My Student Teaching Experience

2004-02-24T22:44:00.000-06:00

Day 13 (2/24/04):
Well, I had promised Mrs. Wright's class that we would finish our Origami boats today, and so we did. Not without MUCH wailing and gnashing of teeth, however. I know now, that these kids are just too young for it. My sister tried to tell me that, but I wanted to prove her wrong. I thought that if I went slow enough, that I would be able to get everyone on the same page. But how can you get a whole class to be together, when they are all at different ability levels in the first place. I mean, this deals with so much more than origami, here.

Many of the kids really liked it in the end, and about 1/5 of the class did it successfully all by themselves. Go 2nd graders! We reviewed the song, "Four in a Boat" so they would at least have something to relate to why we spent so long folding paper at the beginning of class. Then we reviewed "Way down Yonder..."

I had a short little rest while I observed Mrs. Harris, and then I took over Mrs. Pennington's class. These kids LOVE to sing. LOVE it. And except for a couple, they are really outstanding. Dr. H's little girl, Dana is in this class, and she can really belt it! It makes me smile from ear to ear. Because I know that I was exactly like that when I was little. We reviewed "Back of the Bus" because Mrs. Harris is having them do that on the afternoon show on TV on Thursday. Then we started a new lesson on Call and Response. They plowed through those songs.

I had a 2nd grade class this afternoon that was all caught up after we reviewed, so we started a new song at the end, called "Good Mornin' Blues." This has a super cool track, too, with a clarinet intro kind of like the one at the beginning of "Rhapsody in Blue." They loved it. I can't wait to actually dig into this song.

Then the dreaded class of the afternoon, Mrs. Lloyd. I had told myself that I wasn't going to let them get to me. That I was going to be positive and encouraging and give people a second chance. No. There was no saving this class. Two people had already lost recess time before class had even started. I don't know how they get to me like that but I have got to figure out a way to nip this in the bud. I was TIRED when that class was done.

This week, Mrs. Harris and I have car rider duty. Well 2 of the kids were left without rides, and so we were talking to them for a big, and this one boy named Kalil asked me, "Ms. Reeder, are you going to be new-stylin' it tomorrow?" I looked at him blankly. "You know! You had that new style the other day..." Well, I mean, I wore my hair down a lot last week and curled it some of the time, but I didn't see what was so special about it... He said, "Yeah. I thought maybe you were trying to get all the boys to think you was fine or somthin'" Yikes. Definitely not what I was going for when I got ready that morning.

And here's a semi-creepy story. So Elliot, who got in trouble for saying my first name? I finally remembered to ask him today how he knew that. "I saw it on the computer." I was like, "Where? In the office or something?" "No, Ms. Reeder. On Google." Wow. This kid googled for my name. Except he didn't know my first name, so all I can figure is that he searched for "Ms. Reeder OBU." But anyway around it, he was looking pretty hard. Kinda creepy.

I read some Jack Prelutsky poetry to go along with a couple of songs today, and the kids absolutely adored it. At one point in time, I couldn't even go on, because they were laughing so hard. I remember falling in love with his stuff when I was their age as well. I am glad that it's not yet outdated.

Today was really a pretty good day. Tomorrow is the first observation. We'll just see how I do with the class that can't sing.

2004-02-23T22:33:00.000-06:00

Day 12 (2/23/04):
So I taught once this morning. It was incredibly shakey. And I just found out that this is the class that I will be observed on this Wednesday. Wow can this class not sing. I mean, there are always a few who are super, but this class in particular has a LOT of kids that couldn't carry a tune in a bucket. I tried everything I knew. I used promting phrases like , "match this sound," or "sing this after me," or "Sing from your head not from your toes," but nothing seemed to matter. I even at one point just asked them to sing one note and got about 6 different notes in return. Ick. After that, I was a little downhearted, but retreated to have pizza with a few friends from church for a little while.

I returned pumped up to finish the afternoon. I had asked Mrs. Harris if I could take one of the classes that was working on the musical just because I would need to have them during my solo week, so I needed to get started teaching that particular material. Wow. This class was so much fun. I had a little talking, but for the most part, they were incredible! They sang so well! Mrs. Harris said that she could even hear them all the way down another hallway! I loved it.

I had one more class in the afternoon, and it was a 2nd grade class that had not been read the Viorst yet. They LOVED it. But I was called out of the room shortly to be in a picture for the Arkadelphia newspaper with the rest of the interns. When I came back, I was ready to start the song "Way down yonder in the schoolyard." They loved it.

I have been pretty successful with trying to incorporate African American songs into the curriculum for Black History month. I have made it a goal, at least. And for the most part, the kids seem to really enjoy it.

2004-02-20T22:17:00.000-06:00

Here I go trying to recap a bunch of days that I haven't written down in a while... :

Day 11 (2/20/04):
This day is a mere blur with one solid thing sticking in my mind: I had a boy sent home today. Okay, so it wasn't really my decision. But wow, was he bad. His name is CJ, and he has the worst temper that I have EVER seen in a kid. EVER. He evidently came to school mad. Everything that happened to him just set him off like a rocket. I mean, he THOUGHT someone touched his neck in line at the door, and he almost beat up the kid. Wow. Chill out, dude. So I had the class in pairs again, and the girl he was paired with raised her hand. "Ms. Reeder, can I move, because CJ doesn't want to sit by me." "CJ, why don't you want to sit with Sierra?" "Cause she doesn't like me. Nobody likes me. They always blame stuff on me and I don't always do it." I just shook my head, and moved Sierra, because I didn't feel like punishing her. So he was stuck all by himself which made him mad. So he didn't want to sit with a partner, but he didn't want to sit by himself. KID! Get with the program! So then he slams his book shut and crosses his arms. I am determined to get him to straighten up before I start class. "OH! So you are giving up now? You have decided not to participate?" "YES!" CJ shouted. "Okay, CJ, since you don't feel like participating, you can just go to the back of the room and face the door." Then he starts fumbling around and mumbling, "Well, well..." and trying to open his book back up to the page. "Um, no sir. You made a decision NOT to participate, so that's what it's going to be. Go to the back of the room." "NO! I wanna participate! I wanna participate!" "Get up NOW!" So he runs to the back of the room and starts to kick the door and punch the wall and throw stuff around the room. So I walk back their very calmly and say with incredible restraint, "Sit down, now." So I go back to attend to the class. Meanwhile, Mrs. Harris has been observing this whole thing, and is writing him up and is going to send him to the office. CJ proceeds to throw a fit, screaming, "I WANNA PARTICIPATE, I WANNA PARTICIPATE!!!" Wow. It was hard to concentrate on class, that's for sure. But I addressed the class, "I know it's hard to drown out that sound, class, but for right now, that half of the room does not exist to us." Wow. I felt incredibly harsh, but didn't know what else could have been done. He's old enough to know better. Really. So he was sent to the office, where Mrs. Clay called his mom to come and get him. There wasn't going to be any learning going on in his life that day. He needed to go home and cool off.

2004-02-19T21:20:00.000-06:00

Day ten (2/19/04):
Well, I didn't teach but two lessons today; I was able to sit back and observe and soak it all in. I started the morning off with a new 2nd grade lesson. Instead of finishing our origami, I pressed on to a new song with the promise of returning to finish them next Tuesday morning. But this morning was the prime time to start the next lesson I had planned, since it began reading Viorst's "Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day." Some of these kids just were dragging their feet into the classroom this morning! They looked awful! And I couldn't pass up a chance to read this story and tie it into the lesson, especially when it was suggested in the textbook! They loved it. And then afterward, I made them tell me a time when they had a bad day and then it got better, and what it was that made their day better. Some of them had silly answers, but some were incredibly genuine, like this one little boy who said that he had a bad day when his grandfather died, because he wanted him to live, but that it was better the next day because he knew that his grandfather was "going to have a good time with God." That just made me smile.

I think that I am the teacher a lot of the times, but really these kids teach me something every day. I think it's funny how they want to compliment you on something. They will find at least something good to point out if they want to... "Ms. Reeder, I really like your shoes..." "Ms. Reeder, your smile is pretty today..." I need to remember how much that makes me smile and try to do that to others when I have the chance.

I had one little boy from Mrs. Kirkwald's class that just was NOT going to participate today. I mean, he crossed his arms, and wouldn't do anything that I wanted him to do. Well, I tried to make him behave at the beginning, but after a while, I decided something else was in order. I would let him get by... for now. But we would have a little pow-wow with his teacher, and make sure that he knew that I was business. The next time he comes, I expect him to fully participate or there will be NO recess. I mean, I am taking it ALL away. We made a deal about it too. We even shook on it. I guess I will just have to wait and see exactly how that pans out.

I really like this age group a lot. They are still at an age where they really enjoy learning without a lot of negative peer pressure. (At least most of them are...) But they are also mature enough that they understand responsibility and you are able to enforce rules without a lot of misunderstanding. I am hooked on these kids.

2004-02-18T21:22:00.000-06:00

Day nine (2/18/04):
Yikes. Okay, I almost had a heart attack this morning when I woke up at 7:34. Yeah, I definitely was so tired last night that I went to sleep and forgot to set my alarm. Grrrrrr... It was all good, though. I threw on some clothes and made it to school by ten til 8. I will be very glad if that never happens again, though. Ick.

And I was a little relieved that my first class was a 2nd grade one this morning, just because I had already done that lesson yesterday and had a little time to get my mind set for school before I started my new 3rd grade lesson later in the morning. I taught all but two classes today, and I am tired right now. Really tired. Especially after driving back from Little Rock.

I feel strange trying to teach 3rd graders about syncopation. And they don't water it down or anything in their texts. At all! It's right there in black and white. Literally. For 3rd graders! I feel like I am trying to teach them about quantum physics or somthing. Except I don't know anything about physics. But syncopation is one of those things that some people never quite learn. It's almost something you have to just feel. And if you can't feel it, then you won't know what it is. It's abstract. And I am teaching it to 3rd graders. Gah. I don't know. Maybe it will go better tomorrow.

I think that it's funny that one of my kids thought it was so cool that he found out what my first name was. Like it was some big secret. I mean, it kind of is, because teachers don't want kids to know that for some reason. I don't even know how Elliot even found out. I will have to ask him tomorrow. But on the way in the door today, he told me that he knew my first name was April, and Mrs. Harris really got on to him like it was a huge deal that he said that. I really don't care. At all. I mean, I guess I should, but I really don't. I know that when I go to the High School especially, that I need to try to keep my name on the DL, but that will be hard with Sarah Fuller around... I have known that girl since before she could walk, and she has always only called me April. I mean, really, it's kind of scary that there's only 5 or 6 years between most of those kids and myself. I have GOT to get ready to keep that boundary as far apart as possible. Or I will never get any respect. I mean, I am barely taller that some of my 3rd graders! And I even think that there is one girl that is taller than me! Talk about an over-active thyroid! ;)

2004-02-17T20:33:00.000-06:00

Day eight (2/17/04):
Okay, so today's the first day under today's entry that actually happened today... the last time that happened was, well... a week ago. Yikes. I will try not to let that happen again.

I taught two second grade classes. Let me just say, that the first thing that I realized after they were over is that I am no longer nervous about getting in front of these kids. At all. And that is a great feeling. I feel like I can just step in front of them at any time and feel totally comfortable being myself. And so that's what I did! I asked them about their fun weekend in the snow and so forth, and then got down to business. I really had planned a fun lesson of making an origami boat to go along with this song that we were learning called "Four in a Boat", but the first class went by too quickly and by the time I got around to it, I felt rushed, they got frustrated, so we are putting it off until next lesson. I think they come back on Thursday, so I am crossing my fingers that a little more patience will do the trick. One girl even started crying! Good grief, kids! It's paper!

Definitely had my first experience with throw-up this morning as well. Thankfully, I wasn't teaching that class and Mrs. Harris was in charge, but I did have to teach the very next class with that horrible stench in the room. I made sure to reiterate to a few classes that if they were ever sick to make sure to LEAVE the room immediately and not just stand in front of the door praying that it would somehow miraculously open for you... Yeah.

So the second lesson, I had planned the same material as the first, but I decided to spend more time going oven the song, and to make the boat during the next lesson if possible. I mean, I am not in a hurry. I really felt like it went well! I am trying not to let little discipline things sneak up on me and bite me in the butt later. I try to nip them in the bud as soon as they happen, but that's so hard when there is SO much going on in the classroom all of the time! I just don't see everything that happens! I guess that more of that will come with time, as well.

I never cease to be amazed at how kids can just lie straight to your face when you know good and well that they are lying! It happened twice today! I was totally blown away. I mean, I know that I did it as a kid, but I think that I was at least somewhat guilty-faced. These kids have got it in them, that's for sure! They have no problem lying straight to your face. I mean, one girl was so good at lying she really started to make me believe that maybe I didn't see what I thought I saw! Wow. Just for that reason alone, I am glad that I don't have any kids of my own right now. Yikes. So there's your answer, Tony from Mrs. Hesse's class... NO I AM NOT PREGNANT! :)

2004-02-12T20:25:00.000-06:00

Day Seven (2/12/04):
Wow, today's classes were short, but the rest of the day sure wasn't. I did teach a really fun lesson, though. And it went so well, that Mrs. Harris asked me to take another class that I wasn't even scheduled for the day. It was basically talking about ties. In their book, the ties were illustrated as snakes in the song, black snake. Well, we went around room and I asked everyone to tell me their favorite snake (along with their name) and I changed the words to black snake a couple of times to fit their favorite snakes. It also helped to reinforce the notes and rhythms of the song. Then we made a snake line and stomped around the room to the syncopated rhythm of the song.

Classes were out at noon, and I took a short break, ate in my room, and headed back up to the school at 2:30 for Parent Teacher Conferences. I really had no reason to be there whatsoever. Really. They were looking for things for us to do (us being the interns) including cleaning up the computer lab and making new bulletin boards, and raising money for cancer. Yes. You heard me. All purpose teacher, that's me. :) It's okay, though. Mrs. Harris was right there with me, and that made it a little better. I did feel bad for the other interns, though, because they weren't allowed to sit in on their conferences! I thought that was the point! Oh well... They ended at 8:30 and now the week's over! Two days off of school as well!

2004-02-11T20:18:00.000-06:00

Day six (2/11/04):
Okay, so you know it's time to go on a diet when one of your students asks you if you are going to have a baby. Yeah. You heard me. Oh my gosh. It was this little boy in Mrs. Hesse's class. I wasn't even teaching. We hadn't even gotten to the room! I was waiting for the rest of the class to leave their teacher's room and was going to follow the line to the music room when I was asked possibly the most appalling question ever. A baby? wow. These kids really know how to throw you off track. I was just like... no. Then when I got to the room, I said, "Mrs. Harris, I need to ask you something. Do I look pregnant? I mean I know I am a little pudgy in the tummy area but really..." She took him out in the hallway, and he proceeded to lie about the whole thing. Yeah, she definitely talked him up one side and down the other.

Meanwhile, I was mean for the first time, and I actually feel like it was successful! Hahah... I know that sounds funny, but wow. I told the entire class that there was going to be some new rules. No talking, laughing, tattling... and IF I heard any, the entire class would lose their entire recess. And that it didn't bother me one little bit to take away everyone's recess, because I don't have to see their sad little faces out on the line, because I sit inside and eat my lunch. So there. :) They were little angels for the rest of the class! Yay! I hated to be that firm, but it worked!

And I didn't leave feeling bad about it either. Now the pregnant thing... that's a different story. Can someone hand me a head of lettuce, please?

2004-02-10T20:03:00.000-06:00

Wow have I been a slacker, yet again... Here goes. This one's for you, Jess.

Day five (2/10/04)
So today was pretty normal. I will say that during the lesson that Mrs. Harris was teaching on the underground railroad there was quite an interesting question asked. There is this little girl named Callison (I think that is how you spell her name) who is really smart, she is just most definitely an individual. It's funny when you can tell who the kind of kids are who will end up being at Parkview or some incredibly artsy school of that sort when they are like 8. Anyway, we had just started the lesson, and Mrs. Harris was about to pass out instruments for the kids to play along with the song "Train is a Comin'." Well, out of nowhere, Callison asks, "Did the slaves have paint back then?" To which, Mrs. Harris kind of reluctantly replied... "I guess so, Callison..." "Well, why didn't the slaves just paint themselves so that they could become white?" Yeah. She's just that kind of a girl. Ha!

I didn't even think that I was going to teach today, but Mrs. Harris had just had about enough for the day, and asked me to take the last class, Mrs. Lloyd's class. Little did I know that they would be the class from you know where. And no. I am not talking about where I will be spending eternal life. Yeah. The other place. I don't even know what it is about this class. The chemistry of all the kids mixed together just leaves a BAD taste in you mouth. I seriously don't know how their normal classroom teacher puts up with it. I was kind of upset that I had to teach them once I had realized that this was the worst class of all. But I might as well start getting used to it, since the last week I will have to teach everything...

I went home feeling really mean. I hate that! I think that it's the first time that I have questioned this whole teaching thing since I have been out there in the school. And Mrs. Harris has been incredible by supporting me all the way and everything. She told me that it wasn't me, that she always has trouble with that one group of kids, and that I shouldn't worry about it. But I still couldn't help feeling like I was messing up their whole perception of what music is like. I want them to have fun, not leave upset!

On the whole, the day was good, but I am definitely dreading the next time these kids come through the door...

2004-02-09T21:28:00.000-06:00

Day four (2/9/04):
Well, today was the big first day. And by first day, I mean first day in the control seat. I wonder if it's strange for Mrs. Harris to give over that responsibility little by little to me. I mean, I know that she has done it before... in fact, the semester that I observed her, I also had the opportunity of watching Bonnie Montgomery student teach!

Well, here's the run down. In all, it went rather well. I taught three 3rd grade classes in a row this morning, and let me just tell you. I don't think that I have been that tired in a long time. And I really don't know what I was thinking when I put the shoes I did on this morning. Because my feet were KILLING me by lunchtime.

So what was the lesson content? We reviewed the three rhythm patterns they had worked on last week, and then divided into groups and played them on various percussion instruments. Then, we learned some tempo vocab: adagio, moderato, and allegro, as well as accellerando and ritardando. There were definite high points of the morning, like when I saw those lightbulbs go on and all the hands raised to review the vocab. And also when that little girl raised her hand especially high to say that she thought she had seen that word "ritardando" on her piano music, but that it was spelled "r-i-t". There were also definite low points. Like when I continuously had to get on to the same people! I felt like a mean old grouch. But that was one thing that I learned from watching Mrs. Harris. You don't let them win those battles. And we have talked a LOT in Seminar and Classroom Management about setting rules, consequences, and making proceedures known, and then following through with them. ESPECIALLY at first. Because even though they are only 7 and 8, they know how to push your buttons and test you. And they certainly did their share of testing me today. There was even one little girl who asked me on the way to the classroom, "Is Mrs. Harris in the classroom or are you by yourself?" Wow. They know. They can smell even the slightest inkling of fear. I wasn't too nervous, but my first lesson was definitely more shakey than the third.

By the third lesson, I had monitored and adjusted - an incredibly over-used term in our ed. classes - and taken out an activity that I just didn't feel like was getting the point across the first two times. The third lesson, I felt more confident, but there were a lot of discipline problems. Mrs. Harris reassured me that they were normal discipline problems... that comment made me feel a little better, but still frustrated me nonetheless.

I feel ready to tackle the rest of the lessons this week. I have one follow-up lesson on Wednesday, and one on Thursday. I would have one Friday, but there is no school... which is also a bitersweet thing. No school=break=good. No school also=less days in the semester to student teach=bad. The long weekend will be nice, though.

I was also a TV star this week... yup. I was on the Morning Show. They really have kind of a neat little thing at this elementary school; they have student hosts for the TV show, with guest appearances (like all the interns from Ouahchita today), and that's where they do the pledge, national anthem, and read the lunch menu.

I also got to hear the Singing Bears this morning. This is Mrs. Harris' select group that meets once a week on Monday mornings. They sound great! It is so wonderful to hear those angelic voices sing from the bottom of their toes. If ever I doubted that I wanted to do this, that was reassurance enough.

Okay, enough for today. I have got to see if I can go do something to get all of these kid songs out of my head!! :)

2004-02-06T21:12:00.000-06:00

Sigh. Habits are not always good. In fact most of them aren't good at all. However, some are necessary, and writing in this journal just happens to be a habit that I need to form until it becomes natural. I can not and I repeat can NOT fall back on this or I will regret it eternally, I can feel it. There is no way that I would be able to catch up on 60 days worth of internship at the end of the semester if I even tried! That's partly why I decided to post this publicly; I needed some accountability. So if you see that I have been slacking off, be the first to reprimand me. Really. Go right ahead, because I will need it. Yeah. You... whoever you are... Okay, now to it:

Day three (2/6/04):
Today was fun! Kind of bittersweet, however. It's the last day that I have with no responsibilities as an actual teacher. Yep. You heard me. Monday is the big day! I can't believe it's already here. A lot of these first few days have just been realizations that are strange to adjust to. Like the fact that I will hopefully getting a job sometime in the next few months. And finding a place to live. And having little kids call me Ms. Reeder. And having those kids depend on me to teach them what they need to know about music! I think that's such an important responsibility! I mean, think about it! I love music so much that I want to pass that love on to others. And if I confuse them or turn them off to that music... well, it's just a huge responsibility! I try not to let it weigh me down, though. I mean, in a way, that's an inspiration to be the best possible teacher that I can! To show others how wonderful music is and to let them see how important it is to me!

Well, the week is over. I survived a few days out in the cold for car-rider duty. Which, by the way... I find it incredibly strange how strict the teachers are with these kids! Not only are they not allowed to talk to each other during lunch, they have to remain silent in two single file lines AFTER SCHOOL while they are waiting for their parents! Maybe they find that's the only way they can keep the kids under control, but it seems a bit outrageous to me. But I guess that I am not the one making the rules, either...

Tomorrow... job fair day. Yes, I will be walking around the Clear Channel Building looking for a job. SCARY!

2004-02-05T17:22:00.000-06:00

Day two (2/5/04):

Today seemed a bit longer, which is most definitely understandable. Not only did I have to be at the school at 7:25 for breakfast duty, but I had all of the afternoon classes... no field trips! It was a good day, though.

I had my first second grade class today. I am trying to decide which I like better, 2nd or 3rd, because Mrs. Harris is going to let me pick which one I want to start out with. I guess it doesn't REALLY matter, since I will be teaching them all at one point. The second grade class was lively, but sang very well... SO much better than any of the classes that I observed during my Field Experience. I absolutely love to watch those kids get excited about music! It just turns me on! And when I hear a couple of kids in a class just belt out the melody, it makes me wonder exactly what I was like in choirs growing up. I mean, I know that I loved music, but I wonder if I was the one that made teachers glow.

Besides the 2nd and 3rd grade normal lessons, Mrs. Harris also teaches a group of three classes that will be singing in a musical. I think that the classes switch out, so that everyone won't be so overwhelmed at one time with learning that material. They love to sing with that music. It's a musical called, "How Does Your Garden Grow" and they just sing from the bottom of their toes! And most of them on pitch, as well! Which says a lot for not only Mrs. Harris, but the other music teachers in the city, and the importance that parents must place on a music education in Arkadelphia.

They learned a new "song" today, which was more like a rap, called "Weeds Rule." Oh, I just got so tickled watching those kids get into that music! I don't think that I could ever move like that as a kid! So funny.

Speaking of funny, I have found one of the hardest things for me to do is to keep a straight face when Mrs. Harris is disciplining someone that was cutting up or being funny. I just get so tickled sometimes that it is hard for me to control my laughter! I really need to work on that.

I took a group shot of each class with a digital camera, and plan on uploading it to my computer to help me learn everyone's names within the next week or so. I mean, just think: I have to learn the names of every single child in the school! That is incredibly overwhelming to me! I think that I can do it, though. Or at least get very close.

The day went by very quickly, and before I knew it, it was time for Duty again! Thankfully, after this week, I will only have 2 more weeks of duty out in the cold for the rest of the semester... brrrrrr.... And hopefully those last days won't be so cold!

2004-02-04T17:00:00.000-06:00

Day one (2/4/04):

Okay. So the first day is officially over! And what a day it was! I woke up early to get a head start on the day, and arrived at the Arkadelphia School Boardroom to meet with the Assistant Superintendant, Mr. Thomas, at 8:00. He went around the table and had all of the Arkadelphia interns from OBU introduce themselves to make us feel more comfortable. One thing that he said that particularly stuck in my mind was that it was totally normal to be nervous. He said, "In fact, I would be worried if you weren't. If I ever get to the point where I am restless and unexcited before the first day of school, then it's time for me to retire."

After some preliminary rules that had already been made more than clear to us by the faculty at Ouachita, Amy Horton, Michelle Langford, Krystal Eads and I headed to Mrs. Clay's office, the principal of Central Primary School. Mrs. Clay escorted each of us to our respective rooms and introduced us to the classes that were in each. Mrs. Harris was already busy at work into her second group of students for the day. I basically was an observer for the entire day. I sat in the small, blue chairs and participated minimally, mostly watching the kids and how they reacted and responded to certain things.

Mrs. Harris had the neatest lesson for her 3rd graders that day. She was reading them a story called "Aunt Harriet's Underground Railroad in the Sky." This song would eventually be linked to a song out the Silver Burdett books, "Train Is A Comin'." It has been a long time since I have seen anyone read a story so full of emotion and continually keeping those kids captivated and on the edge of their seats. The lesson was full of understanding about slavery and the hard things that many of their ancestors had to go through. It was definitely a realization for some of them to find out that people were actually treated like that just because of their color.

During the planning period, I discussed with Mrs. Harris some possibilities for my service learning project. It took me a while to get across to her the point of the whole thing (and rightly so, because it still baffles me) but after I did, we decided one of the best things to do would be to take a group to the Nursing Home. We might incorporate some other things into the project, but for now, we are still hammering out the details.

I sat at the faculty lunch table and enjoyed some moments with my fellow Ouachitonians for a bit before the afternoon began.

We trodded along to our next class, only to find out that all the 2nd graders had been dismissed for the afternoon to go on a field trip... something about seeing a steam train coming through town at the railroad station. So we actually ended up having almost three planning periods in one day! It was kind of nice, though. Mrs. Harris and I were able to work out a lot of details, and I was able to familiarize myself with her way of doing things.

We had one more class, Mrs. Hesse's 3rd grade, that afternoon, and then we were off to Car-Rider Duty. And BOY was it cold. I will know for the future to come more prepared to be bundled up.

Overall, it was a super day, and I really enjoyed myself. Now, it's off to Little Rock for orchestra rehearsal!