WEEK FIVE- Weekly Journal

This week was a great week because I had a lot more responsibility because Mme. Mercer has been away due to the fact that she has strep throat. I found out that good time management is important at my placement because you have to be prepared for all the lessons on time. If you don't finish writing quizzes and preparing activites, then you cannot successfully run a classroom. You also need to be able to fit a whole lesson into a scheduled time slot that cannot be too short or too long to maintain order. You also need to be able to set a good example for the students in the class so that they are prepared for the future and pick up good work habits. To have good time mangement you have to limit yourself in certain areas in order to complete the everyday activities. Sometimes lunch must be cut down so as to finish photocopying or writing a quiz. A good sense of time really helps as well because then you can gage what has to be taught by the time that you have to do it. This way you do not run over the shceduled time and teach everything that you have to get through. My time management skills have improved greatly during these past few weeks, and this has also helped me in my everyday life because I do not procrastinate nearly as often as I used to.
I sometimes feel tension at work when there is trouble within the classroom. Sometimes Mme. Mercer has to be stern and you can tell that the students are ashamed of their actions. I also feel tension when there are issues between students, such as when they argue or taunt each other. I usually step in to calm everyone down so that no feelings are hurt. The great thing about my co-op is that I do not usually feel stressed there; it is more of a place that I can go to enjoy myself as well as be productive. I think that I have yet to feel stressed or under pressure at my placement because I like doing tasks and keeping busy. The only time I have ever felt even close to stressed was when a supply teacher was present and the students did not respect her at all. It took a lot of time, energy and effort to gain order. Teamwork is important at my placement all the time because the teachers have to work together to coordinate their lessons and control certain students. I also have to work well with an E.A., Mrs. Hutchinson because we both take groups to the library. We work together to help the students understand their work. Mme. Mercer and I also work together to plan lessons. I feel like a good team member when I talk to other teachers about suggestions and problems I may have, because then I am communicating with them to better my performance. Communicating with fellow teachers helps to assure them and myself that I know what I am doing. I also feel like a good team member when I actually help the students. Overall, this was a good week for me because I really took on a lot of responsibility and a bigger role in the classroom due to Mme. Mercer's absence. I had to tell the subtitutes what to do and introduce them to the class' routines. I enjoyed the challenge and I learned a lot about myself an how far I've come since my first day at my placement. I have become so much more confident and self-assured.

WEEK FIVE- Daily Log: Thursday, March 29, 2007

• Today was a very interesting day at my placement because it did not follow its normal routine. Due to the literacy test at my school all of the classes got pushed into the afternoon. I had to attend my math class because we had a math quiz scheduled for tomorrow, however on coming to class I found out it had been switched to Monday. In order to get my three hours in today, I arrived at my placement at 11:00 and then left for math class at 12:35. After math class I arrived back at St. Andrew at 1:35 and stayed until 3:15, giving me three and a half hours worked today. I also know that Mr. Grace came to my placement however I was running late and had to rush to Holy Trinity so I would not be late for math. I left a note for him to let him know that I would not be at St. Andrew during the next hour or so.
• The first thing I did upon arrival at St. Andrew today was resume my post in the library typing up charts. I got a few more out of the way and used my time wisely. I also saw that Mme. Mercer was away once again, which means that she must have strep thraot. She left lesson plans for the new supply teacher and I went over the class' daily routines with her. I accompanied her to the first afternoon class to make sure that the students knew what they were doing and also to make sure they knew they had to be respectful to their substitute teacher. When I came back from math class I rushed to the end of the second afternoon class to see if everything had gone well. It seemed as though everyone was doing what they were supposed to.
• During planning time I spent a lot of time typing up charts and I finished a significant amount of them, so I hope that Mme. Mercer is pleasantly surprised upon her arrival tomorrow. I also left a note for Mme. Mercer reminding her that I will not be at St. Andrew tomorrow due to co-op integration at my school
• I worked three and a half hours today.

WEEK FIVE- Daily Log: Wednesday, March 28, 2006

• Today I found out that Mme. Mercer has strep throat, so she was not at school today, nor will she be present tomorrow. As a result, yet another supply teacher was assigned to Mme. Mercer's classes. The first task that I did was to type up more charts on the new floppy disk that Mme. Mercer gave me yesterday. I then talked over the lesson plans with the supply teacher and updated her on the book report that the students have been working on. I also informed her of the classroom opening routines, such as prayer, who says the date and asks what the weather is like outside.
• When we arrived at the first class we told the class what they would be working on today. Today they would be drawing four of the characters in their books, or if they don't have four characters they would have to draw four items, or one character doing four different activities he does in the book. After handing out the class' books and making sure that the supply had everything under control, I took the same group I had yesterday to the library. I noticed that the second day I take the same group is a lot more relaxed because the students see that I am a very nice person as well as very helpful. They know that they can trust me and can feel comfortable around me.
• I did not have planning time today because Mme. Mercer had switched it with another one of her french classes. So I took the four people she had specified in her lesson plan to the library and continued doing the same things as the other two classes. Surprisingly, this group warmed up to me almost immediately.
• Mme. Mercer wrote out the lesson plans for tomorrow as well so I know what has to be done. I feel that I have a lot more responsibility when Mme. Mercer is absent, which means that I have to have a bigger role in the classroom. Today I worked from 11:55-2:55-three hours.

WEEK FIVE- Daily Log: Tuesday, March 27, 2007

• Today was a very different day because I did not type up anymore charts. I was out to work right away, and was greeted by Mme. Mercer who was finally back at school. It was nice to see her in class again because she has respectfully earned the undivided attention and respect from all of her students which ultimately restored order in the classroom. It's very fun to teach with her because she trusts me with all of her plans. Before class today, Mme. Mercer had me write out quizzes for the grade six classes as well as the grade eight classes. The quizzes contained an assortment of verbs that they will have to conjugate within phrases. I liked making the test because it reminded me of the work that I had done in elementary school.
• During class today, I took out two new groups: Sean, Jamie, Reanne, and Laura in one class and Cole, Jonathan, Shaniqua, and Laura in the other. Jamie has been in Holland for a while, and just came back yesterday, so I have been helping him catch up on his book report. Today's activity was to finish up the five questions they had to make up yesterday and write them onto a cue card. The students do not know this yet, but they will later have to orally reply to these questions in an interview with Mme. Mercer. Once the students finished this activity they had to draw four different characters in their books. Most of the students worked very independently today and needed little help. I like to make sure they know that I am here to help them so that they know they are not a burden or bothering me.
• During planning time I finished up the quizzes I was making, and made sure to look them over to see if the grammar was correct. I then used what is called a risograph to make 75 copies of the grade six quiz and 80 copies of the grade eight quiz. Risographs are generally used when you want to make more than twenty photocopies of something. I then copied 75 activity sheets in the risograph as well. Mme. Mercer and I also discussed the upcoming events that would be taking place in the classes.
• Today was very fun because I was not near a computer the whole day, and I like to be doing things where I have to move around rather than sit down down for a long period of time. I worked from 11:50-3:05 today-three and a quater hours.

WEEK FIVE- Daily Log: Monday, March 26, 2006

• Today Mme. Mercer was absent again so I had to assist the supply teacher. As soon as I got to school today I got to typing up a few more charts. I find that these charts are teaching me a lot because I see them everyday and they refresh my memory of all the french grammar and conjugations that I will need this year. I find that I refer to these charts when I help the grade six students and that means that not only am I helping Mme. Mercer make more room in her office and organize herself, but I am also giving my students a better understanding of their french material. Due to the fact that I have typed up so many charts of late, the floppy disk that I have been using is now full, meaning that it will not save anymore charts. Since Mme. Mercer was away today I could not get another floppy disk, so what I resolved to do today (instead of fall behind) was to type them up and email them to myself where I can then open them up when I get another floppy disk.
• Today in class I helped the supply teacher organize the class and settle them down from being inside all of recess. I realized that the classes were both much more respectful towards their supply today. This made our jobs easier and also allowed the students to get a lot more of their work done. I took more students than usual to the library today because some were just coming home from March Break and had to catch-up on the work that they had missed. From one class I took Jamie, Sebastien, Andrew, Natalie, Elie-Ann, and Sara, and from the other I took Sebastian, Pere, Vanessa, and Jessica. After I explained the activities that they had missed, I was there for the students' help. Today's activity was to make up five questions concerning their book.
• During planning time I typed up more charts and organized my co-op binder and the lesson plans for the coming days. I worked from 11:50-2:50 today-three hours.

WEEK FOUR- Weekly Journal

This past week went by so fast that I hardly remember what I did each day. Each afternoon was so jam-packed that I was constantly busy and very tired by the time I got home. Something that really surprised me this week was the immense amount of faith that Mme. Mercer has put into my every move. She left me to dictate a test to her classes as well as mark them and record the marks while she was away. I already have a prominent role in the classroom, and I was not expecting to have this role until later in the year. I know that I have to be mature and ready to work so that I meet the high standars and expectations of Mme. Mercer. I felt good this week when the students that I take to the library asked me questions and put confidence in my knowledge and answers. I love being there to help them find their answers so that they learn and apply what they've learned.
Mme. Mercer is a great supervisor because she never doubts me or my abilities and assigns me projects that enhance my skills. She puts so much confidence in me and that makes me confident in myself which ultimately allows me to produce my best work. Mme. Mercer is also very personable, so I don't have a problem with talking to her about problems in my life or issues at my placement. She guides me through each day and I learn so much from her. The class has immence respect for her and I can only admire this. My colleagues are also great people and have a lot of respect for me. They are welcoming and cordial which puts me in my comfort zone. I now see that teachers are people too which, and they deserve to be treated with dignity. I learn so much from all of them and this knowledge will help me in my pursuit of becoming a teacher.
I was disappointed this week when I saw that as soon as Mme. Mercer was absent the students went wild and disregarded the substitute teacher. On the other hand, this shows that Mme. Mercer has achieved their undivided attention and respect during class time. It was very frustrating to try to quiet down the class when they were getting loud and I had to be very stern and serious. Some of the kids wouldn't listen and this gave me a sense of powerlessness. However I kept to it and finally calmed them down. I hope that what I do each day helps Mme. Mercer out a lot because she deserves it. I also hope that my presence and attitude will stay with these kids for a long time and teach them some valuable life lessons. I also hope that I will be able to make Mme. Mercer proud of me and all that I do. When I finish working at my placement I either go home to relax and start homework, babysit the kids on my street (Tuesday, Thursday, Friday), or I have driving lessons (Monday or Wednesday).

WEEK FOUR- Daily Log: Friday, March 23, 2007

• I was sick today, so I stayed home from school in the morning. On a usual day I would not have gone to my placement, however I knew that I had to be there because Mme. Mercer would not be present today due to a dentist appointment. I arrived earlier than usual and got right to typing. I typed up two more charts and realized that the floppy disk is full and won't save anymore charts. On Monday Mme. Mercer will have to give me another floppy disk to fit the remaining charts.
• I then went to class with the supply teacher Mr. Gall. The class took advantage of Mme. Mercer not being there and were really disrespectful to Mr. Gall. It was really hard to maintain order and while I was dictating their test they spoke out and didn't listen. The second class was better behaved and gave my head some rest time. I took groups out to the library where they were told to catch up on unfinished work.
• During planning time I marked the spelling tests and wrote each mark in Mme. Mercer's markbook. I then had to cut construction paper for an upcoming activity involved with the book report. They are going to have to make a bookmark that pertains to their book. I had to measure each slice of paper to be six centimetres and then I had to use a slicer to cut the paper. This was very time consuming because I had to be very precautious when using paper slicer.
• I worked from 11:45-3:15 today- three and a half hours.

WEEK FOUR- Daily Log: Thursday, March 22, 2007

• After signing in today I got right to business and began typing up charts. I managed to get a few done before the bell rang announcing the commencement of class.
• In class today, I took the same group to the library as yesterday. I think that because the kids are now more familiar with me they are opening up to me and not being as skeptical and reserved as they were at first. Some are joking around with me while working so that we end up having a fun time while working in the library. Today the students had to pick ten words from their book and write them down in list form in the their book report booklets. They then had to put their words into a wordsearch and then fill in the remaining spaces with random letters. They did this with almost no help and worked very effectively. After finishing today's work they were told to finish up any work that they have not finished throughout the week. Some of the students worked so well that they finished everything and resolved to study their words for their spelling test tomorrow (dictee).
• During planning time I managed to type up three more charts and proofread them as well. Mme. Mercer has a dentist appointment tomorrow so she told me that I would be dictating their test and also told me the lesson plan for tomorrow.
• I worked from 11:50-2:55 today-three hours.

WEEK FOUR- Daily Log: Wednesday, March 21, 2007

• Today I signed into my placement and got right to business typing up another chart. After completing this, Mme. Mercer asked me to drop off a sheet in the staff room and then meet her in her first afternoon class. Today I did a lot of running around the school with Mme. Mercer and met a lot of the staff.
• In class I took out two new groups to the library: Jake, Elias, Lauren, and Evangeline in one class and Rachel, Kira, Danjuma, and Desmond from the other class. This time they had to pick a character from their books and describe them in five sentences (in french) and write down three activities that this character does in the book. Some studentshad a bit of trouble looking for words in their french-english dictionary and some had some trouble with their sentence structure. I was their to guide them and help them understand what they were having trouble with. My groups today were very quiet and also very engaged in their work. They showed me immense respect and showed me that they see me as an authority figure. They listened to me, and we ended up having fun and getting work done.
• During planning time I did not touch any charts and instead went around the school with Mme. Mercer where we went to the staff room. Here, we met up with an E.A., Mrs. Hutchison where we talked about some of the students and how I should interact with them. Some need to learn how to show respect and we discussed how I should help. Mme. Mercer and I then folded up ballots for a Health Competition held amongst the staff and then went down to the office where I drew a name from the bin in front of a witness. We then delievered the prize to the winner (a cookbook) and wrote an announcement for tomorrow.
• I worked from 11:55-2:55 today-three hours.

WEEK FOUR- Daily Log: Tuesday, March 20, 2007

• Today was a lot of fun because I saw that the pile of charts that had found a home in the corner of the french room had significantly decreased in size. I cheerfully grabbed a chart and proceeded to type it, even more determined to finish the now diminished pile of charts. Once I finish the charts I will move on to another long term project.
• Today in class I took out the same four people from each class however this time they had to do another page in their book report booklet. This time they had to find three new words in their books, define them in english, and them write down the phrase in which they found the word. Some of them had trouble and I helped guide them so that they knew what they had to do. Some of the kids were a bit louder today and I had a bit of difficulty keeping them in order. I find that some of the students still take advantage of me and do not treat me with the same respect they show Mme. Mercer. However I know that as time goes on they will see that I am also a teacher figure. They are very nice to me however some treat me as a friend rather than an authority figure. I managed to keep order today and realize I have to be more stern so that they realize I mean business! On the other hand some students treat with utmost respect and this is seeming to rub off on some of the trouble makers, who are beginning to show me respect.
• During planning time I typed up more charts and ended up doing two more. I worked from 11:55-2:55 today-three hours.

WEEK FOUR- Daily Log: Monday, March 19, 2007

• Today was my first day back from the March Break and it was nice to be back at my placement. The students seemed very well rested even more noisy than usual. When I first arrived at my placement I got right back to the computer and began typing up more charts. I took a brief inventory of the charts I had already typed up and there are approximately 56 charts completed. This means that I have about 20 more charts to go. My goal is to have them done by the end of this week.
• In class today, Mme. Mercer introduced a book report to the class where she assigned each student a french book according to their interests and reading level. I told the class that every other day I would be taking a new group to the library where I will help them and have more one on one time with them. Each student will have two consecutive days with me. I am looking forward to this project and really want to get to know these kids more.
• Today I took Maeve, Jacob, Rachel, and Lucas from one class and Jacob, Julian, Simona, and Julie. I really got along with them and they were not afraid to ask for help when they needed it. I felt like I helped them a lot, and that they are responding. Today they just worked on their title page and wrote down information about their book (author, illustrator, etc).
• During planning time I typed up some more charts and managed to get a good chunk done. Today I worked from 11:55-2:55-three hours.

WEEK THREE: Weekly Journal

I am beginning to love my placement more and more each week, and am also becoming more and more attached to the students. They are very unpredictable and as a result are a great source of entertainment. They are very creative and always end up making me laugh and enjoy myself. However, I'm still trying to figure out why some students havn't warmed up to my company. There are some students who are very secluded and like to be quiet. I understand that some are very shy and do not easily adjust to new situations and change. So I will continue to encourage them and assisst them with their studies in a very enthusiastic and personable manner so that they realize I am here to help them. On the other hand there are students that have fully warmed up to me and are not afraid to consult me when they know they need help. I am more than happy to help them and they always seem more motivated when I help them. It makes me feel good to know that I can help people get through their day. Getting to co-op on time is not a challenge for me because I leave my third lunch at 11:40 everyday and end up getting to my placement roughly around 11:55 everyday. The school day at St. Andrew's ends at 2:50, so I work until this time then clean up my workspace and finish up what I am working on. I end up signing out by 2:55 each day. I like to make my arrival and departure a routine so my days are more solid and organized.
Routines at my placement are very important because I need to be in my comfort zone so that I can work to my best ability. By having a day planned out, I am able to have time to think ahead and process what I have to do. I know what classes I have each day and Mme. Mercer always writes down her lesson plans in my co-op duotang so that I know what I have to do. This gives me room to plan around lessons and focus on the students. Routines also make my days more flowy because I know what to expect from them. Some days are so busy that I end up doing one thing after another. I actually enjoy being very busy because it makes my days go by faster and will also prepare me for future jobs. I am gaining transferable skills and reliability which could also make me a serious contender for job applications. There are some days where I am so busy that I don't spend as much time as I'd like to with students. Instead I find myself running around the school doing other tasks. I like being in the classroom and actually working one on one with the students because it gives me a sense of accomplishment and also improves my "people skills" because of the class's diversity. Due to the different personalities and learning levels of the students, I have to alter my teaching techniques which has taught me how to deal with people in the future.
Some days there isn't a lot to do and I find myself having a less prominent role in the classroom. There are days where Mme. Mercer teaches for most of the period and there are days when the students have to present projects. There was one day where there was not a lot for me to do in the classroom, so I typed up charts the whole day. After a while my eyes started to feel stressed and tired. I knew that I needed to take a break so I took a walk to relax my eyes. I'd much rather be busy than not busy because it makes me happier and as if the day is going by faster.
There is a student in one of my classes who has a slight disability. He is not aware of the circumstances around him and ends up demanding the teachers and myself around-almost as if we are his slaves. As a result the teachers tell me not ot give him any help when he treats us like this. As much as I undertstand and respect this notion, a part of me also wants to help him and this becomes frustrating to me. I know that we have to train and teach him to respect the people around him, and this comes before our assistance. This week I learned that teachers do a lot more than teach lessons. They have a very prominent role in their students' lives and will always be remembered. They impact the way kids think and act and ultimately affect their future. This makes me appreciate and respect all of my teachers even more. It also makes me realize that I impact these students because I am around them everyday. This is very daunting for me because the way I think and act ultimately affects the way the kids think and act.

WEEK THREE- Daily Log: Thursday, March 8, 2007

• After signing into my placement I went right to the french room to greet with Mme. Mercer and her office-mates. My first duty was to go down to the primary hallway and pick up a bunch of posters that Mme. Mercer's students had completed. About a week or two ago I had put them on a bulletin board, and the primary teacher took them down yesterday. I went to get them so that we could hand them back to the class.
• I then took up my everyday post at the computer in the library to type up another chart. After I completed this chart there was still time before class because Mme. had switched her planning time so that she now had class last period. And so, Mme. Mercer gave me two sheets of paper and the class lists for her two afternoon classes. My job was to separate each class into groups of four so that after the March Break I have set groups aside to come with me to the library for further assistance and one on one learning. Each student in each class has a chance to come with me for two days. I sorted out the groups based on behaviour and skill so that it would be easier to control and help them.
• It was then class time so we went to Mrs. Luburic's class. Today the students learned how to conjugate a new verb and once again I walked around the classroom and helped those in need of assistance. Mme. Mercer also sent me to photocopy activity sheets for the class when she realized that she was short.
• I then stapled a paper with a title on it that would go on the bulletin board display I set up yesterday.
• We did the same things in Mme's second class and during the lesson I managed to type up two morw charts.
• I worked from 11:55-2:55 today; three hours. I will not be at my placement tomorrow seeing as it is March Break.

WEEK THREE- Daily Log: Wednesday, March 7, 2007

• Today I did not start off by typing charts at my placement! Instead Mme. Mercer wanted me to take off a bunch of grade 8 projects from a bulletin board to make room for new things. I took off all the visual projects and then moved them around a bulletin board that was already full. I had to use tape to fasten them to the wall, which proved to be very time consuming. I then stapled Mme. Mercer's class's projects up on the empty bulletin board. Unfortunately there was not enough room to put up all of the projects, so I resorted to using the bulletin board in the computer lab after consulting Mme. Mercer. I then put back the stapler and tape and made my way down to the gym where St. Andrew's would have a special presentation.
• This presentation is called the "Half Pints". The "Half Pints" is a basketball team for little people. These people are very talented and ceased to amaze the students and I with their unreal skills. They sank half court shots, backward shots and lay-ups. However their main message was to prevent/demote bullying in the school community by using their humour, wit, and positive attitude to capture the attention of the students. It seemed to really hit the students and make them think. My job during all of this was to keep the kids around me in order and quiet.
• During Mme. Mercer's planning time I went down to the office to make some photocopies for Mme. They were for art class, and it was a lot of photocopying! I then went to the library and typed up one more chart before calling it a day.
• I worked from 11:53-2:53 today-three hours.

WEEK THREE- Daily Log: Tuesday, March 6, 2007

• Today I signed into my co-op placement and went right up to the french room. Mme. Mercer asked me to cut out posters from the excess lamination. After doing this and discarding of the waste I got right back to typing. I got through three more charts before class time today.
• In class today, the students took out their homework from the previous night and we corrected it as a class. The kids seem to be getting the general concept of the lesson from yesterday, however there are still some students who are having trouble with it. Fortunately, after I explained it to them in more simplistic terminology they seemed to understand. They then had to do the flip side of their homework sheet which expands on yesterday's lesson. I also walked around the class and was ready to help anyone who needed it. I do sometimes have to turn away my help because some kids want to me to do their work rather than help them with it. They have to learn that I cannot always be there to help them during tests and such. The kids then had to do an activity regarding the new concept.
• I then went back to the french room where Mme. Mercer and I rearranged her working space and shelves so that it was more organized. I then went back to the computers in the library to type up more charts. I managed to finish three more charts in this time span.
• I worked from 11:55-2:55 today-three hours.

WEEK THREE- Daily Log: Monday, March 5, 2007

• Today I began my time at my placement by typing up more charts. There are not a lot left and I am looking forward to completing them so that I can start another long term task. Before class time today, Mme. Mercer and I went over some things that we would be doing during the rest of the week.
• During class time I wrote up some words on the blackboard that corresponded with Mme. Mercer's lesson. The students had to use the lesson to place the proper possessive adjective with each word on the blackboard. We then took up their seatwork as a class. I also helped the students that didn't understand the concept, and actually made some headway in that they understood the lesson after I explained it to them.
• During the lesson, another teacher asked if I could make seventy copies of a worksheet for his class. I used a machine called a risograph that makes these copies really fast. I also made some photocopies for Mme. Mercer.
• During planning time, I typed up some words that Mme. Mercer wanted to be posted up on her class portal. These words are for a upcoming spelling/translation test that is scheduled for March 23. The purpose of having the words on the class portal is so that the students can study them over the March Break.
• After completing this task I did some more chart typing and finished two moreof them. I then cleaned up my working space and signed out. I worked for three hours today-from 11:55-2:55.

WEEK TWO- Weekly Journal

This week was even better than the last because I am becoming more comfortable in my placement and enjoying the environment all the more. I am also learning a lot about myself as well, because I see that I love being around kids and helping them out. I consider myself to be very personable which helps me out in this workplace. The kids also seem to be comfortable in my presence as opposed to being shy and complacent. They are interactive and willing to learn. Being ready at my placement means that I am ready to enter an environment where I have to be professional and personable at the same time. I have to be at my placement early so that I am sure I won't be late. I also have to be ready to learn and soak up information in a small amount of time so that I can complete tasks quickly and efficiently. I also have to be ready to accept and use constructive criticism to my advantage so that I can better myself in terms of skills, and also prepare myself for the future.
This placement is what I expected because I knew that I would love it and look forward to going there everyday. It never gets boring and there is always a job waiting for me. I like to be busy because it makes the day interesting and also makes my days go by very fast. I also expected the staff to be very warm and cordial towards me, and they have been nothing but. This makes me feel as if I belong here and am wanted here. I also expected the students to be very nice and friendly, which they have been. They have responded well to my presence which makes me feel as if I can actually help them with their studies. Mme. Mercer has also been awesome because she has treated me with immense respect and also makes me feel good about myself and my abilities. Seeing that she has confidence in me makes me think that I can make a difference in my placement. This placement is not what I expected because I expected some students to mock me and take full advantage of me due to the fact that I am also a student. However, they have been very respectful and treat me as if I am a teacher. There are, however, a selective few who abuse my presence and see me as more of a friend than a teacher's assistant.
Some situtions that made me feel good were when students actually came to me for help on certain activities. It made me feel good about myself because it showed that the students had confidence in my abilities and knowledge. Specifically, when I took a group of students to the library, they were very involved and eager to learn. They were not afraid to ask me for help and seemed happy to get assistance. Some situations that made me feel bad were when some selective students took advantage of my presence and began treating me as a friend rather than an authority figure. Some students used inappropriate language outside of class while talking to me, which is not acceptable. I do not enjoy having to raise my voice and be stern, however that comes with the territory and is something that I have to do. All, in all, I love my placement and there is not one thing that I dislike about it!

WEEK TWO- Daily Log: Friday, March 2, 2007

• Today I went to St. Andrew's a little bit earlier due to the fact that I left earlier than usual on account of the weather. I wanted to gain some time back so that I wouldn't be behind in my hours. As soon as I got there I got right to business. I began to type up more charts! I am almost done this assignment, and will soon be able to focus on the many other projects Mme. Mercer has assigned to me. I am beginning to type up the charts much faster, and I notice that my typing and french skills are improving immensely.
• When class time rolled around, Mme. Mercer had another task she wanted me to complete. I was supposed to sort out certificates for teachers for a competition they had been having amongst the staff. I had to put post-its containing each team's members ontop of each team's certificates. I then had to place the corresponding number of medals with each package.
• In the next class, Mme. assigned the class a task where they had to describe a picture she gave them. I walked around the class and helped anyone who needed it. I have a lot of fun helping the students and they always make me laugh, which brightens up my day. Everyday I go to co-op, it makes me think I want to be a teacher even more. During this class Mr. Grace came in to meet my supervisor and make a brief update. After the class presented their pictures to the class, we all played a game having to do with numbers. It was really fun and kept the students on their toes.
• During Mme. Mercer's planning time, I went back to the library to do some typing. I think I got about five more charts completed. There is a significant number of charts completed now.
• Mme. Mercer and I also discussed some of the lesson plans for next week. I worked from 11:25-2:55 today-about three hours and 25 minutes.

WEEK TWO- Daily Log: Thursday, March 1, 2007

• Today was a very interesting day seeing as the bad weather resulted in bus cancellations. This meant that there were not a lot of students present today. We decided not to go too far ahead of the rest of the classes, and ended up correcting the dictionary activity the students completed yesterday.
• After taking up their seatwork, Mme. Mercer assigned them a class activity she titled "Lost in Translation". The students were required to translate a french passage into english. The passage was a paragraph in length and was found in their french textbooks. After spending the majority of classtime on the activity, Mme. Mercer collected all of the translations and read each one to the class. This way, the students had a comical way of translating french into english and also saw the mistakes that they made in comparison to the true translation. This proved to be a great learning tool, and also encouraged them to use their french-english dictionaries. Some of the students used to be skeptical of their dictionaries, however now they see it as a helping tool. During class I also spent some time handing back the student's french work as well as doing some photocopying for Mme. Mercer.
• Today Mme. had switched her planning time with the grade 8 teacher Mrs. Stula, so last period I spent looking after the grade eight students with Mme. Mercer, trying my best to help them.
• I then went to the library and made some headway on my typing project. Due to the weather, my dad showed up at St. Andrew's at 2:30, so I worked from 11:50-2:30 today-two hours and forty minutes.