Class Registration

It's that time of the semester again. Time to pick classes. This is one of the most exciting times of the semester for me, but it can also be extremely stressful - it all depends on your pick time.

Each class has 2 days of registration times with seniors going first, followed by juniors, sophomores, and freshmen. Each student is given a registration time on one of those 2 days and this can make or break your class schedule for the next semester. My time last semester was fantastic: 8:30am on the first day! My time isn't too bad this semester: 4:30pm on the first day. I'm not too worried about getting the classes I want, but I picked out my ideal schedule and would absolutely love for it to work out.

As an elementary education major, I am going to start student teaching in the fall so all of my classes need to be on Monday/Wednesday/Friday and I must register for the 2 "methods" courses that go along with my pre-practicum (1-day a week student teaching). I really want certain professors for those courses so that I can learn the most I possibly can about lesson planning in elementary school. So I am all set with my list of classes (and a much longer list of back-up courses) for registration on Thursday. Wish me luck and I'll keep you posted on what classes I end up taking!

Any questions? Email shapirjk@bc.edu. Happy Spring!

~Jessica

The Life of a Student Teacher

Hi! My name is Katie and I am a Senior in the Lynch School of Education. This semester I am completing my full-time student teaching. Education students complete 3 pre-practicums where we work in three different classrooms over three semesters during our Sophomore and Junior year. I was able to get a feel for which grade I want to work with and what kind of teaching environment is a good fit for me.

Currently, I am working in a first grade classroom in a suburb of Boston. I teach 5 full days a week and take one class for this whole semester. My classroom and students are great! There are only 16 students so I have been able to get to know them well and it differentiate my lessons. So far this semester I have been able to teach all of the science (we are learning about solids, liquids, and gases now), two reading groups, and half of the math and social studies lessons. It has truly been a great learning experience for me.

Last week I was able to accompany my class on their field trip to the New England Aquarium. I was considered one of the chaperones and had a small group of children to take around. It was a great opportunity to connect with children on a more individual level and provide deep learning instruction. We nick-named our group the Electric Eels and got to see sharks, octopus, and penguins. We had a great time on the trip!

Yesterday, I was the substitute teacher in a third grade classroom. It was amazing to see the difference in the children's ability to do independent work and listen to instruction. While my 3rd grade class was out for recess I went back to my 1st grade classroom. The kids were excited to see me and I realized how much I had missed being with them during the day. I was glad to be back in my classroom today but subbing yesterday made me think about whether I want to teach in the primary grades or not.

Stay tuned for a blog about my take-over weeks!

Chalkboard Introductions

Hello, hello. I'm Nick Grasso, a senior in the Lynch School of Education. I am originally from East Haven, CT. I am majoring in English and elementary education. This semester I am actually taking very few classes at BC because I am student teaching. Above is a picture of the classroom I am working in all set up for the first day of school back in September.

The teacher education program at Boston College strongly connects theory with practice. Education classes taught at BC all include some field based assignments. These assignments give you the opportunity to try and test the theories you are reading about and discussing in class with students in "real" classrooms. You complete three pre-practicum experiences, where you work one day a week in a school for a semester. The program culminates in a full-practicum experience in which you work in a school every day for a full semester.

So I spend every day this semester teaching 22 5th graders at a Boston Public School in Brighton along with a veteran teacher. I've mainly been teaching math every day. We are doing a social studies unit on the election and have just started a reader's theater unit with a play called, Revenge of the Nerd. The student's love sharing their acting skills and even give up recess time to rehearse!

Although teaching has been a lot of fun, the challenges of urban education are both exciting and daunting. My 5th graders have a lot of energy, but it takes a lot of work to focus that energy on learning.

I look forward to blogging this semester about my experiences in the classroom. Feel free to post any questions about the School of Education or about my teaching, I'll be happy to answer them.