Week 1
What have you seen in language arts/reading instruction?
Students were put into groups working on different areas including fluency, cause and effect and retelling or comprehension. Students also learned words with the prefix post.
What have you taught in your internship?
I worked with a student on fluency. I had several short stories for her to read to me. I also worked with another student who reads at a level that is lower than the grade level he is in. He wants so desperately to read harder books, but he is just not there yet. He read to me out of a book he got from the library. When he had read 2-3 pages, I asked him a few comprehension questions and he did very well. I also drew an example of the word merge on the board to help with their understanding of the word.
Comment on any interesting things that you have noticed about your school, the teachers, the students, or the curriculum.
The students seemed to be pretty quiet and knew what they were supposed to do and stayed on task for the most part.
The school is somewhat small and I learned that there are only 2 buses for the entire school. Also they have a preschool at the elementary school.
Post any questions that you have about teaching and learning.
Since students are not all at the same level of spelling and reading, is it fair to give them all the same test?
Week 2
What have you seen in language arts/reading instruction?
The teacher helped generate ideas about what students were thankful for in a web on the board. Then students were to write a rough draft of their own story of many things they were thankful for. Then the story was proofread by the teacher and the student made any needed corrections. And finally the story was wrote again in cursive on a final paper that had no lines to be hung out in the hallway.
What have you taught in your internship?
I helped two different students with their stories by proofreading and doing some editing.
Comment on any interesting things that you have noticed about your school, the teachers, the students, or the curriculum.
The students found it a challenge to write straight on paper with no lines. They felt the need to use a ruler or draw on lines with their eraser. I noticed there was a focus on having the students write in cursive.
Also I found out that my teacher has a set planning time with the other fifth grade teacher each day. She also told me there is a pacing guide that you go by. I wasn’t aware of this and that makes me feel a little relieved because I thought we were just given the Standard Course of Study and that’s it.
Post any questions that you have about teaching/learning.
Why is writing in cursive required? I believe it is harder to read and this is something I never do. Do you think this should be a requirement for assignments or a choice?
Week 3
What have you seen in language arts/reading instruction?
The teacher went over contractions with the students. This was their new list of spelling or vocabulary words. She also assigned parts for each student to read a play aloud. They really seemed engaged and enjoyed doing this.
What have you taught in your internship?
I gave 10 words of the spelling assessment this week.
Comment on any interesting things that you have noticed about your school, the teachers, the students, or the curriculum.
I found that some students are very bright, yet struggle with spelling.
Post any questions that you have about teaching/learning.
I just finished grading the spelling tests that I gave to my fifth graders. A few of them made a zero on the fifth grade test. How is this possible?
Week 4
What have you seen in language arts/reading instruction?
Students wrote 10 word sentences for spelling words
Teacher read book about Squanto to students, students don’t seem very interested
Students are put into three reading groups according to their ability level (high, medium and low), they take turns reading out loud
What have you taught in your internship?
Mostly observed this week
Comment on any interesting things that you have noticed about your school, the teachers, the students, or the curriculum.
The teacher moved the students into groups for reading and left them that way
Students seemed to enjoy being in groups
Post any questions that you have about teaching/learning.
How do you get kids interested in reading when they don’t find it enjoyable?
Week 5
What have you seen in language arts/reading instruction?
I didn’t get to see reading and language arts this week. I was only there one day.
What have you taught in your internship?
We had a math bee with the students today. We included problems on things they had been working on including least common multiples and greatest common factors. We also added subtraction with regrouping and word problems. There were two teams and one person from each team went to the board to work the same problem. The rest of the students worked the same problem at their seat on their own paper in case they were called to help their team member. The students seemed to enjoy this.
Comment on any interesting things that you have noticed about your school, the teachers, the students, or the curriculum.
I learned that at this school modifications are not made for students until after the first few months of school.
Post any questions that you have about teaching/learning.
If part of your assignment requires everyone to go to the board to do work in front of others and they don’t want to do it because they are shy or don’t feel confident about their work, should you make them do it anyways?
