Kylie Matusiewicz

Week 8, February 29-March 4

Describe a way you were able to participate in the classroom this week. This could be
lessons taught, working with individual students or small groups
This girl in my class has a very hard time concentrating on even the smallest task. So when she
gets distracted I usually take her to the hallway to work so she can block out the noise of the
classroom and actually work.

One idea you want to take to your own classroom someday

My teacher wants to get these tables that are round, it changes the dynamic of the
table. More kids can sit at one table and they take up less room in the classroom. The
kids seem to really enjoy the idea too, Mrs. Johnson is also letting them pick where they
want to sit being the children are suppose to have choices in the classroom.

One idea you want to take to your own classroom someday

I know shouldn't pick this question again but this week Mrs. Johnson was reorganizing
and restructuring things in her classroom that I have so many more ideas for my own
future classroom. She bought these cloth or sheet things that go over the lights. The
sheets are blue and it is also blue is suppose to be a calming color, it also just adds a
nice touch in the classroom.

Describe your favorite part of the week with your students

My favorite part of the week was just interacting with students I don't spend them most
time with. I usually spend most of my time with the students who are struggling the most
so I don't get the chance to talk with or help the whole class. But this week I went out of
my way to help someone who I don't talk to as much it was great, I got to figure out how
this person works and she is so smart as well.

Week 9, March 7-11

Describe a way you were able to participate in the classroom this week. This
could be lessons taught, working with individual students or small groups
This week I did my lesson plan of measuring. I had the kids trace their feet on a piece of
construction paper and then cut it out. After that they would measure things around the
room using their feet. I think it was a big hit because I also read the foot book before
they started the activity and they love when it's reading time.

Tell me about behavior issues occurring in your classroom

A boy in my class has had very bad behavior issues in the class since I first came in. He
has always been on yellow or orange when talking about behavior in the classroom.
This week he walked out of line in lunch and kicked another kid in the privates. He was
then sent to the counselor and has lost multiple privileges in the classroom.

Describe your favorite part of the week with your students

One of my kids birthday was this week and we got to "celebrate" in class. Actually more
like I got to celebrate in class with her, I told her happy birthday and her face just lit up, it
was great to see her so cheered up.

Describe a routine established in your classroom and how it helps the classroom
function
When it is time for them to quiet down or line up for specials Mrs.Johnson rings this bell
or wind chime thing and the kids know to stop what they are doing and listen to her. This
keeps control the noise, we actually learned about this is psychology. They are
classically conditioned to stop talking as soon as the bell rings.

Week 10, March 14-18

Describe a way you were able to participate in the classroom this week. This
could be lessons taught, working with individual students or small groups
I took a small group when arms. Johnson was busy helping a struggling student. We
went over a lot of review, for example how to create a number sentence and the
different ways to show your work. I also help them start of adding 3 digit number
because they are not use to adding only 2 digit numbers.

Describe a situation that was difficult to deal with and how you or your teacher
handled it
We had to slept up so keep at their tables being they were beginning to talk too much.
The easiest solution was to just make sure they are able to sit together and they also
received multiple reminders before this even happen.

Tell me about a way you made a positive impact this week

This week I helped out with the classroom across the hall with another cadet teacher
that goes to fishers. We were both bouncing ideas of the lesson plans we had and the

activities we have done in class to kind of help each other. We also talked about the
problem we had faced in class. This helped because I got to see a different perspective
of how to handle and plan this. I think it helped both of us improve as cadet teachers.

One idea you want to take to your own classroom someday

I would love to have to chance to have the amount of kid involvement in my class that
Mrs. Johnson has incorporated. The student in a way have a say in the different styles
of teaching and what they want to do. For example we have these things called
triangles and they are math problem that you have to add up each side and they have t
be the same number but you can only use each number once. The kids love doing
these and Mrs. Johnson continues to do them because she see how positively they
react to them.

Week 11, March 21-25

Describe a way you were able to participate in the classroom this week. This
could be lessons taught, working with individual students or small groups
I stayed later to help grade papers that the students had turned in. Also the put the
classroom in order, the kids always mess the room during the day. Doing some little
things like this help her have some free time to either plan for the next day or just have
to sit and relax until the kids come back from specials

What type of learning took place in your classroom this week---give specific
examplesthis can include different types of activitiescooperative learning etc.
This week my teacher switched up the schedule, I normally come I and they are doing
math but the past couple day they have been doing reading. They are creating their own
books. But right now they are the star of finding information and writing it on a piece of
paper. It was more individual work.

Describe your favorite part of the week with your students

My favorite part was having the kids greet me after not seeing them over the weekend.
Whenever I walk into the classroom they all say hi to me and some of them come and
give me a hug. It always the best part of my day when I walk in.

Describe a routine established in your classroom and how it helps the classroom
function

This isn't the classroom but when we go to take bathroom breaks I will play Simon says
with the ones who come back fast enough from the bathroom. This keeps them
entertained in the hallway and keeps them from talking to each other because they are
focused on what I am doing. I have now included having the line leaders give
commands so they look forward to being the line leaders so they can be Simon.

Week 12, March 28- 31

Describe a way you were able to participate in the classroom this week. This
could be lessons taught, working with individual students or small groups
I helped teach the kids about area with a administrator or someone who was very high
up at brooks school teach my class.she went over area and how to find and we also
touched on perimeter as well. I took a group, then the administrator took a group, and
Mrs. Johnson took a group as well.

Tell me about behavior issues occurring in your classroom

This week was very hard, all the kids were so ready to go on spring break and were
talking about their plans. This caused the classroom to be chatty all week. It was a very
high stress week with both me and Mrs. Johnson.

One idea you want to take to your own classroom someday

This is more for the very end of the school year but she will write how many days are
left of school and this motivates the kids in the class. But she doesn't say this is how
many days are left, instead she says this is how days until you will be a big 2nd grader.
It's a very simple thing that I'm sure all teachers do but it stands out in my mind.

Describe a situation that was difficult to deal with and how you or your teacher
handled it
Mrs. Johnson was gone for one day this week and this kinda left me in charge in a way.
The sub didn't know the dynamics of the classroom or how it usually runs so she looked
to me to see how they got ready at the end of the day and she didn't know she didn't
pass out paper the line leaders do. But the day ran smoothly when i was there so that
was good.