Should Santa be Allowed to Come to School?

I would have to say that I definitely disagree with this article concerning holiday characters simply because the kids need to have fun in school and be able to enjoy and get excited about the holidays. I think that if I had never had so much Christmas spirit in my elementary school, then I would have probably been much more susceptible to not believe and to let others tell me otherwise. I think the kids in my field site classroom would have a much different attitude if BISD decided to adopt this idea. Personally, I would hate it because the kids would have nothing to look forward to and they would not have those memories like I still do to this day. All my elementary school life I could not wait to be in Mrs. Coffee's class and be able to build gingerbread houses and meet santa! If BISD had the stance that Fort Worth ISD does, like in "Should Santa be Allowed to Come to School?" I would have never been so excited to go to school and want to learn and make it to Mrs. Coffee's third grade class! :)

Favorite Lesson Planning Site: Week 5

One of my favorite internet sites for planning a lesson would have to be lesson planning site. This site is great to use when you need a full out lesson plan or even just ideas for planning a lesson. I chose this site because it is very easy to navigate through and isn't confusing like others. I will definitely use the speed reading feature for my class. I love the site and it is a very helpful one!

Procrastination Blog: Week 4

A good example of the word procrastination is probably me! I usually put off everything til the last minute! I saw a quote once that said, "If there was no last minute, nothing would get done around here!" and that is pretty much how I live my life. I know it is bad to say that, and actually admit to it, but it is better that I know that I am a procrastinator! Anyways, one way that I have already procrastinated in my classroom has been not preparing ahead of time to help teach a lesson. I did not review over my work until the night before the lesson, so I had to cram. Next time, I could instead work on the lesson ahead of time and even ask Mrs. Rowe any questions I have involving the lesson.

Welcome Post

(A little late... but better late than never!) Hello, my name is Maggie Ward! I am an intern in Education and Training and I am working towards becoming a teacher and coach. I love having a leadership role and making a difference in someone else's life so I know that I will be successful in my career! Follow my blog for a journey through my internship :)

What Will Technology Look Like in My Classroom

In my classroom, technology will be plainly evident. I would hope that by the time I become a teacher, all of my students are technology savvy, simply because the world works around technology. If I hope to be teaching future astronauts or doctors, they need to know how to use technology and my classroom would hopefully be a start. I would like for all of my students to have laptops in the classroom and be able to use the internet for resources. Also, I would share what I know about technology to them so one day they can pass on what they know and technology can continue to expand for future use.

What Facebook Does to Kids Brains

After reading the article "What Facebook Does to Kids' Brains", I would have to say it is pretty accurate, besides the negatives. The negatives are too far blown out of proportion. Although, I would have to agree that it is an addiction, because I experience that firsthand. I would also have to agree with the statement that Facebook is a distraction. I can hardly even start homework without going on Facebook at least two or three times. I believe Facebook is a wonderful tool and should be encouraged, but with restrictions.

A Leadership Opportunity: Week 3

This week at my field site, I had a leadership opportunity with my students. I actually got to teach a lesson with my class this week. On Tuesday I split the students into two groups and gave them their assignment. They are currently reading Percy Jackson and the Olympians; The Lightning Thief, so I had them split up and one group had to look over chapter 3 and another looked over chapter 4. They had to come up with either 4 questions, comments, or things they found interesting and write them on a post it note and put it on the board. I got to help the students when they had trouble throughout the assignment and answered their questions. It was a good assignment for the kids to have to review what they had already read and figured out what they did not already know.

Select a Student: Week 2

There is a student in my 1st period class who I chose to watch. He is about 15 years old. He is most definitely a visual learner and needs extra help on just about all they do in class. He comes in late most days and if he does not feel like coming, he will not. He usually sits at the back of class alone because he cannot focus with other students around him. Most of the time, he will not do his work without being asked more than once. Around other students, he is very sweet and cares about others, but he does have some trouble.

Image Scrimmage Review

If I were to redo my image scrimmage, I would have done my dress for success sooner as well as worked to make my "How to" demonstration better than it was. I would have asked my audience more questions during my "How to" demonstration. I also would have shown my audience how to build the legos. I would have made my presentation much more polished and clean.

Describe your classroom: Week 1

My field site is at Smithfield Middle School. I enjoy being in this school because I went here as well. I had my field site teacher as a middle schooler too! My teacher's name is Mrs. Rowe and I love her and her teaching style! She really makes the kids feel welcome and makes them laugh. This is how I would like to teach in my classroom one day because it makes the students fell more excited about learning and actually makes them like the class and the teacher. The middle school classrooms are very small, so she does not have much room, but she makes it work. She has two couch chairs, two bookshelves, two whiteboards, a projector in the ceiling and a mobile projector. The desks are set up in columns. There are four columns and eight sets of multiple desks. Her desk is in the back of the room. I love the room and the way she teaches. It is such a fun class and atmosphere.