Lesson Plan and Reflection 

My lesson plan focuses on comparing and contrasting the fairy tales, Cinderella and Rhodopis and Her Golden Sandals. Most people are familiar with the story of Cinderella, but Rhodopis's story is not as popular.

Rhodopis and Her Golden Sandal is an Egyptian fairy tale where an eagle carries away the golden sandal of a poor girl. The eagle drops the sandal in the lap of the King who sets of to find the owner.

I think this story will add culture and give me a chance to incorporate social studies.

Take Away

I need to work on a few things after receiving feedback. I need to:

• Make my input step by step. Allowing anyone to pick up my lesson plan and teach it. 
• I need to add research- based strategy.
• Cut and paste my lesson plan into the template given. This will allow me to ensure I don't miss any needed content.
• I want to add more learning stratiegies.
• I need to go into more in depth with this lesson. Get down to the details. 
• I need to add materials needed. 

I am contemplating using a double bubble map instead of a Venn diagram. What do you guys think? 

I feel like I have a lot to work on! lol  

5 FUN WAYS TO TEACH VOCABULARY

Eye Spy
- Give students a list of words and have them look for them in their reading.

Sorting Hat
- Yes- This is Harry Potter themed!!! Students will pick words from the "sorting hat" and classify words into categories.

Word Wheel
- Students will spin the wheel and follow the prompt given.

Paper Plate Vocabulary

-Students will cut the paper plate in two pieces (like a puzzle piece). One piece has the word and the other the definition. This is a great way for kids to have fun while learning vocab. 

Vocabulary on the Move 

- Students will have sentence stripes wrapped around their heads like a crown. The students don't know what word he/she has. They will walk around the classroom asking each other for clues to determine the meaning of their word. 

These are all great ways to keep your students engaged in learning! 

Word Walls

Word walls are an essential part of every classroom! They are a great way to give students access to content that is being covered in class. Word walls can also contain pictures that help students associate the words with sounds, letters, or topics. I love the use of pictures paired with words. I am a visual learner, so seeing words and pictures on the walls in school always helped.

I found a good link that explains word walls and how to use them in the classroom. See the link below.

www.readingrockets.org/strategies/word_walls\

I plan on using word walls to teach students vocabulary directed at specific topics such as conjuctions, muscle groups, sight words, and math
facts.

I believe word walls are a great way to provide knowledge to students at the tips of their fingers.

Below are links to some word walls that I found that could be useful in my classroom.

http://primarycornerstone.com/2017/03/21/what-is-portable-word-wall-and-why-do.html

This is a portable word wall. What a great way for students to access information and take it back to their seats.

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/303359724893200714/

This is a phonic sound wall. I see this very useful for younger students just learning how to read.

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/298152437821864995/

Its always hard to get students to recognize the vocabulary associated with adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing. This word wall helps make that easier.

2 Truths and a Lie 

1) I sang the National Anthem at a baseball game. 
2) I once ran a mile under 6 minutes. 
3) I have seen Avengers Infinity War over 5 times. 

Hi! My name is Joshua Ferguson. I live in Jefferson City, MO. When I graduated high school I took a job at the YMCA working their summer camps and before/after school care. I absolutely loved building relationships with my kiddos. Despite the encouragement from family, friends and a random stranger or two to pursue a degree in education, I started my journey at Lincoln University majoring in marketing. I graduated with my B.S in Marketing 2012. After graduating, I felt as though I was not fulfilling the calling God had for me. I decided to substitute teach for a year while continuing working at the YMCA. I LOVED IT! I was offered a full-time position at the Y which required me to get education hours. This is what propelled me into the teaching field. I enrolled in the Post-Bac program at Columbia College. In 2018 I graduated with my Masters in Teaching. I am finishing up my last class for Teachers Certification this summer.

My career at the Y has grown over the years and I have had the pleasure of getting to know thousands of kids over my 12 year tenure at the YMCA. I have been blessed to be a part of several groups that directly impact families in my community. I have recently been asked to serve as a board member for the "Sneaker Project". The Sneaker Project helps provide students with shoes, dental, and eye care through a partnership between the Jefferson City Public Schools and the United Way. I look to continue to develop as a young professional and impact children in whatever capacity I can.

Some activities that I enjoy is playing basketball, riding my bike, and hanging out with my family and friends. I am currently training for a triathlon. I am also preparing to bike 100 miles in the month of June as a fundraiser to help kids fight cancer. If you would like to donate please see the link below:

https://greatcyclechallenge.com/Riders/JoshuaMFerguson?utm_source=share&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=gcc_app_dashboard&fbclid=IwAR2oN3NAyIeTTeHSFtrtLqFxhkXFjTm3UEiBuqrIJNajwtISfHIzcucqEqU