Motivated {Teach} on the Block #thirdweek

"We are doing what with trash?"

Where does the time go? It has been three weeks at W.B. Saul and it has gone by quicker than I can even comprehend. With the crazy week of snowfall (thank you Snowstorm Jonas), activities that I wanted to implement in my classroom, and the reflections that happened after each of my lessons, this week was a whirlwind.

Let's talk about week three, shall we?

Pros: Being flexible in the classroom is a trait that I had to be best friends with this week. After the students all came back to school on Wednesday because of the snow, we had a lot to cover to catch up where I hoped we would be at the end of the week. That being said, we are no where close to where I want to be right at this moment. As crazy as this is for me to say this, I am glad!

"Trash Talk" about what the students saw around the school.

This week I have included more hands on activities than I thought would be possible. You want to know what some cool things we did?

- We were talking about waste management and the importance of recycling. What better way to survey a place than digging in some dumpsters and writing what you see? Yes my Ag Ed friends, my students were digging through some dumpsters and thinking of ways to improve the school.

- After noticing the amount of recyclable products that the students were throwing away, I wanted to show the students that although it is going to the recyclable plant, it still can have a purpose! I had my students demonstrate that even though it is in the recycle bin we can reuse what is thrown out for good! So,  we did the classic Egg Drop where the students had to protect the egg with O

NLY recycled goods.

Recycled Egg Drop Creations

- Watching the motivation that these students had for recycled goods, I wanted to channel that energy into something positive. Hence the creation of the letter and poster project. This Friday I challenged my students to write to an organization or person about helping fund a project to help the school. What's cool about it, is that the ideas that they had were incredibly unique because of the area where these students come from.

I have been inspired by their efforts and find it motivating that these students want to see a difference in their community and they are proud of their school.

Cons: Yes, these activities were great and I was so motivated to think outside of the box and get these students out of their seats. However, there were some things that I would have liked to change. I believe that although the games were fun and exciting, my time management and my directions seemed off leaving some students confused about what the project was going to be. Once I explained to them one on one, they seemed to understand and get "self-motivated" for what they were doing.

"WE Can Do It" here at Saul!

Overall thought of the week: A friend in my cohort said it well, "This student teaching experience is humbling and has made me realize my flaws." These were my exact thoughts of my week. Although I am creative and passionate about teaching, I have to realize that I have to admit that I messed up with a direction set or admit to myself, yeah that lesson was a complete flop.  But it has only made me stronger in realizing that I WANT  to be here and I WANT to see my students fuel that spark of why they liked environmental science in the first place.

So, here's to next week and the challenges that you are going to throw at me. I am ready, and I will win.