Journal Entries
April 1-7:
April 2, On the bus ride to Northern Ireland the radio announced current motions in place to be voted on in Ireland regarding education.
First Impression on the country is that the natural landscapes are beautiful and should be preserved. In Westport there is some land that was once covered in old trees. The land is now being flattened to make way for hotels being built.
April 8-12:
April 8, First day at my placement In Westport. I was stunned walking into a brand new placement, seeing everything for the first time. My placement is at a National School located in Westport, Ireland.
My first Impression of my placement is that of a slight culture shock. Students in the junior/senior infant class (Kindergarten/1st grade) at the beginning of the school day start with "tabletops" which is when the students have choice bins or activities and are able to freely interact and converse with other students. It can be a little overwhelming but as long as students are not being disrespectful they can be as loud as they want and do anything they want. Students in school learn the Irish language and today students had an activity of identifying the correct clothing item when told the name. Teachers here go by their first name only. For example, I am known as "Cassie" to the students. When students complete a page in their workbook they can "design" (doodle) on the page. There are three classroom teachers and that includes the principal of the school. Classes are broken into two different grades in each. Junior and Senior Infants = Kindergarten and 1st grade, 1st and 2nd class = 2nd and 3rd grade, and 3rd and 4th class = 4th and 5th grade. The school I am placed at begins the school day at 8:30am and ends at 1:10pm for Infants and 2:10 for other classes. Aistear play rota = different group activities.
I chose to begin in the infant room with the schools principal. Today the students worked on handwriting by tracing letters. The teacher began a read aloud on the story "Nibbler Visits His Friend Ben." The students had math problems within 10, and they did two Gaeilge (the Irish language) activities. One activity was discussing different clothing items and their corresponding word and the other was a virtual activity discussing clean and dirty clothing items. The Infant class leaves at 1:10pm but some students are a part of the after school program "stay and play." I assisted the program leader with the activities for this.
April 9, I led a small group with the junior infants and worked with numicon strategies. This is similar to our base ten models and has a specific way of forming the different numbers. The teacher continued the read aloud. Irish - clothes translations. After Junior Infants went home at 1:10pm I sat in with an EAL group learning about nature vocabulary in English.
April 10, tabletops had puzzles. Circle time discussed senses: touch, read aloud, addition using six teddies and decomposing to form equations, /i/ sounds as -igh, ie, y, and i-e, worked with EAL students by interpreting words. Led a class discussion about my gift of a pennant with the shape of Kentucky, and my kindergarten placement students' fingerprints. Discussed differences in that Kindergarten class and the junior infant class In Westport. Talked about school start times and time differences. Gathered ideas of how to decorate the blank pennant I brought with to keep in my own classroom. Irish Hokey Pokey and Irish Simon says.
April 11, tabletops were legos and other connecting blocks. Circle time we did "pass the squeeze." Handwriting was at the beginning of the day. Students worked on fine motor and learned about moths. Students had extra yard time as today was P.E. I began having students decorate the Ireland pennant for my classroom with clouds, flowers, and rain drops. I led a read aloud with students and began the story "Herman's Holiday."
April 12, one of the teachers had an absence so the other student teacher and I assisted in the 1st and 2nd class. We did a few circle games, one being a game in which the person whose turn it is can choose 1 or 2 if they choose 2 the next person can choose 3 or 4, and that continues until it reaches 21. Whoever it is at when 21 is reached, is out. Both classes combined and began sharing items for show and tell. The class did an activity in which they wrote healthy foods, unhealthy foods, things to do to relax, and examples of good exercise on posters. Students worked in their math books and then their reading books.
April 15-19:
April 15, the 1st/2nd class teacher was absent again. Students began the day with silent reading time. The class then shared about their weekends then began working in their math books. They were working on making equivalent equations. I then went to the Infant room to work with the junior Infants. I worked with sounds and what we call "sight" or "red" words. This practice was good for students. -snack, yard time, break- When I arrived back to the Infant room, the students were adding within 10 or adding within 20.
April 16, Since the 1st/2nd class teacher was absent I stayed with the class until 9:30am. Silent read, circle time- would you rather, math facts- base tens. I then went to the Infant room and led a junior Infant group with sight words and a reader about emergency services. snack/yard. Gaeilge activity with a song then at the mat and did a virtual game. Literacy was the sounds written as /oa/ and /ou/ during this activity I assisted EAL students with translations. I then led a numicon small group with the junior Infants. snack/yard. Finished read aloud of Hermans Holiday. Students in the Infant room then left and I stayed with the students for stay and play. We walked to the convenience store called Centra and bought ice lollies for the students, we then walked around the Quay and went to a small park.
April 17, 1st/2nd class: silent reading, circle time- would you rather, math homework, snack/yard, art- a guest teacher came to the school and led an art project with 1st-4th classes, snack/yard, math homework, math facts.
April 18, Infant class: The teacher was with the other classes doing swim lessons so there was a substitute teacher in the classroom. She is a student in Ireland also studying education and she graduates in May as well! Tabletop toys were magna tiles and plus plus blocks. Circle time on the mat was discussing what made the students happy this week. Math was drawing spots for each numeral. snack/yard/break. The substitute had students identify a clothing item on a picture from the Irish word. The students sang the "tricky words" song then worked with their phonics book. PE/snack/yard/home.
April 19, Infant class: Tabletops were magnatiles and an izak9 cube the school had just purchased. During this time the teacher also had students "bathing" baby dolls, this teaches students proper techniques of child care. Students completed some work in their sentence books. snack/yard/break. Read aloud. The school had a guest visitor who discussed nature and led forest bathing (soaking up nature) and nest making. snack/yard. Snakes and ladders and pop and hop were played. I prepped activities for my small group activities the following week.
April 22-26
April 22, Infant class: Tabletops: threading shapes, wooden blocks, Iclic! miniland rings. Chat on the mat: rate how you are feeling and tell any news. Senior Infants then wrote their news and drew a picture to go along and junior Infants drew their news. snack/yard/break. Math: 7 barrels and decomposing (7-0=7, 7-1=6, etc.) During Aistear play rota I led a craft of painting a self portrait and students began another activity that involved painting the Earth. snack/yard. I walked with 3rd and 4th class and their teacher to Centra for ice lollies. When back at the school I worked with 1st/2nd class on phonics.
April 23, Infant class: Tabletops: connecting pieces and students were pulled to small groups to do handwriting on a chalkboard. This was an interesting activity as the teacher wrote the letters on the lined chalkboard, then students used small wet sponge pieces to trace the letters, after this they used dry papertowel pieces to trace the letter, after they would write the letter. This process was repeated three times. I led this activity for the EAL students. The class had circle time and students rated how they were feeling and did a would rather question. Gaeilge: head, shoulders, knees, and toes. Miss Polly Had a Dolly memorization/ recalling details. Students worked on sentences. snack/yard/break. Gaeilge: memory circle. I led a numicon rod small group with junior infants. snack/yard. This was Earth Day so the class did a bee song. 1st/2nd class: gallery walk of writing pieces.
April 24, Infant class: Tabletops, puzzles. Chat on the mat: what would you buy if you had one million euro? Miss Polly Had a Dolly performances. Explanatory writing: lifecycle of a frog. Snack/yard/break. Math: numicon share/not share. Aistear: did the same craft as on Monday with a different group. snack/yard. Gaeilge: hoe to converse at a shop. I stayed with stay and play and they had yard time.
April 25, The infant class had the substitute teacher again as the classroom teacher is also the principal so he had an administrative day to work on office requirements. Tabletops: plus plus blocks and magnatiles. Chat: any news to share. Math: count up to and back from, start on _. go on _ more. snack/yard/break. Gaeilge: play shop. P.E. snack/yard. I joined 1st/2nd class at their swimming lessons at the pool next door. I returned back to the school and helped students in 3rd/4th class complete rules posters.
April 26, Infant class: peoples choice. Show and tell: one student present a ninjago lego figure and knew many details regarding ninjago. I was very impressed with their ability to recall so many details about one specific topic. Gaeilge: head, shoulder and hokey pokey, "sa siopa mitsen" pretend shop. snack/yard/break. Forest bathing: students made animals with clay then showcased them in their nest. Students did handwriting. snack/yard. Aistear play rota was the same activity with a different group. We then took a class photo for my last day student teaching and I was given a thank you card from some staff and the infants. I went with stay and play to Centra and got ice cream and lollies. I had a meaningful conversation with students about behaviors while in public.