Miss Ferrara's
Reflections

Evaluation of Teaching Resources:
    The resources I used during my student teaching were incredible.  I never imagined there were so many resources and helpful programs available.  Being able to find the support, organization, and ideas needed to enhance your teaching was great.  All the resources listed were helpful, easy to understand, and productive for planning and implementing lessons. I enjoyed keeping a list of all the resources used and as my career grows I plan to continually add to my resource library.
                 Link to Evaluation of Teaching Resources

Teacher-Created Student Assessment:
    This assessment worked very well and was quite effective.  I was able to evaluate what the students learned throughout the whole unit in a creative and artistic way.  This assessment was easy to use and it provided me with a good understanding on the content .  It is also very flexible to fit into other lessons or goals and I found it be be accurate and appropriate for the unit.  I really liked this assessment and rubric and plan on using it again in the future. 
                Link to Teacher-Created Student Assessment

Lesson Plan Designed Using Student Assessment Data:
    Doing a fun culmination activity where the kids can actually see, taste, and touch everything we had learned about was the best part of the unit.  They were able to put all the pieces together and make many connections.  All students met the objectives I wanted them to meet and I was able to have extra time with the students that needed it.  Being able to pull data from the assessment based in Lesson #4 and re-teach the children what needed to be emphasized was a good tool in effectively covering the material.  By bringing the assessment into this lesson, I gave the students a chance to be exposed to the content and learn more than they did previously.  This provided me with comfort that they exited this unit with a vast knowledge of food and customs, which are the two most culturally important and recognizable aspects of Mexico.
                 Link to Lesson Plan #6 / Using Student Assessment Data

Lesson Plan that Meets the Needs of Diverse Learners:
    I felt that this was a good lesson on language.  The students enjoyed having a parent come in and read to them in Spanish.  They responded with excitement, enthusiasm and a willingness to learn all they could.  I think this is a perfect lesson to do with the class because there are many different backgrounds and cultures within the classroom.  It also exposes them to another language and creates an environment where they can test it out and use it comfortably.  All students met the objectives given within the time frame.  In the future I would have tapes of Spanish stories or words in the background of the speaker.  I think hearing more Spanish throughout the lesson would have sparked more creative ideas and thought.  All of the planning and techniques used to meet the needs of diverse learners worked effectively and every student was successful in this lesson.
                Link to Lesson Plan #3 / Meeting the Needs of Diverse Learners

Lesson Plan that Requires Student Use of Technology:
    I feel that this was a great introductory lesson.  The students responded with excitement, enthusiasm and a willingness to learn all they could.  I think this is a perfect lesson to do with the class because there are many different backgrounds and cultures within the classroom.  The classroom interacted with  each other in a very positive atmosphere.  All students met the objectives given within the time frame and a bulletin board was created by the students which was very exciting for them.  Next time I would have copies of the Clay Hernandez Story for each student so they could follow along as we read the story and enjoyed the illustrations.  The students loved the technology aspect and I found it to be a wonderful tool to be able to show them through the internet an example of what we were studying.  I would have liked to have had access to more computers because having only one computer did limit "teaching to the next level".       
                 Link to Lesson Plan #1 / Requires Student Use of Technology

Interdisciplinary Unit:
    Doing a fun culmination activity where the kids can actually see, taste, and touch everything we had learned about was the best part of the unit.  They were able to put all the pieces together and make many connections.  Teaching this unit, I was able to learn along with them and I think that can be so important.  If there was something I could not answer we would research it together until we found the answer.  Knowing that I was able to educate them, open their minds up, and expose them to other cultures and ways of life was very rewarding to me.  All students met the objectives I wanted them to meet and I was able to work extra with the students that needed it.  The one thing I would do differently to end this unit would be to not only have the parents bring in authentic food and artifacts, but also to have the student present their completed books to their peer group and their parents.  This is a fabulous and fun unit and I am looking forward to teaching it again next year for Hispanic Heritage Month. 
                    Link to Interdisciplinary Unit / Hispanic Heritage

Overall Reflection of Intern-Teaching Experience:
    I learned more then I ever thought about teaching and am leaving with great ideas, techniques, and strategies that I actually observed and used.  I have a very clear definition of the school size and school environment that I hope to work in.  I feel confident that I know what to look for and what priorities matter to me as a teacher.  Without this teaching experience, most of that would have been trial and error for a few years.  However, I do feel that I can talk about my philosophy with more passion then I ever could.  

    One of the greatest things I learned was what priorities are important to me as a teacher.  Some examples of these priorities include the principal’s involvement with the faculty and students, the class size, the school size, the size of the district and even the overall environment and “feel” of the school.  I was able to see these differences through my placements as a student teacher.  My first placement was in a small, rural school in a large district.  The classroom consisted of 16 students and there were two classrooms per grade level.  My second placement was in a large, affluent school in a small district.  This was the only elementary school within that district.  The classroom size consisted of 26 students and there were six classrooms per grade level.  

    Another great experience that I am taking from student teaching is being able to work with someone else to create effective learning. Working side by side with my cooperating teachers in planning, grading and teaching was an invaluable lesson.  In team teaching, you have to be willing to work together, share ideas, and learn how to combine your beliefs and teaching methods.  Having this intern-teaching opportunity provided me the ability to do just that.

    The wonderful part of this whole experience was being able to observe and collect other teachers'  ideas and resources.  I have a journal of ideas, techniques and strategies that I will always look back and refer to throughout my career.  I think those thoughts and ideas will be invaluable when I get into my own classroom.  I am looking forward to that time! After student teaching I feel ready and prepared to create an effective learning environment that is caring, thought provoking, challenging, and exciting which relates to my philosophy of education. 

    I have had a rewarding education and experience.   Now, I feel confident and excited for my career in teaching to begin. 

"A hundred years from now it will not matter what my bank account was, the sort of house I lived in, or the kind of car I drove - but the world may be different because I was important in the life of a child."

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