Last Week Yay!

I can not believe that we are done with class for the semester. It went by so fast. For class this week we had a guest speaker and she was very fun to listen to. She was very peppy and talked to us about being great teachers, ones that will get hired. She kind of scared me when she said that when she used to interview candidates for the job she would have them give a 5 minute mini lesson in front of the board. Right then I thought about changing my major. I have since thought about the reality of it not being so bad. It would be something that I have to do, so I might as well make the most of it.
I am relieved that we do not have any serious big finals, that takes a lot of weight off my shoulders. I have learned a lot this semester and feel like I have made an impact on the kind of teacher I will be some day.

Learning Journal

This weeks discussion to be honest kind of annoyed me. I felt like the questions presented about having a small class size were very repetitive. Over and over we talked about the same things. My conclusion on having a small class size is, I don't have control over it so I will work with what I have. If I am ever asked to give my opinion I think that smaller classes are a good thing, however lets be realistic in the funding. With the rest of the week I felt like it went by like a blur. So much for us to be doing, and so I know at least I am antsy sitting in class thinking about all I need to get done. One week left and then finals! YAY!

Yay for only two days of school!

This week was awesome, mainly for the fact that we only had two days of classes. (and out second class on Monday got canceled, can't complain about that!) This week when we were discussing the articles I kept thinking how important it is to be consistent as a teacher. It takes children a long time to adapt to a routine/schedule of how to do things. So, when you just throw in something huge, or you change how they turn in their homework it can get them all out of sorts.
In our Tuesday classes I loved hearing about every one's field experience. Learning what they did for their science experiments and what didn't. I know that mine was a little foggy when we had to discuss fire safety the students kind of forgot what we were originally doing.
Until next week, here is to two more weeks of school!!

Mole grows on cheese right?

What a fun and eventful week. I don't think there is a day that passes that I do not laugh at least ten times. My title "Mole grows on cheese right?" Was inspired by a cute little girl in my classroom that I was reading with one morning. We came to the word mole, and I asked her if she knew what a mole was. Her repsonse, "ya, I found it one time on our cheese and I threw it away." They are so innocent and funny, I love it. I explained to her that is actually mold and we are talking about a mole. She was so funny, and I got a good laugh. Tomorrow is my last day and I am sad to go, I have really enjoyed it and I am more excited now then ever to become a teacher.

Mean Girls

Two weeks over already? I can not believe it! I hope everyone is learning and laughing as much as I am. This week was busy Sylvia and I had to finish all of our assignments because yesterday was her last day. She only needs half the hours. So she has been leaving a little earlier each day and now she is done completely. Our field supervisor came and observed us for the last time this week and I am just relieved she is so kind. She is a breath of fresh air compared to last semesters supervisor. I feel like she gives us constructive feedback and has our best interest in mind.
Well, you may have noticed the title of this post is Mean Girls. And I hate to admit it, but I have seen the movie Mean Girls multiple time and I think that it represents to a certain extent the female species quite well. Growing up with lots of little friends I have always known that girls are vicious and mean. However, I forgot that girls start to YOUNG! That's right folks, "mean girls" are alive and well in Orem, Utah!
To explain a little better I will give you a couple of examples. First we have so many girls that cry all the time over anything and everything. Two girls in particular and it is almost funny to watch because they sit on opposite ends of the room and they literally glare at each other, and the are in 1st grade! The second example was a little girl during rug time was asked to come up and help the teacher. Upon her returning to her spot on the back row someone had slid into her spot and it was no longer vacant, however there was seat right next to it.. Literally inches away. This little girl persisted to tell the other little girl to move and she didn't. So then the teacher got involved and a couple comments like, "you are not the boss of me!" were thrown around. Mind you through out this whole little scuffle I was sitting like a foot behind them watching and listening intently. And trying not to laugh. So the little girl got her seat back and then she leaned over to the other little girl and went off about how rude she was. While the other little girl was leaning over the other way doing the same exact thing. It was like the parting of the Red Sea. So just in case your wondering if mean girls exists they are alive and well! :)

Field Week One

I started my field experience on Monday at Suncrest Elementary School in Orem. I have an excellent cooperating teacher that I am really excited about. I also have an awesome partner too, so things are definitely looking up! I am working in a first grade class and I have 22 students when they all come. I say when they all come because we have three students that you never know about. Each for their own reason. The first one has heart problems and whenever the weather is bad/cold you can count on her being absent. Because of this she missed more than half of Kindergarten and is REALLY struggling in 1st grade. She doesn't even know all of her letters and numbers yet. It is a sad case. The second, has a bunch of behavioral problems and his parents were recently divorced. We are guessing that is why he has problems in the class because he is lacking attention at home. And the third, he has missed over 35 days of school THIS year. Like since August. He is REALLY behind as well, and definantly struggles with things that most of our class can breeze through. There is not a definent reason why he misses so much, no extended illness. More or less a lazy parent that likes him to stay home. He will probably end up repeating the 1st grade.
It has only taken me five days in the classroom to get an ear infection, a sore throat, and a cold. You have got to love the MILLIONS of germs that are crawling all over them and their little classroom. Over all I am thinking field is going great. Our personal readers are going well, however I don't feel as though they are an effecting teaching tool for us just to use for three weeks. But, I can definitely see the benefits of having them in my classroom when I have me own.
Till Next Week!

Learning Journal #8

This week was my groups week to facilitate. We read articles about violence in schools. The different kinds of violence there are, and how we can prevent it/deal with it. It kind of bothers me when we talk hypothetically about our future students/classrooms. I hate talking about what we are going to do because I feel as though I will not do half of the things I say I am going to do, I just say it to get the points. Our conversation went really well and went quite smoothly. We got a good message out if nothing out, to be aware of violence in schools. The rest of the week was filled with preparation for field, I am so excited to start working with my little first graders.

Learning Journal #7

One week left til our field experience, then only two and half weeks left of class after we get back. Do I hear an AMEN from anyone else? This week has opened my eyes to the idea of motivating students for the benefit of them as a learner and myself as a teacher. I have often observed different teachers and it always seems like there is that "one" student that gets brushed under the carpet. Whether it be for behavior problems, or lack of motivation, it is a very big problem happening in our elementary schools. For instance today I was in a 4th grade classroom and a child had written an about me story. It has one line, "I have no life." I had to walk away blinking back the tears. Our students are having less and less support from home and by us talking about the importance of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation and being aware of the problem is a big step in helping in our future classrooms. I feel as though this week was very informational in the fact that I will probably remember and use the information we have learned this week. I am starting to believe in myself as a future teacher and get excited to be able to make a difference some day.

Learning Journal #6

WOW, what a week! From case studies, to creating lesson plans/ideas for field I feel like my head is spinning in a thousand different directions! In our bi-lingual class I presented this week along with Alayne and Angie. I think that we presented a strong message fairly well. I think it is hard to find a certain amount of balance between all of our classes. It is never equal throughout the week on which one I spend more time on. It depends on the week and what is due in each class, oh well so goes it since the beginning of my college experience.I found a good article to write my case study on, and still need to look for one for the Research Journal assignment.
Lately I feel as though our cohort has taken on a new sense of helping each other out. With questions we may have as well as issues that arise. Overall this week was great cause it was short!

Learning Journal #5

This week in review summed up into one word, WOW. I definantly feel like the pressure is beginning to accumulate from all of our classes as field is coming much faster then I thought it would. I also feel like the most useful/practical knowledge that we learned in our classes this week was when we has two guest speakers in foundations. I felt like they informed us with good information to be aware of. Although we are over a year out from actually being teachers ourselves it is nice to know what is out there and available when we do start to teach. I find it a bit overwhelming all of the different things our professors are asking us to do, however there is one new idea that we got today from Dr. P. She asked us to write down a list wherever we wanted about ideas that we could use in our class. I feel as though that this will be an effective way to remember simple things that otherwise I would have forgotten. It has been interesting to note the team attitude that three of our teachers have begun to develop collaborating ideas for assignments for field. Watching them has been a good example to me to take into consideration that you do not always get to work with people you especially enjoy, but you still need to try and work your hardest. I think that will prove to be very handy in the future.

Learing Journal #4

Now that I have a better understanding of what this reflection should be in its entirety I feel like this will be a better resource to look back on in the future. This last week I feel as if school is just continuing to drudge on, in some classes I am really enjoying myself while in others I feel as if I will never be a competant teacher in those areas because of the lack of knowledge we are getting from professors. Mainly this is just one class and I know many other students feel the same way. It scares me to think that we will soon be in the classroom actually teaching. For instance in our Literacy Methods class, I know how to technically do running records, but have never practiced using them in the classroom or how I actually use them with each student. I feel overwhelmed with the ideas that there is so much to do in every class we take that I will soon forget what we learned. Learning just for the sake of taking a test and then forgetting the information. I know in the past I have done and used this method, proved inaffective none the less but still used. I need to do better in remembering things from specifics classes and recording them on my blog.

Learning Journal #3

Alright so this week I thought our facilitation topic was very interesting. Interesting enough that I in fact read all of both articles, which is surprising that I did not do the usual skim, get enough out of it that I will sound like I know what I am talking about. I found myself thinking back and forth almost siding with the US one second and Germany the next. I kept jumping the fence and I am still doing it when I begin to think about the pros and cons. However, I feel like there is no such thing as a perfect education system. In my mind a perfect education system is one that is cared about. I feel like for instance NCLB is a program designed to get the nation on an equal level, however they all want us to end up in the same place when it is all said and done. But, at the beginning we were not all on the same level and a big factor was the economic level of each of the schools. I think it is an unfair thing that it is doing to schools and teachers. I feel like Germany's school system is set up and works great for them, and ours is set up and is working for us. I think it would not go over well if we were to introduce an education system like Germany's in the US. It might sound like a nice thing, but people are always going to have their two cents to put into everything.

Learning Journal Entry #2

I thought this last week in class our discussion was very interesting. I found it interesting not only because of what was being said, but how my thinking was racing all over the place. Places like, past memories, what should I believe as a teacher, what do I want to change in my thinking, or do I even what to change my thinking? I felt a little foolish after I made a comment about being terrified when I was younger of my teachers and how that has carried over throughout my schooling of the fact that I very rarely will go talk to a teacher and discuss why I received a certain grade. After a few weird looks from fellow students and a gaping look from the instructor, I kind of felt like a turtle retracting back into my shell. I thought about my comment more as the conversation went and came to a realization that because I feel that way is almost a direct cause of why I want to be a teacher. I want to provide an environment in my classroom that will allow children to form bonds with peers as well as the teacher. I always want to have good communication with each one of my students and try to get to know them well enough to pick up on bad vibes they may have towards me and their learning. Because of the fact that I was scared of talking to my teachers like Doc Waters pointed out I missed out on learning opportunities and probably still do to this day just because I can not muster up the courage/guts/want of wanting to discuss my grade or see why it was graded in such a way. I call it anxiety, but now that I sit back and look at why I have been accustomed to being like this it is a habit that I am too afraid to break.

Learning Journal Entry # 1

Hello everyone! Long time, no post. Summer is over and Fall semester has begun and is now in full swing. (hince this blog entry) My learning journal posts will be about my Foundations of Education class. It's still early in the year so I do not have much to post about, besides that I purchased my packet for this class, and I do not feel technology handicap because of last semesters technology class... Thanks Dr. Hudgins!!!

Webquest Reflection

I really enjoyed doing the Webquest. Perhaps my partners didn't like me being in their group... I felt really useless. Like mentioned in class that four to a group was hard because it really didn't take more then one person to put all the information in. When we were doing it I was in charge of keeping up on the Jazz game and the score! :) don't you fret I did a great job at this! But honestly I feel like doing Webquests are a great way for students to build a self-confidence in themselves and using technology. Perhaps they do not have a computer in the home, or they did not catch on as quick as the others. This provides an opportunity for them to succeed! I really loved it and learning about dinosaurs again for the first time in years was great too!

Websites for our class!

Of course our blog!

* http://mshatchsclass.blogspot.com

The Utah Education Network

* www.uen.edu

The school website wherever I may be teaching

* www."theschoolofmydreams"

National Geographic for kids

*http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/Stories/

Classroom Rules

1. Be respectful of others, and yourself
2. Be on task
3. Raise your hand
4. Help others
5. Try your hardest

Correction

I just read over my last post about my students, and from a comment I realized that you all probably think my students are horrible students that need to go to reform school! That is not it in the slightest, we just have noticed that our cooperating teacher has some classroom management problems, and really each student individually is excellent, but when you get them together its a hay day! So please don't think that are students are bad, they are such good little people, they just have little attitudes!

"Welte Worthy"

So, this is just a funny little thing. I ran into Professor Welte the first week of our field in the computer lab. She of course was so excited to hear how field was doing. She asked about our lesson plans and I responded with, "You will be excited to see them, I defiantly think they are Welte worthy!" She gave me her little smile and laughed with me. I hope I didn't offend her, however I think she was ready to slap me! So advice to you all, make sure your lesson plans are "Welte worthy" :)

The word SILLY...

Our cooperating teacher uses the word silly SO much. It seems like it is her best adjective to describe her students. Describing her students at times with the word silly at times when I would really like to use words such as; stupid, disrespectful, immature, little tyrants... and the list goes on and on, depending on the day of course. And she seems to always say, "their good kids aren't they.." Every time she says, "they are so silly" or "their good kids aren't they" it makes me laugh so stinkin hard inside. Cause in my head I am not hearing silly, or good kids I hear the other words that could perhaps replace them. So for the rest of my life I am going to be scarred with the word silly, and always think of it in a negative connotation!

On a lighter note, I have absolutely LOVED my "silly" 6th graders. They are the most rambunctious 12 year olds I have ever met! I think that I needed to get a class that was full of students that have behavioral problems and loud mouths and disrespectful words to say. I needed them because I think I can say now more then ever that I am so excited to be a teacher, if anyone really didn't want to be a teacher they would know at the end of the three weeks with my class.

To finish up our week we taught our last lesson on Monday and gave our assessment today. Audra and I were betting how many groans and complaints we would get when we said the word test, we got lots of them. So Audra did a cute thing with them she told them for the next 5 seconds we are going to get all of our groans and complaints out. So for the next 5 seconds our class groaned and laughed. It worked perfectly and I think it worked well!

So to say the least about all of our up coming assignments that are going to be due lets groan and complain for the next 5 seconds! Ready? AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! :) just teasing, but it is getting to the time in the semester when you can almost taste summer, but it's just not quite here yet! Good luck to everyone and see you on Monday!

Week two... the observations start!

Hello everyone! I hope everyone is doing really well in the "field!"

Audra and I are loving it, but sometimes you just want to scream! :) We started our lessons this Monday and to our suprise we were going to have the class to ourselves and they said to go on with it anyways. So, we did! We succuessfully pretended to be real teachers for two hours. That included a vocabulary lesson, (in which I drew a four legged bird?!) who knew a bird only had two? I forgot until my class quickly reminded me! They are so fun and it is even more fun to get to know their little personalities. Some of our students push my buttons more then others. Other times they make me laugh really hard. For example, yesterday we were in computers and two of my students were complaining about how much they don't like the computer teacher. They kept going on and on and then I quickly told them to get back to work right as the teacher came back. My student started talking to the other really loud on purpose so the teacher could hear and was saying things about how much they don't like her and making jokes. I know it is not a laughing matter and they should behave better, but I did have to leave the room for a second before I lost it and started laughing at them in front of the teacher!

Our first lesson was very fun and went really well. We made a timeline of WWII. It is now hanging in the wall of our school. I will talk a picture of it and load it up here so you can all see. And, today we taught our second lesson. And the TSA or basically a Vice Principal came in to observe us. It was scary he came in almost 10 minutes before it was our turn to teach and I couldn't help but freak out... in the inside of course!

Our new motto is fake it til you make it! This has been my motto my whole entire college career and I finally convinced Audra that it should be ours! So my piece of advice for the rest of field, FAKE IT TIL YOU MAKE IT! :)

Field Experience Week One!

This week has been absolutely incredible! I couldn't of ever imagined that I would be loving it this much. My partner Audra and I started on Monday bright and early. We were both super nervous and it was funny cause we both wore dresses and we got a compliment from an office lady that we looked very nice. I thought to myself, "well maybe since I look like a teacher I can pull it off!" and then I quickly doubted myself and thought oh boy here goes nothing. We are assigned to a 6th grade class in a local elementary school in Pleasant Grove. Our cooperating teacher is a perfect match for my partner and I. She is super friendly, outgoing, and very good on keeping us up to date with what she is doing in the classroom and why she is doing it that way. We have 31 students (welcome to Utah public education :) ) 16 boys and 15 girls. We have one boy that is autisitc, but one of the sweetest people I have ever met, and very bright! And, we have two students with a hearing impairment so when we teach we have to wear a microphone to help them hear better. Monday, our first day, was absolutely crazy! Our cooperating teacher was not in the room for the first hour and the kids totally took advantage of the classroom mom that was here to help. When we left on Monday I seriously thought I can't do this everyday for three weeks if today is what it is going to be like everyday! Tuesday was a VERY nice turn around. They were well behaved and very cooperative with the lessons we were doing. Wednesday was actually my birthday and the class sang to Ms. Hatch. Hmm Ms. Hatch who is that, holy cow I am getting old!! :) Today, Thursday, was their world fair. Each student in the sixth grade has been working on a research paper and a poster board all on one country that they picked. It was so funny they were all so nervous this morning when they got there for people to look at their board. And, they dressed up to represent their country and walked down a "cat walk". As the whole entire school watched! It was so cool and I was so proud of my little class. To say the least I am already attached and loving it! Next week will be exciting we are teaching a unit on WWII! Wish me luck!!

Ellis Island

The Finished Product!

Digital Story Reflection

The Digital Story is DONE!
Like I previously mentioned I have been working on a digital story for my technology class. I chose to do my story on Ellis Island. I wrote my script as if I were a small child coming to America with my parents from a far land. I really did learn quite a bit of information and small facts on exactly how big of an immigration hub Ellis Island was back at the begining of the 1900's. I learned about countless families and their stories. I read over names and names, along with some of those names were pictures which made it even more interesting to read their story when I had a picture of their face to go along with their name.
I am not a so-called "techy" person. I love technology don't get me wrong but, perhaps you could say my confidence level is not so high in that area. I loved Photostory I found it to be easy and a very user friendly program. The only technological problems I ran into were on my part of lacking the knowledge of some of the special effects I would have liked to add.
I would have never thought that a simple story like this would actually require so much planning. I am so glad that I listened to Dr. Hudgins about starting with writing a script first, and then story boards. It would have been so complicating to start from the pictures back.
I would love to use this as a teacher in the future. I would also like to do more if I can find the time!
Through this project I learned how important our history is to who we are now. I very rarely think about the past as having an effect on my from my day to day life. It is so exciting to study history and use it and not only use it but, think about it!

Spring Semester

The first semester in the program is continuing to hold true to its reputation, it is getting very hard to keep up with all that we have to do. I am now working on a digital story for my technology class. I am doing my digital story on Ellis Island, it is supposed to teach about immigrants coming to America. So far I have had a lot of fun working on it, but now I am down to the timing and counting the seconds isn't too much fun. I am also getting ready to go out into the "field". They send us to a local elementary school in the Utah County area. My field partner and I got assigned to a 6th grade classroom. We will spend 3 weeks in the same class and get to teach five lesson plans, which is very exciting because I have never taught a "real" lesson plan when I have actually had training what it should be like. I was VERY excited about getting a 6th grade class because I have been leaning towards teaching the upper grades lately. I hope that I LOVE it, and I am sure I will. Spring break is coming right around the corner and could not get here faster! One digital story and an Educational Psychology test and Vegas here I come!

Script for digital story

http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=dk66wjq_136s3h5scb