SCHOOL WIDE EVENTS REFLECTION

Space Day Reflection

Space Day 2016 was a huge success, however this day also had challenges that had to be
faced and overcome. I was assigned to be a group leader. This meant that rather than teaching in
one of the rooms, I was in charge of taking a class from room to room and taking care of the
class while they were at Samford. Karen Teel and Lauren Hudges contacted all of the group
leaders a couple weeks prior to space day and let us know our responsibilities for the day. We
were each in charge of coming up with a fun team name, making name tags for the students in
our group, and making a sign for our group. I came up with the name Supernova Squad for my
group. Once I received my class list I printed out stars with each students name typed on
cardstock. I laminated them, cut them out, punched a hole at the top, and then tied a string so
they could wear them around their neck. I die cut the letters and stars for my sign. At that point I
was ready for Space Day!
On Space Day I loved getting to meet and spend time with the students in my group. I
quickly learned that it was very important to be fun and have their attention, but to also make
sure they respected me and were following the rules. I think this is an important lesson of
balancing fun and respect to learn as I transition into being a classroom teacher. I loved being
able to go to each room and watch my peers work with the students and see their hard work
come to life. At some points the day was sometimes chaotic. Specifically the transition from
lunch to the picture at Mr. Beeson. I think it is very important when having a big event or field
trip like Space Day to make sure communication is happening throughout the day. When
communication isn't happening thats when confusion begins happening. As a group leader I had

to think on my feet a lot. Whether that was thinking of a game when there was too much time left
or finding a solution when there was confusion during lunch. This is another skill that I must
develop as a teacher. Sometimes lessons dont go as planned therefore teachers must be able to
think on their feet to enhance student learning.
Overall, I think Space Day was a major success. The leadership team did an awesome job
planning and coordinating the day. All of the students in my group told me when they were
leaving that they had the best day and they didn't want it to end. I feel each student left knowing
something they didn't know before. I think that we did a great job of making their content fun
and come to life. I know that the students learned from Space Day, but I also know that I learned
from Space Day as well.

Literacy Night at Irondale Community School Reflection

I was able to attend the 3rd grade literacy night at Irondale Community School titled
Bettcha Cant Read Like Me. At this event the students shared their writing, shared what they
had been reading, and performed a skit and song. The students parents and other students in the
school were invited to come. Many of the students parents and siblings came to the event. The
teachers and the principal, Dr. Yaeger, facilitated the evening. The night went very smoothly and
I could tell that the teachers and administration put a lot of time and effort into planning the
event. I think that the parents and the students had a fun night and left feeling proud of their
accomplishments and confident in their literacy skills.
I loved being able to attend an event where teachers, students, parents, and administration
were celebrating literacy. I could tell that the teachers positive attitudes towards literacy were
rubbing off on the students. I think that the 3rd grade teachers at Irondale try to communicate to
students that reading, writing, and speaking can be fun and that these skills are important. This
event was a fun celebration that communicated to students that literacy is not boring. I could tell
that the students worked really hard on the writing they shared and the song they performed. I
loved hearing them share about the books they read and how much they enjoyed them. The
students, teachers, and faculty took pride in this event.
The Bettcha Cant Read Like Me song and dance is based on a current popular rap
song Bettcha Cant Do Like Me. I appreciated how the teachers and administration considered
the culture of the school when planning this literacy night. To truly be effective at a school like
Irondale you have to be able to relate to the students and present content in a way that they are

familiar and comfortable with. One of the things that I loved about Irondale was that the teachers
and administration know their school and know their students. During my time at Irondale my
cooperating teacher stressed to me the importance of making connections that the students will
understand while teaching my lessons. Making connections like this and taking the time to
connect to their culture not only is easier for the students to learn, but it lets the students know
that you care enough to take the time to get to know them and where they come from. At literacy
night I was able to see first hand how the teachers took a song that the students loved and knew
and contacted it to literacy.

Dr. Seuss Day Reflection

I was really proud of how Dr. Seuss Day at Trace Crossings Elementary School came
together. I am a part of the reading and math team so we headed up this event. Our leadership
team did a great job coming up with the ideas for the decorations, organizing a work schedule,
and delegating roles to the rest of the members in the block. A couple of weeks prior to the event
the leadership team contacted the block and informed them that we would be decorate the main
hallways of Trace. They had us sign up for shifts and each shift had a leader from the leadership
team. The reading and math team had to sign up for two shifts and everyone else in the block had
to sign up for one.
On the days of my shifts the leader of the day, Sarah Hambleton, was very organized and
had a set effective plan for us. The shift leaders had a list of jobs that needed to be accomplished
each day. They delegated what they had on their lists to the group and we got it done. We had a
lot of fun working together and the students were so excited to see what we were working on
and the final product of the event.
It was a lot of hard work and extra hours at Trace, and I know the leadership team put in a
lot more planning, but it was all worth it when we saw the faces of the students seeing it for the
first time. It was worth it hearing them talk about Dr. Seuss day and how excited they were to
celebrate an author. In our technology driven world it can be difficult to get children excited
about reading. I feel that as a group we got the students at Trace excited about literature and
encouraged them to develop a love for reading. The actual Dr. Seuss Day was so fun. I really
enjoyed hearing the students share their talents through performance and reading their writing. I

think that the students had a fun time with the parade and hearing Ms. Barber and Ms. Stone read
to them.
The leadership team was very organized for this event. Each day I showed up to work on
the hallway they had a clear plan for what they wanted and told us exactly what to do. I think
that often times a lot of time gets wasted when there is no set plan. I appreciate the leadership
team showing respect for our time and making the most of every minute we came to help with
Dr. Seuss Day. I think that this really highlighted to me the importance of a leader having a plan.
Overall, Dr. Seuss day was one of my favorite memories at TCES and Im proud of what we did
as a team to help put this event together.

YAC Diversity Questions and Reflection

Tale of Despereaux #2: Alyson, Karen, Gray, Ann
A. Commitment to students and their learning
During our lesson we highlighted each of the students differences through bio poems and
the all about me note card game. We explained to the students that just like Despereaux was
different from the other mice they are different from their friends. We explained that our
differences make us special. I think that the bio card game and bio poems assisted build
community in the class and help them appreciate their differences. While we were leading the
group we each Used encouraging words, kept them on task, while talking with the students we
praised their differences and unique qualities, explained to them that each student in the class is
different and thats what makes them special. I love how the book helped build this community
and appreciation of differences in the classroom.
B. Knowledge of the subject(s) taught and of best methods/principles to teach
While we lead our group during YAC we used best practices to ensure student success.
We gave the students encouragement and praise as the students wrote their bio cards and their
bio poems. We encouraged them to write down their differences and what made them special. We
provided the students clear procedures for each of the activities in our room. We modeled the
activities for each of the students and provided non-examples. We also gave the students a
graphic organizer to help them write their bio poem. I think that using these practices assisted in
the effectiveness of our room.
C. Responsibility for managing and monitoring student learning
During our lesson we used several attention getters like all eyes on me, snap once if you
hear my voice, and class class. It was interesting with all of us coming together and using our
different classroom management strategies. We made sure to set expectations for the students at
the beginning of the lesson. We made sure that they knew they could not make fun of anyone
when they were sharing their bio cards and bio poems. As the groups went through we realized
that the students became distracted by the rolling chairs. After the first group we made sure to tell
them we expected them to be still in their seats and not roll around at any point. We were able to
manage that issue with the following groups. We realized that it was very important to monitor
the student's behavior to make the learning effective.
D. Systematic thinking about practice and learning from experience
After our experience with YAC we learned a lot as a group. Many of the things we did in
our group today we would like to replicate in our own classrooms. The discussion and
connections through literature helped create a community within the class. I think that each of us
in the group agreed that in the future we would like to take more time in lessons to connect with
themes of the literature.
E. Engagement into learning community

This day was very effective to each of us in the group. It was beneficial to work with
peers that we have not yet worked with yet to see how they work and how they interact with
students. We did not come across any problems while working together. We accomplished what
we were assigned in a timely effective manner. This day helped us connect with the students we
worked with because we worked so well as a group.

Reflection
Young Authors Conference was beneficial to the Trace Crossings third graders as well as
myself and the other Samford students. Karen, Gray, Ann, and I were in one of the Tale of
Despereaux rooms. Dr. Harrleson provided our materials and instructed us on what she wanted
us to do in our room. We then decorated our door and discussed how we would teach the minilesson. We decided that we would give a short book talk to begin, then give the the students bio
cards where they would write 3 facts about themselves, let the students guess who was who, and
then let them write a bio poem with a graphic organizer. We would highlight how Despereaux
was different from the other mice, but explain that is what made him special. We explained that
they are each different and their differences make them special too!
That morning we were told that students from Miles College would be joining us. Two
student teachers joined us in our room. We were flexible and filled them in on what we were
doing. We all worked really well together and the students enjoyed the activities. The students
were engaged and on task for most of our time. I think that students left our room with an
appreciation for The Tale of Despereaux, literature, and each other.
I think that overall the day went really well. We had fun with the students in our room
and tried to communicate that reading, writing, and learning is fun and has the power to help us
learn about ourselves and bring people together. Although we did not have a lot of information

about the Young Authors Conference prior to day of, we were flexible and created a fun
educational experience for the students at TCES. I think that it is always important to exercise
our flexibility as pre-service teachers. I also realized how important literature is to bring a
classroom together and teach valuable life lessons. Overall, I think that YAC was a success.