Thoughts from a Student Teacher Week Twelve

I cannot believe how fast time is flying! Although I am eager for summer I hate to see my student teaching experience end.

This week was interesting. You can definitely see a change in the students. Everyone is ready for summer and because of this behavior problems have increased and so has apathy. The students do not care about the up coming real standardized test. They have taken so many MOCK tests they are sick of it; I can empathize.

My number one goal as a teacher will be to teach the TEKS throw in some test preparation skills and let the tests come and go. All of the pressure the teachers place on the students does not help them it only makes their anxiety and indifference worse. If we can give them the skills they will need and then encourage them to go in and do their best I would think it would make the situation better, but who knows! Kids are unpredictable.

Another change I have seen in the students, especially the boys, is how girl crazy they have become! The hormones are raging, I guess. And if the 7^th grade girls won’t pay them attention I guess they’ve decided to throw their energies into flirting with me. UGH! What a learning experience for me. I am creeped out by the attention and have to pray that God gives me the word to show these boys how inappropriate their actions are. It makes me wonder what it will be like to be alone in a classroom with these students (without Mrs. C there with me). That is another advantage Mrs. C has, being older. Sometimes I wish I was older and married (if that would even discourage them).

Thougths from a Student Teacher Week Eleven

So my journal entry is not worth reading this week so I've decided to post a cartoon I found that sums up my experience with the students this week. Sometimes this is how I feel...



Thoughts from a Student Teacher Week Ten

This past week was very interesting. I created a vocabulary test for Monday that all of the students took and proceeded to grade the papers the next two days during the standarized writing exam the students had to take. All of the vocabulary terms of the test have been taught throughout the year and we also gave them a study guide to study over the weekend. However, I found that grading those tests was the most depressing thing ever! I now understand how it feels to push something so hard and find that the students really do not care enough to make an effort to study. I think everyone is burnt out and ready for summer break. I have suggested that we give the students an opportunity to take a second vocabulary test and hopefully many of them will take the opportunity to really study.

I spent Tuesday and Wednesday as a restroom/hall monitor during the standarized test. Though a tiring job, it gave me time to grade tests and read. I will be watching the hallways again this coming week as the students complete their mock Math and Reading standarized exams. I cannot believe how many tests the state gives these kids and I feel so sorry for them. My hope is that in my future classroom I will keep my testing to a minimum and making assessments more “undercover” or at least more fun. If there is anything that sucks the fun out of learning it is tests.

Saturday (yesterday) I took the practice Pedagogy and Professional Responsibilities (PPR) exam. It only took me 1 ½ hours of the available 5 hours and I felt pretty good about it. I am eager to see my scores and take the real PPR exam next Saturday. There were a lot of elementary focused questions on the tests and I am so thankful that God has given me experience in pre-school classrooms. I was able to think back to some of those experiences to help me answer the questions. Now I just have to wait until the 7^th to finally be done with this test!

I found out last week that the principal wants me for next year!! She is just waiting for a position to open up. So I have donned my P.U.S.H bracelet to remind me to “pray until something happens.” The principal also asked me if I wanted to be added to their substitute list once my student teaching assignment is over. Mrs. C says this is another sign that she wants to keep me. J So right now I am praying and waiting because God’s timing is definitely not my own.

Thoughts from a Student Teacher Week Nine

Although a little stressful, this past week was so good! I was very pleased with how my lesson and observation turned out and felt in my element putting together the powerpoint presentation. I also love how after being very nervous while teaching the first period I slowly became comfortable and more relaxed as I taught.

The most meaningful part of this week was when one of our SIOP (group of English Langugage Learners) students told me that he tried to participate more during my lesson so that I would get a good grade from you! I cannot even describe how that made me feel and then the following day when they came in during 7^th period they all gathered around me and asked “Did you get a good grade, Miss? Did you make a 100?” I tried to explain that you did not give me a number grade and I showed them the evaluation sheet. They were so excited when I explained what EE meant and that I had received such a good score. I think that being a student while being a teacher is great because you understand the students more and they like knowing that you are experiencing what the experience every day.

The other fun part of the week is when we had Thursday tutorials. We set up 5 groups with 3-5 students in each group to play games. The games had to do with inference and comprehension questions. A group 3 of our SIOP boys begged me to play with them so I did. It was so much fun! I learned so much more about their personalities. They did get pretty rowdy though, and we had to shut down the games. It was so hard to get upset with them, though, because they are just a great group of kids. I think the ones I have more trouble with I like the most. J

Thoughts From a Student Teacher Week Eight

Note: Once again I am late in posting these journal entries. I wrote this one before March 12th...

I’m not really sure what to say about this week. It was short since I wasn’t there all week. My technology seminar was cancelled so I did have Wednesday at the school, but we had Benchmarks Tuesday and Wednesday which made everything crazy!

I did have an issue with the technology person at the middle school. I’ve been working on a lesson about persuasive text (actually for your upcoming observation) and I wanted to use some youtube videos of commercials. I’ve become really excited about the lesson. However, this person has made the process very difficult and discouraging. I knew that youtube was blocked on campus before going into this; however, she has used everything to discourage me from going through with it. I think underneath everything is she doesn’t have time or want to take time to approve my videos. I have to say I was very proud of myself because the two times I talked with her in person I remained calm and was as sweet as I could. I had the kill with kindness mindset. I don’t know if I will get the videos approved, but I have a plan B set up just in case. This experience just reminds me that not everyone is pleasant all the time. We are all human and you have to learn how to treat others kindly no matter how they treat you.

I know this is short, but I cannot think of what else to add at the moment. Now on to Spring Break!!