Oh, for lazy Saturdays!
Jason and I had 'date night' last night. We went for nachos and a drink at Joey Buonos and then home to the couch. We were both asleep by 9pm. We talked about watching a movie too, but the movie never actually made it into the DVD player (because that would have meant that one of us would have had to stand up). It was a perfect Friday night date for me!
This past week was a bit of a struggle. We are nearing the end of 'student teacher sandy'... and I think she's nearing the end of her teaching career too. I think she had high hopes that teaching a classroom of 20 eight year olds in the ghetto would be very similar to raising four wonderful children in a Mequon suburb... and the reality is that teaching is only part 'mom'... it is also part 'dad' and part 'mentor' and part 'disciplinarian' and part 'friend' and part 'role model' and part 'teacher' and part 'organizer'...etc. If you lean too heavily towards any one of those roles-- urban children eat you alive-- and then laugh at you while you struggle!
The other struggle is the time commitment that a new urban teacher has to make in order to be successful. It cannot be a 7-4 job... it will never work if that is the only time you are willing to commit. You have to make the commitment to reflect on what is working and what isn't and what you are going to do to make it better... every night... every morning.... until you get it closer to a manageable working and learning environment. The students know when you are ready and when you are not. They know when you have found a new way to make things work and when you are just going to keep struggling with the same systems that don't. And most students... especially the really tough ones... love to see a teacher flounder... and love to see a teacher unprepared for the disruptions of the day...they see it as their opportunity to shine!
So, needless to say... the really tough 3rd graders have had more than their chance to shine the past few weeks with Sandy. Don't get me wrong, she's a really nice lady. She has a very friendly personality--- and she smiles a lot--- and she's very helpful and easy to get along with. She is obviously very confident and successful in her 'other' life. We have just both agreed that urban teaching is probably not her call in life... at least not right now.
I guess it also makes me feel like I did a horrible job trying to mentor my first student teacher... I guess I was hoping for the perfect scenario that she would enjoy our school sooooo much that she would want to work there next year.... and everything would be great....
maybe I'll have better luck with the next one.... if there is a next one :)
This past week was a bit of a struggle. We are nearing the end of 'student teacher sandy'... and I think she's nearing the end of her teaching career too. I think she had high hopes that teaching a classroom of 20 eight year olds in the ghetto would be very similar to raising four wonderful children in a Mequon suburb... and the reality is that teaching is only part 'mom'... it is also part 'dad' and part 'mentor' and part 'disciplinarian' and part 'friend' and part 'role model' and part 'teacher' and part 'organizer'...etc. If you lean too heavily towards any one of those roles-- urban children eat you alive-- and then laugh at you while you struggle!
The other struggle is the time commitment that a new urban teacher has to make in order to be successful. It cannot be a 7-4 job... it will never work if that is the only time you are willing to commit. You have to make the commitment to reflect on what is working and what isn't and what you are going to do to make it better... every night... every morning.... until you get it closer to a manageable working and learning environment. The students know when you are ready and when you are not. They know when you have found a new way to make things work and when you are just going to keep struggling with the same systems that don't. And most students... especially the really tough ones... love to see a teacher flounder... and love to see a teacher unprepared for the disruptions of the day...they see it as their opportunity to shine!
So, needless to say... the really tough 3rd graders have had more than their chance to shine the past few weeks with Sandy. Don't get me wrong, she's a really nice lady. She has a very friendly personality--- and she smiles a lot--- and she's very helpful and easy to get along with. She is obviously very confident and successful in her 'other' life. We have just both agreed that urban teaching is probably not her call in life... at least not right now.
I guess it also makes me feel like I did a horrible job trying to mentor my first student teacher... I guess I was hoping for the perfect scenario that she would enjoy our school sooooo much that she would want to work there next year.... and everything would be great....
maybe I'll have better luck with the next one.... if there is a next one :)
posted by Brocks at 7:29 AM
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