Weekly Logs

Week 2:
In my second week of my math placement, I really began to grasp the curriculum,
reconnect with the material, and develop a good sense of how both of my mentor teachers
approach delivering new material. I assisted in grading the advanced algebra quizzes as
well as daily homework checks for my geometry students. I appreciate being able to look at
and analyze student work because it helps me to see where common misconceptions are
and what material the students need some additional support in arriving at an
understanding in. I also taught my first lesson on Friday in my Algebra I class. I felt as
though it went okay, and I am grateful for their cooperation as I grow accustomed to using
the technology provided in the classroom.
I began working individually with a student this week as a form of remediation to get him
back up to speed and prepare him for his test on Friday. It is difficult to know how to ask
the right questions and how many practice problems is sufficient enough for the student to
understand how to apply the processes learned in the chapter. However, I really enjoyed
the 1-on-1 setting because I was able to see what specific errors the student was making
and address them.
The most challenging part of this week is realizing how much I need to do to prepare for
my students. Math classes give homework everyday and I feel like in addition to the next
lesson plan, I need to keep up with the homework to address students questions. As I
develop a system, I am sure that this will become more streamlined for me.
This week I will be phasing into all three of my preps. By Friday, I will be bell-to-bell for all
of my classes which means I have about 3 weeks of full time teaching before I begin to
phase out. This will be good experience for me to see more of the long-term effects of my
teaching because I will be teaching over two chapters for all of my classes. I find myself
shocked at how quickly time is passing and realizing that in addition to planning
instruction, I have a lot of other things I am balancing that I really need to tackle to be in a
good place upon graduation.

Weekly Logs
Week 3:
Wow! What a week. With a controversial issue surrounding the school, I found myself
struggling to remain focused and not get caught up in the drama. It was certainly a learning
experience to determine how schools approach damage control after things are said in the
media, as well as what lengths a school will to go to uphold the integrity of their teachings
and principles. With all of that said, this week began my transition into teaching. As I
phased in class by class, I am becoming more accustomed to the students needs. Friday
was my first full day of teaching and I was exhausted as the final bell rang!
My teacher has really passed the reigns to me. I am doing everything from taking
attendance, taking and recording grades, answering questions, grading, and developing
lessons. It seems a bit daunting because there is more homework in math than in business,
but I am also realizing that I have just four short weeks of student teaching remaining left!
My student that I worked with last week got an 80% on his exam! I was so excited for this
student and shared my excitement with him as I was monitoring the class. I think that
students need more positive reinforcement, and I hope that this student continues to push
himself because I know that he can pass this class. Often times it is difficult for teachers to
see the progress of students because they are focusing on the areas of needed
improvement. I, myself, do this after teaching and think about all of the things I could have
done better instead of being proud for what I did overall. Celebrate the successes, no
matter how small, is going to be something that I focus on in particular this coming week
because students are taking quizzes and tests.

Weekly Logs
Week 4:
My first week bell-to-bell was both exciting and stressful! Being transitioned slowly the
previous week was nice, and this was a lighter week, but I am still seeing that it is really
difficult to pick up toward the end of a math class.
As I continue to teach, I realize that I do not feel like I am connecting with these students
like I did in my previous placement. I dont know if it is because they are younger or if it is
because I have been more focused on knowing my content inside and out, but my goal for
this week it to develop a better rapport with these students. Other than literally falling on
my face, I would say that math lends itself to several challenges. My students are still pretty
shy and dont seem to want to come in for help even though I know they need it, but I dont
know when to push and when to pull.
I really enjoyed teaching some of my lessons and making things my own. With the classes
being set my a lead teacher with common assessments and pacing calendars, it is difficult
to find room for your own teaching style, but now that I am used to the packets, handouts,
quizzes, and files, I am beginning to make them my own and sprinkle in the real-world
connections as I can. I think my students think Im nuts at times, but I am enjoying it!
This week, my algebra classes both have quizzes and there will be some new content taught
dividing polynomials (hello long division!). In addition to this I will be teaching new
material in geometry. I got some great resources from my professors on campus to help me
for my lessons. I am really enjoying geometry more than I anticipated. I dont know if it is
because I like the reasoning behind it and that there are several approaches, or because I
can ask more questions about why we are doing particular things, or maybe even that I
have students that are a year older and developmentally more with it. Regardless, I am
looking forward to finishing up!

Weekly Logs
Week 5:
Another week of bell to bell under my belt and I am beginning to have a handle on things! I
am realizing that there is a lot more to keep track of in a math classroom (paperwork,
homework problems, handouts, etc.). My teachers made the move to remove themselves
from the classroom so that I am the only adult in the room. I found to have really liked this
because there wasnt a balance of power and I felt like I could really manage the class how I
envision myself doing so.
My student that I have been watching out for in terms of grades earned another 80% on his
test Friday! I was so excited, that I emailed his father congratulating him! My students are
also starting to get more comfortable with me in the class, and asking me questions. I am
also becoming more fluent when speaking about the content when makes my lessons more
fluid.
Now that I feel like a have a routine down I am focusing on my instructional strategies.
There is a wide spectrum of learners in my Algebra I class. Several of them reach a level of
understanding almost instantaneously, while others have trouble closing the gaps in their
knowledge. I have noticed that several students struggle in their note taking skills. To help
them write in a more linear way, I am providing optional guided notes sheets for students
to use at their discretion. This is a way for them to quickly refer back to the concepts that
were taught during that lesson while doing homework or reviewing for a quiz or test. In
addition to this, I have tried to think of more engaging and novel ways for students to
practice problems from the textbook. I am going to try an activity next week where
students work at stations to complete a problem set and then move on. My hope is that is
chunks the lesson and keeps students engaged.
My goal is to really try to enhance the content my making the classes more engaging. I am
continuing my motivational Monday trend by playing a pretty neat video about jellybeans
and perspectives on life. It is fitting because my students always ask me when I am going to
bring jellybeans students are so quirky!