421 Placement Syllabus I

Map

• Due once, week 3

• Must be computer generated

• Answer the questions a) How does the classroom environment demonstrate expectations and beliefs about children? b) What are the environment’s strengths and limitations?

Letter of Introduction

•1 page long

•nicely presented

•include a picture

•give professional AND personal information

•what are you learning about your students

that will help you write this? (pets, what you

liked to do when you were in school, girl

scouts, favorite food, etc)

•include contact info (email & school #) NOT

your home phone

•must be proofed by cooperating teacher and

mentor before you send it out

August 22, 2011 (date) Week 1 (week)

Observation (heading centered)10:05-10:10 (time-5 minutes only)Ali (first name)Outside (context-where this observation takes place)

Description: (bold)

Ali sits in the sandbox on his bottom with his legs stretched out in front of him. He is wearing long pants, gym shoes and a bulky winter coat. He runs his hands back and forth in the sand as he watches his friend Devon scoop sand with a shovel into a red bucket. Devon leaves the sandbox. Ali gets up to get Devon's bucket and shovel. He crouches in the sandbox, using the shovel to scoop the sand. He holds the shovel in his right hand and moves it with ease. He uses his left hand to hold the bucket. He places five scoops of sand in the bucket, then pats the excess down on the top of the bucket with the shovel, wacking the sand. Still crouching, he searches for rocks in the sand while still holding the shovel in his right hand. He places rocks in a pile in the middle of the sand with his left hand. He places them carefully, a couple at a time. Ali ’s friend, Aidan, runs past the sandbox, calling his name. Ali looks up and smiles at his friend. He immediately flips the shovel out of his hand behind him, and runs out of the sandbox after Aidan. (not bold. Describe behavior exactly as it happens. All details important.)

Interpretation: (bold)

Ali usually plays tag and chase with a regular group of friends so I was surprised to see him playing in the sandbox. This was the first time I’ve seen him play there all semester. I was wondering what Ali was thinking when he was running his hands through the sand as he seemed to be in a trance. Perhaps the movement and tactile stimulation was soothing to him. Does Ali engage in tactile play (like the water table, finger paint) in the classroom? I wonder if he was watching Devon in an attempt to understand what to do in the sandbox. He was especially observant of his friend. Ali went right to the sandbox when we went outside. What prompted this today? Did he have a busy morning at home and needed some solitude? Were his friends giving him a hard time in the classroom this morning? Ali is confident and verbal and has the skills to express his feelings. He looked very comfortable. Physically he was adept at using the shovel and bucket. He seemed comfortable perched in a squatting position for a while, even with his bulky winter coat. And he seemed socially comfortable-he didn’t look up to search for his friends at any time in the sandbox. He was engaged in his play the entire time. When his friend called to him, he looked up with a smile. He wasn’t upset by being interrupted or seem to hold any bad feelings toward his friend. (Include your thoughts and questions. What is the motivation behind the behavior? Think of 2 or more possibilities. It is not important if you are correct, but how far you can stretch your thinking about the situation and the child in that moment.)

Observation Pointers

• Write fast and furiously.

• No detail is too small.

• What hand is child using?

• Describe how child is sitting. (not “Emma sits on her chair.”)

• Break behaviors into smallest chunks possible: “Caitlin slid down the slide” is vague.

August 22, 2011 (Date) Week 1 (week)

Comments (heading centered)

1. Desmond (9:00-snack) (list time and time of day) The children are arriving in the morning. Desmond hangs up his coat and approaches me. (at least 2 sentences to describe context in bold.)

D: Do you know what I had for breakfast? (dialogue in plain text)Me: No, what?D: Yucky Charms!

2. Sam (9:10-Circle time) The teacher was teaching a lesson on national symbols. The discussion veered towards war and how war has changed since the colonists began the American Revolution. Sam raised his hand to ask a question.

S: "Do the soldiers today, like the ones in Iraq, still have swords and stuff?"

3. Nora (9:55-transition) The class was waiting for a few minutes after the history lesson was done for the next activity. Several students around Nora were talking.

T: I've looked at people's desks and they're messy. Jennifer has a lot of stuff inside.

N: If you're complaining about messy desks, you should look at your own desk!

Focus on dialogue between students, or between teachers & students that gives you a unique perspective or understanding of a child’s perspective. Choose moments that are meaningful, or teachable moments. What makes it funny, or meaningful, or significant? Choose comments that are illuminating or teach you about children & what they are thinking.

Week 1 (list week)

Learnings (heading centered)

Monday (8/22) (day and date in bold) Today I learned some good behavior incentives that Ms. Brown uses. Throughout the week she will write down students that are working on task, being good listeners, etc., and then on a random day she will put a post-it note on the bottom of one of their chairs. Whoever has the note gets to choose a prize from the treasure box. Another one is to hand out raffle tickets throughout the week and then have a drawing on Fridays for prizes.

Tuesday (8/24) I learned that Kassie, a girl in my class, has an older sister. I also learned that my cooperating teacher placed a purple spot down on the floor next to her teacher seat which is called the purple talking spot. The children go there when they raise their hand and have a comment they would like to make, and no other students are allowed to speak. I also learned that a girl in my cooperating teacher’s afternoon class had to be sent home on Friday because of lice. Today I was able to observe the teacher’s aide assessing the students, and I learned that somebody from the state department would be coming this year to assess the school.

Wednesday (8/25) Today I learned that my cooperating teacher’s plumber is from my hometown. I also learned that my cooperating teacher uses notebooks to write notes to each child’s parents and to keep the lines of communication open. I met the physical therapist and speech therapist. I learned that Elisabeth, a girl in my class, may need an IEP. Also, Ms. Mary, the teacher’s aide in my classroom, has

a niece who is getting married this weekend.

Thursday (8/26) I learned that we will be getting a new student, Lukas Atstetter, next week and we will be visiting his home on Tuesday. I learned that when it rains, we have recess in the gym. Also, a girl in my cooperating teacher 痴 afternoon class needs glasses, and the social worker is trying to get them for her through All About Eyes. I also learned that the secretary has three sons and lives

in Monticello.

Friday (8/27)-No Placement (Friday Lab) (indicate days & reason why you didn’t attend placement)

•start each paragraph with “I learned…”

Photos

•follow the photograph policy of your school

•caption photographs

•take a wide variety: classroom activities, the environment, etc.

•PPT is a good application for combining photos and captions

•absolutely NO photos of children can be posted on any online website (Facebook, for example).

Mrs. Newport had promised the students that she would feed Lulu during the school day so that they could watch. That morning she had the mice ready, and the students were anxious to watch Lulu’s meal.

Resources

•teacher handouts•classroom newsletters•teacher training information•school information•student work

Categorize the artifacts into various subsections by topic (language, math, staff information, parent information)

August 22, 2011 Week 1

Connection Paper Title (write your own title)

•format paper as shown above (date & week in opposite corners; title centered)•connect a placement experience to class•specifically cite a reading, class or discussion. (Ayers, 13).•1-2 pages long•try to make sense of the experience. How did the experience challenge or reinforce your beliefs as a teacher? •week 7’s paper must be about your “teach/reteach” experience (details to be discussed in labs)

Lesson Plans

(a) LPs for weeks 6 & 7 for a lesson you will design & teach (part of Friday lab)

• First lesson (original version) is observed by a peer.

• “Reteach” lesson (revised version) is not.• These lessons will be written with a peer during

Friday labs.• These 2 lessons cannot be observed by a mentor.

(b) LPs for mentor sessions • 2 mentor sessions during the first 7 weeks• Give to mentor upon arrival• Complete post-evaluation section after your lesson

and submit in your next packet

•Combined, you will write a total of 4 lessons insegment I. Three of them will be observed (2 bymentors, 1 by peer). And one will not be observed. Use the lesson plan form for all lessons. All lessons must be word processed. •standards can be found on the ISBE website

Other

• Mandatory paperwork due in your second packet, on Wednesday, 9/7.

• Makeup work due the week following your absence.

• Packets are due Mondays before class.

General formatting & management tips:

•follow format specifications exactly•always have extra paper and printer ink•read & reread the syllabus•you can print back-to-back•place papers back-to-back in protectors•have tabbed notebook ready•when your work is returned, place into your notebook sections immediately•carry a notebook/clipboard for recording comments, observations & your thoughts•type up comments & observations daily•be professional in all recordings-don’t write anything that you wouldn’t want your coop or a parent to read.

421 Final Notebook

• “View” binder suggested. • Tabs should be arranged in order as

listed in syllabus (3 segments, then follow the syllabus headings for the subsections).

• Work in tabbed sections should be placed in chronological order.

• Attractive cover.• Name on cover and spine.• Resources section should be divided

into subsections. • Final notebook due on 12/7

(Wednesday)

Make up work

• Make up work is dictated by the day you are absent. a) Complete work that or following week.

b) Label as: “make up work for absence on ----”

• Corrected work must be revised before placing it in your notebook.

• Redos must be submitted in the following week’s packet.