Department of Education

Student Teaching Reflective Journal Cover Sheet

Please attach this completed form to the front of the Weekly Journal Entries.
Candidate

Cooperating Teacher

Kayla Grossman

Rose Wagner
Week

Start Date

End Date

Site

09/11/14

09/17/14

Sacajawea Elementary

- Please check all that apply

Classroom Duties
X
X
X

Observation
Bulletin Boards
Assistance to the Classroom Teacher
X
Lesson Plans
Work with Individual Students
Unit Plans
Work with Small Groups
X
Parent Communication
X Work with Large Groups
Substitute Teaching
X Direct Instruction in Math, Science, ELA.
Other
Quick Thoughts: This week I was able to start teaching some lessons to students.
Duties Outside of Classroom
X

Hall Monitor
Study Hall Monitor
Lunch Duty
X
Playground Duty
Bus Duty
X
Curriculum
After School Study Group
Parent Conference
Other:
Quick Thoughts: This week I helped my cooperating teacher with morning playground duty. After
school I stayed with students being picked up to make sure they met their ride.
Meetings
I.E.P.
X
Student Assistance
X Faculty
X
District
X Grade Level
X
Curriculum
PTA/PTO
Parent Conference
Other
Quick Thoughts: I attended the weekly staff meeting where yearly calendars were updated. I sat in on
a meeting with one students occupational therapist to discuss classroom strategies that will help him
with writing.
Extracurricular Activities
Coaching

Chaperone

Attending Special Events:

Other:
Quick Thoughts:
Week 2 Reflection
The honey moon is over! As students become comfortable with the teachers and the school, they
are beginning to loosen up and show their personalities more. While it has been nice to get to know the
students better, some behavior problems have also become obvious. My cooperating teacher has made
good use of her behavior chart this week. When students reach the bottom of the behavior chart, a note is
sent home to parents describing their bad choices in class. I have noticed that parent reinforcement of
classroom behavior is very beneficial to student behavior. I also like that students get a positive note
home when they reach the top of the chart. I plan on using a similar strategy when I have my own
classroom.
I am glad to see that the behavior chart has worked for most small behaviors and to reinforce
good behavior, but a small group of students seem to end up on the lower half of the chart daily. Several
students have become quite talkative or shouting out when they should not. My cooperating teacher had
to separate two students who would not quit talking and being silly at their table and at the carpet. The
separation really worked with one student, but the other student continues to disrupt his neighbors and
talk out of turn.
Another student is having severe behavior problems and is really defiant. He uses his tools
inappropriately, rolls around on the floor, refuses to complete work, refuses to follow directions, cries,
and has mild tantrums when he does not get called on or things do not go his way. I am frustrated
because there does not seem to be an obvious strategy that will work with him. Proximity does not work
or motivate him at all. In fact, sometimes it seems to make his behavior worse. The behavior chart does
not work either. As soon as he is clipped down on the chart, he completely shuts down and becomes

uncooperative. If someone else clips up on the chart, he shouts out asking if he can clip up, and he has
even cried over it. Reinforcing his good behavior has not seemed to work or has very short lived results.
The occupational therapist left fidgets for him to keep his hands busy, but he destroys them and will not
work when he has them. He is pulled out for a half hour per day for one-on-one support in reading and
math. His resource teachers says he will not work for her either. My cooperating teacher uses Scool
Moves in her classroom this is supposed to help students with behavior and learning difficulties refocus.
This student often refuses to participate in these activities. The teacher has also given the student special
tasks such as pushing the lunch cart and sorting lunch sticks to try and motivate him. So far, nothing has
worked even though he is excited to do the chores. We are going to try 1-2-3 Magic with him next week.
I am familiar with the strategy and hope that it works.