Rachel Cason October 16, 2013 Clinical Journal Entry 2

Now that I have been in my classroom or several wee!s, I have "aine# a better un#erstan#in" o what my class an# my teacher are li!e on a #aily basis$ %here is a #e inite structure an# sche#ule to the classroom, which hel&s the stu#ents !now e'actly what to e'&ect each #ay$ I have also notice#, thou"h, that my teacher never seems lustere# i her sche#ule is interru&te#$ (he is le'ible an# calm, an# that attitu#e hel&s the stu#ents stay calm as well$ One o my initial observations was that there is an e'cellent aculty an# sta at this school, an# that im&ression has only been soli#i ie# over the last ew wee!s$ )ll the a#ministrators, teachers, an# sta wor!ers are constantly thin!in" o ways to ma!e the school more invitin" an# the learnin" more en*oyable or stu#ents$ I have also "aine# a little more !nowle#"e on the stru""les that En"lish lan"ua"e learners ace in the classroom$ Not only is it challen"in" or the stu#ents to !ee& u&, but it is also #i icult or the teachers to #i erentiate their lessons so that all stu#ents are bein" challen"e# an# encoura"e#$ %he &ast ew wee!s have o&ene# my eyes to more o the challen"es teachers ace, but they have also shown me some "oo# ways o han#lin" those situations$ +urin" my time in the classroom, I have observe# some "reat teachin" as well as some metho#s that I thin! coul# be im&rove#$ ,y teacher #oes an e'cellent *ob o as!in" -uestions #urin" her lessons, which !ee&s the stu#ents involve# an# en"a"e#$ (he is also very willin" to hel& stu#ents un#erstan# conce&ts in multi&le ways, an# she #oes a "oo# *ob o ma!in" connections to &rior !nowle#"e an# other sub*ect areas$ .owever, the stu#ents s&en# a air amount o time each #ay in literacy or math stations, #urin" which they wor! on activities in#e&en#ently an# are o ten unsu&ervise#$ I/ve notice# that stu#ents easily "et o 0to&ic an# become #isen"a"e# when they are not bein" watche# closely, an# I #on/t thin! they learn as much this way$ I/ve learne# that stations can be a "reat tool, but only i they are mana"e# correctly$ +irect instruction an# in#e&en#ent &ractice have to be balance# an# &ro&erly monitore# or them to have the "reatest im&act$ One thin" I stru""le with is bein" authoritative$ I ten# to be so t0s&o!en an# sometimes too "entle instea# o ma!in" sure I/m stayin" in char"e o the classroom$ ,y teacher tol# me that it is o!ay to be irm with the stu#ents1 sometimes they nee# that irmness to stay un#er control$ I have become more com ortable with bein" authoritative over the &ast ew wee!s, but I !now I still nee# to wor! on bein" an authority i"ure$ I also still stru""le with bein" nervous sometimes in the classroom$ I worry that I won/t !now the best thin" to say or the best way to &resent material, an# I never want to con use my stu#ents$ I !now that I will eel less nervous when I have more e'&erience, so I *ust have to &ractice$ I am than! ul that my teacher is very hel& ul an# su&&ortive o my teachin", an# I !now that the more I &ractice, the more com ortable I will be$ I am loo!in" orwar# to the o&&ortunities I have to &ractice an# im&rove my teachin" s!ills$