It's not much...

Remember that time I said I was not very good at keeping up with blogs?  Well, here is another prefect example.  But not because I didn't want to.  Because I literally have not had the time.  Here's how life has been going:

Get up at 6:00 a.m.

Get to school by 7:40 a.m.

At school until 3:35

Drive back to campus 20 minutes away

Check email

Lesson plan until bed

Go to bed between midnight and 1:00 a.m.

Do it all over again the next day.

Sounds like an exciting semester doesn't it?!

Oh yeah, real tiring.  Not that I'm complaining.  I do love student teaching.  I just wish I could figure out a way to get everything done and get to bed by 10:30.

Unfortunately, I have not found anything.  So I will have to make do with what I have for now.

Overall, since my last post, things have been going very well.  I have all 6 classes now and am enjoying some more than others, as can be expected.  But I love them all in different ways.  I have figured out what I can do with one class that I cannot do with another class.  It's all a learning process but I am loving it.

I still have students telling me all the time that they love my class.  If only they would tell me what I'm doing differently than their other teachers...

Teachers always get warm fuzzy feelings when students tell them they love their class.  But when a student... no, I take that back - TWO students - tell me they're writing an essay about their favorite teacher and that the essay is about me, it kind of makes one stop and think a little as to what the students see in you and appreciate that you're doing to make them think that.  It's a wonderful thing to know that students who previously had no interest in my subject now come to class willing and excited to learn.  They walk through the door smiling and laughing and greet me in happy and eager tones.  I love knowing that they really are getting something out of this course.  They are asking questions, finding answers, and digging deep - and so am I.  I am thinking things and am faced with questions that had never occurred to me before.  I personally am learning so much more than how to be a better teacher - I'm learning how to be a better student as well.  

To be honest, I never asked the questions in high school that would enable me to dig deeper.  I was always the student that was satisfied with just learning the facts and not wondering why, how, where, etc.  But now that I'm teaching, I'm asking these questions all the time allowing me to dig deeper and giving me the ability to guide the students to a deeper meaning.  Yay for teaching!!!

Unfortunately, I cannot learn everything, therefore I cannot answer all questions that are posed to me.  But I try to remember and write down questions to answer later on (when I get the time to look everything up of course).  I am trying so very hard to be the best teacher I can be.  

I've asked the students for feedback of my teaching and, for the most part, they all think I'm doing a great job.  Some do have a few suggestions and I have tried my best to implement those suggestions into the latter part of my time at the school.  Since my time there is short, I cannot implement everything into the rest of the semester.  I only have about two weeks left - if that.  There simply isn't time.

I have done a project with my Geography class.  I absolutely love that class.  The students are willing to talk, ask questions, and wonder about another part of the world.  It's great!  I am loving teaching geography and really hope I can teach it in the future.  There are so many fun possibilities with that subject that it's unreal.  I enjoy teaching history as well :-)  Sometimes, it depends on the class... or the day and whether or not I've had enough sleep.

I find I wake up right after 2nd period, so my 3rd period through lunch or so are my best classes of the day.  I can get excited about the subject which gets the kids excited which helps them ask questions and answer questions and be more willing to participate.  I still have students who would rather not be a part of the class, but a teacher can't expect EVERY student ALL the time to participate... can they?  Can someone answer that?  Please?

And thank you :-)

Tomorrow is my Seminar class, as well as next Friday.  Then I graduate on May 9...  

Wow.  Everything is coming to a close so soon!  I can't believe it's all so close!  But I have SOOO much to do before next Friday, which is when my portfolio is due.  Oh dear.  

Literally, a mountain of paperwork to do - most by Monday.  I suppose I should get started...

After I go to bed and sleep, of course :-)

So far, I love my "job".  I don't get paid for it, but I don't really care.  I love it.  

I love the feeling of knowing that I chose the right profession.  I have had so many people in my life, mostly teachers, that have inspired me to be what I am today.  At least, what I am still striving to be, cause I haven't gotten my degree or license yet.  But soon-ish.  Just ish.

Hopefully, I will have a more informative post the next time.  Nothing really has happened in the past two weeks that's really noteworthy - at least nothing that I can remember.

I love you guys!

Keep it real

Aimee

Game Faces and Warm Fuzzies

Remember the last post?  Like, three weeks ago, or something ridiculous like that?  Yeah... sorry to keep you waiting.  Life has been interesting and I feel the need to share it.  There has been some good... and some not so good.  But that's why you read this, isn't it?  JK.  I really didn't mean that.

Anyway,  the week of March 16-20 I don't really remember.  Perhaps nothing really big happened that week.  My planner isn't giving me much, other than the fact that I had my second observation by my University supervisor.  Same outcome just as before - he really liked my lesson, what I had to say, my powerpoint, my information, etc.  No constructive criticism.  No teacher is that perfect... but I'll take what I can get.

Otherwise, its was a pretty blah week.

The next week was Spring Break for me.  

Pop Quiz!  (because I'm a teacher and I have that right)

As a responsible student teacher, I went home that week and planned the next three chapters in my U.S. History classes as well as my Geography class.  True or False?

Give up?

Well...

it's...

FALSE!

Yeah, I have every intention of doing things many times, but I wind up finding other things to occupy my time until it's almost too late to do any of the stuff I originally planned!  Now, I was productive in other areas.  First off, I spent a day observing classes for my own benefit (there was no class credit involved.  I just wanted to).  Then, I completed my assignments for my portfolio.  Read a  book.  Wrote a paper about book.  And....there was something else but that was a week ago and I haven't slept much since then.

Now, I have an excuse for not doing the Geography lessons.  I left school that afternoon...and completely FORGOT to bring the book with me.  By the time I remembered, I was back on campus, it was 2:30, and the school was closed (we had a half day that day).  I couldn't go back and get it.  Waste of time and gas.  So I went on with life without it and it turned out just fine.

I have no excuse for not doing History.  Except that I wanted to relax for a while before thinking about school work again.  It's really draining on your mental capacity after a while.  But I'm sure I can handle it when I get a real job. :-)

Moving on!

This week....

Lol

Wow

The only thing I can say it that it's been... interesting.  Not in a bad way.  In a good way.  A very good way.  A way that I almost can't believe or understand. 

Here's the skinny:

But first, the not so bright side of the week (because we all want to end on a happy note)

I got to school on Monday.  After Spring Break.  Every teacher knows that students don't want to be in school.  They'd rather another week of break and more time to hang out with their friends (granted, so do teachers, but we can't tell them that).  So, when the kids walked into 2nd period I knew right off the bat it was going to be an interesting class period and that I was going to for sure learn something.  The kids were rowdy and talkative.  I had to get onto them all several times because I cannot talk over them.  *sigh* Oh, the plight of teenagers.  Anyway, I re-examined that class period over the course of the day and realized what I had done wrong.  Since I had never taught a class fresh off of a break, I really had no idea what to expect.  Then it hit me - students really don't want to do any work (I knew that, but these kids EXPECT no work) so they will do everything in their power to keep me from doing my job.  In essence, they succeeded - but only on that Monday.  I had not taken the reigns during the first few minutes of the class and they walked ALL over me!  Embarrassing, but a learning experience nonetheless.  

So, I decided to take a new approach the next day.  Before 2nd period ever walked into the classroom, I looked in my teacher bag of tricks and pulled out the 'game face'.  As soon as they walked into the classroom, they could tell something was different.  As soon as the bell rang, I got started.  I used a very authoritative voice, got straight to the point: no ifs, ands or buts, and moved on.  As soon as ONE kid stepped out of line, I was onto him like a police dog onto drugs.  Bing. Bang. Boom.  Stop the action in its tracks.  It took the kids about 5 minutes to realize that I meant BUSINESS.  The rest of the class period they didn't talk.  They took notes, paid attention, and were GOOD.  

Huh!  What a concept!  The game face seemed to have worked.

They did the same thing the next day because I had the same attitude.  It was amazing to see the drastic difference between Monday's class and Tuesday's class.  Tuesday made my life so much easier! 

I liked being in control - and them KNOWING that.  Yay for a learning experience!

Put your foot down - HARD!  Cause if you don't, they WILL walk all over you.  Even the good kids.

Ready for the skinny?  

Here goes...

I know fellow teachers and educators read this blog and will appreciate the next story I'm about to tell.  I'm sure the rest of you will as well, but perhaps with a different perspective.

The following has happened several times this week (as in more than 5, maybe less than 10) and it gives me warm fuzzies all over just thinking about it:

I started teaching the Geography class on Monday.  We did a map of India the first day.  Tuesday we started taking notes.  Today is Friday. I've been teaching them for 4 days.  Remember that.  I had a student come up to me before class today to talk to me.  The first words out of her mouth?  "I just thought you should know that I really, really love this class now."  (Every teacher can die happy hearing that)  "Before, when we took notes, the classroom was dark (teacher turned off the lights) and I was too busy taking notes to pay attention to the material being covered.  But I love your class (again, it's only been 4 days) because its bright and you love what you teach.  You make it interesting.  The notes are just the right amount so that I can learn, but also hear the extra stuff you're putting in.  I never like Geography until now.  (Student's friend) "Yeah!  I did some extra research about Buddhism last night (that had been our last lesson) and I'm fascinated with it now!  It's so interesting and weird!  I love this class - for the first time ever."

(This was not a reflection of my cooperating teacher's teaching style - fyi)

Doesn't every teacher want to hear that?  I think I can die happy.  The fact that someone has said this to me at least ONCE every day this week really has encouraged me a lot.  I must be doing something right!  I'm not sure if it's because I have a different style or what, but the kids really do seem to enjoy being in the class now.  That was my goal 10 years from now - learn how to show kids to love a subject they had previously hated.  I honestly have no idea what I do or have done to change these students' minds about history and geography, but I like it.  Everyday I see the kids, they always look a little more excited to be there and eager to learn and that encourages me - so I get into the lesson a little more every class, every day.  The kids can see the passion and are embracing it.  How cool is that?! :-D

All I can say is that it has only challenged me to keep doing my best - keep getting better.  How do I do that?  First of all, I can critique myself.  So can my cooperating teacher.  But also, I can ask the kids.  So I did.  That was their essay on their last test - how can I help you better?  And I got some GREAT responses.  I'm going to go through and write down their suggestions and contemplate which really are good ideas and which ones are not.  Most of them have said that they love the way I teach and wouldn't change anything.

They've said things like:

"Keep doing what you're doing"

"I hated history until you started teaching.  Now I never want to leave the class"

"I was never good in history until now.  It's interesting now. I love what you are doing"

and a myriad of other things.  They've given me suggestions on what to do better.  Things they like, things they think should change, etc. 

I love constructive criticism.  It's taken me a while to get used to taking it, but now, I can't get enough of it.  I figured the kids were the best people to ask since they are the ones learning from me - not other teachers.  In order to reach every kid, I have to know how.  That was my goal - and for the next chapter, I will continue to try new ways in which to reach students on their various intellectual levels.  

Needless to say, I have learned a LOT this past week.  Teaching is SOO much fun, and when you can make it fun for the kids (and inspire them to do their own research), you have started making a mark on the world.  

I am NOT by any stretch of the imagination a perfect teacher.

But I do try to perfect the things I have seen in other teachers that I did not appreciate.

This post was not to brag about my teaching styles or whatever (I continue to believe it's because I'm simply a different person).  I hate bragging, and braggers.  It was to make the point that I am trying the hardest I can to reach these kids in a subject most think is pointless and dull.  I am trying so very hard to become the best teacher I can be.  I will always be learning new ways in which to do that.  I will never be the perfect teacher but if I can get one student to love learning what I learn and have passion for it (or anything else), I have done my job.  It's about having a passion for people.  

I can't imagine myself anywhere else.  I am loving student teaching with every passing day.  It has its ups and its downs, but I always try and learn from the downs so the ups will be more rewarding for everyone.  

I try my best every day.  So every day I have to keep trying harder - and the rewards will stay for a lifetime.  

I love this profession!  Have I mentioned that?  

The best is (hopefully) yet to come!

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend.

Learning the game and warming the fuzzies,

Aimee