Field Experience Reflection

I completed 5 hours in classrooms ranging from 3rd grade to 5th grade.


I split my time evenly between math and reading lessons but to focus on readin,g my school system is really pushing for small group learning (literature circles) and I went and observe a 5th grade reading teacher perform literature circles in a two hour block. I really saw some designing and great planning of a lesson plan (teacher standard 2) and saw how much prep work literature circles take. The teacher I observed worked very well with classroom management as well (standard 4). 


I was able to grasp little things like making sure students choose their own readings because this will keep them engaged. Being prepared, creating questions, and group talks are essentials in creating a good, positive learning literature circle. Also, it is okay if not every "group" is reading the same novel. Each separate team can choose a book of their own.

Wiki Checklist

Wiki Checklist

__ 1 __ Social Studies

__ 1 __ Science

__ 1 __ Math

______ Music

______ Art

__ 2 __ Reading/Language Arts

______ Physical Education

______ Other

Final Reading Log

Genre / Titles

Those not written as a reflection are in BOLD (31 total)

             I.      Non-fiction/Informational (1 reflection required on blog)    

1)      A Child Called “It” (reflection) Pelzer, Dave

2)      Knowing Your Civil Rights, Ditchfield, Christin *

3)      My Life in Dog Years, Paulsen, Gary

          II.      Poetry (1 reflection required on blog)

1)      What My Mother Doesn’t Know (reflection) Sones, Sonya

2)      The Road Not Taken Frost, Robert

3)      American Poetry, Hollander, John *

       III.      Modern Fantasy (1 reflection required on blog)        

1)      Babe the Gallant Pig (reflection) King-Smith, Dick; Rayner, Mary

2)      The Hunger Games (reflection) Collins, Suzanne

3)      Catching Fire Collins, Suzanne

4)      MockingJay Collins, Suzanne

5)      The Cricket in Times Square, Selden, George

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

1)      Al Capone Does My Shirts (reflection) Gennifer Choldenko

2)      Number The Stars, Lowry, Lois

3)      Shades of Gray, Reeder, Carolyn

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

1)      Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters. An African Tale (reflection) Steptoe, John

2)      Zeely,  Hamilton, Virginia

3)      Talking Walls, Knight, Margy Burns *

4)      Turquoise Boy. A Navajo Legend, Cohlene, Terri *

       VI.      Realistic Fiction (1 reflection required on blog)

1)      Laugh Until you Cry  (reflection) Nixon, Joan Lowery

2)      Hatchet (reflection) Paulsen, Gary

3)      Brian’s Winter Paulsen, Gary

4)      The River Paulsen, Gary

5)      Brian’s Return, Paulsen, Gary

6)      Brian’s Hunt, Paulsen, Gary

7)      Maniac Magee, Spinelli, Jerry

8)      Stone Fox, Gardiner, John Reynolds

9)      No Talking! Clements, Andrew

    VII.      Picture Books (6 reflections required on blog)

1)      Knots on a Counting Rope (reflection) Martin, Bill

2)      The Adventures of Hugo Cabret (reflection) Selznick, Brian

3)      The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs. By A. Wolf (reflection) Scieszka, John

4)      Where the Wild Things Are (reflection) Sendak, Maurice

5)      The Polar Express (reflection) Allsburg, Chris Van

6)      The Garden of Adbul Gasazi (reflection) Allsburg, Chris Van

7)      The Pain and The Great One, Blume, Judy

8)      There’s Something In My Attic, Mayer, Mercer

9)      Snowball Fight, Fallon, Jimmy

10)   Today I Feel Silly & Other Moods That Make My Day, Curtis, Jamie Lee

11)   Jumanji, Allsburg, Chris Van

12)   The Giving Tree, Silverstein, Shel

13)   Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day, Viorst, Judith

14)   Corduroy, Freeman, Don

15)   Oh, the Places You’ll Go! Dr. Seuss **

16)   The Lorax, Dr. Seuss **

17)   The Cat in the Hat, Dr. Seuss **

18)   Bartholomew and the Oobleck, Dr. Seuss **

19)   How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Dr. Seuss **

*  Picture book for that genre

** Read during Dr. Seuss week at school

Non-Fiction Reflection 1

Pelzer, D. (1995). A child called "it:" An abused child's journey from victim to victor. Deerfield Beach, FL: Health Communications


What an absolute heart-wrenching book! Dave Pelzer's informational book series about his account of his childhood is not for the weak at heart. This book contains Pelzer's account of the abuse, physical and emotional, that he endured under his alcoholic mother. 


Pelzer's story provides vivid detail in such a way that the reader wants fight for him. For instance, as Pelzer relives stories about only receiving food, scraps, that even the dog refused, the reader just wants to take the child home and take care of him themselves. Pelzer discusses having to eat his own vomit or being forced to swallow ammonia and clorox. As a reader, you begin to feel so strongly for Dave that you almost agree with him when he begins to wish his mother would just kill him. 


It is Pelzer's own will to survive that makes the reader begin rooting for him.You celebrate in Pelzer's accomplishments with him throughout the book. For example, when he prevents his mother from burning him on the stove or he is able to sneak into the freezer and get a full frozen dinner. You become so involved with little Dave Pelzer that, dispute the brutality, you contain to read, hoping and praying that a rescue is only a page away.


Pelzer went on to write a sequel called "The Lost Boy" which picks up with Dave in foster care.

Historical Fiction Reflection 1

Reeder, C. (1989). Shades of gray. New York, NY. Macmillan.


Have you ever lost a loved-one? A grandmother? Well, meet Will Page. A 12-year old boy who has lost everyone he loved during the Civil War. Due to a pre-arrangement set by Will's mother, Will is shipped to some relatives Virginia, which he has never met instead of getting to stay with Doc Martin, an old family friend. Relatives, whom Will discovers on the way to meet them refused to fight for the Confederacy.


Will arrives in his new home and so starts the unspoken battle between his Uncle and he. Will must not only deal with an uncle he views as a coward but he also has to deal with new cousins and a group of three guys who have chosen to bully the new kid. As Will tries to prove his worth on the war-ravished farm things seem to be working themselves out. Until Will receives a letter from Doc Martin that will force him into the toughest decision he has ever had to make. A decision that was supposed to be easy suddenly has Will backed into a corner and the only way out is to hurt someone he cares about. 


What will Will do?

Realistic Fiction Reflection 1

Paulsen, G. (1987). Hatchet. New York, NY: Bradbury Press.

One of my favorite authors of all-time, Gary Paulsen, wrote Hatchet in 1987 and it became a three-time Newbery Honor winner. This adventure and survival realistic fiction novel is about a young boy named Brian Robeson who is simply trying to handle the divorce between his mom and dad. While on his way to visit his dad in the Canadian Wilderness, his plane crashes and Brian is left stranded in the wilderness with nothing but a hatchet. The story tells of Brian's attempt at survival in the wilderness and as winter draws closer, Brian begins to accept the realization of never being found. 

Realistic fiction is defined by "stories that could indeed happen to people and animals; it is within the realm of possibility." Hatchet successfully fulfills every component discussed by Marshall: (1) Factual Realism: Brian could be one of the thousands of teenagers who is torn between divorcing parents that occur in the United States daily. The book also takes place in a real setting, Canadian Wilderness. (2) Situational Realism is fulfilled by the plane crash, which happens more than we would like in America, and with the survival of a passenger who must live within the elements. (3) Emotional Realism is seen through the heartbreaking and triumphant actions of Brian. (4) Social Realism is provided by seeing the technology used by both Brian and his rescuers. As well as the occupations represented by many adults.

Paulsen has written a whole series devoted to Brian Robeson.

Poetry Reflection 1

Larios, J. Yellow elephant. A bright bestiary. (2006). United States. Harcourt Books


This is a wonderful single illustrated poem book written in a picture book format. The author, Larios and illustrator, Julie Paschkis work together to create small poems with a picture on the opposite page to go along with it. Larios's uses words in each poem to help create an image for the reader. For instance, in "Red Donkey,"Larios uses the term to red to create a mean, frustrated, and tired donkey. Students can relate the color red to anger because they have seen this representation their entire lives.


In a different poem, entitled "White Owl," Larios uses the term "who" to show that the owl is asking questions about the things he sees during winter but this question is also referring to the "hoo" sound an owl makes.


This collection of poetry received the Horn Book Honor Award.

Modern Fantasy Reflection 1

Collins, S. The Hunger Games. (2008). New York. Scholastic Press


Modern fantasy is my favorite genre of literature. My favorite all-time series, Harry Potter, has come from this genre. As a 5th grade reading teacher, this genre is very popular among my students this year, as well. At the beginning of the year, I recommended Harry Potter to my students and many of them had read all 7 prior to Christmas break. This Spring, my students have thrust The Hunger Games upon me and I have absolutely loved them.  I am actually waiting for one of them to bring me the second book to borrow! Being able to connect with my reading class in this way has made our classroom discussions very beneficial.


The Hunger Games is a story about a country who sends one boy and one girl into a battle of survival, literally. Katniss, the girl chosen from District 12, is thrust into the Hunger Games in a rather unusual way. From the very start of the games, Katniss begins to win over the entire country with a "made-up" love story between herself and the young man chosen from District 12, Peeta. The two are separated for most of the book leaving the reader to wonder whether or not this connection between the two contestants from district 12 is real. Just when it seems that either, Katniss or Peeta must die in order for the games to end, the Capitol throws in a new twist. Is it possible for both Katniss and Peeta to survive? They think so but the Capitol has other ideas.


This fantasy novel tells of a strange situation in which the main character is thrown into a game developed by a government in order to punish it's citizens for a previous attempt of revolt. Collins also uses a bit of mystery fantasy leaving the reader sitting at the edge of their seat waiting to see what will happen to Katniss, Peeta, and the others. This is especially true with the cliffhanger the author leaves you with at the end of the story which can only mean one thing... go read the second!

Picture Book Reflection 6

Allsburg, C. V. The Garden of Abdul Gasazi. (1979). Boston. Houghton Mifflin Company.

This delightful, Caldecott Honor, book was written and illustrated by Chris Van Allsburg. The story tells of a boy, Alan Mitz, who is asked to simply watch Miss Hester's dog, Fritz, while she is away for the afternoon. The dog sitting turns into a much greater adventure for Alan when he tries to take Fritz for his afternoon walk. Fritz was able to get away and create a chase through the Garden of Abdul Gasazi, a great magician. Unfortunately, as good as Gasazi is with magic he really hates dogs. Alan knows he must catch Fritz before he is found by Gasazi. In the end, Alan ends up with no hat, no dog, and no... duck!?

This is the second book I have read by Gasazi and, when it comes to the illustrations, it is a much different book. The illustrations are drawings but they are done in pure black and white. Allsburg does a wonderful job of using shades of black and white to create great visual images. He creates a deeper color contrasted with a white stripe on Alan's shirt to make his shirt look as though it is red and white striped. The shade also leads the reader to believe that Alan's hat matches the dark color of his shirt. The shades of black and white are done so well that you can pinpoint the exact type of dog Fritz is.


A truly wonderful book that will make your students stop and think at the end. Really creates some great questions for students. For example, was the duck really Fritz?

Picture Book Reflection 5

Steptol, J. Mufaro's beautiful daughters. An African tale. (1987). New York. Lee and Shepard Books.

Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters: An African Tale, is a story about a man's two daughters who are both beautiful and worthy enough to become queen of the city. The two daughters, Manyara and Nyasha, were two completely different people. Manyara was selfish and bad-tempered and Nyasha was kind and considerate. The two daughters were supposed to go to the city together and allow the King to choose his wife but Manyara had other ideas. As the two daughters make their separate trip to the city to see the King they, unknowingly, run into the same three people. The way they treat these three people will ultimately lead to one daughter being chosen as queen and the other being left as a servant.

John Steptol, both the author and illustrator, of this Caldecott Honor Book and winner of Coretta Scott King Award (among others), does a wonderful job of using the illustrations to help tie in to the text. When describing Manyara as being bad-tempered, he also shows Manyara with a scowl on her face and shows the shy, sweet Nyasha with her eyes closed and turning away from the screaming Manyara.Steptol also uses the pictures to act out the text. "Nyasha ran ahead and topped the rise before the others could catch up with her," and Steptol shows beautiful Nyasha overlooking the city.

The illustrations are done using drawings by Steptol. The contrasts of colors throughout the book seem to make the important images standout to the reader. When Manyara runs into the old lady on the stump in the woods during her midnight adventure, the entire page is filled with dark greens from the forest night except for the small opening where the old lady sits. This helps to draw the reader's eyes to the old lady. The book itself is a picture storybook.

Picture Book Reflection 4

Sendak, M. Where the wild things are. (1963) New York. Harper and Row.

Where the Wild Things Are, my personal favorite childhood book, written and illustrated by Maurice Sendak won the Caldecott Medal in 1964. Max, a young troublemaker, is sent to bed without dinner one evening but it is here that the story really begins. As forest begins to grow in his very room, Max sets out on a journey that takes him to the place where the wild things are. Max becomes the King of all Wild Things and is having a marvelous time until he began to miss something or someone. You'll have to read on to find out whether or not Max makes it back to his bedroom safely!

This picture storybook uses drawings and has a section where the pictures do they talking. For instance, several pages show Max dancing or swinging from trees with the wild things. Even without text, the reader can see that Max is having a good time being the King. The illustrations also help to tell the story by matching with the author's text. As Max begins to leave the island, you can see the wild things reaching out for him and looking as though they are begging him to come back.

The book is hardcover and contains a dust jacket. The book also contains an endpaper and a flyleaf which help to introduce the story to the reader and show reviews from others that have read the story. The book uses a doublespread format which helps the story have a sense of continuity and flow throughout.

Where the Wild Things Are is a must read!

Picture Book Reflection 3

Allsburg, C. V. The polar express. (1985). Boston. Houghton Mifflin Company

The Polar Express is a classic children's picture storybook based on the Christmas season. Chris Van Allsburg, the author and illustrator, tells a story about a young boy who takes a magical Christmas Eve train ride to the North Pole. When he arrives, Santa offers him any gift he could imagine and the boy asks, simply, for a bell off the harness of a reindeer. Unfortunately, on the train ride home the bell is lost and after searching the boy is left empty-handed. Or is he?

The book itself comes with a dust jacket that has the picture of the front of the train on the cover of the book and a picture of the middle of the train with a small boy boarding on the back. The dust jacket gives the reader a feeling of if you do not grab this book the train is going to leave you. An interesting note about the dust jacket is that the author's name is not listed on the front cover. The Polar Express provides an inside cover which the author/illustrator's name and publisher can be found.

The size of the book provides a perfect opportunity to read the book aloud to a class. The pages are thick and durable which may allow for children to handle the book as well. The Polar Express is a hardcover book.

Allsburg appears to use paintings and realistic art throughout the story in a doublespread format. The format helps to show actions and moods throughout the story. For example, many illustrations are from the outside of the train as it makes its adventure to the North Pole. The illustrations make you feel as though you are traveling through the forest and mountains with the train.

The Polar Express is the 1986 Caldecott Award winner.

Picture Book Reflection 2

Selznick, B. The Adventures of Hugo Cabret. (2007). United States. Scholastic Press.

Wow! Someone could probably stop writing about Brian Selznick's "The Adventures of Hugo Cabret"after just that one word. Selznick's masterpiece may look a bit intimidating at first to both you and your students, but inside it's 533 pages is a beautifully written story that is over before you know it. Selznick, who is also the illustrator of the book, tells roughly half of the story uses pictures only in a picture storybook format. Although this creates a an absolute great read, the way in which the book is constructed makes it a book for older readers and one that they may enjoy more on their own than out loud.

The story itself is about a young boy, Hugo, who is orphaned and living inside the walls of a Paris train station. Hugo is forced to live a life where is stealing from those in the train station in order to survive, but suddenly Hugo's life is turned upside down when he meets a young girl about his age. Soon, Hugo's life and all it's secrets are in danger of being discovered. If you have never read about Hugo then it is highly recommended.

It may seem different to read a story just through illustrations but the artistic talent of Selznick makes it seem as though you are watching a movie. Selznick uses drawings, a charcoal pencil, to move the story without using any words. Since there are no words during many parts of the story, it is the job of the illustrations to portray all of the literary elements, such as plot, setting, theme, etc, to the reader so when the text does continue the reader knows exactly what is occurring.

This will be a top five children's book for a very long time and I am not meaning only in my category. This book will be read by all sorts of children for years to come!

Picture Book Reflection 1

Scieszka, J. The true story of the 3 little pigs. By A. Wolf. (1989) New York. Viking Penguin

We have all read and/or heard the story of The Three Little Pigs and always leave with feelings of sorrow for the pigs and hostility for the Big Bad Wolf. The problem is that many of us never thought of the life-long rule of the fact that there is two-sides to every story. In Scieszka book, we get the story of that fateful day involving the 3 little pigs and Big Bad wolf from the point-of-view of the Big Bad Wolf himself. Give it a read and see Mr. Alexander T. Wolf, or Al, can create a whole new perception for you and the childhood favorite.

The story is an immediate success because of the fame of the original story, but Scieszka does a wonderful job using the literary elements of a picture book to re-create the story. The illustrations, done by Lane Smith, are used to create a picture storybook and tell the story just as much as the text. Scieska and Smith do a wonderful job of using the doublespread book design to help the book flow from page to page. The larger size of the pictures and book itself makes it an excellent read aloud in an elementary classroom. (I actually read it to my 5th grade class today!) Finally, the illustrations also do a wonderful job of creating a visual picture of what our characters look like since the author never provides the reader with a description.

The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs! By A. Wolf, is an excellent read aloud and could be used very effectively with several different literary skills. For example, you could compare and contrast Scieszka's story with that of the original version or create a cause and effect chart using the events of the story. You could even do a fun activity like having the students debate on which story they think is true!

Trust me, after reading this delightful book, even your feelings of the "Big Bad Wolf" may have been altered.

Introduction

Hey everyone! My name is Charlie Hamilton and I currently live in Lexington, KY. I am 26 years old originally from Bardstown, KY. I have 3 sisters and crazy, seriously crazy, black lab named Chance. He was a rescue, hence his name and I am huge fan of the movie Homeward Bound.


I actually teach over in Madison County at White Hall Elementary. This is my second year teaching the 5th grade; last year I taught science and this year I am teaching reading and math. We did our schedule a bit difference this year. I love the 5th grade and I think I am exactly where I want to be for the time-being. Eventually, I do want to get my principalship and become an elementary school principal.