Here's what I like about where I'm headed with my LRP Part III

Im not really sure I did my LRP accurately, but I still feel good about it. I feel as though we have not had the adequite education to put time restrictionso on lesson plans! But none-the-less I think I did a good job guestimating. It's hard because with first grade ELA many aspects need to be brought up on a daily basis. Because of this, I set it up so that one to three topics would be taught 3 or 4 days a week for anywhere from 3-5 weeks. But I also included that these topic needs to be reviewed frequently throughout the semester. When it came to phonics and phonemic awareness -- these are things that need to be done daily throughout the entire year. Overall, part III was more exciting than I thought it would be! It helped me get a better sense of what it will be like to plan.

Assessment

I was actually surprised to hear about all the tools that Ms. Johnson (my co-op teacher) uses for assessment in school. I have to say that the assessment aspect of teaching is the most intimidating aspect for me. Im hoping that I will become more comfortable with different assessment strategies as time goes on. Ms. Johnson used everything from running records to assessment tools the district used. It seemed as though each of them was very important to her. She did not focus on one over another. Some she did everyday, others were every couple of weeks.

Time Management

I have never been great at planning my time. My problem seems to be in the execution because I can make one heck of a to-do list complete with alotted times for each priority. But as my days go on it never seems to work out the way I planned. I think there are many ways to manage time, its just a matter of finding what works best for you. Im big on routines. The more and more I become comfortable with a routine the easier it is to manage my time. This is one reason I want to be a teacher so bad. I love the routine. Being a teacher undoubtedly means a full day everyday. I also think that taking on too much is unhealthy. I think time to relax and breathe, or time to yourself is vital to stay sane in this world. So for me when I become a teacher, I have to find the balance of being efficient but leaving myself enough time to gather my thoughts and stay organized. Organization is another aspect of time management. Being unorganized automatically means a hectic schedule. Ive found planners to be my life savor, so I expect to keep quite a few once I become a teacher! Now the trick is putting all the aspects of time management together. Good luck to us all :-)