Week 1:

Week 1: Goals and Reflection: 

7/7/2022

This week was very exciting. I was really looking forward to meeting the students and getting back in the classroom. It was challenging to plan out formative assessments that we could use to figure out where all of our students would be at this time in all three subjects. It was also difficult to plan for a diverse age range of students with diverse needs when we haven't met them yet and only have little information about their academic and social needs. I was pleased to find out how sweet and excited to learn all of the students are. My co-teacher and I have gotten into a rhythm of working in small groups and breaking up students by needs. We have found this to be most effective. We have struggled with the students who need a teacher or para-professional with them at all times. In a typical school or classroom an aid or para-professional would be provided to these students. This can be difficult in our situation because we share this responsibility and it makes breaking up in small groups challenging. I have also noticed a few students who have struggled with self-confidence. They require a teacher to assist them throughout lesson. A goal my Co-teacher and I have developed is to help them become more independent learners. Overall, I am impressed by the growth the students have made in just three days. I know that in the next three weeks we will see big changes, and hopefully many students achieving their goals. 

3 goals for myself: 

1. I would like to work on integrating different types of reading assessments into the classroom. I typically just use running records. As a teacher I feel that I struggle the most with reading instruction. I would like to spend more time focusing on integrating different types of reading formative assessments into the classroom. This will help my students grow and me better understand their places of strength and need. By having diverse assessments it will give students more opportunities to show understanding in unique ways. 

2. I would like to be more confident in my small group instruction. In a special education classroom, students are typically doing a variety of things. It is not common for students to all be participating in the same lesson. I would like to feel more confident working with small groups and having multiple small groups at one time all working on unique assignments and lessons. In my small group instruction I want to be able to tailor it to specifically fit the needs of the student who is doing it. 

3. I would like to work on making sure my directions and instructions are clear and direct. I can at times be long-winded or not clear enough. This can cause confusion for the students. I would like to work on offering the most explicit and helpful directions and instructions when I am explaining a task.