Flandreau Middle School | 7th and 8th Special Education
Fall 2023
During the fall 2023 semester, I completed my special education student teaching requirements. The placement was not a traditional student teaching placement as I navigated my experience as an advanced student teacher. I had met the requirements to move forward in student teaching with an advanced student teaching permit through the state of South Dakota and in the my school district. This unique opportunity has given me an unforgettable experience as I learned to take on my own classroom as a student still earning a teaching degree. I poured hours into my classroom prior to school starting, arriving early and staying late many times throughout my week, occasional weekends to prep materials, and giving my best even when this experience got challenging. Throughout this fall, I have learned enormous amounts of new information that can only be learned in the classroom setting such as such as best practices in special education for my students, creating schedules for paraprofessionals and service groups, planning curriculum and groups students, navigating my days with the resources and staff that I have, learning SPED Advantage to write IEPS, data track, progress monitor, and write progress reports, communicating with parents, navigating behaviors', leading IEP meetings, etc. I gained practical tools and have established relationships that have shaped my experience and myself as an individual. My experience has brought me a share of challenges as I figure things out in my new role, but it has also brought me a sense of belonging and joy knowing that I have found a career that is fulfilling and has me work so very hard to better my students. Throughout the experience, I was reminded many times to trust the process and to give myself grace. As someone who tends to be a hard on oneself, this is something that I truly wanted to keep in perspective and lean into more. I was reassured many times that I was doing good work. I needed to take a step back and be proud of how far I have come.
My favorite part of the entire experience has been getting to establish relationships with my students. I have a diverse caseload with students with many different types of needs. My caseload has 22 students and each student brings a different element. Some days are more challenging than others, but at the end of the day I love these kids. I continue to show up for them and to let them know that I got them. This attitude has allowed me to really get to know my students and build a foundation of trust so far this school year. I have also enjoyed getting to teach my one alternate curriculum student with a cognitive impairment disability. Her and I spend a lot of time together, and being able to support her and her academics has been rewarding. I also conducted my first triannual evaluation and meeting this fall with her. This was a leaning opportunity as I learned the special education evaluation process from start to finish, and holding a three year meeting, which was an extensive meeting with the team around the table to discuss her academic programming.
An area of growth that I have seen from a personal reflection, is my confidence in meetings and making informed decisions based off of data. When I started in August, I was unsure of how to conduct an IEP meeting. I was nervous and cautious of what to say. However, now I am much more confident, I say what needs to be said, and I lead meetings with a strong presence. I'm also proud of my ability to make decisions that better my students based off the data. A statement I have heard often from my special education director is this, "We can data our way in and we can data our way out". I think this is extremely important as decisions should never be made on a whim, but thoughtful consideration to what the facts are is key! I am proud of my progress and achievements this fall in a new role and balancing school work and life in general. I firmly believe that my unique experience has provided me with wisdom and unmatched experience that will greatly benefit me now and years to come.
Flandreau Elementary School | 3rd grade General Education
Fall 2023
During the fall 2023 semester, I student taught in a 3rd grade classroom. This was a unique experience, as I was not present in this classroom all day during the week. Due to my advanced placement in the middle school, I was available to be present in the 3rd grade classroom Monday's, Wednesday's, and Fridays from 2:00-2:40 pm in the month of October and into November. I taught a geography unit on the oceans and continents. However, despite my time being scattered throughout the week, I was still able to gain insight into classroom management, routines, and content. My cooperating teacher was very helpful in helping me identify things that I could work on or things she thought I was doing well. Her advice was valuable and I appreciated her willingness to take me on. I learned that general education is much different from special education in may ways. I am thankful that I was able to take part in this general education experience. I will take the lessons learned with me into my own classroom. I want to continue to lean into being more kind to myself from the lens of a new teacher and that sometimes things don't go as planned, and that is okay!
Flandreau Elementary School | 2nd grade General Education
Spring 2023
During the spring 2023 semester, I completed 80 hours in a level 3 field experience in a 2nd grade classroom. This placement was a stepping stone into what was to come in student teaching. I was able to plan and teach five lessons varying in different subjects, with two of the lessons being observed via Zoom with my university supervisor. Along with the teaching opportunity, I was able to observe the cooperating teacher, but also jump in and help when I could to experience the classroom to the fullest. This experience opened my eyes to the world of general education, as I gained insight to whole class instruction, differentiated groups, classroom management, and the ins of effectively structuring a classroom to meet the needs of students. The cooperating teacher was very kind and encouraging as I began to take on more responsibility in her classroom. She was an exemplary model of patience towards her students, as well as a teacher who models expectations for her students. My experience gave me the confidence I needed to feel prepared to go into student teaching. My experience also gave me the excitement and joy going into student teaching for the fall.
Flandreau Elementary School | 1st & 2nd grade Special Education
Fall 2022
During the fall 2022 semester, I completed 5 hours in a level 2 field experience in a elementary special education room. The time spent in this placement was very valuable as I had not spent much time with younger students prior. During this level 2 experience, I observed the special education teacher provide one-on-one reading instruction to a second grade boy with a cognitive disability. As I observed, I learned about many specific reading instruction activities and methods to support the young student grow to become a stronger reader. Throughout my time, I noticed the importance of providing a safe and supportive environment that allows for learning to take place. My cooperating teacher was a great example of how to teach with encouragement and that reflected on her student as he felt motivated from the positive words. I had the opportunity to step in and help this student work on his CVC Words. I also had the opportunity to prepare and instruct a phonics reading center for this student. Additionally, I planned a read aloud lesson for a small group of 2nd graders. I enjoyed being able to plan lessons and directly work with students.
Flandreau Middle School | 5th & 6th grade Special Education
Spring 2022
During the spring 2022 semester, I completed 5 hours in a level 2 field experience in the 5th and 6th grade resource room that I was working in at the time. During my level 2 experience, I spent a lot of my time observing Response to Intervention groups and working alongside my cooperating teacher with students, as well as supporting RTI groups on my own. Additionally, I had the opportunity to work with students during reading comprehension groups and a 6th grade reading block. I felt my time in ELED 456 well prepared me connect my knowledge of language comprehension and word recognition to the work of my students. I learned to apply my understanding of blending words, morphemic analysis, phonological awareness, and phrased-cued reading. Additionally, I learned how to plan and execute materials provided by my cooperating teacher. I recognized the importance of being flexible and adapting as things can change. The help of ELED 456 strengthened my confidence of teaching middle school students reading skills.