I have spent January through March with a wonderful group of students, it was hard to leave this placement to move onto Kindergarten.

From Day 1, I took the initiative to teach the Math lessons from Everyday Mathematics. From that point onward, I gradually took on more and more subjects and responsibilities.

I spent 2 weeks (back to back) 'Soloing' - I was the primary teacher and Mrs.Talke was there to aid and support me. During those 2 weeks, Mrs.Talke and I decided that her presence in the classroom would be at a minimum. Her support was behind the scenes in regards to constructive mentoring and collaborating ideas.

When the 1st grade classroom sees me on campus, I am soon swarmed with hugs and moments of catching up with the students. Mrs.Talke's first grade class was my first real experience in a room and I am grateful for their flexibility and eagerness to welcome me in as a teacher.

WATCH ME TEACH (video): 1st Grade ELA - Daily 5 - Decodable 'ER'

WATCH ME TEACH (video) : 1st Grade ELA - Daily 5 - Decodable 'ER' Pt.2

I am honored to have been offered the job as the "Long Term Substitute" for the Kindergarten classroom at Sun Valley. I decided to take on this opportunity because I believe that after seeing different classrooms at Sun Valley, my heart gravitated towards working with the lower grades (K-2). I began working at the Long Term Substitute on February 28th, 2022.

I reconstructed the classroom expectations and behaviors as these students have been in the midst of several different substitutes since December. This was quite the endeavor for us all but by the end of the year, we all were happy to have been apart of the progress and truly came out superseding the situation. It was beyond exciting!

During my time in Kindergarten, we have implemented new procedures as a team (the kids and I). In additiona, we caught up on curriculum and Mrs.Evans and Mrs.Disser saw and claimed so much progress for us all!

I hosted Teacher Parent Conferences for 25 different families which was eye opening and informative for me in terms of getting to know my students and how important family relationships are.

I have learned to decipher FP assessments and learned to conduct Math assessments. Doing so enabled me to jump in and understand where exactly the students were so that I could find a place to pick up that made sense for everyone while simultaneously for each individual.

I created seamless, transparent and communicative relationships with the parents which has given me a space for support and trust - both of which I value and appreciate so highly.

I learned day by day with my students and we came far in the short amount time we had together.

WATCH ME TEACH (video) : Kindergarten Math - Number Grid (Scrolls)

LINK TO: Classroom Management Plan

The key concepts that I find effective for my classroom:

FOUNDATION

• Scaffolding Behavior

• Inner Authority

• Ask for Help

PROACTIVE MANAGEMENT

• Teaching Procedures

• Consistency

INTERVENTION

• Rules and Consequences

• Making Changes