Field Experience Questions

1. How many hours did you complete? I completed 5 hours observing a library media specialist at McFerran Elementary. 

2. In a short paragraph or bulleted list, how did you spend your time?

• observing teaching with kindergarten, second, and fifth grade classes
• observing the process of students finding, choosing, and checking out library books
• interviewing LMS about organization of library and tips for utilizing literature

3. How did the experience help you to strengthen at least one Kentucky Teacher Standard? (be sure to name the standard)

STANDARD 1:  THE TEACHER DEMONSTRATES APPLIED CONTENT KNOWLEDGE- The teacher demonstrates a current and sufficient academic knowledge of certified content areas to develop student knowledge and performance in those areas.

My field experience has given me a better understanding of reading content in multiple grade levels. I saw how to teach reading concepts such as inferencing, sequencing, and theme from children ages 5-11. I also learned how to better utilize real, quality literature to teach these strategies. I believe this helps better develop student knowledge and performance because students are more engaged when trade books are used in comparison to text books or worksheets. Not only did I see a wonderful teacher teaching this way, but I learned how to better utilize our library so I can apply my learning to my own classroom!

4. Talk a little about one thing you learned because of this field experience. 

I learned a lot about how difficult it would be to teach reading to six different grades. There are many similarities but many more differences! You really have to be flexible and knowledgeable to switch from one grade to the next. Although this doesn't relate directly to my teaching, I learned several new ideas on how to differentiate assignments for low, middle, and high students. I can use the same story or text for every student but differentiate the strategies to meet every level.

"Go Ask Alice" Reflection

"Go Ask Alice"

Go ask Alice. (1998). New York, NY: Aladdin Paperbacks.



I am admittedly not a fan of informational text. I read it to and with my class because I know it is important but I usually have to force myself to read it on my own and have a difficult time comprehending what I'm reading because my mind wanders. However, "Go Ask Alice" was like no other informational story I have ever read before. I couldn't put it down!

"Go Ask Alice" is a first-person account, written as a diary, of a young girl struggling with life, and most importantly, sobriety. The main character is never named, but by the end of the book you feel like you know her. The readers hears all of her most private thoughts and go on the incredibly difficult journey of a young drug addict in what I believe is the 1970s. Although she came from a middle-class, happy, loving family, once the character is accidentally introduced to LSD one summer while visiting her grandparents, her life is never the same. She is in a constant struggle with herself, whether or not she should use again. When she is using, she feels wonderful, but her life is terrible. She is beaten, raped, and used. No matter how terrible things get while using, staying clean is an everyday struggle. Not only is she fighting with herself, but with the other "dopers" at her school who are angry that she quit. 

The organization is unlike any other book I've read. Some entries are labeled with dates (month and day) while others are labeled with question marks because it is unknown when they were written. This made me want to keep reading, because I never knew where to stop! This poor, young girl really was a wonderful writer. She used imagery and metaphor to describe her situations to where at times I felt like I was there. For example, on page 33 when she was describing her first time using LSD she writes, " Each note had a character, shape and color all its very own and seemed to be entirely separate from the rest of the score..." and on page 114 when she is feeling strung out, lost, and lonely she writes, "A raindrop from heaven just splashed on my forehead and it was like a teardrop from heaven". 

"Go Ask Alice" is almost excruciatingly sad, but yet so real. You know the young girl is making such bad choices, but you feel empathy and sympathy for her and wish you could help her and give her someone to talk to like she pleads for so many times throughout the story. This book is definitely for mature audiences only, possibly juniors and seniors in high school or even college-aged students. However, it is a real-life look at what life is like on drugs. It does not glamorize or encourage drug use, it is a warning showing first hand the horrors of drug addiction. Some questions I would ask for students would be:

What do you think her parents could have done differently to help keep her clean? Is there anything they could have done?

Have you ever experienced peer pressure like the main character does? Being threatened and bullied for making a different choice? How did you handle the situation?

Write a journal entry from another family member- Mom, Dad, Tim, or Alex. Pick a point in the book and write how you think her family was feeling and what they were thinking.

Reading Log

Katie's Reading Log

Genre / Titles you read (Hit enter after each one and a new number should pop up)

             I.      Non-fiction/Informational (1 chapter book or photo essay book reflection required on blog)

1)      Go Ask Alice by Anonymous

          II.      Poetry (1 chapter or picture book reflection required on blog)

1)      Hate that Cat by Sharon Creech. (required for discussion – do NOT use on blog)

2)      Who Killed Mr. Chippendale? by Mel Glenn

3)      Where the Sidewalk Ends: The Poems and Drawing of Shel Silverstein by Shel Silverstein

       III.      Modern Fantasy (1 chapter book reflection required on blog)          

1)      I, Jack  by Patricia Finney. (required for discussion – do NOT use on blog)

2)      The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

3)      Kate and the Beanstalk  by Mary Pope Osborne

       IV.      Historical Fiction (1 reflection required on blog –can be a picture book)     

1)      The Teacher’s Funeral by Richard Peck. (required for discussion – do NOT use on blog)

2)      Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis

3)      Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo

          V.      Multicultural/Traditional (2 reflections required on blog – one can be a picture book)         

1)      Hiroshima: A Novella by Laurence Yep (required for discussion – do NOT use on blog)

2)      The Skin I’m In by Sharon Flake

3)      The Talking Eggs by Rober San Souci

       VI.      Realistic Fiction (1 chapter book reflection required on blog)

1)      Baby by Patricia MacLachlan. (required for discussion – do NOT use on blog)

2)      Hatchet by Gary Paulsen

    VII.      Picture Books (5 reflections required on blog during the first two weeks of class. There should be a total here of at least six.)

1)      The Wednesday Surprise by Eve Bunting. (required for discussion – do NOT use on blog)

2)      Train to Somewhere  by Eve Bunting

3)      Smoky Night by Eve Bunting

4)      The True Story of the Three Little Pigs! By A. Wolf by John Scieszka and Lane Smith

5)      So You Want to be President? By Judith St. George and David Small

6)      Officer Buckle and Gloria by Peggy Rathmann

7)      The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg

8)      Jumanji by Chris Van Allsburg

9)      Ivy and Bean by Annie Barrows

10)  26 Fairmount Avenue by Tomie DePaola

11)  Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters by John Steptoe

Wiki Checklist

Instructions: Write the number of entries for each category you posted into on the Course Wiki (requirement is four total posts, in four different categories)

__1__ Social Studies

____ Science

____ Math

____ Music

__1__ Art

____ Reading/Language Arts

____ Physical Education

____ Other

Book Talk- "Bud, Not Buddy"

Curtis, C. P. (1999). Bud, not Buddy. New York: Delacorte Press.

"Bud, Not Buddy"


Have you ever felt like you just don't belong? Ten-year-old Bud (not Buddy) has had this feeling the past four years since his mother's untimely death. Tired of not having a place to call his home and being treated terribly by foster families, Bud decides to run away and go on the "lam" to find his daddy. Only problem is, he isn't really sure who his daddy is. With a suit case containing all of his belongings and some flyers left behind by his mother, Bud heads off to Grand Rapids to find the man he is sure is his father. As an African-American during the Great Depression this is both a dangerous and exciting adventure. Bud is an endearing young man whom you can't help but love, and you hope he finds someone to do just that. To follow Bud along his journey and find out if he ever finds his home, read Christopher Paul Curtis', "Bud, Not Buddy".

"Hatchet" Book Talk

Paulsen, G., & Coyote, P. (1992). Hatchet. Old Greenwich, CT: Listening Library.

Thirteen year old Brian Robeson, thought he'd been through the worst event of his young life, his parents divorce. Not only was he living in the wreckage of his parents' split, but he knew the secret behind it all, and had no idea what to do with the information. This was weighing heavily on his mind as he rode in a small Cessna airplane to visit his father in the oil-fields of Northern Canada. This was until the pilot of his small plane has a heart attack and Brian has to crash land the airplane in the rugged wilderness of Canada. Brian is all alone with nothing but a tattered windbreaker and the hatchet his mother gave him before he left. He faces many challenges including hunger, angry insects and animals, and severe weather. What will he do? Will he manage to survive? Will his parents come looking for him? Will he be able to stay alive long enough for the search party to find him? This intense survival story showcases that with strength and perseverance you can do much more than you ever imagined. Make sure to read the book, Hatchet by Gary Paulsen, to find out how Brian stays alive and if he will ever return to his life as he knew it.  

Who Killed Mr. Chippendale? Reflection

Who Killed Mr. Chippendale?: A Mystery in Poems

Glenn, M. (1996). Who killed Mr. Chippendale?: A mystery in poems. New York: Lodestar Books.

Who Killed Mr. Chippendale? is a collection of narrative poetry that tells the story of the murder and following investigation of a high school English teacher, Mr. Chippendale. Every poem is told from the point of view of a different character throughout the story. Some accounts are from students, teachers, police officers, and recurring poems written from the point of view of colleague and romantic partner, Angela Falcone. Some students have wonderful things to say about their former teacher, while others don't seem to care, or have negative opinions. With every poem, you get a little clue as to who may be responsible. Anonymous letters start showing up for Ms. Falcone and the police are immediately notified. You also learn a little more about the man beyond his murder by his students' and colleagues' descriptions. 

Although the poems don't rhyme, there is a sense of rhythm with each poem. The poems are mostly literal, but Glenn did use some figurative language, specifically metaphors and similes. For example, on page 45 a student named Mike Curry says "Going to school is a lot like watching TV". You click from one period to the next all the while hearing the same messages over and over. He is referring to the impersonal education he feels he's had. On page 53, a student named June Hogarth compares her struggle with alcoholism with a washing machine- hoping to find the strength to stop the vicious cycle. Mr. C was the one person who reached out and gave her the help she needed. 

This book was a very interesting twist on a typical mystery. More so than just the poetry, it was written from multiple points of view so you got  sense of how different people felt about the man who was killed and the situation in general. Some students were glad to see a teacher who gave them a hard time gone. Others had been effected in a positive way by Mr. C and were devastated to see him gone. Many people, students and adults, did not like how the situation was handled by the school-almost as if it never happened. 

This would be the perfect book for older students, 9-12 grade, who say they don't like reading poetry. I honestly, am not a huge fan of poetry, but I really enjoyed this book. I would use this book not only in a unit discussing narrative poetry, but also to teach about metaphors and similes. Students could write them down as they find them and categorize in a T-chart as either metaphors or similes. 

"The Skin I'm In" reflection

The Skin I'm In

Flake, S. (1998). The skin I'm in. New York: Jump at the Sun/Hyperion Books for Children.

The Skin I’m In is a narrative written from the perspective of Maleeka, a thirteen year old with very low self-esteem. She attends an urban, rough middle school where most of the students are more concerned with smoking in the bathrooms and partying than with school work. Maleeka is dragged down by a so-called “friend” named Char. Maleeka is so embarrassed by her dark skin and mangy clothes (sewn together by her mother) she allows Char to treat her terribly. Maleeka does her homework and follows Char in all of her schemes, just so she will loan her some decent looking clothes to wear. Everyone in school bullies Maleeka, especially a boy named John-John, who has made up a jingle about how black Maleeka’s skin is. Things start to change when a new teacher, Miss. Saunders, a former corporate business woman, begins teaching Maleeka’s English class.  Miss. Saunders has a large white birthmark on her face, but has not let that stop her from being successful. She see Maleeka’s potential, and tries to bring her under wing, but Maleeka is resistant from the beginning. She continues focusing on being accepted by her peers, following Char in the hopes she’ll throw her a bone, and getting into trouble. Finally, at the very end of the book, Maleeka gets into much more trouble than she ever anticipated. She finally stands up for herself against Char and begins to take her education and herself more seriously.

            Honestly, I had mixed feelings about this book. I enjoyed seeing the world through Maleeka’s eyes, I almost felt as if I were in her shoes. However, this book really lacked much of a plot. Flake spent the first three-fourths of the book describing characters and several little events that weren’t really tied together. There was no real build up, or anything to keep you reading. Finally, there was somewhat of a climax when Maleeka gets blamed for Char’s grand idea, yet again, and she finally stands up for herself. But suddenly, the book is over. It was just somewhat, disappointing.

            There was definitely a lot of conflict in this book. Maleeka was conflicting with herself (person-against-self) as well as with her peers (person-against-person), especially Char. Maleeka is constantly feeling down on herself and that she is not good enough to do anything. Even when her new teacher, Ms. Saunders, tries to give her some confidence in what a wonderful writer she is, Maleeka is too insecure to accept it. Some of the words used in this book are different than in traditional literature. However, I found them very appropriate for the context. I have spent over three years working with low-income, urban children and I could almost hear some of the things Maleeka and her peers say coming out of the mouth of my students. For example, on page 27 when Desda asks Maleeka why she doesn’t speak proper English she answers, “Don’t nobody talk like that for real, only people in old movies and books.” This really hit home for me, because many of my students really don’t hear anyone speak proper English. This makes it even more important for me to concentrate on what I say and how I say things because it makes such an impact.