*I dont remember all the teachers names, so I will refer to them by

their job title!

Registrar/Book Keeper:
After listening to the registrar today at Trace Crossings, I can
easily say she manages a lot of money and information that is so
important for teachers and staff. It was so impressive to hear her about
all the money and resources that teachers, administrations, and staff
at schools manage separate from their job titles. It is a little
intimidating to here about the money I will manage as a teacher in the
classroom and the severity of what happens when you are not
responsible or up-to-date with the money that is handed to you in the
classroom. One of the most important topics I felt the registrar
highlighted today was about the funding a school receives and how
those funds are allocated among teachers and classrooms. I never
knew how it worked prior to our speaker today, so I got lots of
informative information about funds and how those are distributed
amongst the school. Trace Crossings in particular is a Title I school,
meaning they are Federally Funded by the Government. This means
that they government provides money for the school in various ways
and resources. The principal has the opportunity to sit down and
allocate those funds how she/he feels they will be used best. It could
be for technology, another teacher unit, etc. Regardless, that extra
money is essential to a school and helping those students in particular
because of the extra resources that they will be provided with. Another
couple of noteworthy points that the speaker highlighted today was
classroom inventory, fieldtrips, donations, teacher contracts, and
salaries. All these topics are important for new teachers to know about
and be prepared for. I believe the registrar has a hard job and does so
much good, regarding the money that enters and exits the school
everyday.
Music and Art Teacher:
The music and art teachers came and spoke for the specials
teachers (art, music, PE, and library). The impact these teachers make
in the classroom is great and how they influence students in other
aspects of learning. Like the classroom teachers, the specials teachers
follow standards and teach lessons based on these standards. I feel like
they amount of impact these teachers have on student achievement is
astounding. For students who dont strive necessarily in the classroom,
these specials offer the students an outlet to be good in another area. I
think that is essential to making a student(s) feel accepted and wanted
in the school. Another point that the special teachers touched on was
collaborating with the classroom teacher and doing lessons that
correlate with what the students are learning in the classroom. I think
that is awesome and it really drives home the objective the teacher is
trying to have the students meet in a lesson. Having that

reinforcement from the specials teachers is great and it helps the

students who learn differently have another way of learning the
material. I think specials is such an important component of learning
and classroom teachers should collaborate with them for a whole
learning experience.
Lunch Room Manager:
This was one of my favorite speakers of the day. I feel like so
many times we forget about the big and important job the lunchroom
team does and the impact they have on the students they interact
with. Everyday the lunchroom manager plans and cooks meals for the
entire school. That is a huge job and impacts so many people in the
school. The day starts with breakfast in the classrooms at Trace
Crossings and the lunch staff arrives early to prepare the food and
bags for the classroom teachers. At lunchtime, the staff serves lunch
and provides a healthy meal for all students. The lunchroom manager
described the free, reduced, and paid lunch plans, which I didnt know
about prior to today. I was impressed with the amount of time and
effort goes into the lunches that the students eat everyday and how
the staff in the lunchroom works together to provide healthy lunches
for all students. I also learned about free lunches in regard to fieldtrips
and the rules/regulations involved in classroom parties and birthday
parties. I was shocked that cakes, cupcakes, etc. were not allow in the
classroom anymore because of the rules and health codes that the
central office and government set. I was so impressive with the amount
of work and time the lunchroom staff and manager put into serving
breakfast and lunch and how much of an impact they make on the
students.
ELL Teacher- Mr. Pitts:
Mr. Pitts is the ELL teacher and he focuses on improving English
in non-English speaking children at Trace Crossings. Mr. Pitts pulls ELL
students and works with them on learning to read, write, and speak
English. I was impressed to hear about the amount of diversity at Trace
and that not all non-English speakers are Spanish, which is common
misconception. Mr. Pitts manages lots of student data, which shows
improvement or non-over a span of time. The student data is crucial to
growth in the class and how Mr. Pitts teaches the different types of
students. Another important component of Mr. Pitts job is identifying
the accommodations for an ELL students IEP. Mr. Pitts makes an impact
in these students classroom achievement by providing them with the
opportunity to grow in the English language and become students who
can learn alongside other students in the classroom. Mr. Pitts has such
an important job and really introduces these students to understand a
different culture.
Principal- Mrs. Barber:
Principal Barbers talk today was so insightful and I really feel so
honored to have heard her speak and help us as future teachers

prepare for interviews and making an impact in our future schools. The
main topic Mrs. Barber talked about was interviewing for teaching jobs.
She talked about questions she asks interviewee and how to make sure
your resume is appealing to the employer. The pieces of advice and
knowledge she has are incredible and it really helps me think about
how to make sure I stand out in an interview. Another important idea
she mentions was observations and how she looks for engagement for
both the teacher and students in a lesson. I believe that is so important
in a classroom, to have the students engaged in the lesson, so if
someone was to come in and watch the class they would know what
the students are doing and could ask a student and they could explain
the directions/lesson. The ideas and points that Mrs. Barber reflected
on really helped me understand the importance of teaching,
interviewing, and helping students succeed in the classroom.
Title I Team:
Title I is when the government federally funds a school because
of the number of free and reduced lunch plans at the school. Trace
Crossings is a Title I schools, so they qualify for government funds and
Title I teachers. The title one teachers at Trace focus on helping
students who are identified as just below grade level in an area of
reading or math. The teachers work with three to four students at a
time and help the classroom teacher on an area of focus that the
students are struggling with. The title one teachers also look at data
and interpret it for teachers and administrators, so they can use it for
classroom instruction. The title one teachers help student achievement
by moving those students up who are in the bottom group or below
grade level. The job these teachers do is so important and helps the
students achieve success in the classroom.
Special Education Teacher/Leader:
The special education teacher here at Trace Crossings focus on
students individual education and making sure students are provided
with the resources in the classroom(s) to be successful in school. An
IEP is an Individualized Education Plan, which is a plan for a student
that outlines the resources/materials a teacher will provide that
student. For example, if a student has an IEP plan and gets extra time
on tests, the teacher will provide extra time for that student to
complete their test. When writing an IEP, the special education teacher
likes to use the information she is provided with at school, rather than
at home from the parents. She feels that parents might want what is
going on at home to be fixed, but that is not why she is writing the IEP,
it is for school and the classroom. Special education is a tough job and
she really hops from class to class-helping students and teachers
everyday. She impacts student achievement by providing special needs
students with the opportunity to be successful in the classroom by
individualizing their education. Something else I learned yesterday was
Hoover City Schools are provided with federal funds to support special

education. I think that is great and those students deserve just as good
as education as a general classroom student.