Student Teaching with Mr. Koonce

ORQ

2010-03-08T14:35:00.000-08:00

Prompt:

The Maya are one of the largest indigenous peoples in the Western Hemisphere. Indigenous peoples are natives that have been conquered by others. The Maya work hard to protect their traditional culture; however modern day advances do surface within their daily lifestyle.

Question:

We have learned about a variety of Mayan Culture throughout chapter 10. From the list below choose TWO areas of Mayan Culture and explain how the Maya preserve their traditional culture while adapting to modern life.

- Mayan Community
- Mayan Traditional Home and Family
- Mayan Work
- Mayan Market Day
- Mayan Traditions

3/8 (Red) - Chapter 10 Asssessment

2010-03-08T14:33:00.001-08:00

Daily Lesson Plan

Objectives

- Identify and Answer Daily Oral Geography questions using map skills.
- Identify and Match key Political and Physical location for Central America.
- Identify the success and challenges of indigenous peoples around the world in maintaining their traditional cultures in the modern world.

Procedures

1) Students will copy D.O.G. questions down in their D.O.G. folder and look for the answer. The class will discuss the correct answer.
2) Students will turn in D.O.G. Quiz, Mayan Presentation Q/A Worksheet, and Mayan Graphic Organizer.
3) Students will complete the Central America Map Test (worth x 3).
4) Students will complete Chapter 10 ORQ Test.

Assessment

D.O.G. Quiz – (Summative) Students will answer questions based off of the D.O.G. questions they have answered for Week 19-20.
Mayan Worksheet & Graphic Organizer – (Summative) Both scores will count as a homework grade (0/100).
Map Test – (Summative) Students will have to answer 20 locations/features to the region (worth x 3 - 0/300 points).
Chapter 10 ORQ Test – (Summative) ORQ (worth x 3 – 0/300 points).

Resources: ORQ, Map Test, Document Camera.

Words of Wisdom

2010-03-04T16:08:00.000-08:00

. . . Wait for all students to stop talking/start paying attention before instructing (instead of "competing" for listeners).

. . . Otherwise, it is an unnecessary battle that is often lost!

Sincerely,

Me

Reflection - Mayan Group Dramatization

2010-03-04T16:02:00.000-08:00

3/4/2010
Today was the first day of presentations for the Mayan Group Dramatization. This chapter was taught with a jig-saw teaching method that included all of the students to work in groups (of 4-5 students) and teach different sections from the chapter (Indigenous Peoples: The Highland Mayans). Since it was a Red day we saw three blocks perform.

Red 1 groups recorded grades of 80, 92, 97, 81, and 98 (89.6 average).
Red 2 groups recorded grades of 82, 88, 94, 83, 84, and 88 (86.5 average).
Red 3 groups recorded grades of 92, 94, 85, 76, 85, and 85 (86.2 average).

One variable to be noted that changed through out the day is that Mrs. Westerfield graded Red 1 (since she is still teaching the class), but I graded the following two blocks. I was surprised (and pleased) after calculating the scores for all the blocks that they were as close in average as they were, specifically the two blocks I graded since the products they produced were comparable. I also was pleased since Red 3 includes several students that have been identified by former teachers (and schools) of at academic risk for one reason or another. These students had the basically the same average of Red 2 which is the highest class that we have. I was also very pleased that several groups included the term “indigenous peoples” and discussed the essential question, something that their script did not require them to do. I did give extra credit for these key terms and explanations of the essential question. I felt that this was in direct response to how I have covered this term and the essential question every day immediately after the bell ringer and directly before instruction. I have done this with the goal of keeping the students focused on the “Big Idea” and I feel this was measureable in their inclusion of the same type of discussion with the class.

3/4 (Red)

2010-03-04T06:19:00.000-08:00

3/3 P.A.C.E. - Economics

2010-03-03T13:24:00.000-08:00

P.A.C.E. is a 6 week class that allows Core Content teahers to teach a subject related to their specific field and give students a broader knowledge in preperation for yearly testing. The focus in my P.A.C.E. class is economics. We will meet on White days during 3rd Block. On those days I will give a brief summary of the activities covered. I will note that thhese P.A.C.E. classes do not have homework assignments as all activities take part during class time. I also need to add that the first 25-30 minutes are used for students to read their AR books.

3/3/2010 – PACE Economics (3rd Block)

AR Books (Reading) – 30 minutes

Today we watched Money Rock (from the School House Rock series) and Scrooge McDuck & Money (Disney). Students took notes during the videos and we discussed key topics through out (I paused the videos). After the conclusion of the video students shared their notes with a partner and explained why they documented what they did.

3/3 (White)

2010-03-03T13:10:00.000-08:00

Daliy Lesson Plan

Objectives

- Identify and Answer Daily Oral Geography questions using map skills.
- Identify and Label Physical and Political features on a Map of C. America.
- Identify the success and challenges of indigenous peoples around the world in maintaining their traditional cultures in the modern world.

Procedures

1) Students will answer two D.O.G. questions followed by a class discussion over them.
2) Students will take a Map Quiz on Central America.
3) Class will review the Mayan Presentation Rubric and expectations
4) Students will work in Groups on their Mayan Section Dramatization. The goal for today is for all groups to have dress rehearsals of their presentations.

Assessment

D.O.G. Questions – (Formative) The class will discuss the answers.
Map Quiz (C. America) – (Formative) Students will receive a grade on a 0/100 scale.
Mayan Dramatization – (Formative) I will circulate around the room. Groups also need me to sign off on their rehearsal slip.

Resources: Geography Alive Text, Essential Question, Document Camera, Map Quiz

Words of Wisdom from Mr. Gates Settle

2010-03-03T05:56:00.000-08:00

A nice email from Mr. Gates Settle (Principal of Daviess County Middle School) to remind the staff how to get through the "Grind" of the school year.

Every now and then, we ALL need to take the time to take a personal inventory of what we have, what we get to do and where we get to do it and be thankful that we get to come to work in such a GREAT school in the profession we have all CHOSEN !

Having said all that, here are a few reminders for daily operations ;

1. When students have gotten on your last nerve, take a deep breath and remember that these are 12, 13, 14 years old and they need to see appropriate behavior modeled. Try your best not to lose your temper and also avoid arguments since they are difficult to win and end up being a power struggle.

2. If disciplinary action must be used, make sure to follow procedures and ALWAYS contact parents

3. Monitor, monitor, monitor. Watch them like hawks in your classes, in hallways, and don’t ever leave them unsupervised or send them to unsupervised areas. Pop into restrooms throughout that day and on plannings.

4. Don’t take things for granted with parents and don’t assume they know or that their kids will tell them.

5. Resist the temptation to have “easy” days. We don’t have the extra time nor do we want kids unengaged since this can also lead to discipline issues

6. Listen to “student talk” and stay on top of potential problems between students and be proactive in handling situations ..

Most of all, try to stay positive with students while providing them with what they need so they will have a productive middle school experience. We all know it gets by very fast and before we know it, we will getting ready for our summer break. As this year goes by, I continue to be impressed with the work ethic and professionalism of all of our staff so keep up the GREAT work that that everyone is so accustomed to at DCMS !!

3/2 (Red)

2010-03-02T06:15:00.000-08:00

Daily Lesson Plan

Objectives

- Identify and Answer Daily Oral Geography questions using map skills.
- Identify and Label Physical and Political features on a Map of C. America.
- Identify the success and challenges of indigenous peoples around the world in maintaining their traditional cultures in the modern world.

Procedures

1) Students will answer two D.O.G. questions followed by a class discussion over them.
2) Students will take a Map Quiz on Central America.
3) Class will review the Mayan Presentation Rubric and expectations
4) Students will work in Groups on their Mayan Section Dramatization. The goal for today is for all groups to have dress rehearsals of their presentations.

Assessment

D.O.G. Questions – (Formative) The class will discuss the answers.
Map Quiz (C. America) – (Formative) Students will receive a grade on a 0/100 scale.
Mayan Dramatization – (Formative) I will circulate around the room. Groups also need me to sign off on their rehearsal slip.

Resources: Geography Alive Text, Essential Question, Document Camera, Map Quiz

Resource - Foreign Language Translator

2010-03-01T12:41:00.000-08:00

Foreign Language Translator

World Lingo
http://www.worldlingo.com/en/products_services/worldlingo_translator.html

Dictionaries

http://www.yourdictionary.com/languages/index.html

http://www.wordreference.com/

2/26 Reflection

2010-03-01T10:55:00.000-08:00

Today Block 1 and Block 2 both took pop map quizzes on Central America as formative assessments leading up to the summative map test. They also worked in groups on the Mayan Dramatization Activity. Both classes have 24 students apiece. Regarding their quiz scores Block 1 had fifteen students score at a mastery level (73/100) while Block 2 only had twelve students meet this goal. Block 1 also had three students score a perfect 100/100, compared to only one student in Block 2. What surprised me about the results was that Block 2 is actually the higher level class with many gifted students in it. Although the map quiz requires a low DOK level to complete, the results show that Block 1 must have looked at their maps on a more regular basis leading up to the map quiz. As far as the group work is concerned Block 2 worked at a much higher success rate during the activity. With five students included in each group the skills necessary to complete the project are varied. Block 2 showed the ability to work with each other and solve more of their own problems. Block 2 also showed a better ability to stay focused on the task at hand and needed fewer prompts to complete the requirements. As I referred to before this class has several gifted students in it with four being labeled as gifted in leadership (these students are designated as team leaders). This result did not surprise me and was as expected. Block 1 has several students who struggle with discipline issues and as I had predicted, struggled working in groups with more responsibilities to complete facets of the assignment on their own.

3/1 (White)

2010-03-01T06:23:00.000-08:00

Daily Lesson Plan

Objectives

- Identify and Answer Daily Oral Geography questions using map skills.
- Identify and Label Physical and Political features on a Map of C. America.
- Identify the success and challenges of indigenous peoples around the world in maintaining their traditional cultures in the modern world.

Procedures

1) Students will answer two D.O.G. questions followed by a class discussion over them.
2) Students will take a Map Quiz on Central America.
3) Students will discuss the Essential Question.
3) Students will work in Groups on their Mayan Section Dramatization. The goal for today is for all groups to complete their props.

Assessment

D.O.G. Questions – (Formative) The class will discuss the answers.
Map Quiz (C. America) – (Formative) Students will receive a grade on a 0/100 scale.
Mayan Dramatization – (Formative) I will circulate around the room. Groups also need me to sign off on their script before moving to the next step (props).

Resources: Geography Alive Text, Essential Question, Document Camera, Map Quiz, Construction Paper, Glue, Scissors, Tape, Markers

Resources

2010-02-26T08:43:00.000-08:00

A free PDF to Word Document converter, a big help when scanning documents into a PDF and needing to re-edit or convert to a Word Document.

http://www.zamzar.com/

2/26 (Red)

2010-02-26T05:56:00.000-08:00

Daily Lesson Plan

Objectives

- Identify and Answer Daily Oral Geography questions using map skills.
- Identify and Label Physical and Political features on a Map of C. America.
- Identify the success and challenges of indigenous peoples around the world in maintaining their traditional cultures in the modern world.

Procedures

1) Students will answer two D.O.G. questions followed by a class discussion over them.
2) Students will take a Map Quiz on Central America.
3) Students will work in Groups on their Mayan Section Dramatization. The goal for today is for all groups to complete their props.

Assessment

D.O.G. Questions – (Formative) The class will discuss the answers.
Map Quiz (C. America) – (Formative) Students will receive a grade on a 0/100 scale.
Mayan Dramatization – (Formative) I will circulate around the room. Groups also need me to sign off on their script before moving to the next step (props).

Resources: Geography Alive Text, Essential Question, Document Camera, Map Quiz, Construction Paper, Glue, Scissors, Tape, Markers

Resources

2010-02-26T05:47:00.000-08:00

Free digital media for the classroom.

http://www.teachersdomain.org/

2/25 (White)

2010-02-25T07:45:00.000-08:00

Daily Lesson Plan

Objectives

- Identify and Answer Daily Oral Geography questions using map skills.
- Identify the success and challenges of indigenous peoples around the world in maintaining their traditional cultures in the modern world.

Procedures

1) Students will answer two D.O.G. questions followed by a class discussion over them.
2) The class will discuss the Essential Question. This will be done with all students participating. I will ask which students think they can define/explain the term indigenous peoples. I will ask these students to write this down on a piece of paper and then stand around the perimeter of the room when their finished (with the paper in hand). The rest of the students will huddle into the center of the room. I will then explain that the students in the center of the room are Mayans, and the students around the perimeter are Spanish Conquistadors. The middle of the room will repeat after me that they are in Central America. I will then give instructions that the Conquistadors will get their piece of paper and wad it up. When I yell attack the Conquistadors will throw their paper at the Mayan’s (no head shots). The Mayans will then open the paper wads and read the definitions out loud. We will then relate this to the essential question.
3) Students will work in Groups on their Mayan Section Dramatization. The goal for today is for all groups to complete their scripts and start creating their props.

Assessment
D.O.G. Questions – (Formative) The class will discuss these.
Essential Question Activity – (Formative) Students will participate in the
dramatization. I will also ask at the end of the period for students to raise their hands if they feel like they can explain the term indigenous peoples. I will call on volunteers to explain and I will note the amount of students that feel they can explain the term compared to the amount at the beginning of class.
Mayan Dramatization – (Formative) I will circulate around the room. Groups also need me to sign off on their script before moving to the next step

Resources: Geography Alive Text, Essential Question, Document Camera

2/24 (Red)

2010-02-24T13:53:00.000-08:00

2/23 (White)

2010-02-23T13:06:00.000-08:00

Daily Lesson Plan

Objectives

- Identify and Label physical and political features on a map (Central America).
- Identify the success and challenges of indigenous peoples around the world in maintaining their traditional cultures in the modern world.

Procedures

1) Students will answer two D.O.G. questions followed by a class discussion over them.
2) Students will take Map Quiz #1 over Central America.
3) The class will discuss the Essential Question.
4) Students will work in Groups on their Mayan Section Dramatization. The goal for today is for all groups to complete their scripts.

Assessment

D.O.G. Questions – (Formative) The class will discuss these
Map Quiz – (Formative) Students will be assessed on the quiz with a grade ranging from 0 to 100 (There are five political and five physical features that must be identified and labeled).
Mayan Dramatization – (Formative) I will circulate around the room. Groups also need me to sign off on their script before moving to the next step

Resources: Geography Alive Text, Map of Central America, Document Camera

Outside Classroom Observation

I also had an opportunity today to visit Burns Middle School (Owensboro, Ky.) as a part of the PD her in the Daviess County Public School District. We observed Ms. Revlett, a 6th grade Geography teacher during one of her collaboration classes. It was a great chance for me to see another experienced teacher instruct in a different setting and envviroment with a group of students that demanded different needs in reacheing their goals.

2/22 (Red)

2010-02-22T07:17:00.000-08:00

2/19 WKU Main Campus

2010-02-22T07:16:00.000-08:00

I have class today in Bowling Green. We will be working on our TWS and participating in a suicide prrevention seminar.

2/18 (Red)

2010-02-18T06:18:00.000-08:00

Daily Lesson Plan

Objectives

- Define and Explain the importance of key geographic terms.
- Identify the success and challenges of indigenous peoples around the world in maintaining their traditional cultures in the modern world.

Procedures

1) The class will discuss the Essential Question.
2) The class will check/grade the Geo Terms (ISN page 79)
3) I will then divide the class into their mixed-ability assigned groups that they will be in for the rest of the chapter and introduce the activity (interactive dramatization over one aspect of life in a highland Maya village).
4) Groups will pick the section (5 different sections) from Geography Alive that they would like to dramatize.
5) Students will then read as a group the section of Maya life they are dramatizing and receive the necessary information on their responsibilities as a group when completing the activity (worksheets).

Assessment

ISN (page 79) – (Formative) Will be graded as a Homework assignment (0/100).

Resources: Geography Alive Text, ISN. Preparing a Dramatization Worksheet.

Reflection

. . . Very interesting "Round Table" conference with a student today. It appears this is something that the team does when they notice "warning" signals going off concerning a student. The teachers pull the student from their elective and has a meeting with them. It appears to be very effective and it is a good situation to get the student away from their peers where they may feel the pressure to act cool (or like they don't care). It is a bit intimidating for the student and appears to be an effective way to let the student know the teachers are serious about their behavior and acaddemic progress.

2/17 (White)

2010-02-17T12:11:00.000-08:00

Daily Lesson Plan

Objectives

- Identify and Label physical and political features on a map (Central America).
- Define and Explain the importance of key geographic terms.
- Identify the success and challenges of indigenous peoples around the world in maintaining their traditional cultures in the modern world.

Procedures

1) Students will be allowed five minutes to study for a pop quiz over their D.O.G. notes. It will be an open note quiz.
2) The class will check the Central America Physical/Political Map.
3) The class will discuss the Essential Question.
4) Students will work as partners on the ISN page 78 worksheet.
5) The class will discuss ISN page 78.
6) The class will read page 151 & 152 from Geography Alive (popcorn reading).
7) Students will complete ISN page 79 (Geo Terms) individually. This will be due next class.

Assessment

D.O.G Quiz – (Formative) Students will be assessed on the quiz with a grade ranging from 0 to 100.
ISN (page 78) – (Formative) The class will have a discussion on this.

Resources: Geography Alive Text, Map of Central America, ISN

2/15 & 2/16 - SNOW DAYS!!!

2010-02-17T06:10:00.000-08:00

. . . more snow days!

2/12 (Red)

2010-02-12T08:55:00.000-08:00

Intro
Chapter 10
Indigenous Culures: The Survival of the Maya of Mesoamerica

In this chapter we will focus on the cconflict indigenous peoples face regarding keeping their traditional cultures while adapting to modern times. We will focus on the Maya of Central America and will work on an accompaning Map of Central America (Physical & Political).

Daily Lesson Plan

Objectives

- Identify and Label physical and political features on a map (Central America).
- Define and Explain the importance of key geographic terms.
- Identify the success and challenges of indigenous peoples around the world in maintaining their traditional cultures in the modern world.

Procedures

1) Students will be allowed five minutes to study for a pop quiz over their D.O.G. notes. It will be an open note quiz.
2) The class will check the Central America Physical/Political Map.
3) The class will discuss the Essential Question.
4) Students will work as partners on the ISN page 78 worksheet.
5) The class will discuss ISN page 78.
6) The class will read page 151 & 152 from Geography Alive (popcorn reading).
7) Students will complete ISN page 79 (Geo Terms) individually. This will be due next class.

Assessment

D.O.G Quiz – (Formative) Students will be assessed on the quiz with a grade ranging from 0 to 100.
ISN (page 78) – (Formative) The class will have a discussion on this.

Resources: Geography Alive Text, Map of Central America, ISN

Essential Question
How do indigenous peoples preserve their traditional culture while adapting to modern life?

2/9, 2/10, & 2/11 - Snow Days!!!

2010-02-12T08:54:00.000-08:00

2/8 (White)

2010-02-08T07:01:00.000-08:00

Daily Lesson Plan

Objectives

- Identify key locations on Central American Map.
- Re-write Chapter 8 ORQ’s that did not reach a mastery level (above an 80%).

Procedures

1) Students will label and color a Map of Central America with 10 physical and 10 political features that they will copy from the board.
2) Students will re-write Chapter 8 ORQ’s that did not score over 80%.

Assessment

Map of C. America – (Formative) I will monitor the students progress by walking around the room.
ORQ Assessment - (Summative) Students will re-write their ORQ and have it re-graded by me. They will continue this until it meets mastery level and will earn additional points for correcting it. A Rubric is attached.

Resources: Map of Central America (Political and Physical), ORQ Assessment & Rubric.

2/5 - WKU Work Day

2010-02-08T06:55:00.000-08:00

2/4 (White)

2010-02-04T07:43:00.000-08:00

Daily Lesson Plan

Objectives

- Identify key vocabulary terms.
- Describe the primary reasons people emigrate from their country of birth and immigrate to the United States.
- Identify key ways in which migration impacts the United States, immigrants, and the countries left behind.

Procedures

1) Students will have the whole Block period to take their Chapter 8 Summative Assessment and their ORQ Assessment. These are two different grades. The Chapter 8 assessment includes 12 multiple choice (vocabulary terms, comprehension, recall, etc.), 3 short answers (map of migration streams). The ORQ assessment is based off of the essential question for Chapter 8.

Assessment

Chapter 8 Assessment – (Summative) This test is scored on a 0/100 points scale and then is multiplied times three for total possible 300 points.
ORQ Assessment - (Summative) This is also scored on a 0/100 point scale and then multiplied times three for a possible 300 points. Students are required to use the 4 column method (on their own paper) as a pre-writing technique before writing their final response on the attached paper. A Rubric is attached.

Resources: Chapter 8 Assessment, ORQ Assessment & Rubric.

2/3 (Red) - Chapter 8 Assessment

2010-02-03T07:02:00.000-08:00

Today is the first time I get to assess the students and see what they have comprehended and to what degree. I am aware though that the recent snow days will probably have some affect on the scores and potentially in a negative way since the chapter has taken longer than planned with multiple days without instruction during the process.

Daily Lesson Plan

Objectives

- Identify key vocabulary terms.
- Describe the primary reasons people emigrate from their country of birth and immigrate to the United States.
- Identify key ways in which migration impacts the United States, immigrants, and the countries left behind.

Procedures

1) Students will have the whole Block period to take their Chapter 8 Summative Assessment and their ORQ Assessment. These are two different grades. The Chapter 8 assessment includes 12 multiple choice (vocabulary terms, comprehension, recall, etc.), 3 short answers (map of migration streams). The ORQ assessment is based off of the essential question for Chapter 8.

Assessment

Chapter 8 Assessment – (Summative) This test is scored on a 0/100 points scale and then is multiplied times three for total possible 300 points.
ORQ Assessment - (Summative) This is also scored on a 0/100 point scale and then multiplied times three for a possible 300 points. Students are required to use the 4 column method (on their own paper) as a pre-writing technique before writing their final response on the attached paper. A Rubric is attached.

Resources: Chapter 8 Assessment, ORQ Assessment & Rubric.

Reading & Writing Classes

2010-02-02T11:10:00.000-08:00

Here at DCMS each team has two Language Arts teachers, one teaches writing only, while the other teaches only reading. Students alternate days going to these classes with one being in each of their Red schedule, and one being in their White. Since I'm not getting the opportunity to student teach in Language Arts I am going to start meeting with both of these teachers on the team on a bi-daily schedule (we are on a two day block schedule) since they teach the same lesson two days in a row to a different set of students. I hope after my solo teaching is complete I will be able to start actually spending time in these classes on a daily basis. At the very least I will be able to recieve a good understanding of what and how is needed to plan and implement Language Arts skills.

Mrs. Engleheart (Reading)

Mrs. Stephens (Writing)

2/2 (White)

2010-02-02T05:43:00.000-08:00

2/1 (Red)

2010-02-02T05:42:00.000-08:00

Today was another big step in my growth of becoming a Certified Teacher as I picked up Block 3 (to go along with Block 2). I'm now teaching 2/3 of the classes and just a couple weeks away from solo teaching.

Daily Lesson Plan

Objectives

- Identify numbered countries on a map (Europe).
- Describe the primary reasons people emigrate from their country of birth and immigrate to the United States.
- Identify key ways in which migration impacts the United States, immigrants, and the countries left behind.

Procedures

1) Students will answer two D.O.G. questions and enter them into their D.O.G. notebook.
2) Students will take the Europe Map Test. They will have to identify twenty different countries. The countries they identify are numbered 1 thru 20.
3) ISN page 68 and 69 will be checked as a class including discussion.
4) Students will be given a Chapter 8 study guide as well as be informed that they are responsible for knowing any thing in Chapter 8 including ISN worksheets and “The Lost Boys of Sudan” graphic organizer.

Assessment

Map Test – (Summative) Students will be assessed on the quiz with a grade ranging from 0 to 100. This test is weighted (x 3) and worth 300 points total.
ISN page 67 & 68 – (Formative) grade is on a 0/100 point scale with 24 answers.

Resources: Geography Alive Text, Map of Europe, ISN Notebook, Chapter 8 Study Guide.

Reflection

We finally got to a summative assessment today and it was over the Map of Europe. I was curious to see how the students would do on this assessment, especially since I was teaching two Blocks that were/are at different learning levels. After grading the test the results looked like I thought they would. Red 2 (the higher class) has twenty-nine students. Twenty-six of these students scored at a mastery level (75%) or higher with eleven of them scoring a 100% or higher (extra-credit for 5 points). The scores for Red 2 ranged from 55% to 105%. Red 3 is a class that has some lower level students. It consists of twenty-four students. Nineteen of these students had a mastery level score or higher with seven of them scoring a 100% or higher. The scores in this class ranged from 50% to 105%. These results reflected what I had observed during these blocks as Red 3 has more students who come to class unprepared or has incomplete assignments. The rest of the activities for the day went well. We graded and discussed page 67 and 68 from the ISN. We also worked on the Chapter 8 Study Guide. The one thing that I’m starting to realize is the fine line between being a disciplinarian and crossing the “trust” line with the students. As an In-House supervisor in the past (South Middle School – Henderson, Ky.) my responsibility was to discipline, not build relationships. I’ve already noticed that if I’m too firm with some students they seem to get hurt feelings. With these feelings I lose the “trust” bond that is so vital to have the most productive relationship. The students must respect you as a teacher, but it helps if they like you too. So this will continue to be a “line” in the future that I work to find. Mrs. Westerfield does a great job at this and I do realize that the students aren’t as comfortable with me at this time.

Rewards!

2010-01-28T11:57:00.001-08:00

Today is CELEBRATION at DCMS as students are rewarded for a GPA of 3.0 or above. The REWARD consisted of a trip to The EDGE skating rink! It was great fun and no one received any serious injuries! lol

Fortunately, I had the opportunity to get a couple of photos before we left the rink.

. . . The girls having a great time!

. . . and the boys too!

The long journey home (actually about 5 minutes). At least one of them still has some energy!

1/28 (Red)

2010-01-28T11:56:00.000-08:00

Daily Lesson Plan

Objectives

- Identify numbered countries on a map (Europe).
- Describe the primary reasons people emigrate from their country of birth and immigrate to the United States.
- Identify key ways in which migration impacts the United States, immigrants, and the countries left behind.

Procedures

1) Students answer their D.O.G. question for the day (5 minutes).
2) Students that have not scored a 100% on the prior Map Quizzes (Europe) will take Map Quiz #4. They will have to identify 20 different countries. The countries are identified on the map by a number (1 thru 20). Highest score of the 4 quizzes will be recorded.
3) I will pick one student to represent each of the seven immigrants. These students will come to the front of the class and I will “interview” them discussing push and pull factors.
4) Students will complete pages 67 and 68 in their Interactive Student Notebook (ISN). They will also be able to complete page 69 for extra credit.
5) While students are working on their ISN, I will review individual students Artifacts and Immigration Placards.

Assessment

D.O.G. (Daily Oral Geography) – (Formative) The class reviewed the question and answer after everyone finished. Students will have a summative quiz every two weeks over D.O.G. questions.
Map Quiz – (Formative) Students will be assessed on the quiz with a grade ranging from 0 to 100%. They will have a summative test over the twenty countries at a later date.
Immigrant Placard & Artifacts - (Formative) Students are graded on completion of the 10 prompts on the Immigrant Placard (10 points a piece). Students are graded on their 4 Artifacts (25 points a piece).

Resources

Document Camera, Geography Alive Text, Map of Europe, Geography Alive ISN, Students Immigrant Placard/Artifacts.

Reflection

Today was the start of a new lesson plan and it involved a D.O.G., Pop Map Quiz #4 (Europe), Teacher/Student Immigrant Interviews, ISN Worksheets, and grading of the Immigrant Interview Placard and Artifact that the students created. We did not have Block Red 3 today due to a Rewards program for the 2nd nine weeks. The first two blocks compared favorably on their mastery of the project. Looking at the Immigrant Placard, Block 1 had an average of 95.1% on this portion of the project, while Block 2 had an average of 94.3%. All students in both blocks had this part completed. Artifacts scores were comparable as well as Block 1 had a 95.8% average compared to a 93.1% for Block 2 (including a 0% by one student). All students except one produced all four of the required artifacts. I was very pleased with the quality of work of the artifacts as many students spent additional time out side of the classroom to add detail and significance to theirs. I was also surprised to see the averages were so close since Mrs. Westerfield graded Block 1 and I graded Block 2. It is evident that the rubric she had designed was a good guide for scoring and that we interpreted it in the same. I also was pleased to see how much the students had learned using the interactive activities. They had spent three days answering their immigrant questions, creating artifacts, and interviewing each other. It is obvious that the activities were appropriate to meet the students learning styles and it benefited in their comprehension.

Outside Classsroom Observation

2010-01-27T14:33:00.000-08:00

1/26/2010

Due to a snow day for DCPS system I decided to go visit South Middle School in Henderson, Kentucky to complete some outside the classroom observations. I was fortunate enough to be able to observe three different classes (50 minutes apiece). I will note observations from all of them.

Mr. Jerry Grimes & Mrs. Lyndsay Koonce – Language Arts Collaboration
(6th grade)

This Language Arts class was a packed house. In addition to all the students, four adults were present in the class. Mr. Grimes is the lead L.A. teacher and he has assistance from Mrs. Koonce (Special Education), Ms. White (ESL assistant), and one classified employee (EBD assistant). This created quite a dynamic and was a reflection of the diversity this class displayed. What I did notice was that this group of educators had created a system that did not interfere with the learning process. I can definitely see how this many adults could talk over each other and/or become distractions to students if not careful. They did do a good job of making sure only one spoke at a time. Ms. White was outstanding in becoming invisible to a degree. She worked quietly with her three ESL students and did not disturb the flow of the class. The classified EBD assistant did seem to talk more than I would have expected. With two highly qualified teachers in the room I assumed she would have let them handle all the instruction while attending to the one EBD student she accompanied to the room. It was clear that the individuals had all created a roll for themselves as Mrs. Koonce introduced the daily objective; Mr. Grimes started the lesson preview and so on. The students seem to work well with this routine.

Mr. Raley – U.S. History (8th grade)

Mr. Raley is a fifth year teacher and has taught every year in the same subject, a fact that shows in his presentations. I have had the chance to observe Mr. Raley in the past for Method classes and he has always displayed lecturing as strength, this trend continues. For the lesson this day, Mr. Raley had a power point that accompanied his lecture. The ppt. consisted of photographs and guided questions that went along with their prior reading. Although I realize that lecturing is being frowned upon, Mr. Raley shows such expertise in the content that all students stay involved. He truly has so much information to give them (and he is so prepared) that he hardly takes a breath. As a result students are always engaged and today was no different. Today’s topic was the Great Depression, the Dust Bowl, and accompanying events. I have noticed that Mr. Raley always has a great deal of information not included in the text and this is a great aspect to his successful lectures since students are interested in the additional facts and the creative examples he uses to assist their comprehension of the events.

Mrs. Callie Carroll – Language Arts (7th grade)

Mrs. Carroll is a veteran teacher who is well known throughout the school as a great planner (bell to bell) and class room manager. Today was the first opportunity I had to observe her. As advertised, Mrs. Carroll was very structured and was on top of everything in her class room. Not only did she have no dead periods with in her lesson plan, she had great transitions keeping students focused on the next task at hand. On this day she had a group activity where students looked through magazine ads focusing on different types of propaganda and persuasive techniques. The groups seemed to work well and she rotated around the room answering questions and prompting them when appropriate. She also used technology (educational cartoon displaying advertisement techniques – Smart Board programming) at the beginning of the class to activate prior knowledge/discussions. I was impressed that a teacher with over two decades of teaching had adjusted her style to include new technology and teaching strategies (more group work).

Mrs. Jarrett – U.S. History (8th grade)

I had also observed Mrs. Jarrett in prior semesters as a requirement for Methods of Social Studies and she was nice enough to let me ask questions about her latest chapter and the assessments and lessons she has used. Of course, she was covering the same content as Mr. Raley and she had just given the summative assessment for the unit (including matching, definition, and an ORQ) and was working on grading the OR’s while we talked. It was another good opportunity to see how a rubric is necessary for grading this type of response fairly and consistently.

1/27 (White) - WKU Observation

2010-01-27T11:53:00.000-08:00

Daily Lesson Plan

Objectives

- Identify numbered countries on a map (Europe).
- Describe the primary reasons people emigrate from their country of birth and immigrate to the United States.
- Identify key ways in which migration impacts the United States, immigrants, and the countries left behind.

Procedures

1) Students answer their D.O.G. question for the day (5 minutes).
2) Students that have not scored a 100% on the prior Map Quizzes (Europe) will take Map Quiz #3. They will have to identify 15 different countries. The countries are identified on the map by a number (1 thru 15).
3) The class will grade and discuss “The Lost Boys of Sudan” Graphic Organizer (0 – 100%)
4) Students will now conduct Immigrant Interviews. The CD accompanying Geography Alive will play as they rotate around the room interviewing different immigrants. The CD plays music from the countries that the immigrants emigrated from. Students will answer questions and show their four artifacts as they immerse themselves in the life of an immigrant including push/pull factors and the affects that migration has on their home country and the United States.

Assessment

D.O.G. (Daily Oral Geography) – (Formative) The class reviewed the question and answer after everyone finished. Students will have a summative quiz every two weeks over D.O.G. questions.
Map Quiz – (Formative) Students will be assessed on the quiz with a grade ranging from 0 to 100%. They will have a summative test over the twenty countries at a later date.
“Lost Boys of Sudan” Graphic Organizer – (Formative) We checked for correct answers and discussed reasons. There are seven answers and this assignment is for a grade (0 to 100%).
Immigrant Interview – (Formative) During this activity I walked around the room observing interviews and making sure students were on task.

Resources

Document Camera, Geography Alive Text, Map of Europe, Graphic Organizer, Geography Alive CD, Students Immigrant Artifacts.

WKU Observation

Today was a big day in my quest to become a certified teacher as I experienced my first observation by my University Supervisor, Mr. Joe Westerfield. Fortunately, he selected a day where we had a lot planned and a great interactive activity that played to the students varied learning styles. We opened up the class with a Map Quiz over Europe. Students had to identify fifteen numbered countries and then list them appropriately based off of the number. Out of 24 students, 16 of them recorded a master level score (73/C) or higher. Compared to other classes this percentage was about average and this was a good opportunity for students who did not reach a mastery level to note their need to study and accomplish the feat before the Map Test (Europe) which is a weighted grade of x 3 (worth 300 points). 13 of the students scored a 100%. We also reviewed a graphic organizer over “The Lost Boys of Sudan.” This was a participation grade and if all answers were answered prior to our review students received a 100%. 22 of the 24 students received a 100% on the graphic organizer. Finally, we had our Immigrant Interviews. This activity went well and I was very pleased with the transitions. All students were prepared and participated as desired. After the block I met with Mrs. Westerfield and was very pleased with the results. I was scored high in classroom management, knowledge of content, use of vocabulary, transitions, and communication skills. It was noted that I could have used other options to assess and record grades, notably scantron. This would have been more efficient and insured accuracy. This is something I noted and hope to address in the future.

Reflection

To say the least I was pleased with the day. I am growing more comfortable every day presenting the lesson and Mrs. Westerfield is doing a great job of modeling the lesson in Red Block 1. It will be a challenge when I take over solo teaching since I will have to be completely original on my preperations, planning, and delivery. At this point I have progressed from mimicing her delivery, to actually modifying it to fit my style and personality (while still keeping the desired information).

1/26 - SNOW DAY & South Middle School Observation(s)

2010-01-26T06:03:00.000-08:00

School in the Daviess County School District has been cancelled today due to hazardous conditions.

As a result of the snow day, I'm going to take this opportunity to visit South Middle School in Henderson, Kentucky. This is the school that I worked at for three years as a classified personnel (In-House Suspension supervisor). There are some wonderful teachers in the building that I would like to observe and this offers a great opportunity!

It was nice to see old friends today and I had an oppurtunity to talk with Mr. Peckenpaugh (Principal) and o.k. my visit to the classrooms. I visited three classes and onle planning period on this day including:

Mrs. Jennifer Jarrett - Planning/U.S. History (8th grade)
Mr. Jerry Grimes & Mrs. Lyndsay Koonce - Language Arts/Collaboration (6th grade)
Mr. Andrew Raley - U.S. History (8th grade)
Mrs. Callie Carroll - Language Arts (7th grade)

1/25 (Red) "Immigration Interviews"

2010-01-25T07:05:00.000-08:00

1/22 (White)

2010-01-22T06:23:00.000-08:00

Video–Taped Lesson (Reflection)

2010-01-21T13:53:00.000-08:00

Wednesday, January 20th

Today was my first day of teaching a Block solo and I was pleased with the result. The class started with a pop quiz over the map of Europe. Students were given a few minutes to study their maps and then they completed the quiz (approximately 10 minutes). This went well and the students followed all procedures required. After all students had completed the quiz, they swapped with the adjoining desk and we checked the answers. I then gave the class the accompanying percentage grade and I called roll with each student telling me their grade (students were allowed to walk up to the desk and tell me more discretely if desired). This also went well and all students continued to follow procedures and expectations that have been put in place by Mrs. Westerfield. I felt very comfortable administering the assessment after watching Mrs. Westerfield in the 1st block. The students have become comfortable with me and there is a healthy, mutual respect that has been formed between us. This is an obvious advantage in regards to the students performing for me as they do for the “regular” teachers. The next activity involved work on the Immigration Interview from the Geography Alive text. Students have a profile of an immigrant, they are responsible for answering four questions regarding push/pull factors and the affect their migration has had on the U.S. and their home country. Students are also responsible for creating artifacts for each answer. I was pleased with this activity as it took most of the block (60 minutes), and the students were very active in the learning process. Dialogue was good with both teacher/student and peer-to-peer interaction. This activity allowed students to be social while getting up and moving around, allowing multiple intelligences to be used.

After watching the video of the class I did have some impressions that I didn’t have prior to viewing. First off, I say hey, ya, o.k., and right too often. I hope to improve on my speech with more experience. I was pleased in my movement around the room compared to sitting at my desk and having the students come to me. I felt that I did a good job of interacting with the students and cueing them to higher level thinking with the appropriate prompts. The students were very social (which was desired), but it seemed for the most part that they stayed on task and most of the conversations were based around the activity. I feel that I delivered the lesson as was intended and that the students experienced a learning environment.

1/21 Reflection

2010-01-21T05:33:00.001-08:00

Today we continued to work on answers and artifacts for the Immigrant Interviews. We also took Map Quiz #2 (Europe) at the beginning of class for any student who did not score a 100% on Map Quiz #1. The structure and procedures for the lesson were set up the same as the prior lesson so the students knew what was expected of them. All went well except one male student who did very little work and appeared to be a bit hyper. After further investigation I noticed that this student had failed his last three assignments. I discussed this with Mrs. Westerfield and she showed me where he has been an “A” student the last two grading periods. She also informed me that the student had informed her earlier in the year that he was ADHD, something that I had suspected. We counseled with the student in the hall and discussed his behavior. He said he was having a hard time comprehending what was expected of him on the assignment and stopped working as a result. He was informed how to handle this problem in the future (inform the teacher). He was also told that if he continued to display irregular behavior that a parent/team conference would be scheduled next week. Lastly, he was educated on who he could talk to if he was struggling with any personal conflicts (guidance/teacher). I was glad that I noticed the detachment from the class activities and the poor performances and informed Mrs. Westerfield. In turn, she modeled the correct way to handle the situation, addressing several potential problems while offering solutions as well.

1/21 Haiti Relief Fundraiser

2010-01-21T05:32:00.002-08:00

The students of DCMS had a great fundraiser the last two days, a Haiti Relief Fundraiser (Bake sale)! Students are given a short break between their fourth block and CATS Prep to purchase drinks and snacks, on these two days the Home Economics class cooked cupcakes all day and sold them for 50 cents a piece during this break. The results were phenomenal as the students formed a line all around the cafeteria to get the goodies (which sold out both days). It was a valuable lesson for all of the students involved as they learned about all the facets necessary to put on this type of an event.

I had hoped to have pictures but of all days my digital camera was possessed by a dead battery!!!

Ooops!!!

1/21 Pep Rally

2010-01-21T05:32:00.001-08:00

1/21 (Red)

2010-01-21T05:31:00.000-08:00

Date: 1/21 (Red) & 1/22/2010 (White)

Daily Lessson Plans

Objectives

- Identify numbered countries on a map (Europe).
- Describe the primary reasons people emigrate from their country of birth and immigrate to the United States.
- Identify key ways in which migration impacts the United States, immigrants, and the countries left behind.

Procedures

1) Students will be allowed five minutes to study for a pop quiz over the European Map they have completed. Students who made a 100% on the first quiz are excluded.
2) Students will take a map quiz. They will have to identify ten different countries. The countries they identify are numbered 1 thru 10.
3) Students will work on answers and artifacts for their Immigrant Interview (Geography Alive). These questions revolve around push/pull factors and the affect their immigration/emigration has on the U.S. and their home countries.
4) Graphic Organizer over “Lost Boys of Sudan” (refugees).

Assessment

Map Quiz – (Formative) Students will be assessed on the quiz with a grade ranging from 0 to 100. They will have a summative test over the twenty countries at a later date.
Immigrant Interview – (Formative) During this activity I walked around the room answering questions and making sure students were on task. Students will have one more block to complete this assignment.
“Lost Boys” Graphic Organizer – (Formative Assessment) This will be graded on a scale of 0 – 100. Students are allowed to take it home to complete.

Resources: Geography Alive Text, Map of Europe, Graphic Organizer

1/20 (White)

2010-01-20T10:36:00.000-08:00

Today is Wednesday, a White day. On White days we repeat the lesson from the previous day (Red). White day is the second day in the two day schedule.

Daily Lesson Plan

Objectives

- Identify numbered countries on a map (Europe).
- Describe the primary reasons people emigrate from their country of birth and immigrate to the United States.
- Identify key ways in which migration impacts the United States, immigrants, and the countries left behind.

Procedures

1) Students will be allowed five minutes to study for a pop quiz over the European Map they have completed.
2) Students will take a map quiz. They will have to identify six different countries. The countries they identify are numbered 1 thru 6.
3) Students will work on answers and artifacts for their Immigrant Interview (Geography Alive). These questions revolve around push/pull factors and the affect their immigration/emigration has on the U.S. and their home countries.

Assessment

Map Quiz – (Formative) Students will be assessed on the quiz with a grade ranging from 0 to 100. They will have a summative test over the twenty countries at a later date.
Immigrant Interview – (Formative) During this activity I walked around the room answering questions and making sure students were on task. Students will have one more block to complete this assignment.

Resources: Geography Alive Text, Map of Europe

1/19 (Red)

2010-01-19T10:17:00.000-08:00

We just returned from a three day weekend after celebrating MLK day on Monday. This is a RED week and it is also the first week that I will be teaching one of the Geography Blocks on my own. From this point on I will be adding an abbreviated lesson plan to all blogs where I am teaching that day. Although I have been comfortable with the students from the very beginning, I am just reaching a comfort level in regards to names . . . something really important!

Daily Lesson Plan

Objectives
- Identify numbered countries on a map (Europe).
- Describe the primary reasons people emigrate from their country of birth and immigrate to the United States.
- Identify key ways in which migration impacts the United States, immigrants, and the countries left behind.

Procedures
1) Students will be allowed five minutes to study for a pop quiz over the European Map they have completed.
2) Students will take a map quiz. They will have to identify six different countries. The countries they identify are numbered 1 thru 6.
3) Students will work on answers and artifacts for their Immigrant Interview (Geography Alive). These questions revolve around push/pull factors and the affect their immigration/emigration has on the U.S. and their home countries.

Assessment
Map Quiz – (Formative) Students will be assessed on the quiz with a grade ranging from 0 to 100. They will have a summative test over the twenty countries at a later date.
Immigrant Interview – (Formative) During this activity I walked around the room answering questions and making sure students were on task. Students will have one more block to complete this assignment.

Resources: Geography Alive Text, Map of Europe

1/15 - EDU 489

2010-01-14T14:43:00.000-08:00

Today I am on WKU's main campus for my first meeting with my EDU 489 course. This course accompanies student teaching and is focused around the Teacher Work Sample, or better known as the TWS. This class meets twice a month on Friday's so periodically I will be attending it and missing out on all the fun at DCMS. Hopefully, Mrs. Westerfield has everything under control and hasn't got to used to having a student teacher to do everything ;).

Outside Classroom Observation (1/15)

2010-01-14T14:18:00.000-08:00

Today I had my first opportunity to observe outside of my assigned classroom. Mrs. Westerfield suggested that I visit the classroom of Mr. Brian Roberts, 7th grade (World Civilization), so I did just that. Mr. Roberts has been teaching for eleven years, eight in World Civilization.

The class had a good mix of male, female students. It also had two Hispanic students (females), one who was considered an ESL student (only 20% English fluency). The class also included special needs students and had a collaborating Special Education teacher as well.

Mr. Roberts was very clear in the daily schedule and expectations for the class. He came across very professional and started class immediately to get the students focused and prevent distractions. He mimics what I have seen in Mrs. Westerfields classroom as he is very consistent in following classroom rules and teaches from "bell to bell." He used technology in the class in several different ways. He used his projector to provide images from the History Alive Interactive Student Notebook which he had down loaded to his PC from the accompanying History Alive CD. Mr. Roberts seemed like an "expert" in the content area and spoke very confidently and firm. He also continually moved around the room engaging students with discussion and prompts. He also carried around a clip board with chapter terms and their translation to Spanish. He later informed me that he had previously studied Spanish for four years and that this was a great advantage in connecting and assisting with the ESL students. When a distraction did occur due to a student talking quietly he never stopped the discussion but instead stopped the behavior by simply looking and snapping quietly (and politely) at the student. I could see that he had coaching experience due to the way he addressed his class when someone was not following the class rules. He was very firm, yet mono tone to a degree. He was not excessive in the volume he used when addressing the student/class, he just used more bass and seriousness in his tone. The students responded successfully to this approach.

Procedures for the day included approximately 10 minutes checking (and discussing) the ISN homework. This is when he moved around the room and used a remote control to advance the PC from page to page. He then led a brief discussion/intro on what the class would be watching. The video was a product of the History Channel and was titled "Last Stand of the 300", a visual lesson of the battle between the Spartans and the great Persian army. The students had previously been given a movie guide that gave key facts and had vital questions pertaining to each section. On this day the class watched only section 2. The finish the block the class discussed what they had seen in the video and made connections between what they had learned from the text and video, and their connection biblically.

1/14 (Red)

2010-01-14T06:51:00.000-08:00

Today is a Red Day and on Red Day's we start a new lesson.

Activities for the day consist of:

- Students are given about 5 minutes to study for their DOG Quiz, covering week 15 & 16.
- DOG Quiz (10 minutes)
- Students are picked to go to the dry erase board to illustrate key terms from Chapter 8.
- Class covers instructions for the Geography Alive Immigrate Interview.

Observation

Mrs. Westerfield is always on the go and is a master at time management. I am quickly learning about an area that is completely ignored during the educational process. She was quick to locate and move four additional desk to the room that would help organize the supplies needed for the Immigrate Interviews.

I also had the opportunity to be a part of the team meeting that took place during our planning (4th Block). Topics covered included: PTC, Pep Rally, Evacuation Procedures, CATS Prep, and 2010 - 2011 Homeroom Assignments

1/13 (White)

2010-01-13T07:06:00.000-08:00

White days consist of two Geo classes (Block 1 & 2) and one Pace-Economics class (Block 3). The day ends with CATS Prep (study hall).

Geo classes repeat the lesson from the previous day (Red).

Geo Class activities consisted of:

- Bellwork - 4 DOG questions.
- Grading Map Worksheets
- We finished up discussion on the 3 Immigration Waves.
- Compare/Contrast reasons for past and present immigration to the United States.
- Class reading (page 119 & 120)
- Geography Alive Interactive Student Notebook (ISN) - Page 66

PACE/Economics activities:
- AR Reading
- Started working on a FLIP CHART that covers Productive Resources.

Observation:
Mrs. Westerfield does an outstanding job with class room management. The students have a great deal of respect for her and as a result stay on task. I have also noticed that she is very consistent with her classroom management expectations. She also is very good at planned pauses after prompting the class to allow ALL students the opportunity to analyze/synthesize. Mrs. Westerfield also does an outstanding job of encouraging higher level thinking as she forces her students to be very specific when replying to prompts. She will not accept general questions and demands that the students give details.

Example: Why do people immigrate to the United States?

A reply of "To gain freedom" would be followed with "What type of freedom?"

I have also observed her using opportunities to correct a student to address the whole class. This is successful in re-stating goals and expectations for the class.

1/12 (Red)

2010-01-12T07:42:00.000-08:00

Today is a Red day, consisting of three Geo classes.

The essential questions for this unit are:

How does migration affect the lives of people and the character of places?

What different type of push/pull factors lead to immigration?

Class activities consisted of:

Bellwork - 4 DOG questions.
Grading Map Worksheets
We finished up discussion on the 3 Immigration Waves.
Compare/Contrast reasons for past and present immigration to the United States.
Class reading (page 119 & 120)
Geography Alive Interactive Student Notebook (ISN) - Page 66

1/11 - Hello!

2010-01-11T08:52:00.000-08:00

Time to start blogging!

My student teaching has finally started (1/4) and this is where I will be blogging about my daily activities, experiences, and reflections. I am also planning on listing the class lesson plans and the accompaning resources used to compliment them.

My placement has located me at Daviess County Middle School, home of the Panthers, in Owensboro, Kentucky with Mrs. Misty Westerfield. She has done a great job of setting me up in her 6th grade Geography class. DCMS runs on block scheduling with Red and White days. You will see me note these days in my blogs. Each Day consist of four blocks and a CATS Prep (study hall).

Red Schedule:
Block 1 - Geo
Block 2 - Geo
Block 3 - Geo
Block 4 - Planning
2:45 - 3:15 - CATS Prep

White Schedule:
Block 1 - Geo
Block 2 - Geo
Block 3 - PACE (Economics)
Block 4 - Planning
2:45 - 3:15 - CATS Prep

The first (1/4 - 1/9) week included getting set up, meeting the students and faculty, and learning procedures and expectations . . . as weel as two snow days (Thursday 1/8 andd Friday 1/9). I did have the oppurtunity to begin working with students during Geography (map activities) and CATS Prep (study hall).

I look foward to keeping everyone updated on this great journey that awaits me!