The first week is over!

And I'm taking a couple of days to rest. And organize.
I have learned so much in student teaching already that it's hard to catalog it all. I don't think I even can. A lot of it has to do with actually being in a school for 40 (unpaid) hours a week, behind the scenes and also front and center. I haven't taught yet but Monday is my test drive - I'll be teaching 2 of the 8th grade classes every single day until the end of April. And every week, I'll add on another class - which means I'll have less time to plan during the day and more time to teach. Which, I guess is the point!

Right now, since I'm just getting back into it, lesson plans are daunting. I'm procrastinating hardcore because I have a sort of writer's block - I'm stuck - how do I get my students to understand something, in an interesting and educational way? I'm really hoping that as I plan more, my teacher brain will kick in more than it ever has before and allow me to plan lessons with (relative) ease. Because once I add the 7th grade in two weeks, I'll be doing double the amount of work. And I'm already doing a lot.

 But I'm not complaining - because that's what I have to do, to be a good teacher. Work hard. Plan lessons. Always take in the needs of the classroom and individual students. As much as teachers today get a bad reputation, I know I picked the right career.

-Jess

Student Teaching Day 2

Student teaching has been an eye-opening experience so far. As I thought/hoped it would be.
The students are so polite, and the teachers/staff have been nothing but welcoming. It's still a little awkward for me when I sit in the faculty room for lunch, and when I'm in the planning period with all of them (because I'm still learning the inner workings of the school and whatnot), but everyone is so friendly that it's not an issue at all.

I'm starting to teach one period on Monday!! This means that I have to have lesson plans on... Friday. Which is in two days. And I have barely been home for the last 48 hours... so I'm gonna do a little planning tonight and a lot tomorrow (AND I can come right home tomorrow at the end of the school day, instead of going to my college - YAY!)

Anyway, I'll start teaching Monday, and every week add another period. I thought doing lesson plans for one class was a lot of work... and now I'll have at least 2. For EVERY DAY. Ready in advance. I guess that's what real teachers do.

And I am, really, becoming a real teacher, and I'm really starting to embrace it.

More soon!