What To Do's And Gratitude

Thus far, over the past few weeks, I have had a pretty easy going internship (knocks on wood); however, I have encountered my first sleeper...and when I say sleeper, I mean this kid is clearly exhausted. I have tried everything from staying engaged with him throughout the hour, to constant "Hey buddy! Wake up!". He isn't argumentative when I attempt my redirection from the back of his eyelids to our classwork, but he cannot stay focused for more than 5 minutes. I work with special needs students, primarily emotionally disabled, so I am trying to take into count that he might be on medications that make him tired. Also, a lot of the students who attend my school have chaotic home lives, so that could be another factor. Luckily, my class size is small enough where I can sit with him, along with the others, and keep him on task. My concern is what to do when I cannot sit by his side. What do I do then?

Other than that, it has been a smooth ride! I enjoy my MT and the students,as well as the learning material we are working on. I have been thinking a lot in terms of what strategies I will use as a teacher, and I am getting a lot of ideas from our Image Grammar text! It has really allowed my brain to think outside of the box- especially when it comes to introducing new and scary material to my students. I believe I have spoken about this with my classmates already, but I love the concept of a think aloud using a painting/image. Giving students a physical reference will help them be more engaged, while also adding depth to the lesson. Working on composition is something I want to weave into my curriculum, and using a visual will add a nice touch, in my opinion. 

With all of that being said, I look forward to continuing my journey and reading about yours! I am grateful to be sharing my learning experience with those who can not only sympathize, but empathize as well! We are on the home stretch, Shocker family!