(no subject)
I can't believe that I'm going into my fourth week of student teaching already. This past week I have been starting to take over the classroom. It is beyond weird. I mean, I feel like I'm a teacher but then I feel like I'm just going through the motions of doing it this part of my education. I'm really just playing teacher. For me, I don't feel so much in that adult role yet. I think I'm just trying on the shoes to see if they fit. Or I might just have to wear them even if they don't.
It's hard to remember that this is part of my schooling, that I am the one that is supposed to be learning not just doing. My cooperating teacher is great. Although, I have to admit that at times she kind of scares me. I'm not sure why. However, she is really there to help me learn, which I love. Normally, I'm the kind of person who wants to plan things out WAY ahead of time, but she tells me not to worry about it until it gets closer because she doesn't want me to confuse lessons. I feel relieved that she wants me to be that way, but I also feel a little worried because it is in my nature to plan ahead. She makes me feel that I'm never going to be totally alone when it comes to student teaching. She wants to take part in as much of it as she can. Come to think of it, she is doing so much right now. She is the department chair, she is teaching an after school dual enrollment college class, and has to deal with me around. That's a lot! I'm impressed really.
As for how things are going, the experience is going well. I have some moments of being flustered and I notice that I seem to stumble over simple words when I'm up and speaking in front of the class. Suddenly, it's hard to remember what you were going to say when you have 20 or 34 pairs of eyes staring at you.
There are plenty of students who annoy me, and plenty who I seem to be drawn too. However, I don't hate any of them. I actually enjoy all of the personalities so far. I just see so much potential in all of them, especially in the ones that seem to be given up on. I just want to find ways to get them interested in working.
I think the hardest part of it so far is grading. I don't know why but I have such a hard time grading. I guess I don't want to be too hard, and I don't want to be too easy either. It takes me so long to sit there and decide on how many points to take off in certain areas. Personally, I like to grade based upon effort and quality. To me, those things are the most important part an art class when it comes to creating work. You don't necessarily have to be the best artist, you just have to try.
I am just so busy during the weekdays. I get up at 5 a.m. leave for school at 6:35 or 6:40. School goes until 2:37 and usually I stay till 3:30. Then I work out after, depending on my mood I might be there till 5 or 5:30. Come home. Work on stuff for school, get prepared for the next day, make my lunch, shower. Call Joe at 9. Go to bed by 10 p.m. It's a monotonous routine. Wednesdays are different because I have to drive out to Lapeer for my seminar, which goes from 3:30 - 5:30, then I meet my parents for dinner around 6:30 and don't get home till 8 or so. It's a long day.
I don't get much of a break on most weekends either. I am working at T-bell every other weekend. However, I am managing to visit CMU the other weekends I'm not working to see Joe. I've only been up there once so far during student teaching and hopefully again this coming weekend.
Joe and I are doing as good as we can with being away from one another. But, when we are with each other, it doesn't feel as though we were apart for two weeks.
Things are interesting at this point because Joe is talking of going to grad school, making me wonder if this can all work out in the end because I want it to so badly.
~*T@r@*~
It's hard to remember that this is part of my schooling, that I am the one that is supposed to be learning not just doing. My cooperating teacher is great. Although, I have to admit that at times she kind of scares me. I'm not sure why. However, she is really there to help me learn, which I love. Normally, I'm the kind of person who wants to plan things out WAY ahead of time, but she tells me not to worry about it until it gets closer because she doesn't want me to confuse lessons. I feel relieved that she wants me to be that way, but I also feel a little worried because it is in my nature to plan ahead. She makes me feel that I'm never going to be totally alone when it comes to student teaching. She wants to take part in as much of it as she can. Come to think of it, she is doing so much right now. She is the department chair, she is teaching an after school dual enrollment college class, and has to deal with me around. That's a lot! I'm impressed really.
As for how things are going, the experience is going well. I have some moments of being flustered and I notice that I seem to stumble over simple words when I'm up and speaking in front of the class. Suddenly, it's hard to remember what you were going to say when you have 20 or 34 pairs of eyes staring at you.
There are plenty of students who annoy me, and plenty who I seem to be drawn too. However, I don't hate any of them. I actually enjoy all of the personalities so far. I just see so much potential in all of them, especially in the ones that seem to be given up on. I just want to find ways to get them interested in working.
I think the hardest part of it so far is grading. I don't know why but I have such a hard time grading. I guess I don't want to be too hard, and I don't want to be too easy either. It takes me so long to sit there and decide on how many points to take off in certain areas. Personally, I like to grade based upon effort and quality. To me, those things are the most important part an art class when it comes to creating work. You don't necessarily have to be the best artist, you just have to try.
I am just so busy during the weekdays. I get up at 5 a.m. leave for school at 6:35 or 6:40. School goes until 2:37 and usually I stay till 3:30. Then I work out after, depending on my mood I might be there till 5 or 5:30. Come home. Work on stuff for school, get prepared for the next day, make my lunch, shower. Call Joe at 9. Go to bed by 10 p.m. It's a monotonous routine. Wednesdays are different because I have to drive out to Lapeer for my seminar, which goes from 3:30 - 5:30, then I meet my parents for dinner around 6:30 and don't get home till 8 or so. It's a long day.
I don't get much of a break on most weekends either. I am working at T-bell every other weekend. However, I am managing to visit CMU the other weekends I'm not working to see Joe. I've only been up there once so far during student teaching and hopefully again this coming weekend.
Joe and I are doing as good as we can with being away from one another. But, when we are with each other, it doesn't feel as though we were apart for two weeks.
Things are interesting at this point because Joe is talking of going to grad school, making me wonder if this can all work out in the end because I want it to so badly.
~*T@r@*~