survive student teaching

I am over halfway done with student teaching! I finished my last week with my 4th graders, which was awesome. They made me cry on my last day, but I think a couple of them cried too. They’ve been emailing me nonstop, and it is seriously the cutest thing in the world. I’m going to print up some pictures later and send them a little care package for being such sweeties.

I also just finished my first week at my new placement. Oh middle school. I’ve learned that I can be a majorly strict teacher, which is good. I enjoy it, for the most part, but I’ve learned that I belong in elementary. I could totally handle middle school, but teaching the same thing six times in a row gets boring, and the attitude is just too much for me sometimes.

Yay for being over halfway done though!

I’ll have this upcoming week off for spring break, one more week with my 4th grade, and then it’s on to ten beautiful weeks with middle schoolers. Note the sarcasm.

The Friday before break was actually rather awesome. We had a sub, so I took the class in a whole new direction. We read picture books, we played games; it was relaxing. There were two students that I did a mean yell to in front of the class, but more and more I am thinking these things are needed. If I give you a warning to turn around and sit down, then do it. If, 20 seconds later, you are standing up talking to your friend while I’m giving instruction, then you are going to feel my wrath. I will embarrass you in from of the class by calling you out on it. We’re not in preschool here, people.

I am pumped though. I checked out four teacher books from the library to read over spring break. Smith, Boynton, and Johnston will be my new best friends while I wait in the doctor’s office for the various tests I’m getting this week. I hope to come back refreshed and ready for a new start.

I met my next cooperating teacher, and I am not in the least bit excited. At all. She took on all these extra duties, so she has no prep time the whole day and does cafeteria duty during lunch. She also has the at risk kids ALL the freaking time. Middle school at risk kids. Oh my god I am going to lose my mind.

Today was AWESOME.

I only have four weeks left of my first placement. Yes it’s fun and I love it, but I’m anxious to MOVE ON. I found out that my 2nd placement is going to be 10 weeks instead of the regular 9, and it’s in middle school…so…yeah. Sigh.

It’s going well though. I’m really using this time to focus on my own personal flaws so I can one day be a great teacher.

Today I started my 3-week magnet unit and it was SO fun! Granted, magnets are a really easy thing to have fun with, but I felt so great after my lesson today. Tomorrow I get observed by my supervisor (blah) so hopefully that goes well too!

I only have six weeks left for my first placement, and since I’ll be teaching at least two full weeks in that time, I know it will go by fast!

I think I’m doing well “surviving” and keeping my head above the water. I’m starting a huge science unit next week and trying to get all the prep done this weekend, but we’ll see how that goes :-p