Ethan Witmyer

Passion for helping others grow and develop

Helped coach tennis at Middletown High School

313 and 314

Long term goals is to obviously get a teaching job. Also learn Spanish to allow me to connect with more students and people in general.

Zach

What drew me to education is that I enjoy working with high school aged kids and help them through an important time in their lives and I chose social studies becuase that is my favorite subject that I'm most interested.

So far I have 20 hours shadowing at Steelton Highspire and have done some volunteer wrestling coaching.

This semster I have the feild experience for education 313

I want to teach in high school and coach as well.

I have always enjoyed history/social studies, and the teachers I have had an influenced me greatly, so if I can do that for other students, I would be very happy.

I got around 30 hours of experience in middle school classrooms last semester. I have also been a camp counselor multiple times.

I have EDUC 313 and 314, and HIST 320. HDFS 239, BISC 3, GEOG 128

I hope to become a college professor and teach history, but in more short term, I would like to be a high school teacher and get my master's.

Waiting on field placement

In my other classes were doing mostly lectures and discussions. Many of my classes are in history and right now we are going seep into ancient Egypt and doing geography simulation

No questions

No support needed right now

Should have placements by the end of the week

A few assignments are due on Wednesday

n/a

Canvas due dates for assignments and readings if its possible

We are waiting on our field placements, as of right now.

We have a 3-2-1 template due for our geo 128 class tomorrow. And a History 320 assignment due Wednesday.

No thoughts

You need to have time management. Learning when all of your assignments are due.

Upcoming field placements for 313

In ENGL 470, we've been discussing the role of generative AI in the classroom. We also use Copilot in the class as an experiment to better understand how generative AI works.

A lot of my questions pertain to my individual field placement rather than the program overall.

There really isn't much I can think of in the moment that is needed to be successful in the class.

Nothing is really going on in our program other than waiting for our field placements.

For our other classes things are starting to pick up. We've been getting a lot of readings and a few first assignments.

I don't really have any questions as of now.

Maybe having more stuff on the to do list and calendar on canvas instead of just the sylabus in some classes.

We are waiting for our field experiences to be posted, and then I will email my placement teacher.

We have a 3-2-1 due in GEOG128. An assessment in HIST320. Assignments in BISC3

Not many thoughts. It would be nice if assignments were posted on the calendar on canvas

I need a consistent sleep schedule and routine, and a planner.

I am not in placement yet.

We have been just beginning different readings and starting different papers.

No questions yet.

I am not quite sure yet what I'll need to be successful in this class.

Waiting for my field placement still, because I am located in York.

In HIST 320 we have a quiz next week.

No thoughts

Manage your time when going to placement to be able to finish your assignments on time.

We got our field experience placements, which are starting next week.

I have a presentation in Geography and an upcoming quiz in History

Will I still get the same experience in an unstructured classroom environment?

Concrete schedule and stress relief. Individual and group work mix.

right now we are just getting our placements and reaching out to our professors

We are having a few of our first graded assessments for our classes, but nothing too hard yet.

n/a

n/a

We got our placements on Friday and start next week.

Things have picked up now. We are getting to our bigger assignments and tests and quizzes are starting to pick up.

Not really

I think I'm good right now.

The dress code is general professional attire (no jeans, hoodies, etc), and they function on an A/B day schedule with alternating academic classes and their programs. There is no set student phone policy. Their goal and values focus on building skill sets in students to excel in their program as well as prepare them for their post-secondary education, as seniors are required to submit a post-secondary plan to graduate.

When I emailed my teacher, I learned the basics about the school, including their dress code, her classroom style, and expectations for student teachers.

After my first day, I'm looking forward to working more with the students and experiencing the two different grade levels (10th and 12th grade).

I'm in a field placement.

York Suburbans mission statement is "Inspiring a Bold future". This is what you want every school district to. Their cell phone policy is to remain in the lockers all day.

I learned that I will be getting there at 7 and going until 3.

I am nervous about the students looking my age. I am excited about learning a lot of information about how to run the classroom.

They are determined to give a hands-on experience to their students. Work ethic, leadership, teamwork, respect, and pride

I learned the class schedule and the different breaks. I learned I can observe multiple gym teachers while others have breaks.

I am nervous about what the class dynamic will look like. I am excited to get into a routine in the classroom.

N/A

Right now on their website they are trying to get alumni involved and finding ways to help students get scholarships. They are promoting this on instagram. The principal seems to value a good work ethic.

I have to be there at 7:30 and my dress code is khakis and a nice shirt. He said he doesn't have anything he needs me to prepare for before the first class.

I'm nervous about being in a class with someone that I work with and am in charge of at my job.

I am entering a field placement.

During the first week, I got to meet several teachers in the English department and other departments. After today, I've met both groups of my students (10th and 12th), who are vastly different.

Something that surprised me was how students in the same grade can have completely different understandings of English and writing in particular. I was with the dual enrollment seniors and then a college prep senior English class, but the students were in two opposite ends of understanding.

Next week, I want to work more with the students in small groups as they work on stations for elements of fiction and theme.

No questions.

I had a good time and I think tat I have already learned a lot. I got to learn a lot about my mentor and learned new things about teaching certifications. I also got to familiarize myself with the class.

I was surprised with the amount of kids in the school, and then even more surprised that my classes are small. I thought the classes would be full because the school has a lot of students.

My goals for this week are to try to get more engaged with the students. I did do much the first two days but I would like to get more involved.

N/a

In my first week I saw the kids take a quiz on their reading they were supposed to do. I saw a lot of students fail this as they did not read the book.

I was surprised about the teachers response to late work. No matter how late it she will give half points back.

I want to learn more about the students and what they are learning about

None as of right now

Things that are within my control include how I respond to my students, how I involve myself in the classroom, and my interactions with students and staff. While I can't control others or the content being taught, I can control how I respond to my surroundings and make the most of it.

Something that feels immovable in my field placement is the school and classroom structure. The school has very established routines, as they must for being a technical school. This is a positive thing, as they have a strong foundation to help guide their students.

One superpower I wish I could have is being able to speak any language fluently whenever I want. This would be very beneficial throughout many aspects of life and bring on new opportunities.

What is in my control right now during field placement is observing and seeing different things like what I think I think are not, and I can also help students out with theor assignments and answer any questions they have.

What I don't really have control of in my field placement is how the class is structured and set up, but I think that y teacher does a good job of this themselves.

If I could have one superpower it would probably be flying and flying fast so I can go anywhere in the world that I want to and also explore space and find other galaxies with people.

My favorite teacher was my junior year English teacher. She was incredibly supportive academically and emotionally. We are still connected today

My favorite semester was my first semester after I graduated high school. It was very freeing and was when I figured out that I want to continue a 4 year education.

Super kind and awesome

My favorite teacher was Mrs. Hyde, my 10th- and 11th-grade English teacher. I had her during COVID, where she was struggling to stay with her career, and I was struggling with deciding whether or not I wanted to be a teacher. She's been my biggest influence in becoming a teacher, and I still reach out to her about my education.

The fall 2024 semester was my favorite so far, as I began getting involved with my major(s) and overall had lots of new experiences.

Dedicated, compassionate, resourceful, guiding, safe

Mr. Rytel was my favorite teacher. He taught us a lot of life skills in his class. I felt like I was more prepared for life after school because of his class.

High school soccer camp in the summer. I liked being with the team and paying soccer all day. I felt like we got better as a team and also bonded because of this camp.

Understanding, helpful, informative, fun, engaging

Yes. His name is Mr. Showalter, and he taught History. He was very outgoing and piqued my interest in history. He inspired me to become a history teacher.

I think senior year was my favorite year of school. I had nice teachers and great classes. I had a sense of freedom knowing it was my last year, and I had some great experiences in extracurricular activities.

Understanding, engaging, and friendly face

So far, my biggest takeaway from the field is the importance of getting to know your students. The students at DCTS come from different home schools and therefore from different areas of central PA, from the more rural-suburban area of Halifax to the inner city of Harrisburg. Knowing your students allows you to keep the class engaging and best support their learning.

Stay motivated with my course readings and stay on top of deadlines.

I've noticed the different ways my mentor teacher switches up the practice style with the students depending on the class and what they are doing for the day. This includes multiple ways of teaching and different types of informal assessments.

wanting to be a teacher and continue my education

gain valuable professional experience in teaching and learn from potential mistakes before I'm teaching solo

What motivates me to do well at Penn State is to do well in my classes and have a good GPA to help my chances later on in life

What motivates me to do well in my field experience is that I enjoy doing a good job and being helpful, and making a good impression for myslef.

Picture

I want to get good grades and graduate

I want to absorb as much information as I can and get as much experience as possible. I want to look professional and get comfortable with the students.

What motivated me to do well is how I know how important it is for me to perform. If I don't do well now I won't be able to get a job as quickly as I want to.

I see it as a big interview. They could be a future employer and I want to make a good impression.

An expert in classroom management knows how to adapt to their students' behavior without being too lenient or too strict with them. Management strategies vary depending on the individual classes, as not all groups of students respond in the same way.

The expert teacher, in terms of lessons, understands the relevance and rigor of traditional lesson standards, while also making the lesson relevant to student interests. There are various learning methods being utilized to cater to students' diverse learning styles.

An expert teacher has good classroom management by having and enforcing rules that the students are very aware of. Creating this respect of student/teacher bond while putting in effort to create a bond will create a safer calmer environment for learning.

An expert teacher plans their lessons ahead, so they can give their students an overview of what's to expect while keeping yourself organized.

I would demonstrate knowledge of my students by connecting with them as students and people. Reaching out and checking in, asking questions, connecting with their families with any struggles, addressing any struggles within students in a natural neutral way during lessons.

Creating a basis of routine from the start of the semester and then adjusting based on how students do.

By creating multiple low point quizzes throughout each unit.

Involve families by having a few events with families within the classroom, and having check-points for every student where calls to families are done and good/bad is communicated.

Demonstrating knowledge of students can be done by incorporating student interests and culture into your lessons. This can be done through reading material, assessment design, or simply conversations with students.

The classroom won't have harsh fluorescent lighting, and the room will feature both motivational and encouraging posters, as well as reference posters for content (such as punctuation, literary devices, etc.) for students to use. There will also be a student corner of things they may need (hygiene products or snacks).

Assessments will include journal entries, group work, and monitoring student discussion.

Families will have a form to fill out at the beginning of the year about what type of communication they want (weekly or biweekly newsletters, regular conferences or phone calls, etc). A week before the marking period, all parents will get a newsletter on what has been accomplished overall throughout the marking period.

I think to demonstrate your knowledge in the classroom it is important to have very structured lessons which included all information that students will need to know later for assignments or tests. Also answer all questions clearly and make sure that the students are on the same page and understand after you answer them.

I think to establish a culture of learning it is important to maintain a good relationship with your students by showing respect to them but also pushing them to do their best and improve. Also try ing to have a welcoming classroom environment where students feel comfortable and like to be.

I think that I would like to do pretty frequent assessments, at least informal assessments, because they are very important for the teacher to be able to see where the students are at. Not jsut do they help to see where the students are at but it also gives them more opportunities to do well or improve if they don't do well on some.

I think a good way to keep the aren't involved is like the example you said of sending a weekly email to the parents so they know whats going on. Also maybe giving periodic updates on how their student is performing whether good or bad.

I can demonstrate knowledge of my students by understanding their IEP's and accommodating my classroom accordingly. This is a legal requirement but it is also a way that I can demonstrate my understanding on the students.

I can establish culture in my classroom by hanging up posters of things I'm interested to help the students get an insight into me as a person. I can also include topic related posters that have vocab on them.

I will use a lot of informal assessment in my classroom as I carryout the lesson. This will help me understand where the students are at so then I can know where I need to rehash anything I've gone over. I will also use some formal assessments as well after the lesson to let the students demonstrate their knowledge and assess any gaps that the informal assessments may have missed.

To involve families I could send out a monthly calendar that gives the parents a timeline of what the students are working on. This will help them understand what their students are learning and give them an opportunity to get involved.

Getting to know my students through talking with them, interacting with them in the halls, and the surrounding community. Developing relationships with my students to understand how they operate will allow me to tailor my teaching style to best suit them, but also make a more comfortable learning environment.

I will establish my classroom environment and culture through my classroom decorations and table setup. That will allow a more cohesive environment and classroom dynamic that fits my desired teaching style.

I will consistently give exit tickets to measure students' understanding of the day's lesson. Worksheets and smaller, low-stakes formative quizzes will be implemented as well.

Regular emails to homes will help build rapport with parents and make sure they are in the loop with their students' behavior and performance. Parent-teacher conferences and interaction in community events (sports, fundraiser, etc.)

My mentor teacher uses timers to keep students on track and give them a visual reminder of how much time they have.

A classroom management strategy I would like to try is using a microphone when students are too loud. I've seen some teachers online and think it would be fun to try.

I learned non-confrontational techniques to manage disruptive behavior. For students who are being disruptive and having behavioral issues, she can put a note on their desk to silently let them know they are off topic

A classroom technique I would like to implement is proximity and using the classroom space to my advantage.

One is the daily checklist my teacher puts up. This will show the students what they are doing that class.

One I would like to try is an exit ticket to know what they know on the fly.

I have seen the non verbal techniques that discourage students from talking or misbehaving. This can be effective way of intervening.

I would like to try this because it doesn't disrupt the classroom flow especially if another student is answering.

One successful management technique I've seen this year is my professors setting clear expectations. From the start of the semester all of my professors had a layout of what to expect in terms of what we will be learning and the major projects that are expected of me and when they will be due.

One technique I would like to try is creating teacher student relationships. I think this is important for students to feel safe and comfortable in the class but also for you so see if there is any way you can improve as a teacher for your students.

My biggest takeaway from the course is how important it is to consider different aspects of learning and adolescent development when planning a lesson, addressing behavior, etc.

The biggest takeaway from my field experience is how important it is to understand and know your students. This influences lesson plans, learning goals, seating arrangements, and almost every small part of teaching.

I don't need anything going into our finals.

My picture is above.

My biggest takeaway was more knowledge on overall stages of developing brains and how to help students depending on where they're at and extra factors.

I am not in field placement.

I do not need anything going into finals.

Above is how I feel haha

My biggest takeaway was learning how to be prepared going into teaching, and also what is expected of me.

The biggest takeaway from my field placement was getting to see how a teacher runs the classroom. I got to see what is expected of me while being in the classroom, teaching the students.

No, thank you for a great semester. Have a good Christmas!

I learned what is expected of me as a teacher and how to be best prepared for any evaluation or observation during my first few years on the job. This will definitely calm my nerves and allow me to be ready for a normal part of my job.

I learned ways to set up my classroom in a more conducive way for student learning. Class structure, agenda, and rules are all ways to manage your classroom, and they keep it moving on a day-to-day basis. I think this is extremely beneficial and something I will strive to implement in my classroom.

I would take a high-five

See the picture above. The cigarette is not accurate, just thought it was funny.