This week was different...in multiple ways. One was the fact that I really started to feel more like a teacher...and I didn't even teach at all this past week! The students and I had some good conversations and I helped them with their projects. On Friday, a teacher asked me if I was the new math teacher which made me feel that I looked older than a student teacher.
The other that this week was different was the way they conduct their midterms. Now, since Ag is an elective, we didn't have any formal midterms but students could still come down to the room if they needed to. It was basically an open campus; the students only needed to be there during the periods they had exams. The school only had a couple periods each day which made the school day over before noon for the students. Midterm days were Tuesday through Thursday. (The students had a normal school day Monday.)
Friday was an even more interesting day. We had a 2 hour delay for our Act 80 Day. All was good until I started to cross the parking lot at 9 AM. I thought I was stepping on some slush but it was all ice....BOOM! Down I went! Half my leg is bruised but I got right back up and went on with the day. We walked down to the middle school for a couple of things; Cedar Crest is implementing the SafeToSay initiative so we went through training for that. Our lunch was pulled pork (thanks Mr. Haussener and Mr. Grumbine) and desserts (Mini-Thon students). That was open to all high school teachers.
Overall this week, I had a lot of time to get little things finished and bigger things started. I bought a desk pad/calendar so I could see what I had to do everyday when I walk in in the morning.
In this next week, we have a 4 day week because of Martin Luther King Jr. Day and we have shortened periods on Thursday because of SafeToSay training for the students. I plan to start teaching Ag 1 on Tuesday and Ag 2 on Wednesday. Ag 1 will be the start of my Plant Propagation Unit and planting seeds in the greenhouse. Ag 2 will be the start of Food Preservation/Fermentation.
I have never been so excited and so nervous at the same time! I know there are plenty of people who have my back in this and won't let me fail. I really want to work on my confidence all semester but especially this week!
Sara,
ReplyDeleteI look forward to watching you grow in your teaching ability, and confidence, throughout the semester.
Dr. Ewing
Hi Sara,
ReplyDeleteCongratulations! You received your student teaching injury, and got it out the way before you were super busy. Well done. Hopefully it was not in front of any students.
Having the past two weeks to ease into things is nice. It will be really helpful to already know some of the students on the first day of actual teaching.
Good luck!
Beth
Being from NJ via NY and VA, I'm not familiar with Act 80. Tell me a little about it please. Also, as you helped students with their projects, did you find a common theme with what you were providing feedback on? How might that experience help shape your teaching?
ReplyDeletePS - Welcome to teacher life. It seems like you might not have a "normal" five day week until week 4.
Sara, as Robin stated, welcome to teaching! It sounds simple right, students show up for 45 minutes a day, 5 days/week and learn. Sounds like you are quickly learning that the normal school schedule isn't very normal at all. This will force you to become adaptive and flexible with your planning and implementation. It's great to hear that you are communicating with students, getting to know them a little bit while you are still "watching" will help you when you begin to take over classes. Keep up the good work, remember...flexible and adaptive.
ReplyDelete