What a crazy semester. I hope I hit all the requirements in all of my classes...I guess I will not know until grades are posted. I am realizing that it is not easy, even with government aid and scholarships to get through college. I am working two part time jobs and barely pay for my gas!! I guess that is the only down side to all of this field experience.

I just taught my last lesson for the semester in a self-contained ESE classroom and it was amazing! I am so glad that I had that opportunity and it was so rewarding. I am now motivated to move forward and keep my chin high until I hear that graduation song.

I am now registered for all of my classes up to my internship, it feels good to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

I feel like I learned a lot in my courses with Dr.Reed, and my experience here at Lake shore Middle. No just terminology and pedagogy, but more so I learned about me and my limitations/strengths as a future educator. I also feel like I am getting more from these classes then I got from any other class I have ever attended. I am really looking forward to next year!

I hope that Lakeshore makes some of the changes that Dr. Reed is suggesting because I have a gut feeling that it will be where I am placed for my internship!

Blah.

Today I brought in a lesson that I am also using in my field class. Of course I simplified it to a normal style lesson, not the crazy 12 page field version. My lesson was on positive and negative integers. Since they are done with FCAT it is a little late to make any changes to that score...I can tell that they are less stressed now that it is done. My worksheet ended up being a lot of fun, and would have helped a lot if it was before the big test. I noticed another small issue that my tutees are having and felt like I helped a lot. I did not realize how hard it is to teach adding and subtracting negative numbers. Since Rosely has a tough time visalizing quantities it is even more difficult for her then Javonte and Kiarha. Using the little cold computer room also made it a little harder, I know I can not focus with a million voices going at once, how can I expect them to.

Today went pretty well, I still am wishing that I had more time...or more opportunities to work with them. I brought in a worksheet on multiplying decimals and they seemed to really struggle. I am went over lining up the problems and knowing how far to move the decimal but they did not seem to grasp the concept. I do feel as if the extra attention on multiplication is paying off.

On a side note I really feel like they 2 math class thing is not paying off. I was looking at the homework that they brought with them and it was completely different. The sad part is you can not do the algebra they were assigned without knowing the order of operation that they are working on in another class. How about give them one skilled teacher, smaller class sizes, and let them enjoy an elective that can motivate them or point them towards a career.