The End

Well, here it is.

As it turns out, I was horrible at updating this blog. I suppose I can give you an overview of the end of my semester student teaching, but overall it was good. My unit went well; the majority of students wrote very good memoirs, though there were a few that had trouble. Those students were not a surprise, and hopefully they continue to improve. My CT had each class sign goodbye cards for me and they were wonderful and so heartwarming. The end was very bittersweet and I can't wait to become certified to substitute (I could have a semester ago, but I wanted to focus on student teaching- I will be allowed to substitute in February, though I can legally teach now). I definitely plan on subbing for my CT. In fact, someone I know is being her student teacher next semester so that will be pretty awesome! He's going to do great and the kids will love him.

I graduated Sunday. I got to sit with three of my friends from previous semesters. It was sort of boring, but really nice and we all got to be together. I graduated with honors and have since been sitting around, looking for jobs nearby (I am in a lease until September and don't plan on moving until then). I'm relaxing, Christmas shopping, and watching Freaks and Geeks.

Overall it was a fabulous experience and I can't wait to start real life.

Tiring Jobs

I haven't updated this in a long time. I've been working a lot to plan my unit (which is starting it's second week today), grade papers. Last unit our kids wrote short mystery stories and I have to say, a large portion of them were VERY good. Many kids did well, but some were seriously outstanding.

My unit is about memoirs and so far we've done a timeline, as well as some lessons on values to connect to events. It's going very well. Soon I need to videotape a lesson of mine and watch/reflect it. I'm on top of everything in my classroom, but it's the stuff for my university that I'm behind on. We're almost done though and it's insane. I graduate in a month- ONE MONTH. Well, and a few days.

I also moved, though not far. My house is a big mess because I'm so tired and rarely finish unpacking and putting things where I should, but it's nice. I have a dining room table to sit and grade things on, and a bathtub which has become my best friend this semester.

It's going great. I'm tired and there are occasional problems in class, but for the most part I can't even imagine being done and leaving. I can't wait to find another job, though. Here's to hoping!

The Semester So Far

I've neglected this blog so much and for that I apologize.

Beyond this blog, however, I have also neglected a lot of other things. I've not seen my friends lately, I've not gone to ballet as often as I should (I'm currently at a 50% rate in attendance there), and I'm going to bed between 9-10 most nights. It's totally worth it, though! I miss the people who I'm used to seeing in my life, but I love waking up each day and going to school. I love working with the students, I love the moments of connection I have with them (both on personal levels and helping them understand their work- the latter however is the most rewarding feeing of my life).

There are a few things I feel I should update on just to keep track of.

I'm only teaching occasionally. I generally get a chance to teach our last two classes of the day, which is so interesting. Sixth hour is huge and takes so long to settle down that they get much less done than the other classes. They do generally, however, get all of their work done. It just takes a bit longer. Seventh hour is our smallest class (today, in fact, we got a new student pushing the number of kids to 21). They get things done rather quickly and ask some of the most amazing questions.

It's fun to see how classes differ. Not only these two, but also with our first two classes of the day. All four are different in what they need, how they learn, how much they participate, etc. Each class is really amazing and it varies so much that I feel I'm getting a great idea of the ways to work with students and classes, as well as the stresses that come with this job.

Twice so far in the semester my CT has been absent. Legally we've needed a substitute in the room, but I've taught all four classes both of these days while the substitutes were there. It's gone well. I love seeing how one can iron out the hiccups in a lesson as the day goes on. I love seeing the participation and fine tuning my own teaching through the day.

Overall, this experience so far has been amazing. I'm tired and sometimes stressed, but I'm getting a better hold on what to do, how to manage and organize, and how to find time for myself.

I really do love this. I love teaching, I love helping, and I love that I've discovered the ability to stand in a room in front of people and speak. All of the staff in the school that I've run into have been wonderful. My CT gives me an incredible amount of helpful hints and tips to teaching.

I honestly can say that, through the stress and exhaustion, I have no complaints.

Long Days

The second week of school went well! I'm getting used to going to school and being awake, but I'm always tired. I find myself napping often- or just plain going to bed at 8:30 or 9PM. But it works.

This week was long and exhausting. It was my first full week, but well worth it. I am getting an understanding of what the kids are like and capable of. The rowdy kids are getting better at quieting down when asked (though sometimes they still find the need to talk back). That's nice because soon I'll be teaching them. Classroom management worries me; I wish that we had a class on that in university, but instead I have to learn as I go. They seem to listen to me pretty well, which is amazing, but it really is a matter of me talking over them without sounding like I'm yelling. I'm very conscious of it and worried they think I'm being mean. While I'd rather be respected than liked by my students, I don't want them to dislike me over something like that- "yelling," when really I'm trying to just get their attention.

We had a parent-teacher night this week which went well. It was a long day, though, and I was ready to fall into pieces at the end of it.

Next week is my first observation by my university advisor. Then we have one unit and I start writing and teaching one on my own.

Week One: Complete

My first week of student teaching was amazing. It was also extremely tiring. I found myself going to bed around 9PM, some days even including a nap before that after I got home from the school. But, really, so far I completely enjoy what I'm doing.

This week has been focusing on introducing our classroom rules to our students and getting to know them. We've done a few activities that relate to working in groups, as well as what respect, resourcefulness, and responsibility look like in our classroom. This has helped set the level of expectations for how students will act in our classroom.

I have memorized almost every students name. There are a few that I get confused, though that is mostly because we have so many of the same or very similar names in our classes. I do spend time each day making sure I know the students by name, mostly to drill it into my head who is who, but also to show that I want to get to know them and that they are individuals in our class, not just a random part of a whole.

I've done one lesson in front of the class. It didn't take the entire period, but it was a good intro to teaching for me and a worthwhile and important lesson for the students. We've done a lot of individual and group work this first week, so I've spent much of the time in the classroom walking around and helping the students.

At the end of each day I'm tired, but I feel fulfilled. My main fear for student teaching was to find that I don't enjoy doing this, that I can't handle the classroom environment or schedule. So far, however, I leave each day tired, but so happy. I really am finding that I love to teach. I love to walk around and help and hear the opinions and questions of students. It makes every day, so far at least, really wonderful.

Argyle Sweaters

Today was my first day of student teaching!

My first real thought about the day is that I am exhausted. I set an alarm for 6AM (I had to be at the middle school at 7:45 at the latest). I, of course, fell back asleep and proceeded to have a nightmare in which I was incredibly late for my first day. I woke up in a panic at 6:52, straightened my bangs, pulled my hair back, ate a quick breakfast, and ran off to school... after changing my shirt three times, of course. I ended up in argyle, the most wonderful teacher pattern to exist.

I got there in time. My cooperating teacher (CT) doesn't have a first hour, but for the first day we had twenty minutes of advisory. Then the day went on as it was scheduled. First hour I made transparencies with my CT. We made seating charts, alphabetically, for the first few weeks. With each class we played a name game, handed out a letter, a syllabus, and supply sheet. My CT is requiring each student to have a special one-inch binder for her class, which I think will be beneficial.

We have four classes and they seem mostly wonderful. One class, directly after the seventh grade lunch period, is huge- 30 kids- and rowdy, likely because they just got in from lunch. I think as we separate certain groups that feed off of each other in a noisy and negative way, the class period will get better.

I really enjoy our last class of the day. There are only 21 kids in it and they all seem interested and curious.

Despite the fact it was "syllabus day," I am exhausted and ready for a long nap. The rest of the week looks interesting and should be fun, though probably just as exhausting.

Superintendents and Seminars

Tuesday was my first major meeting as a student teacher. My day started at 8AM where I arrived at the middle school I'm working at. I rode with my cooperating teacher to the high school I graduated from for a district-wide meeting with the new superintendent.

This meeting was somewhat lengthy, if I can be honest, but also very interesting. Being surrounded by so many people in the same profession I plan to go into was an interesting and educational thing. The meeting started out with a drumline of high school students, which was a great way to start the morning and a really wonderful performance.

Our superintendent is new and had a lot to say. The gist of the entire speech she gave was about creativity and how we, as teachers, need to be creative and allow our students to be creative to let them fulfill their potential of higher thinking.

This meeting was followed by a meeting at the middle school with the staff. I am the only student teacher this year, but not the only new face. I learned a lot about how the school runs, and the new tenure laws and how they change things in our district. It's an interesting, though honestly terrifying, process that our state and district are going through. Job security is a huge issue now, and beyond that, just finding the time to fit in the required amount of observations and reflections per quarter are almost insane. I do have faith, though.

At this meeting I got to learn a lot about the staff I'll be working with. We wrote "Who I Am" poems to post in the school. The point of this was to get to know each other and have our students who will read them eventually get to know us as well. Also, if we can't put ourselves out there, how can our students?

That was the basis of the meetings Tuesday, and I won't go into much more detail about them because for many of you it's probably boring and unnecessary. I left the school around 3:30 and was exhausted! I know I'm going to get used to it soon, but right now that was just a long day for me.

On another note, today I had my first seminar with my supervisor and the other students from my university participating as student teachers in the same district as me. This went very well. I saw quite a few familiar faces and got to learn about what other student teachers are going to teach, both in my subject area and beyond it, in both middle and high schools. My supervisor was also really great about giving up handouts about what we have due and when, as well as refreshers and different types of lessons we will be required to do.

My major concern so far for this experience is the half hour recording I will have to do. We are each required to record a lesson (which will be more than a half hour, but only a half hour is necessary) for us to share with our supervisor as well as look at ourselves to reflect upon. I think this is a really wonderful idea- how do you know you can teach if you don't get to see yourself do it?- but at the same time the idea is intimidating to me. It will work out, though, I'm sure.

I'm spending this weekend buying final supplies (pens! A lot of pens!) and organizing all I can, as well as starting some assignments that are due at my next seminar. These include reading from my handbook, writing up a context analysis of my district and one of my classes (I have four that I will be working with), as well as a resume rough draft.

My day ended with me submitting an application for graduation and stressing out- I'm almost done with college! There is so much to do this semester, and I'm sure time will fly. Whether that's good or bad, I don't know, but I'm sure it will happen that way.

(1) Day of Summer

"The art of teaching is the art of assisting discovery" - Mark van Doren

I remember as a student, up through college even, the feeling of the last day of summer. There would be nothing more thrilling, yet draining, than the last day of so-called freedom. Everything from finding out where my classes were and who was in them to the first homework assignment made me excited- I loved school. It was also sad, though, to think that in just one day I'd start the routine of waking up before the sun, going to be early, and in between the two completing assignments and deciding if I had time to go out.

This is happening again. Right now. Tomorrow I start my first day of student teaching and I feel the thrill and excitement, but also the sorrow of summer ending. This time around, however, it's not because I don't want to wake up early and I don't want to have to sleep before dawn; instead this last day of summer I feel a sort of anxiety unknown to me before. I am excited, but also terrified. After four years learning to teach, I am going to begin putting what I've learned to practice and seeing if teaching is right for me, or more accurately, if I am right for it.

My actual classes don't being tomorrow. I start with Professional Development days, as well as a seminar at my university, but school really does start the night before you go in for the first time. I'm definitely still a student, and I don't mind learning as I go.

I suppose I should include some general ideas about where I am and what I am doing this semester as I embark on the end of my university education and into my future career. I'm a female in the midwest, I'm twenty-two, and I will be student teaching in a seventh grade language arts classroom where, so far, we have decided that this semester will be focusing on mysteries and memoirs. The university I attend only requires a semester of student teaching, as opposed to a full year that other programs sometimes require, and it's the last thing I have to do before I walk in my cap and gown.

I am terrified. And thrilled.