Student Teaching Journal

Week 6: My Sixth Week of Student Teaching (February 3-7)

Since this week was the first week of the second semester, my main goal was getting acclimated back into the
classroom and forming my tentative schedule of what we would be teaching. My master teacher and I planned on
teaching Fahrenheit 451 for 6 weeks and then moving on to poetry for 4 weeks, which I was to take over. However, we found
out that the library did not have enough books for each student in her classes, so we had to adjust what we would do. We
intended to move around the content to teaching poetry and then Night. The following day, we were told they were ordering
new Fahrenheit 451 books, which would be available in two weeks, so my master teacher and I discussed what we should do.
We decided to teach poetry for two weeks and then teach Fahrenheit 451, so it was a learning experience on how to adjust my
lesson plan in a short period of time. 
On Wednesday, I attended a staff meeting in the morning, where the district’s new superintendent was present. He
discussed how he had intended to improve various aspects of the district and was meeting with teachers and staff from the
different schools, what he referred to as meeting 50 people in 50 days. He wanted the teachers and staff to write on three
different index cards. Green for what is going well. Yellow for what should be done. And White for what should be stopped
immediately. It was interesting to listen to since it seemed to me that he really cared about the district and wanted to make a
change by listening to the staff and teachers. This reminded me of how I should be more reflective of my teaching and focus on
what went well, what could be changed, and what I could do next time to support the students. 
Later in the week, I was taking over some of the classes. For the most part, we were adjusting to our new schedule so
students were completing independent work while we adjusted. I also taking control over attendance and reminding myself to
take attendance in each class. I also graded student work and input the grades in the gradebook. This gave me a lesson on time
management and how to balance teaching, doing administrative tasks, observing students, and getting the class going. I think
with more experience and practice, I would be able to better balance these. 
On Friday, my master teacher wanted me to take over period 2 and period 4. She observed me in both classes and made
detailed notes of what went well, what I could work on, and pointed out things that were occurring in the classroom or that I
was doing that I did not realize. Her main reason for this was for me to teach one period and then make some changes in the
next. I know I struggled a little at first, but I tried to keep students following along since the lesson consisted of students taking
notes on poetry that I guided, and then having them start annotations for a poem that I led. She gave me detailed feedback on
what I did well that I changed, such as relaxing more in 4th period and having more inflection in my voice to keep students
engaged since I was dull in 2nd. I was also advised to shut down distractions quickly and be detailed in my instruction to ensure
students are all on the same page. Additionally, she suggested to tell the students about my class expectations at the start and
have them practice so they are aware and held accountable of these expectations. She also told me I should use popsicle sticks
with each students’ name on one so I can keep them all accountable and engaged to participate. I think I did well in getting
students to participate in 4th period by randomly asking students to share. Students I picked were ones that I knew did not
volunteer or speak much in class. One student, in particular, ended up volunteering later on in the lesson which surprised both
me and my master teacher. 
For next week, my goal is to create popsicle sticks for student participation, get to know the students better and become
more relaxed that way I can let my personality shine through. I also would like to observe another English teacher to see how
they run their class and what types of classroom management they have. I also want to start working on creating some of my
lessons and engage students in the poetry lesson.
Week 7: My Seventh Week of Student Teaching (February 10-14)
Last week I had set the goal to create popsicle sticks for each class period, which I completed. I used them during the
week, and they helped significantly. I got students who normally would not participate or share in class to participate. Even
though the students do not like them, it ensures that they are held accountable for their learning and are active learners, not
passive. I am still working on getting to know my students better, which will be an ongoing process; I learn something new
from them every day. I only completed one lesson plan this week since I have been struggling with staying ahead with my time
management. One goal I did not accomplish is observing another English teacher, which is something I would like to do within
the next couple of weeks.
During the week, I took over periods 2 and 4, teaching the content my master teacher had for the students. This was to
work on my teacher voice, my presence in the classroom, and have the students become more acclimated to my presence in the
classroom to aid in the transition when I fully take over. This also gave my master teacher the ability to observe and provide
feedback, which was helpful for me. She provided me with insights into my teaching and how I could improve.
On Tuesday students reflected on a John Wooden quote that was in the classroom, followed by having them work in
small groups to annotate a poem, then write a summary about the poem (its significance, insightful ideas). I spoke with my
master teacher and wanted me to set the class expectations at the start, which included the popsicle sticks and the countdown
strategy that I would like to use to get the classes’ attention and quiet them down when needed. Since I have not introduced this
strategy for classroom management, I understood how it would be a struggle to call the class’s attention. I want to start
practicing this strategy with all the classes that way they are ready to go when needed. Additionally, she advised me that when I
notice students struggling to stop the lesson and switch to a direction lesson approach, so instead of having students work in
partners, I would model the process with them. Additional insights she provided me was to have more directions and be clear
and specific with what I want my students to do.
On Wednesday, we had a department meeting with the English teachers across all grade levels, 9 th-12th. During this
meeting, teachers discussed the curriculum for each grade, for both the fall and spring semesters and what should be taught,
what could be changed, and the different types of assessments they could/should focus on for each semester. There was a talk
about areas of improvement and what content they would need to change for the next year. It appeared that different teachers
had different expectations and might be on a different page than others teaching the same content, which led to a tension in the
department. There was also a discussion on goals for next year, such as what expectations and goals they wanted students to
take away with. In particular, there was a focus on 9th grade and they had a chart of the expectations/take aways they wanted for
9th grade. One overall goal I noticed is that they teachers wanted to have a strong start for 9 th grade and encourage personal
responsibility and motivation at the start of students’ high school career to build off of them each year. It was insightful to me
since I got a better understanding of the dynamics within the department and what long-term goals the teachers wanted.
I continued working with 2nd and 4th period on Wednesday, where we went over the poem, discussing as a class the
insightful ideas students had and what poetry terms they found. For feedback, my master teacher suggested having more energy
to get the kids engaged and get buy-in from them. I took this to heart. At the end of the day I was questioning myself and my
abilities as a teacher. I didn’t want to be boring or dry. I started to second-guess myself. But I did have my observed lesson on
Thursday, so I used that feedback to shape my teaching.
Thursday was my observed lesson. I focused on the poem “Annabel Lee” by Edgar Allan Poe: I started class with
having students write about the connotation of five key words from the poem, then I moved on to having students in pairs or
trios work together to analyze the poem (after I showed a video of the poem read aloud). I ended class with a Quick Picture
handout that focused on one poetry term/device. I think overall my lesson went well. I incorporated my master teacher’s
feedback and had more energy and fluctuated my voice. I wanted the students to be engaged with Poe since I know they do not
like poetry or may not like Poe. I think the transitions went smoothly and I was able to quickly have students move from one
activity to the next with minimal downtime. I heard interesting conversations during the annotations and saw insightful
comments written on the side. I moved around the classroom making sure students were on track, and I posed questions
throughout to get students to think differently about various aspects of the poem. What did not go as planned was the time. I
thought class was going to end soon, but they still had 10 minutes remaining, so students were already packing up or packed up
fully. I had to redirect them and pass out the handouts and explain what I wanted them to do. I noticed that the directions were a
little vague and possibly confusing, so looking back at the handout, I would alter it to include directions for students and change
the questions to fit what I was looking for. Additionally, I think this lesson would have gone better if the class was on a block
schedule where students had more time to think and analyze the poem and possibly have time to go over the poem as a class and
have a class discussion. I think for next time, I would break a lesson like this up over two class periods to allow for enough
time.
At the end of the week I think I made some growth as a teacher. I was able to use my voice in the classroom and
change the mood and tone of the room. I think for each time I teach I will use that same energy to have students engaged and
ready to learn. I would like to work on TPE 5 more, which is assessing student learning. I know this is a weaker area for me, so
I would like to start looking at student assessments that way I am better able to meet the needs of my students. My goals for
next week is to start planning my TPA lessons/unit so it is ready to go and to continue using my teacher voice in the class.
Week 8: My Eighth Week of Student Teaching (February 17-21)
This past week we focused on watching most of the Dead Poets Society movie and students had
questions to answer throughout the movie. My teacher and I were grading student work for the gradebook since
grades were due Friday for the grading period. On Friday I subbed for my teacher since she was absent. It was
an eye-opener for me. I taught a lesson that day as well. I had students annotate the poem “O Captain! My
Captain!” by Walt Whitman since that was the poem discussed in the movie and had a major influence on the
end of the movie. I realized then without my teacher there, I noticed my weaknesses in my classroom
management. Specifically, I struggled in getting the classroom settled for two class periods and during most of
the classes, students became off task when I had them work in pairs or small groups. I attempted to redirect
students in getting them on track by asking questions to facilitate discussion, but I found that it did not work as
well. However, despite the difficulties during group collaboration, when I went through the poem as a class,
students participated and followed along. There were some students who continued to talk and be off-task, but I
redirected them by asking them questions or stopping the discussion to gain their attention once more. I think all
of the difficulties I experienced centered around my expectations and presence in the classroom.
I think if I had set my classroom expectations at the start of the class and at the start of the semester, it
would be a little bit better. From this, I can incorporate my expectations in each class and reinforce those ideas
to ensure that when my teacher is not there, students will still be active participants and learners. This connects
to TPE 6, which is to develop as a professional educator. I want to focus on TPE 6.1: Beginning teachers reflect
on their own teaching practice and level of subject matter and pedagogical knowledge to plan and implement
instruction that can improve student learning. In particular, I’m centering on the “reflect on their own teaching
practice”. As an educator it is crucial to be reflective on your own teaching and what your strengths and
weaknesses are in order to adjust either the content, the method in which you teach, or your delivery of the
content/what type of content is taught. I know I need to work on this and be more reflective in my teaching.
From Friday I determined that I needed to have more conviction in my voice and have my classroom
expectations set to ensure that all students were focused and ready to learn. Additionally, I thought of
incorporating activities that touched on Garner’s Multiple Intelligences since not all students are the types of
learners to just sit; they need more hands-on activities and lessons that engage other intelligences like
kinesthetic and musical. My goals are to learn more about how my students learn that way I can incorporate
activities into the lessons that better reach their diverse learning needs. I would also like to watch another
teacher’s classroom and see his/her classroom management and teaching style.
Week 9: My Ninth Week of Student Teaching (February 24-28)
I think this week marked the change and transition from co-teaching with my master teacher to me
taking over the classroom completely. We wrapped up our poetry unit this week: on Monday we finished
watching Dead Poets Society, conducted a Poetry Escape Room on Tuesday (wrapped up on Wednesday), had
students write an I Am poem on Thursday, and on Friday we had our vocabulary test and checked out
Fahrenheit 451. This week was a roller coaster of emotions for me and I was quite stressed and questioning my
abilities as a teacher. On Wednesday, my teacher stepped out of the classroom and had me run 5th period on my
own. I had difficulties settling the class down and getting them on task. I had issues with classroom
management: students would talk over me when I was trying to give directions, some students were on the
phones after repeatedly telling them to put their phones away, and some students continued to eat in class when
directed not to since we were using computers. There were a handful of students who were on task and tried to
model for the other students, but I was overwhelmed at the end of the class period and questioned if I had the
personality to be more direct and command the class’s attention during instruction. I spoke with my master
teacher and she provided me with some guidance, although when I got home I was still questioning myself.
On Thursday, I subbed for my teacher and I was worried because of my feelings from the day before,
but as the day progressed, those feelings went away. I was able to get each class on task and started for the day.
Students finished their I Am poems at the end of class and submitted them when they were finished. Reflecting
back, I think part of my difficulties with classroom management stemmed from the seating on Wednesday.
Because of the Escape Room, students were grouped into teams of five of their choosing, so on Wednesday they
sat with the same group of friends. I think if I had a stronger presence in the classroom and more classroom
management, Wednesday could have gone better for 5th period.
My master teacher is allowing me to take over the whole unit for Fahrenheit 451, allowing me to come
up with lesson plans for each day, assessments, activities, and the pace. The unit will begin on Monday and will
end the last day of my student teaching cycle, giving me 6 weeks where I’m in control of the classroom. I’m
exciting and looking forward to it. I will come up with my lessons and correlate them with my TPA, and
formulate both formative and summative assessments to gauge student progress. My goals for next week is to
have 4 lessons planned and ready for next week, giving students the Friday to write their vision board for March
and reflecting on their goals from February.
Week 10: My Tenth Week of Student Teaching (March 2-6)
This was my first week of having full control over the classroom and running the unit on Fahrenheit
451. My master teacher had already provided me with a packet that I could use to help guide my instruction and
to help facilitate deeper analysis/insight into the novel as we read. The previous week and weekend, I outlined
what I would be doing for each day of the week on a Word document that way I knew where we would be and
what activities we were doing. I was excited and nervous to fully take over the class, but I knew I had the tools
and resources necessary to help me be successful.
Since I wanted to use this unit for my TPA, I started off with four essential questions of this unit that
coincided with the main topics addressed in the packet: technological advances, the importance of independent,
critical thought, knowledge/ignorance/power, and the purpose of literature and reading. I provided students with
these questions and had them fill them in on their packet. I then moved on to goals and had students write down
the goals for the unit – what we hoped to accomplish by the end of the unit. Additionally, I had students use the
pre-learning reflection to checkmark where their strengths and weakness are regarding certain skills, which was
then used to write their own goals for the unit. As a whole, I believe that it was beneficial to begin the unit with
the overall goals and essential questions that way students knew how to approach the text and what to focus on
specifically, rather than just read for plot. I did notice as I was walking around the classroom students had
written 1-3 goals that they wanted to accomplish, ranging from reading the novel and completing it to
improving a particular skill or set of skills. I ended class with a key topics Kahoot where students answers
ranged from strongly disagree to strongly agree on particular statements. Students were engaged with the
Kahoot and the following discussion after each, which led me to believe that class discussions/debates could be
engaging for students. I could incorporate one or two as we progress through the unit.
On Tuesday I wanted students to become familiar with the academic vocabulary presented in the novel,
so I had students start off with a think-pair-share giving them the prompt: how often do you think about the
future and future inventions, societies, etc.? I then presented students with a short YouTube video about science
fiction before moving on to the vocabulary sort out. I wanted students to get engaged with the words and
become familiar with them, so I created a sort out where I had students in small groups of 3-4 and each group
was given a set of cards with each vocabulary word, a definition, synonyms, examples, and an image. Each card
was color coordinated so all definitions were blue, all synonyms were yellow, all examples were green, and all
images were pink. This was to help students identify where they might make a mistake and note that each color
needed to be under one of the 8 vocabulary words. Reflecting back on this activity, I believe overall it did help
students identity some of the key vocabulary, however I did notice that some words students struggled with
because they were similar in definition. I think if I was to reteach these words, I would include more visuals and
have students be more hands-on, possibly having students reenact the words in short skits to familiarize
themselves with the words.
I gave students Wednesday to work on their vocabulary notecards and Quizlet since I know students
need that time. I had asked students on Tuesday if they would like that time and most said yes. We didn’t start
reading the novel until Thursday, which was read in class using audible, and on Friday students reflected on
their February vision board, writing a short essay reflection, preparing them for their March vision board.
At the end of the week I reflected back on how my first week went of taking the class over on my own.
For the most part I believe it went well. Students participated in the activities and worked together in the groups
to complete the same goal. I did notice that on Wednesday, which was a student workday, students were not as
productive as they could have been. That was evident when on Friday there were many students who either did
not turn in their notecards or had incomplete cards. I think next time I would have students do check-ins with
me to ensure they are on task and using time wisely. I am now preparing for next week’s lessons, and I have an
observation on Wednesday.
Week 11: My Eleventh Week of Student Teaching (March 9-13)
I prepared for Wednesday’s observed lesson by working through the novel on Monday and Tuesday. As
students read, I had them focus on an essential question for each day and had them use their packet to answer
particular questions. I did speak to the students about the novel, and many expressed that the novel was
confusing and was strange. I tried my best to help students visualize certain parts of the novel, but looking back,
I know I could do better to help students in their understanding and comprehension of the text.
Wednesday was my observed lesson. I started with a quick write to get students thinking about the topic
of conformity by having them reflect on a time they felt they had to conform to something at school, which we
then discussed as a class. For the main activity, I had students in groups and in their groups they identified
current trends that are popular on campus that people might conform to. Each group was assigned a topic to
discuss. In these groups, I had students collaborate and discuss 4 questions that asked about how likely
individuals at the school would conform to the trends and how that relates to the world at large. Students then
discussed as a class. At the end of the activity, I had students write a one-chunk paragraph answering the
prompt “what role does conformity play in the novel and how does it shape Guy Montag’s views and actions?”
After speaking with my university supervisor and reflecting myself, I could also include how conformity would
be good, such as following the laws, to show that not all conformity is negative. From my own reflection, I
think I could rework this activity and make it more interactive and engaging for students. I could have students
create their own skits to help them visualize how conformity works and what it looks like. Additionally, I need
to work on the types of assessments I give students. I notice that I tend to include writing, which although is a
big part of an English/language arts classroom, it is not equitable for all students. To improve upon this, I will
start working on other types of assessments I could include, such as more project-based assessments and include
more student choice so students have a say in what they would like to do. This would also give me the
opportunity to create my own rubrics and discuss these rubrics with students so they know what they would be
graded on.
On Thursday I had students create a double-entry journal where they fold a lined sheet of paper in half
and on the left side find 2-3 quotes that address conformity. The on the right side they had the option to draw or
sketch an image that symbolizes that quote, ask a question, or make a connection to their personal life. On
Friday students turned in both the one-chunk paragraph and the double entry journal before taking their
vocabulary test.
On Friday we did find out that our school district would be closed until the first week of April due to the
coronavirus.