Day #17

S today I went in for an extra day.  I taught two lessons and I have definitely learned a lot form this placement.  The lessons I have been teaching have improved and I have learned a number of management techniques and ways to get student's attention.  I have truly enjoyed working with the students.
The lessons today went really well and I really wish I could continue to teach and work with this group of students.  They are just absolutely lovely and fabulous.  They are so into their learning and it's great to see. I think their love for learning and enjoyment of learning comes from having an excellent teacher as well as excellent parents that encourage learning.  The students' parents also all seem to be really involved in students' learning from working on their child's learning at home or coming in during the day and helping out for an hour or two.  I really wish to see more of this in the American school system.   Parent interaction is barely present in the American school system (at least not that I can remember).   I think the American mentality is that all teaching goes on in school and not at home, but this is completely wrong.  So much learning goes on at home and outside of school and parents being involved in their child's learning is essential to a child's success and growth.
I really loved my experience here in Australia and I hope that I will be able to continue working in other Australian schools as well as schools in Taiwan (since I will be there for three months).  I think that all these international experiences are really great for me to see especially when I go to Taiwan to see how different schools are there from the Western style of teaching.  I am excited to continue my international teaching experience and I hope to learn lots.

Day #16 (Excursion Day!!!)

Although my student teaching is completed and done, I decided to go back and help out and work with the class again.  Today we went on excursion to CERES, which is a wetlands park that does a lot of eco-friendly things.  It was great because students learned a lot, had a lot of hands on activities, and had fun.  It was quite different from our first trip to Healesville Sanctuary.  I was also able to see how to deal with students in an excursion environment.

This excursion was a lot more relaxed than the first excursion.  Students were given more time to explore and look closely at things, where as at Healesville the students were rushing around and did not get much time to explore and learn.  They were both great learning experiences for the children but at CERES students were able to more thoroughly explore things they were talking about and learning about.

Students did three different 50-minute activities.  Students did a walk along a Creek which explored the impact of humans, an organic recycling lesson where students learned about how earthworms help to compost, and a ponding activity where students looked for water bugs in the pond.  These activities were all really hands on and students seemed to throughly enjoy them.

I was also able to learn how to deal with situations that arise as well.  Today a few students got hurt and I was able to see how my teacher as well as other parents dealt with the situation and I was also able to take charge.  One student got a bathroom door closed on his finger because the students were being silly.  I was able to deal with this situation by having a parent take the hurt child to get some help while I took charge of the students in the bathroom.  The students still continued to horse around even after one of their friends got their finger jammed int he door.  I had to raise my voice for the first time to get the students to listen to me and it worked.  It was a great learning situation for me because it showed me that in a situation like that, raising my voice worked and the students immediately stopped what they were doing and calmed down.

I am really glad to have been able to go on this excursion with the class.  I will also be teaching tomorrow as well and I'm really excited about that.  

Day #15

Today was sadly my last day of teaching.  However, it was really good to see and reflect on how far students have improved and changed.  The students today finished writing their wetlands animal story and the writing that the students produced was really good.  Although some students that I expected to write more or elaborate on their stories more didn't it was still good.  Others that I expected to write the minimal wrote a lot.  All the students did really good writing and it drastically improved from the stories they wrote when I first started teaching them.
My Cooperating Teacher (CT) was telling me that this is the most hectic but exciting time of the year.  She said that this part of the year is filled with lots and lots of cramming in information as well as trying to get everything done.  Teachers have to write reports, do assessments to see where students are at in terms or reading and math.  It's also very intense for the students because they have so much to learn in such a little period or time.  However it is an extremely exciting time of the year because it's usually the time when Prep students grow the most and make the most drastic changes in terms of behavior, studies, and maturity.  From the time when I started, I have seen some students grow quite a bit and make improvements.  This is really exciting for me and I was only with them for 3-4 weeks.  I can only imagine what it must be like for my CT.
It was also really interesting because my CT was telling me how she wants to get one student on an Individualized Learning Plan because the child seems to daze off into a daydream and ignores everything else.  The child will start to rock on her chair and she enters into a daydream where she is oblivious to everything else.  My CT does not know how to deal with this situation and is now keeping a record of all the occurrences.  For example, today the child was in her daydream and did not hear the bell go and was still outside after everyone had entered the classroom and was ready to learn.  This can be very dangerous and my CT is trying to get help for the student.  By keeping a record of all these occurrences, my CT will be able to track the progress of the condition and show school officials and administration so that the child will be able to receive and Individualized Learning Plan.
I think that I have learned a lot form this teaching experience.  I have also collected a lot of valuable learning resources as well throughout my time at the school.  It's really great and I'm really happy that I was able to be of help to my CT and the students.  I am also excited that I will be going back to the school on Wednesday and will be able to go on excursion with the students.  I'm really happy for this and I hope to have a great time.

Day #14

Today I was able to do some testing for my Cooperating Teacher (CT) and I was also able to put up some displays.  It was really cool to be able to actually do testing for students.  The testing consisted of me pulling students out one at a time and having them read me a list of 100 words.  These are high frequency words that students should know instantaneously.  I would call one student at a time and he or she would read me the words.  If he or she was not sure what the word was, I would ask him or her to have a go at it.  I would check the words that students were able to read without sounding out the word or taking too long to recognize it.  It was really interesting the large range in abilities.  One student could only recognize 5 words or so while other students knew almost every word.  I had always learned about doing testing on students but it wasn't until today that I actually got to perform testing and see the range.
Today I also put up displays.  It was really good to see this because it actually takes a lot of time and you just don't realize it.  I remember one of my professors told me that you should change your displays every week f not everyday.  I realized that this is almost impossible because it takes so long to put up displays and figure out places to put things.  It is really nice to have constantly changing and new displays but it is just super time consuming and it is really hard to do.
I have also realized that Australia is a lot more laid back with rules and regulations.  Since today was a really hot day, my CT turned off the lights and had the kids lay down on the floor and she sprayed them with water.  Although it is not harmful in anyway, I do not think this would've been possible in the States.  I think that parents int he States would've said something and it could've been a possible lawsuit. I really like how things here are so much more relaxed and parents, teachers, and students are just very carefree.  In the State's things are much more strict and regulated, but I think this is partially caused by the large number of lawsuits that occur.  If Americans don't like something, they will sue and this is just ridiculous.  This is sometimes really limiting for teachers to do some fun activities I feel.
Tomorrow is my last day and I am really sad about this.  However, I will be visiting the school again after tomorrow.  I will be going on excursion with the students next Wednesday and I'm really excited about that.  It's a way for me to learn more about how excursions work as well as tour around Melbourne a bit more for free.  It's a win-win situation.

Day #13

Today I was able to sit in on a staff meeting on report writing.  I was also able to go to the Preps Picnic.  It was really great.  Sadly I wasn't able to take any pictures.  I also taught two reading lessons today and it went quite well.
The staff meeting on report writing was quite interesting because it was on report writing.  It was interesting to see how the report cards are here in Victoria, Australia.  There is a dot system where students get a dot on a number line.  The numbers on the number line represent grade levels and the student is given a ranking based on what grade level they are at or performing at in different areas of learning.  It is seems like quite a nice system because you can really see where each student is in comparison to where he or she should be, but then it can be quite embarrassing for some students to see.  If all of a child's friends were above grade level and that student wasn't, he or she may feel embarrassed about his or her grades even if he or she is on target.  It was also interesting at the staff meeting because we were told a few figures of where the children were at in terms of grades.  A majority of the 3rd and 5th graders were above their grade level. This is really good and also good for me to know.  I knew that the students at the school were quite smart but I did not know they were that much smarter.  However, I have not had a close look at what the standards for each grade are so the standards could be really low.
The Preps also had a picnic today and it was really great.  Although I was unable to stay for the whole thing, it was great to see all the students together with their parents and having a good time.  It's also really nice to see how so many parents are interested and want to be involved in their child's learning.  In the Boston schools I've been in, this is not very apparent.  Parents are not very involved in their child's learning and it really hinders the child's learning.  These parents also don't seem to have a strong value on education like the parents at this school do.  It is quite upsetting to see and I think I will be talking to my Cooperating Teacher (CT) about ways to get parents involved.
Today I taught two reading lessons.  It was really great and students were engaged.  My supervisor also came in and observed and she gave me some really great comments and feedback on what to improve upon and what I was doing well.  It was really nice to get a formal observation form someone since my CT and I have mainly just been verbally talking about my lessons.  Today my supervisor wrote notes as I was teaching and it was really great because she was able to keep track of exactly what I did and what I can do to improve upon my teaching.  I think that being able to teach so many lessons and work with a great group of children is really helping me to learn about teaching and how to better improve my teaching.
I am absolutely loving it here and my teaching experience here is just wonderful.  Sadly, it is coming to an end in two days.  However, I will be in Australia for another 3 weeks and I hope to visit the school again since I have nothing planned.  This would be a great way for me to continue my teaching experience and learn more about teaching.

Day #12

Today was really cool because I was able to attend an inter-school semester meeting.  These meetings happen once every semester (quarter).  The staff form three schools including the school I'm at will gather together and have a meeting and discussion about ways they assess and grade.  During the year they have focused on reading and writing.  Today's meeting focused on oral assessment and children's ability to speak and listen.  It was really interesting because you were able to see how each school has it's own "flavor".  The teachers at different schools had a different teaching philosophy and each individual teacher had her own philosophy as well.  It was just really interesting to see how different all the teachers were.
It was also really good to see how different schools and teachers assessed the same thing.  It really goes to show that there are numerous and endless ways to reach the same point.  All teachers are striving for their students to reach a certain benchmark and each teacher had her own way of getting to that.  It was also really nice to see staff from different schools interact with one another.  Most of the time, you get so caught up with the staff at your school and thats the only staff you know.  However, these meetings allow staff from different schools to learn about each other and interact and share ideas about learning, teaching, and different resources.
Today my Cooperating Teacher (CT) also showed me how to group students based on ability since she just finished assessing all the children in the class.  It was really good because I know the general abilities of the different students and seeing her place them in new groups was really nice because I could actually picture what the groups would look like.  She said that there are three things to keep in mind when making groups.  These three things are ability, behavior, and functionality.  I completely agree with her and think that the groups she made were really good and will help students to excel and grow as readers.
Tomorrow, my supervisor will be coming in to check on me.  I am a little nervous, but I believe that I have been doing a lot of really great things in the classroom so far, so i should have nothing to worry about.  I will be teaching two lessons tomorrow and I'm really excited. Although they are both reading lessons, I think that this will be a great opportunity for me to further practice my teaching reading skills.  I hope to teach a full class math lesson before I finish my placement at this school.  However, after I finish my placement, I hope to return to the school for a visit since I will not be leaving Australia for a few more weeks.

Day #11 (Excursion day!!!)

Today we went on an excursion to the Healesville Sanctuary.  All the animals there were Australian animals and it was quite exciting.  The kids were excited and they behaved really well during the entire trip.  However, today I was not with my class.  I was working with the other Prep class because they did not have as many helpers as the other class.  It was still good because we were able to have a great day.  It was also really great because I was able to see another type of teaching today when the students had their Discovery Session.
The students were really well behaved and this is probably because many of their parents were around, and they knew that they were representing the school.  The students seemed to enjoy their time at the sanctuary.  I'm really glad that the students had a great time because it was a great learning experience for the students. The students were able to see various wetlands and wetland animals, which was what they were learning about in class.  It was really great because students were able to learn a lot and see and interact with what they were learning about in class.  This will also really help students with their research projects that they will be doing.
The students also went to a Discover Session, which was when a Sanctuary Teacher taught the kids about wetlands and the different animals there.  He showed the students various animals and allowed the students to touch the animals as well.  The kids really enjoyed this because it was quite hands on and exciting for them.  It was also a learning experience for me as well.  I was able to see how the Sanctuary Teacher was able to entertain, teach, and get the students to listen to him.  For example, he was able to get the students to remain sitting by having all the students put imaginary glue and gluing their bottoms to the floor.  It was a very creative idea and it works and the kids seemed to enjoy it as well.  Although this may not be the most practical thing to do in a school classroom setting, it was great to see different techniques from different types of teachers.
During the Discovery Session, students were also given the opportunity to interact with a wetland by scooping out some water and looking for water bugs.  The kids really enjoyed this and they behaved really good during this activity, which was great.  The kids really enjoyed what they saw and they seemed to have a lot of fun.  They learned a lot and they were doing a really good job sharing and listening to directions.  It was really great that I was able to go on a day where students went on excursion.  It is not a very common occurrence in schools and it was really great to be able to experience what a field trip is like.
I must say the day was really tiring and there were many changes tot eh schedule that we originally had.  The teachers had to constantly be thinking on their toes and think about what is the best thing to do.  We had a lot of great activities and we did a lot of walking.  Many of the kids were tired but surprisingly not that many fell asleep on the one hour bus ride back to school.  I was dead tired and nearly fell asleep on the bus.  It was a really great day though in many aspects.  The weather was good, the students were well behaved and had fun as well as learned a lot, I learned from and observed a new type of teacher and teaching, and I was able to interact with parents.  I've attached some photos below of some activities from the day.

 Wildlife Hospital - students are observing the vets perform an examination on an injured bird

 Discovery Session - students learn about a tree owl that lives by wetlands

 Discovery Session - students are looking for water bugs in the wetland using a bowl, net, and magnifying glass

Day #10

Today was a really great day.  I taught my second full class Reading Lesson and it went really well.  My Cooperating Teacher told me that I did a great job and the lesson went well.  We will also be going on a field trip tomorrow to Healesville Sanctuary.  I am super excited and so are the kids.  I'm quite surprised they weren't too hyperactive and unfocused during my lesson.  However, by the end of the day, they were very unfocused and both my CT and I were both shaking our heads in disapproval.  We were both so tired and worn out from the week already that we just didn't know what to do with the kids.
I think one of the reasons my lesson was more successful this time was because it was the second time I was teaching the whole class and they now know what I expect of them and what my CT expects of them. I think the students are also more "used to" me teaching now and are more well behaved.  Another reason for this might be because it is the start of the day and students tend to be the most alert and focused during that time of the day.
I think though I did a great job with classroom management, I could improve upon keeping students more controlled and focused during reading groups.  Since I am only work with one group, the rest of the students are on their own.  Today we had a helper and he was able to work with another group where two students would've had trouble with the work.  I wonder what it would've been like if the helper wasn't there and if it was just me alone with the kids.  How would I have managed my Teacher group as well as a group that is having trouble with the work?  Would I just provide that group with an easier activity than the other groups?  I am still thinking about it and I am not sure what is the best thing for me to do in this situation.  I should discuss with my CT about this situation and ask her what she would've done and how she would've managed it.
So far this has been a great experience.  I have been getting a lot of great teaching experience and I have really been able to learn about the school, staff, children, and parents.  I'm hoping that I will be able to learn more about the Australian culture, animals, and the students tomorrow.  I cannot wait.
To end with a lovely little snip-bit, one of the grandma's of one of my students is just adorable.  She is so loving and kind and has been asking me every morning I see her how I'm doing and if I'm enjoying my experience here.  She also offered to bring me out to lunch at a really good Chinese/Malaysian/Asian food place and it just made me feel really happy and at home.  I'm so grateful that there is a parent that has been so open and caring towards me since many of the parents just ignore me even when I try to start a conversation with them.

Day #8 & #9

So the past two days have been quite fun filled.  There have been a lot of great activities that I have learned a lot about.  On day #8, my Cooperating Teacher (CT) was absent so I was able to take a more prominent role in teaching.  It was a great experience and we were able to co-teach with the teacher from the other Prep class and work with the Sports Teacher as well.  We did some great relays that helped us with out maths activity as well.  Since Melbourne Cup (a horse race) was the next day, we had the students do a few novelty races that were fun and educational.  The students were asked to see which group came first, second, third, forth, and so on.  Students were learning about the different places (1st, 2nd, 3rd...) and the students were able to see math in their everyday lives during these races.  It was really good because the students enjoyed it and learned from it as well.  It was also great fun because there were only 14 kids and we made 3 groups so I had to be the 5th player on one of the teams.  It was really fun because it was a great way to bond with the kids and it was also fun for me.  It made me feel like I was a little child again.

Today (Day #9) I taught a math lesson and it went really well.  It was on doubling and it was great because I was able to give the students a number of different strategies and methods to help them solve the problems.  Almost all the students knew what they were doing afterwards and were able to complete the worksheet.  Some students still needed help, but it was mainly help keeping them focused.  I talked to my CT about it today and she was thinking that I could possibly pull these students out and then run and intensive maths group.  I think that this would be a great opportunity since she will have the help and I will also be given and opportunity to run an intensive maths group to help the students.  This will give me the opportunity to learn how I can structure and run an intensive maths group in my future classroom.

I think that I am learning a lot here and my CT gives me a lot of responsibilities int he classroom which is great.  I cannot wait to teach more lessons and work with the students.