Student Teaching

The big time is finally here. Student teaching has begun, and I am LOVING being in the classroom full time. Teaching really is a calling, and I can tell already I've made the right decision for a career. I can't wait for my first classroom of my own!

I am student teaching in 5th grade. I have experience aiding in Kindergarten and Pre-K, and this is so much different! I really enjoy how I can talk to the students and expect them to understand what I am trying to get across. It is really fun to build on previous learning and to watch the children make connections from one subject area to another.

So far I've been able to help the students work on independent practice, and I've designed a bulletin board. The board is interactive- when students read a book they really like they will fill out a form telling why they recommend it. Eventually I will be able to make a list of treasured books to take with me into my own classroom.

This week I have started picking the class up from lunch and bringing them to the classroom. It sounds like a small duty, but it really is an important part of the teaching day. I've seen classes get really out of control during transitions. This is a chance to enjoy the children while still showing them that I will have expectations for behavior.

I will also be starting to teach reading groups Monday. These are small groups of about 6 students each that will meet for about 10 minutes for a mini-lesson. My mentor teacher thinks this is a natural and comfortable place to start, and I agree. By the end of next week I will be writing the lesson plans in preparation to take over social studies.

I actually took home my work for the first time last night. There was some grading to be done, and my mentor teacher and I split the stack. I got a bit of a taste of what it is like to have grading to do, lesson plans to write, and still needing to get to the grocery store. Thank goodness Daniel is so great at picking up the slack! By the time I got home he had the laundry and dishes done. He grabbed the kids and took them to the grocery store while I cooked dinner and did my "homework." Once I have my own classroom I will be a little more in control of how my time is scheduled, but we will definitely have days like this. I'm confident that our family will adjust and be able to do what needs to be done to help me be an effective and successful teacher.

Today is the official end of week one. Only 11 more classroom weeks to go. I'm exhausted, but I'm definitely not complaining. Every day is more and more exciting, and I am learning more ever week in the classroom than I did in a semester of book learning. This weekend I may just have to schedule myself a nap, though!