Observation Hours

1. How many hours did you complete? 10

2. In a short paragraph or bullet list, how did you spend your time?

 I spent a total of 10 hours with the Librarian at Bourbon County Middle School and the reading writing specialist to develop new standards for the 6th grade. While in these meetings we worked on books that could be used in the classroom to help teach each standard. I also worked with other teachers to develop lessons that coincide with each standard taught in the sixth grade. We worked 2 hours a day twice a week.

3. How did the experience help you to strengthen at least one Kentucky Teacher Standard? (be sure to name the standard)

Standard 1:   The teacher demonstrates applied content knowledge.

Standard 2:   The teacher designs and plans instruction.

Standard 5:   Assesses and communicates learning results

Standard 7:   The teacher reflects on and evaluates teaching and learning.

Standard 8:   The teacher collaborates with colleagues, parents and others

While working with these professionals I worked mostly on standard 8: collaborating with colleagues, parents and others as well as standard 1: the teacher designs and plans instruction. Meeting with my fellow teachers helped me to see other people perspectives or thoughts on how to teach each standard it also gave me more ideas on different ways to help students understand concepts they might need more help with.  

4. Talk a little about one thing you learned because of this field experience.

During these hours of field experience I have learned a lot. Being a new teacher I think that I must figure it all out on my own when really I can ask for help, other teachers do know and will help. Experience makes all the difference and teachers who have been teaching for a while are full of information and ways to help with all situation. After working with these teachers closely to help develop the standards for next year have helped me realize the way things are developed and when people get together and bounce ideas off each other the students come out ahead. 

Reading Log

Genre / Titles

             I.      Non-fiction/Informational (1 reflection required on blog)     

                 1.)  A Child Called "It"- Dave Pelzer 
                 2.)  Eleanor Roosevelt: A Life of Discovery- R. Freedman
                 3.) Hitler Youth: Growing up in Hitler's Shadow- S.C. Bartoletti 
                 4.) My Life in Dog Years- G. Paulsen

          II.      Poetry (1 reflection required on blog)

1)      What My Mother Doesn’t Know
2. If the Shoe Fits- L. Whipple 

       III.      Modern Fantasy (1 reflection required on blog)        

1)      Babe the Gallant Pig 
2.) The Hunger Games- Suzanne Collins 
3.) Catching Fire- Suzanne Collins
4.) MockingJay- Suzanne Collins 

       IV.      Historical Fiction (1 reflection required on blog –can be a picture book)     

1)      Al Capone Does My Shirts 
2.) Bud, Not Buddy- C. Curtis 
3.) A Single Shard- L.S. Park 

          V.      Multicultural/Traditional (2 reflections required on blog – one can be a picture book)        
                  1.) Grandfather Tales- R. Chase 
                  2.) The Skin I'm In- S. Flakes 
                  3.) Her stories: African American folktales, fairy tales, and true tales- V. Hamilton 

       VI.      Realistic Fiction (1 reflection required on blog)

1)      Laugh Until you Cry  
2.)  I know why the caged bird sings- M. Angelou
3.) On My Honor- M. Bauer
4.) Walk Two Moons- S. Creech 
5.) Hatchet- G. Paulsen
6.) Freak the Mighty- W.R. Philbrick
7.) Holes- L. Sachar 
8.) Wringer- J. Spinelli 

    VII.      Picture Books (6 reflections required on blog)

1)      Knots on a Counting Rope 
2.) Rose Blanche- C. Gallaz
3.) The Gettysburg Address- A. Lincoln
4.) The True Story of the Three Little Pigs! By A. Wolf-  J. Scieszka 
5.) Faithful Elephants- Y. Tsuchiya
6.) The Sweetest Fig- C. Van Allsburg 
7.) The Invention of Hugo Cabret- B. Selznick 

Wiki Checklist

Instructions: Write the number of entries for each category you posted into on the Course Wiki (requirement was four total posts, in four different categories)

__2__ Social Studies
                               Hannah is My Name
                               Hitler Youth- Growing up in Hitler's Shadow 

_1___ Science
                               The Giving Tree 

_2___ Math
                               If you were a plus/minus sign
                               If you were an even/odd number 

__1__ Reading/Language Arts
                              Rising Voices: Writing of Young Native Americans 

A Child Called "It" - Dave Pelzer

 

Pelzer, D. (1995). A child called "it" . Deerfield Beach, FL: Health Communications  

       A Child Called "It" is an eye opening book about a child who is abused by his mother. No matter what he does she finds a way to torture him. Throughout this heart wrenching  tales from this boy are told and most of them are horrible.Dave couldn't get any relief because both of his parents are alcoholics, although his father felt sorry for him and tried to help he wouldn't dare defy Dave's mother. All Dave wanted was someone to love him and care about him. Does it happen? Read the book and find out!

A Child Called "It" is a memoir- it is the most horrific documented cases of child abuse in California. 

This book fits in the Non-Fiction genre because it is a true story of a child being abused.

Activities to use with this book: 

Preliminary Discussion Before Reading the Book

Memoir:
A Child Called It is classified as a memoir. While the terms memoir and autobiography are often used interchangeably, it would probably be instructive to review with your students the subtle differences between the two genres.
The 60s

Dave Pelzer was born December 29, 1960. This was a time when the United States was going through some important changes. Some of these changes were not positive. Terms that were pertinent to this period are:

• Hippy
• Counterculture
• Women's Rights
• Psychoactive Drugs

Activities While Reading the Book

The author makes a distinction between "discipline" and "punishment". However, since the author does not address any specific misbehavior on his part, these two terms might be confusing. Have the students write a short informative paragraph about what they think the terms mean.
Next, to help the students get a sense of the atrocities that one human being can impose on another, instruct the students to keep a journal to monitor the mental and physical abuse inflicted by both parents for a later discussion.
On one page label it "Mother" at the top. Draw a line down the center of the page. On the left side of the page, write mental abuse and on the right side of the page write physical abuse. On a separate page label the top "Father" and repeat the process.
Record each act of abuse by the parents in the proper category.
Based on the definitions of discipline and punishment that the students wrote, have the students add a "D" or a "P" beside each incident of abuse as they record it.

http://www.brighthub.com/education/k-12/articles/119640.aspx

Questions to Ponder

1. Why do you think Dave's mother was so upset when he had to repeat first grade? Why did she feel Dave had shamed the family? How would you have felt if you had to repeat a grade?
2. Why do you think Dave's father acted so helpless when it came to getting food to Dave? Why do you think Dave's mother was so rigid about denying Dave food? Do you think as a parent he should have insisted? If you were Dave's Dad what would you have done?
3. In lower elementary school, Dave was liked by his classmates. In upper elementary school, his classmates began to bully and torment him. What do you think is an explanation for the change? Do you think Dave brought the change on himself?Why?