St. Patrick's Day Math Activity

Back during my pre-primary internship, I had to create a math lesson that was St.
Patrick's Day themed and this is what I came up with. 

I began the lesson by reading this short story called five leaping leprechauns that my mentor had found. After reading the story, I called on five students to be the leprechauns and act out the story while I read it. 

Next I had a big pot and told the children that they were going to steal some of my gold coins. I would count out the amount of coins in the pot before the student would come up and then the student would say how many coins they stole. Then we would say the subtraction sentence. I did this a couple of times with different students. They had a blast being able to steal my gold coins. 

Next I gave students a small gold pot of their own and some paper coins and they worked with partners doing what we did on the carpet. They would also use the dry erase board and marker to practice writing the subtraction sentence. 

Lastly, the students had to decide how many coins would be in their pot and glue them down and then decide how many gold coins the leprechaun took by drawing X's on them. Lastly they filled out a piece of paper attached to the bottom talking about their pot of gold. 

I made these pot by using this link and printing them onto construction paper. For the gold coins was yellow construction paper and I used a circle cutter that my mentor had. For the paper attached I created and you can get that here.

Below is a few examples the independent activity the students did:

Observations and Assignments

I have only had two observations from my supervisor thus from in my pre-primary internship. I was thinking that she was just going to show up one time unexpected during the last two weeks, but that didn't happen. 

My first observation was back during the second week I believe. She is suppose to get in four observations for pre-primary and another four for primary. One has to be during our COL and one needs be during out Teach Week. 

Make second one was during this week. She observed my first lesson for my COL. She made that comment that I need to smile and relax more. It's hard for me to be out of my comfort zone and do silly things in front of other adults. My Supervisor said that she wants to see that from me the next time she comes which is sometime next week. 

My Supervisor is in a rush to try and fit everybody's observations in with all of the snow days and delays. She is also going to be gone for about a week, so that is less chances for her to come and see us. 

There are still assignments that I need to complete during this rotation before I move on to the next one. I need to videotape one of my lessons which I plan to do sometime next week during one of my math lessons because we need to turn in a lesson with it and I already have to type up all of my COL lessons. So I thought I would kill two birds with one stone. 

I also need to type up all of my COL lessons and everything else that goes with that. I need to type up whatever I need to for my Teach Week. Both my COL and Videotaped lesson is due on April 1 and I am not sure when the Teach Week stuff is due. 

There is also my action research project that I need to complete in my second rotation because I got too busy during this rotation and with all the snow days it would have been a mess anyways. And that is not due until sometime in May. 

Teach Week: Friday

On Friday my voice came back a little more. It was much better compared to the day before. My mentor did make it to the school. 

Friday. What can I say about Friday? 

It was absolutely crazy. 

So much was going on that my mentor did not tell me and I kind of got stressed. As I was giving the spelling test, my mentor has a lady that comes in every Friday and works with the students. I thought it was a whole group things, but no she pulls each student aside and works with them individually. 

So random students were getting up and leaving to work with her during the spelling test. Then they could come back and have know idea where we were. 

Then during whole group time my mentor had a parent volunteer pulling students out to do something. This was when I was explaining their seatwork that they were going to do. So when it was time for some students seatwork they did not know what to do. 

Also before that I completely forgot about the seatwork and did not have anything planned. I felt horrible when my mentor asked me about it. Thankfully we pulled through it and she talked to me latter about what I could do if I was by myself and stuff. 

Latter in the day we took the science test, which I graded latter and would need to the grades for my Cycle of Learning. Needless to say the grades were not that great. But it's a learning experience and I am learning for when I have my own classroom. 

Finally Cycle of Learning my over. I needed sleep so bad and my body would not let me have it. I kept waking up early throughout the following week. 

Lastly, this will be my last post until Dec. 29, so enjoy the holidays and spend time with your loved ones!

Teach Week: Wednesday and Thursday

I ended up losing my voice on Wednesday and could barely speak above a whisper on Thursday. Which lucky, me I had my cohort professor observing me that day. I felt that it was not good and my voice kept breaking, so I couldn't even talk at some points. Got through it though. 

Again I did not stay late at the school on either day because my mentor had to leave early. I took student's papers home to grade those  because I also needed grades for my COL (cycle of learning). 

And yeah... not much more to say. I was really nervous for Friday because there was a chance my mentor was going to be there. Also it was going to be the day I gave the student's their test to see how well I did on teaching them. 

Teach Week: Monday and Tuesday

I was so nervous Sunday night before starting teach week, though I felt ok for Monday and Tuesday because I had planned more for these days. I would stay after and get things ready for the next day like putting up the plans and typing up my morning work and message. I would have my mentor look at them before I left. 

On both days, I kept wondering when my cohort professor was going to come in and observe me, but she did not show up on these days. Which made me nervous because I did not like my lessons for Wednesday and Thursday as much as I liked my Monday and Tuesday lessons. So I was a little upset that she did not show up on these days. 

Tuesday when I got home, my throat felt a tad funny and I was worried I was getting sick. 

Teach Week and Week Off

Teach week is when we teach everyday for one week to get us prepared for next semester. There is one subject that you have to teach everyday for that week called cycle of learning. It is encouraged to teach as much as you can during this week. 

For my teach week I am teaching every subject everyday. My cycle of learning is for science, so that is the only subject that I need to turn in lesson plans for after teach week is over.  _____________________________________________________________________
This is my last post until Monday, Dec. 8, 2014.

Teach week is next week and I need to have that week off to focus on teaching everyday. Thanksgiving is here and I need to help with cooking. I just need time off from having to worry about this while worrying about 20 other things all related to school. 

Have a great Thanksgiving and a safe Black Friday if you go out. 

Teach Week Plans Due

Teach week plans are due tomorrow!

I can not believe that it is already time to turn them in. There was a lot of repetitiveness. There were three things that we had to turn in and one of them we had to do five times, one for each time. Basically we talked about what we were going to teach, the topics, and the times. 

I have them almost completed and they are not a full lesson plan that we had to create. After teach week, we have to turn in are full lesson plans, so I began working on them because I know I am going to be exhausted on the weekend from teach week and I do not want to worry about completing full lesson plans. 

I am going to post another thing about everything that I will be teaching everyday like what subject and what the topic is about that day. You will see when I post it next week I believe. 

Student Teaching: Day 14 (Semester 7)

Meet the new intern. She will only be there for two weeks, so after next week she will be gone. 

Worker with my case study student and it was a struggle. We wanted to add a picture to what he wrote about, but kept messing up. I told him that we could work on it latter, but he wanted to do it then. Finally, I convinced him that we could work on it during lunch. 

Came back into the classroom and did the calendar routine and morning message. 

I watched my mentor with the reading groups.

Then I taught Social Studies which went ok. There was a misunderstanding about what their poster was to be about, but my mentor fixed it. Kind of. 

Then it was time for lunch and recess. I stayed in the cafeteria and allowed the student to finish his work. 

While they were at recess my mentor discussed with my and the other intern about doing a reading group next week, so I will work with the lower reading group on both days next week. 

When they came back from recess the students got to finish their poster. When this was starting the sub walked in and my mentor forgot that she had an esol meeting and my mentor just told the sub that I was in charge. I just talked to the students about their poster and writing labels on it. 

After that we did math when my mentor came back. It began raining at this time. We had the students line up for music which is outside in the portal. I was at the end of the line and while I was walking the tech teacher told me not to let the kids walk out and she went to tell my mentor. My mentor went to get the students who made it outside to come back in. I stayed with the students who did not go. Then as they brought it the students I got them in line. 

We went back to the classroom and the music teacher never showed up, so we just finished with math. 

Before I knew it, it was time to pack up.

Then I went and changed for Service Learning. 

It rained and we were going to have the students play in the alcove, but they were stepping up the book fair there. We all just stayed in the classroom and did a smart board lesson with them.

Time went by so much faster during that lesson then it felt like. The lesson took up most of the time and we had a worksheet for the students to do also.

At the end we ate snack and they lined up and that was it.

We did have one late student and we had trouble getting a hold of the parents. Our PDS coordinator helped out and was finally able to get a hold of the grandfather and another teacher said that she would stay with him and let us leave. It was very nice of her and it was about 4:20 when we left.

Student Teaching: Day 13 (Semester 7)

Worked with my case study student again in the morning.
The students had an assembly in the morning. It was really entertaining and engaging for the students.
We came back to the classroom afterwards and I did my lesson. I ran out of time and only got to two of the reading groups, though I got to see the other group after recess.
Students went to lunch and recess.
I finished the last reading group and then students did math for a little before leaving to specials for an hour.
My mentor and I discussed me teaching social studies next Wednesday.
Students came back from specials and packed up and left.



Sorry. I cannot remember much from what I did on this day. Must have not been that eventful.

Lesson Plan 2 (Semester 7)

Common Core Standard: SL.1.5 - Add drawings or other visual displays to descriptions when appropriate to clarify ideas, thoughts, and feelings.

Objective: Students will identify sounds words by coloring a picture for the word drip.

Materials: Plain Paper, Presentation, Crayons, Puddles by Jonathan London

Introduction: Discuss how the title is written on the book. Ask students why it might be written that way. 

Direct Instruction: Read story to the students and discuss descriptive words throughout the story. Have students picture parts of the story and share what they see. Create list of sounds words after reading story. 

Guided Instruction: Then go through the presentation. Explain to students how I designed the word and then work together to create the next two words. 

Independent Instruction: Then students will draw a picture of the word 'drip' at desks. 

Closure: Have students hold up pictures of what they created, so everyone can see. 

Assessment: Pictures students created. 

Have to say that I do not feel like this is my best lesson. It felt kind of last minute, so it may sound confusing above of what I am doing.  

Lesson Plan 1 (Semester 7)

This is the lesson plan that taught to the students on day 6. 

Common Core Standard: RF.1.2.d

Objective: Students will stretch words using rubber bands. 

Materials: Rubber Bands, Glue, Worksheets

Introduction: Ask what rubber bands can do. Say that words can be stretched too.

Direct Instruction: Show words being stretched while stretching a rubber band. Then stretch words together as a class with rubber bands. 

Guided Instruction: Allow students to practice stretching words on their own. Have students tell you the stretched out word. 

Independent Practice: Students cut words from worksheet based on their sounds and glue into journals. 

Closure: Give the students a word and have them stretch it out on their own with no rubber bands. 

Assessment: The segmenting worksheet. 

Oh. By the way, It's my birthday today and I am feeling......

Student Teaching: Day 6 (Semester 7)

Greeting and getting the students started on their morning work is going to be an everyday thing. I am not the best at it, like some students are ready to know what they have to do before it is time to tell them. My mentor wants to encourage them to socialize with others. I also walked around seeing who did their homework. 

Oh. By the way, both students came back with the permission slips. Finally. My mentor wants me to still assess the other student in case the parents ever want to see something. 

My cohort professor came in right at 8 for my lesson and we were kind of behind with morning work because my mentor felt they still needed time to do it. My professor asked for my lesson plan which I printed and I gave her a copy of the feedback form. My mentor went over the morning work with the students and after that I did the calendar with them. 

The calendar went ok. I had my notes with me to remember what needed to be done. Though later I realized I forgot to do one part with them. I jumped right in to my lesson with the students after that. 

To begin, I felt very nervous. Reading is not my strong suit and so I felt uncomfortable teaching them. Nothing bad happened. My mentor had me do some changes throughout the lesson that would help the students. 

My professor and I discussed my lesson afterwards. She was asking me questions about how I felt the lesson went and I just completely blanked on what I just did with the students. She didn't have anything bad to say just gave me some suggestions. Like during the transitions from guided to independent to explain to the students the connections of what we did together and what they are going to be doing on their own. 

Today was recess duty day and it seemed like lots of students were getting injured. My mentor said that they were probably trying to get inside since it was warm out. While I was out there two kids I did not know came up to me and said 'Hello, red team captain." They recognized me from the day before when I was the team captain during the assembly. 

Brought the students in from outside and had 30 minutes for math. Today students have two specials after math, so they would be gone for an hour. While the students were away she did planning for a field trip in October. She was busy on a phone call when the students were coming back into the classroom, so I got them in and settled at their desks. My mentor was still on the phone when she told me to have them pack up. 

They packed up quickly that there was time leftover, so my mentor had me read to them a story. My mentor was happy they packed early, but they were loud while they were packing. She said that to the students, not me. 

When the students all left I helped my mentor with a few things and then I checked the students assessments from during my lesson. Only one student didn't get them all right. Then I went home after checking that off. 

Busy Night

This post is not going to be very good because it's really late and I'm tired. Since I have gotten home from work I have been busy working on my prop box, lesson plan, and my service learning stuff. I had to make some changes to my lesson plan on that my mentor suggested. I had to print at the worksheets too. I also was worried because my cohort professor didn't email me back about going to my placement school tomorrow. Which she needs to because after tomorrow I don't have anything left to do for her to observe.

F.Y.I., after tomorrow there will only be two more days that I will be at placement. I can't believe the time went by so fast.

Also tonight I had to finish getting things finished and ready with my prop box. Mostly I had to decorate the box and then I had to change my plan for the art activity. Thanks to my parents who helped me come up with another idea, but I could still use the items I had planned.

For the service learning, I had people from my group texting and emailing me about stuff. Which was really annoying because it took away from time that I needed to do. Whatever. I think everything is good now. We will find out tomorrow.

I will explain more about everything on Friday's post.

Lesson Plan: 5 (Semester 6)

Emergent Writing Lesson Plan

Objective:

1. The students will be able to tell a story, real or imagined, using writing and drawings about a time they wanted something. 

Materials:

• The Pigeon Wants a Puppy by Mo Willems
• Markers or crayons
• Pencils
• Writing worksheet

Introduction:

• Ask the students to give you examples of what a 'want' is.

Procedures:

• Read the The Pigeon Wants a Puppy story. 
• Have students find partner to tell about a time they wanted something. 
• Model to the students a story about a time you wanted something. 

Closure:

• Have students write and draw about a time they wanted something on the writing worksheet using markers or crayons. 

Lesson Plan: 4 (Semester 6)

I didn't implement this lesson plan in class because I didn't have time to and I have another lesson for the same class that I will implement.

Shared Reading; Read Alouds

Objectives:

1. Students will be able to retell the story, Brown Bear, Brown Bear what do you see? by placing the pictures of the events in the correct order on the worksheet. 

Common Core Standards:

• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.K.2 - With prompting and support, retell familiar stories, including key details.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.K.3 - With prompting and support, identify characters, settings, and major events in a story.

Materials:
- Brown Bear, Brown Bear What do you see? Big Book by Eric Carle and Bill Martin Jr.
- Brown Bear Sequencing Worksheet
- Crayons/Markers
- Pencils
- Big Post it Notes
- White board
- Character Cards

Introduction:

• Ask the students to look at the cover and ask what characters will be in the story based on the cover. Then write down the answers on Post it Notes and place on the front of the book.

Procedures:

• Read the title of the book and model a prediction for the students from the title, then have the make predictions. Write predictions down on post it notes and place on front of book.
• Read the book and then afterwards go over the predictions and see if they were right or not.
• Next have the students retell the story by having each child be one of the characters from the story and give them a character card (picture of the animal and the word). 

Assessment:

• Student's complete the brown bear sequencing worksheet at their desks. 

Lesson Plan: 3 (Semester 6)

First off let me say that I have finally gotten my first feedback on a lesson. We are over half way through the semester and this is the only feedback back I have gotten for a lesson so far. It was good. I only got one point off for...I'm not sure, but this makes me hopeful that my other lessons are going to be good too. Well maybe. It depends on the professor I turned the lesson plan in to.

Also I got an email from my cohort professor and I may have one less lesson that I have to implement at placement. That would mean that I only have this lesson and one other lesson to teach and I would be finished. I still have one other project I need to do at placement, but that should be simple.

Science Lesson; Living Things

Objectives:

1. Students will be able to learn about living things by making a collage of living things by cutting pictures out of a magazine. 

Common Core Standards:

• K.MD.A.2 - Directly compare two objects with a measurable attribute in common, to see which has "more of" / "less of" the attribute and describe the difference. 

Next Generation Science Standards:

• K-LS1-1 - Use observations to describe patterns of what plants and animals (including humans) need to survive. 

Materials:

- What's Alive by Kathleen Weidner Zoehfled

- Magazines

- Scissors

- Glue Sticks

- Pencils

- Living Things Construction Paper

- Pictures of Living Things 

- Pictures of Non-living Things

- Living and Non-living Things Header

Introduction:

• Ask the students, "What does it mean to be alive?"

Procedures:

• Read What's Alive to the students and after reading ask the students again, "What does it mean to be alive?"
• Then sort the pictures of living and non living things together as a class on the board.

Assessment:

• Students will use magazines to find pictures of living things to create a collage. 

Next Semester Schedule

We have already gotten our schedule for the fall semester. My cohort doesn't have the best schedule. Also there are some mistakes with the schedule and so there might be some changes.

Here is the picture is picture of all of the cohorts schedule. I'm in Cohort C.

I don't know if I have said this, but in my cohort we are mostly a commuter cohort, so on Tuesday that is going to be such a long day for us. I feel like I'm in a rock and a hard place and I can't decide if I should buy a car. The car I drive is not the best car for commuting everyday. Also it's not my car, but my parents car. I don't have to buy are car, though I kind of want to buy one now and pay it off before graduating. I just don't know because after this fall semester I'm not going to be driving to college much anymore since I will be full time student teaching.

Spring Break Plans

Spring Break is finally here. Honestly it doesn't feel like I have been in school that much, though I did have quite a few snow days here and there. My spring break might not feel to much like spring right now because it's snowing, though hopefully by the end of the week it will be nicer to sit outside and soak up some rays.

Oh, by the way, Happy St. Patrick's Day!

It might be called Spring Break, but I have a lot that I want to do and try to complete before school starts next week. I made two different lists that I want to work on. I also need to send my mentor the reflection forms to complete because those are also due.

The first list is stuff that I have to work and try and complete because they will be do soon. The other list is stuff that I would like to try and work on if I have time to after completing everything in the first list.

Must To Do:

• Literacy Bag ideas and games(3)
• Prop Box ideas and games(5)
• Arts of the World Center
• Author Study
• Lesson plan reflections
• Blank Canvases
• Shared Reading Lesson Plan
• Articles Summary

Other To Do:

• Clean room
• Schedule lessons
• Write lessons
• Get organized
• Wash car
• Write part of Cognitive Report

Lesson Plan: 2 (Semester 6)

Here is a lesson plan that I have wrote up for one of my classes. In this class I have to write three lesson plans and implement two of the lesson plans. I decided to teach this one and just to get it out of the way while I don't have too much on my plate. Ha! I always have at least three items on my pla

Note: I got part of my idea for this lesson from Wild About Firsties with the "Dust Bunnies" jar.

Phonological Awareness Lesson: Rhyming

Objectives:

1. Students will be able to learn rhyming words by sorting the words into the jars.
2. Students will be able to learn rhyming words by coloring the matching rhyme words and creating their own. 

Common Core Standard:

• CCSS.Content.ELA.RF.K.2a Recognize and produce rhyming words. 

Materials:

• Pom Poms
• Jars
• Pencils
• Crayons
• Rhyming Dust Bunnies by Jan Thomas
• What Rhymes with Bug? Worksheets
• Hat
• Stuffed cat

Introduction:

• I will ask the children "what does rhyming mean?" Then I will show them a hat(stuffed cat inside) and say that there is something inside the hat. "Do you know what could be in the hat?" Then I will pull out the cat and say "There was a cat inside my hat! What do you think about that? Do hat and cat rhyme?" They should say yes.

Procedures:

• I will tell that I have a new exciting book about rhyming that I want to read to them. I will tell them to listen for rhymes in the story. After reading the story I will pick a few friends to tell me the rhymes they heard in the story. 
• After that I will tell them about a problem with the dust bunnies(make something up) and now I need help sorting them into the correct jars that they belong in. I will have each child with one dust bunny.
• I will call the children up by calling the "Cat Jar" rhymes and the children with the words that rhyme with cat will place it into the jar. I will do the same for the other two jars.
• We will then go over the words in the jar as a class and make sure that they are in the correct jar.

Assessment:

• The students will complete 'What Rhymes with Bug' worksheets at their desk.

Note: I typed this a little while ago before I got feedback from my mentor about the lesson plan, so in the pictures it's a little different then the original plan. I'm going to be doing this lesson to two small groups and the one group is not on grade level, so I made their dust bunny words with pictures and the other group without. I also have a different assessment for them, but I didn't post that on here. 

Lesson Plan: 1 (Semester 6)

For one of my classes I need to teach a small group of students with slower development or special needs a lesson. I asked my mentor earlier this week what she would like me to teach them because I want it to be beneficial to the students. She told math would be good and then when I went on Wednesday she said something about number recognition. I thought I would do that since they are doing addition and are about to do subtraction. If the students don't know their numbers then they are going to have a hard time doing math problems.

This lesson my kind of last minute because I was going to teach it sometime during my spring break, which is next week, so I had to think of an idea quickly and get the materials ready in less then a week.

Math: Number Recognition

Objectives:

1. Students will recognize numbers 1-10 by adding spots to ladybugs and writing that number.
2. Students will recognize numbers by coloring the pictures based on the numbers.

Common Core Standard:

CCSS.Math.Content.K.CC.A.3 Write numbers from 0 to 20. Represent a number of objects with a written numeral 0-20 (with 0 representing a count of no objects).

Materials:

• Crayons or Markers
• Pencils
• Big Ladybugs
• Ladybug Spots (size of water bottle cap)
• Ladybug Worksheets
• Glue stick
• Slimy Snail/Dazzling Dragonfly Worksheet

Introduction:

• The teacher will tell the students that she caught some ladybugs outside the other day. The teacher will take out one of the ladybugs and ask the students "What is this on the ladybug" while pointing to the number on the ladybug. 
• The students should say it's a number or they will say what the number is.

Procedures:

• Next the teacher will ask the students if they notice anything missing from the ladybugs. They should say their spots. 
• The teacher will pull out one of the ladybugs and pick a student to add the spots to the lady bug. 
• The students will have the worksheet in front of them and the students will write which ladybug it is in the box and then add the spots on the ladybug.

Assessment:

• Students will complete the Slimy Snail/Dazzling Dragonfly worksheet at their desk and turn it when finished.

PS: I created the Big Ladybugs and the Ladybug worksheet so feel free to click on the pictures or in the materials list to download if you want to use them.