Like the blog says that I am responding to, "Reflection is good for the soul". To see that blog before you read this one, click here. If you decided not to read it, you need to know that I have been asked to reflect on my last two years as an intern and to talk about if that is still what I want or not. To start this post off, I would love the pleasure of saying that, through this class and my experiences in it, teaching is absolutely what I want to go in to as a career. I have loved being around all of the amazing students, so eager to learn and so willing, but in different ways than traditional ways. I can not wait to get my classroom and start to teach ways that are more geared towards my students' learning styles and multiple intelligences- something I learned about in here!
Along with the passion of teaching, I love just how easy it is to fall in to the teaching role, outside of the classroom too. Teaching has a way of changing you and making you see every situation differently. The student that is slacking off in class and not doing his reading, maybe he has a really difficult time reading and has no one willing to help him. Or, maybe the student that is making straight A's but never letting a book see the light of day has been cheating off of someone in class who lacks the courage to say "No." Every situation is different, but as a teacher, you automatically try to come up with solutions and ways the students can get help or move on or even learn easier. You find yourself helping people you never thought you could because you see them struggling.
That is what I love about teaching, that once the passion is lit, there is never a turning back point, you are hooked for good. Somehow though, you are happy through it all. Here is a video of a teacher doing what he knew was necessary to get through to his students. His passion was lit and the students could tell, and it paid off!
For this part of the Final Exam, we were given the task of putting our own spin on some of the rules and procedures that already stand in our classroom now, as if we are the teacher. I chose to speak about the policy about our Dress Code for Field Sites because I am very silently passionate about this topic in class and have decided to speak out on it now. School safety has become one of the most forefront concerns on parent's, teachers', and staff's minds due to certain circumstances. I do not have my own children, however I can relate to the protection and "mama bear instinct" that parents have because I am a nanny for my nieces. Any time they are even close to being in danger or have something wrong with them, I go in to a frenzy trying to find a cure or something to make them feel better. When the get to school age, I am going to be a complete mess not knowing what they are doing every second of the day and not knowing who all is around them. I am basically putting their lives in to someone else's hands and trusting them fully with my girls! I expect those select few people to guard my babies with their lives. I am positively sure that most parents feel this way about protecting their child. For this reason, I want to ensure that anyone around students and children is easily told apart as someone who should be there from someone who has no reason to be there. Thus making life easier for the chaperons and parents to know a when a person or a situation is not safe. The difference between someone wearing a uniform and someone wearing some basketball shorts and a tee shirt is critical in this matter. If I saw someone hanging around my girls dressed like that, I would automatically go up to them and throw twenty questions in their face, most likely without a good attitude. However, if I saw someone around the girls wearing nice slacks and a polo with the logo of whom they represent on it, I would be much more cordial and probably make nice small talk instead of grilling them. It makes all the difference in the world and it is so easy to take care of! To see the blog that I am responding to, click here.
Here is a video that shows you just a little bit more about professional attire:
For this part of the Final Exam, I chose the TEKS: §110.20. English Language Arts and Reading, Grade 8 (b) Knowledge and skills(16) Writing. Students write about their own experiences. Students are expected to write a personal narrative that has a clearly defined focus and includes reflections on decisions, actions, and/or consequences.
For this TEKS, I would recommend using an app on any apple device called Notes Tab because this app lets you write something new everyday with a title, that way you can keep track of your journal entry each day. This would work out best in a classroom with an apple device available for each student. They can keep their own journal in the device, and at the end of the year, they will be able to go back and look at it. Also, when they are assigned to write a personal narrative, or any story really, and they "can't think of anything to write or talk about" you can tell them to reference their journal and the student would then be able to get some ideas! The app Notes Tab is available free for a lite version on the app store and there is also a full "pro" version to pay for if you want that. For more information on the app and all of it's capabilities, you can visit their website. To see the blog I am responding to, click here.
Let's say that the principal, of the school I teach at, has had to cut our field trip because of insufficient funds. After reading the article, Ten of the best virtual field trips, I have decided that, while field trips may be a lot of fun, virtual field trips can be just as fun when used correctly. But, to completely understand what a virtual field trip is and the differences between the conventional method and the virtual method, I found a video to really show you what a virtual field trip is.
In this article, there are so many great virtual field trip examples and walk-throughs. My favorite virtual field trip from this article was (Drum roll please!) Hershey's Virtual field Trip!! There are so many exciting things on the website, so many awesome videos that the kids love! And, often in field trips, students learn the most from the fun activities and videos, mostly when they don't think that they are learning. This website/virtual field trip is so much fun! In watching the videos and checking this site out for my "students", I got hooked in and couldn't stop watching. Not only was it so interesting, but it is over something every one in the world LOVES!
In the beginning, I was not looking forward to camping out in the computer lab for a day with all the kiddos and having to find something to entertain them, however, now I can not wait until they get to go interactive with this website and find out so much more!
Like the blog says that I am responding to, "Reflection is good for the soul". To see that blog before you read this one, click here. If you decided not to read it, you need to know that I have been asked to reflect on my last two years as an intern and to talk about if that is still what I want or not. 
