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!