From Gobble-gobble to Ho Ho Ho

Approaching Thanksgiving break, I felt pretty confident. I finally knew all the kids' names. I had hit my stride. The kids were used to me; I was used to them. Everything was good. Then, they realized vacation was just around the corner. Insanity crept in, and not just with the kids. The teachers, including myself, were tired. Simply put, we all needed the vacation. I found that scheduling assignments that required intense focus and hard work near the end of the week before a vacation is not a good plan. The kids alternated between a zombie-like state and hyperactivity (neither good for focusing). This is not to say that they should be given a pass prior to breaks and not expected to work, but keep in mind that some activities are better suited to these days than others.

The week of Thanksgiving offered a nice break. Several days off in a row provided just the respite we all needed. I slept in. I even managed to go a couple of days without planning lessons. I felt renewed. I even missed my students! I really did. I thought everyone would return after the break ready to go, but that wasn't the case universally. The teachers all seemed reinvigorated, but the students came back tired. Their sleep schedules were obviously out-of-whack. They came back lethargic and suffering from memory loss seemingly specific to what they learned prior to the break. Then there were a couple of days of relative normality before they began to ask when they would be out for winter break. Much to their dismay, final exams stand between now and their next vacation if they are in middle or high schools, and almost all grade-levels are beginning to prepare for standardized testing (if they have not already done so). There is a lot of curriculum to cover in the next couple of weeks, and the students are not entirely focused. This creates a challenge and a need for creative and engaging lessons. Teachers of younger students can sometimes use class winter parties as incentives, while middle and high school teachers have to use other incentives to encourage active learning.

This is also the time of year when fall student teachers prepare to leave the classrooms that, hopefully, we've come to love. I know that I have worked hard to build rapport with my students, and while I am happy to be nearing certification as an educator (and can't wait to get my own classroom), I am sad to be leaving my students behind. I say "my students" because since the second week of school, I have taken responsibility for them along with their successes and failures.

It is important at this point to send out resumes, thank the teachers and staff who have supported you during your time as a guest in their school, and take a minute to thank the kids for all they have taught you - because you learned as much from them as they did from you. Next week is my last week student teaching, and I will be observing other teachers in the building. This not only broadens my education, but also helps the students and cooperating teacher get used to working together again. It will be very strange that first day that I don't have to get up and go teach my classes. I can't help feeling a bit sad.

Savvy Suggestion: Prepare something to say to your students on your last day, and be sure to thank them sincerely for all that they have done to help you on your journey. Let them know, one last time, how much you care about them and their success.

Week 2 in Review

This past week started off so rocky I wanted to quit. I didn’t quit, but I did cry. I actually cried one day because the stress level got to me. You hold in your personal emotions all day, because you can’t let the kids see you “sweat,” and you definitely can’t let them see if they are getting on your nerves, so I was surprised when fatigue and emotion got the better of me and I needed a release. Some people might have had a glass of wine, and I know some of the teachers had visits planned to the chiropractor to work out stress, but I just wept and went to bed.

I woke up still feeling exhausted, but with a sense that even if the day didn’t go exactly as I had planned, it had to be better than the day before. And it was.

Let me backtrack a bit. Why did I want to quit? I had a lot going for me from day one; I am as comfortable as a new teacher can be with lesson planning, I understand the technology in the classroom, I work well with a team, and so on. The single most challenging aspect - the one that made my day unbearable - was classroom management. Two classes in particular are very large, with very rowdy kids who do not want to work at all. I simply had never been in a situation where I would instruct a group to do something and they just didn’t. I repeated instructions too many times to count. I found it difficult to call the kids out on their bad behavior because I didn’t know their names yet. (The Cooperating Teacher did not have a seating chart). I used the proximity method to influence the students’ behavior, but I couldn’t be everywhere at once. It was not a fun day. I did some self-reflection between tears, and made a plan.

The next day, I discussed my feelings with some of the other teachers during the planning period. I found that they were having the same issues in their classrooms, and they are experienced! It made me feel better, and I waited to implement my plan. With the help of my CT, I created a seating chart that separated some of the trouble-makers from each other. This also helped by giving me a tool to help memorize names. I now do my best to make sure I have the attention of the entire class before giving them directions, and every time I repeat myself I refer to where I have the directions written on the board. They have improved greatly in one week, though they still have a long way to go.

My first observation by the University Supervisor is this week, and I am nervous. I am doing a type of lesson I haven’t seen done with the kids before now, so I have no way of knowing how they will react. I am expecting some high level thinking from them, and I anticipate a fight from a few of them. However, I look forward to talking to my US about the challenges I am facing and learning from the US’s expertise. I’ll let you know how it goes.

Savvy Suggestion: Don’t expect yourself to be perfect from the beginning. Self-reflection is an important tool to gauge how you’re doing and plan ways to improve. Also, go over those notes from classroom management – it is so important to your success!