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Track II - Teacher Preparation

Since I'm a Track II student, I had a fantastic opportunity to take classes that helped me cultivate my subject knowledge and think critically about how subjects are taught in elementary school (and the educational system as a whole). Additionally, these classes gave me chances to create my own lesson plans, which I included on this page.

Teacher Preparation Classes:​​

  • LIBS 304 - We Hold These Truths

  • LIBS 327 - Literacy Language & Pedagogy

  • MATH 300A - Elementary Number Systems

  • MATH 300B - Data, Chance and Algebra

  • KIN 400 - Elementary School PE

  • EDMS 419 - Identity & Agency for Socially Just Classrooms

  • GEOL 107 - Introduction to Earth Science

  • LIBS 312 - Schools in American Society

7 year old Hailey

Many say that even if they didn't have the best experiences in school, they had at least one teacher who truly saw them and cared for them. I didn't even have one teacher that made me feel that way growing up. Eventually, the messages I received about myself from teachers began to take root in my self-concept. I came to genuinely believe I was lazy, stupid, and incapable of learning. I know firsthand just how vital the role of a teacher is and the damage one can do by holding negative beliefs about their students. 
Many things drive me to be a teacher, but these negative experiences are one of the biggest reasons. My love for learning, which I just recently realized I always had, and my respect and admiration for children as human beings are other reasons. The pain I experienced in school will be worth it for me if I can use it to be a kind, caring, and supportive educator who positively impacts students' lives. 
As soon as I decided to be a teacher, I felt a palpable sense of alignment, which I had never experienced before. Even when school gets stressful and my motivation feels like it's running on empty, that sense of alignment is still there, and I trust that I'm on the path to doing what I was meant to do.

Teaching Philosophy

I transferred to SSU in the Summer of 2021 so I could take some classes to help reduce my workload during the regular semester. During that summer semester, I took KIN 400. One of our assignments was to outline our teaching philosophy while implementing some concepts we had learned about general pedagogy from learning how to teach elementary school PE. I had completely forgotten about this assignment. I stumbled upon it while looking for assignments to put into my ePortfolio, and I was blown away at how solid I felt about my teaching philosophy back in June 2021. As I re-read it, I realized I still feel the same. I'm so excited to be a teacher! 

Lesson Plans

Organized in chronological order.

Renewable and Non-renewable Resources 
4th Grade Science - Lesson Plan

A worksheet for one of the lesson activities that I made. 

Fall 2021 - GEOL 107 

My Introduction to Earth Science class was designed for future elementary teachers! Our big final at the end of the semester was a lesson plan aligned with California's Next Generation Science Standards. I chose the 4th-grade standard about renewable and non-renewable resources. I created the lesson plan and was required to link two preexisting activities. I linked a fun team activity where students "mine" for renewable resources and a group activity that used plastic bottles like solar panels! I also created the worksheets and the exit ticket assessment. 


This assignment was very challenging; I cried twice! Looking over my lesson plan now, I can't remember what upset me so much. I think I did a good job following the assignment's instructions, and I would have enjoyed both of these activities in 4th grade. Additionally, I learned quite a bit about renewable and non-renewable resources that I didn't know before.

Heroes!
2nd Grade Social Studies - Unit Presentation

Spring 2022 - LIBS 304

Track II students get to take a class called We Hold These Truths, which covers elementary history/social studies content with a critical lens. For our final assignment, we created a unit aligned with California’s social studies standards. This was a group project, and my group and I picked the 2nd-grade standard that covered the importance of character and heroes (from long ago to the present) that have made a difference.
We separated our unit into sections, starting with an introduction to heroes, then covered a different individual in every lesson organized by group (like presidents and activists). 


History is one of my favorite subjects, so I had a good time with

this project. However, I want to teach upper elementary grades, so I wish we picked a standard for a higher grade. I got to do a lot of the “Activist” week, which I enjoyed as well. However, I do wonder if some of the activities I chose are appropriate for second graders. While I was excited when I found the Alice Paul activities because she is one of my favorite historical figures, looking back, I feel some of the activities I chose for her lesson specifically may be too complex for second graders. 

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I love what I chose for the assessment for the activist week, and I will buy the book Rise Up and Write It regardless of what grade I end up teaching because it is just so good! Allowing students to identify a problem in their community and offering a choice of something they could do to spread awareness can be tailored to second graders. It could provide a fantastic opportunity to show how students can be “heroes” in their everyday life. 

Operations & Algebraic Thinking 
3rd Grade Math - Lesson Plan Presentation & Individual Report on Task

Spring 2022 - MATH 300A

This presentation was one of our final projects in this class. It was a group project where we had to pick a domain from the Common Core Math Standards. We decided on 3rd Grade Operations and Algebraic Thinking: Represent and solve problems involving multiplication and division. My partner and I each picked a sub-standard, found a task that aligned with it and described it in detail in an individual report, and described the relevant connections from our class to be able to teach this standard to students. My substandard was "Use multiplication and division within 100 to solve word problems in situations involving equal groups, arrays, and measurement quantities." 
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Looking back, I did a good job picking a task that aligned with the substandard I chose since it addresses it directly. Additionally, an activity that gets students up and moving around could be a nice break from what students typically do during math instruction: sitting down and working on worksheets. I also think the concept of a "math notebook" I used for my task is a good idea, which I would have appreciated when I was in third grade! 

 

This standard and lesson had a personal connection to me since I was placed outside by my teacher during the celebratory "sundae party" for memorizing multiplication facts in third grade. I couldn't memorize them, so I had to sit outside and watch everyone celebrate. (I also graduated before California implemented Common Core). I feel good about this lesson plan because it wouldn't have relied entirely on my memorization skills, and I personally would have appreciated having a math notebook to refer to when I was a student. 

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