Fall is in the Air

My original plan was to write this blog on Monday night, and now here I am , Saturday afternoon, with my first chance to take the time to write! So I apologize for the delay, but now I have a lot to update you on!

Last weekend I went home, which is something I don't do often, usually I only go home when they close the residence halls and on Columbus Day weekend. But I had a couple reasons for going home. Next weekend, which is Columbus Day weekend, I am going to D.C. to visit my friend Kathleen who is interning and studying at American University for the semester! So I won't be able to go home next weekend, and I needed to bring back some warmer clothes and also carry-on luggage for our flight! Also, it was my cousin's baby's christening, so I went home to go to the christening. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, I also took the GREs! I had Monday off from school for Yom Kippur, so I decided this was the ideal day to take the GREs, because who knows when I will get another good opportunity with my student teaching schedule! I was lucky that I was able to put all of these things into one long weekend at home.

While I was home I was able to sleep in, I got a flu shot from a neighbor who is a nurse, did some errands to buy things for school with my mom, and also went apple picking with my mom and my gramma. Per my request, my mom then made me apple crisp and sent me back to school with apples and apple muffins that I am still eating! I was so excited to do something that is a fall tradition - now it truly feels like fall is here! Here are some pictures of our apple picking adventure:

Picking an apple! Yum!

Gramma with her pumpkin outside the orchard's barn.

Tractor rides out into the orchard!

My mom and I also picked out some mums to put on the front porch at home.

Sunday was a very long day. I left the house with my parents early to go pick up my sister from Endicott College, where she is a sophomore. This was the first time I have been there this year, so I was excited to see her room. I'm pretty jealous of her room, she and her roommate have their own bathroom, and lots of space! It is nicely decorated and feels very home-y. We then went to Salem, MA for Cameron's christening. It was nice to see lots of family. Cameron's mom is actually a Stonehill alum, and she also taught at the same school that I am student teaching at now! Here are some pictures of Cameron's big day:

Cameron with mom and dad (my cousin Dan and his wife Lisa), godmother (my cousin Amanda), and godfather (Lisa's brother). By the way, the priest who performed the service actually used to work here at Stonehill!

Cam was excited to get changed out of his christening dress and into his new Teddy Bruschi jersey in time for game time!

On the way home from Salem, my mom, dad, and I stopped by my mom's new office building in Waltham, MA. National Grid, her company, just moved into the brand new building this summer, so it was the first time I got to see her office. I really liked getting to see where she works! Plus, the building is beautiful! It's too bad that Waltham is such a long commute from home! I went to bed early Sunday night after getting packed and ready to come back to school. Monday morning I was up early to take the GREs and then drove right back to Stonehill afterwards to get back for my student teaching seminar. By the time I was unpacked, it was already getting late and I had to prep for the next day of school!

The rest of the school week went well, and also went by fast since it was a four day week. I took on a lot more teaching than I have so far. I taught two grammar lessons on sentences, a math lesson on using tally marks, two whole class literacy lesson (phonics and anthology reading, etc.), as well as a couple small reading group lessons! Plus, I started working on my bulletin board for the month of October! I decided to do a Fall Into Reading Board, complete with pumpkins and a tree with leaves that are changing color!

Last week in school was also our Curriculum Night when parents are invited to the classroom to learn about what the students learn about and do in school. We did a lot of prep work to get ready for Curriculum Night! For example, I put together our Beary Special Class wall outside the door of the classroom, our Meet My Family display, and also a Best Buddies bulletin board.
But my favorite part of our work for Curriculum Night were the heads that each of the students made in art to put on the back of their chairs. I worked with all of the students on finishing their hair all week long! We asked the students to bring in a shirt that we put over their heads and chairs. When the parents arrived, we asked them to "find their student in the classroom." They all came out so cute, they really looked like our students, and it was a huge hit with the families!

Well I have a lot of lesson planning and brainstorming for future lessons plus other work for my seminar to do, so it's back to work for me on this rainy weekend! Check back for my next post about my Columbus Day trip to D.C.!!!!

*Note: Due to privacy concerns, some classroom photos have been removed

The First Days of First Grade

I've been student teaching for a week and a half now, and what a week and a half it's been! The time has gone by very quickly, because each day is so busy and non-stop, but I also feel very comfortable in my role as a teacher - as if I have been doing this for a lot longer than 8 days! The student teaching experience so far has had its ups and downs, but overall, I have really been enjoying being back in first grade!

First grade is a very exciting year, and especially for my first graders in Mansfield because this is the first time that they have been in school for a full day. Each afternoon there are a couple students who complain that they are tired, don't want to do their work, and just really want to take a nap. We tell them that they will be fine, we just have a little bit longer to go, but little do they know that I often feel the same way by the time I get home after school! We've already done a lot of work, but I think they will be in for a shock when they get homework for the first time tomorrow!

Over the past week and a half, we have done some small writing projects, and lots of illustrating. The kids have written about their favorite part of the summer, and about something they have in common with a classmate. We have learned about the letters A-H, and written and illustrated a page for each of these letters in their ABC books. We have learned and sung songs about colors and teddy bears (we are known as the teddy bear classroom because my cooperating teacher loves teddy bears and used them throughout her room). Each day I come home with these songs stuck in my head and sing them to my roommate! We have even started to learn about bigger and smaller numbers and coins in math. We have learned the Monster Squeeze and Penny Dice games and play them to practice these math skills. Since we are the teddy bear classroom, the students were actually allowed to bring their teddy bears to school on Friday, and we began a small writing/illustrating project about their teddy bears! All of the students are still learning how to read and write of course, although some are already further along than others, but first grade will be a monumental year for learning how to read and write. Right now, the students are expected to sound out the words and do they best they can with their spelling by writing the letters for the sounds that they hear.

One of my favorite parts of the set-up of our classroom are these risers - it makes sitting on the rug so much easier! Here you can see the students' teddy bears scattered around the rug area.

My role in the classroom so far has been a lot of observing and assisting. I assist the students when they have questions, and also help my cooperating teacher with planning and preparation. My teacher has even let me take on some of her teacher responsibilities! I taught a short lesson on listening and the school listening look, and I have already written a lesson that I will teach next week on nonverbal signals. I have done a lot of copying, laminating, cutting, gluing, posting, correcting morning work, passing out papers, etc. This week I also led the morning meeting a couple times, but beginning on Monday, we will be putting the students in charge of running morning meeting! My teacher likes to give the students a lot of responsibility and encourages them to be independent early on. (An important skill to learn in first grade!) Soon I will gradually begin taking on more and more responsibility up until I have my full three week take over at the end of the semester when I will be in charge of everything in the classroom! I am very anxious to be taking on more, but I am also very nervous! I am exhausted and so busy already, and I haven't even begun half of what I will be responsible for this semester! This is a scary and intimidating thought! I need to be prepared for it to just get busier! Some of what makes it busy is also the work I have to do for my seminar at Stonehill, the requirements that we need to fulfill in terms of the lessons that we plan, and also the Pre-servive Performance Assessment that is required by the state of Massachusetts. But I am enjoying it, so it makes it all worth it.

The morning meeting bulletin board, which includes our daily schedule, the calendar, school day tally, money date with coins, and the weather chart and lost tooth graph - both of which I helped prepare.

I am also really enjoying working with my cooperating practitioner, Lisa DiSangro. Lisa has been teaching in Mansfield for over fifteen years, and in addition to her experience in first grade she used to teach in a multi-age classroom - where first and second graders would stay in the same room for two years. Although she doesn't do this looping anymore, she still coordinates projects and assignments with the second grade teacher next door. They are old pros at teaching, they have their plans from previous years, and they know exactly how to do things - thanks to their years of seeing what does and doesn't work. Mary-Ann Centrella (the second grade teacher next door) and Lisa are like two peas in a pod! I think they can probably even read each other's minds, that's how fluidly and smoothly their interactions and coordinated lesson plans run.

Lisa is a great teacher, and I have already learned a lot of about her pedagogy and her style of teaching. I have seen things that I would like to adapt for my own classroom, but also some things I may do differently. Lisa has a ton of energy, and she has to in order to manage a classroom full of first graders and her own three sons! The best way I can describe her is to say that she is a whirlwind! She gets things done and lessons pulled together so efficiently and effectively. She's had so much experience and knows the ropes so well that she could probably teach in her sleep! Hopefully one day my teaching experience will make as great a teacher!

*Note: Due to privacy concerns, some of the classroom photos have been removed

Reel Big Fish on a Real Big Weekend

This week was the first week of classes, for almost everyone except me! I am student teaching in a district that doesn't start school until after Labor Day, so my full schedule doesn't start until this week. I go to school for a full day on Tuesday for teacher meetings, and then Wednesday is the first day of school. Nonetheless, I stayed very busy this past week!

We had our first student teaching seminar on Tuesday. We just went over all the requirements for student teaching, but it still made us all a little intimidated and stressed and nervous about student teaching. There are so many state requirements that we need to meet and assignments for our seminar that we need to complete in addition to gradually taking on more and more responsibility in our classrooms, until we have a three-week take-over at the end of the semester (when we will be fully in charge of our classrooms)!

On Thursday I went to the open house at my school. I met my teacher for the first time, and I like her a lot! She is full of energy, super organized (like me), and I can already tell her students really like her! I also met all but one of my students and their families. It was great to get to meet them, and for them to meet me and my teacher, Mrs. DiSangro, before the first day of school. I think we will all feel more comfortable on the first day of school now!

Since I am not too busy yet, I was also able to help a lot with my extra-curricular activities that I am involved in on campus and love. Friday and Saturday mornings I gave tours (here's a shout-out to all the prospective students I met this weekend!). This year I also decided to get involved in Student Government Association's Programming Committee. Programming is in charge of the large events and theme weeks that take place on campus. So I assisted with this weekend's Welcome Back Week events.

Friday afternoon we had an activities fair on the quad where everyone could sign-up for as many of the clubs and organizations that interest them as they want. Friday night we had a concert in the Sports Complex. I helped with set-up, working the door, and take-down, and of course I got to watch the concert too!

Martin Earley, a Stonehill student and a really great musician, was our opening act.

Reel Big Fish has a really cool sound. They're pretty chill, and even have trumpets! I don't know much of their music, but they did cover Brown Eyed Girl and Take On Me. Since I worked at the concert, I also got to meet them during our meet and greet - I don't have those pictures yet, but maybe I will soon!

My roommate, Carrie, and I at the concert.

On Saturday afternoon, we had Hillapalooza, an event that features performances by Stonehill musicians and sometimes other small bands, and takes place a couple times a year. Since it is still early on, we were able to have Hillapalooza out on the quad. We had two Stonehill students perform, and three other bands. Here is Power Lines, one of those bands:

In addition to the Woodstock theme afternoon of music, we also had a free BBQ and an arts fest - and lots of lounging around on the quad. There were booths selling items, such as fruit and organic soaps, the art club made a chalk mural, there was a booth to make free spin-art sunglasses, and we also sold jewelry for the Bead for Life charity, which were a huge hit! Women with AIDS in Uganda make these bracelets, necklaces, and even some earrings out of recycled paper in order to make money for the care they require:

Finally, on Saturday night, we had a showing of the movie, The Proposal on the quad. It was a relaxing and enjoyable weekend. The rest of the long weekend I spent relaxing and also getting started on looking into post-grad options and getting myself organized and started on student teaching assignments. I'll let you know how school goes after my first week!

Back to School...for the Last Time at Stonehill :(

I'm a senior. It's a statement that's easy to say, but very difficult to wrap my mind around. Being a senior means that 3/4 of my time at Stonehill has already come and gone int he blink of an eye and that in less than a year I will be entering the real world. Scary stuff. But on another level, being a senior means that I am in the prime of the college years, and I have so many things, such as 100 and 50 days, Mr. Stonehill, and Cape Week - just to name a couple Stonehill traditions - to look forward to. The best way to put it is that the beginning of my senior year is bittersweet. I am feeling optimistic about the fun times and memories I will have and share with my friends this year. But I am also feeling overwhelmed by the daunting task of preparing for a life after Stonehill, which includes, but is not limited to, taking the GREs, applying to grad schools, and applying for jobs. I don't feel old enough for this yet!

But to start this year's series of blogs, let me describe my first week back at school, my new room and roommate, and of course fall orientation!

I moved in early (a week before all other upperclassmen) for fall orientation training. I was excited to move-in early because this means I could avoid the business of move-in day, and get settled and comfortable in my room before classes start. I am living in Du Lac, which is generally known as the "quiet dorm," which will be perfect for me this semester since I am student teaching. Here are some pictures of me moving in:

And also my room fully set-up after my roommate also moved in:

My roommate, Carrie, is from Queensbury, New York, and, like me, she is an Elementary Education major. In fact, also like me, Carrie is also teaching first grade at the Robinson Elementary School in Mansfield! We are very excited that we will be sharing the same experience this fall and are fully prepared to support each other since we will be going through the exact same thing. Carrie's second major is fine arts, and she is specializing in graphic design. She has worked with her dad making brochures for all the Lake George attractions near her home. As you may remember from my summer posts, Carrie is outdoorsy and adventurous, and she is also a lover of country music like me! We are living in a suite with Carrie's group of really sweet friends. It's perfect for senior year! I also have lots of friends all over campus in the other upperclassmen housing, so I am sure I will be spending a lot of time in those residence areas too!
My first week at Stonehill was full of training and preparation for fall orientation. During the week we heard from offices such as the Counseling and Testing Center, Academic Services, and Campus Ministry for planning the Into the Streets volunteer afternoon. We spent time discussing and planning the Transitions course, which is a way to help students transition to college and deal with issues such as time management, making friends, getting along with roommates, and finding resources on campus. We also trained for the sexual assault awareness program that all incoming students are required to attend. But my favorite parts of the week's training were when we got together with the other groups of student leaders on campus. The Peer Mentors, Crossings Student Ministers, and ALANA Brothers and Sisters helped the RAs with training. We assisted with being the participants in party scenarios that RAs may encounter during the school year. For the first time, all four groups of student leaders met for the Student Leader Experience in the atrium of the new science building. We got to meet new people and learn about the roles of each of the other groups and also discovered how much we have in common. Here are a couple pictures of the event in the atrium of the science building:

Fall Orientation began on Saturday when the first-year students moved on campus. We held Building Socials in the Residence Halls, which included pizza, ice cream, pictures, and some pretty awesome dance parties. We heard from Student Government Association, discussed diversity, and learned about the academic integrity policy on campus. The highlights, however, are always the trip into Boston and our afternoon of service when the entire freshman class, the Peer Mentors, and faculty went "Into the Streets" to make a difference in our surrounding communities. Here are a couple pictures highlighting Fall Orientation:

Orientation came to a close and the academic year began with Academic Convocation. The senior and freshman classes were honored and welcomed, and Professor Mary-Joan Leith was honored with the Louise F. Hegarty Award for Excellence in teaching. Here is a picture of me with my roommate and some of my suitemates, plus our friend Kait who I am sure will be visiting a lot this year, outside the Sports Complex after convocation.

Sea Shells and Wedding Bells

This past week was vacation week! My family and I spent a week on Cape Cod, and then came home for my cousin's wedding. It was a week filled with family and fun.

My family and I went camping in North Truro for five days. Each day we spent some time on the beach (even when the weather was cloudy and cool at the end of the week we still went to the beach for a little while)! Maybe that was partly due to the fact that we were staying at a campground where the beach was only about a 15 minute walk through the woods. Plus, the beach we went to was beautiful with its really impressive dunes. Here are some pictures from the beach:

While we were on the Cape, we also did some sightseeing. We went into town in Provincetown, Wellfleet, and Chatham. We went to the harbors and walked around all the little shops. We had a great dinner on the water in Provincetown, and got some yummy seafood at a popular place called Moby Dick's in Wellfleet. We went to the lighthouse in North Truro, and climbed up to the top. Here are a couple pictures of the lighthouse and the view from the top:

My favorite part of our sightseeing however was our tour of the Truro Vineyard. I thought it was really neat to get to walk out through the grape vines, learn about the process of growing grapes and making wine, and see where the wine is fermented and bottled. Of course, we also bought a bottle of Chardonnay to go with dinner! It's really neat that the grapes were grown and the wine was fermented all at the winery that we visited.
Unlike with most vacations, I was actually excited to come home at the end of the week...because I knew that on Saturday it was my cousin's wedding! My cousin Jason married Monica at her church in Worcester. The reception was held at the Wachusett Village Inn. It was a VERY hot day! But we all survived the sweltering wedding service, and made it to the air conditioned, and brand new, reception room in one piece! And the day was well worth the heat, everything was so beautiful! The food was delicious, and I was so hungry, I felt like I ate so much! We had cheese and crackers, hot appetizers, a fruit appetizer before dinner, salad, fillet and lobster or chicken for an entree, and a delicious chocolate and raspberry cake and ice cream. I had a lot of fun dancing with my cousins, aunts and uncles, and parents. My family also stayed at the Inn, so at the end of the night we could go to the after party in the bar rather than having to drive home. Here are some pictures of the beautiful bride and groom and their wonderful wedding:

My sister and I with our cousin Amanda (bridesmaid and sister of the groom) and the newest addition to the Charest family, Cameron (the groom's nephew). Isn't he cute?!

The whole fam.

Now I have one week left of summer!! I can't believe it! I move back in at Stonehill in just one week for training and preparation for Fall Orientation the following weekend! Can't wait to see everyone back on campus!

Summer School

This summer I had a job that gave me, as an Elementary Education major, perfect experience for my future career in education. I was a one-on-one aide for an energetic seven-year-old in the special education summer school program at my old elementary school. The program ran just four mornings a week, for five weeks. Although it was a short program, I grew close to all of the students in my classroom, and especially the student I was working with.

During summer school, we did small projects, such as painting birdhouses and making flowers out of coffee filters, went outside for recess, and worked with physical therapists, occupational therapists, and speech pathologists. I also did ABA, or Applied Behavior Analysis, one-on-one with my student. ABA involves setting up an environment in order to elicit a desired response, often with a reinforcer (I used M&M's), in order to teach skills. With my student we worked on skills such as matching colors, grasping and releasing objects, maintaining attention, and communicating with gestures, communication boards, and other speech devices. My favorite part of each week was music therapy. A music therapist came into our class once a week to sing songs and give the students a chance to play some instruments. The students, as well as all of the teachers, always enjoyed this part of the week.

I am starting to think more about my plans for next year, after graduating from Stonehill. I have some possibilities in mind. I may find a teaching job and starting work on my Master's in a couple years, or there are some service teaching programs that I am interested in that would allow me to teach and work on my Master's at the same time. My experience this summer however, has me thinking more about the possibility of going into special education. It seems crazy that I will already be applying for more school and a real job so soon! Most importantly, right now it's time for me to take the GREs!!!

One of the other perks of my summer job this year was that I still had time to spend weekends with friends and do lots of summer things! This past weekend my roommate, Carrie, came to visit me. We went to the beach, had a cookout and campfire with my friends from home, AND went to the Taylor Swift and Keith Urban concert at the TD Banknorth Garden! Here's a picture of the concert goers in Boston and a couple pictures of the concert: