Week 13

Another week down! This week was full of the unexpected and unplanned.

We started off the week pretty good on Monday, which was encouraging after last week. There are some days when teaching really pays off, when your students are calm and seem to be learning! That is really encouraging! I took over teaching Social Studies which went really well, we are learning about the American Revolution. The student's are interested in the subject and they like hearing about all the battles and fighting strategies.

Tuesday was a rough day after the bombings happened. I decided not to talk about it unless somebody brought it up. One student asked me when we were in transition and it was good to talk with a small group of students about the stuff that is going on in our world. I asked my cooperating teacher if she was going to address the situation, and she thought that they would already know about it and it's probably best not to address it unless they have questions. It is such a tough situation, especially when a lot of the students don't have anyone at home who can answer their questions and help them process this. It is so good to have a place where they can feel safe and comfortable and where they can try to sort through their thoughts and feelings.

On Thursday this week my cooperating teacher's house flooded. It took a while to get to school and a lot of the teachers couldn't even get out of their homes. My teacher took a half day and I was in charge all afternoon. I am not in charge of the entire afternoons, but it was definitely a good learning experience. There is nothing like having to be a good teacher to make you a good teacher. We had a "sub" but he was going between 3 rooms and since I had been in the classroom, he did not really see my class as a priority. Overall I think it went pretty well. We got through everything we needed to get through and even had time to read some of our story that we are reading in any spare time. It is called Zach's Lie and the kids love it. It is one of the few times where every single ear is listening and it is quiet. I love that part of the day, when there are a couple extra minutes to just read to them so they can imagine what is going on without stopping to ask questions or address reading strategies. I know this is all important but it is also so good that they can just read, or listen, for enjoyment during school hours as well.

Thursday was tough, and I was definitely nervous because my students can be a handful. They know what to do to get under my skin, and I usually do a really good job of not letting the little things bug me. What I do have a hard time with is which battles to pick. I asked my cooperating teacher about it and she said pretty much the ones that you cannot ignore are the ones that you need to address. I have heard some kids cursing, and I wasn't sure if that was a big enough deal. When she heard one kid call another a bad name, she gave him a major referral and called his parents. I have learned so much from her and how to teach in this school. It is crazy how much she knows and how she knows her students.

Friday was another rough day, my teacher was there but completely exhausted from pumping water out of her basement every six minutes throughout the night. I really admire how she still came to school with her plans and just didn't sit down so she could keep her students learning. That is something that I think I am going to struggle with. If there is something big going on outside of school I have to remember that I cannot come to school and just have a "whatever" day. Each day those kids are in school is a day where they should be learning and in a place where the teacher cares enough to put their needs ahead of her own. I hope to be a teacher like this in the future!

Student teaching is tough. It is hard to go into a school and classroom where they already have routines established and things working smoothly. It is hard to come home, go to track, eat, do school work and still have time to get stuff done for Trinity. I don't know how people do it! I have just been praying and hoping that I can make it through. Also another big challenge is doing all this work and not getting paid for it - and having no left over time to work for pay. I am excited to have my own classroom and also be able to support myself. It is tough, but I feel like I will be ready to be a good teacher next August!