Getting to the nitty gritty of homework

One of the realities of internship is the amount of initial homework one has. These assignments would be easy at home because I knew the inner workings of our school. I had worked at the data organization "department" for statistical data, administered the migrant ed paperwork, etc. During my first weeks at the Bethel school I focused on the new curriculum, the size of the school, the size of the population (you can put the population of my whole village in the school and have room to spare!!!!) Then the first assignment comes in and it asks for the statistical data, find the responsibilities of the school staff...

Well... I looked at the assignment and said okay...now that school has begun and my focus is with the kids in my class, and I have to be in the classroom during the times I am "In School" I need to find time to interview staff. If they were to ask me about the students in particular ( and I have a class assignment asking this) I can answer which students "got it," which students don't, and which students need serious help.

If I had this assignment given to me in the days of inservice I would have the time, and the staff would have the time also, to sit down and answer basic questions of introduction. Instead the orientation for mentors and interns occurred the evening before the first day of school for the students. We did not get the syllabi for the classes at this orientation, but each was available the night before the first day of each class. Suffice it to say I was a bit overwhelmed. I have this glitch in my system that I tend to feel overwhelmed until i get everything organized and see the big picture of what I need to do, how much time each assignment may take, and find a time pattern of duties before I get too far into an assignment. I finally got that done this week. Mainly because my last "first day of class" was on Friday. I got binders together and tabbed the reading for at least three segments, organized the files on the computer and I should be good to go. Wish me luck and please keep me in your prayers!!!

Storytown and Everyday Mathematics

I am so relieved I attended the inservice for StoryTown. Districtwide we will be using these two books for reading/writing and math. I do not believe our instructors in the university internship program are aware of the curriculum requirements of the districts. We are to use StoryTown for 90 minutes each day. Each lesson plan included spans one week's worth of various assignments. I have been in class with students this week and have seen this at work. So far I love the "robust vocabulary" My mentor teacher has very effective methods to make sure the kids remember these words.

I greatly enjoy being in the classroom!

Wow I am starting my internship year

The countdown has begun! I am presently sitting in an inservice at Gladys Jung Elementary. It is my third day and there is so much new technological usage that my mind is blown away with excitement! Smart boards, notebooks, ichat.... whew! I am so excited for this year! I still do not have my own apartment or house but I am enjoying my time in my parents home. I was so psyched about starting I arrived at 7:30 AM only to find that the kids start school at 8:30. There are 400+ teachers in the inservice and from what I have seen they are so awesome! There is a lot of things I am unfamiliar with but I will dive into them with great gusto!

SMILING!