I MADE IT!

I made it! I finished my 10-day unit plan. Even though I will miss teaching, I am overjoyed to be done. Taking 18 credit hours while student teaching is proving to be a bit too much for me to handle. I wanted to make my lessons very creative, but sometimes my imaginative lesson plans fell short due to other projects and midterms. My advice to those thinking about student teaching or who will eventually be student teaching, get most of your classes out of the way before your senior year. Even though I’m loving this semester, it is very hard for me to keep up with the demanding schedule.

To add to my excitement about finishing, I received my student evaluations. After finishing my lesson plan on Tuesday, the students filled out a teacher evaluation form. My student teaching supervisor stayed after class and gave me feedback on the lesson. He suggested while assessing my students/ asking questions, move around the room more. His constructive criticism only inspired me to work harder next semester. After finishing, I couldn’t wait to read the students’ comments. I sprinted to my car, opened up the folder, and braced myself before reading their remarks. I prepared for the worst, but prayed for the best. To my amazement, the students really enjoyed my lessons. They wrote incredibly nice comments and gave great constructive criticism. All of their “negative” comments will only make me stronger as a teacher. Some said I needed to work on “cracking the whip;” others thought I should explain assignments better. All of this motivated me to try and work harder. One girl handed me a note while leaving. I opened it after reading all the other evaluations. After reading the first few lines, tears started dwelling in my eyes and my heart felt warm. She wrote me the most incredible poem, followed by encouraging words. Her final sentence read “Miss Chambers you’re going to make a wonderful teacher, so don’t fret!” That small note made the all-nighters, stress, and anxiety worthwhile. Every doubt in my mind about being a teacher melts away with that one sentence. This is a great profession. The pay might not be a lot, but one small comment, even one sentence, makes all the hard work meaningful.

And It Ends In Defeat!

4... 3... 2... 1... Jackson wins Perry looses. Ugh, you do not understand how bad this stinks! After talking "smack" all week about how awesome Perry is and how Jackson will be begging us for mercy, Jackson wins! Here's the back story. I attended Perry Local Schools my whole life; I carry Perry Pride with me wherever I go. I am a panther girl for life. Now I student teach at Perry’s biggest rival: Jackson. A few of the boys in my class play freshman football. For the past few weeks, both of us bragged about the quality of our teams. I thought for sure Perry would come out on top. Well the varsity game ended in defeat for Perry and today I went and watched my students “pound Perry” in another face-off. Sitting on the Jackson side I quietly cheered on my team; I applauded secretly underneath my blanket. Through it all, no luck, Jackson won. Now I’ll have to hear the never-ending “you lost,” “Perry sucks,” and the worst “we told you so” comments. Even though Perry did loose, I am still so proud of my students. They did an awesome job today. Congrats boys!

One Step at a Time

“One step at a time.” This popular lyric to Jordan Sparks’ new song is this week’s anthem. I kept reminding myself to just keep taking one step… one step at a time.

Tuesday, my classmates and I spent time working on our portfolios. By the end of the semester, we must upload our ten day unit plan, video poem, and other lesson plans that meet NCATE standards. We began designing our templates and uploading documents. We also signed up for our “last semester as an undergraduate” classes; I think it finally sunk into our minds: “O my gosh, we’re graduating!” After spending eight semesters contemplating what classes to take or what professor to pick, it all came to the end. One more semester and I’ll be an adult. Right?

Wednesday, Mr. Noden came to observe my lesson. He wrote only positive comments about my characterization game. During the fall semester, my practicum instructor (Mr. Noden), and my student teaching supervisor will observe while I teach. Mr. Noden looks for the positive and my supervisor looks for ways to improve my teaching.

These pictures are from the characterization game. Students divided into four groups. Half the group became the writers and half developed into distinguished actors. The writers picked three character traits out of my beautifully designed “Jackson” box. They wrote scripts for the actors to perform. As a class we would try and identify the character traits. I think the students enjoyed the lesson.

Thursday we continued learning about characterization. We read the short story “Thank You M’am.” The story depicts two distinct characters. For homework they were assigned to write a song from the point of view from one of the characters. Of course, I thought I should lead by example and write a short song myself. I played the only three notes I knew how to play over and over until I finally finished a -sure to be- Grammy award winning song. I think the kids thought it was totally lame, but I witnessed a few smiles peak out from behind their “we’re cool” teenagers’ faces.

I know these kids only think of me as their goofy student teacher, but to me these kids are my thoughts. I think about the class constantly throughout the day. I think about what lesson they’ll think is “totally awesome.” I think about what is the best way they’ll learn. I think about their well-being. I think about how they’re doing in other classes. I think about what fun conversations we’ll have the next day. I think about whether or not they’ll win their football game. I know they don’t think so, but I truly care about them!

Am I a Teacher Now?

Well it happened; I taught for the first time a classroom full of teenagers. At the time, it felt as if I was in a racecar, everything rushed by so fast, but now that it’s over I can recall every second.

Thursday morning, I kept pushing the rewind button over and over in my mind, reviewing each aspect my lesson. In constant prayer, I made my way to the high school. I rushed to the classroom to set-up my “fun” activity. Instead of thinking positively, I found myself contemplating the worst. “What if they think this is so stupid? What if no one listens to me? What happens if they don’t understand?” Those questions along with the constant “teaching” reminders took over my concerned mind. “Remember to use your teacher voice. Check for student understanding. Walk around the room. Look confident. Don’t forget to say ‘what questions do you have?’” Finally the bell rang and the students took their seats. After giving a brief introduction, I began my lesson. With my hands literally shaking, we reviewed “The Scarlet Ibis.” I introduced the “symbols matching game” (for lack of a better title) to the students. They paired up with a partner and the race to the finish line began. To my amazement, the students loved it. They were working together, shouting out correct answers, and critically thinking about the task at hand. Is it possible for my first lesson to go perfectly? Of course not! Now, come on, that would be way too ideal. I rushed through the lesson thinking the class ended ten minutes before it really did. Ugh, I could have kicked myself. What was I thinking? Mrs. Mann gave me great tips to use for today’s lesson. Which, without a doubt I used.

So, today! The lesson required me to put on my very best acting hat. I told the students I would no longer be at Jackson due to my new job. I would begin working on the latest Disney movie and needed their help; I obviously gave a back story and more details to make the story more believable. My assignment gave me the chance to create a new world filled with classic Disney characters intermingled into one storyline. I needed to find a place/location/ SETTING for the movie to take place. I explained if we used their ideas, they would see their names in the closing credits of the movie. They immediately put their creative thinking caps on and began to work. The students created six absolutely mind blowing ideas. They produced incredible maps to give “my boss” a visual as to what they were thinking. When I finally broke the news, I felt as if I pulled out all their hopes and dreams and crushed them with a huge sledge hammer. I honestly didn’t think they would take it to heart. Plus, my mom engraved in my mind, they wouldn’t believe my story. I felt horrible. At the time, I regretted ever thinking up this lesson, but while reflecting I realized it accomplished/ exceeded my ultimate goals and standards set for the class. The ideas the students created were remarkable. They recognized the importance of the setting in a story like the back of their hand. So, here’s my problem? Was this lesson ethical? I achieved my purpose; the students’ grasp and understanding of the content went above and beyond my expectation. The downside is the kids may question my truthfulness the rest of the year.

To link day one and day two into one concluding sentence, I must finish with “I loving this experience!”

Here are some pictures of the class!