Working Beyond the Bell

The past few days have flown by! Yesterday I spent a whopping 12.5 hours in school mode!!! Talk about a long day.

Yesterday morning went by quickly with vocabulary review in Spanish and grammar (prepositional phrases, I know you're excited) in English 10. As they were working to create ten of their own specific prepositional phrases, I was able to help students along as they needed scaffolding or a proofreader. I found that the students are already becoming accustomed to my presence in the classroom; they commented on my travel coffee mug I've been bringing along to get me through the day!

The afternoon also proved interesting as we continued to move through A Tale of Two Cities in Honors 10 English- my cooperating teacher actually fell off her chair because she was so excited about Charles Dickins' character development!!! It's fun to see someone who also has a passion for English having a blast with students :) 

It still boggles my mind to think that I'm so far removed from high school myself; it seems like just yesterday I was the one taking the vocabulary test or filling out the plot development chart... Even with the small age difference between my students and I, it is interesting to observe them developmentally. While some students are attentive and engaged, there are others who just don't have the necessary attention span to stay focused. This variety of responses reminds how important it is for me to always think about how my students learn best, not how it's easiest for me to teach. 

Fast forward to last night when my cooperating teachers and I began the unfortunately confusing drive to a university meeting. It was fun to spend time with my teachers outside of school, but not making it home until after 8pm sure made me tired! The meeting focused on the nature of the mentoring relationship between cooperating teachers and their student teacher. I'm so blessed to have such wonderful mentors during this difficult and exciting time during my life! They are both helpful, fun, kind, engaging, and care about their students. Though having four different classes to prep for every day will be a sure challenge, I know that they will be there to support me each step of the way :)

With my long day yesterday, I have to admit I hit the snooze button (which I never do) this morning! Starting off the day with some quality coffee and reflection while driving to school, I realized that my commute is actually the perfect time to both prep myself and reflect on each day! Though it may seem silly, without reflection my days just blend together without any real distinctions. By taking the time to actively think about my successes and struggles, I can better myself just a little bit each day. I've always been more of a reader than a writer, but this blogging has already changed the way I think about and process my day to day activities. Allowing myself time to reenergize and decompress each day leaves me feeling more peaceful and ready to take on anything, an attitude I'm sure I'll need even more of as the semester continues along. 

Today I had the chance to sit in on a couple of college-bound senior English classes- what a blast!! They are just beginning The Lord of the Flies and today's interactive activity made me see just how creative students can get when they're pushed a bit. Each student was assigned to an "island" with three of their classmates after a faux plane crash (with student sound effects and everything!) Then each group was assigned a particular problem- food stolen, snake bite, shelter destroyed, etc. Each of the islands got to draw items that "washed up on shore" from their plane crash; these ten items are all they have to survive and devise a plan for rescue! Along with other stipulations and parameters, I could see that the students are already excited to begin their projects. How refreshing to be able to observe so many students genuinely excited about learning and collaborating!! 

It's hard to believe that tomorrow is already Friday and I've spent a week at the high school! At this rate I'll barely remember the semester (good thing I'll have this blog to remind me)!