Teaching Job

This has been a most exciting, stressful, eye opening, exhilarating, and rewarding experience. But I am writing to let you all know, that even with all of the negative news about teaching, and how there are just no positions for teachers, I have been able to land an amazing position at a private school in Huntington Beach. When I first began interviewing with this school, I knew that many people would be interviewing along side me and that I really needed to find out how and why I wanted to teach at this particular site to make myself stand out. As I researched and learned more about their hands-on learning style, and their collaborative teaching support, I saw myself in the school. Each step that I moved further in the interview process was nerve wracking, yet extremely beneficial and educational. Each and every interview was with different people from that school, and each time I forgot something like showing my portfolio, demonstrating my hands on learning teaching philosophy, shaking their hand at the end of the interview. As this was my first formal interview experience I was full of nerves and had to learn from each interview I went into. From the first to last(of three) interview I felt comfortable with all of the staff, they seemed interested in what I could offer their school, and I saw how I could benefit their students. When I got the call and was offered a full time science teaching position in the upper elementary part of the school I was absolutely thrilled. This whole year people have been saying how you have to know a person from within, or how you have to sub for a few years before landing a job, or even that you have to go to places within cities that people do not like to work, all just to find a teaching job. Well I have been able to land an amazing position, with good pay and benefits right here in Huntington Beach. What this entire journey has showed me is that if you work hard enough at something you are really truly devoted to, that you will prosper. For me this is just the next step, hopping into the science seat and taking it for a ride. Where will I go from here? Well that will have to be another blog. For any other student teachers, future teachers, or even current teachers who are out there- stay motivated, remember why you are teaching and which parts of teaching you are passionate about so that those contributions can shine when talking to potential schools. And lastly, don't listen to all of those people out there who are saying you can't, you won't, it isn't possible- because you can, you will, and it is possible. Although my road to student teaching has ended, it has now turned into my road to science teaching, and that I am extremely excited for!

Last Day of Student Teaching

Well this has been a crazy journey. I can't believe that I am actually done with all of my student teaching. I don't quite feel like it is over, but I am sure that in a week or two when I don't get to see my fifth graders or master teacher it will really kick in. It's so funny because when you are student teaching you are working so hard, and you are working for this goal of perfecting your teaching technique but really when you are done all you come away with is knowing that you still have so much more to build on.

I walked into my second grade classroom last September scared and nervous at the same time. I knew I loved kids and I was excited about the opportunity to practice teaching as well as the chance to receive feedback, but I was also really scared that the kids wouldn't listen or that I would be a poor teacher. I learned so many things in that classroom such as how to really listen to a student, how to plan lessons around each individual student's needs, and how to adapt for English language learners.

As I stepped into my fifth grade classroom this January again, I was nervous- I felt more confident than I had been in September but I was still extremely nervous starting at a new school, and with a new bigger class. The curriculum which I thought would be too challenging was actually very fun and exciting to teach- possibly one of my most favorite grade levels content wise. The students were so accepting at first, and each have their own personality and goals such that teaching was more an effort to connect with their everyday life and have them extend upon what they already knew.

As I read their sweet farewell letters that I received today from them, I realize that some aspects of teaching are irreplaceable- such as the students' yearning to get to know you and do activities with you, their interest in a random lesson that you as a teacher didn't even feel was productive, a game or song you taught them to help them remember the capitals, or even the time you baked cookies for them and compared that to the process of photosynthesis.

Although I have learned so many different things from this past year, a few things really stick out in my mind and I will keep them with me forever. I will remember that each child is their own little person with their own experiences, background, and challenges, I will try to always take a concept and make it more vivid in terms of tangeables or visuals, be stern but understanding at the same time, and I will remember that the reason I am here is to teach and share my knowledge and love of learning with children.

I will never forget the many silly experiences, the special "aha" moments, the way it feels when a student says, "that was fun", or the way I felt as each one of my fifth graders gave me a goodbye hug. Although it was my last day of student teaching....it is not my last day of teaching...nor of blogging!

Star Testing

Today I got the opportunity to participate in the first day of Star Testing. Now when I think back to when I did star testing, I think of snacks, long testing periods, and only doing the tests during the day- no other content was taught. This bubble of a memory seemed to be different from what was planned to occur today, however as I found throughout the day, the actual testing, the stress, and the structure are actually very similar from to how it was back then. We began our morning, rushed, stressed out, and the students were extremely anxious. We tried to make a serene environment for them so we had classical music playing, they were able to read or write in their journal for the first twenty minutes of school, and we also had Cheeze-It snacks as a way to get their brain juices flowing. Even with all of this effort, the students and teachers in the room were tense because we all understand the importance and vital role that these tests play in our funding.

We began the testing week off with English Language Arts, which for some is the most difficult. Reading comprehension can be tricky. The students have as much time as they need and the room is silent, except for the murmur of Beethoven playing in the background. Almost all the students finished in the time allotted- those who didn't were sent to the library to finish and we went on with our day by participating in 20 minutes of recess.

When we came back in for recess we had multiple things planned such as a mini lesson on antonyms, math small group instruction, and a social studies group project. Only one of these things occurred. What many people do not realize is that on a day like this where the students come in expecting testing, then test- they are mentally drained. We had to change our schedule because the students weren't actively participating, they weren't wanting to work together, they were truly just tired from the anxiety and pressure of the testing. With a read aloud, and a fun educational activity, the students and teachers made it to the end of the day.

I have heard that the first day of testing is the most difficult for the students- I sure hope this is true!

Earth Day

Last week in school we focused on Earth Week which was a celebration of Earth Day which was on Sunday April 22. This was an amazing week full of reducing, reusing, and recycling. In our class in particular I asked if I could teach a lesson on this topic because I am very passionate about the Earth and preserving nature. My initial thought was to play a you tube video about reducing, reusing, and recycling to give the students some visuals on what our effect really is on the environment, however to actually convert and use a you tube video is a lengthy process and instead of trying to do that i decided that my group would do a round of World Cafe and demonstrate their respect for earth through a hands on activity  This lesson had two parts: half the class began with doing three rounds of world cafe which is where you give them a question or prompt and they rotate around and respond in writing on a poster that has the prompt stated on it. The other half of the class traced their hand onto recycled paper, cut it out, and pasted a globe on it that said: "This hand reduces, reuses, and recycles!" When both groups were done I had them switch and they got the opportunity to complete the other activity. At the end of the lesson we concluded with brainstorming ways we ourselves can reduce, reuse, and recycle. The lesson could not have gone any better~ I was very pleased with their hand prints, their responses, as well as the level of discussion we had going on in the classroom. This lesson and these students made it an amazing Earth Day celebration.

The Digestive System

Finishing my plant functions and structures unit last week led me to believe that I was going to have a break from teaching science for about a week, however, I ended up starting a whole new mini-unit on digestion. The unit was only 3 lessons on digestion and it AMAZING. This was a great mini-unit because one of the reasons that I felt it was extra special was that we had a hands on lab each day which does not ordinarily happen in a fifth grade class.

The mini-unit began with a general lesson on what the digestive system is, its parts, and we discussed why it is important. This was just a 45 minute lesson where the students were introduced to the digestive system, they labeled a diagram, color coded it, completed a mini-lab with their table mates on how the digestive system absorbs nutrients-this is where the students tested different types of paper to find which was the most absorbent. Toilet paper won- which we then related the toilet paper to the small intestine and how its' folds and texture(hair-like structure) lends itself well for absorption.

The next day was a lab on the mouth and teeth(the beginning of the digestive system) where we discussed physical and chemical breakdown, how it begins, what is occurring when chewing, etc. The students were each given one piece of gum and worked as a table to weigh(using a scale and weights) the gum before chewing, then they were timed for 10 minutes, and they weighed their gum again(they placed it back in the wrapper). This was a great lab because the students were really engaged and interested. Lastly, we did a "Stomach In A Bag" lab where the students actually were able to simulate the chemical and physical

properties of the digestive system. The lesson began with the students placing food in a bag with water. They squeezed the bag initially, then after five minutes, and again for ten minutes while observing the entire time. This was the most energetic, yet also the most engaging lesson- the students were very excited to mimic the stomach muscles, and truly took a lot out of this activity.

As we closed the mini-unit, they were able to recite the parts of the digestive system(mouth, esophagus, sphincter, stomach, small intestine, large intestine, colon, rectum, anus) without a diagram or book. They were also able to identify the two methods that food are broken down(physical and chemical), and lastly and most importantly they were able to explain what our digestive system produces for us(energy). It was a great unit and my enthusiasm for science and passion for teaching continues!

Public, Private, or Charter

I know most of my posts have been related to my experiences in my classroom with my glorious students, however, as the year is reaching its close for me, I have been heavily devoted to applications, resumes and cover letter edits. Some questions have arose from this process, the biggest being, "should I be applying to all three; public, private, and charter schools or be focusing on just one?" I have found through my research that while charter schools are completely different from public schools, they seem to be hiring more than public schools and they seem to have different requirements as well. For example, some positions require a couple years of experience in the classroom, and although I do have a year in kindergarten as an assistant teacher and a year in 2nd and 5th while I was student teaching, I do not have three years as head teacher under my belt. Some of these charter schools do seem to have an appealing curriculum, unbeatable resources, and an outstanding philosophy, however, I know few people who have worked for these charter schools, which makes me wonder what it is really like.

Along with the charter schools, many private schools are posting on craigslist, which opens yet another avenue for me to apply to. I have been looking into a few private school positions, which I have little experience with, yet am amazed and astounded by the resources that these schools have to offer. At a time when programs such as art and science are being cut and forgotten in the public schools, many of these private schools focus on subjects such as these and have the resources to support the teaching of them on a regular basis. This is a very appealing concept for me, the idea that I could teach things that are not being aloud in other environments of teaching.

Overall, I have always wondered what these different school setups have to offer a person such as myself and as I have been researching and applying I am finding that I could be successful in all three environments. Regardless of whether a school is public, private, or charter, the students are still open to the education and teaching that I have to offer them and that is what makes it all worthwhile, the students. In the conclusion of all my research, I have found that although some schools' mission statement or curriculum may seem more appealing to me, I am completely open, driven, and excited to work with all students I am able to touch. A really great teaching quote I found says this, "Teachers plant seeds that grow forever," I don't believe that these seeds have jurisdictions about where they are to be planted, they will grow anywhere, no matter public, private, or charter!

Celery Lab

It is funny how a teacher can have an amazing lab in front of them with the materials and procedure written out and yet the results not come out correctly- however that is science. Not only is that science, but that is the art of being a teacher- being flexible! While teaching my students about plant transport this week we did the classic celery lab where you put a stalk of celery in a cup of water, add food coloring, wait 24 hours, and observe how the die has moved up from the roots to the top. However, what they do not mention in the procedure or in other teachers' reflections on the experiment is that:

1.) You must cut the celery right before placing in the water (not 3 hours before as I did)

2.) You must use the celery that has leaves at the end, not just a stalk (so yes you need to buy about three times the bundles of celery than you actually need because only 1/3 of them come with leaves still on them when you purchase them from the grocery store

3.) Finally- DON'T TELL YOUR STUDENTS YOU WILL BE DOING THE NEXT ACTIVITY THE FOLLOWING DAY- they get very disappointed when you have to fix the experiment and delay the lab by three days

What I learn from activities such as these is that while you're teaching, you must be flexible. It was a bit nerve racking this morning when I went in to "checkup" on the celery to find that only 3 of 14 were showing the results, but I had to be flexible and move the lab to the following Tuesday to allow time to re-do the stalks that do not have leaves, and give them a chance to soak before our "little scientists" come in to observe.