Blog 24: Last Presentation Reflection

(1) Positive Statement

What are you most proud of in your block presentation and/or your senior project? Why?
I'm proud of the fact that I completed the entire senior project, and I'm also really proud of the fact that I finished the entire hour long presentation, I really liked how my presentation went because I didn't get nervous and I was able to engage my audience into my presentation and I feel as though i made it somewhat fun and enjoyable for my audience. 
(2) Questions to Consider

a.     What assessment would you give yourself on your block presentation?  Use the component contract to defend that assessment.

 P      I believe i deserve a P because I met all the requirements on the grading rubric.  I engaged my audience, i showed my research to my answers, and i was able to support my answers.  

b.     What assessment would you give yourself on your overall senior project? Use the component contract to defend that assessment.

    P    I believe I deserve a P because I did all the  work needed meeting all the needed requirements. 
(3) What worked for you in your senior project?
 My mentorship and mentor worked really helped me a lot throughout my entire senior project and really drove me into looking at what i want to do in my future. 
(4) (What didn't work) If you had a time machine, what would you have done differently to improve your senior project?
I was really close to not making time so i would go back and try making my presentation longer, and also to talk slower and not speed through my presentation.  
(5) Finding Value

How has the senior project been helpful to you in your future endeavors?   Be specific and use examples.
Senior project really helped me see into the future of what it would look like if i were to become a kindergarten teacher, it showed me that working in kindergarten may not be something i would do in the future, i would rather work with older students. 

Blog 23: Exit Interview

(1) What is your essential question, and what are your answers?  What is your best answer and why?
     My essential question is "How can a kindergarten teacher be effective?" My first answer is classroom control , my second answer is communication, and my third answer is organization and planning. My best answer is classroom control, it plays a major role in how a kindergarten classroom is ran and it effects how the school year can go. 
 (2) What process did you take to arrive at this answer?
    During an interview with my mentor we discussed the most important thing when running a classroom full of young and small students a teacher should be capable of keeping full classroom control. To ensure that students are safe and effectively learning.
 (3) What problems did you face?  How did you resolve them?
   While i was working at my mentorship it was very difficult for me in the beginning trying to get the students to follow my instructions, they didn't seem to take me to seriously. I talked to my mentor about it and she explained to me that it may be my tone of voice so when i went home i looked it up and found articles that discussed how students will listen and take teachers more serious when they have a deeper or more strict tone. (4) What are the two most significant sources you used to answer your essential question and why?
 The most significant source I used to find this answer was definitely mentorship alongside with my  mentor. At mentorship I was able to experience how to keep classroom control while observing and also while I worked with the students i realized  how important it was to keep them in control and not let them get out of hand. Another important source was a blog by "We are teachers" that gives examples and talks about how classroom control effects a learning environment for students. 

Blog 22: Independent Component 2

(A) “I, Brandy Govea , affirm that I completed my independent component which represents 40 hours of work.”(B) The main source i used in my independent component was my Mentor Mrs.Aguirre, she is a kindergarten teacher at Edgewood Academy. (C) Independent Component Hours 
(D) For my independent component 2 i made a Unit Plan alongside with my mentor, I helped my mentor come up with a unit that connects to common core standards and that helps the class be more project based.  (E) My mentor Mrs.Aguirre explained to me that we had to come up with a project for the students that  had to focus on geometrical shapes and buildings because that is what they were learning in the core class. So with the help of my mentor we decided that we were going to have the students make buildings you would find on a college campus, since the school really likes to encourage college in the students future, from boxes, because they are geometrical shapes. I made a list with the students about different types of career paths they wanted to take in their future. The students learned about different buildings at colleges such as : natural sciences building, agricultural building, and psychological and behavioral building etc. After they learned about the different buildings, I worked with them to fill out a worksheet that explained what they wished to be when they grew up, and what building they would study at. After that, we worked with the students to create a college campus out of the boxes and made them choose where 
(F)Working on this independent component, and being so hands-on in the classroom made me realize how important all three of my answers are for my essential question (How can a kindergarten teacher be effective?) . 1. Patience, it took a lot of patience to be working with the students because at times i would want to rush through the work they were doing because it was easy to me but i had to slow down and realize that they were just learning it. 2. Classroom control while working with the students as we were making the different buildings it was very easy for the class to be able to get out of hand so, me and my mentor really had to watch and stay cautious with all the students. 3. Organization, throughout the course of working on the unit plan and unit i realized how important it was to be staying on track and to be very organized. 

Blog 16: Independent Component 2 Approval

1.  Describe in detail what you plan to do for your 30 hours.
For the 30 hours required for independent component 2, I will be creating a lesson plan revolved around the Project Based learning the kindergarten class is getting into learning. For my first independent component I tried teaching a lesson but do to so much going on at my mentorship I couldn't teach , I have talked to my mentor and she said this time and now that the class is starting project based learning I can guide students and teach a lesson and give them an activity to work on , so I will basically be taking over the classroom for just a little while and with the supervision of my mentor.
2.  Discuss how or what you will do to meet the expectation of showing 30 hours of evidence.
In in order to show proof of what I did for my independent components 2 I can ask my mentor to record just a segment of me teaching / giving instructions and I can also show pictures of what the students have been working on and the different activities I have been working on with the students.
3.  Explain how this component will help you explore your topic in more depth.
This competent is gonna give me an oversight of what it's like to actually be a kindergarten teacher , it's gonna let me further understand what it would feel like to be an actual teacher for the students . I can test out some of my senior project essential question answers. Such as classroom management; I can test out different methods of keeping classroom management and see how well students behave. 4.  Post a log in your Senior Project Hours link and label it "Independent Component 2" log.
Done 

Independent Component 1

• LITERAL

• (a)  I, Brandy Govea, affirm that I completed my independent component which represents 36 hours and 45 minutes of work.

• (b) Source: Gullo, Dominic F. "Teaching and Learning in the Kindergarten Year."Naeyc.org. N.p., 9 June 2013. Web. 15 Nov. 2015. <https://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/Play/Ktodayplay.pdf>.

• (c) Update your hours in your Senior Project Hours link. Make sure it is clearly labeled with hours for individual sessions as well as total hours.
• Independent Component Hours

• (d) Throughout the course of working on my component 1, I worked with the kindergarten students practice their alphabet, their reading, and with counting. I assessed the students to check up on them and see where and how far students have come to learn throughout the course of half a year in kindergarten.     

• INTERPRETIVE 

• Throughout the 30 hours of work i helped students practice their alphabet, practice reading, and practice vocabulary words. I also assessed students with packets from the Bassett Unified School district which is the district in charge of the elementary school where I am doing my mentorship at. While assessing students i got to see how far they've come and how much they learned from before they started kindergarten, when they began kindergarten to now which is half way through the year.  
   This is one of the few worksheets i made. It states what student had worked and practiced the words and exactly what words they had practiced at home.
   Here i am working with one student on the vocabulary words which we call slight words. He had practiced off of the worksheets i had created and sent home to parents. 
   These are the words that i assess the students on for the assessments that show how far students have gotten from the beginning. On the bottom is where we keep track of how far students have gotten since the last time they were assessed. 
  
  
  
  
  
   Here are pictures of me assessing two different students on their vocabulary words just ensuring they are moving forward and learning more from when they first started kindergarten. 

• APPLIED

• The independent component helped me get a better feel at what its really like to be a kindergarten teacher. I got to work with the students both 1 on 1, and me with the entire classroom made up of 24 students (with the assistance and guidance of my mentor.)  I got to experience first hand what my topic was about and got a real feel to being a kindergarten teacher which was pretty cool, and i really enjoyed the whole experience. 

Lesson 2 Reflection

1.What are you most proud of in your Lesson 2 Presentation and why?
 I'm very proud that i made time, i was very nervous i would fall short on time. I really liked how successful my activity for lesson two was. 
2. a.     What assessment would you give yourself on your Lesson 2 Presentation (self-assessment)?
             P         
     b.     Explain why you deserve that grade using evidence from the Lesson 2 component contract.
  I think I deserve a P because I did everything on the list for P consideration. I had everything turned in on time and I made the 20 minute mark with 10 mins of quality research. 
3. What worked for you in your Lesson 2?
 My hook and  activity both worked out very well. I think I talked and went over a lot of information about my topic successfully.  
4. What didn't work? If you had a time machine, what would you have done differently to improve your Lesson 2?
 I think I just talked really fast so I would go back and talk slower, I also forgot to talk about some things while I was up there so I in order to improve the lesson I'm gonna write it on my  presentation.  
5. What do you think your answer #2 is going to be?
My second answer will most likely be organization, teachers must be very well organized in their classrooms in order to know what to do with a  classroom full of students to make sure every students is learning and isn't confused.   

Blog 13: 10 Hour Mentorship Check-In

1.   Where are you doing your mentorship?
I am doing my mentorship at an elementary school called Edgewood Acacdemy, working with students in a classroom in the kindergarten department.
2.   Who is your contact?  What makes this person an expert?
My contact is Mrs. Aguirre, she is an expert in my topic of teaching kindergarten because she been a kindergarten for many years. 
3.   How many  hours have you done during the school year? (Summer Mentorship Hours and Mentorship Hours should be reflected separately in your Senior Project Hours log located on the right hand side of your blog).
 I have 25 hours completed during the first semester.
4.   Succinctly summarize what you did, how well you and your mentor worked together, and how you plan to complete the remaining hours.

 At my mentorship i worked alongside with my mentor running and creating different activities with the kindergarten classroom in both the entire class together and also in smaller groups. I have worked with all the students helping with the alphabet , reading, writing, math, and vocabulary words.