I can't believe how fast this semester went by. Throughout my years in school, I have always been overcome with a strange feeling whenever things came to an end - in June when the school year ended and then in November and March when the university semesters were wrapping up. It never seems like that long ago when class was just starting and there were so many new things to learn. In a way, I have always done some type of reflecting on the past year or semester, just now I have the opportunity to display my thoughts. To start things off, I have put together a few little sequences of emoticons that represent my thoughts and feelings as the semester progressed:
Going back to my post for week 4, we can see that I expressed my initial reaction - panic, confusion, and then mild anger. But wait! Those feelings were quickly replaced by more rational, positive feelings:
As the classes progressed and I began learning the concepts and strategies for teaching elementary math, I started to see how everything fit together. It is not possible to know everything right from the start and it takes time to develop an understanding for any new subject, in this case teaching. As I became more comfortable with my blog, it began to take on a life of its own. Pairing this with my continual exposure to "aha moments" and we get my new feelings - determination, understanding, and then acceptance. I accept where I am right now and look forward to another semester of learning the tricks of the trade for teaching elementary school math. Next semester, I hope to continue where we left off. I have two stars and a wish for you both.
Star #1 is to keep up with the great job modelling activities. Being able to actually see and do math activities with the manipulatives really worked for me because I was able to have a go at completing the tasks. This gave me a sense what a classroom would actually look like as students worked at different stations.
Star #2 is to keep up the positive atmosphere in the class. Communication is key and I appreciate how you both kept the class informed throughout the semester.
Wish #1 is to go over some more logistics. The main thing I want to know is a rough timeline of the year and how long to spend on each unit. I understand that there is not one clear answer due to the volatility of learning; however, since I am a planner I would like to explore and go over expected timelines of the curriculum.
Star #1 is to keep up with the great job modelling activities. Being able to actually see and do math activities with the manipulatives really worked for me because I was able to have a go at completing the tasks. This gave me a sense what a classroom would actually look like as students worked at different stations.
Star #2 is to keep up the positive atmosphere in the class. Communication is key and I appreciate how you both kept the class informed throughout the semester.
Wish #1 is to go over some more logistics. The main thing I want to know is a rough timeline of the year and how long to spend on each unit. I understand that there is not one clear answer due to the volatility of learning; however, since I am a planner I would like to explore and go over expected timelines of the curriculum.
Looking forward to another great semester of math! Happy holidays and see you in January!