Laura Perrine August 27th 2021
Discuss your first week at school including your impressions, concerns and or questions.
Although the school year at Saline Middle School does not start until Monday August 30th, I had the opportunity to attend PD yesterday at Saline High School with all of the educators at Saline Middle School. I also got to meet with my CT this past Tuesday and plan for the upcoming semester.
Yesterday I attended PD. It was a full day of meetings, introductions and an influx of information. I met my CT early and we rode to the highschool together where we got to converse with numerous teachers on the same teaching team as her, as well as meeting the Principal, Assistant Principal. It was a “School Improvement” based meeting and we focused heavily on the Standards Based Learning approach that Saline Area Schools takes. I learned how Standards Based Learning can motivate students to improve based on providing specific feedback and attention to their mastery levels of a topic, rather than simply assigning a grade such as an “A” or a “C.” This way of learning challenges the traditional grading system and practices that tend to punish the students with fewer resources. I was thoroughly impressed with this new approach to learning that I myself never experienced when I attended Secondary school. I was also honored to be part of their meeting when I got to hear multiple educators in the room express their concerns with this grading method and their praises of it. It was a unique learning experience for me, as they are all experienced teachers and I got to hear their feedback.
After PD, we moved back to the Middle School and got to meet with the rest of the English Department for department meetings. I really enjoyed getting to talk with all of the other English teachers in our school, and what I noticed is how adamant and determined they all are to get students excited about reading and to have relevant and new books for their students to read and have access to. The teachers all decided to have their students introduced to the school library early on in the school year, and my CT and I are planning on taking our students there next Thursday and having every other Friday be a designated Library and independent reading day. My CT and I both agreed that reading can often seem like a chore for students but we want to challenge this notion and show them how many worlds can be accessed through reading, and that reading can be a lifelong learning experience and an immersive one, just like movies and video games only it is a different medium. I feel at ease that not only my CT and I view reading in this way, but also the entire English department at SMS.
My CT and I spent all of yesterday afternoon arranging our classroom and planning for our first day. As the first day of school approaches, we plan to meet Sunday morning to get everything ready and to plan the following week. We are preparing an Introduction Slideshow to show to our students and also at our Open House Tuesday evening, and preparing Icebreakers and fun activities for the first week of school. We agreed that early on we want to establish our classroom rules and expectations for our students, and that way they can feel comfortable and know what is expected of them. Classroom environment is a big focus for both of us, and we want to make sure that each student is accommodated for and can accomplish their goals.
The only concerns I have at this time relate to the various IEP’s we have for our students. I have reviewed each student’s file with an IEP, and can confess that as a new student teacher, I am concerned with making sure that each student has what they need from me. I am not at all concerned with my CT, as she is an experienced teacher and very knowledgeable, so that helps put me more at ease. I just want to make sure I am not limiting or withholding resources that I may not know about as a new teacher without meaning to. My goal is to make sure I get to know each of my students on a personal level so I know their interests, their learning styles, and what they need in the classroom for them to succeed.
I am so enthusiastic about starting my first day of student teaching this coming Monday, and I am taking notes, reflecting, and thinking about my experiences every day as I embark on this and look forward to my upcoming Journal entries as the school year progresses.