It can't be the last day of my internship, can it?!

Today was officially my last day of student teaching at Fairmont Senior High School. It was so bittersweet! I got lots of hugs and well wishes from the students and lots of congrats from the teachers, but I felt a little sad while all of this was going on. I realized today that I am a teacher and that I have found what I'm good at. Being away from the classroom only makes me realize how much I truly do enjoy it.
In the beginning, I sort of just fell into teaching because I couldn't make it through the classes that I needed in order to become a doctor, which is what I really wanted to do. However, I am so glad that it didn't work out that way because I'm definitely not cut out for those crazy long hours, sleepless nights, and crazy insurance rates! In being a teacher I can be myself. I can show students who I am and what I love. I can make a difference in the world by simply changing a student's outlook on a topic, certain issue, or even life. I think my job as a teacher is much more important than I ever realized. I have the ability to instill values and morals in children, which is something our society desperately needs.
I've learned so much over the past 16 weeks and I'm so thankful for my wonderful mentor teacher. She really took me under her wing and taught me the things I will need in order to be a successful teacher. She taught me real life things that I'll certainly take with me when I get my own classroom.
It really is hard to believe that my internship is over. In the beginning I thought it would never end, and now here I am completely finished. It has been a great experience and I'll always remember it.

Thank goodness it's Friday!!

Today marks the very last Friday that I’ll have to attend school as an intern! I have already given full reign back to my mentor teacher; that’s pretty much all this week was about. She is once again the full-time teacher and I am simply an aid. I help out around the room with passing out papers, grading, getting things set up, and answering a few small questions, but she is the one who has the full teaching load.

It’s weird, but my students still give me the same level of respect that they did when I was teaching them. It seems that they still see me as their teacher even though they know that I’m not now. In the beginning of the year, my students didn’t really feel comfortable around me. They wouldn’t talk to me about things other than English and they wouldn’t really interact with me. However, now having taught since the beginning of school, they interact with me all the time! It is amazing how much of a transformation has occurred and I’m so glad that I got to witness it firsthand!

Speaking of student interactions, I’ve actually received my first present from a student this week! This really sweet girl in my second period class brought me a present on Tuesday. She walked right up to me and put it in my hand with a smile on her face. (This is very important because this little girl hardly ever smiles!) I looked at her with surprise on my face and opened the bag she’d given me. Inside were a scented candle and a bottle of lotion both from Bath and Body Works. I told her how much I loved the scent that she’d given me and that it was actually my favorite and she just continued to smile! I hugged her and told her that I really appreciated it! Not only was this a great experience for me, but I think for her as well. She really opened up to me this semester as I tried to push her out of her shell. It has really shown me that even just helping one student makes it all worth it!

The last day before Thanksgiving Break!

It is finally here! Thanksgiving break is upon us and I can almost taste the turkey! It is now 1:24 on Friday, November 22, 2013 and I am only 1 hour and 6 minutes shy of a much-needed break from school! It is hard to believe that I’ve made it through my internship and I must say that it has been one crazy whirlwind of ups and downs. I was able to make it through, however, and with flying colors I might add! I have learned so much since the first day of school and I’m even a little sad that it’s over.

 The next two weeks of my internship will consist of my helping transition students back into Mrs. Adams’ teaching. I will be assisting my mentor and trying to give her full reign of the class once again. It seems weird that I’ll have to show students that she’s the teacher again when it took so much effort to get them to see me as the teacher.

Throughout the past few months, I have learned quite a lot about being a teacher. The most important thing that I’ve learned is that you have to be yourself when you’re in front of any classroom. Students can pick up on your vibes and when you’re not being yourself, they know it! I think that my students got to know me just as well as I got to know them and I’m so happy about it.

Another thing that I’ve learned is that you have to be able to deal with lots of things on the fly. This means that you cannot plan for absolutely everything! Things are going to come up that you can’t control and as the teacher you simply have to be able to deal with it without freaking out. Interruptions are going to happen and you’re not always going to be able to teach what you’ve planned. It happens and you just need to be flexible.

Overall, teaching this semester was a fun-filled learning experience and I wouldn’t have changed anything about it. I’m so glad that my students were so accepting of me and that my mentor teacher took the time to work with me. The staff at FSHS was extremely helpful with anything that I needed. I couldn’t have asked for a better semester of student teaching!

Preparing to phase out...

It is so hard to believe that I am almost finished with my semester of student teaching! It seems like just yesterday I was writing my first lesson plan for my 9th graders; I really don't know where the time went! Throughout my time with Mrs. Adams I have learned a great deal about teaching, students, and even myself. I think that my favorite thing I've learned from her is that you've got to work hard in order to get what you want and that is just what I have been doing.

This week marks my last week of full-time teaching. This means that next week, I'll only be responsible for two class periods and co-teaching the rest with Mrs. Adams. I wrote my last lesson plan this week and it was so bittersweet. I was, on one hand, glad to be finished writing lesson plans, but on the other hand a bit sad that I won't be spending a whole lot of time with either my students or my mentor anymore. After Thanksgiving break I will be completely phased out and I'll just be observing and helping out wherever I can.

Though I am looking forward to finishing up this semester and moving on, I am going to miss the everyday routine of going to school. I have found that I really do enjoy being a teacher and I'm so happy that I've chosen it as my profession. I have really blossomed this semester into the teacher that I want to be. I know that I've still got room to grow, but I truly think that I'm on the right track!

2 novels at once!

Last Friday wrapped up my 3 week teaching span of having to teach 2 completely different novels at the same time! I was teaching The Hobbit to my regular ninth grade English classes and The Hound of the Baskervilles to my ninth grade English Honors classes. Fortunately, the Honors classes have wrapped up their novel because it was only 15 chapters long and they took their final test on Friday. The other classes still have about 2 weeks until we finish The Hobbit, but I think I can better focus on just one novel rather than two.

Teaching two novels at the same time really wasn't as hard as I thought that it would be. The thing that took the most time was reading the novels along with the students because I had never read either one until now. I had to read with students, which was a chapter a night, so that I could keep up with what I was supposed to teach them the next day in class. The hardest thing for me was trying to remember what happened in which novel, so I had to take a lot of notes in order to keep my facts straight. I think I did a really good job with the two novels though because my Honors students took their test on Friday and most of them got A's or B's, so I'm pretty proud of myself.

Having done this during my student teaching really shows me that I can do anything when I put my mind to it. I had to read these novels on top of all of the other work that I've had to do as well. It shows me that putting effort into something really does work and the students' test scores have provided that evidence. This was a great learning experience for me and I'm glad that my mentor teacher made me do it. She always seems to know just what it is that I need to learn and she always pushes me to do things I think I can't.

The Eve of Halloween

I’m not sure if there was something strange in the air today, but it seemed that every student in each of my classes had eaten two bowls of sugar before they got to school. They were all extremely hyper and nobody wanted to listen today. In fact, I had to keep a student after class in order to discuss his attitude. This particular student has been giving me attitude for 3 days in a row about every little thing I say. When I tell him to do something, he sasses me and asks why he should complete my assignments. Well, today was the straw that broke the camel’s back. I had had enough of his attitude and I told him just that when he stayed after class. I asked him what his problem was and he certainly didn’t have an answer for that question! I told him that he needs to do what I say when I say it and without any attitude. I also told him that he needs to mind his own business because he is always so concerned with what other students are doing.

 

Having to discipline this student made me feel bad. I do not like being confrontational and I had to today. I didn’t want to be mean to him, but I had to get my point across that I’m not taking his attitude anymore. I simply don’t know what was with him today, but hopefully he’s over it come tomorrow.

Keeping up with the craziness

Things at my PDS have been so hectic that I find myself not knowing which way I’m going most days! Amidst the teaching, I’ve got to deal with distraction after distraction with students going here and there and having to miss class for this or that; it is crazy. I find it very hard to keep up with who’s going where and why they’re missing class from day to day. However, I’ve found that the chaos is okay and it is something that I’m going to have to deal with from this point on. I am starting to find serenity in the chaos as odd as that may seem and if there’s ever a day without an interruption, I feel a bit lost!

With all the craziness, things are getting a bit more intense because I am teaching two novels at the same time. I am teaching The Hobbit to my regular English 9 classes and The Hound of the Baskervilles to my English 9 Honors classes. It has been going pretty well since my mentor teacher has been helping me out a bit and I think we’re doing a great job because the students seem interested in the novels. We are allowing students to watch the videos along with the reading so as to reinforce the ideas and concepts; it seems to be working well. Having never read either of these books, teaching them certainly has proven to be a challenge, but I think I’m doing well and I really am trying my best. I am reading along with the students and I think that makes it a learning experience for all of us.