Chad Bobbit Integrated Reflection Spring 2013

This semester has been yet another fantastic experience in my journey to becoming a professional educator. I have had many new experiences in my practicum setting, and the assignments we have completed this semester have been directly related to experiences I see in the schools every day. I have been lucky to have worked with some wonderful professionals in my practicum setting who have opened my eyes to working with different types of students, as well as using different, but effective styles of teaching. In my practicum setting, I got to experience my first ever middle school placement. I had worked with high school and elementary level students prior to this semester, but now I have experienced education across all three school settings. In this semesters placement, I was at a middle school for three hours, or three periods per day. My first hour class was a co-taught language arts class in which my cooperating teacher, a general education teacher, and myself were all present. My primary focus in this class was a reading fluency program that I implemented with a student who struggles with reading. Instructional Program Reflection. This was a great experience because I had yet to do an individualized reading program, which I created myself using researched based practices. My student thrived under this program, as her assessments clearly showed while she improved her reading speed and prosody greatly. This program also gave me valuable experience creating lesson plans for reading instruction, and having to decide which methods were working best for my student. In my second hour setting, I was the co-teacher along with a general education 6th grade mathematics teacher. In this class, I took on many different roles. I ran the daily math facts warm-up routine. I checked homework during this time. I acted as a support for the students

during opening lessons for new chapters. I got to teach a few lessons to the class as well. I took over on days in which my co-teacher was absent, and I taught a unit on order of operations as a part of my second instructional program that included multiple floating assignments: Group Management, Co-Teaching, and Curriculum Based Assessment. I also acted as a disciplinary source, as this classroom contained several students with behavior management plans. This second hour class provided me with a variety of real-situation teaching experiences in all of these areas mentioned. In my third hour class, I was placed again as a co-teacher in a 6th grade social studies classroom. I worked with a wonderful teacher who used lots of explicit instruction to start classes, as well as interactive activities to grasp the material throughout the rest of the period. This allowed for many opportunities to interact with small groups, and deliver the early class instructions for the assignment. My relationship with this particular general education teacher was very strong, and it was a great example of how co-teachers should communicate, interact, and show respect for one another. My coursework also added depth to my knowledge of teaching. In my life skills curriculum class, I found the way the assignments connected to one another to be very valuable. My Longitudinal Development Plan, Environmental Inventory Assignment, and Skill Sequence Assignments provided me with an abundance of knowledge about life skills that I otherwise would not have attained because I have not had a life skills educational setting experience. The Longitudinal Development Plan also helped me gain an understanding of what families are going through as they begin to accept that their child will need life skills instruction. It was an emotional realization as the mothers daughter is getting into higher level academics as she moves up through the grade levels.

I also received some wonderful insight in my collaborating with families course. The family mentor experience I got to take part in helped me develop a deeper understanding of what goes on in the home of families with disabilities. I would not have gotten this experience without this assignment. The overall message of this course brought so many realizations to my thought process when working with students. It is extremely important to get to know your students backgrounds, their families, and who they are. By understanding a student and their family, a teacher can better meet their individual needs. Lastly, my instructional strategies and curriculum development courses were extremely beneficial in my development as a teacher. My Learning Strategies Assignment taught me to really think about each part of teaching a strategy to students. I actually used this assignment to teach a skill in my practicum site. The care that I put into it really showed in my students success. The Scheduling Assignment also directly related to the duties I will have as a special education. My cooperating teacher was starting to do scheduling as I was completing my assignment and she provided great ideas for setting up a structure in which to find the best possible ways to meet all students needs. This assignment gave me an opportunity to feel the stress and then success of figuring out a way to make it work, while meeting the needs of my students, my paraprofessional, and myself. The other assignment that opened my eyes in a similar fashion to my families class was the Record Review Assignment. This assignment gave me so much insight into the life of one of my students. I understood his behaviors so much more after reviewing his file. I even reviewed several other of my students files afterwards because they provide such critical information for understanding how to work with each student. This semester my course work and my middle school practicum placement combined to provide me with several wonderful tools to improve my instruction, as well as memories and

experiences that will shape my teaching in the future. The experience I gained managing a classroom, especially with varying behavior issues, will be instrumental in my success as a teacher. I realize that there is a way to reach all students in one way or another, even if it is not in the most ideal or expected way. By developing relationships with students and other staff, a teaching experience is improved tremendously. I have been fortunate to experience both great a tough relationships with both students and faculty. It is important to always keep an open mind and treat each day as a new chance for success. I look forward to another learning and growing experience in my next phase.

-Characterisitics of learners, human development -assessment -planning of instruction -learning environment -instructional delivery -collaborative relationships, communication also colleague focused for both -foundations -professional conduct and leadership -reflection and professional growth -general ed standards for sped teachers