And so it ends...wow, its so hard to believe that this semester is over. It has all gone by so fast and it seems like just yesterday that we started. At first I was not too sure what to expect going into this class, yes I am an education major, but with it being interdisiplinary and me not getting certified, I often wondered what this class was going to be like. Well, I think it is safe to say that it was nothing like I every expected it to be. One of the first things that came to mind when I saw the syllabus and the fact that participation is so important, was oh my gosh I am going to fail because I hate talking out loud in class. And it did take me a while to feel comfortable enough with everything and everyone to want to participate and share what all I was thinking. What really helped me was when I did say something, I was not criticized or told that was a wrong answer, but instead there was always some kind of positive spin put on things which made me feel as though I knew what I was doing. In a past education class I had, participation was also important, however, when someone would share an idea or thought there were many times we were told we were wrong, and no thats not right. After hearing that both yourself and watching others ideas be put down, no one wanted to talk and I got in the habit of just trying to make it through the class without getting chosen to answer. However, I felt safe in the classroom and with the other people and wanted to tell them about my experiences and knew it was going to be ok. I do think that it helped though to have such a small class because it was much easier to talk when there were only a few listening instead of a whole lecture hall full of people. I am also amazed at how much I really did learn throughout the semester which I can take and apply it to what I want to do, even though it is not teaching. I know that there will still be the bad times when I am thinking...do I really want to do this, but I know there will also be those good times when I will think to myself, man I love what I am doing. I am glad this class went how it did, it was my favorite class to go to because I knew the time would go by quickly and we would never do the same things that we had done the class before. I am going to miss the humor and laughing that was always going on which made this so enjoyable. I guess this just goes to show that first impressions can be very wrong...

My last day of observation...I find it so hard to believe that I have finished my semester of observing already. It seems like just yesterday that I started working with this class and had gotten to know these kids on a level past just them being in classroom that I was observing and working with two times a week. I know that this experience has greatly changed me in many ways because I know I am far from the same person that I was when I started not too long ago. Working with these kids has really showed how much of a difference in one persons life you can make just by listening to them and treating them as though they are important as well. There was one girl who at the beginning of the semester really didnt talk too much to anyone but then I was able to figure out what some of her interests were and what she liked and found a way to use that as a common ground between the two of us and could then start conversations off of. I found out that she is a very avid volleyball player and does a lot of stuff with that throughout the year. I also played for quite a while and so I was able to talk with her about some things that are involved with the sport which led her to opening up more as well as starting to share about things in her life that would not necessarily have to do with school or volleyball, but just things to share and talk about. I thought that this was really neat that someone who didnt talk much to anyone would be able to open up when given the right oppurtunity. It was also hard for this to be my last day when I could tell that most of the kids were really opening up to the idea of considering me a teacher than more of someone who is just in the classroom and walking around to help kids. I also feel a lot more comfortable in the classroom setting than I did at first when I went in. I know that I was very nervous to help a lot of the kids and answer questions for them because I didnt want to tell them wrong as well as I didnt want to be doing something that I wasnt supposed to be doing. When I found the reassurance that everything was ok and I would be able to help them as much as possible I felt a lot better and more like I fit into the classroom. The students also helped me to feel as though I belonged in the room because some of them were very open to the idea and wanted to hear about me and things from my life right away which helped me to feel more comfortable with the whole situation. I honestly had a great experience with my observing and would definatly do it again if I had the chance in this junior high age because I really like this age more than any of the others that I have dealt with in the past. Its the things like this which are so positive which make me sometimes want to become a teacher and work with the kids in a classroom, but I also know that I can use what I have taken from these chances and apply them to myself and what I want to do in years down the road.

round #2 of culture...I thought that the three other presentations that went today were all very interesting and good. I think it is so interesting how everyone has chosen a different topic so far and have introduced the class to new ideas that we may not have thought of before. The first example being when one was talking about the outdoor education program. I had never heard of this before and thought it sounded like a really neat program that could help kids to learn a lot about themselves as well as what is really needed to live. I thought some of the observations made about the girls who would not want to go just because they would not be allowed to take their phone and hair dryers with them was a little extreme. I could relate to their thoughts though because when I went to London last summer for a softball trip I was not aware at first that I would not be able to use my phone or any of the electronics that I normally use to get ready in the mornings. However, once I found this out I was not going to let it stop me from going on this once in a lifetime trip just because I was not going to be able to call anyone or do my hair in the way that I would have liked. I find it amazing that these girls relied on this items that much to stop them from going camping for a week. I also think this shows that the times have changed becuase I know when I was at that age I was not overly worried about what my appearance was like, and even the most popular girls would not have been overly worried because that just wasnt thought of in the same way that it is now. I also thought that the presentation about the bd classroom was especially interesting since I have not been overly exposed to that kind of class and ways of acting. I always knew that there were kids who acted in a different way than some but I never really thought of how behavior and such would really affect the classroom as much as it did from what I had heard. I thought it was neat how much time and effort the teacher had gone to to try and find some kind of behavioral system that worked for that class and more specifically those kids who were in there and really needed to have that more individualized attention. I liked the plan of having the links the best especially since it seemed as though that was also the idea that the students responded the best to. However, knowing that they were not as concerned to lose them, I think is where the biggest problem came in. I have also learned through my psych classes that the best kinds of reinforcement are those which come right after a good or bad behavior because it is immedate. I think with these kids if there is something that is done how it is supposed to be done and is worthy of a reward then it should be given right then instead of waiting until the link are at a certain spot because if they would continue to lose them they may never get rewarded when they should have since they did do something good at one time. I think that those who are able to work in that classroom are very special and have a special talent to be able to do what they do on a daily basis. I thought that the three were good presentations and I am excited that we are getting exposed to a variety of different cultures that we would normally not even think about.

presentations, round one...I really enjoyed listening to everyones presentations because they were all so different yet had their similar parts at the same time. However, I thought that everyone did a really good job of discribing the culture which they had watched and it was fun to remember back to those days when that is what we were like. As everyone was going I kept thinking back to me and my friends and what we would have been doing in those situation and trying to do. I was sure the student who loved to be in the hallways as much as possible and was always trying to find a way to get out of class so that I could walk around and not be doing anything. THis was especially true in high school when I knew that none of the teachers would stop me in the hall and ask for a pass since they all knew who I was, I would have free reign as long as I got it cleared through a teacher to be doing something else. I guess I never really liked being in one place for a longer period of time without being able to move and such so I would have to walk around and see what was always going on in somewhere other than in the room where I was supposed to be. I loved to push the limits and see how long I could be gone and what all I would be able to get away with. I was also very interested in comparing the two junior highs and seeing what all they have in common with each other vs the differences because I know they arent the same. Being that I have gone to one of them and then have been observing at the other I can sure relate to both of the sides and find it very interesting to see what is the differences between two schools in the same time. I see the security as a main difference because I can go to one of them and not be stoppped as I wander through the halls trying to find what I am looking for vs at the other when there are monitors everywhere and I know I would not be able to do what I can at the other. Now I know that a lot of the teachers at the one school do know who I am so they know that I am there with a purpose and to see someone not just to cause problems or anything but I am amazed at the ease of security there is. Also the hallways are much different. With the one school having the halls divided into the teams and your lockers are around your classes the students are more in the same area all the time when at the other they may have to go from one end of the school to the other to get to their locker and stuff to get to the next class. It is much more spread out and more walking is involved. I think this is the interesting stuff to watch as I do love to observe people. I also think this idea of analyzing various cultures is fun and seeing the differences is amazing.

sometimes I wonder...for the most part, I love working with kids and helping them to be successful, but of course there are those times when I wonder why I try so hard and want to be so involved with kids at this junior high age some times. Today as I was observing, I got to work with more groups of kids which I thought was going to be fun and some thing a little different than what usually happens. However, the first group that I worked with was a not too willing to cooperate with everything they were supposed to be doing. They were kids who had missed class so they were making it up and are usually behind because of not trying and struggling as it is. However, when they were taken out of the room and not with a teacher they tried to see what all they could get away with and were not too interested in doing any work. So, when two of the boys started to play tic tac toe with each other instead of writing the story like they were supposed to, I had to send them back into the classroom to see the teacher. Of course, I am the kind of person who feels bad after they have to do something like this because I could tell that both of the boys were not too happy. I did think it was interesting though how they did respond in a better way than I thought they would because both started to act some what better when they were in the room again and were quieter and more respectful, I am assuming because they had gotten in trouble. But one of the two students got into some more trouble later for an inappropriate action so I know he does have some behavior issues and it wasnt just me that he was acting out because of being with me. And then there were some of the other kids who were working with me that would not stay quiet enough to work for the time that they were given. I had to seperate a couple of them so that one could finish because he said he was not able to work with his friend next to him. Then there was another kid who was having a hard time to get an idea and story started and so was trying to get ideas from the person working next to him and so was then being loud and knew he was gaining attention from all of those in the hallway. Which of course being at the age he is, was thrilled to have all of the attention on him which just kept the behaviors coming. Luckily time ran out and they had to go back into the classroom to work on somethign else and the time of trying to keep them all working was over. It was one of those times when I was thinking to myself, I dont know how I could do this every day, all the time and not go crazy. I am still glad that I am doing what I will be going into but it was definatley that reality check for me to remember that things are not always going to be fun and wonderful but there will be those trying moments. I do think of this time as more of a learning experience to help me in the future when I may be faced wtih a similar situation again. On the other hand, I was noticing a lot more kids were remembering my name and using that instead of teacher which was nice to know, but also kinda sad at the same time since I know that I will have very little time left with them since the semester is coming to a close very quickly. I know that today was something good even though right now it seems like it wasnt and I know that as long as I took something away from it then I will be better off later.

tutorial...I thought that this tutorial could be interesting because there were somethings that I heard in the presentation that I had not known of before. However, most of the things that we went over I had heard or done before on my own in other classes or at other times. I think that this is a good idea for those who do not have a lot of experience, for example, my dad would be a great one to go through this because he is not the greatest at these and usually has me do them for him. I think that if we would have had this before the lit circles that may have helped just with some of the little tips that we were given with the blank screen as such which are perfect for the presentation. I thought the the guy presenting did a good job but there could have been a little more fun but I am really not sure how you would have been able to do it, but it seemed to get a little long and drawn out at times. However, overall it was something that is important especially since the times of teaching are going to using powerpoint more and more. I know that my dad and at the school he is at are to use this kind of presentation when ever possible. So for those who are going to be in a classroom it is vital. I think it is also good to have that knowledge in case one ever needs to do one no matter what area they are in.

100 words...This was a project that was done yesterday when I was observing as well as another time when I was there. The students were writing a story about the Thanksgiving time and were expected to include some specific vocab words as well. However, the last of the requirements was to have 100 words in the story and not one more or one less. It was amazing of how much of a challenge this was for some of the kids and how in to this project they got. There was one who has a lot of energy was making sure that he had his 100 words as well as a great story line. He had learned from the last time of this project what to do and so was trying to use a strategy of 1o words per sentence so that he would know how many he has. This was able to work for him while others were just going to write a story and then count at the end and go back and add or subtract how ever many words they were over or under. I like the second way better but I realize that not everone is the same and arent going to have the same ideas of how to do the assignment. Also, the class did an activity with nouns, pronouns, and adjective clauses which was challenging for a lot of the kids and they needed a lot of help to be explained everythign in more detail. I thought this was interesting because I was also one of the students that would have struggled with this kind of activity because I was never good with grammar and the sentence structure of things. So because of those thoughts I was able to know and relate more to the kids who were struggling since I at one time had been that kid. I love when I can relate to them and know how they are feeling since I was once that kid.
Also, on a seperate note, this isnt about observing but just something that is relavant and I want to share. I recieved an email from one of the girls who I coach for junior high the other day and she was sharing a story that had happened to her at school. I guess she and some of the other softball girls were sitting at lunch and decided to make up some weird nick names for themselves that were all related to each other in some way. However, the point of the story was she shared with me that she wanted to share that with me because she knew that I would appreciate it. And also she told me thanks for letting them to be themselves at all time and not try to hide who they are as people. She said that was one of the things that she had learned from me over the time that we had spent together. I thought this was very relevant since we have been talking in class about letting the students be themselves and not making them change who they are. I am glad to know that even before this class had started and really started to make me think about things I had already started to do this and was able to leave a positive effect on these girls.

sharing about myself...on Friday when I was observing, I was able to participate more in the class discussion and get to share some things about myself more than just about why I am in their class watching them twice a week. Personally I thought that it was kinda a boring day, with not too much excitement. This was the class that I dont feel as though I have gotten as close to as the other and I am not sure why. However, when I was out in the hallway making sure their bathroom break was going smoothly a couple of the girls from the class came up to me and just started talking about whatever they wanted. I thought this was cool because they were the ones who had approached me and were willing to share some things and talk about their volleyball and how the tryouts were coming up and just what they thought of the whole situation. This was neat because I was able to make the connection since I did play for a long time in addition to softball so I was able to talk wiht them as well as understand what all they were talking about. I was also kinda happy that I did not have to do a lot because I was really able to watch my focal student and notice how much his behavior has really changed since he has switched classes. I think the change has helped him to calm down and not be as talkative as he was when he was with all of his good friends. I think it is amazing to watch both of the classes to see how far they have come since the beginning of the semester as students as well as people. I also think it can show that these age kids are very vulnerable and can be changed a lot easier than they will be able to when they get older. This means that as those who are working with them to be careful with how they are changing and what they are becoming.