TutoringLogandLogComposite:TutoringClinicalatMankatoEast

AnnaWiechmann

EDUC310Prof.Butzow

15December2014

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Mygoalsforthisclinicalexperienceare:1. Toassiststudentsintheirstudies.

a. Topromoteoverallproductivityduringtheclass,byassistingtheteacher.b. Toassistindividualstudentswithspecificconcepts.

2. Tobetterunderstandtheroleofdiversityintheclassroom.a. Torecognizetheinfluenceofsocioeconomicstatus,disabilities,cultural

background,etc.onlearning.b. Tolearnhowtopreventdiscriminationorprejudiceswithinthe

classroom.3. Toobservethehabitsandpracticesofexperiencedteachers.

a. Tolearnwaysofdealingwithinterruptionsordisruptivestudents.b. Toobservehowclassroomsaresetuptopromoteproductivityand

learning.4. Tobetterunderstandwhatgradelevelandtypeofclassroomwillsuitmebest.

a. Tocompareajuniorhighsettingtoahighschoolsetting.b. ToconsiderthepotentialofworkinginaspecialeducationorEnglish

LanguageLearnersclassroom.5. Toimprovemyskillsincommunicatingwithandassistingstudentsindividually.

a. Toworkone-on-onewithstudents.b. Topracticeexplainingconceptsinmoresimplisticways.

Orientation: OnMondays,Wednesdays,andFridays,IhelpedMs.JulieRisto’ssixthperiod

EnglishclassandonTuesdaysIassistedMs.MarieRyanduringthirdandfourthperiod,

withmathandthenchemistry.IparticularlyenjoyedworkinginMs.Risto’sclassbecause

ofthesubjectandcoursecontent.ItwasaclassthatIwouldbeinterestedinteachingone

day.ShewasveryfriendlyandmadesurethatIfeltcomfortablebothinherclassroomand

theschoolasawhole.OnthefirstdaythatIworkedwithher,sheimmediatelyintroduced

metotheclass.Ms.Ristowasalwaysveryclearandspecificwhenshegaveme

instructionsforhelpingastudent,correctingpapers,oranyothertaskshewouldhaveme

do.Asaresult,Ifeltveryconfidentinherclassroomandcomfortablewithwhatshe

expectedofme.

Truthfully,IthinkIlearnedmorefrommytimeinMs.Ryan’sclasses.Itwasvery

differentthanwhatIexpected.Onmyfirstdayforassistinginher,Iwenttotheroomthat

Ihadbeentold,butitwasincorrect.AnotherfacultymemberhelpedmefindwereIwas

actuallysupposedtobe.Ms.Ryanapologizedforthemiscommunication,butshealsosaid

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thatIshouldbereadytogowiththeflowwhileworkinginherclassrooms,becauseboth

thesubjectsandthestudentswouldrequirecompletelydifferentthingsfromme.Shetold

mehoweachclasswouldideallygo,butsheadmittedthatbeingadaptablewascrucialin

SpecialEducationandELLclassrooms.Ms.Ryanwasmuchmorestraightforwardand

bluntthanIwouldhaveexpectedofaspecialeducationteacher;shedidnotcoddleanyof

herstudents.Personally,Iwasreallychallengedbythestudentsinherclasses.Itwasquite

anadjustmenttogofrommysmallprivateeducationbackgroundwherestudentswere

primarilywhiteandwellofftoaclassofstudentswhowerealmostallnon-whiteandhad

verydifferentinterests.Also,Ihadfarmoreopportunitiestoworkoneononewith

studentsinRyan’sclassrooms.

DescriptionoftheSchoolandClassroom: Forthisclinical,Iwasplacedinthreeclassroomswithtwoteachers.Thefirstwasa

seventhgradeEnglishclassroom,withMs.JulieRisto.Theseventhgradeclassroomwas

largeandthereweretwenty-eightstudentsinsixthperiodalone.Inoticedthattherewere

postersthroughouttheroomdisplayingthecharacteristicsoftheschool’sPRIDE

campaign:Preparation,Respect,Integrity,Determination,andEmpathy.Theseposters

alsolistedspecificexamplesofhowtoactonthesecharacteristics,bothinsideandoutside

theclassroom.AnothereffectivepracticethatInoticedwasthatMs.Ristowrotethedaily

objective,agenda,andhomeworkclearlyontheboard,sothatstudentswouldknow

exactlywhattoexpectassoonastheygottotheclassroom.Inaddition,Ms.Ristohada

PowerPointslidethatgavestudentsspecificinstructionsforthebeginningofclass.

ThetwoclassroomsthatIwasinwithMs.MarieRyanwereverydifferentfromthe

seventhgradeEnglishone.ForFSChemistry,theclassroomwasatypicallabsetting;the

studentssatattablesandweremuchmorefreetomoveabouttheroom.Thestudents

wereamixtureofindividualswithlearningdisabilitiesandEnglishLanguageLearnersin

gradesninethroughtwelve.ThisclasshadbothMs.Ryan,withanexpertiseinspecial

educationandMr.DavidBurgess,ascienceteacherworkingtogetheralongwiththehelp

ofanELLparaprofessional.ThisclasswasverydifferentfromwhatIexperiencedinhigh

school.Therewasconstantnoiseinthebackgroundandtheteacherswerefinewith

studentsusingtheirphoneswhenevertherewasdowntimeintheclass.Eachofthethirty

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studentsalsoreceivedalotofone-on-oneattentionfromeachoftheteachers,especially

comparedwiththeotherclassesthatIhadtheopportunitytoobserveandtutor.Oneother

importantaspectofthisclasswasthatitwasaFoundationsofSciencecourse.Thismeans

thatthecurriculumandpacewasgearedtowardsstudentswhowerenotcapableof

keepingupinatraditionalclassroom.

Ms.Ryan’smathclasswasmuchsmallerthantheothertwoclassesthatIobserved.

Therewereeightstudents,allofwhomhadamath-relatedlearningdisability.Itwasn’t

heldinatraditionalclassroom,butinacorneroftheSpecialEducationResourceCenter.

Thestudentswerealwaysallowedtolistentotheirheadphoneswhileworkingon

homework.Therewereenoughdesksforallofthestudents,butmostofthemoptedtosit

onthefloororinabeanbagchair.Overall,thisclasshadaverycasualatmosphere,which

surprisedme.

StructuredReports:Monday,October6,2014 12:40pm-1:30pm SeventhGradeEnglishSequence:

1. Arrived,MetMs.Sorenson(substituteteacher)2. Observedwhilestudentsreviewedoldcontentandvocabularyandreadtheirnew

storyaudibly3. TalkedwithSorensonaboutherteachingexperienceandherapproachtostudent

disciplineEpisode: Themajorityofmytimewasspentsimplyobservingandfamiliarizingmyselfwiththeclassandtheclassroom.Becausetherewasasubstituteteacher,Ididnotreallyhaveachancetogetinvolvedwiththestudents.However,itwasagreatchanceformetoobserveanexperiencedteacherworkingwithstudentsandencouragingthemtoparticipateandthinkcritically,despitehernotbeingfamiliarwiththestudents.Analysis: Itwasveryinterestinghowdespitenotknowingthestudentsverywell,Ms.Sorensonknewexactlyhowtodiscourageandpreventinterruptions,withoutseemingharshorstrict.Ratherthatsaying“Stop”or“Don’tdothat,”shewouldaskthestudentsquestionsthatforcedstudentstotakeresponsibilityfortheiractions.Sheasked,“HowcanIhelpyou?”whenstudentsweren’tstayingintheirseatand“Arewedonewiththatnow?”whenonestudentwasdistractinganother.Thestudentsrespondedverywelltothesequestionsandchangedtheirbehavioraccordingly.ThesetypesofquestionsaredefinitelysomethingthatIcanbringintomyfutureclassrooms.

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Monday,October13,2014 12:40-1:30 SeventhGradeEnglishSequence:

1. Arrived,metMs.Risto2. ObservedRisto’sbeginningofclassprocedures3. Monitoredstudentsastheyworkedindividually4. Assistedstudentsincomingupwithprojectideasforthestorythattheywere

workingonEpisode: ThefirstthingthatMs.Ristodidwhenshestartedclasswasacountdowntoquiet.Shethenreviewedtheworkthatthestudentshaddonethedaybeforeandpreviewedthethingsthatwerecomingupthatwererelevanttothestoryandprojectthatthestudentswerecurrentlyworkingon.Thestudentswerequietandattentivetheentiretimethatshewastakingcareofthe“business”oftheclassroom.Analysis: ThroughoutallofmytutoringsessionsInoticedthatMs.Ristostartedtheclassinthesamewayasthis.HerclearlyestablishedroutinesreallyhelpedthestudentstoknowwhenitwastimeforclasstostartandthemtofocusinonMs.Risto.Ms.Ristoneverhadtoraisehervoiceorcallouttoregainthestudents’attention.Thiscoupledwiththehomework,objectivesandagendabeingwrittenontheboardreallyhelpedstudentstounderstandthedirectionoftheclassandwhatMs.Ristoexpectedofthem.Tuesday,October14,2014 10:05-11:50 Chemistry/MathSequence:

1. Arrived,metMs.RyanandMr.Burgess2. Checkedstudentresponsestothewritingprompt3. Observedstandardoperatingproceduresintheclassroom.

Episode: DuringtheFSChemistryclass,onegirlrefusedtodoapracticeproblem,eventhoughcalculatorusewasallowed.Shesaidthatshedidnotknowhowtouseacalculator,andMr.Burgessaskedmetohelpherwiththeproblem.Sherefusedmyassistanceandwalkedoutoftheclass.Amomentlateroneofherfriendsstartedpackingupherthingsandwalkedout.Mr.BurgessandMs.Ryantoldbothofthemtostop,butthegirlscompletelyignoredtheirteachers.Analysis: IhadneverseenanythinglikethisinanyclassroomthatIhaveeverbeenin.ThesegirlswerebothSomaliandapparentlyhaddonethisinotherclassesaswell.Itwassurprisingenoughwhentheonegirlsaidthatshedidn’tknowhowtouseacalculator,buttheirattitudeshockedme.Icannotimagineignoringateacherinthewaythattheydid,

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despitehissayingthattheywouldbemarkedasunexcusedandwouldlosecreditfortheday.Ms.Ryanassuredmethatthiswasnotthenorminanyofherclasses.However,itreallyopenedmyeyestothechallengesthatIcouldfaceasateacher.I’mstillundecidedaboutwhetherornotIwouldratherteachinapublicorprivateschool.Eachwillhaveadifferentsetofchallenges,buttherearesomethatIcannotevenimagine.Monday,October20,2014 12:40-1:30 SeventhGradeEnglishSequence:

1. Arrived,metwithMs.Risto2. Monitoredstudentsastheytookapre-test3. Assistedstudent(oneonone)withmakeupworkfromanabsence

Episode: Astudenthadmissedtwoclassdaysbecauseofanillness.Ms.RistoaskedmetohelpthestudentunderstandthecontentandassignmentthathehadmissedandalsotomakesurethatheputthenewinformationinhisEnglishnotebook.Analysis: Thisstudentseemedverynervousabouthavingmissedsomuchclasstime.FromwhatIhadseeninmyothervisits,hewasagoodstudent.Heparticipatedoftenandsuccessfully.Tome,itdidn’tmakesensethathewassonervousaboutmissingthoseclasses.Iaskedhimifhewasbehindinhisotherclassesaswell.Hesaidthathewasandthatoneofhisteachersusuallywouldn’tacceptlatework,whichwasthebiggestreasonthathewasstressedabouthavingbeensick.IthinkitwasreallyhelpfultohimthatMs.Ristohadmespendthetimetomakesurehewascomfortablewiththeinformationthatwehadcovered.Thisconversationwasalsoagoodreminderofwhyitisimportanttobeunderstandingofwhatstudentsneed,especiallyinregardstopacing.Tuesday,October21,2014 10:05-11:50 Chemistry/MathSequence:

1. Arrived,metwithMs.RyanandMr.Burgess2. Checkedstudentresponsestoawritingcheck3. Assistedstudentsindividuallyastheyworkedonapracticeworksheet(significant

figures)4. Tutoredasmallgroup(roundingnumbers)

Episode: Inthemathclass,studentsweresupposedtobelearningtoroundnumbers.Therewereafewstudentsintheclasswhoseemedtohavenoproblemsatallwiththisconcept,butabouthalfoftheclasswasreallystrugglingwithit.Ihelpedtwostudentsinparticularwiththefivepracticeproblemsthattheyhadbeenassigned.Thetwowerefriendsand

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theyweresittingnexttoeachother,buttheybothhadverydifferentattitudestowardthetask.Analysis: Thediversityofthe“academic-ness”oftheclasssurprisedme.OfthetwostudentsthatIfocusedmyattentionson,oneseemedtobetryingtounderstandtheinformationandworkingdiligently,buttheother,forawhile,refusedtoevenopenhisbooktotherightpage.Thefirstwasstillreallystrugglingbytheendoftheperiod,buttheotherwhenhefinallydidstartworkingontheproblemshadverylittletrouble.WhenIwasyoungerItendedtobemorelikethesecondstudent,albeit,toalesserdegree.Iwouldbelazyorprocrastinate,butonceIstarted,Ididn’thaveahardtimewiththecontentitself.AsanEnglishteacher,Iwillbeworkingwiththesubjectthatcomesmostnaturallytome,butIwillhavetoremindmyselfthatsomestudentswillstrugglewithwhatImightconsiderobvious.Iwillneedtoreallymonitorwhetherstudentsarestrugglingwiththecontentoronlywiththeirattitude.Wednesday,October22,2014 12:40-1:30 SeventhGradeEnglishSequence:

1. Arrived,metwithMs.Risto2. Monitoredandassistedstudentsastheyidentifiedpartsofspeechinsongs

Episode: ForthePartsofSpeechunit,thestudentswereresponsibleforidentifyinghowwordsfunctioninasong.Thestudentsweregiventhreesongstochoosefromandonthisday,theyweresupposedtoidentifyandlabeleachnoun,pronoun,andadjective.StudentsworkedonthisindividuallyandIwasmonitoringandassistingstudentsiftheyhadquestionsonaparticularword.Italkedtomostofthestudents,buttherewasonestudentwhohadfinishedanalyzinghissong,buttherewereseveralmistakes.Ihelpedhimlocatedthemistakesandunderstandwhytheywereincorrect.Analysis: Thisstudentwasverysmart,butInoticedthatherarelytookhistimeonassignments,andsometimesignoreddirections.Hedidhisworktofinishit,nottoperfectit.Iaskedhimifhewasfinishedandafterherespondedaffirmatively,Iaskedifhewasconfidentinhisanswers.He“guessedso”.Ithenworkthroughthefirsttwolineswithhim.Ididn’ttellhimrightawaywhichidentificationswerewrong.Instead,Iaskedhimtoexplainhowhehadcomeupwithhisanswers.Therewereseveraltimeswhere,asheexplainedhisoriginalreasoning,hechangedhismindaboutwhatpartofspeechthewordwas.Ibelievethatallowinghimtoworkthroughitonhisown,butwithsupervisionwasthemostefficientwaytohelphimlearnthematerial.Thursday,October23,2014 10:05-11:50 Chemistry/Math

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Sequence:1. Arrived,metwithMs.RyanandMr.Burgess2. Checkedstudentresponsestowritingprompts3. ExplainedCornellnotetakingtoastudentwhowasnewintheclass4. Reviewedpracticeproblemswithindividualstudents

Episode: TherewasastudentwhowasnewtoFSChemistry,becausehehadnotbeenabletokeepupwithregularchemistry,butneededthecreditstograduate.IhelpedhimtogetsetupwithabinderfortheclassandalsotounderstandhowMr.BurgessandMs.Ryanwouldexpecthimtotakenotes.Analysis: Thisstudentwasajunior,andhadtakentheregularlevelscienceclassespriortotakingChemistry.Ithinkthatalthoughswitchingcourseswasnecessaryforhimtograduateontimewithouthavingtotakeextracourses,thetransitionwouldnotbe,especiallysinceitwasalreadytwomonthsintotheyear.ThisstudentwasnotinterestedinchemistryandthefactthathehadtobeswitchedtoalesschallengingcourseonlymadehimlesswillingtoworkwithmeasIexplainedthetypicaldailyroutine.Itriedtoputeverythinginapositivelight,butthisstudentwasveryclearlynotinterestedinwhatIhadtosay.Friday,October24,2014 12:40-1:30 SeventhGradeEnglishSequence:

1. Arrived,metwithMs.Risto2. Assistedstudentswithpickingworksforawordstudy3. Monitoredandcorrectedmistakeswhilestudentsworkedonthewordstudies

Episode: Whilethestudentswereworkingontheirwordstudy(theyhadeachpickedoneparticularwordfromtheresongtoexamine),therewasonestudentthatwasfallingbehind.EverytimethatIwouldwalkbyhimhewouldwritesomethingdownorlookupawordormeaninginthedictionary,butyethehadnotevenstartedfillingouttheworksheet.Analysis: Eventually,Iwentovertothestudentandgotdownonhislevel.Ididn’taskhimifheneededhelp,butratheraskedhiminwhatwaycouldIhelphim.ThisstudentwasSomaliandEnglishwasnothisfirstlanguage,althoughhewasalmostfluent.Hehadn’tunderstoodthedirectionsontheworksheetanddidn’tunderstandthathewassupposedtopickawordfromthesong.Ithenhelpedhimtochooseone,andgothimstartedonthequestionafterthat.IwishIhadsteppedinsooner.Iwantedtogivehimenoughofachancetopossiblyfigureitoutonhisown,butIshouldhaverecognizedthathewashaving

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difficultiessooner.AsIbecomemoreexperiencedasateacher,IwillhopefullybeabletomoreeasilyrecognizewhenIneedtointervenetohelpmystudentsprogress.Monday,October27,2014 12:40-1:30 SeventhGradeEnglishSequence:

1. Arrived,metwithMs.Risto2. DiscussedmycurrentEnglishcourseinrelationtowhatshewasteaching3. Helpedstudentsastheydidpaircomparisonsbasedontheirsongs4. Monitoredstudentsastheyworkedindividually

Episode: IhadnoticedthatmostofthethingsthatthestudentswereworkingonweresimplifiedversionsofwhatwewerelearninginoneofmycoursesatBethany(ENGL322:TheEnglishLanguage).IbroughtthisuptoMs.RistoandsharedsomeoftheworksheetsandcoursematerialsthatIhadreceivedpertainingtothepartsofspeech.Shewasverygratefulandinterestedinhearinghowmyprofessorapproachedthesubject,becausegrammarwasnotherstrongestarea.Analysis: ItsurprisedmethatMs.Ristowasasexcitedasshewasforhearingaboutalternativewaystoapproachthesubject.Ihadthoughtthatshewouldbemorecommittedtothewaythatshehadbeenteachingit.Shehadalsogotteninformationfromoneofherotherstudentteachersandbasedhernotesoffofthenotesofthepreviousteacheroftheclass.Ihadn’trealizedthatteachersdon’tjustwanttheirstudentstocollaborate,buttheythemselvesrelyoncollaborationtoimproveboththeirunderstandingandteachingofasubject.Tuesday,October28,2014 10:05-11:50 Chemistry/MathSequence:

1. Arrived,metwithMs.RyanandMr.Burgess2. Checkedstudentresponsestowritingprompt3. Assistedstudentswithsignificantfigureandconversionworksheets

Episode: Inthemathclass,Iwashelpingoneofthesamestudentsastheweekbefore.Itwasthestudentwhorefusedtoopenhisbookorreallyputforthanyeffortatall.Ms.Ryanhadaskedallthestudentstodofourpracticeproblemsfromthetextbookwhileshewentandmadecopies.Assoonasshehadlefttheroom,thisstudentputhisheaddownonhisdeskasiftosleep.Itoldhimtositupandeventuallyhedid,butthenheputinhisheadphonesandputhisheadbackdown.Iwentovertohimandaskedhimtoopenhisbook.Hetoldmeveryloudlytoleavehimaloneandhesworeatme,rightasMs.Ryanreturnedfrommakingthecopies.

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Analysis: Thiswasaverytoughdayforme.Iam,forthemostpart,unaccustomedtohearingcussingandIwasunpreparedtohavesomeone,especiallyastudent,swearatme.Aftertheclasswasdismissed,IspoketoMs.Ryanandexplainedthesituation.IwantedtoknowwhatIhaddonewrongandwhatIcouldhavedonebetter.Ms.Ryan’sanswerwasnotverycomfortingatfirst.Shesaidthatforthefirstthreeweeksofschool,thesamethinghappenedbetweenherandthestudent.Sheexplainedthatforthisstudentinparticular,buildingandmaintainingarelationshipwasabsolutelycritical.Althoughthiswasnotafunexperience,Iwilldefinitelynotforgetthelessonittaughtme.Wednesday,October29,2014 11:50-1:30 SeventhGradeEnglishSequence:

1. Arrived,metwithMs.Risto2. Correctedpre-testsonthepartsofspeech

Episode: Ididnothaveanopportunitytoreallyinteractwithstudents,butIobservedthatthestudentsweresupposedtoreviewquestionsonaworksheetinpairsandthenswitchtoadifferentpartner,abouteverytwominutesorwhenMs.Ristowouldtellthemtoswitch.Thefirstpairingresultedinalotofproductivenoise,butwitheachsuccessivechange,thepairsturnedintogroupswhichgotlargerandlargerandthenoisebecamelessandlessproductive.Analysis: Ithinkgroupworkcanbeagreattool.Personally,IlovegroupprojectsandIlearnbestthroughdiscussionswithmypeers.However,activitieslikethisneedtobemuchmorestructuredtobesuccessful.Ithinkjusthavingthestudentspairupwithtwoorthreepeopleinitiallywouldhavebeenmoreeffective.Ifthatweredone,studentswouldgettohearmultipleperspectives,butnotwastetimeorlosefocusbysearchingforanewpartner.Friday,October31,2014 12:40-1:30 SeventhGradeEnglishSequence:

1. Arrived,metwithMs.Risto2. Correctedpre-testsonthepartsofspeech3. Monitoredstudentsastheyworkedingroups

Episode: Again,Ididnothavemuchtimetoactuallyinteractwithstudents,butIoverheardaninterestingconversationbetweentwoofthestudents.Oneaskedtheotherhowoldyouhadtobeinordertolegallychangeyourname.Thestudentwasunsure,butaskedwhythe

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firststudentwaswondering.Thefirstexplainedthatshehatedherlastname,becauseshehatedherfather.Shedescribedhimasbeingmeanandoftendrunk.Analysis: Hearingthisconversationmademereallysadforthisyounggirl.Shewasinnowayimplyingthathehadabusedher;itsoundedliketheyjustdidn’tseeeyetoeye.Itdidremindmeoftheissueofmandatoryreportingandhowcrucialitistopayattentiontothesetypesofconversationsbetweenstudents.Also,asateacher,Ineedtobeawarethateachstudentwillbecomingfromabackgroundfardifferentthanmyown.Tuesday,November4,2014 10:05-11:50 Chemistry/MathSequence:

1. Arrived,metwithMs.RyanandMr.Burgess2. Assistedwithchecksforawritingprompt3. Tookdownnotesandmadeamastercopyforabsentstudents4. Oneononetutoring(variablesinmathematics)5. OrallygaveamathexamtoanELLstudent

Episode: OneofMs.Ryan’sstudentshadtotakeamakeuptestforoneofherotherclasses.SheaskedifIcouldgiveittohimorally,becausehereallystruggledwithreading.Ireadhimthefirstquestion,andbecauseitwasalgebra,Iofferedtogogethimsomescratchpapersothathecouldworkouttheproblems.Hesaidthathedidn’tneeditandproceededtoguesshiswaythroughtheentiretest.IaskedhimseveralothertimesifIcouldgethimacalculatororpaperoranythingtohelphimdowellonthetest.Herefusedallofit.Analysis: Tome,thiswasextraordinarilyfrustrating.Thisstudentrefusedtoevenputinenoughtimetofigureoutifheknewanyofitornot.TherewasnothingthatIcouldhavesaidordonethatwouldhaveaffectedhismotivationormakehimwanttodobetter.Ithinkthatforme,thiswillbethehardestpartofbeingateacher.Ineedtolearnhowtodealwithstudentswhorefusetobehelped,especiallythosewhohavesomuchpotential.Thursday,November6,2014 10:05-11:50Chemistry/MathSequence:

1. Arrived,metwithMr.Burgess2. CorrectedPapers

Episode: Thetenthgradersweretakingstandardizedtestsonthisday,overhalfoftheclasswasmissingandMs.Ryanwasoneoftheteacherssupervisingthetesting.Mr.Burgesselectedtoallowthestudentstousetheperiodtogetcaughtuponworkforthatclassoronworkforotherclasses.

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Analysis: IfeellikeintheFSChemistryclass,thingsalwaystakealittlelongerthanplannedandtheyspendalotoftimeoneachtopic.ItsurprisedmethatMr.Burgessdidnotusetheperiodforreviewingoldmaterial.Friday,November7,2014 12:40-1:30 SeventhGradeEnglishSequence:

1. Arrived,metwithMs.Risto2. SignedoffonHigh-Pawsslips3. Helpedstudentsoutlinefirstdraftsoftheir“FriendlyLetter”

Episode: Studentsweresupposedtobewritinganoutlineforalettertoaformerteacher.Iwasmonitoringtheirprogressandmakingsurethatstudentswerebeingproductive.Therewasonestudentwhowasn’tworkingonhisoutlinebecausehethoughtitwouldworkbettertojustsitdownandwriteit.Iexplainedthatthepurposeisalsodevelopingtheskillofmakinganoutline,whichisveryimportantinbothhighschoolandcollege.Analysis: Ithinkthatitisverycommonforstudentstonotunderstandwhyteachersmakethemdosomuchwork.Thisstudentrealizedthatwritingathree-paragraphletterwasnotnecessarilychallengingwhichmadeithardtounderstandwhysuchalonganddifficultprocesswassoimportant.Ithinkthatitisreallyimportantthatteachersareusingseeminglypointlessassignmentstohelpstudentsbuildaskillsetthatwillhelpthemtobesuccessfulinhighschool,college,andbeyond.Wednesday,November12,2014 12:40-1:30 SeventhGradeEnglishSequence:

1. Arrived,metwithMs.Sorenson2. Monitoredwhilestudentsread3. PassedoutHigh-Paws

Episode: Therewasn’tonespecificeventthatInoticed,butthemoodandthebehavioroftheclassasawholewasverydifferentfromwhenMs.Ristowasthere.Ms.Sorensonmaintainedcontrolovertheclass,butshehadtoaskfortheirattentionmorethatMs.Ristoeverhadto.Analysis: Ithinkthatthisdifferencecanbeattributedtotwodifferentthings.Firstofall,thestudentshavespentthelasttwomonthsgettingtoknowMs.Ristoandwhatsheexpectsfromthemasaclassandasindividualstudents.Theyhavebuiltuparelationshipandrespect.TheotherreasonisthatMs.SorensonisnotquiteasmethodicalasMs.Risto.The

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lackofthetypicalbeginningofclassroutinemightcausestudentstothinkthattheydonotneedtobehavehowtheynormallywould.Friday,November14,2014 12:40-1:30 SeventhGradeEnglishSequence:

1. Arrived,metwithMs.Risto2. Assistedtwostudentswiththeir“FriendlyLetter”firstdrafts

Episode: Ispentalmosttheentirehourworkingwithtwoboysinthecomputerlabbecausetheywerebehindontheirletter.Ihelpedthemwithgrammatical,structural,andformattingissues.Analysis: ThetwoboysthatIworkedwithhadverydifferentweaknessesintheirwriting.Thefirstwasactuallywritingaveryniceletter,oratleastgoodqualityforaseventhgrader.Hewasveryslowandmethodicalinhiswriting.Theotherstudentstruggledinfarworseways.Hehadnumerousmistakesinpunctuation,capitalization,andotheraspectsofgrammar.Unfortunately,ifIwouldpointoutorcorrectonemistake,hewouldnotmakeaconnectionbetweenthatandotherslikeit.Ithinkthatmanyoftheproblemsthathewasshowingarearesultofusingabbreviationsintextingandsocialmedia.Iftheissuesaresodeeplyingrainedinstudents’dailylives,theywillbemuchmoredifficulttoresolve.Monday,November17,2014 12:40-1:30 SeventhGradeEnglishSequence:

1. Arrived,metwithMs.Risto2. Monitoredduringstudentreadingtime3. Correctedexitslipsfromthedaybefore

Episode: Ms.Ristogivesthestudentsreadingtimeafewdaysaweek.Mostreadoutofactualnovels,butafewreadoffoftheirschool-issuediPads.Ofthekidswhoreadfromtheirdevices,mostdoactuallyread.However,therearealwaysacoupleofchildrenthattrytogetawaywithplayinggamesduringreadingtime.Analysis: Thisreallymakesmewonderaboutwhetherornotalltechnologyisgoodintheclassroom.Itobviouslyallowsalotofthingsthatpenandpapersimplycannotoffer.Onlinequizzinggivesthestudentinstantfeedbackandsavestheteacherhoursofcorrecting,butisitworththeadditionaldistraction?Wednesday,November19,2014 12:40-1:30 SeventhGradeEnglishSequence:

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1. Arrived,metwithMs.Risto2. Helpedstudentswithfinaleditsontheir“FriendlyLetter”

Episode: ThiswasundoubtedlythebusiestdaythatIhavehadasatutor.Thewholeclasswasinthecomputerlabandtheyweresupposedtoturninafinalcopyoftheirletter.IknewtheclasshadbeenworkingonthisprojectforovertwoweeksandIthoughtthattherewouldbeveryfewpeoplestilleditingtheirdocument.Iwascompletelyincorrect.Everysinglestudentstillhadseveralormanychangestomaketotheirletters.Studentshadquestionsoneveryaspectoftheletter,fromopenerstoclosings,bodyparagraphs,format,spacing,margins,etc.Analysis: Originally,Ms.RistowasgoingtohavethelettersbeduetheFridaybeforetheWednesdaythatwewereinthelab.Basedontheprogressoftheirlettersduringtheweekbefore,sheknewthatshewasnotgoingtohavethemwrapuptheprojectasquicklyasshewouldhaveliked.Shehadtodecidebetweenhavingthestudentsdolesswiththeletterandturninlowqualityworkordevotemoreclasstimetotheproject.IthinkthatMs.Ristomadetherightdecision,becausetheprojectwasreallyneat.IknowthatasateacherIwillhavetofacesimilardecisions,butIknowthattheywillnotbefundecisions.Friday,November21,2014 12:40-1:30 SeventhGradeEnglishSequence:

1. Arrived,metwithMs.Risto2. Monitoredduringstudentreadingtime3. Observedstudentsastheyhadanopportunitytoworkingroups

Episode: Thestudentswereeachaskedtocomeupwithfivetraitsorcharacteristicsofasurvivor.Ms.Ristotheninstructedthestudentstodivideupintopairsandhadthepairsshuffleupperiodicallytodiscussthecharacteristics.Inoticedthattherewerenomixedgenderpairs,otherthanonebecauseofoddnumbersofboysandgirls.EvenwhenMs.Ristotoldthestudentstochangepartners,girlstendedtostaywithgirlsandtheboystendedtostaywithboys.Analysis: Ithoughtthiswasasuperinterestingobservation.Idon’tthinkthatitisanoccurrencethatwouldbelimitedtojustthisagelevel.Ithinkpeoplejusttendtogatherwithpeoplethatarethemostsimilartothem,especiallywhendiscussingnewideasandopinions.Tobewithlike-mindedpeoplegivesasenseofsecurityandencouragementtobevulnerable.WhenIorganizeactivitiesinmyfutureclassroom,lshouldkeepinmindthat

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peoplearethemostlikelytoparticipatewhentheyfeelsafeandcomfortableandIoughttodoeverythinginmypowertomakethemfeelthatway.Monday,November24,2014 12:40-1:30 SeventhGradeEnglishSequence:

1. Arrived,metwithMs.Risto2. Providedoneononehelpforstudentswithmake-uphomework3. Observedandaidedstudentsastheyworkedingroups

Episode: SinceitwastheweekofThanksgivingbreak,Ms.Ristohadthestudentsdosomeactivitiesthatweremorefun,whilestillpertaining,atleastminimallytowhattheywerelearninginclass.Sincetheyhadspentsomuchtimeworkingwiththepartsofspeech,shehadthemspendthelastfewminutesofclassworkingonaThanksgivingMad-lib.Theyhadtofillintheblanksinthestorywithnouns,verbs,andadjectives.Analysis: Atfirst,whenMs.RistotoldmethatthestudentswouldbedoingaMad-libduringclass,Iwasalittleconfused.Itdidn’tseemlikeaverypracticaluseofclasstime.Then,whenthestudentsstartedworkingontheminpairsIrealizedthatthereweretwoobviousadvantagesoffinishingtheclasswiththisactivity.Firstofall,itallowedthestudentstogetoutoftheirseatsandhavefun.Afterlisteningtothirtyminutesofalecture,thestudentswereveryreadytogetalittleenergyout.Theywereworkedinpairsbutwereencouragedtochangepartnersandgiveeachotherideas.Theyalllovedgettingtosharethesillystoriesthattheyhadcreated.Secondly,itappliedreallywelltotheconceptsinvolvedwithidentifyingdifferentpartsofspeech.Ifthestudentswerenotabletodistinguishthedifferencebetweenanounandaverb,thestorywouldbecomeunreadable.Myfirstthoughtsaboutthisactivitywereobviouslyincorrect.Ithinkitwillbeveryimportantformeasateachertoregularlylookforuniquewaystointegratecoursecontentandthingsthatarefunandinterestingformystudents.Monday,December1,2014 12:40-1:30 SeventhGradeEnglishSequence:

1. Arrived,metwithMs.Risto2. Correctedjournalentries3. Monitoredstudentsduringreadingtime

Episode: Mystudentsarereadinganautobiographicalnovelasaclass.Ms.Ristoreadfromthenovelandthestudentswereexpectedtofollowalongintheircopiesofthebook.ForthemostpartIwasmonitoringthestudents,makingsurethattheywerenotusinganyoftheirdevicesandthattheywerekeepingpacewiththerestoftheclass.Periodically,Ms.

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Ristowouldpauseandaskcriticalthinkingquestions,primarilyaboutwhythecharactersfeltoractedhowtheydid.Sheaskedaquestionaboutwhythesettingwasimportant.Shecalledonastudentwhogaveananswerthatwasrelatedtothetopic,butitwasnotwhatshewashopingfor,justbecauseitwasnotspecificenough.Ms.Ristomadeapointoftellingthestudentthathewas“ontrack”andthencontinuedbyaskinghimanotherquestionthathelpedhimtofocusonwhatshewaslookingforinheranswer.Analysis: Ms.Ristousestheterm“ontrack”veryfrequently,eveninhowshecorrectsanswersinhomework.(Shewritesaplussignwhenananswerisontrackandaminussignifitisnot.)Ithoughtitwasreallyinsightfulthatinresponsetothisparticularstudentanswer,sheimmediatelyestablishedapositiveattitude.Thistypeofaresponseencouragedboththeindividualstudentandalsoclassparticipationinthefuture.Ithinkitwasalsoveryimportantthatshestuckwiththesamestudent,eventhoughhedidn’tgettotherightconclusionimmediately.Shedidnotacceptthesuperficialanswerthatwasinitiallygiven,butpushedthestudenttothinkcriticallyandreallyengagewiththetext.IthinkthatthiswayofdealingwithanincorrectanswerisespeciallyeffectivewhenstudyingliteratureandissomethingthatIhopetodoinmyfutureclassroom.Ihavenoticedthatthisstudentinparticularstruggleswiththisclass,butheparticipateshappilyandfrequently;IcanonlyassumethatthisisaresultofMs.Risto’sconsistentpositiveandencouragingresponses.Wednesday,December3,2014 12:40-1:30 SeventhGradeEnglishSequence:

1. Arrived,metwithMs.Risto2. Handedbackpapers3. Assistedstudentswithformattingonajournalentry4. Monitoredstudentsduringreadingtime

Episode: Ms.RistoandIhandedbackcorrectedhomeworkandjournalentries.Afterwehadhandedeverythingback,Ms.Ristotookthetimetoexplainhowshehadgradedandscoredeachitem.Shealsoexplainedwhatherexpectationswereforthestudentswhohadlateandmissingwork.Sheremindedthemthata“HomeworkHelp”daywascomingupandthatsheexpectedeachstudentwhohadmissingworktoattendthatevent. Analysis: EachdayMs.Ristogoesoverthebusinessaspectsoftheclass(homework,duedates,expectations,gettinggradesintothePortal)rightawaywhentheperiodstarts.Today,Ireallynoticedthatshespentalotoftimegivingthestudentsfeedbackonthehomeworkthatshehadreturnedtothem.IreallyappreciatedthisbecauseIknowhowfrustratingitcanbetogetanassignmentbackandnotknowwhyIreceivedacertain

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grade.Ms.Ristowentthrougheachassignmentexplaininghowmanypointsitwasworthanddescribedwhatexactlytheassignmentwouldlooklikeifithadreceivedaperfectscore.Shealsolistedthingsthatwereimportanttoremembersothatstudentscoulddobetterontheirfutureassignments.Overthemytimeinherclassroom,Ihavereallynoticedthatshedoeseverythingthatshecantohelpstudentsstayontopoftheclass,understandherexpectations,andknowwhattoexpectfromher.Ithinkthatthisiscrucialateverylevelofeducation,butespeciallyatthemiddleschoollevel,becausethesestudentsareverydistractible.Friday,December5,2014 12:40-1:30 SeventhGradeEnglishSequence:

1. Arrived,metwithMs.Risto2. Correctedpapers3. SignedanddistributedHigh-Pawsslips

Episode: Thestudentswerehavingaquietreadingtime.Ms.RistoaskedmetopassouttheHigh-PawsslipstostudentswhoweredemonstratingPRIDEcharacteristics.Almostallofthestudentsweredoingexactlywhattheyhadbeenaskedtodo.Therewasonestudentwhohadisbookoutandwassittingquietly,butwasclearlynotfocusedonhisbookortryingtoreadit.Iaskedhimseveralquestionsabouthisbook.Itriedtoaimmyquestionsatthecontentofthebookandwhathewasfindinginteresting.Ididn’taskwhyhewasn’treadingorwhathewasdoing.Analysis: ThemajorreasonthatIdidn’taskhimoutrightifhewasstayingontaskwasbecauseIdidnotwanthimtothinkthatIwasangryorupset.IwantedtomakeitclearthatIjustreallywantedhimtofocusinonhisbook.Ididn’twantittobeaboutthetaskorkeepingupwithhisclass,Iwantedhimtobeinvestedinthebookitself.IthinkthatifIhadaskedhimwhetherornothewasreading,hewouldhavebeenmuchmorelikelytolietomeandthencontinuewhathehadbeendoing.IthinkIhandledthesituationsuccessfully,becausebytheendoftheperiod,thisstudentwasreadinghisbookattentivelyandearnedaHigh-Paw.LogComposite:

Myclinicaltutoringexperiencewasveryuniqueandtherewasalotofdiversityand

varietywithinmyexperiences.Ihadtheopportunitytoworkwithbothjuniorhighand

highschoolstudents,amongthemEnglishLanguageLearnersandstudentswithspecial

needsorlearningdisabilities.TheclassesthatIassistedwereinavarietyofacademic

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fields:English,science,andmathematics.Thisvarietyallowedmetolearnseveral

importantthemes,helpedmetorealizewhattypeofclassroomIwillwantoneday,and

alsoallowedmetofulfillmygoalsforthistutoringexperienceaslistedatthebeginningof

thisdocument.

TherewerefourmajorthemesthatIpickedupfrommytimeinthethree

classrooms:1)theimportanceofcreatingandmaintaininghabitsandroutineswithinthe

classroom,2)beingwillingtoadapttoindividualstudentneeds,3)awarenessofthe

individualityandvarietyinthebackgroundofeachstudent,and4)theimportanceof

buildingrelationshipswitheachstudent.

Thethemeoftheimportanceofcreatingandmaintaininghabitsandroutines

withintheclassroomwassupportedinbothpositiveandnegativewaysinallthreeofmy

classrooms.First,inMs.Risto’sclassroom,shestartedeveryperiodinthesameway.The

homework,objectives,andagendawereclearlywrittenandvisibleonthewhiteboard

everydaysoeachstudentcouldfigureoutwheretheclasswasgoing.Ms.Ristowouldalso

postinstructionsforthebeginningofclassonthesmartboard.Assoonasthebellrang,

shewouldgooverthecontentofeachoftheboardsandcovertheclassroom“business”,

beforelaunchingintoherlesson.BothofthetimesthatMs.Ristohadasubstituteteacher,

thestudentswouldnotpaynearlyasmuchattentiontothesubstitute,becausetherewere

nohabitualexpectationsforthestudentstomeetthatwouldrequirethemtopay

attention.

IntheFSChemistryclass,therewasafirmstructureandthelessonplansseemedto

beverydetailed.Eachdaystartedwithawritingpromptandannouncementsabouttests

andupcomingduedates,butinMs.Ryan’smathclass,ontheotherhand,thelessonsand

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teachingseemedmuchmorelaidbackandunstructured.Eachclassfeltincomplete,

ineffective,andunconnectedtotheotherlessons.

Thesecondtheme:beingwillingtoadapttoindividualstudentneeds,goeshandin

handwiththethirdtheme:awarenessoftheindividualityandvarietyinthebackgroundof

eachstudent.Thesetwothemeswerebothsupportedinmanywaysandareespecially

importantinregardstolessonandassessmentplanning.TheFoundationsofScience

classesatMankatoEast(includingthechemistryclassthatItutoredin)weredesigned

specificallyforstudentswhocouldnotkeepupwiththepaceofatraditionalscienceclass.

ThemajorityofthestudentsinthesetypesofclassesareeitherEnglishLanguageLearners

orpeoplewithlearningdisabilities.Thisisaverywidespreadmodificationtoassist

certainindividuals.InMs.Ryan’sFSChemistryclass,eachdaywasstartedwithawriting

prompttohelpthoselearningEnglishgetabroaderbaseofscientificvocabulary.Finally,

thereisalsoaparaprofessionalassignedtothisclassroomtohelpwithcommunication

betweenELLsandnativespeakers.AnothermodificationthatInoticedwasthatthemath

classthatIobservedwasalmostexclusivelystudentswithlearningdisabilities.Asaresult,

theclasswasextraordinarilysmallsothateachstudentcouldgetmoreindividual

attentionfromtheteacher.

EvenMs.Ristooccasionallyhadparaprofessionalsinherclassroomtoassist

individualswithparticulareducationalneeds.Ms.Ristostayedlateatleastthreedaysa

weeksothatstrugglingstudentscouldcometalktoheroutsideofclassorworkon

homeworkandwasflexibleaboutdeadlinesinordertomakesurethatstudentswould

turninqualitywork.WheneverMs.Ristoaskedmetoworkoneononewithastudent,I

wasalwayswithstudentswhowerereallyfarbehindintheirclassworkorstrugglingwith

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acertainconcept.Onespecificexampleofthatismyspendingawholehourjusttohelp

twoofthestudentswiththeir“FriendlyLetter.”Myfinalandmostobviousexampleof

cateringtostudentneedsandbackgrounds,isinmygivinganoraltesttooneofMs.Ryan’s

student,becausehestruggledtoomuchwithreadingandcouldnothavebeenasuccessful

ifheweretakingitasawrittentest.

Allofthisiswithoutevenconsideringthattherearedifferenttypesofintelligences

andlearningstylesthatoughttobeaccommodatedfor.Teachersaresupposedto

incorporateavarietyofelementsofthesecognitivestylesandskillsintoeachlessonalong

withteachingthatreflectsandsupportsobjectivesinthesocial,emotional,physicaland

cognitivedomainsofdevelopment.

Thefinalthemethatmyclinicalexposedistheimportanceofbuildingrelationships

witheachstudent.IfirststartedtorealizethisasIcomparedthebehavioroftheseventh

gradeEnglishclassunderthesubstituteteacher,Ms.Sorenson,versustheirbehavior

underMs.Risto.Thestudentswerenotterriblewhentheirnormalteacherwasgone,but

theywerecertainlyworsebehavedandpaidlessattentiontotheinstruction.

Themoreovertexamplewasmyexperienceinthemathclasswhiletryingtohelp

andencourageonofthestudentstodohiswork.Herespondedrudelyandwithan

expletive,eventhoughIwastryingtobeniceandunassumingasIworkedwithhim.His

responsewaselicitedbythefactthathereallydidn’tknowmeortrustme,asMs.Ryan

toldme.

Asidefromlearningallofthesemajorthemes,IalsothinkthatIimprovedasatutor

andIknowthatIfeelmuchmorecomfortableasanauthorityfigureinaclassroomsetting.

Atthebeginningofmyclinical,Ifeltextremelynervous.ItseemedlikeIwasbarelyolder

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thanthestudentsthatIwasworkingwith.IwasunsureofwhatwasexpectedofmeandI

feltuncomfortablewiththeideaoftutoringamathclassandachemistryclass,especially

becauseithasbeensolongsinceIhavetakencoursesinthosesubjects.Ithinkthemost

difficultpartwasoftheexperiencewasthatitstartedlaterintheschoolyear.Itseemed

thatsomeclassroomprocedureswerealreadysetinstone,whichattimesmadeitdifficult

tofitintotheclassroom.Overall,everythingwaswaybetterandmoreinterestingthanI

couldhaveanticipated.IwishIhadbeenmoreoutgoingtowardsthebeginningofthe

clinicalandworkedhardertomakemyselfmoreusefultotheteachers,butbytheendof

theexperienceIfeltlikeIlearnedalotandtrulywasanassettothelearningenvironment.

Igainedbothbigandsmallinsightstoideasthatwillhelpmyfutureclassroomrun

smoothlyandbeefficient.

Thistutoringexperiencealsohelpedmetogetabetterfeelforwhattypeof

classroomwouldbethebestfitforme.IlikedthecontentofmyEnglishclassbetter,butI

thinkIwouldratherbeinahighschoolsetting.Ilearnedalotfrommyexperienceswith

theELLstudentsandthestudentswithspecialneedsandIwilldefinitelyusewhatI

learned,butIdonotthinkthatIampatientenoughtoworkwiththosestudentsallofthe

timeandmorethenthat,IlovetheEnglishlanguageanditspotentialandIwanttoteach

otherstoappreciateitaswell.