One Last Time....

One last time I had the opportunity to be with my lovely second graders! They were all so enthusiastic when they saw me, but I did not think much about it until... Mrs. Carti announced that the students had a surprise for me! I was curious to see what it was and then Mrs. Carti took out a large booklet the students made with a class picture on the front and individual handwritten letters and handdrawn pictures! They all came up to me and hugged me and said they were going to miss me. I was so surprised and had mixed emotions of happiness and sadness.

Afterwards, they all wanted me to give one last cursive lesson so I taught them how to write the letter "g" in cursive. They were all so eager to begin and when they did, they told me they didn't want me to leave because they are going to miss me correcting and checking their handwriting, which made me very emotional!

When we finished hand-writing, we all had snacks, and just like the Kindergarten class, the Second grade class was just as excited for their munchkins! All throughout snack they each went up to me asking if I had read their letters, and I even received more hugs from them. At the end of the day they all became so emotional that each one of them ran up to me and trapped me in the biggest hug I ever received! I wanted to cry but I didn't want to become emotional in front of the children. As I walked out they all shouted "GOOD BYE MISS. E COME BACK SOON AND VISIT US!" I was so overwhelmed and wanted to take them all with me, as they suggested they each wanted to join me in college. They were all so lovely and I had an amazing experience overall with both the Kindergarten and Second grade class!!

One Last Story....

This past week has been very unforgettable. Unfortunately my time at McKenzie School has come to an end. Before I actually left for good I needed to visit Mrs. Ferrell's Kindergarten class or as I like to call them "my Kindergartners." When I first walked in they all recognized me right away and began shouting "Miss. E." I was so excited to see all their faces one more time and as they all came up to me they started telling me everything I missed from them losing teeth to getting a new hair cut to growing butterflies in the classroom!

I was sad at how much I had missed. One thing that made me most happy was when Mrs. Ferrell asked me to read to them one last time. It was a butterfly book and they were all so good, but had many questions and comments. I was all the more amazed at how mature they looked in appearance and how much smarter they had become! When I finished reading to them, we had snack. They all became overwhelmed and thrilled when I told them I brought in munchkins for them all!

My last goodbye was a sad one; I received many hugs! I will deeply miss the Kindergarten class of 2017.

Research Papers Already?

Working with the second grade class has been such a privilege and has had many, many ups. For instance, I now comprehend how fast they accomplish things and how early they begin learning about topics and in this case RESEARCH PAPERS! Wow, where do I even begin? The second grade class has literally blown me away.

This week they were introduced to research papers, and as a senior I now know what research papers are. I was just recently introduced to them during my first year of high school. The students are all very advanced and will not be as surprised with what is yet to come in high school! The students all picked out subjects they were interested in such as animals and planets. They looked through books and even articles that helped them gather more information about their topics. They are now in the process of putting it all together in one booklet! I am glad to say I was part of this whole experience!

How I Prepared For Teaching My Class!

These are some notes that I had written down, it is somewhat similar to making lessons plans; yet in this case I have actually written down the dialogue that I was going to say and the students' responses!

Empty Classroom!

My First Time Teaching!

Throughout everything that I have encountered this year at Mckenzie School as an intern, I have never been so nervous in my life! This week I was given the wonderful opportunity to teach Mrs. Carti's Second Grade class, even though I felt as if I was not ready for such a responsibility. I knew it was crucial to take on such an experience that will not only better my understanding on how to teach, but will benefit me overall in the long run.

I was given the lesson plans beforehand; the topic revolved around fractions (one lesson I don't remember learning about), and the teachers workbook addition had absolutely everything I needed to get across! Before teaching I even created dialogue, writing down everything I was going to say and ask and writing the children's responses! When I first walked to the front of the classroom, I was overcome with nervousness, but luckily the students made me feel right at home. I started the lesson by giving students an example about sharing an ice cream bar and cutting it right down the middle so that everyone would be happy with the piece that they obtained. From there I began doing some examples with them and then we worked on problems in the workbook. During the entire lesson, the students were absolutely quiet, no one was talking, and everyone was engaged. After I had finished some students came up to me and asked if I could teach math all the time! I was relieved! Yay to teaching!

First Time Teaching!

What an experience I had! The thrill, the excitement, the nerves all overcame me at once, yet the children absolutely loved it and so did I!

A teacher's role is to help,instruct, and encourage the children in everything they do that will in time benefit their lives. Shaping the students and having them learn from us is the best gift that one can ask for.

End Of The Year Tests

At the beginning of each year it is common for students in elementary schools, middle schools, and high schools to take a standardized test that contains material that they are going to be learning in the current grade. It allows teachers and the state to obtain knowledge of how students progress in class. It is astonishing how students' original grades transform into 100s, 90s, and so on! Not only was I amazed with how well the second grade class did, but I was proud to say that the students understood a great majority of what they were taught and met the standards the state had given. State tests may seem like a drag to the students, yet it is very beneficial to them as well as the school!

Oh How I Love Grading!

Throughout my time spent at my internship, I have become very fond of grading papers. Whether it is homework from the workbooks or tests, every part of grading makes me feel like an actual teacher. I have become so involved in grading and putting the grades in Genesis that I have a method for doing it all! Even though grading does take a lot of time, it all becomes worth it; for not only does it indicate if children learned the material, but it shows the teacher what things students may be having trouble with. Grading has really captured my attention, and I always enjoy reading what they write down or seeing their math calculations on their papers!