Good Work

I've noticed a trend lately. I've been doing a lot of work at home between the hours of 8:30pm and 11pm getting ready for the next school day. What I've also noticed is that my cooperating teacher is appreciating my work. I think today makes the third time in the last 2.5 weeks that she has passed on what I have created to the other Language Arts and Social Studies teachers that teach 6th grade. I've made a powerpoint Jeopardy game, created a review worksheet for a test they're going to take, and a lesson/worksheets on inferring. And they've all wanted it all. These teachers that have been teaching for years and are pros want my work?! I'm only a student teacher and have only been actually teaching in a classroom for 5 weeks! This is crazy! But it's also really exciting. I feel like I am a teacher, and not just learning to be a teacher now. 

I only have one more week at this school, and it truly saddens me. I love the school I'm at, and I can honestly say that I want to get a job at this school in the future. I am curious, however, to see how things go at the high school I will be at in Vancouver.

Exhaustion Has Set In

Flat out, I'm exhausted. It's only Monday, but it feels as if I haven't slept in a week and a half. I have been getting up at 5:45am every week day, and not going to bed until around 10 or 11pm because I am spending my time lesson planning. Speaking of lesson planning, I taught a lesson today... completely solo. Yep, I taught a writing class all by myself. I came up with the material, made my own worksheets, and executed the lesson... fairly well in my opinion. Tomorrow, however, I am teaching a class while being observed by my supervisor... which is kind of a big deal. And I am soooo so nervous. One of the classes I am teaching tomorrow (I am teaching the same lesson to two different classes) is the class full of trouble-makers. Even just today, we had to send two of them out in the hall to do their work because they were causing so many disruptions. I hope my classroom management skills are good enough to deal with that class... Luckily, my cooperating teacher is still going to be in the classroom if I need her help... I'll just be the main teacher that day.

I haven't had much of a life outside of the school lately. If I go out to hang out with anyone, I only ever end up hanging out with the same person... my friend Crystel. I miss having a bit of a life... but I have a feeling a life is something I wont have for quite a while... and I just have to come to terms with that. Raising a toddler on my own combined with finishing up my Masters degree and getting ready to become a teacher is so much work that I cant even imagine trying to do something else... but life is kind of lonely...

Adventures in Student Teaching

Today I went back to Middle School. And the strange thing, is that there were a lot of similarities to my own Middle School. Not only is the layout of the building very similar, but the types of kids in the classroom are remarkably the same as well. Throughout the day, I found myself comparing many of the students to kids that I went to school with in Corvallis. 

I was so nervous when I pulled into the parking lot. I thought I was going to vomit. But from the very moment I met with my cooperating teacher, I felt very at ease. She is the nicest lady and SO down to earth! I had so much fun today, and the school day zipped by!!

The kids were great, too! My cooperating teacher has 2 reading groups, a writing class, an AVID class, and then goes into other classrooms to help with reading comprehension. There is a lot of running around, but that probably makes the day go by faster, right? I will probably be doing my work sample on writing an essay. It's my choice which kind of essay (except for a personal narrative because they are doing that in other classes right now and will be sick of it). I wish I would have done more practice in my MAT classes for teaching writing, but I feel confident I will come up with something great. 

I can't wait to go back tomorrow!!