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On Monday, Noah did not complete his reading work, which was completed as a class (the assignment is attached below). My mentor teacher went step by step (first, they cut out each of their pictures, then made one match, glued, and repeated). Noah has an attention deficiency and cannot stay on task; he tends to get distracted by materials in his hands or by other things going on in the classroom, whether it be a conversation or another classmate completing their work. He has been slow with completing his work consistently and tends to miss either calendar time to work on his assignments, or if he's given a deadline (by the end of the song he has to be done, or he has to finish it during indoor recess). On Tuesday, instead of having Noah work at his table (with two other students), my mentor teacher pulled him to work independently with more intention. He did continue being distracted (staring at his colors, for example), but with redirection he was successful, even though he had to work into calendar time. After MAPS, students had math and they did a worksheet (a color by number, matching numbers 1–5 and 6–10 to manipulatives such as tally marks, dice, ten frames, the number again, etc.), but Noah did not complete this and had to work through his second recess. Noah did admit to being distracted by a classmate when he was working during this time and told me so, so I could help redirect that other student who had completed his work but was waiting to be dismissed to pick a center for recess.

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At Oak Elementary, Kindergarten has quarterly skills. One of the first nine weeks skills is for them to be able to write their first name correctly. Maggie is 1 of 2 students who cannot write their first name correctly. Maggie was not in a PreK setting and the mother, who also works at the school, expressed openly that she has not had much of any practice with anything at home either. Initially, Maggie was scribbling her "name" but this is a result of her simply not knowing rather than not wanting to. A couple weeks in, my mentor teaching gave her practice sheets with her name to work on tracing. At first, I would encourage her to copy her name off of her supply cup. Now, she has a large printed version of her name to reference. The following artifacts are evidence of her using that as a guide for her. The week of 9/8-9/12 was spent on the letter Mm (part of her name) and the week of 9/15-9/19 was spent on the letter Aa (part of her name) which is also evidenced in her work below. For her Mm practice, my mentor teacher dotted each of the points on the letters Mm and Aa for her (she does not do this with all students).

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High-performing students who don't need reference points to guide them like Maggie.

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Assessment: Maggie was informally progress-monitored through work samples of her handwriting and this informed the decision to provide tracing practice and the large model of her own name.

Standards and Objectives: By fall break, based on the ELA skills for the first nine weeks, students should be able to "write [their] first name correctly." These weekly lessons on individual letters and extra practice with her name specifically, connect to the larger goal of name writing.

Presenting Instructional Content: Clear modeling and support has been provided (Maggie's name on her supply cup and her paper name model). She's also been presented with her tracing name practice and monitored after every assignment (that features her name). The expectation of her (to write her name correctly) has been clearly communicated and scaffolded to help her succeed.

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Standards and Objectives: K.FL.WC.4 Write some uppercase and lowercase manuscript letters from memory, including the student's own first name (students do not have to write all of their letters from memory, but they do have to be able to write their names from memory). 12/14 students know how to write their names correctly; Maggie is 1/2 students who cannot write their name correctly.

Instructional Planning: Maggie's additional practice with her name and close monitoring of her name writing will inform whether she needs more tracing practice (she needs more worksheets printed) or if she just needs to continue referencing her name tag (no need for additional worksheets that feature her name only).

Assessment: Assignments completed at the end of the week that feature Maggie's name should inform whether she is making significant progress. Once she has mastered writing her name with scaffolding (copying) we can transition out of that by having her write her name correctly solely by memory/recall.

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Evidence of Noah's math work.

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Instructional Plans: The math and reading lessons were designed with clear steps and sequencing in mind (cut, match, glue; match numbers to different representations), which supports Noah and students like him who need intentionality. This is very appropriate for Kindergarten instructional planning.

Assessment: Noah's unfinished work and need for redirection acted as an informal assessment that informed his struggle with attention and task completion. His performance resulted in my mentor teacher's decision to adjust instruction by altering the environment and having him work independently (space wise).

Standards and Objectives: Students are still working on their fine motor skills which isn't explictly an objective stated but something we're working daily on (it's some of these kids first time using scissors and glue). The tasks connect to the ELA skill "recognize rhyming words" and the math skill "match quantities to numerals 0-10.

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Standards and Objectives: Noah struggles with staying on task for assignments that connect to the ELA skill "recognize rhyming words" and the math skill "match quantities to numerals 0-10," which are evidenced in the post (not exactly the work he did, but I did observe the behavior and didn't think until after the fact to capture his as well).

Instructional Planning: I don't think these lessons (specifically the math) were designed to meet the needs of students like Noah, who're constantly needing stimulation and reminders to stay on task, but the rhyming worksheet was intentionally presented in a sequenced, step-by-step manner, which followed a structured process of cutting, matching, then gluing. Math, on the other hand, had no sort of scaffolding, and students were hard-launched into the assignment, but they were familiar with the format of the worksheet. It would probably have been better to have had him and similarly struggling students with content overload do one color/number at a time, find all the matches for that one, and then move on, rather than going back and forth between the same five colors.

Assessment: Noah's incomplete work, slow pace, and need for frequent redirection serve as an informal formative assessment in themselves. His performance shows that he does not struggle with the content but is more so in need of guidance and struggles with staying focused. In the future, Noah is going to need continued support with his attention and task completion, and I wish my mentor teacher would use me as a resource (or consider something to meet his needs) to pull him and work one-on-one with him (ensuring he's staying on task).

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Since there are 14 students in my Kindergarten class, I’ve found it easier to identify both academic and behavioral needs for individual students. I’ve learned that it is very important to be intentional with my actions in the sense that I’m really not going to get to know these students’ needs and interests if I don’t make a conscious effort. I’ve used time during snack, recess, between lessons, etc. (down-time), to ask students questions and gauge their personalities. I figured out very quickly that some of these babies are in a school setting for the first time, which can be a very uncomfortable and unfamiliar experience for them at the beginning of the year.

My mentor teacher uses a lot of paper and pencil worksheets for formative assessment (independent-based), and this has allowed me to stretch my brain and consider what else students can be doing to learn, especially those that are struggling. Instead, for example, of doing a cut-and-paste activity over and over to match numbers to representations, we should introduce hands-on manipulatives to struggling students who truly are not getting the paper representation.

I was happy to have already been able to get up in front of the class. I’ve had the chance to do some whole-group reading lessons as well as small groups and even got to help lead an experiment. Something I’ve realized that is so difficult is managing a classroom, especially full of kindergarteners! I’d like to think I’m getting better at it, and they’re slowly also viewing me as a teacher too!

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One of the TN State Standards asks students to be able to identify and discuss Thanksgiving and analyze why we celebrate it. One of our activities throughout this month was creating a turkey, which helps symbolize the holiday. Students also worked on fine motor skills (cutting and gluing) in this activity and practiced following step-by-step instructions.

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Students also could reference the board, where the step-by-step directions were being projected.

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Activities and Materials: This particular activity supports the lesson objectives, sustains students' attention, is relevant to students' lives, and incorporates multimedia and technology. This activity was whole-group based, and students knew what was expected of them going into it (they would have to finish their turkey during recess if they did not follow instructions and keep up with the rest of the class).

Teacher Knowledge of Students: I want to highlight that pacing was appropriate for this activity and students had ample time to complete tasks. Instead of having students complete this task independently with guidance, it was made more meaningful for them, and the use of technology in this instance maximized students' ability to complete the task with ease and master expectations. Of course, Thanksgiving is still a new concept for 5- and 6-year-olds, so allowing them to explore it and talk about it openly displays an understanding of students' interests and connects with them culturally.

Environment: Students were interacted with in a generally positive manner, and the overall feeling I had while observing and assisting students was a lighthearted one. It was evident that students enjoyed the activity. Their final projects were posted on the wall outside of our classroom, so not only does our class see them every time they’re in the hall, but other classrooms see their art, which makes my class feel special!

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One of the biggest takeaways I've had during my clinical experience so far this semester has been not only my mentor teacher but also other teachers I've observed at my school's use of technology to enhance their lessons. What I mean by this is, I have seen many teachers use their iPads to project the exact same thing students are doing. In this case, my mentor teacher was projecting the creation of a turkey to hone in on following instructions and pacing, but I have seen iPads be used similarly in other spaces. For example, using it to go over math problems in 4th grade instead of writing on the whiteboard or simply speaking solely. I love that students can use this as a guide, and I could see this being used in any grade to enhance the activities and materials component of the ATR. I also realize the importance of pasting student work on the wall for them to see (evoke a sense of pride).

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This was a classroom management plan I designed with some classmates during our Residency Workshop. It came to be a very rich experience for me moving into the classroom.

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Environment: At the beginning of each day, we have our school mantra, and currently our Kindergarteners are trying to learn it. We also have some rules that are posted on top of our attendance with corresponding pictures that exhibit good behaviors (what to do in the classroom). In order to create the positive classroom space we want, these rules are reinforced daily.

Engaging Students and Managing Behavior: For this indicator specifically, I wanted to touch on the behavior management tool we use in my mentor teacher's classroom, and that is a dojo point system. Essentially, it is a form of data tracking (point system) where students are rewarded at the end of a set period. One component of the 11th indicator references addressing students who disrupt the class. One common way we address bad behaviors (not following directions, disrespecting peers, being off-task, etc.) is by having students move their "dojo." Students start every day with +2 points, then they can decline to +1, +0, -1, and -2. These points are accounted for at the end of the day. This is the system my mentor teacher uses.

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In this photo there is evidence of both environment and engaging students and managing behavior. There is a clear classroom routine that students could tell you exactly how the day will look from bell to bell. There are also classroom expectations posted that generate a positive classroom environment and motivate positive behaviors.

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It is going to be imperative to me, when I enter the classroom (above many other things), to have an action plan on how I want my classroom to run. I understand now more than ever how important classroom management is and how important it is to have a system in mind and rules! I want to be able to address my rules and expectations on the first day of school, and students should be able to tell you them by the end of their first 10 days with me.

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Questioning: This month, we've practiced addition heavily alongside writing numbers correctly. As evidenced by the worksheets in this artifact, some of the types of problems students have to do include counting and combining sets, like the dominoes and squares. But we've also worked with word problems and using manipulatives to solve them. I have conducted many small groups where we work specifically on addition in different contexts. For example, we've completely designed our own problems using dual-sided beans, and we've also done problems like the one pictured, where students have to count sets. We also work on incorporating addition into our calendar time, like asking students, "How many more cubes do we need to get to 3?" when it was our 3rd day of November and there were just 2 cubes in the pocket.

Academic Feedback: When conducting small groups, it was especially important to me and my mentor teacher that students write their numbers correctly. For example, Leon struggled to write his 4s a few weeks ago, so I would have him erase and write them again. I would show him the correct way and also point out where on our wall he could see the number 4. It was tedious, but students only completed their assignment if their numbers were written correctly, so my academic feedback featured a lot of redirecting. I find myself saying things along the lines of, "I really like that 4!" or, "Yes! That is a good 8!"

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We incorporate addition into our calendar time by using ten frames and cube units.

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One thing I have started to carry with me during this experience is that students only know what’s expected of them if it is verbalized. In this case specifically, my students are not going to know how they’re expected to write their numbers, even if the correct forms are posted on the wall, if I don’t provide occasional redirection. I'm constantly stopping students and asking them to rewrite or reconsider something they've just done. Redirection and reviewing areas where students struggle should always be included in the classroom; it is one of the key ways students grow. I also realize the importance of letting students identify their mistakes by themselves.

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Every single day, a different student practices sentence writing. I wanted to highlight how my mentor teacher uses our calendar time to hit a lot of the ATR.

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Academic Feedback: Noah struggled here to write the letter w. My mentor teacher allowed him to use the printed word "we" for reference before helping him after he wrote it incorrectly. She did this by finishing the incomplete letter for him.

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Every week, we have a star of the week. At the end of calendar time on Mondays, the star of the week presents the poster they brought from home about themselves, and their classmates have to design questions about the poster. These posters are essentially "about me," but the question formation reinforces one of their standards, which is sentence composition. During this activity, students are tasked with identifying and presenting questions. We're working specifically on question asking and avoiding declarative statements like "I like your dog." Instead, we're pushing for students to master the standard "understand and use question words when speaking and in shared language activities." This might look like students asking "What is your dog's name" instead. Students are using what they know about each other to gain a better understanding of the star of the week each week. I think this is a great example of eliciting thinking while simultaneously getting to know our classmates.

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Something different I would like to do if I run into a situation like this, where I have to help a student correct their writing, is definitely use scaffolding instead of doing it for them like my mentor teacher tends to do. I’m conflicted since this is on paper, but maybe I could leave more room for Noah to write it correctly on his own, even if that means writing it once or twice and crossing out mistakes.

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I realize that there are so many ways for us as teachers to implement standards into our already established day to day. Instead of having students present their star of the week posters and that be it, they're working on their foundational literacy skills as well through questioning. Instruction can usually always be differentiated and there are so many instances where students can learn simply by having conversations like these.

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One thing I appreciate that my mentor teacher did not have to do was give me a binder of resources (standards, quarterly skills, class schedule, sight word lists, etc.), and in September and November, she gave me a calendar! She also provided me with the exact lessons she wanted me to teach each week. For the past couple of weeks, after I turn in my lesson plans, she gives me feedback on how I can revise them so that they're proper. This allows me to plan ahead and seek advice from her as needed. As I reflect on this, having access to ongoing feedback allows me to be a more reflective and intentional aspiring teacher. I actively incorporate her guidance to enhance the quality and effectiveness of the instruction I deliver to my students.

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During this activity at our workshop, many of my classmates emphasized the importance of working closely with our mentor teachers to help us become more reflective and ethical educators. A key takeaway for me was that being able to support and truly know our students is, arguably, the most ethical practice we can demonstrate. These insights are always eye-opening, and I particularly valued my cohort's comments regarding the importance of building strong, trusting relationships with both students and mentors. Moving into Residency II, I want to be especially intentional about self-reflection and actively seeking guidance from my mentor teacher to enhance my practice.

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This is what ClassDojo looks like. Each student has their own character and can earn points that contribute to the overall class points. In my classroom, we have a physical board that makes losing points more concrete for students.