Teaching Hellewell

I started this rendition in class a few weeks ago; however, as I continued to compose at a later date- it became all too real. We start our journeys in the teaching field with pretty much the same goal: We want to make a difference. We want to change, or influence, the lives of the youth around us. We walk into the classroom with invisible capes on, thinking that we can change all lives. Where this is going to be true, not all students will succeed. Not all students are going to WANT to learn. This job is going to be hard, and we will be faced with many challenges. The road is not always going to be as simple as the ideals of no child left behind, or the thought that our words will sink into all of our students; however, still knowing this, we begin with the same goal: We want to make a difference. This is a rendition of Obama's 2004 National Convention keynote address: That is the true genius of Education, a student; a teacher drowning in papers to grade, an idealistic ...

Language acquisition is a concept that all teachers should understand and research, whether they have ELL (English Language Learners) in their current classroom or not. If we want to effectively reach every one of our students, the information on this topic is prudent to look in to. Unfortunately, I do not have any ELL students in my current student teaching placement, but I can definitely relate to certain strategies that can be used to effectively reach our ELL students. Kristina Robertson and Karen Ford discuss the importance of comprehending language acquisition and how it affects our students in their article “Language Acquisition: An Overview”. When we think someone is learning a new language, we might only see it as simple as it sounds; however, this is far from the case! ELL students have to wrap their minds around vocabulary, phonological components, grammatical structures, and writing systems when learning English! This is an enormous feat, and I commend anyone (especi...

There are five minutes before school starts. You go stand by the door. The bell rings. The first student walks towards the door. Say, “good morning!”. They will not acknowledge you and continue walking into class. The second student walks towards the door with a smile on their face. It isn’t for you. They are best friends with the first student. A third student walks towards your door. Smile and say, “good morning”. They look at you with confusion and keep walking into class. Keep smiling. A forth student…oh. Just kidding. They had the wrong class. Throughout the next few minutes keep smiling. Acknowledge each student with a positive attitude. Do they even care? Who knows? KEEP SMILING. Time is running out! Keep greeting them- “Hello!” “Good Morning!” Your salutations fall short in their dust as they dash past you, trying not to be late. The bell rings. Step into your classroom and shut the door. “Good morning, class”….. “Good morning, Mrs. Hellewell” .

            Over the last couple of weeks, I have noticed my nerves are not as crazy as they were when we first began our journey in core 3. Students are responding well to my instruction, and the flow of the classroom has found a steady pace. Recently, while working with my students in their journals, I have found that their struggling with the grammatical aspect of writing. We are being taught to focus more on ideas in voice, which I agree with; however, I want them to at least understand the basics. I think a big issue is that "few people, however, actually speak the textbook version stressed in English" (Smagorinsky, 162); therefore, our students are surrounded by what is considered as ungrammatical diction. Comma placement seems to be something they struggle with the most, though, and we can work with that! Their ideas and voice are spot on- when they actually try; which is something I am super excited about! As long as I co...

Let me start off by saying how awesome it was to have been given the opportunity to attend this year's KATE conference- especially with my classmates, who rock! I enjoyed seeing the people of KATE being recognized, and the experience gave me an inside look on an organization filled with camaraderie and fantastic ideas! There was not a moment where I didn't feel inspired and motivated to bring what I was learning into my classroom! The first breakout session I attended, Get Out of the Way and Let Your Students Read, was very informative in regards to various strategies for the dependent reader. The main idea behind this session, or what I took most from it, was to let your students choose what they are reading. If they enjoy what they are reading, we are more likely going to get through to them what we want- our goals will be more easily accomplished. One key concept to remember when promoting your students' independent reading is that they can "break up" with a ...

Holy mackerel, what a semester!!! Even though I am completely stressed out, my to-do lists have to-do lists, and my homework pile is stacked higher than the hiding spot where I camouflage the cookies from everyone in my household- I am still kicking! Core 3 has been everything and nothing that I expected, if that makes sense. I love my placement, and I am enjoying the content of my classes; however, I had no idea my life would be as "to the minute' as it is! There is no room, at any point in my weekly schedule, for surprises. I mean...if I wake up five minutes late, the day is thrown off! The only thing that is holding me together, other than my family, is staying grateful. Gratitude lists have become apart of my daily routine; along with the constant "This will be over soon" thoughts. Anyhoo...There was my mini-rant. Now to business.  My current struggle is the role I play in my classroom. I am so used to being a para, and I have found myself slipping into that r...