Professional Development

I attended a two day staff retreat with my cooperating teacher, prior to the beginning of my student teaching experience. During this retreat, we studied various aspects of reading instruction, including guided reading and running records. We also spent time deciding how different procedures would work throughout the year.

I attended a one day training for the new first grade social studies curriculum. During this training, we were introduced to the materials, assessments, and projects that are now mandated for social studies at the first grade level.

The MRA Conference was a fantastic experience for me! I visited several sessions during my day at Cobo Hall in Detroit, Michigan. I learned how to incorporate drama into a classroom, which trade books were the best new trade books, and how to run a poetry workshop with my kids.

I attended the MSTA conference in Lansing, Michigan. This conference gave me ideas on how to build a planetarium for my classroom and how to teach about simple machines. I also acquired many professional resources for myself.

This was my first conference. I acquired many new ideas in the areas of science and math. Some techniques that I learned are that science can be taught with music and that the Internet can be used to teach weather to children.