Holy Cow!!! I learned so much in middle school today! Aimee and I showed up at 8 tuesday morning and went in door 1...which i think was the 8th grade entrance and we were very lost. It seems that once you get to 8th grade you are wayyyy too cool to give directions but we eventually found our way to the 6th grade wing. This school is almost impossible to navigate. I build a maze every year for the Haunted Labyrinth and that maze is nothing compared to this school. :-) I felt as if when we got to the 6th grade wing the song from the Wizard of Oz...we welcome you to munchkin land started to play in my head. These kids are soooooo cute! Its such a learning experience to see how the teams work because I never had anything like that in middle school. After homeroom and reading class we met with Beth and planned out our schedule for the next few weeks. It is going to go by so fast! Today I learned that an ELMO is something more than a toy that you tickle! It is this really neat camera device that acts as an overhead projector..bye bye transparancies, this thing rocks! Aimee and I are going to have a 90 minute block to teach, that is going to be pretty darn awesome. I talked a lot to one boy named Elvis. He was pretty rockin. He just moved to Rhode Island last year from Brooklyn and speaks Spanish at home...when we told him that next week was spring break he wanted to know if we were going to Mexico..and why after homeroom in the morning we couldnt go to math class with him? SO CUTE! Monday we are going to the common planning time which will be exciting to see how the teachers hash out some ideas for units. Today we also had an assembly! What a great day! Beth is really great! She is pretty hip and her room has a nice feel to it. Very inviting and warm. The "Caught Ya" activity is also a nice idea that I think I will want to incorporate at the high school level...no one is too old for a little grammar here and there...I could even use the review. I feel this is very scattered and I apologize but I have so many things to write about! The idea of an advisory period is sooooo new to me and so interesting. At first I didn’t get it at all and then I thought duh! Of course kids need a break in the day. Beth did a checking in activity with them and Aimee and I got to participate which was fun. Its going to take some getting used to the kids calling me Miss Amodie….its so formal! I find it funny that most just call every teacher Miss. Today we met the 6th grade vice principal, Mr. Picard and while we were in his office laughing and having a nice time the Principal, Dr. McGee came in and Beth introduced us but we did not know that he was the Principal! They were both very nice and happy to see that we were there. How funny is it that you need a key to get into the bathroom at all times? Also how funny is it that they call a detention a 15? I felt a strong gravitational pull to stay at the school even when we had to leave. I felt a connection with the kids already…and I haven’t even talked to them all yet, strange but true. Its 4am and I have been up since 6 yesterday morning….I think its time for some ninja sleep. Kellen and Kate ROCK IT TOMORROW! Actually its today! Everyone else…. BE NINJA’s! :-)
today was a pretty good time at the middle school. I was excited to meet the teacher I will be working with and she turned out to be really nice and helpful. It was good to feel welcome in her class and to know that she would help us with anything we needed. Once classes started up, I found myself constantly being impressed with every student. heading into the class, i pictured a bunch of rowdy kids running around and doing minimal work. but with the exception of about 2 students, i was so impressed with how much they wanted to participate and to succeed in their work. perhaps it was Kate and I's presence, but students were raising their hands, shouting out answers, and volunteering to read at our table! these students were so into reading fables it seemed to good to be true. they had no problems reading the material and answering comprehension questions. besides sitting, talking, and working with the students, I went on a guided tour of the building, bumped into some friends, hung out in the teacher's lounge and discussed the minimal amounts of food i can prepare on my own, and ate two (2) of Kate's cookies (that were very delicious). all in all, this was a good day. I am going to read the book the students are reading in class, and think about teaching a lesson on fables for the week after spring break. Things are looking good, rock n' roll!
Being back in a middle school this semester makes me think about how much I learned during my classes for my middle school endorsement, which is pretty cool. Allie covered much of what happened on our first day, woo go allie! We are anticipating the day that one of us is going to fall in our high heels, as it almost happened about 10 times on Tuesday!
One word - STAIRS - I am on the stairs, I can see another stair case, but I can't get there, what is that! Tomorrow Allie and I are going to be there at 8 am and at some point I think I might be compelled to explore the stairs.
Beth Wheeler is awesome, she is organized and on top of her game, I am looking forward to being in her classroom and getting to know her and the students. The school really makes me want to go exploring, it makes me get that feeling - the discovery zone feeling, you just want to go explore! I don't know how those kids don't get lost in there! Allie and I have decided to call it the labyrinth haha.
I'm excited to teach and meet new teachers and I guess just everything that comes with this experience is exciting, it's nice to actually just get out there and do something! I'm wondering how many time I will get called Miss Marsden...instead of Marsland. I hope you are all having fun, it's going to be a great 6 weeks, can't wait until we are all back in building two sharing our stories and experiences!
wooo woooo Kellen & The Kumquats taking over the world!
Having laughed about the crazy STAIRS at WMS yesterday with Kellen, Rich and Kate, I loved your post. It is SO CRAZY how you can see the way to get to the 4th floor but you can't access "the way to get there" in a logical route. Those kids at that school really learn to become critical thinkers...they need to be in order to find their classrooms! Maybe they should hand out GPS units at the door ("at the screaming hot radiator, take a right" and "once you pass the ice cream stand room, take a left."
Did you all see the "ice cream stand" room, the same room I referred to as "the Hobbit room?" I think it's 324 or something like that...check it out!
Hi all! Ashley and I went to Ricci MS yesterday. We were originally supposed to be in a classroom with a teacher that Dr. Cook set us up with, but yesterday that teacher informed us that because she would be going away for a week that we were going into a different classroom. At first I was skeptical because Ashley and I didn't even know if this was okay with Dr. Cook or if Dr. Cook even knew who she was. The morning was filled with chaos and more than enough "first day" jitters.
Once Ashley and I figured out the teacher we would be placed with though I began to feel really excited. I was in Lisa Montecalvo's classroom looking at the bright faces of the students I soon will be working hands on with!! How exciting. I sat in the classroom observing the teacher's techniques, the classes' personalities, the set up of the classroom, the posters and class creations on the wall and anything else I could absorb.
I enjoyed listening and watching the students and began to try learning their names (approx. 56 names). I can't wait to start getting my hands dirty working with the kids . I have a bunch of reading for Monday so I will say hasta luego for now and I hope everyone is just as happy with their placements as I am.
Becky~ I am so glad you covered our crazy, because now I can skip it. I put off writing because I was really frustrated with the change initially, but now that I've had time to chill out, I'm feeling pretty good about it all.
Despite the early morning chaos, our first day at Ricci was pretty cool. 2 out of 3 of Lisa's classes meet twice a day, and the third one meets once with her, and once with another teacher. I'm really excited to observe her classes because one group is accelerated (8th grade doing 9th grade work), one group is right on target for their grade level (7th), and the third (also 7th) is a little behind what is expected. I'm really excited to have the opportunity to work with students at varying levels of ability. Unfortunately, all three classes are working on different material, so it's not like we'll be able to create one amazing lesson and differentiate it, but at least we'll have the opportunity to work with students at those varied levels.
Wednesday, we got to see the advanced class and the "on target" group. The advanced class met first period, then period 2 and 3 were a block with the "on target" group. The fourth period was Lisa's planning, and she took us around the building, pointing out important places like their brightly coloured cafeteria, the one wing that sticks off the otherwise rectangular school (that being the 6th grade wing), and the offices of the essential staff, e.g. principal, school psychologist, nurse, etc. The setup is very simple and friendly to a newcomer, which is quite a relief, given our conversations about WMS!
Lisa seems really happy to have us, and was totally accommodating to our diverse, uncoordinated schedules. She let us have her seating chart during the block to help us learn the students' names, and she used their names liberally. I don't think this was only for our benefit; it seems like she probably makes a point of using their names regularly, which struck me as an effective way of personalizing the class. They know that she cares what they, as particular individuals, think about whatever it is they're talking about. It was also very interesting to see how she handled unexpected answers, and those that didn't quite get to the heart of the matter.
All of the kids seem very eager to participate, but I also noticed that they are a little cut-throat. When Lisa drew a parallel between Princess Di and Eleanor Roosevelt as humanitarians, one of the girls didn't really see the connection, because one visited the sick, and one visited soldiers. Some of the other kids quietly ridiculed her for missing the connection, while others openly exclaimed that the connection was obvious. I wanted to say something, but I didn't feel like it was my place since today was our first day in the class. After all, who am I to them yet but some grown-up from RIC?
Oh! And one other random thing before I wrap this up. Becky mentioned the things on the walls. This is the first time I've observed a teacher who has a single classroom since I have been in the program. It was cool for me to be able to get a visual representation of what they have been working on. I was also impressed to notice that each class was represented on the walls and around the room in some way. It wasn't JUST the advanced class, each class had some kind of creative work on display. There did seem to be just a little more attention to the advanced group because there was a Shakespearean word-wall, as well as a pre-made poster featuring some Shakespearean phrases, but it wasn't a drastic difference in representation. I'm sure that some of the time the other classes are more prominently featured, it's just that at this time, the advanced group takes up a little more of the wall.
Overall, I'm really excited about our placement and really looking forward to working with these kids and with Lisa. I never thought I'd be saying this, even as I recognized the value of the experience, but WOO Middle School! Yay!
Lots of reading to do this week... _Pictures from Hollis Woods_ is a new one by me. It's so cool to hear about how everyone else's first experiences have gone, I look forward to seeing the rest!
You folks are making me SO HAPPY with your good, good energy and open minds and enthusiasm. Impressive indeed. Thank you all for making your first foray into field experience 1--whether flawless or chaotic or complex--a positive learning experience. I appreciate Rebecca and Ashley's ability to "flex and flow" (and that's really a teacher term...really). I also appreciate the coming-together-ness of the WMS crew--you folks need to meet up sometime in the Cafetorium (that's what they call it when the Auditorium and the Cafeteria are the same place...such a middle school kind of thing). YAY! We have begun our work in schools!!!!! ;-)
The first day of middle school went really well. Erica seems super nice, energetic, PATIENT, and laid back….sooooo laid back. She gave Kellen and I loads of freedom to decide what/when/how we want to teach. Her classroom was so bright and cheerful-totally different from how I remember Woonsocket Middle School. Being there was a crazy experience. Walking around the school I was amazed to discover how many of the teachers I had are still teaching…..crazy. Like Kellen I was really impressed by how attentive and eager the students were. They were definitely putting on a show for us, but it made me even more excited for our teaching knowing they will willingly participate. Erica’s classroom has small tables that the kids get to sit around which I thought was great. The kids were a riot. There was the kid who doesn’t understand the concept of inner dialogue and constantly talks to himself out loud. The kid who told us about everything going on in his life-how his birthday was coming up soon, how he was walking home from school with his best friend, how he was mean to the substitute teacher. The kid who bounced out of his seat so many times that he made us dizzy. They were so much fun to be around. We’re going back tomorrow and I can’t wait.
In response to Allie: "I find it funny that most just call every teacher Miss."
Kellen and I were talking about this. It drives me crazy! It happened throughout all of my schooling in Woonsocket. I know it's nitpickey but I don't want the kids to address me like that. I want to talk to Erica about it.
Just a reminder that I have continued to post about my experiences on my blog.
Aimee: I can't believe that we have to wait two weeks for a new episode of lost
Kellen: Watched a really cool documentary on NOFX the other night, made me think of you, Tokyo Gore Police is the best horror movie of 2009. I have got to get it to you.
12 comments:
Holy Cow!!! I learned so much in middle school today! Aimee and I showed up at 8 tuesday morning and went in door 1...which i think was the 8th grade entrance and we were very lost. It seems that once you get to 8th grade you are wayyyy too cool to give directions but we eventually found our way to the 6th grade wing. This school is almost impossible to navigate. I build a maze every year for the Haunted Labyrinth and that maze is nothing compared to this school. :-) I felt as if when we got to the 6th grade wing the song from the Wizard of Oz...we welcome you to munchkin land started to play in my head. These kids are soooooo cute! Its such a learning experience to see how the teams work because I never had anything like that in middle school. After homeroom and reading class we met with Beth and planned out our schedule for the next few weeks. It is going to go by so fast! Today I learned that an ELMO is something more than a toy that you tickle! It is this really neat camera device that acts as an overhead projector..bye bye transparancies, this thing rocks! Aimee and I are going to have a 90 minute block to teach, that is going to be pretty darn awesome. I talked a lot to one boy named Elvis. He was pretty rockin. He just moved to Rhode Island last year from Brooklyn and speaks Spanish at home...when we told him that next week was spring break he wanted to know if we were going to Mexico..and why after homeroom in the morning we couldnt go to math class with him? SO CUTE! Monday we are going to the common planning time which will be exciting to see how the teachers hash out some ideas for units. Today we also had an assembly! What a great day! Beth is really great! She is pretty hip and her room has a nice feel to it. Very inviting and warm. The "Caught Ya" activity is also a nice idea that I think I will want to incorporate at the high school level...no one is too old for a little grammar here and there...I could even use the review. I feel this is very scattered and I apologize but I have so many things to write about! The idea of an advisory period is sooooo new to me and so interesting. At first I didn’t get it at all and then I thought duh! Of course kids need a break in the day. Beth did a checking in activity with them and Aimee and I got to participate which was fun. Its going to take some getting used to the kids calling me Miss Amodie….its so formal! I find it funny that most just call every teacher Miss. Today we met the 6th grade vice principal, Mr. Picard and while we were in his office laughing and having a nice time the Principal, Dr. McGee came in and Beth introduced us but we did not know that he was the Principal! They were both very nice and happy to see that we were there. How funny is it that you need a key to get into the bathroom at all times? Also how funny is it that they call a detention a 15? I felt a strong gravitational pull to stay at the school even when we had to leave. I felt a connection with the kids already…and I haven’t even talked to them all yet, strange but true. Its 4am and I have been up since 6 yesterday morning….I think its time for some ninja sleep. Kellen and Kate ROCK IT TOMORROW! Actually its today! Everyone else…. BE NINJA’s! :-)
today was a pretty good time at the middle school. I was excited to meet the teacher I will be working with and she turned out to be really nice and helpful. It was good to feel welcome in her class and to know that she would help us with anything we needed. Once classes started up, I found myself constantly being impressed with every student. heading into the class, i pictured a bunch of rowdy kids running around and doing minimal work. but with the exception of about 2 students, i was so impressed with how much they wanted to participate and to succeed in their work. perhaps it was Kate and I's presence, but students were raising their hands, shouting out answers, and volunteering to read at our table! these students were so into reading fables it seemed to good to be true. they had no problems reading the material and answering comprehension questions. besides sitting, talking, and working with the students, I went on a guided tour of the building, bumped into some friends, hung out in the teacher's lounge and discussed the minimal amounts of food i can prepare on my own, and ate two (2) of Kate's cookies (that were very delicious). all in all, this was a good day. I am going to read the book the students are reading in class, and think about teaching a lesson on fables for the week after spring break. Things are looking good, rock n' roll!
Being back in a middle school this semester makes me think about how much I learned during my classes for my middle school endorsement, which is pretty cool. Allie covered much of what happened on our first day, woo go allie! We are anticipating the day that one of us is going to fall in our high heels, as it almost happened about 10 times on Tuesday!
One word - STAIRS - I am on the stairs, I can see another stair case, but I can't get there, what is that! Tomorrow Allie and I are going to be there at 8 am and at some point I think I might be compelled to explore the stairs.
Beth Wheeler is awesome, she is organized and on top of her game, I am looking forward to being in her classroom and getting to know her and the students. The school really makes me want to go exploring, it makes me get that feeling - the discovery zone feeling, you just want to go explore! I don't know how those kids don't get lost in there! Allie and I have decided to call it the labyrinth haha.
I'm excited to teach and meet new teachers and I guess just everything that comes with this experience is exciting, it's nice to actually just get out there and do something! I'm wondering how many time I will get called Miss Marsden...instead of Marsland. I hope you are all having fun, it's going to be a great 6 weeks, can't wait until we are all back in building two sharing our stories and experiences!
wooo woooo Kellen & The Kumquats taking over the world!
RICH - LOST need I say more? Wow.
Aimee,
Having laughed about the crazy STAIRS at WMS yesterday with Kellen, Rich and Kate, I loved your post. It is SO CRAZY how you can see the way to get to the 4th floor but you can't access "the way to get there" in a logical route. Those kids at that school really learn to become critical thinkers...they need to be in order to find their classrooms! Maybe they should hand out GPS units at the door ("at the screaming hot radiator, take a right" and "once you pass the ice cream stand room, take a left."
Did you all see the "ice cream stand" room, the same room I referred to as "the Hobbit room?" I think it's 324 or something like that...check it out!
Hi all! Ashley and I went to Ricci MS yesterday. We were originally supposed to be in a classroom with a teacher that Dr. Cook set us up with, but yesterday that teacher informed us that because she would be going away for a week that we were going into a different classroom. At first I was skeptical because Ashley and I didn't even know if this was okay with Dr. Cook or if Dr. Cook even knew who she was. The morning was filled with chaos and more than enough "first day" jitters.
Once Ashley and I figured out the teacher we would be placed with though I began to feel really excited. I was in Lisa Montecalvo's classroom looking at the bright faces of the students I soon will be working hands on with!! How exciting. I sat in the classroom observing the teacher's techniques, the classes' personalities, the set up of the classroom, the posters and class creations on the wall and anything else I could absorb.
I enjoyed listening and watching the students and began to try learning their names (approx. 56 names). I can't wait to start getting my hands dirty working with the kids . I have a bunch of reading for Monday so I will say hasta luego for now and I hope everyone is just as happy with their placements as I am.
Hi everyone!
Becky~ I am so glad you covered our crazy, because now I can skip it. I put off writing because I was really frustrated with the change initially, but now that I've had time to chill out, I'm feeling pretty good about it all.
Despite the early morning chaos, our first day at Ricci was pretty cool. 2 out of 3 of Lisa's classes meet twice a day, and the third one meets once with her, and once with another teacher. I'm really excited to observe her classes because one group is accelerated (8th grade doing 9th grade work), one group is right on target for their grade level (7th), and the third (also 7th) is a little behind what is expected. I'm really excited to have the opportunity to work with students at varying levels of ability. Unfortunately, all three classes are working on different material, so it's not like we'll be able to create one amazing lesson and differentiate it, but at least we'll have the opportunity to work with students at those varied levels.
Wednesday, we got to see the advanced class and the "on target" group. The advanced class met first period, then period 2 and 3 were a block with the "on target" group. The fourth period was Lisa's planning, and she took us around the building, pointing out important places like their brightly coloured cafeteria, the one wing that sticks off the otherwise rectangular school (that being the 6th grade wing), and the offices of the essential staff, e.g. principal, school psychologist, nurse, etc. The setup is very simple and friendly to a newcomer, which is quite a relief, given our conversations about WMS!
Lisa seems really happy to have us, and was totally accommodating to our diverse, uncoordinated schedules. She let us have her seating chart during the block to help us learn the students' names, and she used their names liberally. I don't think this was only for our benefit; it seems like she probably makes a point of using their names regularly, which struck me as an effective way of personalizing the class. They know that she cares what they, as particular individuals, think about whatever it is they're talking about. It was also very interesting to see how she handled unexpected answers, and those that didn't quite get to the heart of the matter.
All of the kids seem very eager to participate, but I also noticed that they are a little cut-throat. When Lisa drew a parallel between Princess Di and Eleanor Roosevelt as humanitarians, one of the girls didn't really see the connection, because one visited the sick, and one visited soldiers. Some of the other kids quietly ridiculed her for missing the connection, while others openly exclaimed that the connection was obvious. I wanted to say something, but I didn't feel like it was my place since today was our first day in the class. After all, who am I to them yet but some grown-up from RIC?
Oh! And one other random thing before I wrap this up. Becky mentioned the things on the walls. This is the first time I've observed a teacher who has a single classroom since I have been in the program. It was cool for me to be able to get a visual representation of what they have been working on. I was also impressed to notice that each class was represented on the walls and around the room in some way. It wasn't JUST the advanced class, each class had some kind of creative work on display. There did seem to be just a little more attention to the advanced group because there was a Shakespearean word-wall, as well as a pre-made poster featuring some Shakespearean phrases, but it wasn't a drastic difference in representation. I'm sure that some of the time the other classes are more prominently featured, it's just that at this time, the advanced group takes up a little more of the wall.
Overall, I'm really excited about our placement and really looking forward to working with these kids and with Lisa. I never thought I'd be saying this, even as I recognized the value of the experience, but WOO Middle School! Yay!
Lots of reading to do this week... _Pictures from Hollis Woods_ is a new one by me. It's so cool to hear about how everyone else's first experiences have gone, I look forward to seeing the rest!
Ahh! I almost missed Rich's! Make sure you all check out his blog, in case anyone else is as silly as I!
You folks are making me SO HAPPY with your good, good energy and open minds and enthusiasm. Impressive indeed. Thank you all for making your first foray into field experience 1--whether flawless or chaotic or complex--a positive learning experience. I appreciate Rebecca and Ashley's ability to "flex and flow" (and that's really a teacher term...really). I also appreciate the coming-together-ness of the WMS crew--you folks need to meet up sometime in the Cafetorium (that's what they call it when the Auditorium and the Cafeteria are the same place...such a middle school kind of thing). YAY! We have begun our work in schools!!!!! ;-)
The first day of middle school went really well. Erica seems super nice, energetic, PATIENT, and laid back….sooooo laid back. She gave Kellen and I loads of freedom to decide what/when/how we want to teach. Her classroom was so bright and cheerful-totally different from how I remember Woonsocket Middle School. Being there was a crazy experience. Walking around the school I was amazed to discover how many of the teachers I had are still teaching…..crazy. Like Kellen I was really impressed by how attentive and eager the students were. They were definitely putting on a show for us, but it made me even more excited for our teaching knowing they will willingly participate. Erica’s classroom has small tables that the kids get to sit around which I thought was great. The kids were a riot. There was the kid who doesn’t understand the concept of inner dialogue and constantly talks to himself out loud. The kid who told us about everything going on in his life-how his birthday was coming up soon, how he was walking home from school with his best friend, how he was mean to the substitute teacher. The kid who bounced out of his seat so many times that he made us dizzy. They were so much fun to be around. We’re going back tomorrow and I can’t wait.
In response to Allie:
"I find it funny that most just call every teacher Miss."
Kellen and I were talking about this. It drives me crazy! It happened throughout all of my schooling in Woonsocket. I know it's nitpickey but I don't want the kids to address me like that. I want to talk to Erica about it.
Just a reminder that I have continued to post about my experiences on my blog.
Aimee: I can't believe that we have to wait two weeks for a new episode of lost
Kellen: Watched a really cool documentary on NOFX the other night, made me think of you, Tokyo Gore Police is the best horror movie of 2009. I have got to get it to you.
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