Sunday, August 18, 2013

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.

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