During my first practicum, I implemented a writing routine in the grade 2/3 class based on Adrienne Gear’s book called Powerful Writing Structures. For one of the weeks, I used an anchor book from her list of recommendations. It was If I Built a House by Chris Van Dusen and the kids absolutely loved it.
For EDUC 398, Curriculum & Instruction in Math and Science Using ADST, one of the requirements was to complete the first unit of the Math Minds online course.
For Educ 401 taught by Pam Kawinsky
My dream classroom is a cozy and inviting environment that encourages learning. To achieve this within a primary classroom, resources will be intentionally chosen for creating a classroom library, separate spaces within the room, along with resources that provide exposure to knowledge and inspiration for students.
Brain Pocket Strategies to Support a Year-Long Writing Program
By Adrienne Gear
I became familiar with this resource during my first practicum. I was in a grade 2/3 split class and my coaching teacher suggested that I follow Adrienne Gear’s writing structure.
By Joanna Faber and Julie King
I listened to this audio book before the start of my first practicum in order to have some tools for talking to kids. Although I’ve worked in schools for a few years, I don’t have kids of my own and I wanted to have more confidence and understanding when talking to little kids.
Looking back on my practicum, it’s interesting to consider how my confidence changed over the course of the three weeks. I was incredibly nervous to teach my first lesson. Although I have prior experience working in schools, I had never had the attention of an entire class on me or instructed students. On the first day, when my coaching teacher and I sat down to plan when I would be teaching, I asked if I could teach the following day, rather than waiting until day 3 of the practicum, like ripping off a band aid. So, I taught my first two lessons the next day.
In elementary education, assessment should be used as a tool to understand where to go next with what is being taught. When teaching a group of students, it’s important to understand what is being absorbed and understood. If only a handful of students are contributing to a discussion, or no collaborative discussion occurs at all, and it is assumed that what is being taught is understood by all, students that don’t understand the material end up being left behind in the learning process. When the primary assessment method being used is summative and content is not returned to after, the result is major gaps in comprehension. Alternatively, if formative assessments are used throughout the process and encompass all students, the teacher can navigate the current and subsequent lessons based on the understanding of the group. This reduces or eliminates gaps in learning and contributes to mastery of what is being taught. Although it is important to use summative assessments in order to report the overall learning of students, the most important role of assessments in elementary classrooms is to provide feedback to the teacher on whether the students are ready to move forward with new content or if more time is needed to focus on the current concept or material.