November 6 - November 10

Kate Sorgenfrei kept the log for us this week. Click below on comments to read her account of the week, or send her a big "hello."

We're Going to College!

Hey Cadets! Let us know when you receive an acceptance letter from a college or university! We want to fill you with HIGH POT!

Kindergarten & Pre-School Observations

We observed Kindergarten & Pre-School November 15 and 16. Here are Jon and Erin hanging out with the kids at Greenbrier Elementary. We also visited Mauldin, Bethel and Oakview. Hey cadets! Leave your comments about your experience. Anything you can't wait to share??

PLAY DAY!

I can't believe I didn't take any pictures! What is wrong with me!!! Anyway - Here are your questions to respond to.

1. List some specific things that you did during "Play Day" that fall into these different types of play:

• practice play
• symbolic play
• games with rules
• construction play

2. What did you observe during "Play Day" about:

• solitary independent play
• parallel play
• associative play
• cooperative play

3. What did you learn about yourself and/or your friends during "Play Day." What can you learn from playing? How could you incorporate what you did today or learned from today's activity into your pre-school model.

4. Please state your pre-school model plan: (group and project)

November "Teacher Cadet" of the Month!

Congratulations Erin Tharpe!!! - Erin, (center) encircled by her friends Heather & Christina, was voted most generous with her time, her possessions, her friendship and her help. She is November's Cadet of the Month!

Thank you!!!

How can I begin to thank each of you for your kind and wonderful surprise for my birthday. You all are definitely a bright start to my day. Thank you for the beautiful cake, the thoughtful poem - and what a wonderful gift - The 55 Essentials by Ron Clark. I appreciate how much thought and effort you put into the surprise and making my day extra special. I also appreciate how hard you work for me in class - the energy, the creativity and the fun you infuse into our room. I hope you generate that enthusiasm in your own classrooms one day. Again - thanks so much. You are all super special.
~ Señora T.

"Building" with Language

We studied the importance of language in teaching according to theorist Lev Vgostky, also known as "that guy." Cadets had to build free-standing structures using various materials. However, they could not talk, write or communicate with each other in any way to accomplish the task.

October 30 - November 3

Gayle Smith kept the blog this week. Click below for her comments. Send her a little "hello" too.

Happy Halloween Hands!!

The Cadets made "Halloween Hands" to brighten the teachers day. We delivered them on Halloween. Everyone can use a hand full of pop-corn, candy-corn and a spider ring!

October 23 - October 27

Jon Leonard kept the blog for us this week. Click below to read his comments and leave him a "hello."

T-Shirt Design!!

Erin is designing our class t-shirt with stick figures! Leave her some ideas for the type of stick figure each of us should have!! Happy Brainstorming!

Jean Piaget Reactions!

We discussed Piaget's theories on cognitive development. Write a reaction to each of the following questions critics have raised about Piaget.

1. Piaget's theories are based on case studies of a small population of white, middle-class children. Are the same stages true for other cultures, atypical living arrangements, and other populations? What influences do environmental factors have on these stages?

2. The sequences and chronology of Piaget are rigid. Some "normal" children are far behind these stages while others are far ahead. Can stages be skipped? What about precocious seven-year-old chess players? Shouldn't adults be capable of formal operational thinking. (if adults know that drinking and driving is dangerous, why do they do it?)

3. Piaget does not adequately describe adolescents. Should they have their own egocentric stage? They appear to understand rules, as in the formal operations stage, yet many feel that rules apply to everyone else but themselves. (Teenagers believe in using birth control, yet many do not use it themsevles.)

October 9 - October 13

Allison kept the class log this week. Click below to read her "comments" or to add your own!

Special Education Observations

Hey! While Mrs. Turner is gone to the Teacher Cadet Fall Conference, the cadets are busy visiting local elementary schools to observe special education classes. Please share some of your reactions to the experience. Remember DO NOT include students names. Respect their privacy!

October Student of the Month!

Congratulations Gayle Smith! Gayle is a senior at Mauldin who is extremely creative. Her enthusiasm is an added bonus to our class, and she will make a fabulous teacher one day!

A Visit with Mrs. Sorgenfrei

Traci Sorgenfrei, the Applied Behavior Specialist for Greenville County Schools came to speak with us today, Oct 9th. She taught us about the different types of special education and what kind of services were available to students. She discussed protocol for visitation and observation of special needs students. She got everyone ready for our schools visits this week. Thanks so much to Mrs. Sorgenfrei for her willingness to share her time with our class.

October 2 - October 6

Christina Land kept the log for our class this week. Click below to read her comments and give her a big "hello!"

"Only the curious will learn and only the resolute will overcome the obstacles to learning. The quest quotient has always excited me more than the intelligence quotient."
Edmund S. Wilson

September Library Display Cases

The Teacher Cadets are responsible for maintaining the display cases in our library. For September, Erin Tharpe, Jatana Jennings and Anthony Bufis designed a display to showcase "banned books" for Banned Book Week. May we exercise our freedom to read. Gayle Smith, Erin Tharpe and Jessica Wickline also created a display to show off our Big Books and Puppet Shows promoting self-esteem

September 25-29

Jatana Jennings was responsible for an account of this weeks activities. Click below to read her comments and give her some "love"!

September 18 - 22

Michael Harris kept the class log for this week. Click below to read his account of our activities. Feel free to leave him a message!