Observation #1 - February 16

It was so nice to be back in the classroom on Friday and to see all of my favorite first graders again. The students have all made leaps and bounds, and surprising remembered me and my Teaching Teammate (TT). They were doing math, which was the best part, since we are taking "Teaching Math" - and it had a whole new amount of meaning for me seeing it again having talked about so many parts of it during class at Curry. The ESL student was speaking tons of English, the classroom had been rearranged with new desk formations and things going on all over the walls, and Ms. D was running around trying to make sure everything was going well in every little corner. It was "Addition Day" (or something along those lines) and there were groups switching between activities - working on their +1, +2 and +0's on the laptops, coloring in worksheets using manipulatives, and other students completing problem after problem.

Of course, observing in with Ms. D is never JUST observing...she put us right to work with markers, and every student that finished their assignment would bring it over to us, in hopes of a check or "smiley face" up top. It is interesting that the students that are really smart and active with their own learning are not just good at reading, raising their hands, following the rules, and doing their homework, but are also good at every subject. The students I expected to be flying through their problems, or not needing to use the cubes to add or subtract, were the same ones that flew through the assignment TT and I brought in every time we had to teach last semester.

This Friday was a special one (besides being a Friday...I will never forget the Friday cheer the kids did for us last semester) because of all of the snow days, Valentine's Days and Monday-off coming up that added a certain amount of buzzing energy to the room. Ms. D was feeling a little behind in her schedule, everyone had been a bit stir crazy at home with their parents for too long, and "candygrams" had been delivered a day or two late that morning to the whole school. Not only had they had an "accidental" near spring break, but the long weekend ahead was going to be "fun and busy" according to everyone at the group where I was watching and checking problems.

And...as always, there were innumerable candid moments and quotes from the kiddos...

"You don't ever want to go to Mexico...it's worse than the US." -Student M.

"I am good at everything. Seriously." - Student O.

"I got a candygram. From my boyfriend. I didn't get him anything, because it's Valentine's Day. He isn't in this class; you don't know him." -Student K

"This week coming up I am star student, and it's my birthday. I dont' know when I am going to have time to make my poster for the room because I have a VERY busy weekend coming up." - Student A

Also, a few of the kids headed to the cafeteria instead of going to Art when we were leaving, because the "older kids" are doing a Lewis and Clark play, and it was time for rehearsal. Everyone was running around trying to find their costumes and talking about "practicing" and performing in front of everyone, but how they also were upset to be missing Art. :) The sacrifices of a seven year old.

Ms. D sounded really excited and flexible about our social studies lesson plans. I love her flexibility and really hope it is something I can adopt when I get the swing of things in my own classroom. It really, from the outside, looks like she gets everything done. Also...she is going to be having a student teacher for the rest of the semester so when we come back and observe again next week, we will meet her, and personally, I'm curious to see this new person lead the class and make things happen. I want to see a student teacher teach....it's not that far away of a reality for us!

Overall, another crazy, great day in First Grade.