Week #5

    

    I think being a teacher can be the most challenging thing, but also the most rewarding. As a teacher, it is hard to see kids struggle, yet also very rewarding to see them succeed. Teachers have to alter lesson plans according to the needs and learning styles of each child.
    The teacher I have been observing is very aware of each individual student's different needs. The first day I attended her class, she told me about each student sitting on the front row and why they were in the front. She told me the needs of each individual child and how she specifically wanted me to help them. 
   As I have helped this sweet boy the last six weeks and watch him struggle with ADHD and OCD, I can't help but think of him and how he will do in school in the long run. It is a struggle for him every single day, and all I want is for him to succeed. He succeeds everyday in his own way. Just getting one math assignment done is a big success. As he moves on throughout the years, it makes me wonder if he will always struggle with these things in school. It is hard to see your students go through hard things. As you grow to love these students, I would say that is one of the most challenging things. 

Week of 3/5/15

    This week my first graders are preparing for some testing. I helped prepare things that each student needs in order to be able to take the test, such as their login information. But I also helped them prepare as they reviewed things they have learned throughout the year. It is so exciting to see how far these kids have come in just the short time I have been attending their class. They have learned so much and have really started understanding the different concepts they are learning in order to do things on their own. 
    The student that I have been specifically working with throughout the semester really struggles and I worry about him. He is a smart boy and has lots of potential, but doesn't have the ability to focus and get problems done in the allotted time frame. In the short 6 weeks I have been attending this class, I have loved watching these students learn and grow. Each of these students have so much potential regardless of their test scores.