First Week -- Round 2

I am in love love LOVE with my second placement. I am teaching two freshman classes and two senior classes. My co op, Courtney Moore, is exactly the kind of teacher I want to be. She is firm, fun and legitimately loves every single student she has. Walking into her room, 351, the walls are a crazy splash of color and creativity. Pictures of former students, posters, projects, and dioramas hang and set everywhere. I would say her personality and mine are very similar, which is perhaps one of the reasons we get along so well. I've only known this woman three days, and I truly believe she is one of the most sincere and passionate teachers I've ever met. She reminds me a lot of the teachers I had in high school who inspired me to teach in the first place.

Now, just because my co op and I get along great, doesn't mean she won't give me feedback. She has absolutely no qualms about telling me what she thinks and I love that. In fact, on Wednesday she was going to be for a SAP training session, and she told me that I would take over all four block periods! (WOAH!- talk about a baptism by fire!) Luckily, the students were working pretty independently so it was on me to keep order and manage appropriately. She told me to make sure I should "work smarter, not harder" -- this gem of advice really stuck with me because I know that sometimes I make things harder for myself.

Like I said before, on Wednesday I took over all classes while Miss. Moore was out. The sub was there, but she was pretty useless and I explained to her that I would be doing most if not all of the instruction. My two freshman classes went awesome! The freshman here, at Big Spring and the freshman at Carlisle are two totally different creatures! My freshman here are overly energetic, blunt, happy and RESPECTFUL! I feel as if they have already taken to me and I am so excited to get to know them better.

My seniors are going to be a little harder to crack than my freshman, but I am incredibly hopeful. I have what some might consider an “alternative English class”. It is a class of 7 seniors and all these kids need a lot of love! Some come from really terrible situations and they are all just trying to graduate and get out of school…hm?? Sounds strangely familiar…..huh guys?

Anyway, this class of 7 seniors is very blunt and they have no problem telling me exactly what they think. However, they aren’t rude to me (yet at least) because I have been making a cognoscente effort to both respect and learn about them; it is amazing how well they respond when I strike up a conversation centered around them…. And in return they ask me about my life. The introductory period with my students is so exciting and I know we are making ground and building a foundation.

My last block is of all seniors and there are 23 of them… a big class compared to my class of 7. I think this class will be the most difficult out of all of them (what is it about last period classes?) , but at least I will be taking over this class first. Thus, I will get a lot of practice.

I am just overly excited for this placement and I think that the next 7 weeks are going to swoop by! I can honestly say I already adore my students and I can’t wait to take over.