October
is coming together in full swing. Though the leaves haven't really
started changing to their wonderfully diverse colors the mood is
certainly starting to take on the docile tone I am familiar with.
Already I have been to my placement school around 20 more time than
either of my last two, and the result has been staggeringly
different. At this point I have begun to exercise more of my behavior
plans as I previously digested from Sprick's Discipline
in the Secondary Classroom and the advice from my
professor and peers. The result has been incredible, and I am
surprised at just how quickly the relationship has developed for the
positive. Students are now responding quicker (or in some cases at
all) to my redirection and are actively involved with including me in
their classroom environment which I am absolutely excited about.
Just
the other day we had our second visit to the library so that students
could browse the selections for their next book report and I had
students flocking to me in order to ask me questions about certain
books and whether or not they would find them interesting. I even had
an impacting conversation with two particular students about their
book selection because I had also read the series. I took their
interest and gave it a direction for them to look for so that they
could get the best result out of the text and they couldn't get
enough of it: because I could relate to them on a personal level and
they looked for that approval from me. That one moment between these
two students is something I will carry with me through my years as a
developing English teacher because of the impact it left on myself
and them.
As
my relationship with the students is progressing in this positive way
I have been also found myself diving into the situations I had
previously been unsure of, or simply didn't know how to best insert
myself into the equation and because of that I am starting to gain
more confidence when it comes to my actions as the “teacher” in
the room. Mostly all of this boost to my confidence and self-esteem
has to be attributed to my mentor teacher during our weekly
debriefings after school hours and my classmates allowing me to chew
over my thoughts out loud in a safe environment free of judgment.
Being able to openly and freely express my concerns about the issues
I am facing with a group of people has proven to be a valuable tool
that I hope can exist in my future schools, but that more heavily
relies on having a good support system which I hope to create if one
doesn't already exist.
As
the year rolls by I am always finding myself looking forward to
showing up to school and getting to have another day with the
students because it is helping me get over some of my shortcomings as
well as getting me involved with their lives easing me into the
transitions to come next semester. In just a few short days after
gaining the knowledge from my peers I am already starting to see
improvement, so this begs the question: What new challenges will I be
faced with next? No matter what the challenge is I have many
resources and friends to help me along the way, and that is the best
feeling.
Nate,
ReplyDeleteI was to glad to see your emphasis on support systems and that "safe" place to throw out your thoughts. I think it is sometimes easy for others to assume that since we are in the schools every day, we are confident in our abilities. While our confidence is certainly on the rise, there are also those days when we feel like we are just muddling through. Having the support of peers and mentors is so critical and such an asset. I'm thrilled for you that you have been able to define and utilize your supportive niche!
Best of luck as you continue this journey!
Jen
Isn't it great when they actually seek your help or opinion? That means they see you as an actual teacher *and* someone they can talk to and possibly someone whose opinion might be worthwhile. On Monday one of the boys in my class told me he had started reading Paper Towns--on my recommendation--and that he is enjoying it. Wow! I was touched that he had actually listened and followed through. Now I want to know what books you discussed with your students!
ReplyDeleteI'm curious about what you found in Sprick that helped you. I think I need to go back over this book as well. Maybe we can talk about it next time in class. I do appreciate the sense of community and collegiality Dr. Cramer and others have fostered in our various classes, and I have been surprised by the level of support I've found and the friendships I've formed within our circle.
Nate, I've missed hearing your heartfelt and insightful comments about the classroom in our classes this semester, and your blog reminded me what I've always admired about your teaching--you connect so effortlessly and well with your students. I sometimes feel like in an effort to remain professional, I don't know as much about my students as I should and don't have those relationships as well established. When do you think you make the time to get on their level best, outside of classtime or when you're actually engaged in class? Keep up the good work and the confidence will continue to follow, I definitely agree that with how much more we've been in the classroom this semester I feel much more comfortable!
ReplyDeleteFor me it is really a mixture of both. Being a co-op environment allows for easier communication since the workload is split between two people, but I hope to always stay in touch with this part of my teaching since it is pretty ingrained into who I am as a person. If I can't get to know each of my students on a personal level I start to feel like something is missing and thus effects my level of performance in the classroom. On this topic, however, getting to know what my students are like outside of the classroom setting is much easier since they feel lifted from the constraints of daily school life (I was even invited to see a movie by a group of students which I declined, but thanked for the consideration). They are starting to view me as a person as well as a teacher and someone to look up to, and I think that has mainly come from me trying to spark up a conversation about how their classwork impacts them outside of their schooling. Hope that sheds some kind of light on my situation (I'm not the best at explaining). Hope your semester is going well, also!
DeleteNate