Special Thx
Trial by fire…
Working full time for no pay = internship.
I have a student teacher this semester (I call her Shadow) and I am still trying to figure out how I feel about it. She is nice enough. Young. She has a teacher voice already, but she doesn’t know how to use it. Each day she gets a little more comfortable in front of her class. I’m not sure that easing her in is the best method, but that is what we are told to do.
My experience was vastly different. I observed the first day and took ALL the classes on the second. YIKES! It was truly a trial by fire and I had to jump in with both feet. It was the best thing for me. I learned how to take charge of the classroom, take attendance, calculate grades, and even learned a little about instruction! I taught US history and was comfortable with my subject matter. I didn’t know everything but I was prepared for each class and did rather well.
Shadow is seriously content weak. I find it very difficult to not step in and help when she struggles. When she is blatantly wrong I feel an obligation to help redirect toward right. It is important that I get better at this so I do not hinder her authority in the classroom. Classroom management is her other issue. It takes years to learn how to command the room. She HAS to speed it up if she hopes to handle all the classes in two weeks.
The other issue, she’s cute…and the boys think so. Some are still immature and don’t know how to seek positive attention. They show out to get her attention and there are times I have to step in to get them back in line. There is one that has a greater maturity and knows how to flirt. He’s 18, she’s 21. NO. Down boy.
Not sure how I feel about the student teacher thing and not certain that I will agree to have one again. Not teaching for 3.5 hours in the middle of the day allows me to get a lot done, but it is also difficult to keep my energy up.
We shall see how it all plays out.
6 Responses to Trial by fire…
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Flair
21 with 18 year olds… That sounds dangerous. I was once 18 and could have been that boy.
It is dangerous. I don’t think I should ask the question, but why not? Were you ever that boy Sage?
It’s got to be difficult for her being relatively close to the students in age. Harder to maintain that teacher authority thing when you could just as easily be out partying with them. Sounds like she has a good mentor, though!
Thanks Steve. It is difficult to be in the situation, but everyone has to learn how to manage. It is very tough to make the separation when they are really in your peer group.
Wow. Cute and that little of an age difference has got to be tough. Maybe she could bring her boyfriend/husband one day for show-and-tell
I’m working with a student teacher in a few weeks, it will be his second placement so I hope he’ll have the basics down. I’m worried about the content aspect. Oh boy.