Blog Week of 8/23/13

Blog Week of 8/23/13

This week has been a bit of a continuation of last week in terms of my student teaching experience.  I have still not taken over any classes as of yet, but I am doing more in each classroom.  Both of my CTs are big on having me circulate around the room and help individual students as problems arise.  Also during group work activities my afternoon CT has been having me take the lead in terms to helping students and keeping them on task.  One thing I need to remember is to be a coach and not a cop.  Looking back on the last few days of the week I feel like there were a number of times that I was playing gotcha with the students.  I need to learn to listen to my students at a distance and not hover over them.  I want to be available to get students back on track, but also give them the freedom to work independently.

I’m beginning to get down names.  I found when I worked as a substitute teacher that there is a power to knowing the student’s names.  I think it adds a bit of accountability, but it also helps to develop the personal relationships that are so necessary in making this job work.

My morning CT was out one day this week, so I essentially was able to work as a sub.  I enjoyed this and I think it helped to move me one step closer to having control when I fully take over my classroom.

The week after next I begin taking over class periods and I’m excited to see how things go.

Student Teaching week of 8/16/13

This is my first entry in my student teaching blog.  I intend to use this journal to record and reflect on my experience at Seckman High School.  As it is my first week student teaching and I have yet to teach a lesson, I will use this entry to record my observations of this first week.

I work with two different cooperating teachers or CTs.  For the first three periods of the day I am with one instructor, and then the last three periods with another instructor.  In my opening periods I work with Sophomores.  My remaining time is spent with two Freshman classes and one Sophomore class. 

It is interesting to see the varied level of instruction and techniques utilized by my two CTs.  My morning CT opened her first day classes with the syllabus and then did an icebreaker activity.  My afternoon instructor took a similar, but differing route.  He instructed the class in daily routines, gave a brief presentation on himself, and then finished off class with the syllabus.

Both instructors established control of their rooms from the start of each class.  Students who tried to test my respective CTs were quickly shown the error of their ways.  I believe the main thing that I take from this week is the importance of establishing dominance early.  As my afternoon CT told me, it is best to have a firm hand in the beginning of the year and then loosen up as the year goes on.  If I am too nice or let people get away with too much right from the start then it will be very difficult if not impossible to reign my students in as the year progresses.