WEEK FIVE JOURNAL March 26-29

Good time management is important at my placement because there are alot of things that need to be done, and if you dont finish preparing certain arts or work the students will be with out work or things to do. It is very important to keep them busy with work to do otherwise they can get out of control and loud very fast.To have good time management at my placement, I do everything my supervisors tell me to do and try not to become distracted so that i can get the job done. Overall this was a good week because the students were very loud and crazy last week so compared to last week they were considered quiet. The students were very excited for their trip on Friday so thats all they talked about. I was suppose to go to their trip with them but then i found out that i had to come to class so the some of the students were upset that i was not going to come.The part of the job I like best is working with the kids, it is fun because the kids always have alot of stories to tell and enjoy talking with me. The expierence is also a good part, i now know what to expect while working with kids.

Thursday March 29 2007

Today i was in Mrs.MacDonalds classroom, but she was not here today so the class had a supply. It was my job to help the supply with the students who need extra care. The first thing i helped with was getting the students in and ready to go to library. The class only had 10 minutes in library so it was a challenge to get there on time and get the students books back and checked out, but we did it on time. Then we headed back to class and the students had a rhyme worksheet they had to complete before playtime, alot of the students had troubles with the worksheet so i sat and helped them. Then we got the students ready for snack time, after snack time the class went into the class beside them and they watched a movie, Its the Easter beagal charlie brown. They usually have movie day on Fridays but Friday they are going on a Feild trip. During home time, i was giving instructions to send one of the students who goes to day care to the book center, just to keep him out of trouble. The student did not like this and started to cry so i went over and talked to him to make him better, then we read two books together and he was happy and no longer crying.

Wednesday March 28 2007

Today I was in Mrs.McNeils class, the other Jk class. The first thing I had to do was hot glue gun paperclips onto old art work that they would be taking home, I was doing this because after I placed string through the paperclips so that the students could take them home and hang them up. Once I was done this, the students were at their desks begining a rainbow craft. When they finished it was my job to whole punch it and put string through the wholes so that they could also hang this up. After break I made my way back to Mrs.MacDonalds class, there I had to staple a bunch of Franklin art together(a craft they will be starting next week). After I was done I helped a student finsh work he missed. during this the class had gym and i stayed back and cleaned up the class room for the end of the day.

Tuesday March 27 2007

Today like every Tuesday i was helping out in one of the Jk class rooms. At first i had to staple a bunch of news letters together, after i was done i started to name and organize the Easter baskets the students would be decorating today. Right when the students got in we started. I called two students at a time to start decorating. They had the choice to color, glue on pictures or draw their own. This took awhile because i had to go through the whole class. After break i made my way back to Mrs. MacDonalds class, the first thing i helped with was help 5 students who did not finish an easter art finsh it. After this the students were getting ready for home time and i started to take down old winter art the students did awhile ago, that was still hanging on the wall.

Monday March 26 2007

Today when i arrived i had to finish the Easter cards i had started last week, this took me awhile because there was alot of cutting and pasting to do. I worked on this while the students did work at there tables and had play time. after taking one of the kids to library to get a new book i started to work on a Franklin craft the students would be finishing at the end of the week. During working on this, some students that had been away had not done the easter bunny art. So it was my job to explain what to do and help them with cutting and glueing. In no time it was home time and i stacked the chairs, cleaned up and got the students ready for home.

WEEK FOUR JOURNAL March 19-23

When my work is finished there is always something else to be done, keeping busy is important and time fly’s by very fast. Some of the students are very good at listening but some have many problems with it. It was frustrating when Mrs. MacDonald wanted me to hurry a student up to get to the circle and the student would not listen to me, I felt invisible but eventually he got to the circle. My supervisor and colleagues are all very supportive and try to make it as enjoyable for me as possible. They make sure the students respect me and treat me like a fellow teacher. It works because all the students treat me well and call me by my last name instead of Tanya. I feel like a good team member when I am working with all the teachers and help them get things done. The teachers love my help because I get things done for them, and now they have more time to work on other important things. It’s been a month since I began co-op and now that I have a good feel of how it works behind scenes I really hope that one day I can become a teacher.

Friday March 23 2007

Today I arrived a bit earlier and had the chance to start organizing and stamping the date onto future book orders, I got through most of them but I had to stop because the students were going to start their Easter art, so we had to explain how to do it. It was my job to glue certain things on the art just so that they wouldn’t make a mess. I was at the art table and once the students were done doing what they had to do at the tables they lined up and came to me. Once I was done I finished up the rest of the book orders, this took me to break time but before that I had to get the drinks and cookies ready (milk and cookie day). After the break I started to glue and cut out a new art the students will be working on next week.

Thursday March 22 2007

The first thing I did was take down the old picture bulletin, it had the work the children had done all on Clifford. Now they are starting Franklin the Turtle so I made a new picture collage of Franklin. After I was done it was time for the students to have Library so we made are way done there. It was my job to make sure the students were quiet and in line once they were done getting a book. When we got back the students worked on a worksheet at their desks while I cut out Pieces for a Easter art they were going to work on, on Friday. This took me awhile so I hope the students enjoy making the art. For everyday at the end of the day, when my work is finished I must help the children get ready for home time.

Wednesday March 21 2007

Today when I arrived Mrs. McNeil was not in her class room so I made my way to Mrs. MacDonald’s room. She had paper for me to cut up, because the students needed it for a project they were doing today. After the bell rang I went back to Mrs. McNeil’s class and while the students did their morning routine I started to work on Easter baskets for the morning and afternoon classes. This took me the whole period right up until snack time which meant I made my way back to Mrs. MacDonald’s room. The students had gym and story time while I had to organize an assignment that they would be working on in the future; I also marked work they had done yesterday. After this we got the students ready for home time.

Tuesday March 20 2007

i did not attend co-op today because i was still on vacation.

Monday March 19 2007

I did not attend co-op today because i was on vacation.

WEEK THREE JOURNAL March 5- March 8

Getting to co-op on time is not a problem at all becuase i have enough time to get ready and eat at my home. Since i live so close to wear i do co-op i can walk whenever, and be on time. I have not been late once becuae i make sure i am ready on time each day.I learned that the students want you to do everything for them, ie when they are writting in their spelling books, but it is important that you teach them how to do it and let them do it themselves. Otherwise they will not learn it. They also dont pay attention when you do it for them but when you make them do it themselves they learn and remember how to do it for next time. some days are so busy we have to skip certain rountines we do because we need to get other things done, when we skip usual routines you can see how routines are important to them because they always point it out that we missed something.

Thursday March 8 2007

Today went by very fast, first the students had liabrary. the student who broke his toes had to sit out so we read a book together while the rest of the class picked their books outs. once the students got back they had to write a story about Clifford the big red dog in their spelling books. so i got to go around and help them write it out. When the students had play time i marked and placed stickers on work. After i finished marking i handed out the drinks and cookies ( Today was milk and cookie day). since today was the last day of school for the students because of March break we had to clean up the class room, so it was my job to wash down the tables stack the chairs, and i had to re-organize the toys becuase it was a mess and they were everywhere. I also had to wash the black board. After this Mrs.MacDonald had a box of books she needed me to organize and place them wear they should go. while i did this the class watched a movie and by the end of the movie it was home time.

Wednesday March 7 2007

Today I was in another Jk class, when I first got their job was to hang up the St. Patrick’s Day ladders they had made up on the art board. Once I finished the students got settled at their spots and did the morning routine while the teacher asked me to organize a messy part of the class room, this took me awhile but I finally finished. The students were at the tables doing work; I got to help them with it. When they were done they had play time and I had to cut out pieces and come up with new ideas for art time for the craft center, by the time I had finished the students were done play time and ready for snack time. After the break like usual I made my way to back to Mrs. MacDonald’s class room, they had been gluing all afternoon and had made a mess so it was my job to clean up. I also washed the tables and stacked the chairs. While I was doing this the students had gym time and two students were unable to participate so I stayed back with them and read books, I also marked work that I had not finished from Tuesday. At the end of the day I had to hand back previous work I had marked. By the time I got them into everyone’s backpack the bell went and it was home time.

Tuesday March 6 2007

Today since it is Tuesday I was in the Jk class, when I arrived the teacher had a table full of things she needed me to finish. Some of it was finishing two absent students St. Patrick’s Day art that they had not been able to finish on time, another thing I had to do was cut out many different pieces for a craft they will be working on at the end of the week. Once the kids got settled they did their morning routine which included songs they sang and dancing, the students were excited to show me what they had learnt. Once this was over the kids had to go to there tables and do a worksheet, they had to cut out pieces and color them and place them in order of smallest to largest. Some of the students had trouble with the work so I got to go around and give them a hand. Once it was their play time I had to take three students aside because they had not yet finished work from the previous day so I got to teach them what they had to do and help them with it. They finished in no time and I got to play games with them for the rest of play time (which was only 10 minutes). One of the girls was having trouble with using the computer, so I got to play computer games with her. After snack time I made my way back to Mrs. MacDonald’s class but she was not here today, she had informed me on Monday she would not be present Tuesday and told me that she would leave a bin full of work that needed to be marked and stickerd, She also asked me to help get the children ready at home time so that the supply would not have to do it all by herself. I did just what I was asked to do and got the kids ready and out the door.

Week 3 Monday March 5 2007

Shamrocks . . .

Right when I arrived today Mrs. MacDonald informed me about the St. Patrick day cup art they had started last week started to come undone, so it was my job to re-glue all of the paper that had started to come off. Once the students had made their way to the circle I started to call two kids at a time to finish the second part of the St. Patrick day cup art. The students had to glue the shamrocks to a Popsicle stick and stick it in the cup beside the poem. It took me awhile to get through the whole class but when I was working on this the rest of the class worked on a worksheet and also had to cut out a large shamrock for an art they will be doing this week. Then after I finished the art with the students they had playtime and I was given work to do by myself. I had to cut out different accessories for the art with the shamrock so it would be done on time for the students to make the craft. After I was done this it was time for them to have snack time, while the students were doing this I went to the photocopier room, there they had a large paper cutter for me. I had to cut a large amount of paper up for the paint center in the class room. After snack time I got the chance to read to the class two stories before it was home time, the students really enjoyed the two books. After this the students had to start getting ready for home time.

WEEK TWO JOURNAL Feb 26-March 2

This placement is what I expected because I knew their would be a lot of effort that needed to be put in to getting things done around the class room. I now see that the teacher is very busy and most of the time does not even have time to finsih what she may have had planned for the day. I also realize the amount of thought that needs to be put in to do crafts and work in the class. I was not expecting it to be easy but I had no idea how much lilttle crafts take to get ready. Its fun when you really enjoy working with kids and I know if I become a teacher I will have enough patients to be a great teacher. Being ready at my placement means having the work ready for the students on time, there are many small crafts they do each day but when you add up all the things they do, time starts to run out. Iv noticed that the teachers can have 4-5 major things planned out for the day and sometimes they skip cetain routines just to get other things done. The afternoon always goes by so fast. I am excited for next week because one of the students birthdays is next week and she asked me If I was going to be there so I could celebrate it with her and the class, so that should be fun.

Friday March 2 2007

Today right when I arrived Mrs. MacDonald had 3 students from grade 6 helping her, so she instructed me to finish other work. I had to finish glueing the St. Patrick day poems to the Popsicle sticks. I also finished marking work I had started the day before and did not finish. While I was doing this the students got settled in their spots at the circle and did their morning routine. I also had to finish the Clifford hats Mrs. MacDonald was going to hand out to the students today after they finished their seat work. Once they finished their morning routine they stated their Clifford worksheet that was waiting at the desk for them. Mrs. MacDonald then explained to me about a St. Patrick’s Day art they had to start today. They had a paper cup and had to decorate it with pieces of green tissue and place the poem with the Popsicle stick in it. While they were working on the Clifford worksheet at there desk I got to call two students at a time to start the craft. I got through all the students today, but there is a second part they have to do and we will do that on Monday. After play time they had snack time and I started to mark lots of work they had done the days before. While I was doing this they watched a movie about Clifford, since Friday is movie day. We were running a bit behind schedule and they only had about five minutes to get ready so we rushed to get them ready and out the door.

Thursday March 1 2007

Today Mrs. MacDonald had yard duty so when I showed up she had written out a list of things she wanted me to do, one was sort out and write the names of the morning class and afternoon class on the newsletters. Then I had to finish the Clifford necklaces I started the other day because today was the day they would color them in, and wear them. After the students got settled in Mr. Grace came in and checked up on my placement, the teacher introduced him and one of the students explained to us why he was away for the past 3 days (it was because he broke two of his toes). After Mr. Grace left the class made their way to the library, the student who broke their toes had to stay back for his sake, so he didn’t have to walk all the way down there with his crutches. I got to stay behind in the class room with him and we read a book together. Once the students got back they had work time and I helped cut out ears for their Clifford hats they will be working on in the future. After I was done that I had to take down old work from the classroom bulletin and place new art they had done, the students were excited to see their art they had made up on the wall, they were very proud. routines at my placement are important because the students get use to a certain way of doing things and it is improtant to stick with them so that they feel comfortable and know and understand what is going on around them. some days are so busy that the teacher forgets to do their afternoon rutine, because it takes the students longer to do things it is important to get right to business with the work they have to do. As usual after snack time they read a clifford book like they are use to doing. As they read I finished up stapling the clifford ears to the bands for their clifford headbands. Since today we had bad weather we wanted to make sure the kids would be ready on time and bundled up to go outside at the end of the day. So we started to get them ready 10 mins earlier then usual, once they were done they were ready to leave for the end of the day.