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Blog 16

  Blog 16 I would rate this week as a 5/5. This week, I passed back all of my classes and completed my last observations. I also had the opportunity to conduct with supporting instrumentalists in preparation for the concert for the first time. It was a really good week! Again, my first period had a rough Monday followed by much better rehearsals for the rest of the week. It must just be something about Monday’s with this group! We have made really good progress toward our concert this week and I am looking forward to seeing the finished progress. It has been nice to observe my CE’s instructional style and other teacher’s classroom management skills as I am working at developing my own classroom management style. My short term goals and long term goals are aligned because I have completed everything in my long term goals for the semester! I am completely done!!! Whoop whoop! I am still working on the job search and have a few interviews next week. I am still facing apprehension ab...
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Blog 15

  Blog 15 I would rate this week as a 5/5. This week, I passed back my afternoon classes and only taught my first and second period (concert choir and women’s choir). It was still a really good week! First period had a rough Monday which made me worried about the rest of the week, but we were able to redirect and have much better rehearsals for the rest of the week. We have made really good progress toward our concert this week and I am looking forward to seeing the finished progress. I have continued to grow in my classroom management so that I can have more efficient rehearsals with smoother transitions. My short term goals and long term goals are aligned because I am beginning to realize that I am actually going to graduate, haha! I am beginning to complete big chunks of my portfolio, and I am working hard right up until graduation day since we have a concert on May 6. My advice to my fellow student teachers is to keep the faith with job applications! I know that I have begun ...
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Full Week 10 Blog

  Blog for Full Week 10: April 16, 2021 I would rate this week as a 6/5. Yes, it was that good! This was our first week of full time teaching which made the BIGGEST difference in the choral music setting. The only challenge that we have faced is talking, but honestly, I am very aware that my students are excited to be back together again and haven’t been too discouraged by my having to provide redirection more often. My students have been able to get like four times the amount of work done this week because they have a bigger sound, and because they receive daily teacher reinforcement. While I am proud of the way that I managed the cohort-style and virtual learning settings, I am so excited to finally experience “real” chorus, even if only for one week. Before spring break, I was experiencing burnout and I was questioning my future in the career a bit. However, this week has been so much more like “what I signed up for” and it has been really life-giving :). While I have had to g...
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Full Week 9!

  Blog for Full Week 9: April 1, 2021 I would rate this week as a 5/5. We had our last day with each cohort this week, and it is exciting to be planning for them all to be together after spring break! I have been pleasantly surprised by my students’ positive attitudes this week. Sometimes student restlessness before a break can manifest in different ways, but this time it was pleasant in our class. I accomplished a review in each class that demonstrated to me that my students are prepared for a smooth transition to plan A. I was able to make sure that both cohorts are performing at the same level of understanding in each class. I will build upon everything that I have done this semester when students return from spring break because both cohorts are finally going to be together! I am anxious to see how classroom management changes when my classes are larger but I am super excited to hear how the sound changes. My short term goals and long term goals are aligned because I am enter...
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Full Week 8

  Week of Reflection: Friday March 26, 2021 I will rank this week as a 5/5. I have had a great week! Many of my students have been in a really good mood, and we’ve been able to accomplish the tasks planned. Some of my students (and us teachers, lol) are showing signs of burnout as we approach spring break, but that gives a strange reminder of what normal was like before COVID. We are working toward a concert and that has given a whole new purpose to our daily goals as well. I am beginning to anxiously plan toward interviews and beginning the job search process. I am hopeful that the Lord will provide a good fit in due time.   My classroom management skills have been good, though I have had to really work to keep my kids on task sometimes, as they have begun to lose focus due to spring break (and a one day week per cohort next week). I am looking forward to having extra time to work on finding a job, as well as to work on assembling my portfolio. I have been excited to s...
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Full Week 7

  Week of Reflection: Friday March 19, 2021 I will rank this week as a 4/5. I have had a really good week! I rated the week a 4/5 because my students were in RARE form on Thursday. I’m not sure if it was due to the expected tornado warning, or because they found out about coming back to school full time but it was A LOT. Today, however, they are a whole new bunch of kids. One of the most important marks of a good teacher is the ability to give students’ a fresh start each day. Today, I was able to do that and it has made all of the difference! I have continued to grow in my ability to plan creative lessons since I have been able to shift focus away from my looming edTPA portfolio, and I feel much more confident now as I prepare to go into my own classroom soon. My classroom management skills were put to the test on Thursday, but I believe that I handled it well. My CE provided excellent support where needed and was affirming to me when I was apprehensive about how I had dealt wit...
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Full Week 6 Reflection

  Week of Reflection: Friday March 12, 2021 I will rank this week as a 5/5. I have absolutely loved this week because I have been able to focus fully on my students, free from the looming deadline of edTPA. I expected to be experiencing some continued apprehension as I wait for scores to come back, but I have done much better with this! I have felt a weight lifted off from me which has helped me to better connect with my students. They are the best!  I have continued to be thankful for the support of my school staff, CE, and family. I have even had wonderful conversations this week with a principal at my school, and I am feeling confident with how I have been able to network here. Dr. Johnson also facilitated a virtual choir tour this week, so it has been cool to have worlds colliding a bit for my students. They have enjoyed learning about college and seeing who my professors and friends are from Gardner-Webb. My classroom management skills have been growing. With the high s...
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