It was great to talk to peers and find out what triumphs and challenges everyone is facing. I did a lot of listening yesterday, so I could share my observations with you. One overwhelming attitude shared by almost everyone I spoke with was the genuine care they have for their students. It is amazing how quickly the kids whose names you are struggling to remember during the first couple of weeks become "your" kids. Many of us felt strange being away from them for the afternoon, or spoke of dreading the day when we turn them back over to their regular teachers.
Learning how to manage time was also a common issue. Sometimes, lessons go much more quickly than anticipated and you are left with extra class time. In that case, you either need to think really quickly on your feet or have some mini-lessons planned in advance just in case. On the other hand, sometimes lessons take longer than anticipated or are derailed by questions or conversations (which can be well worth the time!), and you have to figure out where you can shorten segments, remove some elements, or find time the next class period to continue.
Some student teachers expressed concerns either with their CT or their US. In several cases, a student teacher feels that one or the other has unrealistic expectations, doesn't understand their teaching style, or is not as supportive as he/she could be. Luckily, most people I heard from felt as though they had a strong support system.
Everyone expressed confidence that they were well-prepared academically, though some real-world experiences were surprising. Some people are in non-traditional classrooms or different grade-levels than anticipated or wished for. Some have students with very specific IEPs and special needs. Also, many student teachers were surprised by the vast differences in abilities of the students within one class. Classroom management concerns were also voiced by just about everyone I heard speak, except those with CTs that had a strong management system in place early in the year. These are things that are difficult or impossible to learn in a college course, but the good news is that everyone feels as though he or she is learning a lot about how to handle these opportunities for growth already.My final thought is that I am thankful for the meeting yesterday. It was valuable to be among peers, share experiences, offer support and advice to each other or simply lend an ear, and meet with our TDC advisors and mentors. We received training on how to write successful learning objectives and create anticipatory sets and closure activities that enhance student learning. These are things we all learned in class, but it is different hearing the information after being in the classroom and trying these practices on our own! I am posting the list of Bloom's verbs on the wall near where I write daily learning objectives so that I can remember to use meaningful & measurable verbiage. I will post some of the great tips I picked up later this week.
Savvy Suggestion: Many student teachers expressed mixed feelings about being asked to perform a lot of duties by CTs or departments. When you can help out by creating lesson plans or doing the "busy work" of grading, running scantrons, copying, etc., you feel helpful and accomplished. However, it is difficult not to feel just a tiny a bit resentful or "used" when you are completely exhausted. While everyone had a mostly positive attitude about this rite of passage, they couldn't help but notice that there must be some unspoken initiation process at work. So we all continue to smile, accept any assignment thrown our way, and offer to help before it is even asked. Remember, student teaching is not just training, but also a job interview. You never know who is watching, assessing your attitude and skills, and talking about you to other educators. Always keep a positive attitude and willingness to show your eagerness to embrace all aspects of teaching.
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