The last few weeks have gone by so fast. I am more excited everyday that I step into my classrooms because of the possible impact I am having on the students. I have noticed that the students are starting to bond with me because I am closer to their age. However, I still do not understand how and why students form that bond with teachers. From what I have observed so far, I can see what the students have come to like and dislike about teachers they have encountered (not to mention being told flat out why they hate a teacher). I am going to try and take this information and use it for when I begin to teach these students, which will be next week.
In my second week at school, I was able to witness an altercation and how a teacher responded to it. This was an interesting thing to witness and much unexpected at the time. The bell rang for class to be dismissed and passing period to begin. One of the students, I will call him C, emerged from my class and bumped into a rival out in the hall. It was at this moment that C blew up and tried to attack the rival. The teacher next to my classroom, Ms. M, stepped between the altercation and grabbed C. She held C up against the lockers, all the while he was fighting to get passed her. The assistant principal finally stepped in the relieve Ms. M and at that time I approached her to make sure she was ok. She had red marks all up and down her arms and was visually shaken. I am not sure what the training is for these situations, but I do know that without her interruption in the altercation far worse things would have happened. I have learned from this event that I definitely need to research protocol for these situations, so I can be better prepared in case I encounter this activity in my classroom or in the hall when I am alone.
Now, in my third week, I have become more of a part in the planning and teaching process. For my five to seven day unit I must teach, I am going to be working with small groups of students, nine at a time, and we will be working for three days on reviewing the elements of a narrative story. The groups will then switch and I will be given another group for three days. I am still torn on what story to use, but I am contemplating using a story that involves multiple conflicts to help the students better understand the various conflicts such as man vs. man and man vs. nature. I ask my fellow educators, if you have any suggestions of good short stories or activities I would love to hear them. I have been given the workbook to find a story, but I would like a better resource for a story that will be more intriguing and captivating. This week they are working on “The Tell-Tale Heart” and “The Monkey’s Paw”, so anything that is similar would probably peak some interest, however I would really like something different. I am excited to begin to teach my own lessons and will make sure to update this blog more often. Hopefully!
