Warner Perspectives

After a busy but refreshing winter break, classes have started up again for the spring semester. Since my literacy certification will be Birth-6th grade, I am taking a couple of classes in early childhood education. All of my experience in the classroom so far has been with elementary age students so I think that these classes, as well as my new practicum placement, will be full of new experiences. I am also taking a class which focuses on assessment. I am grateful to have a class about assessment and I am hoping that it will help build my knowledge of, and experience with, different forms of assessment.

As I mentioned, I began my new practicum placement. I am in a Universal Pre-K classroom in an urban school. I have never worked with children of this age and I think it will take a little while for me to adjust. I feel a bit out of my element in terms of lesson planning and teaching, but I am also really enjoying myself so far. The kids are so excited about learning and they seem eager to participate in any activity presented to them. I think that working with this age group will definitely be different than what I am used to, but I also think that it will be a lot of fun. I look forward to integrating new ideas and knowledge from my early childhood classes into my time in the UPK class.

Other than that, I am still working on job applications. It takes a lot of time and organization to get together the transcripts, letters of recommendation, test scores, certifications and everything else that school districts ask for! I’m hoping to have everything done in the next couple of weeks; I’m anxious to get out there and start teaching!

Since my field experience has ended, I have been focusing a lot more on the academic side of things. I have been spending a lot of time on the computer and in the library (both on campus and off) working on a case study, unit plan, and a final research paper. The majority of my days have been spent doing a lot of researching, writing and revising. While I am feeling a little bit stressed out, I’m glad that I am interested in what I am working on. Each assignment is either directly connected to my field experience, or focused on a topic that I chose to learn more about. Finishing up my case study has been rewarding because it has allowed me to synthesize a lot of the work that I have been doing in class and in my field experience throughout the semester. I am still working on putting together my unit plan and I have a long way to go on my research paper. I am writing about language minority students in mainstream classrooms, and some of the issues that arise for both teachers and students. As I work on my research, I am finding a lot of interesting information and I am looking forward to finally sitting down and writing this paper sometime soon. One thing that I definitely appreciate about the Warner School is that all of my professors are available through email or by phone to give me feedback and suggestions as I am working on these projects. It’s nice to have the support of the faculty, as well as the support of my peers. Not only does it make the working and writing process easier, but I also really feel like all of the collaboration and discussion (in class and through email and phone conversations) really helps me work through my own thoughts and understanding.

Tuesday was my last day at my field placement for this semester, and I can’t believe it is already over! I am sad to go but I feel like I have learned a lot and gained some valuable experience in the field of literacy. My cooperating teacher is planning on writing me a letter of recommendation, and she offered to hand deliver my resume and information to the school’s principal, which is exciting since it’s time for me to start applying for jobs!

When I originally applied to the Warner School, the fifteen month program really appealed to me, but I am still surprised at how quickly I am moving through the program. I am hoping that my experiences in Rochester city schools in combination with Warner’s programs will give me an edge when it comes to finding a job.

Once I finish up my papers and projects for this semester, I plan on focusing my time on the job search and application process so that I can have my applications in before next semester starts. I am interested in teaching in an urban setting, and have been researching job openings in a few nearby districts. I have been looking into the placement file services that the Career Center offers on campus, and the program they use seems really convenient. It seems to be run electronically, with 24 hour access. I’m working on scheduling a meeting with the Career Center to talk more about this, and figure out what I need to do in order to transfer my placement file from my undergraduate school as well.

It’s exciting to think that by next September, I will (hopefully) have my own classroom, or even better, be working as a literacy specialist! Regardless of whether I find a job as a literacy specialist or as a classroom teacher, I look forward to having the opportunity to try out new teaching ideas, work with students on a daily basis, and reflect on my own teaching in order to become a more effective educator. I am nervous about looking for jobs, but I feel confident that my undergraduate and graduate experiences have prepared me to be a competitive candidate, and I am excited to begin looking for employment.

My time in my practicum placement is winding down, and although I am sad about leaving, I am also extremely pleased with the growth of my students. I feel as though my instruction on reading and comprehension strategies has really helped each student see themselves as active literacy learners.

When I read a story aloud to the class for example, my students are much more eager to make predictions or comment on the story. They actively participate in discussions of books that we read as a class, and are beginning to ask meaningful questions about what they read and how they are reading it. Their excitement for reading has grown, and during their independent reading time, students often group together to read and discuss a book.

Some of the students in my class who were really struggling with reading new texts when I first arrived have developed strategies to figure out unfamiliar words, and are quickly becoming proficient independent readers. During independent reading time, I often pull a few students aside to share a story with. When I first started doing this, some students were not comfortable reading with me, and instead wanted me to read their books to them. Now, most of them are eager to show me how they’ve improved as they read a book to me and talk with me about some of the reading strategies they are using. This role reversal is so rewarding for me! My students have become more confident in their own abilities, and their attitude towards reading has grown increasingly positive.

I appreciate that I have had the opportunity to incorporate some of what I have been learning at the Warner School into my own teaching practice. Being able to focus in on literacy instruction in each of my classes has allowed me to develop and practice using a broad range of teaching strategies and ideas. Having a repertoire of knowledge about teaching literacy has provided me with a “toolbox” that I can use to reach a variety of students within a range of instructional settings.

Although things with my classes have been very busy this week (again), I’m finding myself spending extra time at my field placement. I’m really enjoying my time with the first grade class I am in, and appreciate my cooperating teacher’s willingness to let me try out new things. She has been very supportive throughout my time in her class, and this week I was able to teach a lesson about discrimination.

As part of my Urban Teaching and Leadership program, we are required to take some steps towards teaching social justice. Since my field of study is literacy, I decided to use some children’s literature as a discussion starter. I read aloud The Sneetches by Dr. Seuss, which I think does a nice job of presenting discrimination in an age appropriate manner. Although the story itself is kind of silly with all the plays on language that Dr. Seuss is known for, I encouraged my students to listen to the story for the author’s message. This actually worked quite well with what the class had been working on. We have been practicing using pictures and background knowledge to improve comprehension, and my students were able to use these strategies to explore the meaning of the story. After the book was over, we had a discussion about discrimination. Students shared some examples of discrimination that they had experienced in their own lives, as well as examples from history. My lesson also included a simulation, and a discussion of what the students could do to take steps towards ending discrimination and making everyone feel valued.

I was so pleased with the outcome of the lesson. I didn’t expect first graders to be able to approach this subject with such maturity and such a sense of agency. They seemed excited that they were able to talk about something real to them. They showed compassion, empathy, and determination. While I know this isn’t a perfect or final attempt at integrating social justice teaching into my own practice, I feel motivated to continue to push towards including more aspects of social justice. Most importantly, the planning and implementation of this lesson has made me confident that I will be able to do so.

I appreciate the Warner School’s commitment to social justice and I am happy that I am at a school where I am encouraged to step outside of the box. Most literacy specialists and teachers are so focused on building reading strategies, assessing students or planning guided reading groups. But with the encouragement and support through the Warner School and the UTL program, I was able to use a book that explores issues of social justice and I situated it within comprehension strategy instruction. I like being part of a program that pushes me to improve my teaching; I definitely feel like I will continue to grow and try new things throughout my time here at the Warner School.

This semester is definitely starting to pick up. Things have been very busy with my classes and with my field placement. I’ve had an increase in the number of assignments due, and my supervisor came in for my first observation in my field placement. One of the things that I appreciate most at the Warner School is that my classes really are connecting with my field placement, so that I can put some of the theoretical work and discussions from class into practice. I can see the value in my class work and because I can use what I learn, I leave class feeling fulfilled rather than overwhelmed.

As part of my program, I am currently in a Literacy field placement in a first grade classroom. I am in a Rochester City School with a very diverse student population and a progressive school structure. The cultural and linguistic diversity of the student body as well as the co-teaching and shared classroom space have made this a really great experience for me so far. I enjoy the sense of community in the school, and I am finding practical applications for much of what I am learning in each of my classes this semester.

            For example, working with many English Language Learners has allowed me to use some of the linguistic theories and perspectives from my class called Language and Literacy in Education (which I wrote about last week). My Urban Teaching and Leadership seminar provides me with a place to be connected with other developing urban educators. We share and reflect on our experiences in the classroom in light of the class readings and discussion. My field placement seminar and literacy methods course also go hand in hand with my placement. Many of the assignments for each of those classes directly support me in my placement. Writing lesson plans, unit plans, case studies of students, and keeping a journal all allow me to remain reflective while incorporating discussions from class and suggestions from my professors into my teaching.

            I love being able to go to classes after being in the classroom all day and ask my peers for advice or use my experiences to better understand the course material. After class, I find myself rushing home to tweak my lesson plans for the next day, or write about something new in my journal. I feel like I am really supported in my field placement, not only by my professors and supervisors, but by my own learning as well.

Hello! My name is Margot, and I began my graduate program here at the Warner School this summer. I am working towards my master’s degree in Reading and Literacies and I am part of the Urban Teaching and Leadership (UTL) program. I was so excited when I found that the Warner School had a graduate program that gave me the opportunity to combine my dedication to urban teaching with my career goal of becoming a literacy specialist.

            Throughout the semester, I will be making weekly entries here in order to give any prospective students a Warner student perspective. I will be posting reflections and thoughts about my classes, student teaching and the Warner community. If you have any questions, feel free to email them to me at StudentPerspective@warner.rochester.edu. I’d be happy to help you out, and since I just went through the application process myself not too long ago, I know that an insider’s perspective can be very valuable. Feel free to ask me anything, and if I can’t answer your question, I should be able to put you in touch with someone who can.

I graduated with a B.S. in Childhood Education from SUNY Geneseo in May and I began my program here during the summer semester. I love the sense of community and support here. In my classes so far, I have met students who have just completed their undergraduate work, students who have decided to make a career change, veteran teachers and counselors. My classes also include students from a variety of degree programs. It is refreshing to participate in class discussions with a room full of unique perspectives, ideas and experiences.

In one of my classes, Language and Literacy in Education, we are discussing reading and writing instruction in terms of linguistic theories and perspectives. This particular class, there are students who have experience teaching in other countries, current teachers, former teachers, and doctoral students to name a few. With such a wide range of perspectives and experiences in the class, I have found that we can reflect on each other’s experiences and opinions in order to learn more about the topics at hand. I think the diversity in background knowledge, experience and interest is part of what makes classes at Warner so rewarding.

Keep checking back for weekly updates. Again, if you have any questions, or something you’d like me to write about here please let me know! StudentPerspective@warner.rochester.edu.