Assessment, Assessment, Assessment

Since we are here in New Zealand for the end of the school year, I'm seeing quite a bit of assessment of student learning since the teachers are preparing for their end of  the year reports. I'm glad that I'm able to see so much of the assessment because I think that is an area which I really haven't seen enough of. Especially in the older grades. Today I administered a STAR test which focused on vocabulary. Many of my students had made great progress throughout the school year which my teacher was quite proud of. Some other students who scored well in the beginning of the year and should have continued to rise, didn't which was upsetting to my cooperating teacher. But all in all, I am really interested in how my students are assessed.

I'm started doing some teaching here and there. I've been doing morning roll and news time, some numeracy, spelling, and starting next week I'll be taking on some guided reading groups which I'm very excited for. I can't say I'm overly fond of this age group. I can really see I'm much more comfortable with younger students and I enjoy it a whole lot more, but I really am learning about my classroom management skills. I really do not like yelling and so I've really taken to the being quiet until the rest of the class realizes they really need to quiet down.

One area that I'm continuing to struggle with is the planning for this age. Give me a lesson and I can get in front of the class and teach it, but ask me to plan out numeracy for the week and I feel lost. Part of it is I don't have a strong understanding of the resources (books, worksheets...) that the teachers here do. Experienced teachers can just whip out a set of worksheets on money like that, while I have to do quite a bit of digging in the resource room before I find what I want. I also don't have a good understanding of pacing for this age. I'm not always sure what they will be able to accomplish in a set amount of time. But that will come in time.

I'm finally starting to feel like a real member of the classroom. My students are really seeing me as their teacher and not someone who is just in there for a few days. That is making me feel a whole lot better and allowing me to enjoy school more.

Some side notes...

Last weekend Kristin, Beth and I traveled to Waiheke Island where we saw a bit of the island, tasted some wine, and did a bit of shopping. It was a nice day even though we were fighting the weather in the morning. Then on Sunday Rachel (my host mom) took Kristin and I to Bethells beach where we bush walked through some hills down to a nice beach where we had a small picnic. The scenery was beautiful. And Rachel, Kristin, and I decided to brave the cold and swim. Let me tell you, it was freezing. And I thought Lake Michigan could be cold! But we had fun. But we definitely appreciated the sun when we were trying to dry off.

This weekend the three of us (along with our host families) are going to Rotorua. We've heard a lot about this place so I hope it lives up to all the hype! I'm particularly excited about the Maori culture night. It will be a lot like a Luau, but for the Maori culture. Should be very interesting. I can't wait to share about this weekend's adventures!