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the 7th graders in our department are proving troublesome, so my MT traded a few students with another teacher and it's for the section that I am teaching. Today was the first day of the switch because we are on our third trimester, and it has been interesting navigating the new dynamic

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Started week 2 today, and while there were some lows, I'm taking the highs as best I can!

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Started my solo unit plan on WW2 today, I was excited to see how interested the students are in the topic

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My MT has covid and I have to teach every class and I survived

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My students finished their last mastery project on social psych issues in their community and today they presented their research study! I was so proud of them for taking on the challenge and we got some interesting results :)

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Had my second observation and my FI actually told me I did a good job this time.

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Today I was solo in class. We did a review game on Blooket, and I was able to incorporate creative writing into my lesson. I gave them a few different visual prompts. I am really excited to read them!

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Excited to move to Flagstaff next year for my grad degree!

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Today was a study day for the students as they have a final unit test next time we meet. I was nervous about the LP design/schedule but their participation was great! :)

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Today I ran all of the sections of Pre-Calc and AP Calc. Even though it was a review day for both classes, I was practically taking care of the entire classroom! Really boosted my confidence that I could run a classroom by myself.

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I got a new plant :D (string of pearls)

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A new trimester is about to start at my student teaching placement, when I'll be moving to full-time teaching a unit I planned! I'm very excited!

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A student that usually struggles with exams studied super hard for their exam last week and got a 100%!

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I was grading final projects from my students today and not only were they super cool, but they also seemed to understand something that they had been stuck on last week :))

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My students were more engaged than usual today even though everyone was in a bad mood bc it was a gloomy Monday.

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Implemented a concentric circles discussion today just to try it out and it worked really well I thought

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Last week, I ended up giving my students too much all at once. My MT had recommended including one blank day a week for random things that come up, so I was able to give them today as a reteach/makeup day and they were SO relieved to have the extra day of work. It felt good to alleviate stress instead of causing it.

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We are about to start a new trimester - I'm excited to meet my new students and set up a classroom for the first time!

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Today I developed a progress self-check sheet that I believe will help my students who are behind develop a strategy to catch up before the unit test.  I'm excited to work with them tomorrow to work on these plans!

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We were excused on Friday and my MT said everyone missed me. I am loved. ily all.

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Just finished the unit in my class and am excited to read their summatives

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All the extra sunshine from the weekend made my plants look so much happier (which makes me happier) :)

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I had a great lesson on friday and a student who normally is very adverse to classwork came up after class and said "that was fun!" and walked away

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I had professional development today only until 10:30 instead of a full day of school!

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My students did SO well on their Ancient India unit test today

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I moved around my seats in my placement, and it made a WORLD of a difference on my student engagement. :')

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I'm moving to Montana this summer with bestie Molly Efros!

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I'm moving to Montana this summer with bestie Molly Efros!

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I am excited that all of my roommates are back from spring break - I was very lonely in our scary house by myself

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I have been meeting with a lot of my Spanish 2 students in our advisory (free) period lately. I usually approach students who don't do so great on tests, or who seem to be struggling and offer them the ability to work with me in the free period to work on some difficult or challenging topics. I've had really great experiences so far with students during this time, especially because it's a lot of one-on-one time with students that I don't usually get, so I'm learning a lot about them in this time as well. I'm really impressed at my students who are learning how to advocate for themselves, and seek out help, and also proud of myself that I'm reaching out and really making an effort to support my students :)

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My MT had some last minute absences last week and I wasn't prepared for them. I had to come up with LPs on the fly and I was so nervous that they were going to feel pointless. But my students were super supportive and worked with what I had. I talked to one of my peers and they said to always have a LP in your back pocket. Beyond that, I've really been enjoying getting to know my students and spending time with them.

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To conclude our informational writing unit I created a lesson plan teaching my students how to use Flipgrid.  Students really enjoyed being able to create their videos and do a gallery walk viewing other student's work.  Some of my struggling students really surprised me with their enthusiasm and engagement with the assignment!

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Our district had one day for mid-winter break which i keep scoffing at but it was very helpful

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In my Pre-Calc classes, one of the routines I was trying to implement is called a number talk, where students give their answers to math questions that have multiple solutions or multiple ways of thinking about it first, then we talk about each solution/idea. I've recently run another one of theses sessions and towards the end the students were quite invested in it and had fun with it.

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One of my students has recently been diagnosed with a medical condition. I've made sure to check in with him as much as I can (before/after class). He has expressed some anxiety, but always thanks em for checking in!

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I created a review game that students really enjoyed! They were coming up to me after class like, "can we do this again tomorrow?!"

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The importance of having a good team/support system in your school that you can talk ideas through and problem solve various issues that may come up. I'm lucky that I get along with my MT really really well and so we've kind of developed that rapport, but shes also got a good support system around her that she's established with her coworkers already that has kind of envoloped me as well, which has been really nice
-Bri

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Compared to last semester with a different teacher, my students are enjoying the more intensive work. It makes them feel like the class is worth while and productive. At the beginning no one was turning anything in, but now we have almost 80% with an A as they turn things in

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I was just grading assignments and I was really happy to see how much the students have improved in their work since we started this unit.

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Talking to students w/ post high school plans

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Talking to students w/ post high school plans

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As my students get more comfortable with me, they have been talking to me about their lives. My students are 11-12th graders who are applying for colleges and we have been connecting with each other about our long-term plans. I am closer to their age so I get a lot of opportunities to talk about my college experiences both bad & good :))

- Joys

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I got my students engaged in some literary theory that they've never done before. Though they thought it was challenging, they felt very proud of their work and participation and felt that they grew because of the lesson. It was cool to see the students enjoy being challenged and pushed to do something new.

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One of my students never shows up to school (he's only been here 3 times this semester) but when he was here last Friday I worked one on one with him and he seemed to understand everything we were working on and I was really proud of him.

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Moving classes back and forth from zoom to in-person can be a bit frustrating with the back-and-forth and last minute changes but I think it's helping me on learning how to lesson plan much more efficiently!

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I got through teaching my first Zoom class, and I got good participation from students through a Google Jamboard activity (if not from anyone speaking up on a mic). It was encouraging to discover that students were actually there in the Zoom meeting, and of course that we got some work done even virtually.

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My 8th graders love Encanto right now and one of my routines incorporates music in Spanish, so they’re extremely excited that I’m choosing to implement their feedback and we’re focusing on Encanto for a day. Even if it’s been kind of hard to implement some feedback, taking their music/artist recommendations has been very positive!

- Haley Kocefas -

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Recently I had a break through with a student who struggles to do their work. After our chat he has been turning in all of his work and proudly brags to me about doing well on his assignments.

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We're finally getting student creative writing back for the class I was involved in designing and it's all AMAZING! They are so gifted (it's our job to help them realize that/give them a platform)!

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I subbed for my MT three times last week! Apparently afterward, they gave my MT feedback telling her that I'm a great teacher and that they want me to teach there! However...this has been the most stressful and anxiety-inducing semester of my life!!

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I'm just happy to have break off school this week!

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As I've taken over more of my mentor teacher's classes at my placement, I've found it huge how much value there is in being able to adapt lessons throughout the day based on what works and what doesn't in a given class period.

-Jesse Gorham-

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For a couple lessons, I was able to try out Jamboard and NearPod for the first time with my students, and they really liked it! I think it's helping them learn as an alternative to lecture, which is hard to sit through and learn from.
-Gracen Mueller

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There are just so many things going on and I am stressed pretty much all the time and it is difficult to keep track of everything and lesson plan and grade papers and apply to jobs and also practice self care. But at the end of the day, I remember that I am doing this because I love this and I am learning and I am growing and I'm only human.

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I've had multiple students tell me this year that they took the course I teach for the sake of having my MT as their instructor. It was a big moment for me to realize that I can get through even to students who don't like the course material if I am able to show them I care about them. I have loved my teaching placement so much and look forward to going to it every day, but I am struggling to figure out how to balance being in school with all of the other things I need to do to take care of myself.

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A student found me after school to proudly bring me their finished homework--previously this student was not completing homework!

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Connecting with students in small ways makes a big difference.

I attended Best Jr. High and was visiting Best Middle School in Dearborn Heights. During passing time I connected with a few students who were wearing their basketball jerseys. The colors and designs looked almost identical to the ones we had! It was fun to joke around and ask about their season.