger goal in mind, then I can make sure that each lesson ties into an aspect of my desired outcome.
If you would like to learn more about it, you can check out the link below. It is an overview of Understanding by Design by Grant Wiggins, and it includes examples and templates for doing it yourself. Give it a shot. I guarantee you won't be disappointed. It may be more work than you are used to, but once you get the hang of it, it becomes second nature.
Overview of Understanding by Design
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Teaching is more than just showing up to school each day.
I don't think that anyone truly understands the preparation that goes into teaching. I am not just talking about lesson plans. Getting materials ready seems to take even more time. I could spend days face to face with the copier and still manage to forget something that needed distributed. Organization is essential. I could live in my classroom and still not have it properly organized. By the end of each day, I am lucky to find my car keys let alone a missing glue bottle. On a good day, I spend close to 45 minutes after the students leave in order to get things back into place and ready for the next school day. For all of those people who say it isn't fair that teachers get the summers off, I invite them to shadow me for a month. The amount of time that I put in (both in the classroom and at home) far outweighs a 40 hour workweek during the summer. Teachers need the summer off to recuperate and maintain sanity to begin the process all over again once August arrives.
As for preparing for a kindergarten class each day, it is more demanding than I ever could have imagined. I have spent countless hours tracing and cutting things that are too intricate for their limited fine motor skills. I have to give directions at least 100 times a day in 100 different ways to make sure that everyone understands. (It's not like they can pick up a paper, read the directions, and complete a task.) I cannot plan anything longer than 10 minutes in length because they are not used to focusing their attention for any longer.
So many people do not realize that teaching is not just about what occurs within the confines of a classroom. It takes hours thought and preparation. It takes compassion and patience. Most of all, though, it takes a person who can look at every child and make the commitment to providing that child with the best education possible. For so many children, school is the only place where they will find someone who believes in them.
Even with the time and preparation requirements, I am so glad that I chose a career in education. I absolutely love my job and I can't imagine myself anywhere else doing anything else. I get the most amazing feeling when one of my students reads to me. I think back to when they first stepped into my classroom and marvel over how far they have come. Each day (even with the trials) is rewarding in its own way.
As for preparing for a kindergarten class each day, it is more demanding than I ever could have imagined. I have spent countless hours tracing and cutting things that are too intricate for their limited fine motor skills. I have to give directions at least 100 times a day in 100 different ways to make sure that everyone understands. (It's not like they can pick up a paper, read the directions, and complete a task.) I cannot plan anything longer than 10 minutes in length because they are not used to focusing their attention for any longer.
So many people do not realize that teaching is not just about what occurs within the confines of a classroom. It takes hours thought and preparation. It takes compassion and patience. Most of all, though, it takes a person who can look at every child and make the commitment to providing that child with the best education possible. For so many children, school is the only place where they will find someone who believes in them.
Even with the time and preparation requirements, I am so glad that I chose a career in education. I absolutely love my job and I can't imagine myself anywhere else doing anything else. I get the most amazing feeling when one of my students reads to me. I think back to when they first stepped into my classroom and marvel over how far they have come. Each day (even with the trials) is rewarding in its own way.
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Introduction
Hello! My name is Jennifer Wilfong and I teach kindergarten at Mercer Elementary School in Western Pennsylvania. I have done blogs before, but they were always personal and did not necessarily pertain to my professional career. I am excited to connect with other teachers in this way to expand my own knowledge and share personal experiences about this wonderful and challenging career.
I graduated from Thiel College in Greenville, Pennsylvania in the Spring of 2009 with a B.A. in Elementary Education and a minor in Performing Arts. I was eager and anxious to get into the eudcation field. I had heard how competitive the job search would be, but I never really knew until I experienced it for myself. I sent out nearly 100 applications to schools all over the country. I had interviews at several, but for most of them I didn't even receive the courtesy of a reply. When I began getting "rejection" letters stating that I was not chosen for the positions, I was devastated. May and June passed, and then July, and I had no idea where I was going to be once school started. I recevied a phone call in late July from the Mercer School District asking if I would be interested in an AmeriCorps position at the elementary school. I had no idea what that was, so I agreed to research it before I made a decision.
After gaining more information on the position, I decided (rather reluctantly) to accept. It was not the full-time job I was hoping for, and the pay was not enough to support myself, but I knew that at least I would be working in a school every day. I would make myself known and I would prove that every school should want to hire me. I worked very hard during that year of service. I put in countless hours and devoted myself to the students that I was serving.
When Spring 2010 arrived, I learned that Mercer was hiring for 2 full-time elementary positions. I jumped at the opportunity, and I was lucky enough to make it through the interview process. (I believe mostly because of the experience that I had at the school.) I was elated! I could not believe that my dream of finally having a classroom of my own was coming true. I could go on and on about setting up my classroom and preparing for the school year, but I will save that for another time. I keep telling my mom that I should write a book about surviving the first year of teaching. It has been quite an interesting roller coaster ride...as I am sure many other teachers can relate.
I consider myself very blessed to be in this career and to have found a classroom to call home, especially at such a wonderful school district. I work with some amazing people who have taught me so much already, and I continue to learn from them each and every day.
I graduated from Thiel College in Greenville, Pennsylvania in the Spring of 2009 with a B.A. in Elementary Education and a minor in Performing Arts. I was eager and anxious to get into the eudcation field. I had heard how competitive the job search would be, but I never really knew until I experienced it for myself. I sent out nearly 100 applications to schools all over the country. I had interviews at several, but for most of them I didn't even receive the courtesy of a reply. When I began getting "rejection" letters stating that I was not chosen for the positions, I was devastated. May and June passed, and then July, and I had no idea where I was going to be once school started. I recevied a phone call in late July from the Mercer School District asking if I would be interested in an AmeriCorps position at the elementary school. I had no idea what that was, so I agreed to research it before I made a decision.
After gaining more information on the position, I decided (rather reluctantly) to accept. It was not the full-time job I was hoping for, and the pay was not enough to support myself, but I knew that at least I would be working in a school every day. I would make myself known and I would prove that every school should want to hire me. I worked very hard during that year of service. I put in countless hours and devoted myself to the students that I was serving.
When Spring 2010 arrived, I learned that Mercer was hiring for 2 full-time elementary positions. I jumped at the opportunity, and I was lucky enough to make it through the interview process. (I believe mostly because of the experience that I had at the school.) I was elated! I could not believe that my dream of finally having a classroom of my own was coming true. I could go on and on about setting up my classroom and preparing for the school year, but I will save that for another time. I keep telling my mom that I should write a book about surviving the first year of teaching. It has been quite an interesting roller coaster ride...as I am sure many other teachers can relate.
I consider myself very blessed to be in this career and to have found a classroom to call home, especially at such a wonderful school district. I work with some amazing people who have taught me so much already, and I continue to learn from them each and every day.
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