Blogs I Responded to...

1) Alyssa
2) Sai
3) Cameron
4) YiLin

Week 4: Wrapping it Up!!

My unit did not go the way I planned it to be but I think it was a success. With the help of my AT and Alison I managed to incorporate different subjects, such as drama and art into Canadian history. I had students create tableau presentations for significant groups of people living in New France and I taught students to fold origami animals that early explorers and settlers would see when they arrived in Canada to decorate the classroom with. Students also managed to complete their newspaper article (culminating actively) for me to mark this week. 

Overall, I had a wonderful practicum and after being with two grade 7 classes with a majority of them being boys, my classroom management skills has definitely gone up to the next level. I also feel a lot more comfortable teaching subjects I have no/little experience in.

Week 3: ... Back to School

Students were very excited for history this week because I started incorporating technology into my lessons and we were slowly moving away from just using the textbook. Several students even asked my AT if we could have two history periods from now on instead of one on certain days. Even my AT and I were surprised when we heard their request. I also gave my students their first history test this week and I learned that before giving a test I have to make sure students are prepared and students who missed class before the March Break are caught up. To help students remember and review important history facts I played a jeopardy game with them as the test review. I also provided students a list of study topics and review worksheets to help them prepare for the test. 

After I marked the tests, around 25 out of 80 students scored lower than 60%. At first, I panicked about it but my AT told me that this was normal and that I should not be surprised.

Week 2: Presentations!!!

This week's major focus was to have all the grade 7 students present their independent author study projects before they go on break; therefore a majority of the history periods switched to presentation periods. Enough though I did not get a lot of time to teach this week I learned how to help students prepare for oral presentations and how to evaluate them as well.

Week 1 @ GLENVIEW!

For my second practicum, I am paired with a grade 7 homeroom teacher who teaches rotary English and history. History is mainly the subject I will be teaching and designing a learning wall/unit plan for. So far, I taught two history lessons on European explorers and have started posting the major themes of the New France unit on my learning wall.

And as for English, the grade 7s are finishing up their independent author study unit and will be doing a presentation on one out of three novels by the same author they have chosen to read. I particularly like how my AT designed this unit because she gave her students a lot of "options". For example, students have the option to work with a partner and can choose to use the first 10mins of each English class to silent read /work on the writing component for their independent author study project. Students also have the option to choose their own presentation method (i.e. movie trailer and talk show) to share with the class information about one of the novels they have read and about author. Presentations will be starting next week and I just can't wait to see them!

 
 

Week 4: LAST WEEK!!!

Last week of practicum was extremely fun for me because I got to experiment/explore new teaching strategies, in choir I learned the canine version of 12 days of Christmas, and my AT and I celebrated the end of my practicum with CHOCOLATE CAKE. I learned a lot from my AT. During my last week of practicum I also taught my All About Me lesson to the grade 7s. Since the students just started learning their instruments and standard music notation, it was hard for them to compose a song/tune like I did for my All About Me. So instead, I taught them about graphic notation  I had the students pick a song/tune from their music book and rewrite the song using graphic notation. The purpose of this lesson was to help students recognize same /different notes&pattern and learn about the shape and direction of notes. 

Here is my graphic notation example: 

Can you guess which popular tune this is? (Hint: The brown symbol is bread/bun)

Standard music notation of graphic notation above.

 And here is an example of a student's work:

"The First Flight"

I summed up the lesson by explaining and comparing standard music and graphic notation (both notation use symbols to represent certain things), the purpose of graphic notation (used as a working progress by famous composers, such as John Cage), purpose of the lesson and sharing with the students the working process and final product of My All About Me.

Week 1: Vivian

Week 2: Winzie

Week 3: YiLin

Week 4: Sai

10 Silly Monkeys Song

10 Silly Monkeys

Here come those ten silly monkeys
You do what they do

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Silly monkeys with their friends

Monkey one and monkey two
Monkeys do the hula hoop
Ee ee ah ah oo oo oo

Monkey three and monkey four
Monkeys skateboard to the store
Ee ee ah ah oo oo oo

Monkey five and monkey six
Monkeys jump a pogo stick
Ee ee ah ah oo oo oo

Monkey seven and monkey eight
Monkeys make a silly face
Ee ee ah ah oo oo oo

Monkey nine and monkey ten
Monkeys hug a monkey friend
Ee ee ah ah oo oo oo

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Silly monkeys with their friends
Ee ee ah a oo oo oo

This is a silly action song that I did with my grade 2 and 3 students. They loved it so much they want to sing it every class!