Day 5 of Training

I found the child abuse training to be intersting, upsetting, informative, and shocking. This training helped clarify what is and is not considered abuse and neglect in the state of New York, which will be very important for me to know both as a reading buddy and as a teacher next year.

Day 4 of training

Today was rough for me because I woke up with a horrible headache, which only intensified throughout the morning and afternoon. However, I still really enjoyed both speakers. Although I feel that I got a great background on teaching reading in my undergraduate program, it was nice to get another perspective on it. I also really enjoyed the video of the student reading and am looking forward to viewing the other students reading on the video and discussing what should be done (or what was done since the studens were taped) to improve fluency and automaticity. The comment that I found to be most interesting was when we were told that we should not feel sorry for the students we will be working with or feel guilty about the sheltered lives we may have grown up with; but instead we should focus our energy on leveling the playing field. I know that in my past experiences in schools, I often spent a lot of time at home thinking about my students and feeling sorry for the difficult lives many of them led. I think that a challenge and goal for me in this program is to try to push those thoughts aside and instead spend more time brainstorming ideas to give these students the skills they need to learn and to succeed!

Day 3 of Training

Today I really enjoyed getting to more about the other Reading Buddies as we introduced each other to the group. We all seem to have very diverse backgrounds and experiences and I am eager to learn more about and from everyone! I found the "Reading Wars" debate to be interesting and I am very glad that we are not taking a side, but basing instruction on the individual needs of each of the students we will be working with. I was also glad that the time was taken to discuss and look at the rubric for the ECLAS, as I have heard much about it but never actually known what the criteria were for each level. I have learned so much each day of training and am really enjoying it; however, I am very anxious to get into the schools and meet the students I will be working with!!!

Day 2 of Training

I am shocked at how true the Myers Briggs Test was for me! Although growing up, I always would have considered myself to be quite introverted (and I am sure that my peers and teachers would have agreed), I am now a very extroverted person, which was reflected in my being labeled an ESFJ type. This makes me wonder if I have always been extroverted and if I just needed time to move past the shyness that used to hide my extroversion. The Multiple Intelligence Assessment found that I am equally self smart and people smart. These finings did not surprise me at all, especially the fact that the test said that I am not body smart – I do not enjoy physical activity and am not athletic at all!