Employed and Excited!!

I am very excited to say that I have joined a team of one of what I believe to be Rotorua's best primary schools! I am teaching in a Year Six classroom and can't wait to work with children who are at such an exciting age and stage of their life!

I had my very first teacher only day today and did lots of planning for next year. One of the units we are covering at the start of the year is self portraits of the children and I have decided to do them through the Chuck Close style of art. For more information on this and how to do this simply follow the link below and it will take you to the blog that I got this brilliant idea from! http://artiswhatiteach.blogspot.co.nz/2011/03/6th-grade-chuck-close-self-portraits.html

I cannot wait to see how these turn out and will have to post photos of them once the children have done them!

An inspiring experience

Wow! The last seven weeks have been a whirlwind of learning, teaching, meeting and getting to know numerous new faces and learning about a new school community. 

I am just completing my final practicum at Point England School in class of five and six year old students. I have had the most amazing time working with these brilliant little children and they have taught me significantly more than I have taught them. Whilst I may have taught them numeracy, literacy, science, art and physical education amongst other things they have taught me more than they will ever realize. 

I have learnt how full of wonder the world is, how to find joy in every situation no matter how tough things may be and how to draw an elephant "properly". I have come to understand the importance of ensuring you have high expectations for every student that recognize their individuality. I have learnt that the attitude you project as a teacher is the attitude that you will receive from your students and  that sometimes the thing that will have the most influence on a child's day is not necessarily the maths that you teach them but the smile that you share with them. 

I have learnt from an expert, my associate teacher has been so supportive over the past two months. Whether it has been talking with me, showing me numerous ways of teaching effectively or encouraging me to let the students take the lead in lessons I believe I have grown so much from working with this amazing person!

I could not have asked for a better school to spend my last practicum at! The staff, the students and fabulous Room 4 all created such a wonderful environment of support and care. 

I cannot wait to apply everything that I have learnt to my own classroom and inspire my future students and much as the students at this school have inspired me!

Magical Miss 'M'

Who I am - 'Miss M'

I am currently a fourth year student at the University of Waikato studying a conjoint degree in a Bachelor of Primary Teaching and a Bachelor of Sport and Leisure Studies. I chose to study teaching as I love children and the joy and passion with which they live their lives. I  find the enthusiasm that children have infectious and I love working with them to bring this enthusiasm to their learning and spread it across all aspects of their lives!

Personally, a few of my favourite things include sports (gymnastics), the dramatic arts, being outdoors, the beach, and most importantly spending quality time with my family and friends.

Why do I blog?

I am hoping to move from being a teaching student into the role of becoming a beginning teacher next year.  I have decided that the best way to keep a track of my progress, inspiration, professional learning, and gems from inside the classroom is through blogging. Through sharing reflections, insights, resources, and sparks of inspiration I hope to both learn and grow from my own experiences and allow others to also!

Feedback

I would love to receive any contributions that you have about what I am posting! I am a true believer in life long learning and this is one way that I can ensure that I will be continually learning about how to be an effective teacher. 

Hello to Blogging

17 June - Final year of teaching and starting my blogging journey!