Janet Baker

Week Two FTST Reflection

This week was tough for me. I was being observed by my mentor teacher, liaison, and the
principal. I did receive some wonderful comments from the acting principal. She praised me for
my positive attitude and gave me some wonderful feedback. I got the same response from my
mentor teacher. My liaison gave me some wonderful tips on how I can manage my class better,
since I was still struggling in that area. I also had one teacher come in and tell me that she
couldnt wait for me to be in the classroom because she could see that I would be a wonderful
teacher. I was feeling so stressed out at that very moment, and her single comment lifted my
spirit and made me feel that I could accomplish anything I set my mind to.
This week started out strong, I was able cut my prep time and half and approved my time
management. I did forget a couple of things which were a setback and I had to rush to get those
things done which really threw me for a curve. There is so much that must be done on Mondays
and Fridays, that I had to take extra time to complete these tasks on time (stuffed homework,
newsletters, grading, etc.). It was frustrating that I was still rushing to do things in my second
week of full-time teaching. I did take the time to write out everything in order of the day it was
needed and by Friday I could complete tasks more quickly and efficiently.
Classroom management was still an issue this week, but it had approved from the
previous week. My kids seemed to act out more when there was someone in the room, which
may account for some of the behavioral issues I was encountering. This week I started a ticket
system and did away with the behavioral card system that my mentor teacher was using (with her
approval). I implemented this midweek and from the first day I could see that it was having an
impact on my students behaviors. It was not perfect and still had behavior classroom issues, but
it helped students who needed that extra motivation to do well.
This week we really dive into my science light unit. We did spend more time on doing the
shadow lesson, since there was so much to cover. I felt my students needed that extra time to
learn this concept. Science can be hard to explain to first graders, so giving them that additional
time to explore science through their eyes and hands, helped them retain the information. We
most likely will be working through the light unit up till the final days of full-time teaching.
The time I spent with my students has always been the highlight of my day. I had one
student come up to me and ask me about my day, which never happens. I was giving the kids
some free-time and she just started a conversation with me. It was nice to have time to talk and
connect with my student. My day is so jammed packed, I never get the time just to sit and talk
with them. I hope when things calm down I will have more encounters like this one.