Perot Assignment

After going to the Perot Museum, I had wanted to make a lesson that involved the phases of the moon. Below, you will find my Prezi presentation on the phases of the moon, along with an activity that follows the lesson. 

Bingo Math!

In response to Mrs. Stevens wiki,

My activity is a 2nd grade, math bingo game. The students are to try to be able to get bingo, after they have added a couple of addition facts that they have learned.

There are two ways in which you can make your bingo boards,
1. You would go on to Microsoft word, and create a table that would be 5x5, and you would edit it to where there would be enough room for you to put bingo pieces on the board after you have printed the bingo board.
2. Another way you could make your bingo board, would be just to find one on google, and print it off.

Some materials needed to make a bingo activity for a math class, would include:

• Bingo board
• Popsicle sticks- for math problems
• Bingo pieces
• Dry erase markers

Taking Initiative!

In response to Mrs. Stevens Blog,

Initiative is when you decide to take time out of doing what you want to do, to just do what you are expected to do. It could even be something you weren't expected to do, but you did anyways because it could have been for the greater good. 

Some ways that you could show initiative in the classroom may include:

• Taking care of an issue child while the teacher is busy.
• Helping a student when there is something going on with the teacher.
• Making sure everyone is on track.
• Doing a lesson for the students.
• Making sure the students are where they need to be.
• Doing something for the teacher that needs to be done, so that it will be out of the way for the teacher.
• Help organizing papers for the teacher.
• Help grade papers if needed for the teacher.
• Help a student if they are needing to ask the teacher a question.
• Help the student if they are needing help on an assignment.

Some words that could be the same as initiative, could be:

• Drive
• Action
• Leadership
• Push
• Desire

There have been a couple of things that I have done to take initiative in the classroom for Mrs. Miller. Last week, she needed to send home papers for all of her students to let their parents know about the carnival that was happening on Friday, and about Red Ribbon Week. I decided to tell her that I would take all the papers and put them in the students folders, so that she could get what she needed to do, out of the way. In doing so, Mrs. Miller was very shocked, and happy that I decided to help her get some things out of the way for her. I also decided to help the students with their math assignments, while Mrs. Miller was busy with other students, so that they could all be working. I think Mrs. Miller was happy that I was of help to her.

Initiative is a very important characteristic for someone to possess, because they need to be able to take action to do things that can be done ahead of time. Not everyone will have the ability to take initiative, but it would be a great thing to have as a teacher in a classroom.

My First Day As A Teacher

My first day as a "teacher" at Holiday Heights Elementary was pretty amazing. When I got to the school, the students had just gotten back from their lunch time. Once I had gotten into the classroom, Mrs. Miller had introduced me to her 2nd grade students. My mom was also at the school (she's part of PTA,) and she watched me do my introduction to the class. Although I was a little nervous at first, I was also really excited to meet the kids. My students are all hard-workers so far, and love hugs and high-fives. I am really looking forward to being with them for the rest of the school year.

In my classroom, we work on writers workshop and math workshop. My favorite subject is math, so I am really looking forward to helping my students with their math as we progress through the year. I am also looking froward to getting to know my students, and making sure that I can help them be successful this school year, and move on to the 3rd grade.

What Would You Do?

Senario 3:
 An intern arrives at their site school. Their teacher is absent, and there is a substitute. Usually the intern is in charge of monitoring the reading groups each day. Even though their mentor teacher is gone, they know that they should keep monitoring the students so that they can progress further in their reading. The substitute tells them that they have everything under control and that the intern can leave because there is nothing for them to do.
The intern decides that their mentor teacher will get their students caught up the following day. The intern decides to go to the classroom next door where their friend is interning. The two of the interns move to the corner of the room and begin to work on homework for the rest of the period so that they wont disturb any other students.
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Well! If I were the intern for this classroom and my mentor teacher is absent without notice, I would be a little curious. Even if the substitute were to tell me that I am able to leave since they "have everything under control," I would be responsible and stay with the students, and make sure that the students are doing what they need to be, since I would be a little more used to the students compared to the substitute teacher.
I wouldn't want to be the irresponsible type of intern that would go disturb another interns classroom, to go be with them, and do homework, instead of doing what I am expected to be doing.

Significant Relationships

There are many teachers that will impact a students' life. Like me for instance. I had a very specific teacher that made an impact on my life, and taught me many life lessons.

Mrs. Hughes, a World History teacher at Richland, was the teacher that made a huge impact on my life.   At the beginning of my Sophomore year, I had told Mrs. Hughes that I struggle at history, most of the time. After I had told her, and she had realized that I do struggle in history, she tried many different ways for me to be able to understand the material better. 

Mrs. Hughes started making it able to where I was able to understand the material better, and during the times where I went to tutorials, we began to form a "bond." With this bond came a good and better way for me to learn. I started to actually want to learn more in History and I began to pass the class a whole lot better. 

When I am a teacher, and I see that a student is in need, or is struggling, I will do my best to see that my student is gaining the best help that they can get. I will make sure that I can be the best teacher there is, and that I can help them in any way possible. I will form a relationship with these students, and make sure they are wanting to be a part of my classroom. I will make a difference. 

Navigating My Path To Teaching

In response to Mrs. Stevens Blog,

I did some research on some colleges for becoming a teacher, and here are some colleges that offer the education programs that I am looking for.

The University of Texas at Arlington has a Teacher Education program available.

Now, we all now that coming into college, there will be some costs.

• The estimated tuition for being at UTA, is $9,152.
• There are a couple different scholarships available from UTA. These might include; Applegate/Jackson/Parks Future Teachers Scholarship, Mary Lynn Crow Scholarship, and the Frank Gault Endowed Scholarship, Fred Wiesner Educational Excellence Scholarship. 

Stephen F. Austin State University also has a Teacher Education program available.

• The tuition costs for SFA is estimated to be around $3,154 if you are a resident of Texas and are going in for 12 hours. 
• Some scholarships that are available for SFA may include;  Smith, Lester, & Frances Rhymes Scholarship, and the Smith, Eugene, & Florine Scholarships. 

Now, you can't just become a teacher with the snap of a finger. There are steps to becoming a teacher. 

These steps include;

1. Education

2. Earning your Teaching Credential.

3. Finding a job.

4. Your Teaching Career

One State I would like to teach in, would be Montana.

Some reasons I would like to teach in Montana, would be that;

1. If I were to have a masters degree in Education, then I would be able to make a higher income than teachers with a bachelors degree.

2. If I were to join the Public Employee's Retirement System, then I would be able to get benefits for when I retire.

3. I would have the opportunity to have 2 different types of certifications for classroom teaching.

4. Having a master's degree will give me the benefits of having more hands-on skills in a classroom.

5. I would be eligible for the Teacher's Grant, which gives financial aid to students, in return for an agreement for teaching in a high-need school. 

 

Along with teaching in Montana, the salary is included below: 

$41,095 per year.

TEACHING ABROAD:

Although I wouldn't prefer to teach in another country, it would be a very interesting experience.
In order to get certified to teach abroad, you can follow these helpful steps;
1. Meet with your college advisor.
2. Stop by the International or Study Abroad Department.
3. Choose your destination wisely and prepare yourself.
4. Raise funds.


I hope this blog was helpful to you, and I made it worth your time to look over my blog!

Great Teacher's Blogs!

1. Click here to view a really good blog, by Charity Preston, showing great tips on how to use organization in a classroom! This blog tells about how you can use a writer's workshop chart to help let the teachers know where their students stand in their writing process for papers. Using the Writer's Workshop Chart is a really useful tool for teachers so that they can have a meeting with their students to fix their writing strategies, process, etc.

2. If you're wanting to know the ten most popular teaching tools being used this year, then you're gonna want to click here to see the blog created by Jeff Dunn. It really is fascinating how many internet-based teaching tools are being used in the past few years! These could all range from Twitter all the way to Skype. I promise you'll be interested, I was. 

3. Are you a teacher or parent looking for a good way for your middle schoolers to get more practice at math? Well if you visit Tina Barseghian's blog on 5 Math Apps for Middle School Students, then you wont be sorry. This blog shows five amazing apps with games varying from the different grades in middle school on their math subjects. Some of these apps also vary in prices, from being free all the way to $10.00. I can guarantee these apps will help students with their math, and also make learning more fun to do.

A Little Bit About Me

My name is Caity Smart! I am a Junior at Richland High School. I am an intern in Education and Training, and I am aiming to be a teacher for first grade, after I get out of college.