7.08.2009
I started training in a classroom on Monday. I spent the first two days observing my cooperating teacher interacting with the students and helping them with their work to some extent, and I taught for the first time today.
So first, let me tell you a little bit about my class. These are 7th going on 8th grade students, all of whom passed their state exams but either failed their classes or were forced into summer school as a disciplinary action. If a teacher, such as my cooperating teacher or myself, cannot see the reason why these kids are in summer school, how can we expect the kids to want to be there? To some extent, it's almost lucky that these students are not quite at grade level--they still have trouble with multiplication, fraction addition, and basic geometric concepts like area or perimeter. This way, we can at least provide them with the gateway skills they'll need to be successful in 8th grade and beyond, and summer school won't be a complete waste for them. Unfortunately, these kids think they know everything.
Being that it's been nearly 10 years since I've interacted with any 12 year-old students (yes, the last time I interacted with 7th graders, I was a 7th grader), I was frightened of how my lesson would go today. Overall, it went well given that it was my first time handling a classroom. The students listened and were engaged to some extent, and I have a very supportive cooperating teacher (who's already certified and has been teaching for several years) who was able to help me control them. I'm not a harsh disciplinarian at all, but my change of tone and my facial expressions seem to do me a lot of good. My students definitely are trying to gauge what kind of teacher I'll be, and I'm scared that my inexperience is blatant. I feel like I should try to provide my cooperating teacher with the support he needs when the students are disruptive during his lessons, but he doesn't really need it. Still, I'll spend my time in the corner with the misbehaving students so that they're uncomfortable and will pay attention, and this seems to work well enough.
Tomorrow, I'll be teaching the first hour again and helping the teacher out when he needs to deal with attendance, parent conferences, and other administrative issues. My goals for tomorrow are to avoid being overwhelmed while I'm on stage and learn the rest of the students' names. Big goals? You betcha.