September 26 – 30

This week went by fast. Tuesday I was by myself again, and I gave my first test. It went well, I have not graded them all yet, but I think most of them did well, in fact I think I may have underestimated them and made it easy. My 7th grade geography class I think went well. It was kind of strange teacher them. I went to the high school football game last week and this week, it is cool, having students come up and talk to you. The game tonight was strange, the football team was playing away, at the school my ex attended and played football. He was there, came up, and talked to my sister, and I and I had students, wanting to know who the cute guy was. It was even stranger them all falling my sister and I around kind of just hanging out with us. I am finding that I like teaching my US history class more than I do the geography classes. I think it is because I like the subject better, and I am able to follow a timeline of events instead of jumping around. I think that this week I became a lot more comfortable all around in and out of the classroom. I think I am starting to let my personality show through and the students like that. Next week I will be by myself for two days straight. I am kind of nervous about it but, yet I am up for the challenge, I think it will make me step up to the plate more so to speak.

September 19-23

This week I took over my second class. This class is the ninth grade geography class, and I continued my US history class. Monday went well, with the new class, we spent the day working on vocabulary. Then Tuesday was a stretch, my cooperative teacher was gone so I was in charge. This time they did not hire a sub to be with me, so I was on my own. In addition, I had my first evaluation Tuesday in my Geography. Mr. Smith the principle was to come down and be in the room during my evaluation; however, my advisor and the principle talked it over and decided that there was no need for him to set in the room, but he did come down and sit for a while. However, that was the only time that I seen him. I believe my evaluation went well, he liked that I did moved around the room, the class was great for me. Nevertheless, I believe part of the reason they were was because my advisor was present. Out of the day, the class I had the most trouble with was the other high school geography class. All they wanted to do was talk. I believe that I need to discover the best way to get my bluff in. I also need to find a way to get the students attention without having to turn off the lights. I have already found out that my voice is not made to yell over the students. I think I am going to have to stop playing miss nice teacher as much, I may have to start sending a few student to the office or to the hall, so they start taking me more seriously. It is not that they are not doing the work I am assigning it is the talking, that goes on, that needs to stop.
The rest of the week went well, and we had a homecoming assembly Friday and I went to the game and watch some of my students play football. Next Monday I take over my last class. So I will be planning and teaching all of the class. I am only nervous about getting all the lesson made up. But over all this has been a good week.

September 12-16

Well, I made it through my first week of having total control of the two American History classes. I believe they went well. The first couple of nights I was just completely exhausted when I made it home. I think I was working my self up to much, making this experience a lot harder than it is. I think this is partly because the first day, I started talking about the Declaration of Independence and the events leading up to it. My first day I showed a 5 slide PowerPoint that they were to take notes off. Then I had worksheets for them to complete. The first class zipped through the notes and got to the worksheet and had it done so fast that I still had 15, yes 15 minutes left. The next hour however barely made it to the worksheet. In this hour if it went as fast as the first I was going to have them read the section, then let them get the worksheet to complete, but that was not necessary. The next day was picture day, oh, my was I nervous about this. It was to be sometime during my two hours. I really did not know how to plan for this day. I found a twenty-six minute video over the Declaration, so I started out with showing them it, by doing this if we were interrupted it would be easy to pick up where we had left of. Then I had them read the Declaration, out of their textbooks and fill in a worksheet, translating some of the items in the document, by doing this if we were interrupted, they could finish the assignment at home, and in fact, that is what happened. One of the strangest things this week was leaving lesson plans for my cooperative teacher. Then coming back and picking back up there she left off. This weekend I have a mound of papers to grade, and for once in my life, probably the only time I will look forward to it. Therefore, I am going to enjoy it while it is fun.
This week I really did not have too much trouble with discipline. I have a couple of students who wanted to sleep instead of take notes so had to wake them up. The only other thing is the fact they want to continual talk. They also are way to curious about me, I do not know how many questions they have ask me. I kept from answering what my first name was, but I had to use my laptop for a PowerPoint one day, so they now know what my first name is. Over all I am starting to in a very small way to feel like a teacher.
Next week I am picking up my second class, on Monday, and on Tuesday, I have my first evaluation, in that same class, but I am not too worried about it now. This week I have also acquired a nickname from one of the students, it is Miss. Firewood. I do not know what to think about this. My cooperative teacher as one, but I do not know if I should allow the student to keep calling me that or tell him to stop.

September 6-9

This week went by pretty fast, being it only had four days in it. The most excitement I had at the beginning of this week was that Wednesday I got a desk. I like having it, but I have already learned not to leave things in it. Wednesday I had some cough drops, in it, and to day when I got there, they were gone. I have also learned this week that a lot of things going on outside of the classroom that end up effecting the classroom. We had three boys over Labor Day weekend that broke into school property, slept in buses, and robbed candy from three places. Apparently, they were on their own all three days. Which make me realized that some students do have the home life they should. That some of these kids are on their own. Therefore, we need to be good role models for them. In addition, this week my cooperative was gone today. It made for a very interesting day. First, she did not leave me lesson plans. She left a note that she had e-mailed them to me. Second, the printer would not work, so I could not make the students copies, and what I needed to copy was a test. Then the substitute was late, so I could not go up and try to print them again until he showed up. Then we had one class that was just off the walls all day. I think I need to invest in a whistle or a bell. On top of this, the sub would just leave me with the students. However, everything went smoothly. Next week I start teaching my own lessons in two of the classes I am actually excited, about it. I am scared that I will not be able to keep up with lessons and having the materials ready everyday, but I will do my best.

August 31- September 2, 2005

This week has gone by fast. For the most part it has been good. Tuesday my cooperating teacher was absent for a meeting. So she left me with the instructions for the day, as well as the sub direction. She had me conduct the classes with the help of the sub. Being that I knew what was going on I was able for the most part to be able to conduct class like it should have gone. The largest problem I had was getting the students to take me seriously, when I ask them to quiet down. They for the most part treated me like I was a substitute. I really enjoyed not having my cooperating teacher their. I actually felt like I was the one in charge, not having her look over my shoulder. However when she is there I feel like I have a backup when I need it. The day she was gone I felt was a success, even thought I was not always sure what I needed to be doing. In one class of ninth grade geography they were to do a worksheet, after completing a quiz and vocabulary words. I had no idea what the worksheet was about. So when they were working on it and asking me questions about it, I had a hard time answering there questions, and the worksheet question. I also found that the substitute in this class, did not offer to help at all. So I believe that she had no idea how to answer their questions as well. This week also brought some surprises. Wednesday, during first hour my cooperating teacher, who is also the cheerleading coach, had received the new mascot uniform. So she was all excited, she proceeded in putting on the head and the shoes and walking around the room, the students thought this was hilarious. But she went farther, and recruited one off the students to put the whole outfit on, and they paraded down the hallway. Therefore I was left in the class who wanted to follow them out the door. Surprisingly, they quieted down and went back to work.
The next hour however, she went to office between classes and did not come back, so I was left wondering where she was and had to conduct class. Toward the end she returned to the classroom, eyes red, and she told me that she was really mad not exactly in those words, however. She told the class they her allergies had been acting up. I was stuck wondering what happen. When that class left, she asks if I would take care of the next class period, and left the room again. Lunch came and went, and I did not see her. She arrived just before the class after lunch, after I had already gotten the class started on their projects. She told me thanks, and took back over, nothing was said. The next hour was our planning period, in which Dr. McDougle came to visit. The rest of the day went like usual. I was curious about what had happened, but I did not want to pry, I figured if she wanted me to know she would tell me. Today, during the last hour she went to get a drink and so I got the class started. When she got back she told me that she has gotten into a heated discussion about the teacher negotiations with one of the other teachers, and that is what had upset her.
Moving on, to today. I got to school and she was here but I could not get into the room, and could not find her. It was getting close to the time class was to start and so I had the secretary let me into the class. Just before the bell rang, she came in and asks me to cover the first couple of classes for her, and told me what progress they had made. She told me that she was working on painting footballs for the game and had not finished them, so she was going to work on them. So I monitored the first three classes today on my own. I guess I can be great full that they were doing group work, and it was things that they had started earlier this week. So, it was actually not bad, and they worked real well.
Next week I am taking over my first class. I am more nervous about writing the lessons at this point, and knowing the information. I feel now that I am getting a little overwhelmed. The week after next I will be taking over the ninth grade geography then the next week I will take over the 7th grade geography in the beginning I was to take over classes in the order of the day, but due to how the visits will be conducted that was changed. It is strange the other day it donned on me that I am the adult in charged and I am the one giving the directions. I have always been the little sister, taking orders not the one giving orders. For some reason this has donned on me in the last few days. I am also learning that I must step up and stopped behavior long before it starts. I cannot let a little talking go on, and not expect it to get worse, because it will. I have to stop it before it starts. I am also learning that, I must speak in a more direct manner, and lower my voice, for it blends in with the students. By doing this, they are more attentive. Overall, I am happy with my experiences at a student teacher and I am still looking forward to beginning my own lessons, however I am a little scared that they will not be that good, compared to my cooperating teachers lessons, but I will try my best. I am also a little scared that I will not be able to keep up with making lessons for each class as I add them to my schedule. However, I am ready to meet these challenges head on.