Taylor Rae Sugimoto

April 18, 2014

ITE 317
Half Day Reflection Questions
1. Take a photo of the TC lesson plan book page for the day (include
the standards, benchmarks, GLOs

2. Describe the selected three objectives, why they were selected

and your progress on implementing them
The three objectives that I selected to accomplish during my half day
were 1) Maintaining effective classroom management throughout the day, 2)
teach a science plan that introduces the concepts that will be taught in my
science lesson, and 3) create a smooth transition from the end of science to
final dismissal.
My first objective was to maintain effective classroom management
throughout the day. I chose this objective because I feel that I still need to
work on transitioning the way I manage older students to the way that I

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manage younger students. During this semester, I have been trying to
incorporate the successful strategies that my mentor teacher uses into my
own classroom management style. I have also noticed that the more
leadership experience I had in the classroom, the more students seemed to
respond to my authority. However, my mentor teacher has always been in
the classroom whenever I taught a lesson. Effective classroom management
was one of my main objectives because I wanted to see if I could hold my
own ensure that classroom lessons ran smoothly despite disruptive behavior.
From the moment students came back from lunch, I began to
understand that I needed to change my initial classroom management
strategies. Once students entered the classroom, they did not follow the
daily after-lunch routines. I had students sit on the carpet, and we went over
the classroom rules. After we discussed the rules, students continued to talk
out of turn, answer without raising their hands, and sit or lie on the carpet
incorrectly. I then reminded a couple students of the rules so the whole class
could be reminded. As the math lesson progressed, students still continued
to talk to others, answer questions without raising their hands, and look
around the room as I was teaching the lesson. In order to remain consistent
with the rules that I set for the class, I told one of the students in the class to
put her face down (similar to stoplight consequence) for talking when
another student was answering a question during the class discussion. After
that student put her face down, students began to follow the rules. However,
about half an hour later students began to misbehave and not follow the

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rules. The same girl that put her face down was sitting sideways on her line
with her legs connected to the girl next to her who was doing the same.
Therefore, I told both students to put their faces down. The girl who was
asked to put her face down twice stared at me in disbelief and began to cry.
Her crying turned into sobbing, and all of the other students were concerned
for her. Suddenly, everyones attention was no longer on the math lesson,
but on the student who was crying. I had to calm everyone down and tell the
students to bring their attention back to the front of the classroom. Even
though that was not an experience that I was proud of during my half day
lesson, it caused students to behave for the rest of the day. That experience
has taught me that even though seeing students cry because of my class
rules, I have to remain firm and consistent in my rules and expectations of
the class. It is important because students need to see that your authority is
consistent, yet fair to all students.
My second objective was to teach a science lesson that introduces the
concepts that will be taught in my official science lesson. I chose this as my
second objective because when I become a teacher, I need to understand
that students will not learn each concept in only one lesson. It will take
multiple lesson and various strategies to teach students concepts of all
subjects. I wanted to see the difference in teaching effectiveness between
teaching students a concept in one lesson versus teaching students a
concept with multiple lessons.

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I decided to use the Harcourt Trophies science lesson that introduced
the same parts of the plant as the science lesson that I created. Using the
large Harcourt Trophies book, I showed students the parts of the plant, which
included the roots, stems, and leaves. I then explained the function of each
part of the plant, and what would happen if each part of the plant died. Then
students completed a supplemental science worksheet. In each picture,
students either had to draw the root, stem, or leaves of the plant to complete
the illustration. Throughout the lesson, students followed the rules and paid
attention to me and their peers during class discussions. When students
were turning in their worksheets, I quickly looked at each drawing and
noticed that all but one student correctly drew the roots, stems, and leaves
in each picture.
My third and last objective was to create a smooth transition from the
end of science to final dismissal. I chose this objective because it is
something that you are not able to learn in methods courses. Dismissal is a
very important time of day, especially at Barbers Point Elementary, because
students have to leave on multiple buses. Growing up, my school never had
a bus schedule, and Ewa Elementary also did not have a bus schedule, so it
is something that I first experienced at Barbers Point Elementary. It is
important for teachers to stay organized and timely during dismissal in order
to get the students on the right buses with all of their homework
assignments, backpacks, water bottles, and lunch boxes.

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I was not prepared for what happened during dismissal. On
Wednesdays, my mentor teacher usually ends her last lesson at 12:55, and
the JPOs come to pick up the students who take the bus at 1:10. I made sure
to follow that timeline, so I ended my science lesson at exactly 12:55. I then
began to excuse each table to get their backpacks, and I began to pass out
their homework folders. Suddenly, I see the JPOs at my door, and its only
1:00. Students began to get out of their seats and tell me that they need to
get on the bus now since the JPOs are at the door. I told students I cant
excuse anyone until everyone is sitting in their seats and packed. As Im
telling students to sit down, I notice that some seats were empty. I turned
around and saw a couple JPOs escorting some students out of the room. I ran
to the door and told the JPOs that I am the teacher for today and I have the
same authority of Mrs. Slattery, so they cant be taking students out of the
classroom without my permission. I then called the bus students to grab their
backpacks and line up at the door. I asked students if they had their water
bottles, lunch boxes, homework folders, and if their nametags were off. I was
then able to excuse all of the bus students. The rest of dismissal went well. I
read a book to the students who were picked up by their parents, and
excused those students when the bell rang. From that experience, I learned
that I have to be flexible, yet organized when unexpected situations arise. If I
become panicked and frantic, the students will become the same way.

3. Identify and explain two successes and why they were successful.

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I would say that my first success would be the way that I handled my
classroom management during the second half of the day. During the first
part of my half day, I was more in shock than anything else because I did not
expect the students to misbehave the way they did. After I stopped and
composed myself, I remembered that I had to be consistent with the rules
and expectations that my mentor teacher has set for the classroom. Even
though a student cried after putting her face down twice, I believe it was fair
because she did break two rules that I reminded everyone about at the
beginning of my half day. Before that, I think the students did not see or
believe my authority, but after she put her face down twice, the rest of the
class understood that I was the teacher for that period of time, and they
should follow the rules as if my mentor teacher was still in the room.
The second success during my half day was my time management. I
followed the Wednesday schedule, which means that I finished story time by
11:45, ended math at 12:30, and ended science at 12:55. What I thought
was successful was that not only did I end each block at the scheduled time,
but I was able to complete everything that I planned during each block and I
did not feel rushed at all. I feel that this was a success because I had a very
hard time with time management during my first semester. However,
because I had an exceeding amount of teaching time during the second
semester, I feel that my time management has greatly improved.

4. Identify and explain two challenges and what you would do

differently

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One of my main challenges was finding the right classroom management

style and to show students my authority from the time I started my half day.
As I stated above, I was very shocked at the way students behaved during
the beginning of the half day, and I did not feel confident enough in my
classroom management skills to get the students back on track. For awhile, I
was worried about being too firm, but at the same time I did not know how
firm I needed to be in order for the class to follow my rules and behave
properly in the classroom. In the future, I would do the same by reminding
students of the classroom rules. What I would do differently is to be firm and
consistent with the rules from the minute the students walked back into the
classroom. I believe that the students were not listening because they did
not see me in the same way that they see my mentor teacher. I need to be
able to show students that I can be a teacher.
The second challenge that occurred was when the JPOs coming early to
pick up the students who needed to get on the buses. The JPOs came to the
classroom about ten minutes early to pick up the students, and that
panicked most of the students in the class because they thought they were
late. As I said above, some of the JPOs even took the students out of the
classroom without my permission, and I had to firmly tell the JPOs that I was
the teacher for the day. What I would do differently is that instead of having
the JPOs waiting outside the door for all of the students to see, I would tell
the JPOs that the students will be out as soon as they are ready to leave. I

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would then close the door and regroup all of the students who were worried
about the bus. I would have all of the students sit down, and then quickly
continue the rest of the dismissal routine. I think that would be the least
stressful and most efficient way to have the students pack up their things
and get ready to leave in such a short period of time.
5. What feedback did your mentor teacher give you? How will it help
you as a future classroom teacher?
When I told my mentor teacher about the day, she was surprised that the
students extremely misbehaved. She told me that I did the right thing about
telling that student to put her face down twice, and that I should not let my
emotions run the classroom. In order to be firm and consistent, I need to
follow the rules and expectations that I set for the classroom, even if it
comes down to students crying. My mentor teacher said as long as the rules
are fair and consistent, it should not make you feel bad if a student cries
when suffering consequences. Another piece of advice that my mentor
teacher told me was to also use positive incentives along with consequences
in order to get students to behave and follow rules. I could have used the
star punch to reward students who were following the rules, or I could have
rewarded group points to tables that were behaving properly. That way,
students could be reminded of the rules in a positive way and by using their
peers as models.
Other feedback that my mentor teacher told me is that teaching is all
about being flexible with your schedule and routines. Teachers never know

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when or how their days will really go until they experience it. She told me
that you just have to try your best to remain calm and work with what you
have if something interrupts my schedule, such as the JPOs coming early to
pick up the students. Other than that, she told me that I have to keep my
lessons very flexible. Sometimes students understand a concept quicker than
you expect, so its important to always have extra work ready to pass out. If
it takes students a much longer time to understand a concept, you should
become flexible and take more time to teach or reteach the same concept.
She told me its more important that the students understand the concept
than to move on because of time constraints.

6. How did this experience prepare you and/or change any of your
perspectives in becoming a lead classroom teacher?
This experience has really changed my perspectives in becoming a
classroom teacher. Before my half day, I felt very confident in my ability to
lead the class for half a day because my mentor teacher had given me the
opportunity to teach for long periods of time. However, I did not think that
having my mentor teacher out of the room would cause that much of a
difference. One of the most important things that I will take away is how
much responsibility you have as a classroom teacher. I only fully understood
the role of a teacher after my mentor teacher left the classroom. It made me
realize that I, alone, have the responsibility to teach every single student in
the classroom. For some reason, I did not think I would feel so alone with a
class of 23 students. However, having my half day realized that teachers

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really are alone for the whole day. The only support you have is yourself, so
you have to have the confidence and ability to lead the class to success.
Having this understanding made me realize just how important teachers are
to the future of these students.
Another important lesson that I learned from my half day experience is
knowing the difference between having fun with the students, and teaching
the students. As a student teacher, students dont necessarily see you as a
teacher. Sometimes students see you as an aid, and therefore do not think of
you the same way as they see your mentor teacher. I learned that there are
times where you can talk and have fun with your students, but there are
other times where you have to show your full authority in order for the class
to run smoothly and efficiently. It is important to show both sides to your
students, but to also show each side at the proper time. When you are
leading the classroom, do not hesitate to show students your authority, and
to be firm and consistent with rules. Only then will students see you as the
teacher of the classroom.