Do we have curriculum mapping at our school? No, not yet. It is a work in progress is what I have been advised. I did do some investigative work and I found it on the district site that we as teachers have access to. I honestly got confused as again, I teach a k-3 adpts class so I cannot just follow one map. I follow numerous maps, at least that is my impression.
I have asked what the other teachers use as a guide to set up their curriculum and they have stated, their past. So, as the newbie...I am going to go out on a limb as I was given nothing when I took over room 119 in December except a key and a chance to change my students for the better! I do plan to sit down and make a map/ a plan for my classroom for next year. I plan on taking some of what my kinders should be learning in their inclusion class, some of what my first, and second graders should be learning. My third grader will continue on learning second grade until I can get her "caught up". All of this information I will bring back from gen ed and incorporate it within my centers as well as create my lesson plan topics around it. Will it be perfect, no but it will be a plan that I can work on through the year and be able to present to my principal and or other teachers if ever asked.
I hope to create a plan that I can build upon each year and one that will be successful for my students as they are why I am here. I want it to help me help them grow and succeed in school and in life.
Saturday, April 29, 2017
Thursday, April 27, 2017
Blog 9: To differentiate or not in the classroom...
In room 119 I differentiate a great deal and that is because I truly have five students that are learning at different levels and different ways. Yes, technology, like movie clips, fun songs all are good for all five, but when you get down to the nuts and bolts...I have to create five different center works for each.
I will normally teach a general topic each day, that will include a video or two for all students to watch. I will ask/prompt WH's questions after to review what we watched. We will read a story and review the story and go over information. I then do a small group activity with the students, it normally consists of one worksheet/project that could include cut/paste, coloring, writing/tracing.
When we break into centers, this is where I differentiate with anything from writing in highlighter and having my kinder trace over it so she can learn to write her letters, to having a student who is somewhat nonverbal who dislikes to write, say her words using stamps, coloring, pictures that match. I have created center work for my numbers driven student who is learning to read. I create stories that have numbers throughout so that it keeps his attention. Stories about video games so that my first grader will hold his attention and create the want to learn what the main idea is of a story to creating and finding catchy songs for my other kinder who cannot read but can sing anything and everything and remembers his information I am teaching if it is taught in song.
Does it take me more planning time, of course but to hear, see my students stay connected and learn and be excited about the topic means everything to me!! It keeps me striving to do more and better so that they can continue to succeed.
I will normally teach a general topic each day, that will include a video or two for all students to watch. I will ask/prompt WH's questions after to review what we watched. We will read a story and review the story and go over information. I then do a small group activity with the students, it normally consists of one worksheet/project that could include cut/paste, coloring, writing/tracing.
When we break into centers, this is where I differentiate with anything from writing in highlighter and having my kinder trace over it so she can learn to write her letters, to having a student who is somewhat nonverbal who dislikes to write, say her words using stamps, coloring, pictures that match. I have created center work for my numbers driven student who is learning to read. I create stories that have numbers throughout so that it keeps his attention. Stories about video games so that my first grader will hold his attention and create the want to learn what the main idea is of a story to creating and finding catchy songs for my other kinder who cannot read but can sing anything and everything and remembers his information I am teaching if it is taught in song.
Does it take me more planning time, of course but to hear, see my students stay connected and learn and be excited about the topic means everything to me!! It keeps me striving to do more and better so that they can continue to succeed.
Sunday, April 16, 2017
Blog 8 Reading in the Classroom
Reading in room 119 takes on several different aspects as I have five students and they are all at different levels. I have a kinder who cannot read at all but can visually point to pictures and say what they mean. I have a kinder who is just starting to read words and putting them together to create simple sentences. I have a third kinder who is able to read one word at a time (sight words) but cannot read them in a sentence. I have a first grader who reads at almost a second grade level but has a hard time comprehending what he has just read and I have a third grader who can read at a third grade level for fluency but is at about a first grade level for comprehension.
I love to read myself, so I am a huge believer in getting all of my students to read and enjoy the act of reading. I find that these kids have an opportunity to open their world up if they can get the basic principles down of reading. It will help them along their journey.
I created a plan for each student and am putting it into place now. I know it's almost the end of the school year but I hope that with the plan in place, parents can continue it over the summer and we can be more effective next year with a more intense plan.
I have my first grader and 3rd grader reading chapter books out loud to me and we share what the story is about and ideas from what we read. I have my kinders following as I read short stories and I send home simple books for them to follow along with parents and answer simple questions on comprehension.
As for common core, no I have not even tried to look any of that up as I want to instill in them first the love for reading and the basics before I begin the lessons through the core. I feel that with special ed you have to balance and sometimes, side step the core to get what the students really need right now.
I am hoping that our reading specialist can start working with my students if not this year, next year so that we can get them into additional help to get them caught up and on the right track.
I know if I keep working with my students and keep getting my parents involved, these kids will succeed and they will find a joy in reading soon.
I love to read myself, so I am a huge believer in getting all of my students to read and enjoy the act of reading. I find that these kids have an opportunity to open their world up if they can get the basic principles down of reading. It will help them along their journey.
I created a plan for each student and am putting it into place now. I know it's almost the end of the school year but I hope that with the plan in place, parents can continue it over the summer and we can be more effective next year with a more intense plan.
I have my first grader and 3rd grader reading chapter books out loud to me and we share what the story is about and ideas from what we read. I have my kinders following as I read short stories and I send home simple books for them to follow along with parents and answer simple questions on comprehension.
As for common core, no I have not even tried to look any of that up as I want to instill in them first the love for reading and the basics before I begin the lessons through the core. I feel that with special ed you have to balance and sometimes, side step the core to get what the students really need right now.
I am hoping that our reading specialist can start working with my students if not this year, next year so that we can get them into additional help to get them caught up and on the right track.
I know if I keep working with my students and keep getting my parents involved, these kids will succeed and they will find a joy in reading soon.
Sunday, April 9, 2017
Blog 7 Technology
To have the amount of technology we have today available is a blessing but it can also be a huge distraction to my kiddos. I love using the smartboard in my classroom to show videos, work on problems, writing skills and taking turns. It is great for students to get exercise as well, I use gonoodle.com to not only get them moving but I can also use it to center them and get them calmed down with items for meditation. I have a routine in my room where we use it after lunch to calm them down and again right before they depart school to get them calmed for the bus ride home.
Technology can be a huge asset to give those without a voice, a voice. It can help teach not only the fun things like games but I use education.com and each student has an account that I can see their progress on learning math and reading skills. I use ABCmouse.com as well which does give them an opportunity to play while learning. I have mobymax for my higher learners as well as starfall for my preschool level.
Technology can be a hindrance though if you have students who are in front of computers all the time at home. I have created centers for the students where they are on it for no more than 15 minutes per center. During choice time I sometimes take that choice away if behavior does not warrant that reward. It is understood, might not be liked but it does make them do other things, normally art.
I find that I do enjoy using technology in my room and I know the students are more visual so they learn faster with it and keep engaged in lessons. I normally have about 6 minutes of lesson from me and I add in 10 minutes with technology to bring my lesson home with the students. It has been very beneficial!
Technology can be a huge asset to give those without a voice, a voice. It can help teach not only the fun things like games but I use education.com and each student has an account that I can see their progress on learning math and reading skills. I use ABCmouse.com as well which does give them an opportunity to play while learning. I have mobymax for my higher learners as well as starfall for my preschool level.
Technology can be a hindrance though if you have students who are in front of computers all the time at home. I have created centers for the students where they are on it for no more than 15 minutes per center. During choice time I sometimes take that choice away if behavior does not warrant that reward. It is understood, might not be liked but it does make them do other things, normally art.
I find that I do enjoy using technology in my room and I know the students are more visual so they learn faster with it and keep engaged in lessons. I normally have about 6 minutes of lesson from me and I add in 10 minutes with technology to bring my lesson home with the students. It has been very beneficial!
Saturday, April 1, 2017
Blog 6: Assessments
Oh...the daunting task of assessments. I can honestly state that when I took my class over...there wasn't any evidence of assessments and the numbers given were not to me real. I had to start from scratch and I created my own data sheets. I took each students IEP goals and put into a data sheet that I keep with me at my "green" table and work on daily with each student. As many of our goals are daily collection. I then take those and review once a month to see where we are at with each student. I am going to rate myself pretty low on this as I know I can honestly do better. I would say a 3. It isn't that I am not taking the information in, it's more about being able to use it and critique the goals and have more faith in myself for changing or implementing new goals to get my students where I want them to be.
I know being a new teacher I have a great deal to learn and I want this area to grow. This area is crucial to my students progress, so any little advancement will in turn help them overall. Since I am teaching a much younger group of students than the others in my cadre yes the assessment is important to my lessons. I do a great deal of social learning in my classroom so those integrated into everyday learning is essential. I do a lot of "sharing", kind, unkind, respect teaching even when I talk about coins!
I am planning for next year and I want to create a working plan with my aide to help take more data daily and being able to compile that data in such a format that a teacher, professional, parent could interpret it and understand where that specific student is currently performing.
I know being a new teacher I have a great deal to learn and I want this area to grow. This area is crucial to my students progress, so any little advancement will in turn help them overall. Since I am teaching a much younger group of students than the others in my cadre yes the assessment is important to my lessons. I do a great deal of social learning in my classroom so those integrated into everyday learning is essential. I do a lot of "sharing", kind, unkind, respect teaching even when I talk about coins!
I am planning for next year and I want to create a working plan with my aide to help take more data daily and being able to compile that data in such a format that a teacher, professional, parent could interpret it and understand where that specific student is currently performing.
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