the student inside me

Oh my gosh!! I forgot to write my student teaching response!

I guess I can start by saying that I have enjoyed all of these crazy sow days we’ve had. I feel bad because as a future teacher I shouldn’t feel happy when we get to miss school for four consecutive days, but what the heck. I love not having school and spending so much time with my mom and with my brothers. I think the thing that I do worry about is that I am writing my KPTP on the current unit that I am teaching and I have no idea if I’ll get to finish it now. We would have been done with the unit this Wednesday, and I’m pretty sure my CT wants me to move on because we’re already a week behind and now with the snow days we’ll be even more behind. So, that’s the only thing I feel a little anxious about.

            My plan: I think this plan is going to work for two reasons a.) I can show that I am very flexible with my schedule and b.) I still find a way to compensate for the missed days. I plan to have the kids do a research project about an endangered species for our animal unit. I will have them research animal adaptation and homeostasis as it relates to their endangered species. This will allow me to cover the two in about two days and this can be my final assessment.

            In my KPTP I plan on telling the KPTP scorers that we had snow days and unfortunately, I have to keep to the schedule I had. This will not only make me look wise and professional, but also awesome hahah.

            I hope today is the last snow day we have, but I would not be opposed to more snow days. This is student teaching, after all and the student inside me says, “Heck, let it snow!”   

Finding my teacher voice

I started teaching my first two classes on the 22^nd of January, and I was pretty excited to be teaching those classes first. My CT is so sweet and her students listen to her so well that I knew they would behave for me. She simply calls out a trouble maker by his/her last name, and the room goes silent, so that gave me hope because I do not like to yell and I like to think of myself as a pretty sweet person. What this told me is that the students would be used to no yelling and quiet authoritative teachers. Sadly that is not the case...

I don’t yell at my students still, but I’ve been told more than once to use my teacher voice. What does that even mean!?? I’m not a mom, and I have no experience being a teacher, so how in the world am I supposed to find my inner teacher voice before these kids drive me crazy?

Quick story: I was trying to get my students’ attention one day not too long ago, and my para interrupts me by saying, “she’s trying to get you all to be quiet! I am so tired of you disrespecting her, and talking over her. The next person who opens their mouth is gonna get rotated! Do you understand??” And I simply said, “Thanks.” Although this was a kind gesture on her part, she totally embarrassed me! I felt like she had more authority in the classroom than me, which she clearly did. The students stayed quiet the whole time, and worked.

Now, if I have to yell at my students for them to take me seriously, then I am in big trouble. I cannot do it. I also know that you don’t have to yell to get the kids to get them to listen—I’ve seen it with my own two eyes!

Another quick story: Some days after that incident, my para stepped in again, and by this time I was just annoyed because she had been the main problem in the first place. She would not stop talking to a group of girls asking her where she got her clothes… she went on a rant about thrift shopping  and how she gets most of her clothes from Goodwill. Anyway, I wasn’t feeling ballsy enough to interrupt them so I just waited till she stopped talking. So, I finally begin the class and there were side conversations going on, and that’s when she she stepped in. Then I said, “Okay. Now that you guys are listening, I want you to work independently without any talking.” Then a student asks if I can play music while they work and I said, “Nope. I didn’t feel respected by you guys so you get to work in the quiet. I don’t know why you guys have a hard time listening to me and doing what I ask…” Then a student said, “Its cause you’re too nice.” WHAT??? I have no idea what to do.

I don’t want to yell, but I don’t know how to be firm without yelling. Any ideas?  

If It Happens, Let It Happen

When you signed up for student teaching

You had no idea you would be taking three extra classes

Forcing you to spend six hours a day doing homework

When you signed up for student teaching

You had no idea your CT would hand over all responsibilities

Saying only “Be ready to teach tomorrow, Dear”

When you signed up for student teaching

You had no idea you would have five, yes five, preps

Causing you to break out all over from stress

When you signed up for student teaching

You had no idea the worst kid in school would be in your class

Setting a new threshold of patience each and every day

When you signed up for student teaching

You had no idea stress would become a constant companion

Leaving you to wonder what days without it felt like

When you signed up for student teaching

You had no idea you would spend so much time away from your family

Making the time you do spend with them much more precious

When you signed up for student teaching

You had no idea you would be telling yourself “It’ll all be over soon”

Convincing yourself it will all be worth it in May

When you signed up for student teaching

You had no idea telling yourself “if it happens, let it happen” would become a necessity

Allowing yourself to relax during what you think is the most challenging semester of your life

When you signed up for student teaching

You had no idea all that your students could teach you

Causing you to wonder just how much more you have left to learn

how to make it when there's a sub

First, realize that no one is calling you. It’s just your alarm. You can keep snoozing for half an hour before you really have to get up, so there’s no rush. Realize that you had to study for your astronomy exam last night and you had no chance to shower so now your hair is sticking to your head like you’re auditioning for the cast of grease. Forget the snoozing. Naturally, you have the urge to call your placement and tell them that you’re sick, but your CT will be gone. It’s just you and the sub now. What will the sub do without you? Feel guilty. Decide to shower even if it makes you a bit late. You can’t risk looking like grease baby who has no regard for personal hygiene. Besides, the sub may or may not be a cute boy, so your love life is on the line.

Stand in the shower like it’s the average lazy Sunday—like you have nowhere to be. This, you tell yourself, is the best way to relax and get ready for the day. Lather. Rinse. Repeat. Its 6:30am and you still have to figure out what you’ll wear. Remember: Kelsi tells you that you have a great sense of style. Don’t fail her now. Pick out the slacks that make your butt look plump, yet classy. The only ones are dirty. Dig through your dirty laundry and think about what a slob this semester has turned you into. Shrug your shoulders. The slacks are M.I.A.  Look in the laundry room. Look in the bathroom. The garage. Find them behind a throw pillow on top of your nasty old futon, which is coated in old leaves and dust. Wonder how you managed to leave them there and why you even thought to look there in the first place.

Its 7:00am. Awake from your daydream and realize that its 40 degrees outside and your wet hair is becoming harder with each dream filled minute that passes.

The hot blow dryer air makes you shiver. Look at you watch. You have to be out of your house by 7:10am. Its 7:04am. Things to do still are: Flat iron your hair. Get dressed. Put on your artificial face, and make yourself a poptart. Decide to skip flat ironing your hair. Stop to wish for a machine that you can just walk through to get ready. All you have to do is push a button that contains a certain style you’re going for: “hipster,” “classy,” “make my boyfriend regret ever leaving me for my almost-twin-best-friend.” You simply press the button and walk through and badda bing you’re ready.

7:10am and you’re still day dreaming about that machine. Seriously consider calling in. Grab a cold poptart instead, and slam the door behind you to make sure it closed. It did.

Remember your Ex when your song comes on the radio. Shed a few tears. Tell yourself that God has someone better, and that one day you’ll be happy again. Miss your exit. Shed some more tears. 7:45am. Park in the guest parking space, which you know you’re not supposed to park in, but you’re late, so unspoken rules don’t bother you. They’re unspoken for a reason.

The sub isn’t there yet.

He won’t get there until 8:00am, and you’ll forgive him because he is insanely good looking.

His lips will being to move as his hand extends. You remember that you have a little something called palmary hiperhydrosis, and nervously reach for his hand. Shake it. Tell him your name. Forget your manners. Remember them and ask for his. “Asym,” he says, “pronounced like ‘awesome’”

Wonder if this is a sign from God.

Go over sub plans and stare at his hands. Wonder why you like hands so much. His are nice. Sub plans indicate that all the students are doing is watching an episode of Mythbusters. “Phone book friction” you read aloud. “Sounds…cool” he murmurs. Hmmm… maybe he’s not so cute after all.

Introduce the class to the sub. They ask you if he’s your brother. “Yes,” you say. “Yes he is.” “Do we look alike?” he asks “yuhhh!” they all say. Smile at him. Maybe he is cute after all.

Get the video ready. Tell students to take out their notebooks. Review Cornell notes with them. Start the video.

Walk up and down the aisles and wonder how the Mythbusters met each other. Did they ever think their show would be watched by 7^th grade students in a 7^th grade science classroom?

8:40am. The kids were good. Pick up their notebooks, and ask them about the video. What was interesting? What did they like? What did they not like? Remember to remind them to raise their hands before shouting out a response.  “I can’t believe it, like, took two huge tanks to rip the what’s-it-called apart. Like, there was no glue!” nod your head and agree with her.  

The bell rings. Tell the kids to have a good weekend. Say goodbye to Asym. Hope that you’ll see him around the building. Walk down the hall nodding as you think about buying some more slacks that make your butt look good. Nod when you realize that you almost called in. Nod and smile when you remember that tomorrow is Saturday and you don’t have to get up early.

a little bit of this and a little bit of that

Things in my placement are starting to become better. There are a few stressful problems I have concerning my CT, but all in all I feel good about the way I am interacting with the students. A little follow up on the goals I have achieved is that I am getting to know all of my students quite well. I have gotten to know some more than others, but I’m working on that. I have also been getting to know the surrounding teachers much more. I want to go observe this teacher’s classroom because from what I know about her so far, I can confidently say that I believe that she has crazy, fantastic classroom management.

A little bit about my issues:

I was in a bit of a pickle this last week because I was sick and I didn’t attend my placement. My CT didn’t get the message, and she flipped out on me, so now there is a bit of tension in that class. I have no idea how to please her, and the worst part is that I am experiencing a completely different atmosphere in my other classroom. So, I’m not exactly sure how things will work out, but all I can say is that I was not unprofessional and I did call the school to deliver the news of my absence.

A little bit about my successes:

There are two boys in my classroom that are super, mega, huge trouble makers. They never get their work done and they never really listen to my CT or me or the para. After being asked, ever so sweetly, by my CT to take them out of the classroom and work with them on this assignment, I became a bit stresses. As I walked with them to the cafeteria, one of them said, “man! you is so short, Ms. Denisse.” As I heard him say this I thought to myself, “he doesn’t mean to be rude, he’s only making a statement, but he’s making fun of me, so what should I do?” I decided to do the only thing I knew to do, which was to make fun of him back, so I said, “hmm…well, I am cuter than you..hahah” and after that he has been so well behaved. Now, I’m not suggesting that one make fun of the student’s in one’s classroom, but using humor and letting the students know that you aren’t this stuck up, bratty, college student, definitely works. I call him Long Legs Shaquan, now and he loves it.

Oh, and the assignment we worked on was a breeze. They both listened and read and worked. I talked to them and really understood that they have a problem with authority, especially when they aren’t given a choice. I said “who wants to read first?” instead of “Shaquan, you read” and they did very well. So, giving them choices makes a huge difference.