2nd edition of Mama Mindy's Week 1 of Classes: And so Block I (2nd semester of Junior year) begins...

Hi friends!
Those of you who have been following this blog since August have realized that I do a weekly post (when school is in session) about how my pre-service teaching career aka "the teacher gets educated" years are going.  I will try to post earlier in the week...like Friday.  This week I was a bit of a procrastinator as my body still hasn't adjusted to my new schedule so bear with me. :)

Week #1 of classes was expected; however, I always think that maybe they'll go easy on the first day.  Naïve, I know. :)  The good thing about this week is that only three classes were in session due to our term beginning on Wednesday.  Next week, all six of my classes  (well five...since one is kind of attached to another and will be written together) will meet and so begins the full on frenzy of fun and intellectual activities.

My classes this semester  total 14 hrs.

In order (Monday-Thursday), my classes are:

Mon.- Planning & Assessment WITH Teaching Science in Elementary Schools (1 hr. + 2 hrs)

Tues.- Reading for the Elementary Teacher I (3 hrs.)

Wed.- Collaborations & Strategies (On-line class--3 hrs.)
Wed.- Teaching Social Studies in the Elementary School (2 hrs.)

Thurs.- Mathematics for Elementary/Middle School Teacher II (3 hrs.)


Collaborations & Strategies (3 hrs.)
This class is the final of my on-line classes focusing on how to teach students with exceptionalities and collaborate with other professionals and parents to insure children have the best chance of success in their academic careers.

This week we had to write a paper about our personal beliefs about including students with high incidence disabilities in the general education classroom and beliefs about instruction for students who are gifted/talented. --My main opinion was that we are all uniquely and wonderfully made.  All students deserve the right to a great education and preferably and most likely in the general education classroom.  It take me as the instructor to be a positive influence on my students and to treat each child as an individual and work with other professionals to determine what would be best for each child.

Also due was a syllabus quiz and writing a short introductory biography and attaching a photograph.

I think this class will be highly beneficial in my growth as an educator.  I truly want what is best for my children and understand that I may not be enough ALL the time for each of my students.

Teaching Social Studies in the Elementary School (2 hrs.)
I really enjoy the instructor, Dr. Waters.  He is highly personable and ends each session with reading aloud to us a book that he thinks we should read aloud to students in our own classroom. :)  I love reading and good illustrations, and the first book, "The Impossible Patriotism Project" by Linda Skeers was wonderful and made me feel a bit emotional at the end.  Super sweet book!

Two projects that we will do is an oral history with someone who has taught or has been taught in a one-room school house and also a citizenship project where we help at a soup kitchen, Numana event, walk dogs, etc.   I don't think I will have any trouble with these projects as they are things I sort of already am interested in,

Homework: Read Chapter 1.  Reading a textbook is a bit hard right now because I am reading another book that I FINALLY have gotten into but my studies come first...but don't think I won't try to read both...I just hope I keep each story straight. :)


Mathematics for Elementary/Middle School Teacher II (3 hrs.)
The rest of my classes this semester are taught by instructors I have had previously.  Dr. Kean is my math instructor and she finally has written down specific office hours for Thursday's class...Yay!  I also like that her class is the last class of the week.

We began Chapter 9 sections 1 & 2 this week. 
9.1-- Howe Probabilities are Determined
9.2--Multistage Experiments with Tree Diagrams and Geometric Probabilities

I enjoy this chapter for it deals with probability and statistics.  I took a class on statistics in high school and it was an enjoyable experience with an wonderful teacher named Mr. Strong.  :)

Homework: Always a lot...but necessary.  Two sections of homework in the text and on-line, two activities (finished in class), and two chapters to read and write three questions on (this replaced last semester's common core worksheets).

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So there you have it. My "short" week that look rather "long" doesn't it?  On Wednesday, my advisor for the BEST program (the elementary program I am that links Emporia State University with the local community college so that students can take their general education requirements at Butler Community College and continue going to the campus but with Emporia State University instructors coming down to teach us) came to visit us about getting into Block II classes: this would be the year that I enter a classroom as a student teacher.  Requirements to get into the Block II classes are  5 instructor recommendations filled out and submitted to him by different educators within our past (1-2 could be general education, 1-2 had to be from the Emporia State list, and 1-2 had to be recent courses that we've taken either this semester or last) that we can choose, quite a few papers that we had to sign that night, a passed physical and TB test and shot, and finally, passing grades in all of our current courses.

My mind has been strewn many different directions, but I hope next week to be a bit more organized and focused.

Thanks for reading!

Much Love,
Mama Mindy :)