My

first placement this term was with a second grade class at a Catholic School. Being
apart of this school for nine days was extremely rewarding. I gained insight and knowledge of
how to work with each students abilities even in a short period of time. I was immediately
welcomed into the school community by both the teachers and students. With this I was able to
learn how to build mutual respect in the classroom by providing a supportive, and collaborative
environment, which is what I intend to do in my own classroom in the near future.
As every day continued, my host teacher gave me new insights, especially in regards to
assessments. I was able to conduct my own running record for 2 students in which my teacher
felt could benefit most. I had to follow the rubric accordingly and did so successfully. Moreover,
my host teacher had assessment binders for her students, their parents/guardians, and for
herself. These assessment binders included work and tests that students handed in to be
graded. She had 3 copies which were divided into the above categories (students,
parents/guardians, and teacher). Not only did she have assessment binders, but she created
student binders where she kept anecdotal notes about conferences with students and parents
and any notes she received from the students parents so that in case she needed to refer back,
she had all the materials.
Teaching my own lesson based on what the students were currently learning was
slightly challenging. My host teacher had me create and teach two lessons. The first was a
reading lesson where I had to introduce how to make connections when reading and what
types of connections can be made. Second, I was asked to begin their new mathematics unit on
Geometry. I had to take into consideration the two students with Autism who participated in
math, thus, I incorporated the use of hands-on activities and a game on the provided iPads. It

was interesting to see how the students collaborated with one another, which is what teaching
partners at this school did well.
Lastly, I learned a great deal on classroom management. This was due to the fact that
my host teacher had me begin each school day by getting students settled, taking attendance,
recording the date and weather with the class. All in all, this placement experienced went
beyond my expectations and I am grateful that I got the chance to work with my host teacher
and her second grade class.