Provo Peaks Pumas!

I am officially a student teacher in Mrs. Comin's 5th grade class.  And I absolutely love it.  And I love Jason Afton Crofts.  But that has nothing to do with this post :)

It's amazing how much has happened in just the last few weeks since finding out about my student teaching assignment.  I've already had my first observation, and I have another one this upcoming week.  And then the week after that is my Teacher Work Sample...it never ends...but I really am loving every day of this experience!  The kids in my class are wonderful.  Provo Peaks is a Title I school, and my classroom is an EMITS classroom- all about technology.  Every student has a MAC computer in front of them and they complete just about everything on the computer.  It's taken some adjusting, but I know I'll see the benefits of it.  It's just different from what I've known and observed- especially in New Zealand!

I want to use my blog as a way to reflect on my student teaching experience.  And especially my observations.  This first lesson Beth observed me on was about probability- listing outcomes on a tree diagram.  And it went really well.  The kids were little angels for me; it earned them 5 marbles :)

Beth was SO comforting.  She came in and told me that she is here to support me, and for me to not be nervous or worry at all.  And it felt so genuine and sincere.  Afterwards, she had many kind things to share with me about my teaching, and also some suggestions.  I need to tweak my LO and BO a little bit, but I knew that was coming...I've been a little out of practice with the whole writing formal lesson plans thing...  She also told me to think about interventions...like giving the kids a signal of when/when not to spin their spinner.  I know I need to think more about the details of the lesson, like how I am going to transition them, especially when they have their own spinners that they just want to play with during the lesson.  I also need to remember to use the wording and language that the kids will be seeing on the worksheet/book work in the future.  Otherwise they don't really understand what to do.

This semester is going to be crazy...but I'm grateful for this opportunity I have to student teach, and also the opportunity I have to be working in the Relief Society.  What a wonderful way to end my BYU career :)  It's hard to believe that graduation is in almost 3 months...it's exciting though!