think positively

I’m trying to be positive about my next student teaching placement, starting in three weeks, but it is very hard for me to do. As I complained earlier, she has taken on a zillion extra duties, most likely so she gets paid more and can put them on her resume. Instead of the two preps every middle school teacher is required to have, she runs the 6th grade team meetings during one, and then teaches an at risk math class during the other. She does cafeteria duty every day instead of lunch too. We’re going to get no time to talk about things or plan together. It just seems really unfair. She expects me to help her out with all of this things, but I don’t see why I should have to since they aren’t required of me for student teaching. I am so upset over this, and I haven’t even started it yet. Besides the obvious, “You’ll learn a lot from this placement!” I see no positives to all the crap I’ll have to do. I need some major boosting in my confidence for this area.

Today my principal popped in unannounced to observe my science lesson. I had invited her to come anytime, but I assumed there would be a warning. I got really nervous and felt like I bombed the lesson. I didn’t, of course, and her criticisms weren’t bad, but I just felt awful about it afterwards. I wanted to create a perfect lesson that she was really wowwed with, so it’s disappointing. For next time I’ll just try use the criticisms she gave me and improve on them.

I’m really getting tested on this one today. My lovely landlord didn’t plow our driveway and my car got snowed in this morning, and then this afternoon I found out that my 2nd student teaching placement was just changed. The latter is especially disappointing because I was very psyched for the first school they placed me at.

I’m focusing on the positives though. Today my students showered me with gifts for Valentine’s Day, and I got an awesome review yesterday from my supervisor when she observed me teach. I just need to focus on the good and the bad will fall into place on its own.