What did I learn? | My Teaching Toolbox
My first day walking into CBMS, I was floored by the relationship between the staff + students. While walking down the hallway, Kendra knew every students name + made sure to greet them as they passed by. It seems like many teachers starting out find that building relationships is something that will just come naturally. In a sense it does as you spend more time with your students, but it is also something you have to be consciously thinking about doing everyday (especially when my practicum work only lasts a few months). Knowing your students is vital in connecting with them + creating an environment where they feel challenged, supported, and valued. It's necessary to gather information about their identities + learning styles so you can accommodate properly and build lessons they are interested in. Threshold was a very important aspect of my classroom experience. Threshold consists of the students lining up at the door, hearing their expectations for the day, + providing an emotional check-in. Students would greet me with a thumbs up, sideways, or down. This gave me insight on students that might be having a rough day and needed some extra support during the lesson. I made an effort to check in with students who notified me they were feeling off, or bad, so that I could provide them with the appropriate support. Some needed to talk it out, some needed to be left alone, and some just needed extra conversation + guidance during the class period to get through the work. Having conversations with students can be one of the biggest learning experiences that pushes you to be a successful educator + provides better opportunities for the students to thrive educationally. Knowing your students + their learning styles assisted me in creating lessons that were accessible + engaging. Experiencing the dynamic of online teaching during a global pandemic (COVID-19) influenced my teaching knowledge as well, as I had to find different ways to deliver my information in a way that was organized, thorough, + supportive of all types of learners. I learned to organize a Google Classroom, record instructional videos, + create digital formats for pre-assessments, quizzes, tests, discussions, ideation activities + critiques. In building lesson plans, I learned to scaffold the delivery of content (arranging it in a manner from simple/basic concepts to more difficult/advanced concepts), differentiate content for various learning styles, and build questions that prompt deeper thinking. In completing these tasks, it becomes much easier to build lessons that align with the state standards + design cycle. I was very excited + pleased to see how my natural instincts of instructing meshed with the educational standards.
Challenges | Growth
In building relationships with my students, I found I had a difficult time being empathetic without "taking everything home with me". I felt a very deep emotional connection when students opened up to me about their difficulties being in middle school. It is a very transformative time where many can feel alone or targeted by others for their differences, interests, friend associations, etc. Through our discussions I found myself back in middle school, when I had similar experiences with bullying. Although these conversations were difficult + sometimes I was unsure of exactly what to say, I found a great amount of benefit in these discussions. The hardest days became the biggest defining moments in my relationships with those particular kids. Encouraging my students to be open to that level of vulnerability + reciprocating such resulted in an immense amount of trust which served as the primary foundation of our relationship.
Creating accessible lesson plans was a skill that took a great amount of practice for me. I had a difficult time understanding what an "accessible lesson" looked like--but the interesting thing is I was searching for some kind of template or specific framework. However, accessibility has many different forms + an accessible lesson does not look just one way. Through my practice creating lesson plans + viewing the lessons of my colleagues, I now feel confident in creating lessons that are best composed for a variety of learning styles + types of students.
Reinforcements | Introductions
In Mr. Brown's classroom I was very pleased to see the integration of the design cycle in a technology class. I have found in college that sculpture is one of my passions, hence my request to be placed in a course that focuses on construction + tool exploration. I wanted to experience a classroom that may integrate art practices, but in a different light. I had the opportunity to be placed in a traditional art classroom, but felt the need to challenge myself + see the creative process in a new light. I gained a new confidence in the flexibility of my knowledge + teaching ability by integrating myself in this different, but slightly familiar environment + being an advocate for the artistic side of engineering. For me, this reinforced the fact that the arts are incredibly transferrable to a multiplicity of content areas, therefore validating the importance + need for support of the arts as a key component in public education.
Threshold was a new educational tactic I had not discovered until my time at CBMS. It became my favorite part of the day, as it was a simple but very powerful way to interact with my students. Threshold is a school-wide practice at Conrad Ball, which added a sense of consistency throughout the day. I love that the staff agreed on this decision, + hope it becomes more common in public education due to the extreme importance of mental health + emotional check-ins. This certainly reinforced my extreme level of passion for mental health + relationship building in school and daily life. Educating kids on how to process their emotions, discuss, have empathy, ask for help, and find practices to help themselves is a skill they will carry with them forever.
Extra-Curricular Activity
Outside of my required participation at CBMS, I also attended student led conferences. This is a modern take on parent-teacher conferences, where the student is present with the parents + teacher instead. The student holds the position as the main speaker for the discussion, facilitated by the teacher. The students each created a slideshow exhibiting their course experiences that year including: accomplishments, challenges, and needs. It was very moving to see students speak about themselves + their education. The extreme pride they hold for the courses they are passionate about is astounding. They transform into incredibly poised, professional, knowledgeable adults in this moment. It is certainly a different dynamic than when they are in the classroom with their friends + peers, the mood changes for sure as the setting becomes more professional. I also found allowing students to express their needs in the classes that they struggled in was very important + a thoughtful practice at CBMS. This practice allows students to have more of a say in their education + take responsibility for their own success by asking for help or guidance when they need it. This aligns with a growth mindset as well, in terms of student led conferences. The student is able to discuss their strengths + struggles to find solutions, versus the teacher telling their parent or guardian, "Your student has a lower grade in this class, compared to the others". There is little to no explanation in a statement like this, resulting in a fixed mindset with no information about the actual situation, which tends to be much different + complex than what parents view on a report card.
Next Steps
From here, I am very eager to continue my practicum work next semester. I am incredibly grateful for the relationships I have gained from my time at Conrad Ball Middle School. Kendra Vair, Mr. Brown, + my students have taught me more than I could have ever learned sitting in a lecture. The hands on experience + conversations with both my colleagues + students resulted in an immense amount of personal growth + confidence in my choice to become an educator. 🧡👩🏼🏫💙
My first day walking into CBMS, I was floored by the relationship between the staff + students. While walking down the hallway, Kendra knew every students name + made sure to greet them as they passed by. It seems like many teachers starting out find that building relationships is something that will just come naturally. In a sense it does as you spend more time with your students, but it is also something you have to be consciously thinking about doing everyday (especially when my practicum work only lasts a few months). Knowing your students is vital in connecting with them + creating an environment where they feel challenged, supported, and valued. It's necessary to gather information about their identities + learning styles so you can accommodate properly and build lessons they are interested in. Threshold was a very important aspect of my classroom experience. Threshold consists of the students lining up at the door, hearing their expectations for the day, + providing an emotional check-in. Students would greet me with a thumbs up, sideways, or down. This gave me insight on students that might be having a rough day and needed some extra support during the lesson. I made an effort to check in with students who notified me they were feeling off, or bad, so that I could provide them with the appropriate support. Some needed to talk it out, some needed to be left alone, and some just needed extra conversation + guidance during the class period to get through the work. Having conversations with students can be one of the biggest learning experiences that pushes you to be a successful educator + provides better opportunities for the students to thrive educationally. Knowing your students + their learning styles assisted me in creating lessons that were accessible + engaging. Experiencing the dynamic of online teaching during a global pandemic (COVID-19) influenced my teaching knowledge as well, as I had to find different ways to deliver my information in a way that was organized, thorough, + supportive of all types of learners. I learned to organize a Google Classroom, record instructional videos, + create digital formats for pre-assessments, quizzes, tests, discussions, ideation activities + critiques. In building lesson plans, I learned to scaffold the delivery of content (arranging it in a manner from simple/basic concepts to more difficult/advanced concepts), differentiate content for various learning styles, and build questions that prompt deeper thinking. In completing these tasks, it becomes much easier to build lessons that align with the state standards + design cycle. I was very excited + pleased to see how my natural instincts of instructing meshed with the educational standards.
Challenges | Growth
In building relationships with my students, I found I had a difficult time being empathetic without "taking everything home with me". I felt a very deep emotional connection when students opened up to me about their difficulties being in middle school. It is a very transformative time where many can feel alone or targeted by others for their differences, interests, friend associations, etc. Through our discussions I found myself back in middle school, when I had similar experiences with bullying. Although these conversations were difficult + sometimes I was unsure of exactly what to say, I found a great amount of benefit in these discussions. The hardest days became the biggest defining moments in my relationships with those particular kids. Encouraging my students to be open to that level of vulnerability + reciprocating such resulted in an immense amount of trust which served as the primary foundation of our relationship.
Creating accessible lesson plans was a skill that took a great amount of practice for me. I had a difficult time understanding what an "accessible lesson" looked like--but the interesting thing is I was searching for some kind of template or specific framework. However, accessibility has many different forms + an accessible lesson does not look just one way. Through my practice creating lesson plans + viewing the lessons of my colleagues, I now feel confident in creating lessons that are best composed for a variety of learning styles + types of students.
Reinforcements | Introductions
In Mr. Brown's classroom I was very pleased to see the integration of the design cycle in a technology class. I have found in college that sculpture is one of my passions, hence my request to be placed in a course that focuses on construction + tool exploration. I wanted to experience a classroom that may integrate art practices, but in a different light. I had the opportunity to be placed in a traditional art classroom, but felt the need to challenge myself + see the creative process in a new light. I gained a new confidence in the flexibility of my knowledge + teaching ability by integrating myself in this different, but slightly familiar environment + being an advocate for the artistic side of engineering. For me, this reinforced the fact that the arts are incredibly transferrable to a multiplicity of content areas, therefore validating the importance + need for support of the arts as a key component in public education.
Threshold was a new educational tactic I had not discovered until my time at CBMS. It became my favorite part of the day, as it was a simple but very powerful way to interact with my students. Threshold is a school-wide practice at Conrad Ball, which added a sense of consistency throughout the day. I love that the staff agreed on this decision, + hope it becomes more common in public education due to the extreme importance of mental health + emotional check-ins. This certainly reinforced my extreme level of passion for mental health + relationship building in school and daily life. Educating kids on how to process their emotions, discuss, have empathy, ask for help, and find practices to help themselves is a skill they will carry with them forever.
Extra-Curricular Activity
Outside of my required participation at CBMS, I also attended student led conferences. This is a modern take on parent-teacher conferences, where the student is present with the parents + teacher instead. The student holds the position as the main speaker for the discussion, facilitated by the teacher. The students each created a slideshow exhibiting their course experiences that year including: accomplishments, challenges, and needs. It was very moving to see students speak about themselves + their education. The extreme pride they hold for the courses they are passionate about is astounding. They transform into incredibly poised, professional, knowledgeable adults in this moment. It is certainly a different dynamic than when they are in the classroom with their friends + peers, the mood changes for sure as the setting becomes more professional. I also found allowing students to express their needs in the classes that they struggled in was very important + a thoughtful practice at CBMS. This practice allows students to have more of a say in their education + take responsibility for their own success by asking for help or guidance when they need it. This aligns with a growth mindset as well, in terms of student led conferences. The student is able to discuss their strengths + struggles to find solutions, versus the teacher telling their parent or guardian, "Your student has a lower grade in this class, compared to the others". There is little to no explanation in a statement like this, resulting in a fixed mindset with no information about the actual situation, which tends to be much different + complex than what parents view on a report card.
Next Steps
From here, I am very eager to continue my practicum work next semester. I am incredibly grateful for the relationships I have gained from my time at Conrad Ball Middle School. Kendra Vair, Mr. Brown, + my students have taught me more than I could have ever learned sitting in a lecture. The hands on experience + conversations with both my colleagues + students resulted in an immense amount of personal growth + confidence in my choice to become an educator. 🧡👩🏼🏫💙