Bear Lloyd 2/24/14 Week 5 / Reflection 1 Tests Last week, students in my Personal Finance and Economics class completed

their first test in the course, and this marked the completion of the first chapter we had covered together. Throughout this chapter, we looked at the fundamentals of the stock market, how corporations issue securities, the various types of stocks, and a host of other related topics. At the start of this chapter, students had just begun playing the stock market game. In light of this, it has been incredibly exciting and rewarding to watch the students apply the knowledge of the stock market, that I helped teach them, to real life scenarios. As I have mentioned before, I believe that we should give our students various types of assessments so that they can express their learning differently. If students learn differently, then they certainly should be given opportunities to express their learning in different ways. Although tests are not my favorite form of assessment, they do serve a few great purposes. First, they require students to go back through the material they have learned in order to prepare for the test. This causes further comprehension of the material. Second, they allow educators to assess students knowledge of various topics in a time efficient manner. Thirdly, they assist students in developing the skills needed to express their learning through end of course tests, such as SOLs. Because each of my students in this course must take the Wise Financial Literacy Test, I need to equip my students with the skills needed to express their learning through formal tests. I was very impressed with the students performance on the test. The content covered in this chapter is not easy material, but students are expected to know it for the Wise Financial Literacy Test. However, the majority of my students made either a low A or a high B on the test. As with any class, there were some outlier scores. However, I am working individually with two students that did not do well on the test in order to assist them in improving their grade and preparing them for the next test. In addition, I also had more than one student make a 100 on the test. It was very rewarding to see these test scores and to know I had actually taught useful material to my students that they can use in real life.

Bear Lloyd 2/25/14 Week 5 / Reflection 2 Sub Plans Today, I had my first experience writing substitute plans. I have subbed many times in the past, so it made me more familiar with what types of lesson plans work best with substitutes. It was a neat experience to be writing substitute plans rather than receiving them. My third period Introduction to Marketing class will have a substitute on Thursday and Friday while my mentor teacher and I are taking a group of students to the State Leadership Conference for DECA. While I am gone, students will be learning about how economic conditions affect businesses and their marketing. If businesses are not able to adjust to changing economic conditions, then the survival of their organization is unlikely. Students will be reading the chapter covering this material and answering questions related to the content. From my experience, I have found that it is best to give high school students straightforward assignments from the textbook while there is a substitute present. This often saves a great deal of confusion and allows the teacher to lead related learning assignments when they return to school. In addition, I also provided the substitute with two additional assignments that can be given to students if time remains. These additional assignments are very useful and prevent the class from having too much spare time if they complete their other assignments sooner than expected. If students have too much time left after they complete their work, classes tend to become louder than they should be, and this can be difficult for a substitute that does not know the students. In addition, because I will be gone for two days, it is even more important that I leave optional work if needed. However, I am blessed to have a wonderful third period class that works hard and is very respectful. In addition, the substitute that will be covering this class is a very experienced teacher. I am sure that everything will go fine. In addition, I left a note that students may talk quietly at the end of class on Friday if they have worked hard. Although I will greatly miss being with the class, I am excited to have the opportunity to assist in leading a school trip for the DECA students.

Bear Lloyd 2/25/14 Week 5 / Reflection 3 A Family As our hearts are so deeply saddened by the events of the day, we are reminded of many things and many emotions flood our hearts. I believe that it is important that we all remember that a school is much more than a place where young minds are educated. A school is a family a place where we come together, where broken hearts are cared for, and where there is a shoulder to lean on. When tragedy strikes a community, churches and schools are where citizens most often come together to mourn and to seek God. As educators, we must be prepared to comfort our students, to be there for them in their time of need, and to help them through their struggles. Teachers are some of the most influential adults in a students life; therefore, we have a responsibility to help them through difficult times. Pacing guides, SOLs, grades, and competencies mean nothing when compared to some of the many roles we must be as a teacher. Although we hope and pray that it never happens, reality shows us that, sometime during our teaching career, our school is likely to face some sort of tragedy that greatly impacts the student body. In times such as these, our job is to simply be there with outstretched arms willing to help any and all in need. As I have shared before, the students of Patrick Henry High School and the residents of Glade Spring are very close to my heart. In the midst of this tragedy, it is warming to watch the students come together to comfort one another. Schools are more than buildings. They are families, and we are blessed to be part of these families.