My Teaching Experiences

I decided that I wanted to be present on the first day of school this year. I knew that I wouldn't do a whole lot, but I wanted to see how it was run and get the feel for the turn-around of students. It has been since eighth grade that I've witnessed the first day of middle school so I would much rather be comfortable with it next year than freaking out about not experiencing it in about a decade.

The first day was all right. It was a little boring, since I just sat in the back of Tessa's classroom and listened to her read the same story over and over again, but that was exactly what I had expected. Tessa seems open, nice and communicative; she also seems very receptive to having BSU students in her classroom. I like that I will be working with her this semester but that I will not be participating in any Read Naturally sessions. I think that I will be able to get a lot out of my participation in her class this semester.

My second day the students were in the computer lab taking Star tests so that Tessa knew what reading level everyone was at. She told each class multiple times that this was just so that she had an idea of where they were reading - not to pin them to a specific reading level for the remainder of the year. I like her philosophy on reading. She wants students to read and wants to encourage them to experiment with their reading. Today was also a little boring because it was another non-traditional day, but it was just another part of the learning/schooling process.

On the third day I was finally able to view a more "traditional" class period. Tessa has been working with the students on figuring out their multiple intelligences, whether they're left or right brained and their learning styles. Today we put some of those techniques to use in practical application. Tessa taught sixth and seventh periods and allowed me to teach eighth. During my teaching time she took notes and went over them with me after class - which I loved. I thought it was great that she was so open about teaching methods and willing to give me immediate feedback on how I did and how she saw me interacting with the students. She asked if I would do the same for her sometimes; she said that she can always learn and improve and that that will help me in the metacognitive process as well.

I also think that I have secured a teacher for next semester. Tessa talked to the teacher next door, Karen, and Karen agreed to take me on as a student teacher in the spring. Karen teaches ninth grade English so in the spring she'll do To Kill a Mockingbird, the best book ever written, and Shakespeare - both of which will be fascinating and awesome to teach.

My Teaching Experiences
I'm a graduate student at Boise State University just starting to work with the school districts. This no-frills blog is my account of my experiences in the school setting. Archives: January 2006 February 2006 March 2006 April 2006 September 2006 October 2006 November 2006 January 2007 February 2007 March 2007 April 2007 May 2007	Wednesday, September 06, 2006 I decided that I wanted to be present on the first day of school this year. I knew that I wouldn't do a whole lot, but I wanted to see how it was run and get the feel for the turn-around of students. It has been since eighth grade that I've witnessed the first day of middle school so I would much rather be comfortable with it next year than freaking out about not experiencing it in about a decade. The first day was all right. It was a little boring, since I just sat in the back of Tessa's classroom and listened to her read the same story over and over again, but that was exactly what I had expected. Tessa seems open, nice and communicative; she also seems very receptive to having BSU students in her classroom. I like that I will be working with her this semester but that I will not be participating in any Read Naturally sessions. I think that I will be able to get a lot out of my participation in her class this semester. My second day the students were in the computer lab taking Star tests so that Tessa knew what reading level everyone was at. She told each class multiple times that this was just so that she had an idea of where they were reading - not to pin them to a specific reading level for the remainder of the year. I like her philosophy on reading. She wants students to read and wants to encourage them to experiment with their reading. Today was also a little boring because it was another non-traditional day, but it was just another part of the learning/schooling process. On the third day I was finally able to view a more "traditional" class period. Tessa has been working with the students on figuring out their multiple intelligences, whether they're left or right brained and their learning styles. Today we put some of those techniques to use in practical application. Tessa taught sixth and seventh periods and allowed me to teach eighth. During my teaching time she took notes and went over them with me after class - which I loved. I thought it was great that she was so open about teaching methods and willing to give me immediate feedback on how I did and how she saw me interacting with the students. She asked if I would do the same for her sometimes; she said that she can always learn and improve and that that will help me in the metacognitive process as well. I also think that I have secured a teacher for next semester. Tessa talked to the teacher next door, Karen, and Karen agreed to take me on as a student teacher in the spring. Karen teaches ninth grade English so in the spring she'll do To Kill a Mockingbird, the best book ever written, and Shakespeare - both of which will be fascinating and awesome to teach.