Let me just say that running an after school program is one of the most exhausting undertakings I have taken on in my years of teaching thus far! Maybe it’s the fact that I’m designing a curriculum for students that are VERY different from the students I teach during the day. Maybe it’s the fact that the students at my after school club don’t really want to be there on the “literacy day” and only show up so they can play soccer on Thursdays. Maybe I’m just exhausted because it’s SOL crunch time and this is just ANOTHER THING on my plate… you get the idea?

However, I am learning A LOT from this experience. I’ve learned how to say “Necesitas un libro los martes!” which means “You need a book on Tuesdays!” But more importantly, I’m learning that the research I did for my SIP was spot on! Kids need help with vocabulary. There was an activity I planned for my after school kids that I envisioned would be a five minute warm-up but it was actually a 20 minute activity because of the gaps in vocabulary knowledge. This was VERY helpful information for me in going forward with my planning.

So I guess my title wasn’t the best. I’m still trucking along. I’m just very daunted by the amount of extra work we have taken on by being a part of this cohort. I’m sure I’m not along there.

Trying to see how this works…

I don’t have much to say yet accept that I’m excited to be back into the groove after the holiday. I’ve already started the ball rolling on the SIP with the wonderful Monica Lozano at my school. She is our fabulous Minority Achievement Coordinator and she is undoubtedly the most important part of my team!

I’ve also been to visit with a lovely 5th grade teacher, Ms. Mufson. I’m learning a lot from her about teachers collaborating across the curriculum and I’m bringing the information back to my Collaborative Learning Team (CLT) at my school site. I’ve also been to observe her teaching in order to bring information back to my CLT about what is being covered at the 5th grade level before the students come to us in 6th grade!

Welcome to onMason. This is your first post. Edit or delete it, then start blogging!

Welcome to the template for your Collective Record.

The menu bar provides you with access to various pages that provide  instructions on requirements for the Collective Record. You will also find links to various forms and suggestions for recrnd keeping.

Generally, your use of this site will involve posting blog entries with attachments – which you may do from the Dashboard, or by clicking the “+” tab on the menu bar at the top of the page.

When you submit a blog entry, be ure to tagit with the appropriate category so your internship supervisors can sort your submissions.

Throughout your internship, you will submit blog entries with artifacts as attachments to record your ongoing progress. Every other month, using the schedule your university supervisor provides, you will submit a blog with your inernship log for the two-month period so that your supervisor can provide feedback on your progress.

At the end of your internship, you will submit a separate set of blog entries that reresent your portfolio. Use the blog entries your have been posting all along as evidence to recall everything you’ve done, and what you learned as a leader.

It’s a good idea to peruse this site now so that you are familiar with its structure and instructions — and remember, you can and should refer to the Internship Manual and e-mail your instructor if you have any questions.