Author: ethan_varzeas

Journal Entry 11-20-19

After creating a topic for their research papers, the students started diving into database research. We taught the students how to search a database, and we used the resources that the library provides for the students to give them a head start on their research. A lot of the students had chosen topics that either needed to be narrowed down or broadened to help them find sources. The students would then save both the source and citation to their google drive to use later when they have to write their paper. The students who had found multiple sources started to formulate their introductory paragraphs to their paper.

Journal Entry 11-19-19

Today when my mentor teacher came back to the class, we started having the students pick topics for their research projects. Many of the students had little to no idea how to do research, so my mentor teacher and I introduced them to credible browsers. The goal of the day was to give them a database to begin browsing topics on. Using their iPads, the students created google drive folders where they could put their sources. Then, the students began looking for topics that were focused, but not too focused where they could not find information on the topic.

Journal Entry 11-18-19

Today my mentor teacher was absent, which gave me the opportunity to teach the class on my own while the substitute facilitated. The plan was to get the students to start thinking about what they wanted to do after high school. As a way to get them thinking I created a worksheet where they could pick a college that they were interested in and they could get some relevant information about it. As the students were working I circulated the classroom helping the find colleges and information about what they wanted to do in the future. This also gave me the opportunity to have serious conversations with my students about their hopes and dreams for the future.

Journal 11-20-19

The goal of the day was to finish the story “The Possibility of Evil,” and to get the students to start looking for a possible theme. We began the class by recapping with the students what they remember happened the day before. Some of the students remembered very little, so we had them reassess their answers from the previous day before having them summarize. Then, we finished reading the story and answering both summary and analysis questions presented by my mentor teacher and me. After reading the story I had the students reassess the title again and come up with some possible themes for the story.

Journal Entry 11-19-19

The day before the class had started preparing to read “The Possibility of Evil.” With the students already thinking about the story’s theme, we began by reading the story together. Intentionally, we only made it through half of the story as my mentor teacher and I stopped along the way to ask the students questions about their thoughts. After completing half of the story, we had the class write what they thought was going to happen in the story. I also asked the class to write, now after reading part of the story, what they thought the title meant.

Journal Entry 11-18-19

Today my students began reading “The Possibility of Evil” in class. The short story is an interesting one that deals with a lot of moral dilemmas about what evil is. To get the students engaged and thinking about the story before we read, I had them define what they though evil was and what the story’s title could possibly mean. After having a class discussion about what they wrote, I had the class complete a worksheet with vocabulary and important literary device definitions to prepare them for the story. As the students worked, I made my way around the classroom helping them.

Journal Entry 11-6-19

Today my students were watching the “Harrison Bergeron” movie after having read the short story in class the week prior. While the movie was going I decided to help my mentor teacher grade the definition essays that my students had written a few weeks prior. As I graded the essays I got to learn a lot about what my students thought was important and why. Their essays were deep and many of them were vulnerable with their information. I believe the choice that the students had on their topic helped to get them invested in the writing and editing process.

Journal Entry 11-5-19

Taking a backseat role as a teacher after doing my full teach experience is taking a lot of time to get used to. Although I do feel more comfortable in the classroom, it is hard to find out where I can impact my students as an educator. My main priority while I am not full teaching is to help my mentor teacher with the grading work load, and to connect with my students on a deeper level. Instead of having to plan these lessons and implement new teaching strategies daily on my own, I can assist my teacher and learn from her.

Today started the first week after I had completed my full teach for the semester. On top of teaching half of the day’s classes, I decided to also use the extra time to connect with my students on a more individual level. I asked several of my students how their days were going, and what their plans were for after high school. The time I used to talk to them was also supplemented with the work that I was helping them with. This time, connecting with my students was a lot easier because they were used to my presence in the classroom and I had built positive relationships with them throughout the semester.

Journal Entry 10-27-19

Today with my regular English 2 students, I finished reading ‘The Masque of the Red Death.” Before reading the novel I had the students summarize with me what had happened in the story when we had read during the previous class. As the audio book read the story, I stopped at several points and asked the students important questions about the flow of the story and what exactly was happening. After finishing the story I created a diagram on the white board and I walked the students through the story’s symbolism. The class answered my pointed questions and together we reconstructed the castle and explained all of it’s symbols.