Teachers Go Beyond the Call of Duty-- What's Your Calling?

This following blog post came from Mrs. Kallas's blog, which you can view here.

      This year for the TAFE Region and State Competitions, I am competing in four events. These events include the ELF Test, Portfolio, Chapter Scrapbook, and the Breakout Session Presentation. I chose to do these based on my observations from last year. For example, the Chapter Scrapbook competition seemed very fun last year, since I love doing crafts. Also, I had my portfolio done last year, so I decided to do that competition since it wouldn't need much work. Breakout Sessions was also chosen because I helped do it last year, so it seemed fun to be able to do a presentation, while also interacting with other students.  I enjoyed each of these competitions, and would not have changed my choice! My favorite part of these competitions was the fact that I got to work with a group in two of them. Also, I enjoyed the fact that portfolio and scrapbook both consisted of the activities we do in this class. Those two competitions highlighted all of the great opportunities and experience available to us in Education and Training. However, one issue that I came across while creating my presentations was the lack of time. We had to miss many days at our field sites, and also had to rush the week before contest to finish scrapbook and portfolio. I never had time to run through each of my competitions and practice presenting until the day of competition.

Scrapbook group at the awards ceremony

     Since I was so stressed trying to hurry and complete my projects, the only thing that I would change is that I would have started earlier on the projects. This would reduce the stress and rushing that I had to do in the final week before competition. However, through competing at Region, I have learned how to work productively with a group, and also make something acceptable and presentable even if I do not have much time to prepare. After this recent competition,  I am very excited for the State Conference that is held at UT Arlington in February. I plan to add more artifacts to both my portfolio and the scrapbook, and also rehearse the breakout session presentation before the state competition.

What Would You Do?

Click here to view this blog assignment on Mrs. Kallas's webpage.

Scenario 3:

     If I were stuck in this situation, and the substitute told me that he/she did not need my help, and told me that I could leave, I would first inform him or her that I have to stay at the field site for my full class time, and ride the bus back to campus. I would ask if there is anything that I need to assist with, such as grading papers or helping a student in need. If the substitute still wants me to leave because he or she has it "all under control", then I would go into the class next door and ask the teacher what I could help with. Based on experience from last year, there is always extra work to do in the classroom or in the hallway, and I know that even if my mentor teacher doesn't need help, I'm sure that a different teacher would appreciate the extra set of hands. It is not acceptable to start working on homework, because that is our time to assist our field site teachers and students, and our full attention needs to be focused on the classroom.

Habits of Mind; Thinking Flexibly

This is the tackk I created to explain Thinking Flexibly. Enjoy!

View ThInKiNg FlExIbLy;By: Allison Beam full version on Tackk
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My First Day as an Intern

This blog prompt came from Mrs.Kallas's blog, which you can view here.

For my second year of interning, I am interning at Walker Creek Elementary, with Mrs. Lacey. Click here to view Mrs. Lacey's webpage. Mrs. Lacey has been teaching for twenty one years. 

Mrs. Lacey

Here is a silly picture of my sister Emily and I before we
went into Walker Creek and met our new field site classes!

  This year, I decided to intern with a first grade class, instead of kindergarten. During the time interval that I am at my field site, the class is learning mathematics.

    I am extremely excited to get to know my new students this year, and to watch them grow individually. Since I moved from kindergarten to first grade, it has been so exciting to see how much information the students already know, compared to last year. Before my first day, I edited and made some changes to my introduction poster from last year, and emailed my field site teacher, to ensure she knew that she was expecting me. I wore jeans, converse, and a red tank top with my button down Education and Training shirt over it. I brought my introduction poster for the first day. When I walked into my classroom, I was extremely excited to meet my class, and see which students I had from the year before. I was also a little nervous to meet them, and introduce myself to a class of about eighteen students. During my first week at my field site, I gave my introduction, using my About Me poster, and then I helped with a mathematics addition lesson. Surprisingly, I also got the opportunity to work individually with a few students in the hallway. This makes me extremely excited for this upcoming year, because I know that I will get a ton of experience through teaching lessons and individual work.

This is a picture of me in my field site classroom.

So far, this year has been extremely different than last year. Last year, since it was my first year, I sat at a table for the first few days to observe the classroom. This year, however, I started working one on one with students the first day that I was there! Almost every day that I go to field sites, I go in the hallway with two or three of my students to assist them. Since I am interning at the same school, and have many of the same students, this year's experience has been similar to last years, however it is different because I am doing an older grade. The students are already so much more mature than last year.

My Plan of Attack

The following blog assignment came from Mrs. Kallas's blog, which you can view here.

Now that school has started, it is time to start thinking of competitions to compete in this year. Last year, I competed in Ethical Dilemma with three of my classmates. We excelled at Region, and competed at the State competition. Though it was great, and I enjoyed doing it with my classmates, I am not going to do that competition this year. Since I have less time in class to work, I am thinking about competing in the Portfolio Contest, and the Scrapbook contest. 

Click here to view a list of all the TAFE competitions.
Click here to visit the Educators Rising website.

Click here to view the guidelines for the Chapter Scrapbook competition.
Click here to view the guidelines for the Portfolio Contest.

   The Portfolio Contest is individual, however the Chapter Scrapbook is a team project. Since we kept up with a portfolio in class last year, I already have mine done and almost ready to go for the TAFE event. I will need to add some extra things on it, but majority of it is complete. On the other hand, my two classmates, Emily Beam and Makaylia Mcdonald, and I are starting to work on Chapter Scrapbook, and more of our classmates will join us in the future. In order to be successful, we will need to use our time wisely in class in order to get the scrapbook done by the date of competition. We will need to work together in order to get the scrapbook to look flattering, and have all of our past events and activities in it. 

Steps to get started on Scrapbook:

1. Agree on a theme (Patriotic)

2. Design an outline/plan for the scrabook

3.Begin creating pages for previous events from last school year

4.Continue to add in pictures and activities from last year before Region

To achieve our goal and finish the scrapbook on time, we only have a couple of months to get it complete. Region Conference is in the first week of November, so we do not have a large amount of time to prepare for contest.

Welcome to the 2016-2017 School Year!

    Last Monday, August 22nd, brought the first day of our 2016-2017 school year. For me, it brought the first day of my last year of high school. 

I am so excited for this upcoming school year, and all of the opportunities it will bring. This year, I will be sure to make the best out of every opportunity and event, because it is my last year with many of my close friends and family. After this year, I will be on the road to college, and one step closer to having my own classroom! As my second year of being an Education and Training Intern, I am so excited for all of the adventures that this year will bring, so follow and join me as I make the most out of my Senior Year! 

2015-2016 End of Year Video

This is the BCTAL Education and Training video for 2015-2016!