1. 1. Dr.

Jodi Newton Reflection from 8/25/15

a. When I heard we had another seminar to listen to, I am not
going to lie and say that I was excited. But, I definitely
think this seminar was one to be eager for. Dr. Jodi Newton
spoke about what great teachers do differently, maximizing
learning for all students. This is considered student based
learning, focusing on the students proficiency throughout
the school year. She talked about 5 different ways teachers
can help the students adequately for the future. One of
them was knowing over doing, meaning that they students
know what they need to do and how to achieve that goal. I
definitely agree with this, because this helps with
information retaining. Also, she stressed the point about
redemption for the students, and being more
understanding and teaching that mistakes are okay. There
are so many opportunities to learn from mistakes. Dr.
Newton said that that teachers should be planning
constantly and tweaking frequently. This taught me that
flexibility is key for being an effective teacher. Not only did
I learn a lot from this seminar, it helped me feel more
confident about the path that I chose for my career.
b. Seminar 8.27.2015
c. Who knew I would actually learn things from a cheesy,
outdated video? Watching this video really had me
visualizing my classroom in the future, figuring out how I
will facilitate daily classroom instruction. There were a
couple of things that stuck out to me, one reminding me of
my observations from the first day of school a couple of
weeks ago! It was a kindergarten class, and she

emphasized the importance of structure in rules and how

the class is physically set up. She showed the importance
of reminding the students what the rules are and practicing
them from day one! There was so much repetition on the
first day, and she said its basically the same for a couple
of months into the school year! She also talked about how
she had to change these procedures based on how the
students react to the idea, which is what the video stressed
as well! Also, she had this fishbowl that was empty, but
when someone in the class did something that followed the
rules, they would place a marble in the fishbowl. The class
that day was very attentive, so the teacher told them that
they could each put a marble in the fishbowl! And then,
one of the students held the door when they saw the class
in need, so that one student put a marble in the fishbowl. It
was interesting relating this video to these classroom
procedures, because the classroom is working together as
one to fill up the fishbowl. The teacher told them that when
it was full, they would have an ice cream party! It was
interesting to listen to the ideas presented in this video,
and comparing it to this observation which continually
developed my philosophy of education!

2. 9.1.2015

3. Seminar: Dr. Rodgers

4. DISPOSITIONS
a. What is a disposition? Thats what I thought when
this seminar commenced. I have heard that word
tossed around throughout the education
department, but I dont think I really have ever
understood what it meant. I need to be evaluated
on my ability to be an effective teacher, and this is
what a disposition is supposed to pinpoint. Going
over the different qualities of teachers makes me
think back to my childhood and my elementary
school experience. It helps me pinpoint what
teachers stood out and what qualities made an
impact on me. Also, it helps me with the opposite,
showing me what an effective teacher doesnt do.
Dr. Rodgers made me aware of the purpose of our
clinical and observations: they are made for our
own understanding, philosophy of education, and
how we are going to be the teacher we want to be.
No teacher will be perfect. Thats impossible. Each
teacher organizes their classroom differently, and
holds their classrooms to different standards. I
think of one of my favorite teachers, and I though
of how knowledgeable and willing to help he was.
He wanted me to learn, he didnt care about the
grades we received. He wanted us to grow. Those

actions made him have the best disposition. It was

interesting for the class to analyze qualities of a
teacher, and then coming to the realization that
most of them are dispositions. In conclusion, all
dispositions affect the childs learning.
5. Abby Thurston
6. Dr. Julie Hannah: Seminar 9.3.2015
a. What an inspiring speaker Dr. Julie Hannah is. She
made me feel affirmed yet again that I have made
the right decision in my major. As she started
talking about the assessments and changes that
have been made throughout Alabama, it really
brought me back to my time in school as a child. I
went to a private school in Georgia that was very
academically difficult. People would transfer to
other private schools around us just so they can
get better grades, because we are held to such
high standards compared to surrounding schools
both private and public! In no way am I trying to
talk up my school or be cynical that I received a
different education and experience than the
surrounding students. But, I am merely stating the
flaws within the education system. Its so
interesting to be sitting here now, looking at the
imperfections and thinking back to when I was in

school, feeling like I was being treated unfairly. I

watched my friends who went to other schools
that didnt even open a book to receive an A on a
test, when I would spend weeks studying and be
ecstatic to get a B. Yes, I am so thankful for what
I was taught at my school and the work ethic that
it brought me. But its not just about me; its about
all the students in America. Coming college
application time, kids who didnt even know how
to study were getting accepted to colleges that
other people werent who had lower GPAs at a
different school: Just because the curriculum was
different. These students are going to be so
overwhelmed in college, bringing our college drop
out rate up and providing them for eventual failure
due to not being prepared. It was really
encouraging to see Dr. Julie Hannahs enthusiasm
and desire to see change, and the fact that society
is doing something about that. We have the power
to change the nation, and that is so amazing to
really conceptualize as a teacher in training.

7. 9.10.2015 Dr. Bluiett

Early Literacy Assessment Part 1
a. Going into this seminar, I honestly didnt know
what to expect. What really is reading

assessment? Assessments are important in

making sure if the child is benefiting from the
instruction from the teacher and the lessons that
are geared towards advancing their readings. I
definitely think that it is important for the teacher
to look at the students individually and then
making proper alterations based on the individual
themselves. When I first thought of reading
assessments, I couldnt really remember my
experience as a child reading, but I thought back
to my observations last year. I remember one of
my teachers had me out in the hallway listening to
the students read to me one on one. Each student
would have the same story to read aloud, and I
would have a timer for one minute. I would have a
copy, and cross out the words they missed and
count how many words they read after the
duration of one minute. I would calculate their
Words Per Minute by looking at the total of the
words that they dictated, minus the amount they
they couldnt get right. This was a way to monitor
the childs individual progress.
I thought it was interesting how we had the chance to see
how we would incorporate the four purposes of reading
assessment in our morning interventions. Obviously, these
kids are more in need of instruction than their peers. I
think the most important thing in this situation is
encouraging them that it is okay and they are going to get
better! I thought about making a screening assessment
starting out, in order to see where the student is at from
the beginning and then see what we need to work on
specifically. I will specifically be using Tier 2 and Tier 3 of
the RTI levels during my morning intervention, due to the
fact that I am not the primary instructor. I need to be
monitoring their attitudes and interest in reading,
background information, and many other areas. This is
making me feel like I can make an impact on a childs
learning. I really enjoyed thinking more and learning more
about reading assessments, which I wasnt previously

educated fully about.

8. Seminar 9.10.2015
Dr. Wood: Gifted Program
a. I always thought that all children were gifted in some way,
but it was interesting to learn more about the gifted
program, which I was not educated about beforehand. Dr.
Wood was really educated about the gifted programs that
schools offer and was really enthusiastic about it. I thought
back to my elementary school years, remembering the
gifted program at my public elementary school. They called
it the FOCUS group, and a lot of my friends were in this
program. My parents decided to not have me tested and
not be a part of this program. I did feel left out, and almost
not good enough compared to the other students in the
gifted program. I always thought I wasnt smart and
embarrassed with the fact that I wasnt a part of FOCUS
group. I thought it was interesting to see the differences
between gifted groups when I was a student and to now.
b. Also, I found the different ways of testing for creativity
using the 9 circles or the squiggle was really interesting.
On the 9 different circles, I drew bugs, plants, faces, and
balls. I figured out that I am not that creative, and thinking
of what I would have done if I had more time. I also would
love to see what elementary school students would draw
out of those circles. I know that kids have a vast
imagination and so much creativity. Dr. Wood taught me a
lot, and I definitely think that I am going to have to go back
and reflect on it due to the overwhelming amount of
information she gave us. I still have some questions on

how the testing and assessment works now, but maybe I

will figure that out after reviewing all the paperwork we
received.

c. Reflection 10. 28.15

d. Abby Thurston

e. Dr. Cheshire was very passionate and informative

in regards to assessing students for learning
purposes. She talked to us about how to be an
effective teacher with assessment, and it was
really appreciated by me because I learned a lot.
Some of the ideas that I learned were the
differences of the purposes of assessments: for,
as, and of learning. Assessment is more of a vague
term, because there are a variety of different
purposes for assessments. A teacher can use
assessments to track students progress, also
known as formative, or they can evaluate their
students, which is a type of summative
assessments, which usually results in a judgment
or a grade. I learned that assessments require
thought out feedback from the teacher that is
timely, specific, understandable, and give the
students the ability to refine, revise, practice, and
retry. This really affected my philosophy of

education. I kind of had a negative thought idea of

assessments but now I learned some new ways to
incorporate positive and effective assessments
that wont hurt the students attitudes or
confidence. I am really excited to implement this
new thought process in my next lesson plan.
9. October82015Seminar
a. Dr.Clark(withnoE)Underbakkeobviouslyhasapassionfor
readingandtheimpactthattheyhaveondevelopingand
learningchildren.IwishIhadthatmuchofapassiontoread.
ItskindofanewarenathanwhatIamusedtoforeducation,
becausewehavemainlyfocusedonpicturebooks.Ihavent
reallyconsideredchapterbooksinelementaryschool,which
probablyisntverygoodonmypart.Itshardformetoolook
backonmyelementarybackground,becausemyelementary
schoolwasalittlebitskewedforme.Istartedmyschoolingat
apublicelementaryschool,butthenswitchedtoaprivate
schoolin5thgrade.ThepublicschoolIwasatbeforehandwas
K5thgrade,andthelowerschoolatthepriceschoolthatI
switchedtowasK4th.OnceImadethattransition,Iwentfrom
elementaryschooltomiddleschoolwithoutpreparation.Iknow
wefocusedonchapterbooksinEnglishandotherclassesin5th
grade,butIdonteverrememberanelementaryschoolteacher
readingachapterbooktome.Ithoughtitwasinterestinghow
hesaysthatDifficultTextsareeasiertoreadandunderstand
whentheyarereadaloud.Obviously,chapterbooksarenot
goingtobeaneasytransition.Youcanusuallytellwhatthe
sceneisaboutinapicturebookbecauseoftheillustrationsof
whatisgoingon.Chapterbookshavelimitedtonopictures
withinthebook,makingitmoredifficult.Iamthinkingthatmy
chapterbooksweremainlybeingreadduring5thand6thgrade,
whichwasmiddleschoolforme.Itwasinterestinghowhe
talkedaboutthebookbeingdifferentthanthemovie.Iknow
thatmyteachersdefinitelyshowedthemoviesofthebooks

beforethetest,whichdefinitelychangedmymotivationto
actuallyreadthebook.Whydoextraworkwhenthereisa
movie??Idontthink,asateacher,Iwouldshowthemovies
eitheratallorafterthetestforthestudentstohave
visualization.
10.Afterthisspeech,Iamthinkingabouthowtoengagemystudentsin
readingchapterbooks.Dr.Underbakkewasveryenthusiasticabout
thecontentofthebooks,especiallyCharolettesWeb.HowcanIhave
mystudentsnottreatreadingchapterbooksastreacheroushomework,
butafunandengagingwaytolearnaboutliteratureandappreciatethe
chapterbook.IknowthatIdefinitelyreadalotofamazingchapter
booksinmyeducation,butIlookbackregrettingtreatingreadingthat
bookashomeworkratherthanentertaining.Ineedtofurther
investigateonhowtoshowmystudentsthatthisisanassignment,but
theyshouldnttreatthislikeanassignment.Ishouldbemore
enthusiasticaboutreadinglikeDr.Underbakkeis.
11.

11.4.15 sequence of speakers

a. Walking into Trace Crossing Elementary schools, I always
wondered what the bookkeeper office was in the
entrance of the school. Little did I know, she was in charge
of so much. I had always wondered about how teachers
were paid for the items in their room, and it was interesting
to hear how little teachers are given to create an effective
learning environment for their students. She also talked
about the code of conduct for teachers, which talked what
is appropriate and not appropriate for teachers to hold
themselves professionally. It was a really good reminder
and introduction to finances and how to act professionally
as a teacher. (Mrs. Drake)
b. Specials is something that I definitely remember in my
elementary school years, specifically Art and Music. It was
so inspiring to see the Music and Art teacher so excited

and passionate about what they taught. I know that these

special subjects are always overlooked, but they really
showed the importance of incorporating this time into the
weekly schedule of the students. They also talked about
their funding to adequately stock their rooms, for their
materials are more expensive than regular teachers. P.E. is
another special that is daily, and has to be 30 minutes by
law. P.E. has its own standards for its curriculum, and is
important for kids child development. It was interesting to
see the insights within these teachers, because all
teachers work together in order to make each student
thrive and shine to be the best child they can be.
c. The head of the cafeteria came in, and she has been with
Trace Crossings for 15 years. Each of the students are fed
breakfast here, which is such a blessing. She has such a
sweet and caring heart for the children, making sure that
they are fed. Us as teachers dont know the situations at
home. She talked about one Kindergartener who would eat
half of her meal and then save the rest in her backpack.
That was so heart breaking to hear, her parents have told
her that she would have to share everything with her
sister. So she would bring her leftover meals home with her
and feed it to her little sister. This really taught me how
much more important the cafeteria and their staff really is.
d. ELL is something that I dont know much about. I know that
I have at least 4 students in my class that go to ELL every
day. He talks about the administrative data and the
instructional data that are compiled within the program. He
must assess these students who are struggling with English
to see where they are at in their reading. There is an
obvious barrier to children who are learning English and

learning how to read, write, or anything else that needs to

be taught within the curriculum of that grade level. These
students need extra help in regards to their comprehension
of a whole different language that may be used at home.
Mr. Pitts sets goals and takes it upon himself to instruct and
encourage these students.
e. Title one was the next speaker, which is something that I
am also not very knowledgeable in. The speakers said that
title I depends year-to-year, working with smaller groups
with three to four students. This group focuses on the
academic achievements of students that are at some sort
of disadvantage. Here at Trace Crossings, they use the idea
of Pirate Pals that meets Tuesdays and Thursdays in a
smaller room, which is more beneficial for the students
confidence. The ultimate goal of this is to fix the gaps in
the individual students learning and letting them go once
these gaps are filled.
f. Special Education is another important aspect of an
elementary school, due to the fact that a majority of
students are in need of a different education than a regular
curriculum would offer. Teaching is 70% of this, and the
other part is paper work (30%). The special education
teacher has to collaborate with other teacher to meet the
needs of each student and the standards for their grade
level. The special education work with ELL a majority of the
time, because some ELL students must have this type of
education incorporated within the special education
program. It was interesting to see how the special
education program runs and works. I have one student in
my observation class who is in this program, and I was
always wondering what was needed for the childs

accommodations and curriculums.

g. Lastly, the principal came to talk to us. It was interesting to
hear how she hires teachers, which is based on the grade
levels team and sees who would work best with that
group ahead of them. She is more enticed to hire people
who give them their resume and cover letters themselves,
showing courage. In the resume, she is mostly looking for
people who are well rounded. If a candidate is invited back
for an interview, she is looking for the interviewer to say
something like, I am not quite sure what those rules will
be in my classroom, but here are some guidelines. I want
to establish those with my students. They must also have
goals in their head. Their first year of teaching is really
looked at by the principal, hoping that the new teacher
takes initiative in the classroom, not only working well with
the students but with the teachers. The teacher must show
love and care for the schools well being and participate in
school-wide events.
i. I really enjoyed and appreciated this sequence of
speakers. I actually did learn a lot about becoming a
teacher and what things are going to look like for me.
Also, I learned how to be an upstanding candidate for
a school as wonderful as Trace Crossings. This made
me anxious for becoming a teacher! Thank you!

12.
13.
14.
15.

Being a strong colleague

Going the extra mile
Volunteering, participation
Working with other teachers
a. Student Engagement and Teacher Engagement (What she
looks for when observing)

16.

Mrs. Joyner Reflection 11.21.15

i. It was evident that this was a team building activity
for our education block as a whole. I was so
perplexed at first, and was so focused on following
directions. Little did I know, there were barely any
directions and it was up to us to figure out
everything. My group asked groups near to us if we
could connect, and they said that they were already
doing it with another group. This made us have to
improvise and make sure that we got our objective
done while being respectful to the other groups in
getting their objectives. We thought that we couldnt
do it, but in the end it got finished! It could teach
students about math as well, helping them with their
counting, critical thinking, hypothesis,
experimentation, and other math concepts. Even
though we only had 15 minutes with Mrs. Joyner for
this, it taught me math instruction and life
inspirational group work advice.