End of second week....

Well I have officially lived through my second week of student teaching. I am mentally and physically exhausted!!! I have determined that fourth graders do not listen - they were not equipped with these skills and I sometimes wonder if they ever will be.

I started teaching math on Thursday and today. I will now be teaching it for the next nine weeks by myself. Thursday went okay. Heather observed me and gave me some goods and bads about it. Most of the bads I was aware of - such as having a tendency of calling on more girls than boys. I did realize that and I tried to stop at the end - however I ended with a ratio of 7 boys to 11 girls. Whoops!!!!

I am also trying to learn how to stick to my guns and not fold. If you have never had 30 students trying to break you down you may not understand - but man can these kids work you over and you just get tired. I need to follow through on what I tell them to do. I'll find a way. First I need to find a way to make them just sit down!!!! Please, for the love of god just sit down and listen to the directions. Please!!!!!!!

I even had a student tell me today - "That's not what Ms. P does.....she does it this way blah blah blah"

Oh really? Well guess what!?! My name is Ms. Jensen - and I do things a little differently. So sit down. Ha ha ha ha!!!

Okay I didn't say it like that but I did inform them all that I'm not Ms. P. When I told Heather this she laughed and even said she doesn't do it that way either! See what I'm saying? She goes away for a few minutes and they are trying to trick me. I would have never! :oP

Yet, I did have a student ask if I would be teaching there next year. I said I don't know - just depends on whose hiring. Than I asked "Why do you not want me here?" And you know what she said? "Yes, I do. I was wondering if you would be our teacher in 5th grade". Whether she was full of BS or not it still made me happy. So I'm going to say she wasn't full of BS. What a sweet girl! :o)

I felt that today went a lot better. And now I have all weekend to prepare for next week. I am beginning to learn just how much preparation it takes to teach. You don't just want to open up a book and read from it - you want to motivate these guys. For example, today we did a lesson on rounding numbers. Instead of just going over the book I found a chant online about rounding numbers and we did it together as a group. It got them up and moving which prepared them for this tedious task. (They have some difficulty grasping the whole rounding thing).

My first official observation is a week from Tuesday....

I also begin teaching spelling and social studies next week. I am also in charge of taking the students to recess and specials by myself. I have begun the overwhelming work of grading - does it ever stop???? I mean these papers just pile up and up and up and up!!!!!! Arghh!!!

I told Chris that I am going to utilize him. He can begin checking multiple choice papers.....and perhaps I'll hold a family get together every week and have the family join in on the fun. :-)

But overall it has been good. I'm excited and can't believe I'm almost done!!!! I am even working on getting my SEI endorsement so I can be a little ahead of the game. I am finishing up my last two classes next week - I won't know what to do with myself.... no online courses or going to school in the evening?

Does this mean I need to learn how to cook??

Well that is about it. I'm looking forward to relaxing a little this weekend. I have fallen into a routine of going to work and coming home and taking a daily hour nap. I could get use to that!!!!

Talk to you later.

Love, Katie