The Modern Teacher

Post Observation Self - Reflection Last week I had the opportunity to lead a whole group lesson in the second grade classroom that I am currently doing my pre-student teaching.  I had not had many opportunities to get up in front of this class before so I have to admit that I was fairly nervous.  There was a moment when I was walking around and chatting with children during their independent work that I realized that these children were actually enjoying a lesson that I had put together myself.  To see my lesson come to fruition and to watch these wonderful kids and their enthusiasm was beautiful and surreal to me. (As I reflect on the lesson, activity or interaction to what extent were the students actively engaged?  How do I know?) As I reflect on the lesson with the students I was happy to see that the children were very much engaged.  Sitting on the rug their faces looking up at me so bright with wide open eyes, they were involved in the l...

The school that I am currently student teaching at uses the Responsive Classroom strategy.  "A Responsive Classroom is an evidenced based approach to teaching that focuses on engaging academics, positive community, effective management, and developmental awareness." Before coming to this school, I had never heard of this approach and had only had experience working in one other school. My first impression was that it was so quiet.  Quiet, everyone said was good, but to me it was a little eerie.  Even a loud whisper would be told that they needed to quiet down.  This is something that I wasn't used to seeing in a public school setting. The day starts with a morning routine where the children are in the meeting area and greet each other.  I have been there for a couple of different kinds of greetings.  During one activity the children line up and shake hands, the first person in one of the lines goes to the back, everyone moves down and they shake ha...